When Fu Lansheng returned to Bixiao Palace, he was met with a scene of utter devastation – crumbling walls and broken pillars. The areas ravaged by the demon clan were covered in blood and dismembered limbs. A thick, nauseating stench of blood permeated the once-grand Bixiao Palace. The former splendor and opulence had vanished, replaced by what could only be described as hell on earth.
Fu Lansheng stumbled through the corridors, searching for any signs of life. Suddenly, he heard chaotic footsteps and raucous laughter coming from ahead. He quickly halted and concealed himself.
A group of demons with considerable cultivation levels emerged from the palace, adorned with jewels and jade. They were chatting and laughing amongst themselves.
“This place is great! Lots of treasures and rich in spiritual energy. We should settle down here!” one demon said gleefully.
“That’ll have to wait until Elder Jiang finds Fu Yuanting and his wife. Only those two know how to disable the protective formation of Bixiao Palace,” another demon replied.
“With Elder Jiang personally on the hunt, how could he possibly fail? Let’s go pick out our rooms first!”
Fu Lansheng watched the demons leave with a grim expression. Hearing that his parents hadn’t yet met with misfortune brought him some relief, but he worried they were being pursued. A thought struck him, and he took out his blood mirror, intending to use it to locate his parents.
Suddenly, a small hand tugged at his sleeve. Startled, he heard a soft, childish voice beside him: “Brother, it’s me.”
Fu Lansheng sighed in relief and looked down at Bao: “Didn’t I tell you to stay on the ship?”
Bao replied plaintively, “I was worried about you…”
Fu Lansheng frowned deeply, but since Bao was already here, he couldn’t send her back for fear she might encounter the demons. He whispered, “Change back to your original form.”
Bao nodded, seeming to understand, and transformed into her cute, tiny spirit mouse form, clinging to Fu Lansheng’s shoulder.
“Bao, hide in the spatial pouch. If we encounter demons, pretend you’re one of them,” Fu Lansheng instructed.
“Mm…” Bao pondered for a moment, “I understand. If you can’t beat them, join them.”
Fu Lansheng sighed, “You’re not wrong…”
He dripped blood onto the mirror and quickly saw where his parents were – in the secret passage of Bixiao Palace.
Jiang Li looked at the severely wounded Fu Yuanting and Duan Xiaorong, slowly coming to a stop with his blood-dripping sword pointed at the couple.
“Chang Li, for these past twenty-odd years, I’ve loved you like my own son. Do you not feel any filial affection at all?” Fu Yuanting said, clutching his bleeding wound with a pained expression.
Jiang Li sneered, “Fu Yuanting, if you hadn’t killed my birth father, I would have had a loving family. Why would I need to be like a son to you? You killed a man and stole his wife, yet you pretend to be affectionate. It’s nauseating!”
Fu Yuanting responded sorrowfully, “Yes, I wronged Jiang Shaoling, but I’ve never shortchanged you or Lanchi in any way! Back then, I was coerced by Duan Xiaorong into becoming her Dao partner, forced to separate from Lanchi, but I never forgot her in my heart…”
“Hehehehe…” Before Jiang Li could speak, it was Duan Xiaorong who let out a cold laugh. Her right shoulder was severely injured, and half her body was covered in blood. Her hair was disheveled, jewels and hairpins scattered on the ground. Gone was her usual elegance and beauty, replaced by a sorry state.
Breathing heavily, she looked at Fu Yuanting with mockery, her voice weak but sharp: “Fu Yuanting, have you told so many lies that you’ve started to believe them yourself? Was it I who separated you and Lanchi? Back then, I was devoted to cultivation. It was you who deliberately approached me, feigning affection to trick me into dual cultivation, coveting the position of Bixiao Palace’s master. Now you claim I forced you? Bah! Who do you think you are? I, Duan Xiaorong, have my pride and would never stoop to force anyone, let alone tolerate deception! If it weren’t for Lansheng and the face of Bixiao Palace, do you think I’d be willing to maintain this false marriage with you?”
Fu Yuanting’s already pale face grew even more unsightly at Duan Xiaorong’s cold accusations.
Duan Xiaorong looked at Jiang Li defiantly, saying coldly, “I killed your mother. If you want revenge, take it. I was foolish enough to trust a scoundrel and let a tiger return to the mountain. I deserve this fate.”
Fu Yuanting pleaded sorrowfully, “Chang Li, you have a kind heart. You’re not a heartless person. Don’t let hatred blind you and be used by the demon clan…”
Duan Xiaorong looked at Fu Yuanting with disdain, letting out a cold laugh: “Fu Yuanting, how did I ever fall for such a coward! You killed his father, I killed his mother. Do you think your pleas will make him spare you? It’s better to die with dignity and swiftness!”
Jiang Li gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white. He narrowed his cold eyes and said in a deep voice, “Fu Yuanting, Duan Xiaorong, go repay your blood debts in the Nine Hells yourselves!”
As Jiang Li finished speaking, a blade of crimson flame shot toward Fu Yuanting’s forehead, only to be blocked by a barrier. A young man in brocade robes and a jade crown suddenly appeared, standing in front of Fu Yuanting and Duan Xiaorong.
Fu Yuanting exclaimed with joy, “Lansheng!”
Duan Xiaorong, however, looked horrified and shouted shrilly, “What are you doing here!”
Fu Lansheng had a bag full of magical artifacts, wondering which ones could repel this man of unfathomable strength. But he knew the difference in their cultivation levels was too great, and he had little combat experience. For a moment, he was at a loss, relying only on sheer courage to stand in front of his parents.
Duan Xiaorong knew that Fu Lansheng could never defeat Jiang Li. Angry and anxious, she felt her insides burning. She struggled to her feet and said in a trembling voice, “Jiang Li if you want to avenge your parents, come at us. This has nothing to do with Lansheng!”
Fu Yuanting frowned, also aware of Fu Lansheng’s capabilities. The joy he felt moments ago at seeing help arrive instantly vanished.
Fu Lansheng hadn’t expected this man to pursue them into the secret passage so quickly. He had rushed out without thinking when he saw the man about to kill his parents.
“Mother, you and Father hurry and leave. I’ll hold him off!” He had so many magical artifacts; surely he could buy them sometime.
Fu Yuanting stood up, leaning against the stone wall. In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. His gaze swept over Duan Xiaorong and Fu Lansheng, and with gritted teeth, he fled towards the other end of the secret passage. Fu Lansheng might not be able to hold out for long, but Duan Xiaorong’s maternal instinct would drive her to fight with all her might to delay Jiang Li.
Duan Xiaorong stared in disbelief at Fu Yuanting’s retreating figure. She covered her eyes and began to laugh softly, her laughter both bitter and filled with a sense of realization and resignation.
“I should have known…” she said in a hoarse voice, half in self-mockery, half in enlightenment.
Fu Lansheng shielded Duan Xiaorong behind him, not turning to look at Fu Yuanting’s departure. He nervously watched Jiang Li approach step by step and said in a trembling voice, “You want the secret of Bixiao Palace’s formation, right? I know it too. Just take me and let my parents go!”
Duan Xiaorong sighed lightly, her eyes filled with sorrow and tenderness: “Foolish child, he wants our lives. It’s Mother who owes him a blood debt. This has nothing to do with you. Didn’t I tell you to hide if you encountered danger? You’re not listening to Mother again…”
Jiang Li’s sword tip pointed at Duan Xiaorong as he said coldly, “I had no intention of killing him, but if he insists on interfering, don’t blame me for being merciless.”
Duan Xiaorong pushed Fu Lansheng away, placing her spiritual aperture against Jiang Li’s sword tip. Her cold eyes stared intently at Jiang Li as she said in a dry voice, “If I die, will you let Lansheng go?”
Jiang Li was stunned.
This scene before him was so familiar as if on that day when Duan Xiaorong stormed into Lanchi’s villa, his mother had said the same thing.
Fu Lansheng cried out in terror, “No!”
He took out a magical artifact from his spatial pouch and threw it at Jiang Li, hoping to save Duan Xiaorong. Jiang Li pierced through the artifact’s protective shield with one strike and lunged towards Fu Lansheng. Suddenly, a small golden shadow pounced towards his neck. He reflexively swatted it away with his sword, hearing a soft cry of pain.
“Ouch!”
Jiang Li looked in astonishment at the small creature he had knocked to the ground – a tiny spirit mouse.
She lay on all fours, her golden ears flickering with golden light due to the shock. Her large black eyes were filled with tears from the pain. Fu Lansheng quickly picked her up, angrily saying, “Bao, who told you to come out!”
Bao looked at Fu Lansheng tearfully, then turned to Jiang Li with a timid gaze, saying softly, “You, you won’t kill me, right? I’m a half-demon. I’m on your side…”
Jiang Li stared at Bao in a daze, seemingly lost in thought, a hint of tenderness appearing in his eyes.
Seeing Jiang Li distracted, Duan Xiaorong seized the opportunity to grab Fu Lansheng’s arm and push him far away. She spread her arms wide, blocking Jiang Li’s path. The spiritual aperture on her forehead seemed to breathe, releasing spiritual energy that stirred her bangs. Her expression was fierce and resolute.
“Fu Chang Li, let him go, or we’ll die together!”
Fu Lansheng and Bao were both startled upon hearing this name.
“Fu Chang Li…” Fu Lansheng looked at the cold-faced man with the scar in shock, “So you’re Fu Chang Li…”
Bao also stared at him without blinking, her ear tips quivering: “Are you, my daddy?”
Jiang Li looked down at Bao in confusion. Bao reached out her paw towards him and said in a soft voice, “Mommy said my daddy is the richest cultivator in the world. His name is Fu Chang Li. He left over three years ago, and Mommy told me to come find Daddy.”
Jiang Li’s heart trembled as he asked hoarsely, “What’s your mother’s name?”
Bao replied, “Mommy’s name is Xiu Xiu.”
Xiu Xiu…
Xiu Xiu…
A hint of warmth appeared on Jiang Li’s cold, fierce face. He slowly lowered his sword tip and reached out a hand to Bao, saying gently, “Come here.”
Bao blinked and jumped from Fu Lansheng’s palm into Jiang Li’s, looking up curiously at her father.
“You’re not quite like Mommy described. You’re not trying to trick me, are you?” she asked suspiciously.
Jiang Li lowered his gaze, focusing intently on the little one. The corner of his lips curled up involuntarily, and his eyes revealed a smile. “What did your mother say about me?”
Bao tilted her head, recalling, “Mommy said Daddy is rich and generous, handsome and always smiling. He can be a bully sometimes, but he’s also good at comforting people. But Daddy disappeared, and Mommy doesn’t know where to find him. She’s afraid Daddy might come back and not find her, so I came with Brother to Bixiao Palace to look for Daddy.”
Jiang Li chuckled softly, the scar on his face seeming to soften with his laughter. He remembered that sweet, clumsy girl who, even in human form, couldn’t walk properly and would trip even on flat ground. He wondered how she was doing without him… Back then, when Duan Xiaorong suddenly attacked, his mother had transported him to the East Sea. He hid for three years, focusing on cultivation. As long as Duan Xiaorong lived, he didn’t dare return, fearing he might endanger her. He never knew she was carrying their child.
Jiang Li gently rubbed Bao’s little head and asked softly, “Where did you get this brother from?”
Bao pointed her paw at Fu Lansheng, saying, “That’s Brother. Daddy, can you not kill Brother? He’s very kind to me.”
Fu Lansheng met Jiang Li’s gaze, half hostile and half confused, and felt a chill down his spine – he had somehow been assigned the role of a father by Bao…
Jiang Li slowly withdrew his gaze, and when he looked at Bao again, only gentle affection remained in his eyes. “Bao, so your name is Bao… You look just like your mother, and your personality is similar too…”
Bao blinked her eyes and said, “Daddy, I can transform into human form too!”
As Bao spoke, a warm golden light enveloped her body. She floated up, and in an instant, transformed into a seven or eight-year-old girl, delicately beautiful with bright black eyes and a sweet, soft smile. Seeing Jiang Li’s confused look, she explained with a smile, “Sister passed on the Jade Threshold Divine Technique to me, so I can take this form now.”
Jiang Li became even more confused – now there was a sister involved?
However, Jiang Li did understand the mention of the Jade Threshold Divine Technique. During his time on Spirit Shrike Island, serving under He Xianwo, he visited the demon realm and met with Sang Qi. He knew about the mystical properties of the Jade Threshold Scripture. He vaguely guessed that the “sister” Bao mentioned was likely referring to Mu Xuanling, though he didn’t understand how Mu Xuanling and Bao were connected.
But these details weren’t important now. He joyfully picked up Bao, touching her soft little face. Her eyes and brows were just like Xiu Xiu’s, but she seemed much more intelligent, unlike Xiu Xiu’s perpetual dazed state.
Bao hugged Jiang Li’s neck. Perhaps due to the natural bond between father and daughter, she wasn’t at all afraid of the fierce scar on his face. She reached out her small hand to gently touch it, saying softly, “Daddy, will you come home with me? Mommy misses you very much…”
Jiang Li’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he looked toward Fu Lansheng and Duan Xiaorong. Seeing his gaze, Duan Xiaorong nervously spread her arms to protect Fu Lansheng, her eyes filled with resolute determination to die.
He wasn’t afraid of Duan Xiaorong’s willingness to fight to the death, but now he worried about harming Bao. He who once feared nothing now had a weakness…
Bao didn’t understand why Jiang Li insisted on killing Duan Xiaorong. She thought Jiang Li was following orders from Spirit Shrike Island. She didn’t want her daddy to kill Fu Lansheng, nor did she want her daddy to get hurt. She rested her little head on Jiang Li’s shoulder, her small hand clutching his clothes, pleading softly, “Daddy, let’s go home…”
Jiang Li let out a deep sigh, put away his sword, and said quietly, “Alright.”
Duan Xiaorong watched in astonishment as Jiang Li turned to leave. She lowered her eyes, her expression complex as she clenched her fists.
Jiang Li held Bao’s small hand, smiling as he listened to her recount Xiu Xiu’s embarrassing moments and how she had been searching everywhere for her. The smile in his eyes gradually faded, leaving only guilt and sadness.
“Bao, Daddy’s name isn’t Fu Chang Li. Daddy’s real name is Jiang Li,” Jiang Li said gently.
“Jiang Li…” Bao nodded, seeming to understand, “Then I’m not Fu Bao, I’m Jiang Bao!”
Jiang Li chuckled softly, rubbing the little bun on her head. “Yes, you’re Jiang Bao.”
Just then, the secret passage suddenly shook violently, and countless rocks began falling from above. Jiang Li’s expression changed as he called out sharply, “Bao, change back to your original form!”
Bao obediently transformed back into a spirited mouse and was protected in Jiang Li’s arms. Jiang Li activated a protective barrier, and heard Duan Xiaorong’s urgent and angry voice from behind: “It’s Fu Yuanting! He’s activated the self-destruct formation of the secret passage! That beast, does he not care about his son’s life anymore?”
Jiang Li’s face darkened. “How do we escape?”
“There’s no escape,” Duan Xiaorong panted, her face black with grief and anger. “If the self-destruct formation is activated from the outside, those inside can only endure the formation’s attacks until death.”
Fu Lansheng’s face drained of color as he murmured, “Why would Father do this…”
Duan Xiaorong laughed bitterly, “He has always only cared about himself, but I never thought he would abandon even his son.”
Fu Lansheng stared blankly at Jiang Li and Bao, suddenly remembering Nan Xuyue’s divination.
A shallow father-daughter bond, with only one meeting…
Could this be the fulfillment of that prophecy?
Continuous explosions rang out, plunging the surroundings into darkness. The power of the formation activated, summoning heavenly thunder and hellfire to attack those within. Jiang Li and Duan Xiaorong used all their strength to maintain protective barriers against the formation’s attacks. Jiang Li held Bao tightly in his arms and asked softly, “Bao, are you scared?”
Bao’s paws clutched Jiang Li’s clothes. Spirit mice are the most timid, and in the darkness, only her little ears flickered with golden light. Though trembling, she replied softly, “Bao isn’t scared. Does it hurt, Daddy?”
Jiang Li chuckled, then let out a muffled groan, saying hoarsely, “It doesn’t hurt…”
Bao nestled in Jiang Li’s arms, unable to see, only feeling her father’s strong heartbeat enveloping her. So this was how it felt to be protected by a father. No wonder Mommy always thought of Daddy. She liked Daddy very much too…
“Daddy, Mommy misses you a lot, and Bao misses you too.”
“I miss you both too…”
“Daddy, when you weren’t around, Mommy studied hard. She said she was afraid you’d think she was stupid.”
“Heh, how could I ever…”
“But she still falls when she walks. I saw her crying secretly. Bao doesn’t cry when she falls.”
“Bao… you need to take good care of Mommy…”
“I will, and Daddy needs to be with Mommy too! Daddy, are you crying?”
Hot liquid fell on Bao’s back, wetting her fur.
“Good Bao, you must listen to Mommy…”
“Bao will be good… Daddy, Daddy… why aren’t you speaking anymore…”
The violent sounds attracted the attention of the demon clan. He Xianwo hurried over, only entering the ruins after the formation had subsided.
A heavy smell of blood greeted him. In the secret passage, there were two mangled bodies, their backs charred black and riddled with wounds, blood everywhere. A little girl sat in the pool of blood, holding a body and wailing loudly.
“Reporting to the Island Master, these are the bodies of Duan Xiaorong and Elder Jiang. There’s also one severely injured and unconscious, likely the young master of Bixiao Palace, Fu Lansheng.”
He Xianwo walked up to the girl and knelt, asking, “Who are you?”
The little girl cried heartbrokenly, holding Jiang Li’s body and calling out “Daddy” repeatedly. She also reached out to grab another person’s sleeve, crying and calling “Brother”…
He Xianwo lowered his eyes thoughtfully.
“Island Master, should we kill Fu Lansheng and this little girl?” a fox demon beside him asked.
He Xianwo waved his hand. “Take them back to Spirit Shrike Island for now.”