Chapter 76 Talking to Father Next spring, your senior brother will give it to you again…
Bitao said, "I've called you 'Grandma' for so many years, but when I saw the Ghost King's true face in Kangquan City that day, I realized that 'Grandma' wasn't 'Grandma' at all."
"In the first competition, my celestial soul was damaged, and I was reborn as a mortal. I am grateful to the Ghost King for his 18 years of hard work and companionship day and night. I will never forget his kindness in raising me."
Bitao stepped forward and respectfully performed the junior's greeting: "Please allow me to call you Father, Lord Ghost King."
Bai Duo was so excited that she didn't know what to do.
He instinctively wanted to share it with his best friend, "Zhu Xian".
But he subconsciously looked back into the darkness. Zhuo Xian had official duties to perform today. He was overjoyed to receive his daughter's summons, but he really couldn't spare the time to go with him.
The previous star realm was the mortal star realm. No matter how much they couldn't bear to see their daughter suffer, they had no way to appear in the mortal star realm to meet her.
Moreover, as the accompanying immortals, they dared not have any private dealings with the participants to avoid any impropriety, as this would affect the judgment of the competition results.
Now, his exceptionally intelligent daughter has finally recognized him, which makes it all worthwhile that when Bai Duo was capturing the cheating immortal, he deliberately summoned the Yin-Yang Ghost Child in front of her.
Those two ghost children were the ones his daughter burned for him; it's wonderful that his daughter still remembers them.
But his mother-in-law was his father, and he wasn't just a nobody.
Bai Duo was initially reluctant to accept the order to care for the amnesiac immortal, but Zhuo Xian helped Bai Duo impersonate his mortal identity many times.
He even learned needlework from an old woman in the mortal world. When it comes to the dedication to raising children, at least in the very beginning, Bai Duo admitted that he was not as good as Zhuo Xian.
If Zhuoxian could also hear this "Father," how overjoyed he would be.
It's just a pity...
Unexpectedly, Bitao's next words were: "Father, I wonder why my other father didn't come today?"
Bai Duo raised his long eyebrows in a wicked manner, finally unable to hold back his words, his voice as deep as a bell: "Do you know that it was two people who raised you together?"
"Of course I know."
Bitao laughed and said, "One can do needlework, while the other just stares blankly at the hole. One likes to pat my head, while the other likes to tap my head. One is always worried that I will fall from the tree, while the other teaches me the tricks of climbing trees..."
"I may not have understood these things at first, but the paper money that rolled over that day was the hem of the two Earthly Fiend Kings, so how could I continue to be confused?"
Bai Duo stepped forward, his long robe trailing on the ground and his waterfall-like black hair moving without wind due to the yin energy emanating from his body.
He didn't say anything to explain, but hesitantly raised his hand, bent his long knuckles, and gently tapped Bitao's head.
Bitao blinked and immediately understood what the other person meant.
The man in front of her was her father, who couldn't do needlework, only knew how to tap her on the head, but could teach her to climb trees.
Bitao's eyes welled up with tears, and she reached out to grab the sleeve of the Earthly Fiend King in front of her.
A chilling aura crept up Bitao's fingertips and seeped into her very bones. Bitao shuddered, but then smiled.
Because she remembered that after her mother-in-law died, she often felt that the surroundings were gloomy, just like now, so cold and chilling that even the fire could not dispel it.
At that time, Bitao thought it was because the weather was too cold or because her body lacked nutrition from eating cakes all year round that she was afraid of the cold.
Looking back now, those repeated instances of cold entering my body were not cold air, but rather yin energy entering my body.
It was her mother-in-law and her fathers who, unable to appear or speak, carefully touched her and comforted her.
Bitao sniffed, and tears welled up uncontrollably.
She grew up wild and untamed, and the only genuine family affection she ever felt came from the person in front of her, which she cherished immensely.
Seeing that she shivered, Bai Duo knew that his yin energy had affected her, so he immediately pulled his sleeve away.
He said, "As a cultivator, your meridians are filled with pure energy. It is not advisable for you to have any contact with my Netherworld Yin Sha."
Seeing her tears again, a chilling aura surged within him, leaving him as helpless as a wild beast scrambling for cover.
Bitao stepped forward and hugged the Earthly Fiend King in front of her.
"Father..." Bitao buried herself in the Ghost King's arms.
This embrace, separated by two worlds, by a celestial realm and the netherworld, was many years overdue.
Bai Dui's words and all perceptions froze instantly.
He seemed to have left his body, but then he remembered that he was currently in a state of being a spirit and could not leave his body.
Bai Duo was exceptionally tall. He slowly lowered his head and saw the top of his daughter's head.
Thinking back to her childhood, from this angle, Bai Duo could only see her messy head and crooked braids.
I often feel that she is a cat or dog that will never grow up, so thin and frail, I'm afraid she won't live long enough to be raised, and I'm also afraid that she won't live long enough to be raised.
Now his daughter... has really grown up. Her head is almost up to his chin.
Yin energy was seeping into the bodies of the two people who were touching. Bai Duo hurriedly tried to restrain himself, but he was, after all, a ghost king who had been walking in the underworld for many years and could not completely suppress the yin energy.
Finally, he simply bent his knuckles and tapped Bitao's head twice.
The voice grew even lower as he said, "We're still in the middle of a competition. Be careful of yin energy entering your body, or your luck will turn bad."
Bitao stopped crying and started laughing, releasing Baiduo.
He said, "It's okay, I have a friend who's a lucky koi fish fairy, I'll just kiss her in a bit..."
"Is that the friend over there who was peeking?" Bai Duo's lips curled up slightly as she tilted her head up in Zhan Kui's direction.
Zhan Kui immediately scurried back behind the pillar.
Then he felt around in his sleeve, and without waiting for Bitao, he ran back to Wenxin Pavilion.
"No, Bitao and the Earthly Fiend King are hugging each other. They might not come back tonight."
She had to quickly blow the sleeping powder that she hadn't blown into Guanghan's room into Wei Danxin's room, lest he come out and cause trouble if he couldn't sleep!
“It’s her.” Bitao laughed as she watched Zhan Kui run away in fright.
Then, looking at Bai Duo, he said, "Father, as the Immortal Master of Sui Sai, must be very busy with official duties."
"But now that the cycle of reincarnation in this world has collapsed, there shouldn't be many souls that need to be reincarnated. Most of the immortal positions in this world's competition have not made any progress in merit, so there's no need to record it. Father isn't that busy anymore, is he?"
Indeed, very few people are reincarnated in this world. Apart from those who have been sent across the Reincarnation Bridge by the Wenxin Pavilion, the Underworld rarely allocates people and animals to be reborn in this world after learning that the Reincarnation Bridge here has been broken.
Therefore, birds and beasts in this world have almost disappeared, and the birth rate has been declining year by year, making it extremely difficult for mortals to conceive children.
Otherwise, several once-prosperous nations would not have declined so quickly.
It's really quite leisurely to be here during the competition.
Bai Duo nodded restrainedly: "Not too busy."
He glanced at Bitao, then quickly looked away, his gaze falling on the ashes that had already burned out.
Bai Duo longed to be close to his daughter, but even when he was unexpectedly hugged just now, he didn't dare to hug her back.
Firstly, they feared that the yin energy would negatively affect their daughter's fortune.
Secondly, as a follower of the Immortal Master, his overly intimate behavior with the contestants would bring trouble and suspicion upon her.
Thirdly, because his daughter was a celestial being from the Nine Heavens, there was a chasm between them, and Bai Duo acknowledged her as "Father," but dared not truly adopt the posture of a father in front of the celestial being from the Nine Heavens.
There are four more... The reason is that they are different in gender and both have youthful appearances. Bai Duo already knew about Bi Tao's reputation in the Heavenly Realm and was afraid that his closeness would add another layer of filthy rumors to her.
His many concerns made him hesitant and restrained; he would even look at his daughter for a couple of seconds before quickly looking away.
Bitao had no reservations. Seeing her father standing there motionless, she tilted her head slightly and asked him, "Since Father isn't too busy right now, could you talk to me for a while?"
Bitao made a vow gesture and pressed it to her cheek: "I swear, I will never ask about the secrets of the Star Realm Competition, I will never talk about anything related to the competition, and I will never use kinship to coerce Father into opening doors for me. If I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning!"
Lightning flashed across the clouds, followed by the rumble of thunder.
This is an omen of Heaven's will fulfilling its promise.
Bai Duo looked slightly taken aback, glanced up at the sky, and then looked at Bi Tao with utmost seriousness: "The wrath of Heaven is unpredictable, how could you make such a casual oath!"
For these Earthly Fiend Kings, and even for all the ghost officials of the Netherworld, being struck by five thunderbolts is the most severe punishment.
Celestial beings regard the Five Thunders as the most severe punishment, but because they are full of pure energy, they can at least withstand a portion of it.
However, the ghosts of the underworld are all shrouded in darkness and evil. If they are struck by lightning, there is no other possibility but that their souls will be scattered.
How could my daughter make such a solemn vow so casually!
Bai Duo's voice and expression turned fierce for a moment.
But when he met Bitao's smiling eyes, the worry that arose from his concern turned into fear.
Bai Duo realized that his words and expression were too sharp, and his expression became even stiffer.
Bitao, however, seemed indifferent. What punishment was being struck by lightning to her?
She now swears it's like taking a super tonic.
But seeing that her father looked really serious, she tried to be charming and said, "I will never make any more oaths, Father, please don't be angry."
“I don’t want my father to have any of the same concerns he had when he raised me.”
At that time, neither Bai Duo nor Zhuo Xian dared to get close to their daughters because of many concerns.
Bai Duo sighed slightly, feeling utterly helpless against Bi Tao.
The horses were left in place. These sacrificial horses, which feed on yin energy, did not need to eat grass and would not run away.
The two walked one after the other to the back corridor of Wenxin Pavilion, and sat side by side on the railing, some distance apart.
Bitao leaned against a pillar, turned her head to look at Bai Duo, and smiled as she took the initiative to start a conversation: "So, Father, why didn't my other father come today?"
After Bai Duo sat down, his long legs were propped up awkwardly, his figure still tall and imposing, looking like a small mountain, but in reality he was very nervous.
He didn't know what to say to his daughter.
But when Bitao brought up Zhuoxian, Bai Duo secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his expression became much more amiable.
He replied, "A demon king from the underworld was transferred to the Shangqing Realm to deal with the scourge of demons. He did manage to eliminate the demons, but his soul was completely damaged."
"Zhuoxian and others are assisting the Fengdu Emperor in reshaping the body and replenishing the soul of this Earthly Fiend King through merit."
Bai Duo paused, and although his tone remained unchanged, he couldn't hide his admiration as he said, "Although he will have to endure inhuman pain to reshape his soul, he should be able to successfully become one of the Ten Kings of Hell afterward."
“Those like Zhuoxian who help him shape his body can also receive merit rewards.”
Bai Duo's voice had barely faded when she became even more tense.
What else is there to say!
But Bitao didn't let his words fall to the ground, and asked a second question: "Oh, merit shaping the body, then this Earthly Fiend Ghost King must have gained a lot of merit in this public service."
"This is the first time I've heard that merit can repair the soul. It's amazing."
Bai Duo took a slight breath and began to explain to Bi Tao again: "Not all remnant souls can be repaired. The person must have an extremely strong willpower to preserve self-awareness during the process of 'soul scattering'."
"If one's consciousness is chaotic, even if one uses merit to forcibly create a human form, it will quickly dissipate."
"Moreover, the merit required to shape a soul is as vast as the sea. In the tens of thousands of years of the Netherworld, only this one Earthly Fiend Ghost King has attempted it. Therefore, even the Great Emperor of Fengdu personally protected him. It is still unknown whether he can succeed."
After Bai Duo finished speaking, he glanced at Bi Tao, unsure if she would want to hear such a thing.
These are all matters of the netherworld; few celestial beings are interested in how difficult it is for ghosts and demons to advance their ranks.
Bitao opened her eyes wide and asked with great interest, "Wow, so as long as one has enough merit, one can become one of the Ten Kings of Hell? So the Underworld is about advancement based on merit?"
In fact, most of Bitao is aware of these issues.
She was just afraid that her "father" would be embarrassed by having nothing to say.
However, this was the first time Bitao had heard that merit could repair the soul.
She used to only know that the Five Thunders could repair damaged souls, but now it seems that merit can repair the souls of the dead, which fills the gap that ghosts in the underworld cannot pass through the Five Thunders Formation to receive the benefits of heavenly rules.
Indeed, all things in the universe are balanced by yin and yang, and never lose their order.
Bai Duo thought his daughter really didn't know and was genuinely interested, so he nodded and said, "In the underworld, advancement to a ghost rank depends not only on cultivation level but also, and more importantly, on merit."
"One million merits are required to be promoted to one of the Ten Kings of Hell..."
The two began to talk about the merit required for promotion to various positions in the underworld.
The story goes on to recount how the Great Emperor of Luofeng Mountain, who participated in the ancient war that divided the six realms and accumulated immeasurable merit, ascended to the position of Great Emperor of Luofeng Mountain and has served for tens of thousands of years; and how the day and night wandering gods maintain order in the human world. Finally, it even recounts how the Netherworld Demon Envoy was sent from the Shangqing Realm to the Netherworld.
Matters of the underworld naturally do not involve the competition for celestial positions in the heavens, so Bai Duo spoke freely, and the atmosphere between the two gradually improved.
Later, Bai Duo was still able to laugh and tell Bi Tao some interesting stories about handling official duties.
"In your last competition, didn't you have a Ziwei Emperor Star personally selected by the Mingguang Xuanxian?"
"It seems to be called... yes, Emperor Enrong."
Bitao thought to herself, "That was the little emperor who had a past life's marriage with Xuanjia."
She smiled and nodded: "I remember. Mingguang Xuanxian has excellent judgment. Emperor Enrong is a wise and benevolent ruler who governs the country effectively."
Bai Duo also agreed: "He is indeed very suitable to be the Ziwei Star. He has served for many years and his achievements will be remembered for generations. As long as he stays true to himself, he will be the Ziwei Star for all eternity and be the supreme ruler above all others."
"But he just happens to be a stubborn romantic."
Bai Duo found this quite amusing, after all, in the eyes of a ghost king who had lived for thousands of years, human love was like fleeting clouds, which would dissipate on their own with the passage of time.
He said, "After you left the competition for immortality, he entered the underworld for reincarnation, but refused to drink the soup of forgetfulness and be reborn as an emperor."
"He was obsessed with the immortal position with which he had spent his life, and lingered in the underworld, running around everywhere. He was captured several times and subjected to the torture of being boiled in oil, but he still did not change his ways."
Bai Duo said regretfully, "In the end, he was sentenced to be thrown into the River of Oblivion."
Bitao remained expressionless. Upon hearing about the River of Oblivion, she asked curiously, "Is the River of Oblivion in the Underworld also like this realm, formed by countless wronged souls who have been exhausted?"
Bai Duo looked at Bi Tao with a solemn expression: "Your soul has left your body and descended to this underworld?"
It is extremely dangerous for a living soul to leave the body and descend into the underworld!
Seeing her father's disapproving expression, Bitao immediately said, "I went down with a friend, only took one look and came back. There was no danger at all, Father, don't worry."
Bai Duo couldn't let go of her worries.
He had been following the race all along, so how could he not know that his daughter's audacity was beyond description, she was simply arrogant as a demon.
Sometimes even these Earthly Fiend Kings admit their inferiority.
At least they dared not recklessly throw themselves into the Five Thunders with their ghostly forms, and then use the might of Heaven to kill the evil spirits.
Bai Duo looked worried, and Bi Tao said, "Besides, Father, I'm in a competition. I've witnessed the Hundred Ghosts wreaking havoc on the world. I should at least see the collapse of reincarnation myself, right?"
Bitao quickly changed the subject: "I always thought the River of Oblivion was a river, but it turns out it's not."
Bai Duo had many things to say, as the Netherworld was fraught with danger for immortals.
If one is not careful, one's immortal bones will be tainted by the dark and yin energy. How will one then return to heaven and attain one's position?
But in the end, all the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat and he could only swallow them back down because of his status as the Immortal Master Sui Sai.
He replied, "The River of Oblivion has been formed from the accumulation of incomplete souls that cannot be reborn and resentful spirits that refuse to reincarnate since ancient times."
"Later, it evolved into a form of punishment in the underworld for dealing with ghosts like Narenrongdi who disrupted the order of the underworld."
"After being thrown into the River of Oblivion, one's soul and consciousness will be gradually consumed, and one will watch helplessly as one's self is annihilated. In the end, one will merge with the River of Oblivion."
Bitao had personally witnessed that the River of Oblivion in this realm, the only star realm, was already filled with the howling of ten thousand ghosts, and the broken souls piled up into a river. The River of Oblivion in the realm of the Underworld must be as vast as the sea.
"But Father said that merit can repair the soul. Is it possible for these souls of the River of Oblivion to be reincarnated?"
Bai Duo, an enforcer of the underworld, coldly replied, "Almost none."
"If one does not accumulate virtue in life, how can one have the merit to repair one's soul after death? In the River of Oblivion in the underworld, there are mostly wicked people who are not worthy of being human. Most of them are evil ghosts captured by the day and night wandering gods in all realms. They have committed many evils and know that they will be severely punished after being captured. They refuse to accept punishment and struggle desperately, and their souls are torn apart. Their final destination is naturally the River of Oblivion."
Bitao sighed, "I see."
“But the River of Oblivion in this realm was caused by the collapse of life force.” Bai Duo looked at his daughter’s sorrowful expression and was very gratified. “You have the well-being of all living beings in your heart and should be a role model for the immortals.”
Bitao smiled, her lips pursed, after being praised by her father.
Bai Duo noticed that although his daughter was smiling, her expression was tinged with melancholy because of the "cold-blooded" rules of the underworld punishment he had described.
I blame myself for telling such unfunny "funny stories".
Although such a "royal lover" is a once-in-a-millennium occurrence for those of them who serve in the underworld, people are even betting on how many years it will take for Emperor Enrong to run out of luck, forget his "fairy concubine," and become a remnant ghost crying and begging in the River of Oblivion for reincarnation.
But he realized that his kind and compassionate daughter probably wouldn't find this kind of thing funny...
Bai Duo, his mouth dry, quickly tried to make amends, coaxing gently, "Actually... entering the River of Oblivion doesn't mean there's no way to be reincarnated."
“The souls of the dead can be repaired through merit, and once their souls are complete, they can enter the cycle of reincarnation. But in addition, after they have atoned their sins in the River of Oblivion, if someone is willing to share their fortune with them, they may also be fortunate enough to be reincarnated as humans again.”
"For example, Emperor Enrong, who was sentenced to be thrown into the River of Oblivion, was destined to be a star of the Purple Star, and his fortune was prosperous. Since he entered the River of Oblivion, many souls that have cleansed their sins have been reincarnated because of his fortune."
Bai Duo smiled, but because of his naturally sinister appearance and the deep-rooted yin energy, it looked as if he was mocking: "Those who borrow the fortune of the Ziwei star to be reincarnated may become kings, generals, and wealthy people after their reincarnation."
Bitao was indeed "coaxed" by her father.
The gloom on his face vanished, and he laughed, "Father, you don't need to coax me. As a celestial being, I naturally know that the cycle of reincarnation has its own rules."
"The underworld governs the cycle of reincarnation in all realms. Mortals are born with a mixture of purity and impurity, and the five aggregates are in full bloom. If we do not severely punish and govern them, how can we ensure peace and order in the cycle of reincarnation?"
Bitao changed the subject again: "I just feel sorry for Father, who is busy day and night for the sake of all living beings in the world, and still has to take time to take care of me during the first competition."
Bitao revealed her genuine affection for her father: "Father didn't neglect his official duties, and he still had to participate in the competition. He and my parents also shared the burden, sewing, mending, washing, and cleaning for me, taking good care of me as I grew up. He's really amazing!"
When it was Bai Duo who was being coaxed, he was stunned for a moment.
He lived for less than a hundred years, but has been dead for over a thousand years, and has never been flattered or praised.
While he felt a sense of comfort, he wanted to laugh, but he felt it wasn't dignified enough, not "father" enough. His lips twitched, looking rather fierce and eerie.
After a long pause, he coughed and said, "It would be difficult for me to manage on my own. Zhuoxian... that is, your other father, takes care of you with me. He is more gentle, and he does all the sewing, mending, washing, and cleaning..."
Bai Duo had a strong grip and had washed Xiao Bitao's clothes twice, tearing them once. Zhuo Xian then forbade him from doing it again.
My family was already poor, and even eating a pancake was a struggle, let alone having the money to make new clothes.
Bai Duo said, "He must be very regretful that he couldn't come to see you tonight."
Bitao replied, "There's no need to regret it. I will definitely talk to my fathers more often in the future."
Bai Duo was overjoyed upon hearing this.
He came today with boundless anticipation, but also with immense fear.
What if a daughter only recognizes her mother-in-law and refuses to acknowledge her father?
If his daughter were to treat him politely as the Ghost King, without speaking of feelings to him, and only talking about repayment, then where would he place his full "fatherly affection"?
She is a celestial being, and he is a demon king of the earth. Can their relationship truly be maintained by only eighteen years of nurturing affection?
The celestial realm and the underworld have been separate entities for many years, though they have frequently collaborated on official duties. The celestial lords in the celestial realm hold high positions, untouched by the world, which has long been a source of discontent among the ghostly officials in the underworld.
In fact, his colleagues were puzzled when they learned that he and Zhuoxian truly treated a celestial being as their daughter, and some even made sarcastic remarks.
"Those arrogant immortals who think they can just recognize you Earthly Fiend Kings as their fathers? Don't even dream about it."
"I advise you to forget your connection with those celestial beings in the mortal realm. Regardless of whether their status is equal or not, their ages are also chaotic and impossible to calculate. Have you ever seen any celestial being in the Nine Heavens look at the ghosts and demons of the netherworld with any special regard? Let alone have any dealings with them."
"That female immortal's celestial soul was damaged, which is why she formed a kinship with you. Now that her celestial destiny is complete, why would she still acknowledge the kindness she received back then?"
...
Bai Duo and Zhuo Xian had heard countless sarcastic remarks like these when they couldn't help but show off their daughter.
But now that he is actually speaking to his daughter face to face, Bai Duo is becoming more and more proud.
I wish I could bring all my colleagues over to take a look.
How about it!
He said that his daughter was not an ungrateful person.
His daughter not only harbored no contempt or hatred for the ghosts and demons of the underworld, but even felt pity for the remnants of souls in the River of Oblivion.
I can understand that the harsh punishments of the underworld are for the sake of peace for all living beings. I don't think they are cruel and bloodthirsty, but I do think they are suffering!
If Bitao were still a little girl, Bai Duo would definitely do anything to pick her up and spin her around several times.
Unfortunately, my daughter has already grown up.
His turbulent emotions could only surge silently within his chest before being suppressed.
But he was so happy that he didn't want to leave.
The two of them soon naturally started chatting about some "interesting things" in the celestial realm.
This time, Bitao will speak, and Baiduo will listen.
According to Bai Duo's "interesting stories," Bi Tao already knows what her father finds interesting.
So she picked out some "fun" things to say.
For example: "The Thunder Department was regarded as the Ice Wheel Celestial who was trained by the Thunder Emperor, but in reality, he was an illiterate person who could not make sense when it came to the culture of the lower realm."
Bai Duo: "Haha." Bai Duo's laughter was relatively restrained at first.
Bitao continued, "Last time, a deity named Fenglian from the Doubu tribe tried to frame Zhu Mingxiandu for harming the common people. As a result, he was caught, stripped of his intelligence, and permanently imprisoned in the earth's veins."
Bai Duo: "Hahaha. So stupid... Good verdict!"
Bitao: "The Eastern King Duke, who governs the entire Penglai, often appears in the Heavenly Realm with only one head floating around, like a ghost head."
Bai Duo: "He wasn't like that when I saw him last time; he had a body."
"That's because the Emperor of Fengdu and the Ghost King of the Underworld were there. Otherwise, with just one head, it would just keep bumping around aimlessly when it's in a good mood."
"Hahahaha..."
Bitao: "Moreover, the Eastern King Duke was a Grand Immortal. More than two hundred years ago, he ascended to the Heavenly Realm with a Merit Immortal position. Because he was dissatisfied with the Eastern King Duke's arrangement of his position, he smashed his palace to pieces. After that, the Merit Immortal position was scattered and descended to the mortal world, no longer serving as an immortal."
Bai Duo: "How could a minor immortal who ascended to immortality through merit possibly smash the palace of a Grand Immortal? A Grand Immortal can't be killed with a single finger."
Bitao didn't mention that Dongwanggong was always one to enjoy watching a good show and making things worse. That meritorious immortal, let alone smashing his palace, even if he went to the Immortal Emperor's palace, Dongwanggong would have to give that person directions.
Bitao simply said, "He only has one head, how can he fight back?"
Bai Duo: "Hahahahahahahahahaha—"
Bai Duo laughed so hard he kept slapping the railing, and then he broke the railing where the two of them were sitting.
He staggered for a moment before his laughter subsided. At that moment, without him noticing, a pale blue-white light appeared on the horizon.
As a ghost king, Bai Duo was not afraid of the daytime, but the horses in front of the ash heap were true "sacrifices from the underworld," which would dissipate upon exposure to sunlight.
He cherished everything his good daughter gave him, and he always used yin energy to reconnect and care for the little boy with a broken back.
He couldn't bear to see the horse disappear.
Moreover, he really couldn't stay any longer. Today had already been extremely "unrespectable," and if he stayed any longer, his "fatherly" authority would be completely lost in front of his daughter.
Therefore, Bai Duo stood up and said solemnly, "I'm leaving."
Bitao nodded: "I'll take Father there."
"No need to send her." Bai Duo looked at Bi Tao, hesitated for a long time, and then tapped her head with his knuckles as the first rays of dawn fell.
Accompanied by a chilling aura, Bai Duo's figure transformed into a wisp of ghostly energy, engulfing the black horse and disappearing.
The lingering voice reached Bitao's ears: "I will give your father Zhuoxian's horses and house to him."
“My dear daughter, my name is Bai Duo.”
The obedient daughter asked Bai Duo many questions that night, but she didn't ask him what his name was.
Bai Duo guessed that his daughter was embarrassed, just as he was embarrassed to stare into her eyes for a long time.
Therefore, when others ran away, he took the initiative to inform them by using the echo of their voice.
Bitao nodded happily, not caring whether he could hear her or not, and called out, "Father Bai Duo, please give my regards to Father Zhuo Xian!"
Bai Duo Zhuo Xian are both names of wines.
Bitao thought that naming the underworld was quite similar to naming the heavenly realm.
The celestial realm uses names derived from the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, while the underworld uses names derived from all things in the human world.
Bitao was smiling as she looked in the direction where Bai Duo had disappeared.
Zhan Kui crawled out from some 'rat hole' and said to the back of Bi Tao's head, "My ancestors, my sleeping potion is about to wear off. Ming Guang is only at the mid-level of the Earthly Realm, so I can't keep him intoxicated for long. You two are done with your lovey-dovey moments, why aren't you going back to your room? What are you doing here reminiscing?"
Bitao turned around and glared at Zhan Kui: "What nonsense are you talking about? That's my father."
"Your father? When did you recognize your father?"
"Why did you acknowledge the Earthly Fiend King as your father?"
Zhan Kui bombarded him with a series of questions. He had originally intended to say that the Earthly Fiend King looked quite good, but seeing Bi Tao's serious expression, he realized that the matter was probably true.
"You wouldn't be..." Zhan Kui leaned closer to Bi Tao and said, trying to be very quiet, "...trying to cheat by using the Earthly Fiend King?"
Bitao: "...Your brain is really on par with Binglun's. Have you forgotten that we are under the constant surveillance of Yinhan Gu? If I cheat, wouldn't you be considered to be publicly snitching?"
Zhan Kui immediately slapped his mouth and waved his hand at the void: "Pah, pah, pah! Don't believe me, everyone. Bi Tao and I were just joking. We would never cheat!"
Bitao was amused by her silly appearance.
High above in the heavens, many of the immortals on the Milky Way were also amused.
However, some people have raised questions because Bitao recognized a demon king as her father.
"The koi fish fairy is so cute, may it bring you good luck!"
"Could the Fairy Bitao really be trying to take advantage of Immortal Suisai? Otherwise, why would anyone want to acknowledge a Ghost King as their father?"
“You were born with a father, but our Tao Tao didn’t. She’s grateful to the two Ghost Kings for raising her during the first round of the competition. Isn’t that just human nature?”
"That's right. Besides, Tao Tao has already sworn an oath, with Heaven as her witness, that what she said to this Earthly Fiend Ghost King clearly did not involve any competition content."
"Yes, yes, and how does the merit competition help? Whoever does good deeds will get the merit."
"I don't care why she acknowledges two ghost kings as her fathers. I only care why, after she descended to the underworld of the star realm yesterday and deduced that the culprit behind the collapse of the Reincarnation Bridge was the former patriarch of the Xuanmen sect, she hasn't gone to arrest him yet?"
"Where are we going to catch them? They've been dead for over two thousand years."
"Didn't Zhan Kui say he had a portrait? Why don't you arrest him based on the portrait?"
"Who would commit evil in the mortal realm using their true form? I suspect that ancestor of the Xuanmen sect has possessed another body and been reborn, hiding in this world and secretly manipulating everything!"
"The background information on the competition rules really doesn't mention the reason for the collapse of this world's reincarnation... It's already quite impressive that Immortal Bitao could deduce this much from the trivial details after descending to the mortal realm. As for the other immortals... not to mention, isn't the War God Yun Chuan from the last round still searching for a young widow all over the mountains?"
"I'm dying of laughter, Yun Chuan Tianxian is really something else. It's like he started from a 'desperate' situation. Not only is the person he 'chose' not a cultivator, but he himself doesn't even know he has cultivation."
"The young widow, who couldn't have him, thought he was inadequate because he didn't dare to have an affair with her. Then she turned around and got pregnant with another man's child! The adulterer only sowed the seed and didn't care about the person. Usually, it was Yun Chuan Tian Xian who took care of the young widow. Now she's heavily pregnant and has been kidnapped by a ghost. Yun Chuan Tian Xian is searching for her all over the mountains."
"Let alone Celestial Immortal Yun Chuan, wasn't Celestial Immortal Ming Guang also hopelessly entangled in love? The way he acted last night, like a madman in heat, clearly showed his five yin energies burning fiercely. Where was the slightest bit of the majesty of a Nine Heavens Ancient Immortal guarding the 'future Immortal Emperor'?"
"Well, someone without memories can at most be considered an incarnation of a god, right? Seeing you all constantly making a fuss about Mingguang Xuanxian being obsessed with love, I have never considered Wei Danxin to be Mingguang Xuanxian."
"Ah! Now that you say it, I feel much better. I've always felt something was off about Mingguang Xuanxian. If you think of him as an incarnation of a god, then that makes sense! An incarnation of a god is related to the original body, but they are almost two independent entities!"
"But if we understand Wei Danxin as the incarnation of Mingguang Xuanxian... wouldn't Bitao Shenxian have always regarded Wei Danxin as a substitute for Mingguang Xuanxian?"
"What are you talking about, a substitute... Even if Mingguang Xuanxian regains his memories, he will also have Wei Danxin's memories. Besides, the competition is his true body descending to the mortal realm..."
"Actually, you can't blame Mingguang Xuanxian for this... Taozi is too skilled, too amazing. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to withstand it either."
"And didn't you see the protective runes on Mingguang Xuanxian's clothes? That's a modified version of the spirit-shifting array that Taozi is best at. All the damage Mingguang Xuanxian suffers will be transferred to Taozi. She doesn't give Mingguang Xuanxian a chance to regain his memories at all!"
"Thinking about it this way, the Fairy of the Peach Blossom is so cunning, hahaha... I love it!"
"I'll just wait quietly for Mingguang Xuanxian to regain his memories. Then I'll see what Bitao Shenxian does!"
“Jingjing, you are truly a faithful follower of Mingguang Xuanxian.”
"It's a pity that Immortal Mingguang now worships the Fairy of the Peach Blossom! Hahaha! He believes everything the Fairy of the Peach Blossom says!"
...
"What did you say? Mingguang believed it?"
While the main force was resting, Zhan Kui asked Bi Tao, "Didn't Ming Guang order Wenxin Pavilion to thoroughly investigate the person who 'stirred up trouble' this morning?"
Last night, in order to ensure that Bitao could meet with the Ghost King undisturbed, Zhan Kui voluntarily went to blow sleeping powder on Wei Danxin.
As a result, Wei Danxin slept too soundly during the night and missed the assembly time in the morning. When she woke up, she realized something was wrong.
He has always been a very light sleeper, and as long as he is thinking about when he will wake up, there is absolutely no possibility that he will oversleep.
Wei Danxin suspected that someone in the Wenxin Pavilion was causing trouble, and had drugged him so that he didn't know what they wanted. Early in the morning, he used the name of the Supreme Sword Sect to put pressure on the cultivators of the Wenxin Pavilion to investigate the Wenxin Pavilion's recording stone.
It seemed that if Wenxin Pavilion couldn't produce the photo stone at his door today, he would tear it down.
No one knows what Bitao said to him, but he gave up.
Bitao glanced sideways at Zhan Kui, who had "taken it upon himself," and sighed, saying, "Don't do what I forbid you from doing next time."
Zhan Kui nodded vigorously.
Bitao said, "I told him that I was worried he wouldn't get enough rest, so I asked you for some soul-guiding incense and lit it at his door to help him sleep peacefully. Also, last night I wandered around the Wenxin Pavilion with you to look at the glowing paintings and broke the pavilion's restrictions. If they check the memory stone, they'll arrest me."
Wei Danxin certainly couldn't let her junior sister be arrested, so she made a lot of noise but didn't do anything further.
Zhan Kui bowed respectfully to Bi Tao and said, "Night, light, hanging painting? With your ability to make up stories, why do you still recognize a father? You are my father."
Bitao: "...Get lost!"
Wei Danxin also came out of the mountain at this moment, and Zhan Kui quickly rolled away.
Wei Danxin led Bitao to a secluded spot with dense bushes, away from the crowd, and gave Bitao two small pears, each about the thickness of a thumb.
“I know you like peaches, but there are no wild peaches in the mountains at this time of year, only these not-so-good-looking pears.”
"But I tasted it, and it's very sweet."
Wei Danxin held the pear to Bitao's mouth and said softly, "Next spring, your senior brother will pick peaches for you to eat."
He hadn't forgotten the time when Bitao asked him for wild peaches.
Bitao took the pears and noticed that both pears had a small notch on them, as if poked with a sharp object.
She was so clever that she quickly realized that when Wei Danxin said she had tasted it, she must have cut off this small piece and tasted it.
He searched all over the mountains and fields, but in the end he only brought back these two wild pears, which must be because wild fruits are scarce.
After finding them, I poked a small hole in each one and threw away the ones that didn't taste good, leaving only these two pitiful ones.
They came to "show off their treasures" to her.
Honey nectar welled up in the heart of the peach blossom.
She was thoughtful and devoted to Mingguang, never caring about gains or losses. Her love was as intense and abundant as a storm.
Receiving Mingguang's response, seeing him go from resistance to acceptance, and finally to showering her with love without any reservation, is like waiting for and witnessing the process of the world's sweetest and juiciest "peach" ripening.
Bitao bit into the small wild pear, looked at Wei Danxin and said, "Senior brother, I have tasted the sweetest 'peach' in the world."
Wei Danxin felt her heart burning with desire as she looked at her.
The mouth, which had tasted the sourness of pears, seemed to be transformed into a unique sweetness because of Bitao's gaze and those words.
Bitao then offered him the half-eaten pear, saying, "Senior brother, you should eat some too."
"You eat it," Wei Danxin refused.
None of them were hungry; they had brought enough dry rations. This small pear was a symbol of "love," and they both hoped that they could share it with each other.
"Let's share it," Bitao said coquettishly.
Wei Danxin opened her mouth and ate it; it was indeed extremely sweet.
But it still doesn't feel like enough.
He leaned close to Bitao's moist lips and whispered, "But I think the one you just ate was sweeter. May I try it?"
Bitao: "..." Oh no.
Wei Danxin would occasionally utter a simple and honest remark that even Bitao couldn't handle.
Bitao pouted her rosy lips and tilted her head back. Wei Danxin smiled and pouted her lips as well, then lowered her head and touched her lips together.
The two people naturally drew closer to each other amidst the dappled sunlight filtering through the dense trees in the mountains.
The shadows on the ground looked like two chicks pecking at each other.
They went out one after the other as if nothing had happened, just before they were fully prepared to leave.
With bright eyes, luscious lips, and a passionate expression on their faces, it would be hard for anyone with eyes to ignore the deep, sweet affection flowing between them.
Zhang Yuluan rode her horse a little further away from the two of them. Earlier, when she went into the woods to drink water, she accidentally saw the two of them pouting and "pecking" at each other, and she was afraid of catching chicken plague.
The group was in a hurry to meet up with Meteor and the others who had led the way ahead, so they rested very little along the way and rode their horses at full speed.
Upon arriving at Mengxia Village, before the group could even dismount at the village entrance, they saw Liuxing and the others gathered there, seemingly discussing something.
Beside the stone tablet at the village entrance, a wounded and captured tiger is trapped in a large net.
The tiger was enormous; even with its belly ripped open and intestines spilling out, its blood splattered on the ground, it still bared its teeth and roared fiercely within the net, tearing and biting relentlessly.
Upon seeing this, someone spurred their horse and galloped excitedly toward the scene: "Senior Brother Meteor! Is this the ferocious tiger that attacked people during the mission?!"
Ghosts and monsters abound in this world, and birds and beasts have almost disappeared. Only horses, used for transportation, are preserved because the Wenxin Pavilion specially imprisons the souls of horses after they die and sends them into reincarnation in batches so that they can reproduce.
This was the first time this cultivator had ever seen a tiger; it was truly a rare sight!
Meteor and the others noticed that the crowd was approaching from a distance, and their expressions were difficult to discern from a distance.
But he shouted at the people who were rushing forward, "Don't go near the tiger!"
But it was too late. The man saw the tiger caught in the net and thought there was no danger. He spurred his horse to the tiger's head and face, wanting to see what the tiger looked like.
As a result, the tiger that was tearing at the net suddenly roared at the approaching cultivator.
The voice was deep and fierce, like a resounding bell striking the head.
A gust of cold wind blew from the tiger's mouth, condensing into an arrow of yin energy that silently and swiftly pierced the chest and heart of the approaching cultivator.
His eyes were wide open, and the smile on his face hadn't even faded when he suddenly fell straight to the ground with a "thud."
After the "yin energy arrow" passed through the cultivator, it didn't stop there; it then passed through the body of the horse behind the cultivator.
One man and one horse died in the blink of an eye in front of two groups of people who were standing far apart.
However, this was not the end. The tiger, with its belly ripped open and intestines spilling out, was at its last gasp and could not escape the net.
But after killing one person and one animal in the blink of an eye, the Yin energy rose like a whirlwind from the ground, engulfing the two "living souls" that had just breathed their last, and then roared again.
The tiger actually sucked back the yin energy and the two souls that were about to leave their bodies.
Then, in an instant, its size exploded, its injuries were completely healed, its bloody maw opened wide, and it tore through the net with a single bite, charging out—
They were coming directly from the direction of Bitao and the others.
Meteor and the others reacted quickly and rushed towards the crowd.
He shouted as he ran, "This tiger is formed from a condensed spirit! Get out of the way and strike it with talismans and magical artifacts! Do not engage it head-on within three zhang!"
In an instant, everyone scattered. Before the joy of the team reuniting could even rise, they were already in a panic and quickly summoned their talismans and the array plates and magical artifacts they carried with them to fight fiercely against the Yin Qi tiger!
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