Chapter 226 The Background of Bai Er
Seeing that Qingyue had calmed down, Su Yuyao slowly stepped forward and held Qingyue's forearm, saying softly, "Mother, Mother Yi has lost power and has lost control of Father's seal. I'm thinking that once Guan Yue has fully taken over Snow Mountain, I'll let Father come out and reunite with you."
Qingyue was taken aback, a hint of expected surprise flashing in her eyes. She looked at Su Yuyao with a slight doubt, "Yao'er, if your father comes out and reunites with your mother, what will happen to Yuqing? What will happen to their child?" Although Qingyue's tone was kind, it made Su Yuyao's heart clench tighter and tighter, "Do you think the matter of the child can be kept a secret?"
Su Yuyao's heart trembled. She quickly lifted her skirt and knelt at Qingyue's feet, replying somewhat guiltily and embarrassedly, "Mother, I didn't mean to hide it from you! Although I disapprove of Yuqing's affection for Father, I have always treated her sincerely out of respect for you. Father has been helping me in the snowy mountains and didn't know that Yuqing was pregnant. I only saw Yuqing, who was about to give birth, on the Four Small Peaks! At that time, I was just starting to turn the tables and couldn't be distracted by this matter. I could only let Yuqing give birth to the child first and then make further plans."
“Yao’er,” Qingyue helped up the slightly nervous Su Yuyao and said softly, “Back then, when I agreed to accept Yuqing, I had already tacitly allowed them to have anything happen to each other. It would be reasonable for them to have children. But your suggestion just now not only made me lose my credibility, but also put your father in a dilemma.”
Su Yuyao smiled slightly and said slowly, "Mother, do you still remember what I looked like when we first met?"
In an instant, Qingyue's mind conjured up an image of a chubby girl, all dirty, willful, and extremely mischievous...
"Back then, Mother went to great lengths for her daughter!" Su Yuyao slowly put away her smile. "But now, your daughter not only has Xuanmiao and Xuanhe, the Wolf Clan and the Snow Mountain, but also controls the direction of the Heavenly Palace and determines the existence of the World Origin. Your daughter has more and more things, and the world she sees is getting bigger and bigger. She is no longer the little girl who pesters Xuanfeng with romantic talk every day!"
Qingyue suddenly frowned. "Yao'er, do you mean...?"
Su Yuyao tilted her head slightly towards the direction of Tianmen, smiled faintly, and said, "When she had nothing, being able to find love was the ultimate thing for her. But now that she has a child, who knows what she might do for the child..."
Suddenly, a hurried figure appeared on the palace path in the distance, interrupting the mother and daughter's conversation. Upon seeing Qingyue and Su Yuyao, the figure paused slightly before hesitatingly walking over.
"Xianming?" Qingyue recognized the figure and asked loudly, "Where did you go?"
Xianming smoothed her hair from her forehead, adjusted her cuffs, and then lowered her eyes to say to Qingyue, "Xuanfeng told me not to move around freely, so I went back, but I accidentally got lost and ended up in... a dense forest!" Xianming glanced at Su Yuyao and deliberately emphasized the words "dense forest".
Su Yuyao's expression remained unchanged; she simply smiled as she looked at Xianming.
"Xianming!" Qingyue brushed a strand of hair from Xianming's temple and asked angrily, "What happened to your eyes?!"
Xianming quickly raised her hand to cover herself and replied, "It's nothing..."
As her sleeve fell, the scabbed, dark red wounds rushed into Qingyue's eyes again.
Qingyue grabbed Xianming's wrist. "Xianming! What happened to your arm?! Did Mother Yi do this?!"
Xianming struggled a few times and said, "That old hag sent Guiyue to hold Xuanhe early this morning, but she couldn't soothe him and made him cry even harder! So I went to persuade her to send the child back, but she wouldn't listen, so I had no choice but to take him by force..."
Upon hearing this, Qingyue gasped, unsure whether to comfort the injured Xianming or reassure the unusually calm Su Yuyao!
Although Su Yuyao's face remained unharmed, her heart began to tremble slightly as she listened to Xianming's words. She held her breath and focused her mind, her deep and powerful Qi slowly circulating, gradually dissolving the agitation that had risen within her.
Su Yuyao lowered her eyes, her lips slightly upturned, and with a half-smile, she slightly curtsied to Xianming, saying, "Thank you for your help, Lord Xianming! I couldn't stop Mother Yi from taking Xuanhe away, but thankfully you helped bring him back, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to receive him!"
Xianming scrutinized the composed Su Yuyao, her brows furrowing slightly. She said slowly, "Su Yuyao, don't think that the Heavenly Palace and the position of the Mother of Limitless are anything special. They're just a mess! You must not let this mess cause you to neglect the important people around you! In particular, don't let empty fame cause you to betray your loyal ministers!"
Su Yuyao's eyes flashed, her chest heaving slightly. She composed herself and replied with a smile, "Immortal Ming, you are too kind. I, Su Yuyao, owe my success today to the help of many people. How could I possibly mistreat them?" Su Yuyao raised the corners of her mouth, staring intently into Xianming's eyes, but there was no smile in her gaze. She tentatively asked, "Perhaps... you just saw Luo Fengyue eating in the dense forest and misunderstood that I mistreated him?"
Xianming raised her head slightly, glanced at Su Yuyao, and said meaningfully, "How you treat them is none of my business. I was just kindly reminding you!"
Su Yuyao's eyes flickered, a hint of a smile appearing on them. She stepped forward, curtsied deeply, and replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Immortal Tea Master! Yao'er will heed your teachings!"
"Yao'er?" Xianming pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "You don't need to thank me! You saved Longjing's life and brought him back, which is already a great favor to me. However, I have a murder charge against me, and I don't know if I will have a way to live in the future. Therefore, I will do my best to repay your kindness!" After saying that, Xianming clasped his hands and bowed slightly to Su Yuyao.
Su Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief and returned the greeting with a smile.
Qingyue watched the meaningful conversation between Su Yuyao and Xianming, and then looked at the dense forest hidden in the white mist in the distance. She knew that Su Yuyao was hiding something from her, and she also knew that Xianming was hiding something from her, but she could not ask any more questions. Now she could only choose to believe Su Yuyao.
“Sister,” Xianming said with a smile, taking Qingyue’s arm, “come back to the Female Mother Palace with me! I don’t want to deal with that old hag alone!”
Su Yuyao stepped aside slightly to make way and curtsied, saying, "Mother, before everything is settled, we still need your help to appease Mother Yi."
Qingyue looked at Su Yuyao with heartache and nodded, saying, "Yao'er, do everything within your ability. If you encounter difficulties, never bear them alone."
Su Yuyao smiled and looked up, "I know, Mother..."
...
The white fog in the dense forest grew thicker and thicker, swallowing the stench of blood that lingered in the air. Luo Fengyue wriggled her body and shed the snail shell beside a pool of water deep in the forest, then stood guard at a distance like a sticky worm.
The snail's chirping could be heard from inside its shell from time to time. Gradually, the chirping turned into sucking sounds. Only then did Grandma Zhong emerge with a beaming smile, carrying several handkerchiefs stained with blood. Although she had been busy for several hours without stopping, there was no trace of fatigue on her face, but rather a joy that radiated from welcoming new life.
Unlike Granny Zhong, Luo Fengyue was not relaxed. He stretched his eyes and cautiously observed his surroundings. Suddenly, his antennae twitched, and a figure darted out of the white mist and appeared in front of Luo Fengyue.
With a serious expression, Su Yuyao didn't wait for Luo Fengyue to make way. She used her Qi to step over Luo Fengyue and landed in front of the snail shell.
"Miss Yao'er, you've arrived!" Granny Zhong greeted her with a smile, "Don't worry, everyone's safe and sound!"
Su Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief and turned to crawl into the snail shell.
The snail's shell was lined with soft, dry grass, and the air was filled with the smell of milk. A huge, long-haired white rabbit lay on its side on a bearskin, cradling eight short-legged wolf cubs nursing in its arms!
"White... White Ear?" Su Yuyao stared incredulously at the ruby on the forehead of the long-haired white rabbit. A wave of tears welled up in her eyes. She clenched her fists, her chest heaving, and slowly withdrew from the snail shell.
Su Yuyao suppressed her impending outburst of emotions, her reddened eyes slowly rotating as she stared intently at Granny Zhong, and whispered, "You call this... peace?!"
Grandma Zhong looked at Su Yuyao in front of her and couldn't help but tremble. She was just like Xuanfeng with his fiery temper!
“Miss Yao’er,” Granny Zhong said slowly, “Bai’er’s Qi field is shallow and her cultivation is still low. Logically speaking, she shouldn’t have to go through the ordeal of childbirth so early. Moreover, the number and size of the fetuses in her womb are large. Even under the protection of Lord Xuanfeng’s Qi field, she still broke out of her human form and almost lost her true body! Just now, fortunately, Immortal Tea Lord came to her rescue and fed her some divine tea to invigorate her spirit and gather her Qi. Although she couldn’t maintain her human form, it was already a stroke of luck that she was able to complete the childbirth in her true body!”
Su Yuyao gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and secretly regretted her actions. Su Yuyao! What have you done?! You killed Green Ivy and almost killed White Ear!
With tears in her eyes, she rushed back into the snail shell, knelt down beside Bai Er, leaned down, and choked out, "Bai Er, I'm sorry..." A string of crystal tears dripped onto Bai Er's dry nose.
Bai Er twitched her nose, slightly opened her eyes, and her red eyes flashed with surprise.
"It was my fault, I shouldn't have let you take this risk! I shouldn't have let you give birth to this child... It's all my fault..." Su Yuyao muttered, tears streaming down her face. At this moment, she was no longer the Su Yuyao who had orchestrated the upheaval of the Heavenly Palace, but her elder sister filled with remorse towards Bai Er. She finally understood Qing Yue's good intentions; beneath her seemingly harsh and stern exterior lay a desperate attempt to protect her!
White Ear sensed Su Yuyao's complex emotions. She wanted to speak but couldn't, so she raised her front paw, patted Su Yuyao's hand, and then patted the nursing cub in her arms, tears of excitement and happiness streaming from her eyes.
Su Yuyao raised her head, looked tenderly into Bai Er's eyes, and said softly, "Bai Er, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you at such an important moment. Besides, I can't take you back right away; it's not the right time yet."
White Ear smiled and nodded, then tapped the cub in her arms with her front paw. She didn't need to guess Su Yuyao's plans, nor did she ever question Su Yuyao's arrangements; she trusted her completely, just as she trusted her completely!
Su Yuyao looked at the short-legged wolf cub nestled against Bai Er's belly, nursing with its eyes closed, and her heart softened instantly. She smiled and wiped her tears with Bai Er's ear, teasingly saying, "What should we do? Bai Er, these children's legs are so short, they all take after you!"
White Ears paused, its previously soft ears suddenly standing up. Then it used its two front paws to paw at Su Yuyao's hand, startling even the nursing cub on its belly, which started whimpering.
"Alright! Alright!" Su Yuyao laughed and patted Bai Er's belly, coaxing her gently, "I was wrong! These children are all as cute as you! Don't worry, I will give them nice names and help them earn a place in the Heavenly Realm!"
White Ears softened again, satisfied, and released Su Yuyao's hand, pulling its paws back to its chest and lying down peacefully on its side.
Su Yuyao calmly soothed the panicked wolf cubs, placing them back on Bai'er's warm belly. She then pressed her palm against Bai'er's abdomen; Bai'er seemed a little uncomfortable, slightly kicking her legs. Su Yuyao paused, then gently released her Qi into Bai'er's body, repairing her damaged Qi Sea. Bai'er finally felt no pain, slowly relaxing her body and feeling the warm Qi permeating her from the inside out. At this moment, Bai'er's heart was filled with happiness—the joy of becoming a mother for the first time, and the peace of mind that came from Su Yuyao's favoritism…
With red eyes, Su Yuyao tiptoed out of the snail shell.
"Grandma Zhong, let's make eight necklaces from this." As Su Yuyao spoke, she opened her palm, and a wisp of golden Qi gradually appeared, slowly rotating and splitting into eight ribbons of different colors.
Su Yuyao handed the eight ribbons to Granny Zhong and said softly, "The children are healthy, but their innate Qi field is insufficient. They need to cultivate themselves to take human form. Until then, they need to be protected. Also, this matter must not be revealed to anyone, including Ruixue!"
"Yes," Grandma Zhong replied solemnly.
“The plants here, nurtured by the Qi field of the Heavenly Water and Xuanfeng, can help Bai Er recover. Therefore, Bai Er cannot leave here for the time being, and we will need to trouble you to take good care of him!” After saying this, Su Yuyao knelt down deeply and bowed to Granny Zhong.
Grandma Zhong bowed slightly and replied, "Miss Yao'er, please rest assured, I will take good care of Bai Er!"
Su Yuyao nodded in satisfaction, calmed herself down, and then asked in a low voice, "Just now, did Immortal Tea Master say anything?"
Granny Zhong stepped forward and replied softly, "Xianmingjun said that Bai Er's Jade Rabbit true form was hard to come by, wouldn't it be a pity if it were broken and turned back into a mortal?"
Su Yuyao's heart trembled. She slightly raised her eyelids to look at Granny Zhong. Granny Zhong had her hands clasped in front of her, her head slightly lowered, and her expression unchanged. She continued, "Immortal Tea Lord also said that although the divine tea can solidify the Jade Rabbit True Body of White Ear, it cannot replenish the lost cultivation. I'm afraid she will have to return to Ice Wheel Palace to cultivate again."
Su Yuyao looked at Granny Zhong quietly, and Granny Zhong just waited quietly after she finished speaking.
"What do you know?" Su Yuyao asked in a calm voice, her eyes sharp and her pupils slightly swirling.
Grandma Zhong slowly raised her head, meeting Su Yuyao's sharp gaze with gentle eyes. It was as if a soft force was slowly dissolving Su Yuyao's hostility. "What I know is not important. What is important is what you know."
Su Yuyao's heart skipped a beat again, her pupils darting around rapidly...
In the darkness, dense clouds obscured the full moon in the sky, and a cold mountain wind swept across the steep cliffs of Jiujiao Mountain. Suddenly, a piece of sand tumbled down the cliff face and crashed into a farmhouse courtyard lit by an oil lamp.
In the courtyard, a man with tears streaming down his face knelt before heaven and earth, repeatedly praying, "God, please protect me... don't... die..."
Inside the thatched hut behind him, the candlelight was dim, the flames flickering as if a mere breeze could extinguish it. In the dim light, a woman in labor, slumped on a blood-stained wooden bed, was deathly pale, her eyes vacant, like a dying ember, slowly fading away.
Grandma Zhong, lifting her skirt, ran into the courtyard. The man who was kneeling and praying, as if grasping at a straw, knelt and rushed towards Grandma Zhong, crying, "Grandma Zhong! Please go and see... she's dying..."
A strong smell of blood rushed into Granny Zhong's nostrils. When Granny Zhong saw the man with bloodstains all over his hands, her heart skipped a beat. Oh no!
She ran quickly into the hut, and the firelight flickered, causing the wick to go out!
The man froze, staring blankly at the dark thatched hut, his heart seemingly having stopped beating.
"Clang!" A piece of sand hit the man in front of him, startling him so much that he trembled.
"Wah...wah..." A faint cry came from inside the house.
A wisp of smoke drifted past the candle, and the flame flickered and reignited.
The man, his eyes brimming with tears, slurred his words, watching the thatched hut gradually brighten but unable to utter a sound. After an unknown amount of time, Granny Zhong finally emerged, carrying a swaddled baby, and whispered, "Mother and daughter are safe."
"Ah—!" The man finally breathed a sigh of relief, collapsed to the ground, and burst into tears.
Granny Zhong glanced at the gravel in front of the man, hesitated for a moment, and continued, "However, the woman who just gave birth has just been through the gates of hell, and her body is too weak. This child is also a life-threatening one, so perhaps... we could entrust him to the crane as well, at least he could have a celestial identity..."
"No!" the man refused firmly. "Although our Bai family is poor, we will never sell our child! I don't care how other families use their daughters to make deals with the Heavenly Realm! My daughter must stay by my side!"
"Would you stay by my side and suffer with me?" Granny Zhong interrupted the man, walked up to him, tapped the gravel on the ground with her foot, and said softly, "Can you defy the heavens?"
The man looked down at the piece of sand that had fallen from the cliff, then followed the sand to Granny Zhong's face, and then followed Granny Zhong's gaze to the pitch-black sky, which was as dark as ink.
Suddenly, wisps of white light pierced the black night, swirling and gathering together, causing the air to swirl and fall into the courtyard. A gentle breeze arose, blowing away the weeds on the thatched roof, sweeping away the dust in the yard, and dispelling the fishy smell inside and outside the house. As the breeze subsided, a pair of slender crane legs slowly landed in front of the man.
The man looked up in astonishment at the crane, which was taller than the thatched hut. He swallowed hard, struggled to his feet, and said tremblingly, "You...you've come...but it's no use! I...I won't give it to you!"
The crane haughtily folded its wings, rolled its lower eyelids, and glanced at the trembling man standing at its feet. Its throat trembled slightly as it uttered a clear, ethereal voice, "This child was stillborn, but was forcibly brought back to life. Even if she stays by your side, she won't grow up. Why don't I take her back to the Heavenly Palace and give her a new true form? As long as she cultivates diligently, she will one day attain immortality!"
The man didn't easily believe the crane's words. Instead, he moved heavily to block Granny Zhong's path and said, word by word, "That sounds nice! You've taken the child away. How do I know if she'll live long?!"
The crane then glanced at the thatched hut. "Your wife has just survived a life-or-death ordeal. Although she was saved by a benefactor, she is weak and may not recover for a while, making it impossible for her to breastfeed. You are the child's father. Can you just stand by and watch your wife and daughter suffer? If you entrust the child to me, I can take good care of your wife. Once she recovers, she will naturally give birth to another healthy child for you!"
"Wah..." The baby's cries grew weaker and weaker.
The man slowly turned around and looked at his daughter in the swaddling clothes. Although the thatched hut was simple and the family was poor, the newborn baby was chubby and pink. The man gave a bitter smile, his eyes red as he looked at Granny Zhong, "Granny Zhong... this child of mine... will she really not survive?"
Grandma Zhong sighed but did not answer.
The man's lips trembled as he took the swaddled baby, hugged his daughter tightly one last time, and gently kissed her forehead. Blood seeped from his chapped lips, staining the infant's forehead…
Su Yuyao clenched her fists, looking at the red mark on the baby's forehead, recalling the red gem on Bai Er's forehead...
It's all fate!
Su Yuyao withdrew her red eyes, turned to Granny Zhong, and asked thoughtfully, "Granny Zhong, who exactly are you?"
Grandma Zhong smiled, then suddenly her eyes lit up, and her aura exploded instantly, like the rising heat slowly melting everything around her!
Seeing this, Su Yuyao quickly released her Qi to shield Granny Zhong! But strangely, her Qi field seemed to penetrate a layer of cool mist, and she couldn't even detect Granny Zhong's true form!
Grandma Zhong knew that Su Yuyao was testing her, so she calmly curled the corners of her lips and asked softly, "Miss Yao'er, do you believe that there are heavens beyond heavens?"
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