LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 105: You Have a Child Together?!
Chapter 105: You Have a Child Together?!
The gentle breeze swayed, and the sunlight was warm.
After the formalities of the disciple ceremony, You Su remained bowed, waiting for his master to lift him up.
He Shutong moved gracefully, stepping forward to stand before You Su. Her jade-like hand reached out and gently lifted him.
You Su was immediately enveloped in a refreshing fragrance that soothed his heart and mind. He slowly raised his head, his vision still blurry, but he could sense the natural beauty radiating from his Master’s Wife.
He Shutong’s lips curved slightly. She was almost the same height as You Su, and her gentle gaze lingered on his face. In the past, she had never paid much attention to the appearance of young men, but now she realized how strikingly handsome You Su had become. His features were clear and refined, exuding an air of elegance that was simply delightful to behold.
“There’s no need for the ancestors to witness this. I, the Lotus Sword Venerable, am the founder of the Lotus Sword lineage. From this day forward, You Su is my disciple. Like your Senior Sister, you only need to perform a simple bow when you see me.”
Upon hearing the words “Senior Sister,” Heavenly Maiden Wangshu’s blue eyes sparkled. She glanced expectantly at the determined young man and then subtly observed her master’s expression. Innately pure, she could sense that her master, who had always been as calm as still water, was now experiencing the same ripple of joy that she felt.
And the ripple in her master’s heart seemed even stronger than her own… So, was her master even happier than she was?
“Yes, Master.”
You Su finally straightened up. The transition from Master’s Wife to Master had happened so suddenly that he still felt a bit awkward calling her “Master.”
When He Shutong heard this title, her smile faltered slightly. The strangeness in her heart reminded her of You Su’s original master, Guan Chujun.
She had wanted to make up for her past neglect of You Su and repay him for helping her resolve her icy heart. That was why she had decided to take him as her disciple, using the master-disciple relationship to better care for him. To do this, she had even told her first lie in life: claiming that Guan Chujun had said You Su could seek another master after graduating.
But in truth, You Su didn’t need to seek out a master—she, a renowned master, had already set her sights on him, especially when his original master wasn’t around to protect him…
Thinking of this, she felt a sense of guilt, realizing that her actions might not have been entirely appropriate. He Shutong fell silent for a moment, inwardly sighing at how complicated emotions could make a person. Yet, this complexity also made her feel that she was gradually becoming a more emotionally complete person.
She made her decision and raised her sleeve, extending a finger. Her hand was pure and flawless, but the tip of her finger carried a warm, rosy hue. She gently pressed it against You Su’s forehead and said softly:
“Outside Lotus Peak, call me Master. On Lotus Peak, call me Master’s Wife.”
You Su felt the warm touch on his forehead and was momentarily stunned, feeling a sense of relief. Although he had performed the disciple ceremony sincerely, deep down, he still felt that Master’s Wife was Master’s Wife, and his master should be the one who had gone wandering and not yet returned.
Master’s Wife’s words had dispelled his last bit of hesitation, telling him that becoming her disciple was only to make it easier for him to stay and cultivate at the Mystic Firmament Sect. She was still his Master’s Wife.
“Yes, thank you, Master’s Wife,” You Su said sincerely.
Hearing the familiar term “Master’s Wife,” He Shutong’s complicated emotions cleared, leaving only the joy of successfully taking on a disciple.
She realized how much she had changed, and it reminded her of the blind child who had stood outside her door, persistently calling her “Master’s Wife” in a childish voice. She realized that she still preferred hearing him call her “Master’s Wife.”
The title of “Master” felt too cold, while “Master’s Wife” sounded warmer and more intimate.
What made her even happier was that she could tell that You Su also preferred calling her “Master’s Wife” over “Master.”
This was good.
“No need to thank me. I am your master…”
He Shutong’s eyes were clear as she withdrew her finger from You Su’s forehead. Her body stiffened slightly, and a pale hue appeared on her fair skin. She knew that her Spirit Platform had developed another large crack because of this, but she didn’t regret her decision at all. Her smile remained unchanged as she added:
“And I am also your Master’s Wife.”
At the same time, You Su also sensed something unusual. His body trembled as if he had fallen into a pool. Through the rippling water, he could see the surface covered in profound and esoteric flowers of the Dao.
The profound sensation overwhelmed him, and his consciousness grew increasingly hazy. His eyelids grew heavy, and he eventually fell into a soft, warm embrace, sinking into a deep sleep…
…
Far to the east of the Central Realm Continent, in Yongning City, at the Yongning Harbor.
Under the tranquil moonlight, the boundless black sea reflected the glowing Divine Light Stones, masking the turbulent undercurrents.
A massive ship covered in Divine Light Stones was docked at the shore, looking like a deep-sea monster emerging from the water. This ship, named the Divine Voyager, was a colossal ark created by the Five Divine Mountains at great expense to travel between the five continents.
In the highest cabin of the Divine Voyager, reserved for passengers to rest, two sisters finally reunited after a long separation. However, the room was devoid of the warmth of a heartfelt reunion. Instead, there was a prolonged silence. The old woman standing silently nearby was also affected by the tense atmosphere and dared not speak.
Ji Xueruo’s facial features and figure were identical to Ji Lingruo’s, but their temperaments were completely different. Ji Lingruo appeared to be a naive and lively young girl, while Ji Xueruo, the youngest empress in the history of the Serpent Clan, exuded a noble and aloof aura, like a flower on a high peak.
Unlike Ji Lingruo, who preferred green dresses, Ji Xueruo wore a low-key yet luxurious black brocade dress. Although they were the same age, Ji Xueruo’s hairstyle was different from her sister’s cute double buns. Instead, she wore a more elegant high chignon.
Ji Xueruo sat upright on a wooden chair, scrutinizing her sister, who stood defiantly before her, as if she were a criminal. Finally, she couldn’t help but coldly say:
“Traitor.”
Ji Lingruo reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, angrily retorting, “Who’s the traitor?”
Ji Xueruo met her sister’s gaze without flinching, her eyes icy. “Whoever forgets our mother’s vengeance is the traitor!”
“When have I ever forgotten our mother’s vengeance? I want to avenge her more than anyone, including you! But you took my demon core and stripped me of my right to seek revenge!”
Ji Lingruo grew more aggrieved as she spoke. Although she had imagined that this reunion with her sister wouldn’t be a warm and tender scene, she hadn’t expected to be labeled a “traitor” right from the start. Tears welled up in her eyes:
“You don’t want me to forget our vengeance, but you won’t let me seek it. What right do you have to judge me?”
“I…”
Ji Xueruo was momentarily speechless. She had taken her sister’s demon core, and this was a debt she could never repay.
For demons, losing their demon core meant they could never advance further in their cultivation, doomed to remain at the Meridian Opening stage for the rest of their lives.
At the age of nine, Ji Xueruo, who had no demon core, had already reached the peak of Meridian Opening. This was an astonishing speed of cultivation. Meanwhile, Ji Lingruo, who still had her demon core, suffered from chaotic meridians and was only at the initial stage of Meridian Opening. The difference in their talents was obvious. The elders of the Serpent Clan had collectively decided to secretly transplant Ji Lingruo’s demon core to Ji Xueruo, believing that this would make the best use of the core.
Although Ji Xueruo hadn’t wanted to seize her sister’s demon core, she had thought that her naive and innocent sister should be kept away from these heavy burdens. The tasks of seeking vengeance, becoming the Serpent Empress, and leading the Serpent Clan to revival were long and arduous. She, as the older sister, would shoulder these responsibilities. Her sister only needed to live a carefree and happy life as the Second Lady of the Serpent Clan.
But no matter her intentions, the fact remained that she had agreed to the elders’ decision and taken her sister’s demon core.
Ji Lingruo took a deep breath, forcing back her tears, and said:
“Ji Xueruo… I didn’t expect that after three years, you still haven’t changed. Whenever this topic comes up, you become mute. You agreed to take my demon core, but you can’t accept it with a clear conscience. Do you even have the bearing of a Serpent Empress?”
Ji Xueruo’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, feeling a sense of failure.
For the past three years, since Ji Lingruo had run away from home, Ji Xueruo had been tormented by guilt, constantly missing her sister. She had sent many demons to the Central Realm Continent to search for Ji Lingruo, but to no avail. She could only hope that her sister would return on her own or undergo her molting, allowing the Serpent Ancestor to locate her. When the Serpent Ancestor sensed Ji Lingruo’s molting, Ji Xueruo had immediately put aside all her duties and set out to find her sister personally, following the Ancestor’s guidance.
Along the way, she had imagined their reunion. She would sincerely apologize to her sister, reconcile with her, and restore their sisterly bond. But the strange sensations she had felt multiple times during the journey had unsettled her. By the time she arrived, the overwhelming wave of joy had ignited her anger, overshadowing her concern and guilt for her sister, who had been alone in a foreign land.
“My foolish sister, why would you repeat our mother’s tragedy? Have you forgotten our mother’s vengeance and the ugliness of human nature?”
Regret and resentment filled Ji Xueruo’s heart, and when she finally reunited with her sister, the first word that came out of her mouth wasn’t the long-awaited “sister,” but “traitor.”
“The matter of the demon core and your… relations with a human are two different things!”
Ji Xueruo’s beloved sister had been defiled by a human. How could she not be furious? The more she spoke, the more agitated she became:
“How could you be so foolish! Have you forgotten what happened to our mother?! That human must have ulterior motives for getting close to you!”
This time, it was Ji Lingruo’s turn to be speechless. She knew that her sister could sense her experiences through their spiritual connection, so there was no hiding the fact that she had lost her virginity. She had originally planned to explain everything to her sister, but she hadn’t expected to be met with cold accusations right from the start.
She understood her sister’s anger. After all, they were the products of a tragic union between a human and a demon. If she ever found out that her sister had been defiled by a human cultivator, she would likely react the same way.
But precisely because of this, she wanted her sister to understand how good her Senior Brother was. She wanted her sister to know that there were good humans too, and that her relationship with You Su would not end in tragedy.
“Sister, I don’t even have a demon core. In the Central Realm Continent, I’m just a useless Meridian Opening cultivator with no one to rely on. What could he possibly want from me?”
Ji Xueruo, who hadn’t heard her sister call her “sister” in a long time, finally calmed down a bit. She looked at her sister, who had become even more stunning after her molting, and said with a mix of pity and frustration:
“He could want your beauty! He could want your body!”
To her surprise, Ji Lingruo burst out laughing. The tense atmosphere between the sisters instantly dissipated. Ji Xueruo was baffled but maintained her composure and asked:
“What are you laughing at?”
“I’m laughing at you for jumping to conclusions without knowing the facts. He’s blind—he can’t even see me. What would he want with my beauty? And why would he want my body for no reason?”
“Blind?” Ji Xueruo’s lips parted slightly, and her beautiful eyes widened in shock. “You’re saying… not only is he a man, but he’s also blind?”
Everyone, whether human or demon, knew that blind people faced immense difficulties in cultivation and rarely achieved anything significant.
“You’re the blind one! Even without a demon core, you shouldn’t degrade yourself to this extent! How could a worthless cripple like that possibly deserve you!”
Hearing this, even Granny Liu, who had been silently keeping her head down, raised her eyebrows, her expression strange.
From what she had later learned in Chuyun City, it seemed that her young mistress was the one who didn’t deserve that young man…
The old woman sighed inwardly. Ji Xueruo was usually calm and intelligent, displaying a maturity beyond her years. But when it came to protecting her sister, the young empress became blind to reason, failing to notice how much her sister had changed.
Granny Liu sighed softly. Xueruo had been wise and sensible from a young age, bearing the weight of vengeance and responsibility early on. Seeing the young and accomplished Serpent Empress display a bit of the innocence appropriate for her age, the old woman couldn’t bring herself to point out the truth. Instead, she felt that this side of Xueruo made her more real and human.
“Pfft, haha!”
Ji Lingruo laughed even more heartily, not bothering to hide her amusement. Even covering her face with her hand couldn’t conceal her radiant smile.
Ji Xueruo, seeing Ji Lingruo’s reaction, grew even more furious. She had devoted herself to vengeance and had no experience with romantic relationships, but she had read extensively to improve herself. She knew that her foolish sister must be what the books called a “love-struck fool.” According to the books, such women were beyond saving, seeing their lovers as perfect no matter how despicable they were and refusing to listen to any criticism of them.
Ji Xueruo shook her head inwardly, feeling helpless. Her sister’s infatuation and stubbornness were just like their poor, pitiful mother. Fortunately, she considered herself to be very clear-headed. Whether human or demon, she found all men unworthy of her attention. In this cruel world of cultivation, only personal strength mattered! She was the future Serpent Empress who would lead the Serpent Clan back to the Divine Mountain. How could she ever become infatuated with a man?
I, Ji Xueruo, will never be a love-struck fool! Not only that, but I will also make sure my love-struck sister sees the truth!
“The blind one isn’t me—it’s you, sister.”
Ji Lingruo’s laughter finally subsided. She nimbly hopped in front of Ji Xueruo, spinning lightly like a blooming lotus in her green dress. She smiled warmly and said:
“Sister, haven’t you noticed? I have a new demon core.”
?!
Ji Xueruo stood up with a start, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ji Lingruo’s abdomen. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing and circled her sister several times, examining her closely. At seventeen, Ji Xueruo was already at the peak of the mid-stage Spirit Platform Realm, so it wasn’t difficult for her to see through Ji Lingruo’s cultivation level. She realized that Ji Lingruo had already reached the initial stage of the Spirit Platform Realm! Moreover, there was a vibrant green demon core in her abdomen, brimming with spiritual energy!
Unlike human cultivators, who judged the quality of their Spirit Platforms by their height, demon clans judged the quality of their demon cores by their color. The richer the color, the higher the grade of the core, and the greater the potential it offered its owner. The demon core in Ji Lingruo’s body was a deep, vivid green, almost tangible—it was undoubtedly a top-grade demon core!
Ji Xueruo could no longer contain her excitement. She bent down and pressed her face against her sister’s abdomen, as if trying to confirm the existence of the demon core more closely. She was both shocked and overjoyed, exclaiming in disbelief:
“How… how did you get this?”
Over the years, burdened by guilt over taking her sister’s demon core, Ji Xueruo had been searching for a way to make amends, but to no avail. After Ji Lingruo ran away from home, Ji Xueruo often regretted her actions, but the demon core had already become inseparable from her.
Ji Xueruo had planned that once she found her sister, if Ji Lingruo wanted her demon core back, she would willingly extract it, even if it meant becoming a cripple. She would do so without hesitation.
But who could have imagined that her sister would have her own miraculous encounter and obtain a demon core of even higher quality than the one Ji Xueruo had taken? This was the best possible outcome—her sister could once again walk the path of cultivation, potentially going even further than before, while Ji Xueruo could continue her own cultivation and lead the Serpent Clan, which was already on the right track, to greater heights.
Ji Lingruo smiled sweetly, watching her sister’s reaction. She looked like an anxious husband eagerly listening for signs of a child in his wife’s belly. Ji Lingruo’s mind raced. Since she couldn’t reveal the truth about Tai Sui, she decided to use this opportunity to improve You Su’s image in her sister’s eyes. She said:
“Rather than saying that Senior Brother had ulterior motives for me, it’s more accurate to say that I had ulterior motives for him. This demon core was a gift from him.”
Hearing this, Ji Xueruo was so shocked that she straightened up immediately. Even Granny Liu, who was unaware of the details, widened her eyes.
After all, transplanting demon cores was a taboo in the demon world. If it weren’t, talented demons with top-grade demon cores would never have a chance to rise.
Moreover, demon cores were extremely difficult to transplant to demons who weren’t of the same lineage, unless one practiced some extremely rare and special secret technique. Otherwise, the core would be useless.
It wasn’t uncommon for humans to secretly collect demon cores, given the constant conflict between humans and demons. But how could it be such a coincidence that the core gifted to Ji Lingruo was perfectly compatible with her Serpent Clan heritage and of such high quality?
Could this demon core… be their mother’s stolen core?!
“Where did this demon core come from?” Ji Xueruo forced herself to calm down and asked sternly.
“Where else could it come from…” Ji Lingruo bit her lip shyly and said, “It’s from that…”
“From what?” Ji Xueruo didn’t understand and pressed further.
“You… you already know… it’s from dual cultivation…”
From dual cultivation… and gifted by a male cultivator to a female cultivator…
Ji Xueruo’s knowledge of the principles of yin and yang between men and women surfaced in her mind. Her already pale complexion turned ashen, and her eyes seemed to spit fire, though her voice was icy cold:
“This demon core… could it be your child?!”