Upon hearing Feng Zizhang needed to face his fate tribulation, Ning Buwei initially planned to help, after all, Feng Zizhang called him father, so even if he interfered with fate, it wouldn’t outweigh this title of father. But unexpectedly, before half a day passed, Feng Zizhang himself came bouncing back.
“Father! Venerable!” Feng Zizhang carried large and small packages, looking dusty all over, as if he had escaped from somewhere.
Jiang Yizheng quickly helped take the packages he carried. “Why didn’t you put them in your storage ring?”
“The storage ring is also full.” Feng Zizhang scratched his head embarrassingly, then opened his storage ring and poured out everything inside. “I found many things, but I don’t recognize most of them.”
Ning Buwei casually glanced at them, there were no fewer than five heaven-grade magical treasures among them, along with many rare materials. It was truly against all odds that this foolish boy wasn’t robbed while carrying these all the way back.
Feng Zizhang brought back more than a hundred items in total, and Jiang Yizheng, along with a few younger ones, helped him sort through them with great enthusiasm.
Feng Zizhang was very conscious of his role as the eldest brother and said generously, “Take whatever you like!”
After saying this, he walked to Ning Buwei and Chu Jun, cradling a round little mushroom from his sleeve. The mushroom was pathetically timid, curled up in his palm not daring to move. Feng Zizhang said, “Father, Venerable, this thing led me to find all these treasures, but I don’t know what it is.”
“A treasure-seeking mushroom,” Chu Jun said.
Ning Buwei continued. “This little creature is a spiritual being from ancient times, similar to the treasure-seeking rats in the seventeen states now, but it’s extremely timid and doesn’t recognize a master. Whether you can tame it depends entirely on fate; there aren’t many left in the Floating Sky Realm.”
“Ah.” Feng Zizhang scratched his head. “It’s been following me the whole time.”
“This creature is rare. Since you have a connection with it, take good care of it, and avoid showing it in public,” Chu Jun said.
Feng Zizhang nodded, then was pulled away by Cui Yuanbai to look at the treasures.
Ning Buwei asked Chu Jun in a low voice, “Did he break through his fate tribulation?”
Chu Jun slowly shook his head.
Ning Buwei looked at Feng Zizhang, who was squatting among the treasures, grinning foolishly, frowned slightly, but didn’t ask further.
Breaking through a fate tribulation wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight. The time from when the tribulation first appeared to its complete resolution varied from person to person. Some might not break through their tribulation even after hundreds of years, while others might only need a few hours.
With Feng Zizhang’s extraordinarily good luck, Ning Buwei thought it wouldn’t take long, but unexpectedly the person returned without breaking through the tribulation.
“You and I need not interfere too much,” Chu Jun said, seeing him frown. “Some things he needs to understand on his own.”
Just as Chu Jun finished speaking, Jiang Yizheng asked from not far away. “Zizhang, did you encounter any danger?”
Feng Zizhang’s expression froze momentarily, then he rubbed his nose and laughed dryly. “No, I was just busy collecting treasures.”
His guilty look made it obvious he was lying.
Ning Buwei: “…………”
At night.
Feng Zizhang suddenly awoke from deep sleep. He reflexively touched his neck, but felt only cold sweat. After a while, he sat up and squeezed his brow hard.
Looking out through the window, the moon was already high in the sky.
After hesitating for a long time, he closed the window again.
Half a month later.
Li City.
The bustling prosperous city was lively with activity. A residence that had been quiet for a long time in the southeast district finally welcomed its owner again, but this time its owner was no longer alone.
Ning Buwei had wandered around for five hundred years, never staying long in any one place, so naturally he never thought of purchasing a residence. Now looking at this spacious and clean courtyard with black tiles and white walls, he felt a bit disoriented.
Feng Zizhang and the older ones leading the younger ones had already eagerly gone to explore around, occasionally expressing their amazement, appearing quite provincial.
But it was really just an ordinary residence that could be seen anywhere.
“Father, Venerable, our home is so big!” Jiang Yizheng exclaimed with hands on her hips, pointing to a corner of land and asking Chu Jun, “Venerable, can I plant a peach tree there?”
Chu Jun nodded, “Can.”
“Father, can I live in this room?” Cui Yuanbai ran over to tug on Chu Jun’s sleeve, looking up to ask him.
Chu Jun said, “Go ask the others, decide among yourselves.”
Cui Yuanbai cheered and went to seek opinions from Feng Zizhang and the others. The once cold and empty courtyard was instantly filled with vitality.
Ning Buwei casually wiped the stone lantern cover, with its imposing ancient beast pattern looking quite majestic. He was somewhat curious, “How did you end up buying such a large residence to live in by yourself?”
Chu Jun thought carefully for a moment, a trace of confusion appearing in his eyes, “I can’t remember clearly.”
Ning Buwei raised an eyebrow mockingly.
“When I bought this residence—” Chu Jun cleared his throat, “I was just over thirty years old.”
Nearly a thousand years had passed, and he really couldn’t remember what kind of thoughts his thirty-something self had when buying such a large residence. He only maintained the habit of stopping here to rest when entering or leaving the mortal realm, always keeping the protective array powered with spirit stones.
Ning Buwei found it difficult to imagine what Chu Jun looked like in his thirties. Was he as unhurried and mild-mannered as now? Or was he quite lively?
But the word “lively” seemed very incongruous when applied to Chu Jun.
When Chu Jun said the furnishings of this residence hadn’t changed for nearly a thousand years, Ning Buwei developed a strong interest in the place and examined every courtyard and room thoroughly.
The simple and plain arrangements were as boring as Chu Jun’s sea of consciousness.
The thirty-something-year-old Venerable Jinghe probably had nothing to do with liveliness either.
By the time Ning Buwei had finished touring all the rooms, the children had agreed on which rooms they each wanted to live in, with Ning Xiu also enthusiastically participating.
“Ah~” Ning Xiu pointed at a side room, excitedly hopping a little.
This one~
Cui Yuanbai rubbed his face, saying sincerely, “Then we’ll be neighbors.”
“Li~ju~” Ning Xiu curved his eyes into a smile at him.
(TL: 邻居, línjū=neighbor)
Jiang Yizheng nodded, “Then the largest room should be left for Father and the Venerable.”
Ning Buwei had just turned in from the connecting corridor and casually asked, “Left for what?”
“Father, you and the Venerable should stay in this room,” Feng Zizhang pointed to the largest main room.
Ning Buwei was startled, “With so many rooms, why would I stay in the same room with him?”
“Huh?” Feng Zizhang was confused by his question.
Jiang Yizheng blinked her eyes, “Ah.”
Only Cui Yuanbai was straightforward, saying as a matter of course, “Father and Dad are like father and mother, Dao companions should stay in the same room.”
Yang Lingzhu nodded.
“Father~ Liang~! Da!” Ning Xiu swayed over to hug Ning Buwei’s leg.
Father Mother~ Want to stay in the same room~
Ning Buwei, stared at by so many pairs of eyes, rarely found himself unable to think clearly. “He and I—”
To say they weren’t Dao companions… well, they had formed a Dao contract, he’d helped shield against the lightning tribulation, and they’d engaged in shenjiao dual cultivation… even their son called them both father…
But to say they were Dao companions, he still felt something wasn’t quite right.
So, like many parents, he instinctively evaded. “Children shouldn’t concern themselves with adult matters. Go mind your own business.”
And so the group of kids went back to enthusiastically setting up their own rooms.
Only Ning Xiu still hugged his leg, looking up at him.
Ning Buwei reached down to pick him up, gazing absently at those eyes so similar to Chu Jun’s, and occasionally pinching his little cheeks.
“Father~ No!” Ning Xiu was probably pinched too hard and angrily patted his hand.
Ning Buwei withdrew his hand very sensibly and asked, looking down at him, “If…I don’t see you for a very long time, will you forget about me, kid?”
Ning Xiu blinked his eyes, tilted his head, “What?”
“Tsk.” Ning Buwei looked at him not knowing whether to laugh or cry, “Who did you learn that from?”
“Big~ brother~” Seeing his father smile, Ning Xiu also smiled along.
“Never mind, it’s almost your birthday.” Ning Buwei lifted him up and bounced him a little. “One year old now, son, you look more mature.”
“Da!” Ning Xiu hugged his neck and planted a kiss on Ning Buwei’s face, catching the tip of his father’s nose.
“Hey, all over my face.” Ning Buwei wiped his face in feigned disgust, holding Ning Xiu up to examine him carefully.
That tiny little thing that once fit easily inside his collar was now plump and white, able to walk and talk. It seemed incredible to think about it.
He had actually managed to raise him properly, stumbling along the way.
“Little rascal,” Ning Buwei snorted with a laugh.
In the end, he didn’t move into the same room with Chu Jun.
After Chu Jun had put Ning Xiu to sleep, he opened the door and came out, looking up to see Ning Buwei sitting lazily on the roof of the opposite building, with an opened jar of wine beside him.
Seeing him come out, Ning Buwei waved to him.
A moment later, Chu Jun sat with him on the roof, basking in the moonlight.
The autumn breeze was growing cool, insects chirped, and the moon seen from Li City was much smaller than in the Floating Sky Realm, adding a sense of loneliness.
“The day after tomorrow is Ning Xiu’s birthday,” Ning Buwei looked at the small path in the courtyard, moonlight pooling cool on the bluestone slabs. “When I first woke up by the Endless River, I didn’t know how long I’d been lying there. I thought someone had thrown him into my arms. He was a wrinkled little bundle like a hairless little mouse…”
Even when he saw the Nine-Leaf Lotus family mark on his brow, he actually didn’t want to raise him.
Such a tiny little thing, with such a strong aura of the Linglong bone, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to resist refining and dissolving it. But somehow he had tucked him into his bosom, warming him with his not-very-warm body temperature in the cold rain.
Ning Xiu couldn’t speak or feed himself, could only wet the bed and wail loudly, and was always being targeted and causing trouble, completely useless, driving him scorched-headed and battered. Later in Linjiang City, he almost threw him away in a moment of confusion…
Ning Buwei had forgotten exactly when he got used to getting up in the middle of the night to feed him rice paste and change his diapers, and he didn’t know when he began to feel anxious rather than impatient when hearing him cry, fearing something was wrong.
A year ago, he would never have imagined himself becoming like this.
“Before, I could never understand why my parents hid me away… I would rather have died with them.” Ning Buwei tugged at the corner of his mouth, looking calmly at Chu Jun. “But after having Ning Xiu, I understood.”
Staying alive, it turned out, was his parents’ greatest wish for him.
