On Ning Xiu’s birthday, a drizzling autumn rain fell over Li City.
Recently, Ning Xiu had grown fond of a ruby that Cui Yuanbai had given him. He played with it for hours every day but often forgot where he put it. So Jiang Yizheng and Yang Lingzhu made him a ruby necklace, weaving a circle of colorful rope with some glittering spirit stones hanging from it.
Though it was quite flashy, it looked appropriate on a one-year-old child, giving him a festive appearance.
Every day before breakfast, Ning Xiu would look down at it to show how much he liked it.
“Cir~cle~” Ning Xiu took a small bite of his egg and looked down to show it to Ning Buwei.
Ning Buwei’s eyes hurt from the gaudy decorations, but Chu Jun beside him nodded in strong approval and agreed, “Looks good.”
Ning Xiu happily mimicked him, thinking that his mother had the same good taste as himself. “Looks~ good~”
Ning Buwei thought Chu Jun’s skill at telling a straight-faced lie was simply impeccable. He poked Ning Xiu’s ruby and said, “Don’t talk while eating.”
“Eat~ food~” Ning Xiu swallowed the egg in his mouth, feeling a bit choked, and pointed at his small water bottle. “Father~ water~”
Ning Buwei handed him the water bottle. Ning Xiu hugged it and took a couple of gulps, then picked up the half-eaten egg. He took out the yolk and looked up at Ning Buwei. “Father~”
Ning Buwei knew his son didn’t like egg yolk, and crucially, neither did he. He looked up at the ceiling, pretending not to see.
Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Ning Xiu turned to look at Chu Jun. “Mother~”
Chu Jun’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he quietly looked at him, not responding.
Ning Xiu thought for a moment with the egg yolk in his hand, then called out in his baby voice, “Dad~ eat yolk~”
Chu Jun lowered his head, bit away the egg yolk from Ning Xiu’s hand, frowned, swallowed it, and then casually picked up the tea beside him and took several sips.
Ning Buwei held back his laughter and solemnly educated Ning Xiu, “Children shouldn’t be picky eaters; you won’t grow tall.”
Ning Xiu’s little mouth moved as he ate the remaining egg white, blinking with partial understanding. “Father~ eat~”
“Father doesn’t eat it,” Ning Buwei firmly retorted.
“Dad~ eat~” Ning Xiu pointed at Chu Jun, attempting to refute Ning Buwei with facts.
Ning Buwei narrowed his eyes, looking at Chu Jun with threatening intent. “Next time he won’t eat it either.”
With both the large and small one staring at him, Chu Jun calmly put down his teacup and said, “Mm, next time I won’t eat it either.”
Ning Xiu slowly ate the last bit of egg white, then smiled at Ning Buwei with curved eyes. “Father~ done~ water~”
Egg yolk, what done, we’ll talk about it next time~
Ning Buwei sighed, resigned to his fate, and handed him the small water bottle he was holding.
Ning Xiu swung his little feet and patted his tummy to indicate he was full, so Chu Jun changed his clothes for him.
Because today was his birthday, his little outfit was newly bought yesterday from Brocade Clothes Pavilion—a bright red robe with a soft, snow-white fur collar that looked both cute and festive, like a freshly scooped-up rice ball.
The newly changed little boots were embroidered with two small tigers. Ning Xiu stared at them for a long time, and when Chu Jun tried to put him down on the ground, he absolutely refused and insisted on being carried.
“Ah~” Ning Xiu pointed at his little boots, shaking his head seriously.
Chu Jun understood. “Afraid of getting them dirty?”
“Yes! Tigers~” Ning Xiu nodded softly.
“Alright, you won’t step on the ground,” Chu Jun even deliberately lifted him higher.
Seeing this exchange between the two, Ning Buwei was speechless for a moment. He said coolly, “What’s the point of wearing shoes if you don’t walk on the ground? A grown man being this delicate.”
“Don’t care~” The grown man Ning Xiu plopped onto Chu Jun’s shoulder with a smack, blowing a spit bubble.
Outside, the rain fell harder. Ning Xiu heard the sound and wanted to go see the rain. Seeing Little Black and Cui Yuanbai playing in the rain and splashing water, he hesitated as he looked at his new shoes. After pondering for a moment, two faint golden spheres of spiritual power floated out of his palm, wrapping around his two small feet.
A moment later, he was happily playing in the rain with Little Black Dragon. The faint golden spiritual power wrapped him tightly from head to toe, completely keeping the rain out. Even if he stood unsteadily and fell to the ground, he wouldn’t dirty his new clothes~
Ning Buwei remarked with some surprise, “The little thing is quite clever.”
Chu Jun stood with his hands in his sleeves next to him in the corridor, watching Ning Xiu and the others play in the water. Hearing this, he said, “So you think Ning Xiu’s soul is now stable, and he doesn’t need to wander around with you anymore. Is that what you’re thinking?”
Ning Buwei was stunned for a moment, turning his head slightly to look at him. “How did you—”
“You’ve put all of Ning Xiu’s things in the room’s cabinet,” Chu Jun didn’t turn his head, his gaze still fixed on Ning Xiu, speaking unhurriedly. “But in your room, there’s nothing.”
Clean and tidy, but also empty. The room was exactly the same as when he first arrived, without even an outer robe left in the room. It was identical to his situation back at Yijian Peak, with no intention of staying long.
Ning Buwei hadn’t expected that just by eating an egg with Ning Xiu in his room, Chu Jun could see so much. He rubbed his nose, not feeling particularly righteous. “I’m just used to keeping things in my storage ring.”
Chu Jun continued, “Ning Xiu is still coveted by others, Zizhang hasn’t passed his fate tribulation yet, and the little ones can’t protect themselves. In the mortal realm, spiritual power can’t be used, making physical bodies useless. I can only stay here to look after them. If you’ve made up your mind to leave, naturally I won’t stop you.”
Ning Buwei was taken aback. Having his intentions so plainly exposed by Chu Jun, even with his silver tongue, he couldn’t think of any explanation.
Because that was exactly what he had been thinking, only… he hadn’t yet figured out how to “discuss” it with Chu Jun.
He had always been independent, not caring much about others, but Chu Jun and these children were different. He didn’t want them to get involved in his affairs, especially Chu Jun.
For powerful cultivators, even a slight entanglement with karma could plant seeds of disaster. This unnecessary karma—Chu Jun should avoid it if possible.
The great demon could only fold his arms and silently watch the rain, becoming more silent the more guilty he felt.
Unexpectedly, Chu Jun just smiled. “None of this matters, but if you were to quietly dissolve our Dao contract—”
He paused, turning his head to stare at Ning Buwei.
Ning Buwei lifted his eyelids to glance at him. “What? Are you threatening me?”
He, Ning Buwei, feared threats least of all.
Chu Jun spoke in a calm voice, “I don’t cultivate the Heartless Dao. Even though I’m already over a thousand years old, I can’t remain indifferent to everything.”
“I would be sad.”
Ning Buwei froze where he stood.
Most of the time, Chu Jun was mysterious and unfathomable, but sometimes he was excessively straightforward, often catching him off guard.
And then inevitably, placing the initiative in his hands.
“Do you want to go to the mortal realm with me?” After asking, Ning Buwei wanted to sew his mouth shut.
His long-determined thoughts had been shaken by just a few words from Chu Jun. The other man had clearly dug a pit and told him about it, yet his brain still heated up wanting to jump in.
This surnamed Chu was truly full of schemes—a body wrapped in white skin but filled with black filling.
“Yes.” Chu Jun nodded without reserve.
Ning Buwei narrowed his eyes. “Then what about Ning Xiu and the others—”
“Hao Zheng will arrive tomorrow,” Chu Jun smoothly continued. “He’ll take them to Wanxuan Academy.”
Ning Buwei snorted with a laugh. “Tsk, good planning.”
If Hao Zheng took them, they would naturally be settled. After settling, they would naturally enter the academy. The masters of Wanxuan Academy might not be the most powerful cultivators in the Seventeen States, but they were definitely the best teachers. Even staying for just a year or two would be immensely beneficial.
None of these little brats qualified under Wanxuan Academy’s nearly harsh entry requirements, but who told them their “father” was Chu Jun?
At this point, for the sake of reason and sentiment, it would be unnecessary for Ning Buwei to refuse further.
“But there’s one thing you got wrong,” Ning Buwei frowned as he looked at him.
“What?” Chu Jun asked.
Ning Buwei folded his arms, slightly raising his chin, and said arrogantly, “I left an outer garment in your room.”
As for why he had left a garment in Chu Jun’s room—the day before yesterday, he was holding Ning Xiu and playing in Chu Jun’s room when he got peed on. Not wanting it anymore, he quietly threw it into Chu Jun’s wardrobe.
As for why he insisted on throwing it into Chu Jun’s wardrobe—he felt like it.
After speaking, without waiting for Chu Jun’s reaction, he turned and went back to his own room, shutting the door firmly with a “bang.”
Chu Jun stood in the corridor with his hands in his sleeves, listening to the sound of the rain, and slowly blinked once.
Ning Buwei leaned against the door, exhaling a turbid breath, then frowned as he carefully examined his room.
It was indeed as Chu Jun had said—not a single thing of his own.
Damn it.
****
The next day.
Although Ning Buwei wanted to hide in his room and not come out, as the “elder” of this group of children, he still forced himself to come out and meet the guest.
Hao Zheng sat smiling in the main seat. When he saw Ning Buwei come out, the smile on his face deepened.
A vein on Ning Buwei’s forehead throbbed violently. He stepped forward and bowed to Hao Zheng. “Student greets the Dean.”
Hao Zheng stroked his beard and waited until he finished his bow before saying in a pretentious manner, “Chengfeng, no need for such formality. You are now Jinghe’s Dao companion; even calling me by my full name would be acceptable.”
Ning Buwei wanted to draw his Suzaku knife and hack him.
“Rituals must not be abandoned,” Chu Jun pulled Ning Buwei to sit down and said gently, “Chengfeng has always been courteous.”
Ning Buwei found his ability to tell blatant lies with a straight face astonishing.
“He even specially prepared gifts for the academy teachers for these children,” Chu Jun placed a wooden box in front of Hao Zheng.
Hao Zheng’s cheerful expression paused. “Hmm?”
“While Chengfeng and I will be in the mortal realm in these few years, we’ll trouble Dean Hao,” Chu Jun smiled slightly. “Chengfeng often tells me that Dean Hao has always insisted on teaching without discrimination.”
“Not at all, not at all,” Hao Zheng pressed down on the wooden box. “There’s no need for such formality between us.”
“We must insist. This virtuous brother must accept this,” Chu Jun smiled. “Chengfeng is now my Dao companion. If this virtuous brother refuses, he might be unhappy.”
Ning Buwei: “…………”
This ability to seek revenge immediately—Hao Zheng not losing his temper with him for a thousand years truly showed good temperament.
While the adults amused themselves with verbal sparring, the little ones stood anxiously and bewilderingly on the side. Ning Xiu tottered over to Chu Jun, but was picked up by Hao Zheng, who gave him a small magic tool to play with. He sat in Hao Zheng’s arms, playing quite happily.
Until a while later, when he was carried by Hao Zheng all the way out the gate, while Chu Jun and Ning Buwei stood at the door, not following.
Ning Xiu belatedly realized what was happening and, lying in Hao Zheng’s arms, reached out toward Ning Buwei and Chu Jun, calling in his baby voice, “Father~ Dad~”
Seeing they still hadn’t followed, he immediately became upset, twisting his body, wanting to get down and find them.
“Hey, your two fathers have sold you to our Wanxuan Academy,” Hao Zheng patted his back, smiling.
Ning Xiu stared at him with widened eyes, his eye sockets instantly filled with tears.
Hao Zheng hadn’t expected him to take it seriously and quickly said, “I was just joking. Your fathers will come to get you back soon. Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
Ning Xiu burst into tears with a loud “wah,” lying on his shoulder and looking at Ning Buwei and Chu Jun standing at the gate, crying and calling out, “Father~ Mother~”
Cui Yuanbai, who had been led by the hand by Feng Zizhang, was originally very excited, but hearing Ning Xiu cry, he couldn’t help but turn to look at Ning Buwei and Chu Jun, and also burst into tears with a “wuwu”, “Father—”
The little black dragon hidden in Feng Zizhang’s sleeve also whimpered and sobbed along.
Yang Lingzhu secretly reddened her eyes and tightly gripped Jiang Yizheng’s hand.
Hao Zheng instantly felt his head grow a size larger and had the impulse to turn around and throw these cubs back. But when he turned his head, he saw that the main gate of the house was tightly closed, and both surnamed Ning and Chu had disappeared without a trace.
Hao Zheng: “…………”
****
Once the little ones had left, the previously lively house instantly returned to its former coldness. Ning Buwei felt that even taking a breath in the courtyard would echo.
“Zizhang and Xiao Jiang are soft-natured and easily bullied,” Ning Buwei stepped over the rainwater accumulated on the bluestone slabs, muttering. “Yuanbai acts without restraint and easily causes trouble. Only Lingzhu is somewhat steady.”
“I wonder how long Ning Xiu will cry,” Ning Buwei frowned. “Maybe I should go see them off again—”
Chu Jun grabbed his wrist. “You can’t always be by their side. Wanxuan Academy has Hao Zheng and Shang Nuanwei there, and being sealed on an island year-round, it’s much safer than other places in the Seventeen States.”
“I know,” Ning Buwei cleared his throat. “I’m just, not too reassured.”
“Then let’s resolve our matters quickly and pick them up early to come home,” Chu Jun squeezed his palm.
Ning Buwei’s anxious mood instantly calmed down because of his words.
However, before he could completely relax, a very unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded in the courtyard.
“Ning Chengfeng! I can speak now!”
