Mu Ran didn't have the youth's ingrained vigilance of constantly keeping an eye and ear out for everything around her. Thus, she hadn't paid attention to what the fighting people over there were saying. She only sensed that something was off with the youth and looked up at him.
"Jinzhi, what's wrong?"
Shu Qingyi took a step forward, blocking her view of the black-clad figure fighting in the distance. He bent down and gently stroked Mu Ran's cheek. "I need to go do something. Wait for me here, okay?"
Seeing the look in his eyes, Mu Ran knew he was up to no good again. She didn't think there was anything wrong with it; instead, she felt a thrill of excitement.
"Alright, I'll wait for you here."
She answered obediently, evidently not planning to ask further questions nor suspecting him of any malicious intent. This wholehearted, dependent trust once again sent a surge of heat coursing through his body.
Unable to hold back, the youth leaned down and planted a kiss on the corner of her lips.
Hidden secretly in the dark, Han Yu flipped its fish belly up, finally so infuriated by its completely amoral master that it looked as if it had died.
But in the next instant, its master's voice echoed in its mind.
"Protect her."
Han Yu flipped its belly back down. It stared at Mu Ran's figure, unable to discern her cultivation level, and frantically complained in its mind.
— Are you sure she needs my protection!?
Shu Qingyi's figure vanished.
Han Yu could only quietly approach Mu Ran, reluctantly fulfilling its duty to protect her.
It thought it had concealed its aura perfectly, yet Mu Ran suddenly turned her head. Her smiling eyes curved slightly as she accurately caught sight of its figure.
Han Yu froze for a good while, thinking it was mistaken. How could Mu Ran have discovered its presence just like that?
But Mu Ran was still looking at it, showing no signs of having merely glanced over by accident.
For some reason, Han Yu felt nervous.
Mu Ran had already walked over. It was inconvenient for her to squat, so she simply bent over, reached out, and gently patted the top of the blue fish's head, calling out to it with familiar affection, "Little Fish."
Han Yu felt a strange sensation; it was as if she had known it for a long time.
Right when Mu Ran touched it, it once again detected a familiar aura flowing within her body.
Han Yu circled around Mu Ran again and again, finally stopping in front of her lower abdomen.
Mu Ran asked it, "Do you want to touch?"
Han Yu looked up at her several times. It clearly wanted to, but didn't dare to rashly make contact.
Its master had obviously developed a possessive desire for this woman, to the point where he was even willing to happily accept being a stepfather.
Mu Ran said softly, "It's okay, you can touch. I won't tell Jinzhi."
Han Yu finally mustered the courage to carefully extend the tip of its translucent fin. It gently tapped her belly and swiftly retracted it upon contact.
Seeing that Mu Ran truly had no intention of telling on it, it couldn't help but quietly reach out again. This time, its fin lingered on her belly for a good while, allowing it to sense the aura inside even more clearly.
As an innate spiritual entity, it was extremely sensitive to the aura of life. A trace of spiritual energy—extremely faint, incredibly weak, yet exceptionally warm and gentle—was slowly flowing out from within her body.
That aura blended with Mu Ran's, yet it carried a bit of its master's unique crispness. It was hidden and intimate, like a seed that had just fallen into the soil, taking root and sprouting.
Han Yu's eyes widened.
Every cultivator's spiritual energy had a different aura. Since its soul was connected to its master's, it absolutely wouldn't mistake his aura.
Its master's parents were both dead, his extended family was estranged, and he had no close relatives left in his clan. Even those of the same bloodline couldn't possibly possess such a nearly identical spiritual energy fluctuation.
But at this moment, it clearly perceived that within the weak yet vibrant little life in Mu Ran's womb, the spiritual aura belonging to the youth—familiar to the point of being etched into its soul—was quietly flowing.
It was his.
It could only be his!
Han Yu instantly trembled with excitement. Its translucent fish body suddenly bounced, shaking its head and wagging its tail on the spot, almost spinning in circles.
Not daring to make a loud disturbance, it only swam in circles around Mu Ran. Its round eyes shone astonishingly bright as it lightly touched her lower abdomen over and over again, as if confirming a monumental piece of good news.
This was wonderful!
It knew it; although its master had no bottom line, he definitely still had a sense of morality!
This was his child.
This was really his child!
Mu Ran pressed a finger to her lips and gently shushed it.
Han Yu reined in its ecstatic state and looked at her in confusion.
Mu Ran said softly, "Don't tell Jinzhi."
Han Yu was baffled.
She said, "I want to stay by his side a little longer."
Han Yu became even more bewildered.
Mu Ran's words made it sound as if she could disappear at any moment.
Why was that?
It had been by its master's side since he was thirteen. His heart held nothing but revenge, which drove him to cultivate as if his life depended on it.
Unlike the scions of noble families who had cultivation resources, or the favored geniuses of major sects who had the support of their elders, he stepped onto the path of cultivation by joining an obscure little sect. From then on, it was endless deception and treachery. It was unknown when, but his Dao had eventually become one of slaughter.
Han Yu had witnessed how many mortal dangers he had experienced along the way, understood how difficult his journey had been, and knew even better that he had never once harbored romantic feelings or shared tender moments with any woman.
But Mu Ran had appeared, and she was actually carrying his child in her womb!
Han Yu couldn't figure out Mu Ran's origins, but it knew that if its master found out Mu Ran was his and her child was also his, he would definitely be overjoyed.
Yet she wouldn't let it tell him.
Watching Han Yu lower its head in low spirits, Mu Ran also felt a pang of sorrow. "I'm sorry, Little Fish. If he finds out my identity, I'll have to leave."
She wasn't supposed to exist in this segment of the past. Once the Heavenly Dao of this realm sensed she was a visitor from another world who had disrupted the timeline, she would be rejected by the world and vanish from it.
Old Man Longsword had never heard of the title Black-clad Venerable existing on Mount Chongyang. His brows furrowed tightly; to break through his cultivation realm, he had to seize this treasure.
The fight between the two intensified. Sword qi crisscrossed and tore through the sky. The Black-clad Venerable's moves were as steady as a mountain, every strike sealing off all the old man's escape routes. The spiritual pressure layered upon itself, crushing the surrounding vegetation into pieces.
Old Man Longsword resisted stubbornly, relying on his years of cultivation, but his moves gradually became disorganized, and his aura began to waver. It looked as though he was about to be completely suppressed.
Right at this moment, a green shadow darted out of the adjacent dense forest like a phantom. It was precisely Shu Qingyi, who had been hiding in the dark and watching.
A sharp glint flashed in the youth's eyes. He quietly gathered his spiritual energy and, taking advantage of their fierce struggle, shot out a sudden burst of hidden force from his fingertips the instant Old Man Longsword exposed all his flaws. It struck the old man's vital point with pinpoint accuracy.
"Pfft—"
Caught completely off guard, Old Man Longsword spewed a mouthful of fresh blood. His body staggered backward, and the hand holding his sword trembled.
He was both shocked and furious, only to see Shu Qingyi move as fast as lightning, snatching the plain silver intertwined-branch hairpin from midair with a swift and decisive motion.
