Chapter 115: Extra One

Chapter 115: Extra One

The days in Misty Mountain were tranquil and simple. The sleepless nights of the past gradually faded from Xie Zhigui's dreams. Occasionally waking from nightmares, the early morning rain would be light outside, mist hanging in the cool air. He would shiver subconsciously, only to be timely pulled into a long embrace, cushioned on an arm with a soothing hand patting his back.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Ming Feiyu's voice was gentle, his gaze in the dim light earnest and full of endless solidity and warmth. Xie Zhigui snuggled closer into his embrace, holding him in return.

"I'm okay."

Xie Zhigui often resorted to "I'm okay," his tone light, his expression guarded, sometimes leaving Ming Feiyu uncertain whether he was truly fine or just putting on a brave face.

Xie Zhigui always used to long for that other home outside, and Ming Feiyu was worried about how to make him stay. Now that the other home was gone, and he had spent some time here without incident and no significant emotional turmoil, Ming Feiyu was still uneasy about him.

"Do you miss your old friends?" he was asked.

Xie Zhigui simply shook his head.

"Do you wish to see Xie Qingyuan?" he was questioned.

Xie Zhigui replied, "It's alright."

Unwittingly, this response led Ming Feiyu to concoct a dubious plan—

On an unremarkable morning, Xie Zhigui woke up to find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes next to him. He blinked in bewilderment, almost jumping out of bed to the furthest corner, staring at the child reaching out its chubby little hands towards him in a daze.

As Ming Feiyu entered with a bowl, Xie Zhigui immediately cast a helpless, pleading look at him, then back at the plump dumpling of a child.

"What is... this?" he asked.

"A baby," Ming Feiyu paused before adding, "Ours."

Whose, ours??!

Xie Zhigui's first reaction was to think Ming Feiyu was fooling him with a bad joke. Was it he who could give birth, or was it Ming Feiyu?!

But upon closer inspection of the child's features, the contours of the face resembled his own, yet those crimson-colored eyes were unmistakably carved from the same mold as Ming Feiyu's...

“……”

Previously, Ming Feiyu had mentioned a secret method by which a child could be created from the blood of two people and asked Xie Zhigui if he wanted one. Xie Zhigui firmly declined, yet Ming Feiyu proceeded without his consent.

A rush of blood surged to Xie Zhigui's head, causing a dizzy spell. He took deep breaths, reminding himself to stay calm.

But how could he possibly calm down! This scoundrel!

It so happened that the child, perhaps frightened by his stern face, began to cry loudly.

The crying only exacerbated his irritation. He turned away, and upon seeing this, Ming Feiyu quickly picked up the child to soothe it while stealing glances at Xie Zhigui’s expression.

“Don’t like it?”

This question angered Xie Zhigui even more. “Do you think of children as objects? To be played with when you like and discarded when you don’t?!”

“No, we won’t discard her. We’ll raise her together,” Ming Feiyu spoke gently, his eyes even showing warmth. He didn’t actually like children, but he wanted to raise one with Xie Zhigui, considering it would take many years for her to grow up.

However, the current situation seemed to have deviated from what was anticipated.

“Whoever made her should raise her!” Xie Zhigui shouted, dressing hurriedly and storming out the door, not sparing a glance at the father and child he passed by.

Ming Feiyu knew that making decisions without consultation might anger Xie Zhigui, but he did not expect such a resolute refusal to care for the child, not even a touch, a complete avoidance, and no pleasant expressions for a long time; in the evenings, he was even kicked next door to tend to the child, for her midnight cries left him frazzled.

It wasn’t long before Ming Feiyu regretted his decision to have the child, as she was unreasonable and unscareable, crying all the more fiercely the more she was frightened, needing an entire night of consoling.

Sometimes when he sought a moment of intimacy with Xie Zhigui, just as he pacified the sulking elder, the younger one would burst into tears, breaking the mood, and under Xie Zhigui’s mocking gaze, he had to don his clothes and go next door to comfort the baby.

He couldn’t understand how a baby not even as long as his forearm could wail so loudly, the sound giving him a headache.

By the time he returned after pacifying the child, it was dawn, and Xie Zhigui had slept soundly all night, stretching contentedly before going out to water the flowers in the courtyard. Ming Feiyu embraced him, burying his head in his neck, wanting to resume the previous night's interrupted affair, but Xie Zhigui just patted his shoulder smilingly, “Be good, go make milk for the baby, she will be hungry when she wakes up.”

“I don’t want to…”

Xie Zhigui interrupted him, "Dad to our child, you need to hang in there. I believe in you."

Without giving Ming Feiyu a chance to object, Xie Zhigui, with a smile on his face and a clear, refreshed spirit, began his leisurely day. Ming Feiyu watched his retreating figure with a somber gaze, his clenched fists betraying his struggle to restrain himself, on the verge of exploding. Thus, the next second, he decided—to turn around and go to the kitchen to prepare the formula.

He needed to be quick; the little crier would soon be wailing again.

Xie Zhigui's heart was as hard as iron; he simply wouldn’t care. No matter how pitifully the child next door cried, he’d continue reading his book or admiring the scenery without a single furrow in his brow.

Ming Feiyu's patience quickly ran out. Indifferent to human emotions, he felt the same even towards his own flesh and blood. If she couldn’t make Xie Zhigui happy and willing to stay by his side forever, then the child was just a piece to be discarded.

A piece not worth his time to raise.

So he packed up the child, planning to dispose of her in some forsaken corner when no one was around at night. After all, he had lived without parents for so long; surely the child could also survive on her own resilience.

“Can you manage?” Ming Feiyu asked expressionlessly.

The baby in the bundle couldn’t understand, simply blowing silly bubbles.

Ming Feiyu nodded, “Hmm, she says she can.”

The baby then stretched out her hands, grasping at the air and laughing gurgly.

Ming Feiyu: “Hmm, she’s saying, ‘Go ahead and throw me away, father.’”

In any case, he believed in the vitality of his own child.

Ming Feiyu stepped out with her, almost bumping into Xie Zhigui at the door. Upon seeing him carrying a large backpack, alarm bells rang in his head. He grabbed Xie Zhigui’s wrist, demanding, “Where are you going at this hour?”

Xie Zhigui shrugged, “If you don't love me anymore, I have no choice but to return to my sister’s place.”

Ming Feiyu was utterly confused, “How have I stopped loving you?”

Xie Zhigui sighed, gesturing to the package Ming Feiyu was holding, his face a picture of regret, “But my dear, you refuse to care for our child.”

Ming Feiyu was speechless.

Glancing at him, Xie Zhigui’s eyes fell as he stepped around Ming Feiyu and continued walking away. Ming Feiyu couldn’t bear to watch him leave and quickly pulled him back into the house.

“Where do you think you’re going?! Don’t you know how dangerous it is outside this late?”

Xie Zhigui pondered seriously, “I think you’re more dangerous. You overlook past grievances because you love me. But if one day you stop, and you settle scores after the fall, I might not even know how I died.”

“……”

“Nonsense!”

His roar didn’t intimidate Xie Zhigui, but it did scare the child, whose crying, potent as a biochemical weapon, shook the floor. Ming Feiyu cursed under his breath, truly wanting to toss her away at that moment.

Xie Zhigui promptly covered his ears, taking malicious delight in reminding him, “The child’s crying, go soothe her.”

Ming Feiyu glanced at the child, then back at him, gritted his teeth, and released his grip, but warned, “No leaving the house tonight!”

Xie Zhigui smiled and replied, “It depends on the performance of you and our daughter.”

He then stepped back into the house, indifferent to Ming Feiyu's ashen face, about to shut the door.

“I’m going to sleep. Oh, and I don’t sleep well, so neither of you should anger me, or else I’ll find someone else. Got it?” Xie Zhigui said with a smile, looking at him.

“……”

"I know," Ming Fei Yu uttered each word through clenched teeth, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of bitter herbs and Shexi Zhi Gui covered his mouth, forbidding him to spit it out.

"Good, my dear child's father," Shexi Zhi Gui smiled, closing the door, giving him an encouraging look.

He may have never once held the child, but that doesn't mean he completely washes his hands of the child's fate.

Later, Ming Fei Yu tried to send the child away again. Shexi Zhi Gui leaned against the door, quietly observing the pair. Ming Fei Yu felt inexplicably guilty, but Shexi Zhi Gui didn't utter a word of blame, only turned around and went back to the room to pack his things in front of Ming Fei Yu.

“……”

To ask is to have no love left; let's call it quits and go our separate ways.

Ming Fei Yu was infuriated first by the younger and then by the elder, veins throbbing on his forehead as he propped himself up to block Shexi Zhi Gui at the doorway, refusing to let him leave.

"I will provide!"

Shexi Zhi Gui feigned ignorance: "What?"

"The child."

"I promise to raise her plump and healthy, so stop wandering about!"

Shexi Zhi Gui revealed a relieved smile, allowing him to snatch the backpack away.

If only you'd been this obedient from the start.

For a long time after that, Ming Fei Yu gritted his teeth while diligently working to raise his daughter plumper than a radish.

Shexi Zhi Gui was very pleased with his daughter's chubby cheeks and her lively and mischievous nature, even more pleased that Ming Fei Yu took care of the child at night, not clinging to him, allowing him to sleep well. When he woke up with nothing to do, he could even go next door to supervise how Ming Fei Yu was managing the child.

The harmony of family life is truly beautiful.

Of course, he noticed Ming Fei Yu's haggard dark circles but felt no inclination to offer a helping hand.

The trouble was of his own making, and it was up to him to clean it up.

Shexi Zhi Gui wasn't entirely heartless; he felt pity, so he would offer verbal encouragement to Ming Fei Yu, phrases like "Keep it up" and "I believe in you," which served as moral sustenance. If one ignored Ming Fei Yu's resentful gaze and his sometimes retaliatory behavior, Shexi Zhi Gui felt the approach was somewhat effective.

He certainly wouldn't be holding the baby anytime soon.

As for verbal encouragement, there was plenty to go around.

Don't say men can't take care of babies; it's not that they can't, they just don't want to.

Look at him, hands-off for two years, never lifting a finger to help, and still, Ming Fei Yu managed to raise the child well.

*

But soon they encountered a problem.

The child was two and still wobbled when walking, unable to walk in a straight line, mostly resorting to crawling, and couldn't call out names.

Normal children should walk properly by one year and call out names, but this child...

Shexi Zhi Gui was worried, immediately suspecting Ming Fei Yu, "Have you been feeding her something strange again?"

Once, he was woken up by crying in the middle of the night. Dressing hastily, he went next door to find Ming Fei Yu stuffing a scorpion into the child’s mouth. Startled, he quickly knocked the scorpion away and crushed it underfoot. However, Ming Fei Yu looked innocently at his rage; he believed scorpions were medicinal, and that children in the village would crawl into crevices to snack on live scorpions. Thinking the ground dirty, he preferred to feed it to the child himself, considering himself a caring and loving father. Wasn't this what Shexi Zhi Gui wanted? Then why the anger?

Shexi Zhi Gui was left speechless, unable to criticize such dietary habits, he could only instruct him not to feed such things anymore.

Ming Fei Yu, puzzled, asked, "Why?"

Xie Zhigui stated firmly, "There is no 'why'; if I say no, it's no!"

Ming Feiyu couldn't resist reaching out to pinch his cheek, asking with a smile, "I thought you didn’t care about her? What’s making you anxious?"

Xie Zhigui turned his head away, glancing at the child in the cradle. The child had stopped crying, hiccupping softly with wide, wet eyes curiously observing him. Xie Zhigui diverted his gaze, murmuring softly, "I’m not anxious. Do whatever you want with the feeding."

Ming Feiyu smiled, and thereafter, he refrained from feeding the child scorpions, centipedes, or venomous snakes.

But it couldn’t be entirely certain; he wasn’t watching the father and daughter twenty-four hours a day. For all he knew, Ming Feiyu might have sneakily fed her.

Confronted with Xie Zhigui's deepening suspicion, Ming Feiyu made a poisonous oath for reassurance, "If I'm the culprit, may I lose my memory and become foolish, never to sleep by your side again."

The first part sounded normal, but what was that second part about?! Xie Zhigui lifted his foot to kick, but Ming Feiyu quickly dodged.

"You!"

Forget it, now wasn’t the time for playing around; the child’s well-being was paramount.

Ming Feiyu had examined the child's health, and even had Master Liusu confirm it, affirming there were no health issues.

So, where lay the problem?

Three people circled the cradle, pondering without success, while the child, oblivious to the adults’ troubles, contentedly played with a rattle drum.

Finally, Master Liusu cleared his throat, subtly suggesting, "Since the child is physically healthy, might the issue lie elsewhere?"

The two exchanged a glance. "What do you mean?"

"There have been clan members who've united with humans before. Their children could run and jump, seemingly fine, but..."

Xie Zhigui asked anxiously, "But what?"

"They were a bit slow-witted."

“……”

In short, they had intellectual disabilities.

Looking at the child’s condition, it’s about seventy to eighty percent certain, lamented Master Liusu with another sigh, "Such a sin. We told you two weren't suitable together, but you wouldn’t listen. Look now, this child will suffer in the future!"

Ming Feiyu didn’t much care whether the child was intellectually disabled or not; to him, she was just a little fool who gnawed on her fingers, and he was perfectly willing to care for her for a lifetime if need be.

That’s how he consoled Xie Zhigui.

"I don't care what she's like," Xie Zhigui said indifferently, ignoring the child's outstretched hands and pushing Ming Feiyu towards her.

"She wants you to hold her, go on."

Ming Feiyu looked back at him: "Perhaps what she wants is you."

The child giggled at him with baby talk.

"She doesn't want to," Xie Zhigui glanced over before turning to go back to his room.

Children are sensitive to emotions, and their expressions change quickly; in an instant, her smile turned to tears. She looked toward the door, tears dropping down, and Ming Feiyu wiped them away, "Why are you crying again? You look so wrinkly and ugly when you cry, no wonder he dislikes you."

Ming Feiyu tapped her forehead lightly, and the chubby toddler, like a roly-poly toy, leaned back and then quickly righted herself. Thinking it was a game, she giggled foolishly, only to be met with Ming Feiyu's cold and fearsome smile.

"Don't laugh, once he abandons you, I will discard you too."

The child gazed up with innocent, dark eyes, as if comprehending the malice not meant for an infant's world. Her tiny mouth puckered more deeply, a mix of disbelief and sorrow, before she began to wail.

After that day, the child seemed traumatized, no longer content to stay in her cradle. Upon waking, she demanded to be brought to the ground, becoming fussy if not held.

Assisted by others, she strenuously hoisted herself up on her plump little legs, taking shaky steps before tumbling down, then getting up to repeat the process, gradually progressing from two steps to three, then four…

Her longest journey was to the door of Xie Zhigui's room, where he was tidying up. Hearing the pitter-patter of footsteps, he looked up to see the little chubby figure at the door.

Noticing that Ming Feiyu was following behind, Xie Zhigui didn't intervene and continued with what he was doing.

The little one seemed both fearful and curious about him, hesitating to approach. Gnawing on her chubby hand, she pondered long before finally turning to pat Ming Feiyu's hand for support, then gestured towards the person inside the room, uttering a few sounds to signal him to let her go.

“Can you do it?”

“Mhm!”

Xie Zhigui caught a glimpse of a chubby little thing approaching in his peripheral vision, waddling like a duck, swaying and twisting as though she might fall any second—and then with a thud, she did fall.

Instinctively, Xie Zhigui rose to help her, but seeing Ming Feiyu leaning calmly at the door, he reconsidered and sat back down.

The little one lay sprawled on the ground like a small overturned turtle, waiting for assistance. After a while, realizing no one was coming, she kicked her legs and feigned a few cries, hoping to get the adults' attention.

When help still didn't arrive, she grasped that she might have to stand up on her own.

This time, the little one didn't cry. She obediently pushed herself up and slowly steadied, continuing her approach towards Xie Zhigui. Just a step away, she decided to leap forward. Ming Feiyu, fearing she'd miss, moved to catch her but stopped short—Xie Zhigui stood and caught her.

It must be said, Ming Feiyu had fed her well; she was solidly plump with not a bit of flabbiness. Xie Zhigui could only sit back down on the bed with her in his arms to save his back.

The little one, unaware of how her weight might burden others, only knew Xie Zhigui had embraced her. Surely, he must like her to hold her, so she wouldn't be cast aside, right? With this thought, she giggled, lying in Xie Zhigui's arms, excitedly flailing her hands.

When she laughed, her chubby cheeks trembled like jelly, endearing and goofy, compelling one to give them a gentle pinch.

A smile crept onto Xie Zhigui's lips, one he himself hadn't noticed. He tapped her nose and softly asked, "Little fool, what are you laughing at?"

The little fool laughed because she was happy.

Ming Feiyu watched the heartwarming scene within the room quietly, the square door frame framing it like a picture. His beloved was amusing their child, and the afternoon sun meandered across their faces. He wished time would slow down even more.

"How does it feel to hold the little fool for the first time?"

"Quite heavy," Xie Zhigui mused, frowning slightly, "Haven't we named her yet?"

It couldn't go on with just "little fool" and "little chub" every day.

Ming Feiyu chuckled, "You decide. Haven't you already chosen a name?"

Xie Zhigui paused, uncomfortably lowering his head.

It seems the late-night secret dictionary searches for a child's name had not escaped Ming Feiyu's notice.

Xie Zhigui lifted the child, letting her stand on his knees, and asked earnestly, "Would you like the name Yunyun?"

The child blinked her round, large eyes and then giggled. Xie Zhigui took it as an agreement, excitedly turning to Ming Feiyu, "She seems to understand me, not foolish at all."

Ming Feiyu scoffed, "What can a child understand? You think you're playing with her. Even if you called her 'little turtle' or 'little fool,' she would respond with joy."

Xie Zhigui shot him a look, "Nonsense."

Seeing his disbelief, Ming Feiyu called out loudly, "Little fool, come here."

Sure enough, the chubby one turned around, beaming a goofy smile at him.

Ming Feiyu spread his palm, "See, hopelessly foolish."

Xie Zhigui, somewhat helplessly pinched her cheeks very gently, chiding with a laugh: "You agree to whatever he says; you really are a little fool."

The little fool didn’t understand what they were saying, knowing only to wave her arms and legs excitedly and laugh merrily around the person she liked.

*

From the day he embraced the child, Xie Zhigui quickly settled into the role of a father, aware of how crucial a stable family environment was for the development of a child’s personality, values, and character. Hence, he was very cautious and hoped to provide her with a nurturing upbringing.

Soon, Xie Yun grew to be six years old. Apart from not being able to walk and talk normally until two and a half years old, she was virtually indistinguishable from other healthy children, and the concerns over her intellect were alleviated.

Each time Ming Feiyu called her silly, Xie Zhigui would grasp Xie Yun’s hand to swat him, saying, "Our Yunyun is not foolish at all. Beat this bad man, don't say Yunyun is foolish."

Xie Yun would also say in her babyish fierceness, "Bad person, you! You’re the foolish one!"

Ming Feiyu snorted coldly; he was above squabbling with a little brat.

Xie Yun was very clingy to Xie Zhigui, instinctively feeling his greater tenderness, tolerance, and patience. She could demand to be held by Xie Zhigui all day, while Ming Feiyu would carry her for a mere minute before coldly setting her down with a "You have legs, walk on your own."

Given the contrast in their attitudes, she naturally preferred to snuggle into Xie Zhigui’s embrace.

Xie Zhigui observed the growing estrangement between father and daughter, attempted to mend their relationship, but to little avail. Ming Feiyu could only ensure Xie Yun was well-fed and healthy; fatherly love was something he couldn’t muster, and he disliked how clingy she was to Xie Zhigui.

It was unclear how many times it had happened; just as the mood was set and they were nearly undressed, ready for an intimate moment, Xie Yun would suddenly cry and burst in, seeking refuge in Xie Zhigui's arms, terrified from a nightmare.

Because she would start having nightmares the moment she slept alone, Xie Zhigui, moved by compassion, would relent every time, letting her sleep with them and soothing her gently to not be afraid, while deliberately ignoring Ming Feiyu’s darkening scowl beside him.

“……”

Nightmares, nightmares, nightmares!

How could there possibly be so many nightmares for her to have? Why is it that she sleeps soundly here, but the moment she's over there, the restlessness begins?

Xie Zhigui, doting on his child, disregarded his displeasure.

Until once, he caught Xie Yun's sly and provocative gaze, and his last shred of patience exploded into ash.

Oh, so it's intentional, is it?!

The little brat doesn't even have a full coat of hair, but she's not short on cunning!

Ming Feiyu didn't bother to be gentle with her anymore; as soon as Xie Yun fell asleep, he'd toss her into the next room and pin Xie Zhigui down to prevent him from getting up.

Fearing he'd wake the child, Xie Zhigui dared not make a sound, often glaring angrily but biting down hard, enduring until he couldn't take it anymore and left a crescent moon of teeth marks on Ming's shoulder.

"That's a good bite."

Ming Feiyu would kiss him excitedly then, doubling his efforts until Xie Zhigui cried out for mercy, biting down to a depth that wouldn't heal for the whole day.

However, such sticky days didn't last long; Xie Yun discovered she was being thrown out of the room by her own father in the middle of the night. Indignant, she jumped out of bed and pattered back barefoot, only to find her place usurped by Ming Feiyu. Tears brimming, she threw herself into Xie Zhigui's arms, crying breathlessly.

The little one was not yet as long as his arm, pitifully small, her crying filling Xie Zhigui with guilt.

Seeing Xie Zhigui about to relent once more, Ming Feiyu scooped her up before he could, ignoring her wails and sternly took her to Elder Liu, under the guise that at her age, it was time to learn something from her elders.

Xie Zhigui asked uneasily, "Learn what?"

Ming Feiyu couldn't be bothered to lift his eyelids, "How to survive."

The term "living" is imbued with profound significance.

From birth, the children in the village are immune to all poisons, consuming snakes and scorpions without a second thought, crunching them with relish. As they grow, they learn magic and how to use venomous insects as a matter of routine. However, for Xie Yun, this was a different world entirely.

After she became sensible, Xie Yun spent most of her time with Xie Zhigui, who raised her according to the ways of human children. Her sudden transition from human society to a monster's realm, where her companions were little creatures that ate scorpions raw, left her bewildered, completely shattering her fragile worldview.

On the first day of reshaping her worldview - Who am I? Where am I? What should I do?

On the second day of reshaping her worldview - The kid next door is eating snakes again; it's terrifying. I want my daddy. I feel so weak, pitiful, and helpless.

On the third day - I want to go home. Daddy, please come and get me.

……

After crying incessantly for many days and realizing that no one but her father would comfort her, she resigned to her fate, crying while she took up a knife against a rabbit.

Later, as her innate abilities awakened, she grew quickly, becoming as cold and ruthless as the other children—from a tearful, cute creature to a fiery, irritable one. This included but was not limited to: eating spiders, scorpions, and snakes with an impassive face; violently dismembering the poor rabbits; drinking her own concoctions of poison and praising herself as a little genius; and stepping on a wooden plank with the name Ming Fei Yu a hundred times a day!

Stomping on mouse mud! Stomping on a big baddie!

But when Xie Zhigui came to see her, she instantly reverted to a crybaby, exaggerating how the other children bullied her, how scared she was of those bugs, how she was too weak to lift the little rabbits and was scolded by her grandfather... In short, she felt very wronged and helpless.

Xie Zhigui was somewhat indulgent with his child. Hearing her speak this way and seeing the dried blood on her clothes and her haggard appearance, his heart ached. He immediately took her home and had Ming Fei Yu sleep in the next room.

As Ming Fei Yu was about to protest, Xie Yun started crying again, "Yun Yun will be good and sleep alone from now on. Daddy, please don't send Yun Yun to grandfather's. They bully me, there's so much blood, Daddy, don't glare at me, I'm so scared..."

Ming Fei Yu: ...How much tea did this brat drink at Ah Liu's place?

But the result was that Xie Zhigui didn't want to hear his explanations, gave him a cold look, and kicked him out without discussion.

Xie Yun, still a child, couldn't outwit everyone. In her moment of triumph, she wrapped her arms around Xie Zhigui's neck and stuck her tongue out at Ming Fei Yu, taunting, "Bad people can't sleep with daddy."

Ming Fei Yu couldn't help but laugh with irritation, "You little rascal, don't think for a moment that I can't handle you."

As time trickled by, the father-daughter relationship grew increasingly strained.

Xie Yun enjoyed setting little traps for Ming Fei Yu, like spiking his water with chili, hiding scorpions in his shoes, or pretending to offer flowers only to attract bees to sting him... These pranks were not particularly harmful, but they were extremely insulting!

Consequently, Ming Fei Yu's punishments grew harsher each time, driving Xie Yun to seek solace in tears with Xie Zhigui, who would become furious and reprimand Ming Fei Yu. This, in turn, would leave Ming Fei Yu seething, setting the stage for an even harsher retribution, creating a vicious cycle.

Gradually, Xie Zhigui realized that asking Ming Fei Yu to show more paternal affection was genuinely distressing for him.

In the world of monsters, engraved in their blood was the law of natural selection: survival of the fittest. The birth of an offspring wasn't seen as a blessing but rather as the arrival of a formidable rival. Once grown, they could threaten one's status and even life. With such beliefs, how could he expect Ming Fei Yu to cherish the child as a precious gem?

Not wanting to see Ming Fei Yu suffer, Xie Zhigui stopped forcing him to be close to Xie Yun, instead trying to divide his time equally between them, hoping the gentle approach would eventually ease their relationship.

But an accident still happened.

One day, while taking Xie Yun to the riverside for fun, she was too scared to cross the suspension bridge and wanted to be carried. As Xie Zhigui was about to oblige, Ming Fei Yu, disliking her petulance and not wanting to overburden Xie Zhigui, offered to carry her himself.

With Xie Zhigui leading the way, it wasn't long before he heard a commotion behind him. Turning around, he saw father and daughter tussling, and before he could intervene, both tumbled off the bridge, causing his heart to stop in terror — "Ah Yu! Yun Yun!"

Fortunately, it was the dry season, and the river below wasn't raging. He first found Xie Yun on the bank, soaking wet and crying for her father.

Seeing him, she ran over just like when she was little, latching onto him without a word, just crying pitifully.

Xie Zhigui, heart aching, picked her up, comforting her while continuing to search for Ming Fei Yu along the river.

Once her sobbing subsided, he asked, "What were you arguing about just now?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yun's eyes immediately welled up with tears, her lips pouting, "He said that I'm not as cute as I was when I was little, that you don't like me anymore, that I'm a burden. He threatened to throw me off the bridge, and then, sob sob, you'd get a new baby."

As Xie Yun continued, her sobs and sniffles intertwined, struggling for breath, her pale cheeks flushed red from crying. Xie Zhigui internally cursed Ming Fei Yu for being a bastard, for saying such nonsense to a child!

He stopped in his tracks, holding Xie Yun tightly to comfort her, incessantly assuring her that she was his most beloved treasure, that his affection for her was undiminished, that he would always love her, and there would be no new baby to share her place in his heart.

With gentle pats on her back and steadfast promises, Xie Yun soon ceased crying, snuggling into Xie Zhigui's embrace and dutifully wiping her tears away. The crying had exhausted her, and as she rubbed her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.

As dusk approached, Xie Zhigui gazed at the endless riverbank ahead and then at the child in his arms, her eyes swollen and her brow furrowed even in sleep. He sighed and turned towards home; it was too dangerous to wander outdoors with a child at night.

As for Ming Fei Yu, he was tough enough to survive; they would search for him tomorrow.

He relayed the incident to Elder Ah Liu, who, upon seeing the sleeping Xie Yun's changed complexion, decided to search for Ming Fei Yu that very night with a party.

Xie Zhigui wanted to join the search, but Xie Yun was gripping his pinky too tightly, and he feared waking her, so he stayed by her side.

Unbeknownst to him, he also fell asleep, awakening only at noon the next day. After asking around and finding no news of Ming Fei Yu, he picked up the now-awake Xie Yun and decided to return to the spot they had been the day before.

Xie Yun seemed reluctant to go, pouting all the way, "Why do we have to look for that annoying ghost? Isn't it enough that you have me?"

Xie Zhigui pinched her cheek, "Do you really hate him that much?"

"Hate him!"

Xie Zhigui shook his head, saying nothing; the priority was to find the person missing.

He walked up and down the riverbank where he had found Xie Yun the day before but saw no sign of anyone.

Could something have truly gone wrong?

At the height of his anxiety, a villager rushed over to inform him that Ming Fei Yu had been found.

However, his face showed little joy, but rather more concern.

Sensing something was amiss, Xie Zhigui quickly asked, "Is something wrong with him?"

Scratching his head, the villager replied, "He, he's lost his memory."