Chapter 270

Chapter 270

The next day, when Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou woke up, they saw a chubby baby sitting by the bed, its plump legs swinging in the air.

Seeing them awake, the chubby baby grinned widely.

Although its body was somewhat transparent, its delicate and adorable features, the tiny teeth revealed when it smiled, and the soft, fluffy hair on its head all embodied the natural charm that makes people easily fond of children.

Wen Qiao was delighted to see it. "You came so early."

The chubby baby said, "I arrived before dawn. You said I could come play today."

"That's right; let's have breakfast together."

"Okay~"

Ning Yuzhou silently got out of bed, his gaze deepening as he watched the spirit and Wen Qiao chatting.

When he pulled Wen Qiao, who was about to run off with the spirit baby, in front of the washstand and gave her a warm towel to wash her face, the previously cheerful chubby baby suddenly became timid, cautiously peeking at his expression as if worried he might be angry.

"Chui, you need to wash up first," Ning Yuzhou said.

Wen Qiao said apologetically, "I was so happy I forgot for a moment."

In recent days, Ning Yuzhou had been in the alchemy room refining pills, and she naturally didn't lie in bed sleeping alone. She would meditate until dawn and use a simple cleaning spell, which made washing unnecessary. However, her husband was particular about cleanliness and always felt that a cleaning spell wasn't thorough enough, requiring water washing.

Wen Qiao didn't mind this habit of his; she had a good temper and was very accommodating.

After washing up, Wen Qiao took out a basket of spirit fruits and shared them with the spirit baby, one for her and one for it, serving as their breakfast.

This scene was heart-wrenching to watch, and Ning Yuzhou, who was originally going to the alchemy room to continue refining pills, changed his mind and asked, "I'll make breakfast. What do you want to eat?"

Wen Qiao's eyes lit up, and she quickly listed several dishes, then turned to ask the baby, "Suxing, what do you like to eat?"

The baby replied without hesitation, "Anything with spiritual energy!"

It needed various items with spiritual energy to repair its essence and maintain its consciousness.

Ning Yuzhou went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, and Wen Qiao, being diligent, wouldn't just sit around waiting. Even though she couldn't cook, she helped out, not leaving everything to Ning Yuzhou.

While helping with the ingredients, she chatted with her new friend.

"Suxing, where is your essence?"

"Don't you know?" Suxing stared absentmindedly at the fragrant spirit rice porridge bubbling in the pot.

"I don't know." Wen Qiao looked puzzled, genuinely unsure.

Suxing looked at her in shock. "You don't know? Then why do you go to the square every day?"

"I'm just trying to find out who's stealing my spirit fruits and pills."

Suxing: "..."

The baby's round face scrunched up, suddenly realizing that its new friend had no clue about its presence. It thought Wen Qiao had already discovered it and was coming to play.

This misunderstanding was quite significant.

Ning Yuzhou looked at the bewildered Wen Qiao and the sad baby, feeling amused.

"My essence is near the entrance of the valley, at the square," Suxing said, pouting.

Wen Qiao immediately thought of the eighteen stone pillars at the square, rumored to have existed since the founding of Suxing Valley, crucial to its foundation. "Could it be those eighteen stone pillars?"

"Sort of," Suxing said hesitantly, its face almost crumpling like dried vegetables. "I don't want it this way, but maintaining this form keeps me hidden from those who covet me."

Wen Qiao: "Indeed, no one would think the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions Map is eighteen stone pillars."

"The stone pillars look nice!" Suxing defended itself.

"Yes, they're sturdy and hard to damage," Wen Qiao agreed, recalling how Senior Brother Wang's spirit sword failed to chip much off them.

However, the baby remained dejected. "Actually, the stone pillars are cracked. As long as these cracks remain, I can only stay like this, unable to have a physical form like you."

Wen Qiao couldn't help correcting it. "I'm a living person, not a spirit. How can we be the same?"

The baby looked at her in confusion, seemingly not understanding her point.

At that moment, Ning Yuzhou finished preparing breakfast, and Wen Qiao eagerly carried it to the dining table in the flower hall.

"Is this your first time eating human-made breakfast?" Wen Qiao filled a bowl of porridge for it.

To her surprise, Suxing replied, "No, I've eaten food made by disciples of Suxing Valley. I eat anything with spiritual energy."

Back then, it stole the food, and the disciples couldn't detect it. When their prepared spirit food suddenly vanished, they could only accept their misfortune and start over.

Wen Qiao understood; it seemed the spirit's essence was severely damaged, and each time it woke up, it desperately sought spiritual energy to maintain its consciousness.

Feeling sorry for it, Wen Qiao filled a large bowl of porridge for it and peeled two boiled eggs from a type of water bird.

Suxing buried its head in the bowl, mumbling, "Delicious, better than what the disciples of Suxing Valley make."

"Of course, it's made by my husband," Wen Qiao said proudly, not forgetting to serve her husband a bowl of porridge and peel two boiled eggs for him.

After breakfast, Ning Yuzhou went to the alchemy room to refine pills, while Wen Qiao went out to play with her new friend.

Once they left the guest courtyard, Suxing's figure disappeared.

Wen Qiao couldn't sense its presence and couldn't help but ask, "Pleiades, are you still there?"

Pleiades' voice came through faintly, "I'm here."

Hearing this, Wen Qiao stopped trying to find it. Earlier, Pleiades had demonstrated its power in its invisible state, making it impossible for her to sense its presence—perhaps because her current cultivation was too low to accurately perceive it.

There weren't many people in the Star Map Valley.

Ever since Grandma Tie's furious intervention and the handling of Senior Brother Wang, the disciples remaining in the Star Map Valley, whether loyal or harboring ulterior motives, dared not wander around casually, fearing they might trigger Grandma Tie's sensitive nerves again.

Those disciples who were not loyal to the Star Map Valley had considered asking Elder Wan, who was in seclusion, to suppress Grandma Tie. Unfortunately, they didn't dare disturb him and were unaware that Elder Wan had already perished in his seclusion place. Even if they tried to seek his help, he wouldn't be available, so they gave up.

This convenience suited Wen Qiao well; she could use the excuse of picking spirit herbs for Grandma Tie to roam freely without worrying about being secretly watched.

Arriving at the square, she saw from a distance the eighteen stone pillars standing silently under the sunlight.

Perhaps knowing that these eighteen stone pillars were part of the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map and that they had already given birth to a spirit, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness when looking at them now.

As Wen Qiao approached the eighteen stone pillars, the invisible Pleiades finally appeared.

It floated lightly on one of the stone pillars, tilting its head to look at Wen Qiao and gestured for her to sit down.

Wen Qiao leaped onto the stone pillar, crossed her legs, and took out a pill bottle. Together with Pleiades, they began eating the pills one by one.

While eating the spirit pills, they naturally chatted and Wen Qiao asked about the questions that had been bothering her.

Pleiades accepted the spirit pills without hesitation, but when it heard her question, its round face turned into a prune-like expression as it scratched its face and said, "I don't know how I ended up like this. As far as I can remember, I've always been here."

"Why do people in the Pleiades Continent say that only the bloodline of the Su family can open the Twenty-Eight Constellations Four Symbols Map? Since the map has a spirit, isn't the Su family redundant?" Wen Qiao asked, puzzled.

Pleiades said nonchalantly, "The Su family once made a pact with me, promising to guard my body with their bloodline, and in return, I would protect this continent."

"Why protect the continent?" Wen Qiao asked again.

Pleiades paused, then pondered for a moment before saying uncertainly, "It seems... someone told me to suppress something here..."

"Suppress what?"

Pleiades frowned, looking troubled, "I don't quite remember. Ever since my body was injured, I've forgotten a lot."

Wen Qiao instinctively asked, "Can it be healed?"

Pleiades looked at her blankly, "Once I accumulate enough strength, I should be able to heal myself."

However, Wen Qiao thought of her omnipotent husband and said, "I'll ask my husband when I go back to see if he can help you." Her husband should be able to heal an injured spirit, right?

Shouldn't he?

When she mentioned Ning Yuzhou, Pleiades instinctively shrank back, somewhat reluctant to approach him.

Wen Qiao was very puzzled, "My husband is very kind and gentle to everyone. Look, he not only gives you spirit pills but also cooks breakfast for you. He hasn't driven you away or exposed your existence. What are you afraid of?"

"I don't know," Pleiades said with a pained face, feeling inexplicably scared of that man, making it hesitant to get close.

Despite its fear of Ning Yuzhou, Pleiades decided to overcome its instincts due to its newfound friend's unwavering faith in her husband. It seemed that her husband could heal even an injured spirit, and nothing in the lower realms was beyond his healing abilities.

Pleiades: "..."

So that man was that powerful!

In the Three Realms, human cultivators have always been favored by the Heavenly Dao. Not only do they cultivate quickly, but every now and then, a prodigy emerges, causing upheaval and even changing the landscape of the Three Realms. In Pleiades' eyes, Ning Yuzhou was also a rising prodigy, potentially capable of transforming the cultivation world.

Thus, Pleiades had to overcome its instincts and accompany its friend to seek Ning Yuzhou.

Upon hearing the purpose of their visit, Ning Yuzhou fell silent.

Looking at the expectant faces of the two, Ning Yuzhou felt a bit pressured.

"Husband, can you heal it?" Wen Qiao asked hopefully.

"It's possible..."

Wen Qiao immediately smiled with joy, turning to the delighted Pleiades and saying, "See? My husband is amazing, right?"

Pleiades nodded vigorously, ignoring its instinctive fear of Ning Yuzhou, almost circling in excitement in the medicine room.

Ning Yuzhou watched the two happy beings and finally interrupted them, stating clearly, "Pleiades' problem isn't major. With enough spiritual energy, it can repair its body. This requires you to accumulate it yourself. If you have something like a divine artifact, it could speed up the process. I can provide you with spirit pills, but I need to know what you are suppressing."

Pleiades stared at him blankly, looking confused.

"Husband..." Wen Qiao couldn't help calling out, helping Pleiades answer, "Pleiades said it doesn't remember after getting injured."

Ning Yuzhou's eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked at the confused spirit and sighed inwardly. He then said seriously, "You are the spirit of the Star Map. There are some things you must remember on your own, otherwise, you will forever be trapped in the Star Map Valley."

Pleiades' expression changed, and its eyes widened suddenly.

***

As the sun set and the mountain birds returned to their nests, only a light breeze remained.

The slanting sunlight stretched the shadows of the eighteen stone pillars on the ground, but the figure sitting on the stone pillar remained unaffected, as if it didn't exist.

Wen Qiao took out a plate of spirit fruits and tossed a handful into the air.

The cloud beasts below the stone pillars flew up joyfully, catching the spirit fruits mid-air and swallowing them in a few bites.

"Pleiades, you said we are the same. How are we the same? I am a human, after all," Wen Qiao said while munching on a fruit.

The chubby child sitting on the stone pillar, lost in thought, finally turned to look at her and said matter-of-factly, "We are the same. Our auras are identical."

"I am human, I have parents, a family, and even a husband." Wen Qiao affirmed, "So I am human."

Pleiades pursed its lips, stubbornly insisting, "But I can feel that we are the same."

Now it was Wen Qiao's turn to frown. Could it be that Pleiades, like the Divine Sound Treasure Tree, had mistaken her aura? Or did her demon body possess a natural skill that could confuse spiritual artifacts?

That would be too powerful!

However, she couldn't figure it out from Pleiades, so she could only assume it was a mistake and continued chatting with it.

"Pleiades, you really don't plan to find Miss Su? Now that Pleiades Valley is left with only her, if she dies too, who will protect you in the future?"

Pleiades hesitated, "Most humans are greedy. I've seen too much of this in Pleiades Valley. I don't know if she can be trusted."

"It should be fine," Wen Qiao said, "If not, just find another protector, right?"

"Could it be you?" Pleiades asked.

"No, I'm not from the Pleiades Continent, and besides, I need to return to the Sacred Martial Continent with my husband."

Hearing this, Pleiades felt envious. That place called "Sacred Martial Continent" must be wonderful for Wen Qiao to have such a deep connection with it, allowing the Sacred Martial Continent to welcome her back.

The misguided spirit of the Star Map began pondering its future path.

Ning Yuzhou's words naturally had an impact on it. Even as a spirit, it had aspirations. Although spirits are not cultivators, they are complete life forms at birth and also seek their own paths.

Although it feared Ning Yuzhou deeply, his words had a profound effect, making it feel that he wasn't actually harming it.

***

Ever since Pleiades revealed itself to Wen Qiao and the others, it would come to play with Wen Qiao every day.

It was clear that being unable to appear before humans for so many years had made it very lonely. Recognizing Wen Qiao as a companion, it felt more relaxed playing with her.

Until Old Iron's injuries were mostly healed, Pleiades heard that once she recovered, they would leave Pleiades Valley. The spirit was stunned.

"You're leaving?" It asked in disbelief, almost dropping the spirit pill in its chubby hand.

Wen Qiao nodded, "Of course, we came to Pleiades Valley to find a way back to the Sacred Martial Continent. Saving Old Iron was repaying our debt to Pleiades Valley; we can't stay here forever. Besides, you should know what's happening outside the Pleiades Continent, right?"

Pleiades hesitated, "I know a little."

In fact, before Wen Qiao and the others arrived at Pleiades Valley, it had awakened from its slumber and learned about what had happened in Pleiades Valley over the past century from the disciples.

To Pleiades, cultivators were truly terrifying. They had done so many terrible things to capture it, making it even more afraid to appear before humans. It had to tightly guard its identity, not letting anyone know its true form.

Given those cultivators' madness, they would certainly attack its true form, possibly even destroying it.

"The cultivators on this continent are not friendly. If they discover we are hiding in Pleiades Valley, they will surely join forces to attack the valley's protective array. At that time, Pleiades Valley might not survive. And Miss Su, as the only successor of Pleiades Valley, would be forced to her death..."

Pleiades' round face scrunched up again.

When Wen Qiao mentioned this, she felt a strange sense of pity for it.

Its true form injured, memory lost, and guarding a responsibility it didn't even remember—it was strangely similar to the Divine Sound Treasure Tree in Tianzhiyuan.