Chapter 19

Chapter 19

As Lu Yuanyin finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the scene, leaving only the howling wind sweeping through the hall, the bead curtains swaying with a faint rustling sound.

As if several thunderclaps had exploded out of nowhere, leaving them stunned. The two people and one bird, separated by the Mystic Mirror, their six eyes met, all seeing the indescribable daze in each other's eyes...

Huo Wuyan jerked his head up, his crimson eyes stared intensely at the scene in the Mystic Mirror. His normally stoic face showed a hint of bewildered confusion. He stared at that fluffy crown of hair, a flicker of emotion stirring in his eyes.

His fingers unconsciously tightened around the ancient scroll in his hand.

Even he hadn't expected that after a month, Lu Yuanyin would bring him such news.

She was pregnant...

The word felt strangely foreign to Huo Wuyan. Because of what happened with his parents, he hated getting close to anyone. He had thought that his life would continue as it had in the past, alone until the end.

He never thought he would have a child.

Just as he had never imagined that there would be a bold, reckless Lu Yuanyin who would dare to imprison and humiliate him and drain his vital essence.

From the other end of the Mystic Mirror came her increasingly heavy breathing, faintly mingled with the sharp shouting of a woman, disturbing him with an inexplicable unease.

As if worried about being discovered, Qing Nong flapped his wings again and carefully flew back to the treetop. The image in the Mystic Mirror grew slightly blurry.

Hong Rong finally snapped out of it. He clicked his tongue in surprise, his heart full of disbelief. Recalling what Lu Yuanyin had just said and thinking of the Dragon Lord's unusual attitude toward her and the loss of his primal yang, a jaw-dropping suspicion formed in his mind.

That kid couldn't be Huo Wuyan's, could it...?

Just the thought of that possibility felt absurd.

Hong Rong stared with wide tiger eyes, looking dazedly at Huo Wuyan, only to see the void in front of him suddenly tear open, forming cracks like a spiderweb. He had turned into a streak of red light, swiftly plunging into the void.

"Master, wait for me!" Hong Rong instinctively transformed into a black hawk and chased after him into the void rift. The howling wind scraped his face like knives cutting flesh. Even Hong Rong couldn't bear the ferocious gale and quickly hid behind Huo Wuyan.

The wind lifted Huo Wuyan's black dragon-embroidered cloak, causing it to flap noisily.

Hong Rong looked up, pecking at his feathers in confusion, his mind blank. His thoughts wandered, and he unconsciously tucked his exposed claws back, his feet aching.

Yet, thinking of that possibility, Hong Rong's eyes lit up, and he visibly grew excited. After all, the higher one's cultivation, the harder it was to have offspring. Given Huo Wuyan's level of cultivation, it was extremely unlikely for him to have children in this lifetime.

Moreover, the dragon clan's offspring had become scarce. It had been a long time since a dragon cub had hatched and been born. The clan was on the verge of extinction, a pitiful state. Not just the dragon clan, but the entire spirit beast clan had rarely seen any cubs born in recent years. The elders within the clan were so anxious that they were losing hair in clumps, spending their days praying and burning incense, begging for heaven's mercy!

If they learned that Huo Wuyan had secretly fathered a child, he couldn't imagine how excited those elders would be...

Hong Rong's curiosity itched, and he desperately wanted an answer.

But at that moment, neither Huo Wuyan nor Lu Yuanyin spoke. He could only stare eagerly at the Mystic Mirror, trying to see the scene on the other side. However, fearing that Immortal Lord Changye might notice something, Qing Nong stayed far away. No matter how hard he looked, all he could see was a wooden window half-hidden behind green leaves, a continuous drizzle, and a single candle flickering through the gap in the window, swaying gently in the evening breeze.

A vague, slender figure could be seen leaning by the window.

From the other end came intermittent, deliberately lowered quarrels, the sound of rain blurring their voices. He listened for a while but couldn't make out what they were saying.

Hong Rong grew impatient. He couldn't help but frown and scold angrily, "I can't see or hear anything clearly! Can't you get a bit closer..."

Qing Nong scoffed, "Easy for you to say. That master of hers is no pushover. It's already a miracle I can show you this!"

"Speaking of which, that master has ulterior motives! I've been watching for days, and based on my experience, I'm sure he has improper feelings for that Lu Yuanyin. What a hypocrite!"

Huo Wuyan glanced up, his expression cold as he looked at him.

Just then, a few patrolling disciples walked quickly past the tree, their sharp swords glinting coldly under the moonlight. Qing Nong immediately shut up.

Hong Rong fell silent as well, not daring to make a sound. Thinking about Lu Yuanyin, the cub in her belly, the silent dragon clan, and the migrating spirit beast clan, his entire being was in turmoil. As he was lost in thought, he heard Huo Wuyan suddenly speak in a deep voice, "I'm going to be a father."

Hong Rong, without even thinking, blurted out instinctively, "The Dragon Lord is mighty! The Dragon Lord is wise! The Dragon Lord is sagacious!"

Huo Wuyan, "?"

Huo Wuyan shot Hong Rong a disdainful look, finding him unbearably foolish.

He lowered his eyes slightly, his crimson gaze fixed on his palm, where the warmth of her skin seemed to linger.

Those memories he had deliberately forgotten surged back into his consciousness. Huo Wuyan's breathing grew heavier, his crimson eyes dark and obscure. With a few grating sounds, the ancient scroll in his hand had been crushed into powder, scattering with the wind.

This feeling of losing control brought him an inexplicable irritation.

Ever since meeting Lu Yuanyin, he seemed to be like this, inexplicably filled with restlessness.

Huo Wuyan silently recited a calming mantra, forcing himself to calm down. But after several attempts, he found himself no calmer than before. Instead, the restlessness grew stronger.

His hands clenched inside his sleeves, his thoughts in chaos. He unconsciously rubbed his fingertips, a rare trace of almost panicked confusion coloring his usually cool features.

Just like the previous days, he felt on the verge of losing control. If it weren't for the fact that parasitic bugs couldn't survive in his blood, he would have suspected that Lu Yuanyin had secretly placed a curse on him.

Before him was darkness. The fierce winds lifted his white hair, but they couldn't dispel the heat in his heart.

That night, Lu Sisi's spirits were slightly better than usual.

After drinking her herbal medicine, she was too excited to sleep. She already knew that Immortal Lord Changye planned to dig out Lu Yuanyin's spiritual root that very night.

A tearing pain came from her abdomen. Ever since she was injured, this pain had followed her like a shadow, never stopping for a moment. She often woke up in agony from her dreams, relying only on the medicine to get by.

But as long as she thought about how Lu Yuanyin would also have her spiritual root dug out and suffer the same torment as her, Lu Sisi curled her lips into a smug smile.

After tonight, when Lu Yuanyin's spiritual root was removed, she would still be the noble eldest daughter of the Lu family. That bitch Lu Yuanyin would be reduced to a cripple, destined to sink into the mortal world early, experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and death, forever trampled under her feet.

She had lost.

Lu Sisi draped a robe over her shoulders and stood up. Her eyes brightened as she saw a tall figure standing quietly by the window. Half of his face was hidden in the shadows, making him appear even more mysterious and handsome. Even though Lu Sisi was long accustomed to his face, she couldn't help but be captivated by him at this moment. A hint of shyness colored her eyes.

Lu Sisi pushed open the door and walked slowly toward that person. Looking at Immortal Lord Changye standing by the window, her gaze flickered. She nervously twisted a strand of hair that fell over her chest.

A faint blush spread across her pale face. Biting her pale lips, she slowly approached Immortal Lord Changye and gently tugged at his wide sleeve, saying softly, "I've been worrying Master lately."

As if recalling something, she playfully stuck out the tip of her tongue and said sheepishly, "I still remember the first time I met Master. I always seemed to be causing you trouble..."

A hint of nostalgia appeared in Lu Sisi's expression. She still remembered the first time she saw Immortal Lord Changye. As a child, she was mischievous and restless. Once, she threw a tantrum, insisting on going out to play. Her parents couldn't refuse her, so they took her along. On the way, they encountered a beast attack, and the guards suffered heavy casualties.

Just when she thought she would die in the mouths of the spirit beasts, a white-robed Immortal Lord Changye arrived, stepping on the frost-covered snow. His sharp sword aura tore through the sky. Blood splattered, and the beasts were instantly annihilated.

The crimson blood and white snow mingled, a scene of breathtaking beauty. He was like a deity.

Lu Sisi fell in love with him at first sight.

Immortal Lord Changye was the first man she had ever loved.

Later, he took her as his disciple, and she was so excited she could hardly sleep. But afterward, Chang Ye remained restrained and respectful toward her, never overstepping his bounds. So she gradually let go of that feeling.

But no matter how many times she saw him, he was always breathtakingly stunning.

As if thinking of something, she rubbed her thin cheeks again sheepishly, a flicker of disappointment in her round eyes. She asked softly, "Master, do I look very ugly like this now?"

Immortal Lord Changye only looked coldly at the tree shadows outside the window. The bright moonlight fell across his brow, making his dark eyes look like crystal—clear and calm.

Lu Sisi had long grown accustomed to his cold attitude. Although Immortal Lord Changye treated her well, he always remained icy—or rather, he treated everyone like this: cold and distant, as if he were apart from the world.

Except for Lu Yuanyin…

She had once seen Immortal Lord Changye casually tweak her hair bun, seen him automatically take the sword from her hand… The casualness and intimacy he inadvertently revealed toward Lu Yuanyin had kept her up at night with jealousy.

Thus, she never expected that Immortal Lord Changye would be willing to extract Lu Yuanyin's spiritual root this time.

For her.

Lu Sisi twirled the strand of hair at her chest awkwardly, frowning slightly as if puzzled. "It's just that the punishment we gave A Yin this time was a bit harsh. I wonder how she'll cope in the future…"

The moment her words fell, she saw Immortal Lord Changye, who had been completely motionless, suddenly drop his gaze and look at her from above. He said coldly, "Why did you slander her?"

Lu Sisi was stunned. Her fingers paused, and she looked at Immortal Lord Changye in confusion. After a moment, she realized the meaning behind his words. Panic flickered in her eyes, and her voice sounded aggrieved. Her eyes reddened quickly. "Master, I didn't… Are you misunderstanding something?"

Chang Ye sneered. He looked at the trembling Lu Sisi, his voice freezing cold. "She is not that kind of malicious person."

Lu Sisi stared hard at his indifferent expression. When she blinked, crystal tears streamed down. "If she isn't, then am I?! Master, you're accusing me unjustly…"

With that, she let out a loud huff, but saw Chang Ye had already turned his gaze back to the pear tree in the courtyard, his expression cold.

Lu Sisi felt even more wronged. She didn't understand—why, when all the evidence pointed to Lu Yuanyin harming her, would Immortal Lord Changye still believe her?!

She bit her lip, turned her head, and ran out of the room, covering her face as she cried.

Immortal Lord Changye looked at the spot she had touched. His brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of disgust flickered in his eyes.

The mountain valley was dead silent, broken only by the occasional faint chirping of insects.

Lu Yuanyin leaned heavily against the half-open window, her slender fingers tightly clutching the fabric beneath her.

Even though she had managed to throw up the medicinal liquid in time, some of the medicine had already been absorbed, and she didn't know if it would affect her. The pain in her abdomen grew more intense, as if countless silver needles were piercing her lower belly. A thin layer of cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

She felt as if she'd just been pulled out of water; the clothes on her back were soaked with cold sweat. When the night breeze brushed past, it was bone-chillingly cold.

From the courtyard came Lu Sisi's resentful cries, mixed with the frantic soothing of her mother, breaking the night's tranquility. She heard fragmented arguments from that end. Lu Yuanyin bit her lip hard, afraid to make a sound.

She tried to check her own pulse, but her mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't accurately assess her condition.

Taking a deep breath, she struggled to take spiritual pills from her storage pouch. She took out two pills with mild effects and put them in her mouth, trying to ease the pain in her abdomen.

But after taking the pills, there was no effect. Her storage pouch didn't contain pills suitable for an infant.

Lu Yuanyin curled up slightly, exhausted, shrinking into a corner, silently waiting for what might come next.

Once Immortal Lord Changye and Wang Sanshan noticed something wrong, they would surely come to force her to drink another bowl of abortifacient. Then her situation might become even worse… She also didn't know if Huo Wuyan would care about her.

His personality was eccentric and strange, and Lu Yuanyin couldn't read him.

Through the gap in the window, she saw that Wang Sanshan, who had already walked away, returned to the courtyard hesitantly, peering cautiously in her direction. Lu Yuanyin's heart tightened. She struggled to stand, picked up a sharp dagger from the ground, and held it tightly.

The footsteps outside the window grew closer. She could almost hear his heavy breathing. He was only a wall away from her.

Gripping the dagger, she tried to keep her breathing light, her heart nearly leaping into her throat. Silently, she calculated her odds of stabbing Wang Sanshan to death in one blow.

Beads of cold sweat formed on her nose. She stared intently at the closed door, seeing the pale moonlight outline his shadow, casting a ghostly silhouette on the paper window.

Wang Sanshan looked at the dim room, a flicker of doubt in his mind. The room had been unusually quiet from the start. That shouldn't be the case. He had deliberately prescribed a harsh medicine to make her suffer earlier; she should be in great pain now.

Had something happened to this Lu Yuanyin?

Wang Sanshan frowned, hesitating. He instinctively didn't dare to report this to Chang Ye. He waited outside the room for a while, but when there was still no movement, he finally pushed open the door impatiently and strode inside.

The room was filled with a thick, nauseatingly bitter smell of medicine.

Wang Sanshan's eyes swept around the room, quickly spotting the brown medicinal residue in the corner. He narrowed his eyes, quietly pressing his hand on the sword at his waist.

Suddenly, he heard a sharp sound of something slicing through the air behind him. He swiftly drew his sword and stabbed backward. With a metallic clang as if jade struck metal, a slender figure stumbled back two steps and quickly closed the door.

Wang Sanshan held his sword, looking at Lu Yuanyin, who was pale and drenched in cold sweat. He sneered, "Even if you threw up the medicine, it's useless. This bastard must die!"

Lu Yuanyin clutched the dagger tightly. Another sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She bit her lip until she nearly fainted, cold sweat dripping from her chin. She could taste the strong metallic flavor of blood in her mouth.

Seeing this, Wang Sanshan raised an eyebrow, about to call for the guards outside the courtyard. But in the next instant, his pupils contracted. He looked up in terror at something behind Lu Yuanyin.

Time in the room seemed to freeze. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't make a sound.

A sharp pain struck his abdomen. Wang Sanshan froze, dumbfounded, looking down to see a faint golden flame slowly ignite within his abdomen. The flame grew stronger, searing pain overtook him, and in the blink of an eye, his entire body turned into a blazing fireball. The fire quickly consumed him.

His mouth was wide open, his face twisted in agony, but he couldn't utter a single sound. The scene was truly horrifying.

Lu Yuanyin sensed something and whirled around.

Without a sound, a tall figure stood behind her. Crimson eyes looked down at her, his thin lips tightly pressed. Grotesque horns cast twisting shadows on his face, and a crimson demon mark beneath his eye glimmered faintly in the darkness.

Like a specter in the night, mysterious and eerie.

The tall figure almost completely enveloped her.

Seeing Huo Wuyan dressed, Lu Yuanyin almost didn't recognize him.

She stared blankly at the man before her, instinctively stepping back. She saw that Wang Sanshan had completely burned to ashes, scattered away by the night breeze. Lu Yuanyin's heart trembled. She gripped the dagger nervously, and after a while, finally whispered, "I'm sorry…"

Huo Wuyan looked at her steadily.

Under his gaze, Lu Yuanyin grew more uneasy. Thinking of what she had done before, her expression flickered, and she unconsciously fidgeted with her sleeves, feeling guilty. Just as she didn't know what to do, another sharp pain struck her abdomen. She groaned softly, her delicate brows furrowing. She whispered, "Huo Wuyan, my stomach hurts so much…"

The moment her words fell, she felt a cool, large hand gently rest on her slender waist. Warm spiritual energy slowly flowed into her body through his fingertips.

Her long eyelashes fluttered. Lu Yuanyin lifted her head slightly and felt the hand on her waist tighten a little.

Huo Wuyan bent down and lifted her, carrying her toward the soft bed. The crimson tassels beneath his ears brushed against her cheek, bringing a faint tickle. A light fragrance lingered around her nose, like the perpetual snow atop a high mountain—cold and distant.

Lu Yuanyin held her breath. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the crimson tassels beneath his ears, her eyes slightly unfocused.

Abundant spiritual energy flowed like a gentle stream into her meridians. The pain in her abdomen gradually eased. She felt as if she were bathing in nectar, the rich spiritual energy washing away all her exhaustion.

Lu Yuanyin closed her eyes silently and whispered, "Thank you."

Huo Wuyan lowered his eyes slightly. He saw her weakly leaning in his arms, her arms folded over herself. A few stray strands of hair fell loosely against her pale cheeks, making her small face look even whiter. Her waist under his hand felt even more slender than before.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her lips were bitten raw and swollen.

Huo Wuyan paused. Amid the room's bitter medicinal smell, he caught a faint, familiar herbal scent.

His bony fingers unconsciously stroked her flat belly. The baby inside had just been startled, and he could vaguely sense their subtle unease.

This feeling was mysterious and profound.

These claws of his had torn apart countless Spirit Beasts and were stained with blood, yet this was the first time he had touched a woman's lower abdomen with such care.

Huo Wuyan found it hard to imagine that this flat belly now carried his offspring, given how absurd and chaotic their first meeting was.

He had originally planned to just snap her neck or coldly watch her die, but after seeing her, he had repeatedly ended up saving her.

Huo Wuyan lowered his eyes slightly. He sat upright by the bed, his black robe embroidered with coiled dragons lying in disarray across the bed, warm candlelight softly spilling over him. Their shadows swayed gently with the flickering candlelight.

His gaze lingered on the shadows cast upon the wall, and the memories he had deliberately forgotten came flooding back into his mind. He inexplicably thought of the days spent locked in the cave, the dim light, their shadows rising and falling against the stone walls.

His eyes always involuntarily followed her figure.

Huo Wuyan's gaze darkened. His Adam's apple rolled involuntarily as he clearly knew exactly how soft that slender waist beneath his palm was.

As time passed second by second, color gradually returned to Lu Yuanyin's cheeks. Outside the courtyard, the anxious voice of Lu Yuanyin's mother rang out again, calling for Wang Sanshan. Voices began to rise from beyond the window.

Lu Yuanyin's heart tightened. She lifted her eyelids slightly and stole a glance at Huo Wuyan.

He was quietly staring at a wall to the side.

He didn’t seem to care if the people outside discovered him.

Half of his face was hidden in the shadows. Lu Yuanyin couldn't read his expression. Seeing that he meant neither to kill nor trouble her, her courage gradually grew again. She had always been someone who took an inch when given a mile.

Her eyes darted around. Lu Yuanyin slowly shifted her body, lightly tugged at his sleeve, widened her eyes a little, and called out in a soft, careful voice, "Huo Wuyan..."

Huo Wuyan lifted his eyes and looked at her with a heavy gaze. "Speak."

Seeing him like this, the words died in her throat. She tugged at her sleeve, hesitated for a long time, and then asked in a small voice, "Are you still angry?"

Huo Wuyan said in a low voice, "No."

Lu Yuanyin blinked, then finally asked the question she feared most. "...Why didn't you kill me back then?"

When she had locked him in the cave, he had clearly been very angry. Every time she met his gaze, she felt he wanted to grind her bones to dust.

She had thought that the first thing Huo Wuyan would do after leaving the cave was kill her, but it had been so long and he still hadn’t made a move—he even had that bird follow her.

Huo Wuyan was silent for a moment, as if considering the question for the first time. He looked at Lu Yuanyin, who was tilting her head up, staring at him with a dazed expression, her long lashes trembling nervously, a shimmering, watery light in her eyes.

Finally, he said hoarsely, "It felt good."

Lu Yuanyin, "???"

She was bewildered. "What felt good? What do you mean..."

Huo Wuyan said expressionlessly, "Sleeping with you felt good."

Lu Yuanyin, "?"

Even someone as worldly as Lu Yuanyin was left momentarily speechless.

Author's note:

I'm here~

An honest dragon who never lies _(:3」∠)_

Today, I’ll send out 20 little red envelopes, mwah~ Comment to enter the event!