“Are you disgusting or not? How could you do something like this?”
“Get rid of it. Right now, get rid of it! If you don’t, don’t force me to take action!”
“I’ll raise the child alone. I won’t disturb you or Jiang Huai. You can pretend nothing happened.”
“Ha? What are you saying? This was never yours to begin with. Why must you do something so despicable?”
“Don’t argue, don’t argue.”
“What do you mean, ‘don’t argue’? As the Qinglong Hall Master of the White Dragon Clan, how could you do such filthy, disgraceful things!”
“I’ll kill you!”
Jiang Huai frowned slightly, noisy and chaotic quarreling echoing in his ears.
It sounded as though his wife was in a heated argument with someone, her voice exceedingly agitated.
His consciousness had floated in boundless darkness for what felt like ages, finally finding a sliver of light.
Heavy eyelids slowly lifted a sliver, his blurred vision gradually focusing.
The first thing that greeted his eyes was the familiar, cloud-patterned embroidered canopy overhead.
The air was thick with the scent of spirit herbs that cleared the mind and soothed the soul, tinged with a faint, cold fragrance unique to Tang Zhaoxue.
He was lying on his bed in the sleeping palace at Nine Heavens Palace, a soft brocade quilt draped over him.
Though his body was still wracked by splitting pain and a bone-deep weakness, compared to the state of utter exhaustion back in the Secret Realm, he was much improved.
His throat felt parched, and he couldn’t help but let out a few low, gentle coughs.
Almost instantly, a cool, soft hand gently pressed to his forehead, filled with careful probing and barely contained delight.
“Jiang Huai? You’re awake?!” Tang Zhaoxue, who had been keeping watch at his bedside, immediately sensed his movement.
Her always tense, chilly expression instantly blossomed with relief, her voice quivering with barely suppressed emotion.
She hurriedly called out toward the outer room: “He’s awake! Jiang Huai is awake!”
The previously indistinct, heated argument faded to abrupt silence.
A moment later, hurried footsteps approached.
Qin Qingyue rushed to the bedside like a whirlwind.
Traces of anger lingered on her face, her eyes a bit red at the corners.
But when she saw Jiang Huai’s eyes open, all her fiery rage melted into overflowing concern.
Without hesitation, she grasped Jiang Huai’s hand, which rested outside the brocade quilt, holding it so tightly it was as if she feared he might disappear at any moment.
“How do you feel? Are you still in pain anywhere?” Her voice was slightly hoarse.
But just then, another figure stepped slowly into the inner chamber from behind Qin Qingyue.
It was a girl as cold and pure as a lotus on a snowy peak—none other than White Dew, the White Dragon Clan’s leader.
Yet unlike before, her previously flat stomach was now clearly rounded, her loose white dragon robes unable to fully conceal the prominent curve of pregnancy.
Her features remained exquisite as ever, carrying the unique, cool allure of the White Dragon Clan, but there was now a faint, almost imperceptible maternal gentleness about her brows.
This gentle aura, under her chilly temperament, seemed all the more restrained.
She stood quietly, as if existing apart from all the commotion.
As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Qin Qingyue suddenly spun around. Like a dragoness whose territory had been invaded, she snapped at White Dew:
“Get out! Who let you in?! You’re not allowed near him!”
Her voice was sharp, filled with undisguised disgust and fury. Clearly, the source of the previous argument was this pregnant White Dragon Clan leader.
Standing a little farther away, Wu Zhaohua’s expression was also extremely odd.
Arms folded, brows tightly knit, she looked at White Dew with a scrutinizing, almost hostile gaze that she herself could not understand.
Her heart was filled with a sense of absurdity:
How could this be? How could White Dew be pregnant with Jiang Huai’s child?
How did this happen? Does it even make sense?
White Dew was accompanied by the ancient forebear of the Red Dragon Clan.
Perhaps to ease the tension, or simply feeling her human form was inconvenient, she had transformed into a foot-long little red dragon, scales gleaming with a soft glow, leisurely circling through the air of the chamber.
Her whiskers swayed as she curiously observed those below.
“Are you feeling better?” Qin Qingyue forced herself to suppress her anger toward White Dew, turning her worried gaze back to Jiang Huai, her fingers gently rubbing the back of his hand.
Jiang Huai coughed softly again, quietly sensing his condition.
The Two Energies of Yin and Yang, though faint, were slowly circulating on their own, repairing his damaged meridians and Golden Core.
The powerful vitality of the Yin-Yang Body was manifesting its strength.
He nodded, his voice still weak:
“Much better, just… no strength at all.”
At that moment, the cold-as-ice voice of the girl rang out from behind Qin Qingyue:
“The Yin-Yang Body forms a small world within itself. Its life force and the Great Dao are entwined, unlike that of ordinary cultivators. So long as even a breath remains and the Original Source is not exhausted, one will not truly perish; with time, recovery is inevitable.”
White Dew’s gaze calmly fell upon Jiang Huai, as if she were studying a precious artifact.
“Thus, his life is in no danger. There is no need to worry excessively.”
This seemingly comforting remark sounded, in the ears of the already furious Qin Qingyue, more like bragging and provocation.
But her child, too, was a Yin-Yang Body.
“I told you to get out! Did you hear me?!” Qin Qingyue’s pent-up rage erupted.
She grabbed a delicate white jade vase from a nearby side table, infused it with a trace of Dragon Force, and hurled it straight at White Dew’s head.
The wind howled, showing how ruthless her anger was.
White Dew’s expression did not change; she simply tilted her body slightly, letting the vase graze her hair before it shattered with a crash against the door frame behind her.
“Don’t fight, don’t fight! We’re all on the same side—can’t we just talk this out?” The little red dragon, ancestor of the Red Dragon Clan, hurriedly darted between White Dew and Jiang Huai’s bed, her tiny tail swaying as she tried to smooth things over.
“In a certain sense, the fact that she can be pregnant…”
“Shut up!” Qin Qingyue didn’t let her finish, interrupting with a harsh shout.
Her chest heaved violently, a flash of murderous intent flickering in her eyes.
She couldn’t accept this reality. Not at all.
She wanted nothing more than to erase the “abomination” in White Dew’s womb that carried Jiang Huai’s bloodline.
But even more, she didn’t want the just-awakened, still weak Jiang Huai to know about all this—not even a little.
“What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?” Jiang Huai, startled by the sudden conflict, looked on in confusion.
He glanced at White Dew, whose face was cold and stomach pregnant, then at Qin Qingyue, trembling with anger.
He didn’t understand the situation, but instinctively softened his voice, gently clasping Qin Qingyue’s hand and patting the back of it in comfort.
“Isn’t there a better way to talk things over? Or, shall I speak with her?” He really didn’t want to see Qin Qingyue and White Dew, or anyone else, get into such an intense fight.
Feeling the warmth and gentle reassurance in Jiang Huai’s palm, some of Qin Qingyue’s fury abated.
She took a deep breath, forced a rather stiff smile, patted Jiang Huai’s hand, and tried to brush it off:
“N-no, it’s nothing. Just a trivial matter between women. You don’t need to know—focus on healing.”
She tried to gloss over it.
However, White Dew was not so cooperative.
Ignoring the murderous glare from Qin Qingyue, she calmly stepped forward, her pregnant belly leading the way, her clear eyes fixed on Jiang Huai, and bluntly asked:
“Young Lord Jiang, may I ask why you had Sect Master Wu and Palace Master Qin send an urgent summons to call me here?”
She had originally planned to remain in secluded cultivation at the White Dragon Clan’s grounds for a year, not leaving until her child was born safely.
But after receiving an emergency message jointly sent by Wu Zhaohua and Qin Qingyue—saying that the Yin-Yang Body had been severely injured by an Outworld Heavenly Demon, and that there was a grave matter concerning the fate of the Five Provinces Continent—she couldn’t remain still and immediately rushed over.
Yet, in the end, paper could not cover fire. With Qin Qingyue’s realm now higher than hers, she had instantly detected the bloodline aura in her body that matched Jiang Huai’s, sparking that earlier earth-shaking quarrel.
Had Jiang Huai woken just a bit later, he might not have witnessed an argument, but a life-or-death struggle between the two women.
Jiang Huai’s expression turned serious at her words. Pushing aside the strange atmosphere between the women for now, he replied gravely:
“There are indeed two matters to request. First, to help me escape, Zhu Siyao burned her own Soul. Though her life is no longer in danger, her Soul is extremely weak and on the verge of collapse.”
“I hope Clan Leader White Dew, for the sake of our alliance, can lend a helping hand.” His tone was sincerely pleading.
White Dew’s expression did not change as she replied calmly:
“This is no trouble. As long as you are here, she will not truly vanish.” Her eyes swept meaningfully to where Tang Zhaoxue stood:
“Back then, this Tang Sect Leader suffered heavy damage to her Soul, and now she’s standing here just fine, isn’t she?”
Jiang Huai started slightly, immediately understanding her implication.
He felt his face grow a little hot, averting his gaze in embarrassment before clearing his throat and continuing:
“The other matter is even more urgent. Before being driven off, the Outworld Heavenly Demon left a wild threat, claiming they still have a backup plan. Though I’m not sure what exactly, it seems something will descend soon.”
He then faithfully repeated the malicious curse and warning the Heavenly Demon had left behind before dispersing.
After hearing Jiang Huai’s account, for the first time, a clear change appeared on White Dew’s always placid face.
Her brows drew tightly together, her face instantly darkening with a gravity—and even a trace of unhideable ugliness—that she could not conceal.
It was not that she feared the Heavenly Demon, but their brazen threat proved their scheme was already laid, just awaiting the best moment to spring.
What kind of terrifying plan could an Outworld Heavenly Demon have patiently woven over such long years?
Their target was surely not just a single person or sect, but the very foundation of the Five Provinces Continent.
Instinctively, she raised a hand to gently caress her pregnant belly, then looked at Jiang Huai, pale-faced and weak in cultivation, for the first time revealing clear worry and distress in her eyes.
What to do? The child in her womb, this new generation of Yin-Yang Body, was not yet mature. And this Yin-Yang Body before her was still only at the Golden Core stage.
Even with extraordinary talent and speed, it was a huge leap from Golden Core to Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Body Integration, and finally Ascension.
How many years would that take? Would the Heavenly Demon grant them that time?
“I have received the message.” White Dew’s voice was as cool as ever, but now quicker, carrying a sense of urgency.
“This matter is of grave importance. I cannot linger here.”
“I will return to the clan immediately, gather our people, and attempt to unite all forces we can across the Five Provinces Continent to prepare for and resist the possible invasion of the Heavenly Demons.”
She looked at Jiang Huai, speaking rapidly:
“Young Lord Jiang, your only task now is to recover your health.”
“As for treating Zhu Siyao, simply follow the method you used to save Tang Sect Leader. You understand my meaning.”
White Dew paused, then added:
“Also, the loss of Innate Yang Original Source in her body was present from birth. Please pay special attention.” Zhu Siyao was born fatherless, so naturally lacked Innate Yang within.
With these brief instructions, White Dew turned to leave, clearly intent on deploying countermeasures against the Heavenly Demons at once.
However, as she turned, Jiang Huai’s gaze fell once more on her conspicuously pregnant belly, and a sudden, delayed surge of bewilderment overwhelmed him.
He couldn’t help blurting out, his voice filled with incredulous confusion:
“You’re… you’re pregnant?” How could it be so soon? How long had he been unconscious?
Besides, he’d never heard of White Dew having any close dealings with a man—how could she suddenly be so far along?
White Dew’s steps halted abruptly, her whole body pausing with her back to Jiang Huai.
After a moment’s silence, she replied in a flat tone that revealed nothing: “Yes. The child will be born soon.”
After speaking, she didn’t leave right away, but instead took two more steps forward.
Then, unexpectedly, she turned her head slightly, revealing the still-girlish outline of her profile.
The afterglow of sunset streamed through the window, falling upon her cheek and casting an extremely rare, extremely faint blush that was nearly invisible.
She spoke softly, her voice still cool, but with the faintest trace of a different undertone:
“Young Lord Jiang, what do you think… if I have a child, what name should I give it?”
“What do you think is a good-sounding name?”
“Hmm?” Jiang Huai was completely stunned, unable to keep up with the abrupt shift.
What did that mean? Was she asking him to name her child?
“Get out!!!” All of Qin Qingyue’s accumulated rage, grievance, and jealousy exploded in this instant.
She could no longer maintain any composure, grabbing everything within reach—pillows, medicine bowls, ancient books—and hurling them at White Dew’s retreating figure, as if trying to fling all her vexation along with them.
Yet White Dew seemed not to notice. Just before the flying objects could reach her, her form flickered into a streak of cold white light and vanished outside the hall doors.
“Once you’ve thought of one, let someone tell me. I’ll consider it.”