Ji Xingshu gently rubbed her daughter’s head, a doting smile on her lips.
“Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. Even while I was away, Shiyu worked hard. You didn’t slack off in your cultivation.”
She had thought her mother would scold her first and drag her back into confinement, but hearing this, Ji Shiyu let out a sigh of relief and smiled sweetly.
“Mm! All thanks to Master!”
The mother and daughter exchanged a knowing smile, perfectly in sync.
At the same time, the image of a white-clad youth floated in both their minds.
“Don’t be too happy just yet. I know all about what you did after sneaking out. Still so reckless—you nearly caused a disaster. You must have given the Elders and your fellow disciples quite a headache, didn’t you?”
Ji Xingshu bowed gracefully in greeting to the others.
Miss Lin hurriedly waved her hands in response, still grateful to Miss Ji for saving her life. Xiao Xinran nodded in complete agreement.
Same yellow hair, but this Ji Mama was as gentle as water and full of understanding, her maternal glow blinding.
As expected, a loving mother raises a troublesome child.
The ancients never lied!
“I didn’t! The Elders and Senior Brothers and Sisters like me a lot!”
Ji Shiyu whistled smugly, puffing herself up.
Yun Liu was her favorite.
Pa!
Ji Xingshu seized Ji Shiyu’s small hand and slapped it sharply, scolding her in a low voice.
“And you still have the nerve to say that! Running into danger and acting out several times—if anything had really happened, what would your mother have done alone? You can’t always rely on fortune to protect you.”
Ji Shiyu’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment.
How old was she, and still getting her palm slapped!
Lin Shu and Xiao Xinran snickered, watching the wild little yellow-haired troublemaker finally get her due.
“It was those jerks who came looking for trouble! I didn’t sink the Golden Crow either! Besides, Master was there—he’d never abandon me!”
Ji Shiyu glared at the culprit behind the airship disaster, while Ao Tian also shot the rebellious girl a sidelong look.
Stupid girl.
That’s not what you said at first—you almost handed the fortune over, ungrateful thing.
Good thing I, Lord Chicken, turned the Child of Destiny into the Father of Luck!
Yun brat may talk tough, but his body’s honest.
Just a few more pushes and he’ll surrender.
Ji Xingshu’s eyes softened.
Shiyu had always been a tomboy growing up.
This was the first time she’d seen her rely on and trust a man so much, which only strengthened her resolve.
“The Shenhua Sect’s Right Path of Sword Sect—I won’t oppose you cultivating here. As for Mr. Yun, I’ve already given my regards.”
“All right! So that means you’ve met Master?”
Ji Shiyu cheered, burying her face in her mother’s chest and rubbing hard.
With Ji Xingshu’s approval, she could freely travel between the two provinces without worrying about scraping by anymore!
Most importantly, she’d have living expenses again~
Her mother had been so against her leaving at first.
Why was she so easygoing today?
“In all things, consult your teacher—adopted father—first. Don’t act recklessly. I know Shiyu’s feelings now. Leave the rest to me. Just focus on your cultivation.”
Ji Xingshu smiled and gestured for her daughter to relax, indicating she’d handle the household matters.
Yun Liu was not only a fortune chosen by Lord Feng Ling, but also a “carefully” selected husband by her daughter—for herself, at least in her mind.
Ji Shiyu shrank back under her mother’s gaze, suddenly feeling guilty.
Did Mother… know something?
Damn yellow chicken, did it tattle to her about things like divine oil or teacher-student romance?
If Ji Xingshu found out Mr. Xiao Yun was fervently pursuing her, wouldn’t all hell break loose?
The Star Isle doesn’t approve of East Pole Province’s marriage customs, and Tianxian Star Palace outright forbids early romantic entanglements—weaklings shouldn’t even talk about Dao companions!
“By the way, Mother!”
“Mm?”
Ji Shiyu rubbed her small hands together and grinned foolishly.
“No, no money left. Give me some Spirit Stones to spend, ehehe!”
What else was a filial daughter supposed to do at home but ask for handouts!
Ji Xingshu smiled helplessly.
“Will you lack money when you’re with Mr. Yun? You think I don’t know? Anyway, this trip out of the palace is a special case—I can’t stay long. I didn’t bring a Storage Ring with my astral Avatar either. Next time, don’t forget to bring Mr. Yun home and take whatever you want.”
“Okay.”
Ji Shiyu pouted, wanting to say more, but Ji Xingshu flicked her sleeve and vanished.
The mysterious woman came and went without a trace, leaving behind only drifting Stardust.
Lin Shu and Xiao Xinran gasped in awe.
What level was this yellow-haired aunt?
She didn’t even leave a ripple of spiritual energy.
Could she be even stronger than Mr. Canghai?
***
High above, the Palace of Heavenly Pivot Lord gazed down at the sea of lights, her back to the endless starry sky.
“Xiao Ji, are you ready?”
Ao Tian stood on Ji Xingshu’s shoulder, his expression grave.
When it came to serious business, he never joked.
According to Yun brat’s analysis, the Zhusheng Dynasty had already been infiltrated by the Demon Sect.
The city was crawling with hidden demons, all aiming to assassinate the Holy Crow on this very day.
After weighing the risks, Ao Tian resolutely decided to use a Life-Saving Protective Amulet to open the Star Gate, summoning Ji Xingshu’s Avatar for support.
Ji Xingshu licked her lips and smiled slightly.
“Leave it to me. Mr. Yun is adorable—this queen likes him very much!”
It seemed yellow-haired narcissism wasn’t innate—some of it was inherited from the Phoenix mother.
Blood runs thicker than water.
As the goddess revered by all on Star Isle, the Palace of the Heavenly Pivot Lord had always been aloof, untouched by worldly concerns.
But after picking up a troublemaker, everything changed.
The ice-cold star of the Palace of the Heavenly Pivot fell from grace the moment Ji Shiyu was born, accompanied by an anomaly and the Phoenix Spirit—a secret illegitimate daughter that couldn’t be hidden.
For years, Ji Xingshu suffered in silence. Despite remaining a virgin, she was slandered as a disgraceful woman, called the Disgrace of the Seven Stars.
With so much defamation, even the Palace Lord’s mentality changed.
She longed for a shoulder to lean on in times of exhaustion.
But as the child grew older, it became even harder to rebuild a family.
A stranger suddenly becoming a stepfather would surely unsettle Shiyu.
She still believed women could have children alone!
That foolish child had always been wary of the opposite sex, and with her special identity as the mother of the chosen Mystic Maiden of the Phoenix Spirit, choosing a partner required utmost care.
But if it was the Path of Alchemy teacher whom Shiyu adored most, there shouldn’t be any problems.
At first, Ji Xingshu felt shame at Feng Ling’s command.
After all, this so-called adopted father was so much younger—was this a joke?
Having a child out of wedlock was already a huge scandal for the Ji Clan, and now she was to bond with a boy hundreds of generations her junior?
But seeing with her own eyes, Ji Xingshu realized Yun Liu was as unique as Lord Ao Tian claimed—someone who defied all conventions.
He became Pavilion Master of East Pole Pavilion and a third-grade Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master at such a young age.
What’s more, Shiyu seemed to have grown into a completely new person, maturing rapidly with the help of two strands of fortune—her progress in half a year surpassing years of cultivation in the Star Palace.
Her precious daughter’s happiness mattered most.
Besides, Yun Liu was a delicious little cutie.
Whether for Shiyu or herself, Ji Xingshu was determined to win over Yun Liu.
Today, this fresh grass would be devoured by the old cow!
But Ao Tian twisted his head stiffly, staring at the battle-ready single mother with a strange look.
“I was talking about the Fake Princess. What nonsense are you spouting?”