“What?”
My mind was still stuck in the past, so I didn’t immediately register what Su Liumeng had just said.
But as my gaze gradually drifted downward—and coupled with the sight of a certain young lady’s slightly flushed cheeks in the corner of my eye—what was there left to not understand?
“You—”
Su Liumeng let out a soft hum and replied with utter confidence, “Wanting to get close to someone you like—isn’t that perfectly natural?”
I was completely stunned by her shameless logic.
I suddenly had the distinct feeling that I was being flirted with.
“You useless idiot,” came the ghost baby’s distant mutter.
“She’s flirting with you! Kick her or something—or better yet, flirt back and make her squirm.”
As my biological daughter, she was clearly the most outraged party here.
Who are you calling useless?!
Agitated by the ghost baby’s prodding, I immediately sprang into action and took a bold step forward.
I wasn’t particularly tall, but at that moment I exuded a forceful aura.
Su Liumeng let out a startled squeak and backed up against the wall, her cheeks flushed like a lotus flower begging to be picked.
Only in front of Sixin Yan would Su Liumeng show this soft, girlish side of herself.
Gulp—
She swallowed hard, completely betraying herself, as her imagination ran wild with scenarios of being thoroughly devoured.
I stared at her cheeks, now tinged with a spreading pink hue.
Her mosquito-soft voice brushed against my ear like a cat’s paw.
“If… if it’s Xiaoyan… then maybe… it’s not impossible.”
All I wanted was to pinch her face—to prove that I could take the initiative too.
Who knew this blonde chick would immediately start fantasizing about… whatever she was fantasizing?
The cool touch on her cheek was fleeting.
Su Liumeng’s eyes snapped open, only to find that I had already walked away.
She stomped her foot hard and chased after me.
“Sixin Yan!”
“You stop right there!!”
“I—This young lady…” Su Liumeng fumed for a good while but still couldn’t string together a complete sentence.
She really wanted to shout: That’s it?!
All that anticipation, and that’s it?
She struggled to find a different phrase to express the absolutely R-rated daydream she’d just played out in her head moments before.
If I were still a guy, in the dozen or so seconds I had my eyes closed, she probably would’ve already picked out a name for our second baby.
What a blockhead I am—no wonder I’ve been single for eighteen years.
Su Liumeng puffed up her cheeks in frustration and finally voiced the question that had been nagging at her.
“Do you actually have something like affection points, like in those romance novels?”
“If you do, then how high do they have to be before we can become an actual couple?”
I tilted my head gently in thought.
Was she getting anxious just from stepping outside today?
Or had something happened to shake her sense of security?
Well, it made sense.
At some point, we’d have to lay our cards on the table.
Otherwise, it really would seem like I was just stringing her along.
“All right, all right.”
My hands moved gently and slowly as I stroked her soft, fluffy hair, trying to soothe her unease.
“Once I’ve got the ability to protect myself, we’ll be together. Okay?”
In a life this unstable, where neither of us had a sense of safety, how could we possibly relax and fall in love?
I didn’t dislike her—far from it.
She matched my taste almost perfectly.
If circumstances allowed us to be together, I’d be more than willing.
Su Liumeng muttered under her breath, With me around to protect you, isn’t that enough?
Just as she thought that, her gaze dropped slightly as memories of the sixth trial came to mind. Only by passing that trial would she have the right to make such a bold declaration.
Almost there. The girl quietly clenched her fist, letting herself enjoy my comforting touch.
She let out a soft, involuntary purr in her throat—clearly still a little grumpy, but far more like a cat being petted the right way.
The earlier tension between us had already melted away.
In that moment, a silent understanding passed between us.
It was a small promise.
A fragile little fantasy about the future, shared in the midst of our stormy lives.
My gaze drifted down slightly, noticing her casual outfit.
“What did you go out to do?”
“Stuff,” Su Liumeng replied curtly, her expression still tinged with worry.
She’d never once tried to complain to me.
But the bright, beautiful girl suddenly smiled and pulled out a small red booklet, pressing it into my hands.
“Here. Your new name’s been registered. Your new ID card should arrive in a few days.”
I flipped open the booklet.
The first page had my name on it.
“Thanks.”
Apart from the surname, my new name had absolutely no connection to the old one.
But that didn’t matter—it was just a front to appease the Su family.
Still, if everything had already been handled, what was Su Liumeng still so worried about?
She hesitated for a long while before finally telling me the truth.
“Xiaoyan, you’d better be mentally prepared. The Su family might find out your real situation at any time.”
“Who?” I frowned.
Su Liumeng didn’t even need to explain much—just from her tone, I could already guess what she meant.
“No solid evidence yet,” she added, looking up in surprise.
Isn’t there a saying that pregnancy makes you dumb for a thousand days?
When did this girl’s brain start working again?
Something felt… off.
Very off.
I gave an awkward cough.
It’s true—my brain hadn’t been firing on all cylinders lately.
But hey, everyone gets a sudden flash of clarity once in a while, right?
I pouted a little, and Su Liumeng’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
She clearly found my tiny sulk adorable.
That quick, fleeting bit of sharpness between us… it was something only people who knew each other very well could catch.
“There are only a few people who truly hold a grudge against me.”
“If I count it out, the only person I’ve come into contact with recently is Su Yi.”
“Su Yi?”
My brow tightened.
I clearly had trouble believing what she was saying.
“You must be mistaken, right?”
How could someone like Su Yi—a devoted and selfless saint—possibly be hiding in the shadows, playing a deeper game?
“Su Yi and her sister… are ultimately not the same person.”
Su Liumeng stared straight into my eyes.
“She told me herself that the one who pushed me into the icy pond was always Qing Yi.”
“But I only half believe that.”
“In fact, I felt something familiar from Su Yi… It might really have been her.”
“I’m not saying I’m hostile to her personally. Sure, good and evil are never just one-sided. But do you really believe that there are such things as purely good people in this world?”
“I tend to think she’s always been wearing a mask—that she’s the kind of sanctimonious hypocrite no one ever suspects.”
Suddenly, Su Liumeng let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“How ridiculous is it, huh? A so-called ‘saint’ who has no self-interest and helps everyone without discrimination?”
My gaze shifted slightly. I kind of wanted to change the subject.
“In any case… it doesn’t hurt to stay cautious.”
Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to judging others.
Without hard proof, I couldn’t bring myself to lump Su Yi in with the villains.
As the old saying goes: Never drop your guard around others.
A little vigilance is never a bad thing.
“Shi Xinyan! So what, you don’t believe me?”
Su Liumeng suddenly got angry for no apparent reason. It wasn’t clear where her fury came from, but her voice rose with frustration.
“Just because Su Yi helped you a few times, now you won’t believe a word I say?”
That tiny episode I’d almost forgotten—her slipping into the icy water—suddenly became a thorn in her heart all over again.
“Figures.”
“After all, I’m still your enemy—how could I compare to someone who’s willing to help you unconditionally?”
“In the end, I’ve only helped you a few times, and we only knew each other from childhood. In your eyes, does that even count for anything?”
“Su Liumeng, can you stop talking like that?”
I frowned instinctively and even shot her a glare.
“Yes, yes, my temper’s always been bad.”
The girl’s pouting had its own kind of charm.
Su Liumeng turned her head away stubbornly.
In her heart, she had long grown to despise a certain cunning someone—many, many times over.
Everything had been fine between her and Xiaoyan, until that person forcibly wedged her way in.
The narrow, shaded forest path stretched out before us, and the two of us walked forward in silence.
We both knew, more or less—
This topic couldn’t be continued. It was better for both of us to calm down.
Half an hour later.
I slowly opened my eyes. “Jiujiu.”
Su Liumeng’s gaze trembled, shimmering waves flashing in her eyes—proof of the ripple she felt in her heart.
It was the first time I’d ever called her by her childhood nickname.
“Mm?”
Her mood surged upward, like clouds parting to reveal a bright sky.
Her light footsteps suddenly felt far more buoyant.
“Didn’t you once tell me that I possess an extremely rare Supreme Yin Body, something seen only once in a thousand years?”
“That cultivating would be very easy for me?”
“If someone wants to survive in this mystical world and stand on their own, they ultimately need power and means.”
“So, I really want to find a cultivation technique.”
The Su family—
A colossal force standing at the peak of the mortal world.
Naturally, they held resources beyond imagination.
Should I keep living peacefully?
Or abandon that comfort and pursue the path I truly longed for?
Su Liumeng understood the implication behind my words.
Without thinking, she reached out a hand.
After a long silence, she let out a sigh.
“Xiaoyan… why this sudden change of heart?”
“No, it’s not a change of heart. Just… a thought that occurred to me,” I shook my head in denial.
Who willingly abandons a peaceful life? It was more of a passing idea.
“The Su family—I really don’t want to get involved anymore. No matter how tempting the sweet fruit may be, if it hides deadly poison, it’s better treated like a viper. I was tempted for a moment by the Su family’s power and resources… but now, I just want a peaceful life. So I’m leaning toward finding a cultivation technique by other means.”
For the first time, Su Liumeng spoke with a heavy tone—
And revealed a closely guarded secret of the Su family.
“Xiaoyan, do you know why I’ve never given you a cultivation method?”
“This involves the fundamental structure of this world. The top-tier cultivation techniques are monopolized by the major powers.”
“The common techniques passed down among the populace—most of them have long been lost to time. Very few remain in circulation today.”
“I do know of a basic technique, but… it’s meaningless.”
“Choosing the right cultivation method is extremely important. If it’s too weak, you won’t be able to beat others at the same level. And if you want to switch methods later, you’d have to abolish your current cultivation and start over—that would damage your foundation for the future.”
“The Su family possesses two top-tier cultivation techniques.”
“There’s one I currently know, but you wouldn’t be able to cultivate it.”
“You’ve been curious about the true content of the Su family’s Fifth Trial for a long time, haven’t you?”
“Well, the reason behind it is actually quite simple.”
“Why is it that only those who pass the Fifth Trial are eligible to become the Su family’s future core candidates?”
“Because it’s actually a selection process for those compatible with a specific cultivation technique.”
“The participants have their blood drawn over and over again, and in its place, they are forcibly injected with dragon blood that their bodies initially reject. This process is repeated countless times—endless pain—until full adaptation is achieved.”
“During that process, many people die from their bodies exploding.”
“Only those who survive gain the right to cultivate the Su family’s supreme technique.”
Su Liumeng looked at me and gave a bitter smile, as if remembering countless painful experiences from the past.
“And I… successfully merged with two types of dragon blood, reaching an 80% compatibility rate.”
“The Golden Dragon is born noble and supreme; the Black Dragon is no less fearsome.”
“I’m one of the most naturally gifted people in the current Su generation. But in the Su family, power struggles are never about talent alone. Many within the clan want me dead…”
She slowly raised her eyes and looked at me quietly.
In truth, she could have attempted to fuse with a third bloodline—but she feared being too outstanding, becoming a thorn in the eyes of others.
So she chose to lay low.
I quietly listened as she continued:
“Xiaoyan, you’ve probably guessed many times what the reward is for passing the Fifth Trial, haven’t you?”
“Well, I’ll tell you now.”
“For outsiders who take the trial—if they pass the Fifth Trial, they are granted the surname ‘Su,’ becoming a true member of the Su family.”
“And—”
“They gain the right to cultivate the Tianyan Nine Dragons Technique.”
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