“I’ll make a move.”
“It’s… like this, and then… I…”
“And how does Mister know?”
He had no idea what he was saying, yet Ji Xingshu docilely nodded. Yun Liu was intoxicated by the soft jade and warm fragrance, his soul bewildered, not knowing what he was saying.
“Hmm? There’s actually such a secret? I see, but this matter first…”
“Quick, take off your clothes to cool down! Ah, Mister’s body is so hot, could he be sick? We need to hurry…”
“Is that so…”
“Wake up! Don’t forget your Shiyu!”
At the critical moment, a sharp chicken cry rang in his ears, restoring a bit of sanity to Yun Liu.
Ao Tian drilled out of the bird’s nest, its sharp beak aimed at his forehead and took a peck!
“I poke!”
“Ouch!”
Ji Xingshu was about to press her forehead against Yun Liu’s, when a golden light flashed, and the man and bird disappeared.
She blinked in astonishment, pouted, and melancholically lay on the pillow, looking at her own body.
“Damn… Have I lost my charm? I couldn’t even keep Mister here, and I’ve disappointed Shiyu again…”
The Celestial Pivot Palace Master’s beautiful figure hadn’t changed due to the unexplained pregnancy; it remained well-maintained. The right places were prominent, the right places were curved, her waist had no trace of excess flesh, and even the Cinnabar of Preserved Virginity was still there.
After all, Shiyu was directly taken from her abdomen after being formed, and then healed by divine power, recovering perfectly without leaving a trace.
Bang!
A person suddenly fell into the broken wooden house of Shanhai Pavilion. Youyou was dozing off and was so startled she fell off the bench.
“Eep! Don’t tear down my house, I’m begging you, I’ll pay back the money properly next month… Huh, Head?”
Hiss!
The white-robed youth was dumbfounded for a moment, and when he came to, blood was already trickling down his forehead.
On his forehead grew a Yellow Chicken, with a small section of its beak still stuck inside, nearly piercing through his skull.
“That was close… I have to say, your beak is pretty tough, actually breaking my Minghuang Holy Body. As expected of a Four-Realm Phoenix Spirit.”
“You’ve got some nerve saying that. It’s one thing for the parent to be clueless, but haven’t you, the homeroom teacher of Jueyun Peak, grown up either? Are you worthy of your daughter—ah, spit—your student?”
Yun Liu covered his pants, blushing. That was really too dangerous just now; he nearly committed a crime again. He would have to be more careful in the future and absolutely must not stay alone in the same room with Madam.
Between Xingshu and Shiyu, Ao Tian ultimately chose his close friend, deciding to give the mother-daughter pair a fair chance to compete.
‘Last time I couldn’t defend the house and got taken out under the tower, but this time I definitely won’t let you down!’
Heavenly Cherry Pavilion was fraught with danger, and now his only means of self-defense was a miraculously powerful little bird. Fortunately, Ao Tian had left a phoenix feather here beforehand; when in doubt, retreating to the safe haven was definitely the right move.
Yun Liu pulled out the bird’s beak, stopped the bleeding, put a band-aid on his forehead, and turned back into the appearance of a yellow-haired youth.
“Head, you came just in time. Someone calling herself Ling Tong appeared three days ago.”
The kanban girl tugged at the youth’s sleeve and looked up in puzzlement.
Yun Liu nodded in pleasant surprise, patted Youyou’s little head, and gained a bit more confidence.
The next morning, the Young Master of Celestial Mechanism Sect composed himself and once again visited the Root Mansion to request an audience with Yushen Longyi.
Yun Liu sat in meditation in the inner mansion, eyes closed, thinking to himself.
‘At this moment, the old thief Longyi must be even more anxious.’
After one incense stick’s time, two attendant god emissaries supported the decrepit old patriarch as he appeared, assuming that good news had come so quickly.
“Lord Longyi, my mother does not agree. She specifically instructed me to thank you for your kindness. The Celestial Pivot Star Lord will be departing to return soon; I cannot decide this matter.”
Yun Liu immediately refused with one sentence, shaking his head in regret, confusing even Ao Tian.
‘Aren’t you here to join the den of thieves?’
“What?”
Yushen Longyi couldn’t hide his surprise, his heart anxious, his withered fingers gripping his cane tightly.
‘Leaving aside the other star lords, the Celestial Pivot Star holds Stellar Destiny and has a chance to obtain a second pseudo divine tree fortune, yet he can remain unmoved?’
This time he had pulled out all the stops, even willing to share the shrine’s sacred grounds with the mother and son, just to continuously cultivate artificial fortune fruits.
The youth also looked disappointed, putting on a bold front as he politely returned the courtesy on behalf of the Celestial Pivot Star Palace, saying that if the Yushen clan ever visited Star Isle in the future, they would be warmly received.
Then he lowered his head and withdrew, silently counting to three in his heart.
“Wait, Young Master Ji, please stay!”
“Is it the quantity of fortune fruits that is unsatisfactory, or is there another reason? Everything can be negotiated. Can Lord Tianji not see the sincerity of our Yushen clan?”
“Mister, you are foolish! You have become an adult. If Ji Xingshu cannot see the value of divine tree fortune, can you not see it? Will the future Celestial Pivot Star Palace be ruled by women?!”
The premium pawn that was within grasp was about to slip away; Yushen Longyi was really panicking.
Yinglong could afford to wait, but he could not.
Perhaps moved by that last sentence, Yun Liu stopped at the door, his whole body trembling.
Seeing this, Yushen Longyi’s eyes lit up, certain that the illegitimate son wandering the outer seas had long harbored discontent. He immediately intensified his efforts and pulled out his trump card.
He asked in a deep voice:
“I don’t know the internal affairs of the Celestial Pivot Star Palace, but Ji Xingshu only keeps her beloved daughter by her side while deliberately hiding you away. The purpose is obvious. Are you willing to be your sister’s foil like this? How much longer will you let that self-righteous woman control you?!”
Yun Liu’s face turned pale.
‘Excellent, excellent. I never thought that exposing my yellow-haired identity would turn out to be the best assist.’
After much hesitation, the youth turned back, gritting his teeth, his face full of reluctance.
The game of playing hard to get was about enough now.
“Lord Longyi, you are right. I have come to my senses. This time, it should be up to me to decide!”
“That’s right, Young Master Ji. Women’s opinions are not worth mentioning.”
Yushen Longyi beamed with joy and stepped forward to welcome the precious priest.
“I want to prove to Mother that I can make a name for myself on Star Isle with my own abilities without relying on her! No one can stop me from becoming a Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master!”
‘Good, good, good. It’s not the star-kids who lie flat that I fear, but the star-kids who start businesses. You’re exactly that kind of talent!’
“Please be assured, Mister. The Yushen clan and Lord Divine Dragon will never let you regret leaving the Celestial Pivot Star Palace. From today, you are the Hazy Sakura Priest of the shrine, second only to one above all others within Heavenly Cherry Pavilion. Sooner or later, this sea will belong to the two of us!”
Yushen Longyi spoke solemnly, placing great expectations on him, and bestowed an Oboro Sakura Group Golden Insignia, on the surface of which a soaring dragon was vividly depicted.
“Thank you for your appreciation, Lord Longyi!”
The shameless old thief and the yellow-haired thief hit it off immediately, enjoying a pleasant conversation filled with visions of the future.
They seemed to be colluding, but each had their own agenda.
Yushen Longyi tapped his cane, and two members of the Hazy Sakura Crowd immediately emerged from blurry shadows, assigned as Nascent Soul guards to await orders, both for protection and surveillance.
Without delay, after understanding the situation, Yun Liu immediately took up his post and entered the shrine.
The old thief was afraid that the person would be forcibly taken away by Ji Xingshu, and meaningfully said that there was a surprise inside, and that he should not neglect his main duty.
Leaving the Root Mansion, he headed straight for the cherry blossom forest and entered the Hazy Sakura Shrine again.
Yun Liu swaggered in, while the two attendants protected from the shadows, not allowed to enter the sacred place where Yinglong slumbered.