Chapter 11

While lost in thought, Chu Xingyun couldn't help but gently stroke Yu Youyou's little head.

This tiny creature had seemed frail and pitiful when they first met, but the more he interacted with her, the more he realized she hid a multitude of secrets.

But what did a few secrets matter?

She was his little junior sister.

She was the soft, endearing child who loved to tuck her little head into his embrace, trusting and clinging to him with her whole heart... a child willing to reveal her secrets to him without reservation.

He would only protect her.

And cherish her.

"The Great Elder has set out to explore the west, but the western region is vast; it will be a taxing journey for him." After speaking with the elders and sending them off, Sect Master Yu returned and let out a sigh.

The news his daughter had brought was earth-shattering. He had never imagined he would hear news of his own master’s whereabouts from the mouth of a child.

Yet, when he considered that she likely learned this while beside Gong Miaohua—and recalled how Gong Miaohua had remained silent, acting entirely ignorant even though she knew the former Sect Master’s location—his teeth itched with rage. He longed to go to the Demon City and strike Gong Miaohua down.

However, Sect Master Yu remembered the warning from the man in green robes.

There must be hidden motives behind the former Sect Master’s disappearance, and likely, powerful figures in the cultivation world were waiting in the shadows.

To avoid alerting the enemy, he would absolutely not stir up trouble by seeking vengeance against Gong Miaohua at this moment. He could not risk drawing the attention of those harboring malice toward the Gong family and his former master, lest it endanger his master’s life.

Even if he wanted to crush Gong Miaohua into a patty, he would have to wait until his master returned safely.

For now, by staying in the sect and rarely venturing out, he might lead those malicious actors to lower their guard, making them believe the Taigu Sect was no longer so desperate to find the former Sect Master.

Besides, the elders were right.

He bore a greater responsibility.

His presence at the sect was for the good of the sect itself.

"About the Dragon Clan..." Chu Xingyun watched as Yu Youyou snuck another spirit pill into her mouth. He hesitated for a long moment but did not stop her; after all, Zhu Changshu’s pills were specifically formulated to nourish the body.

Seeing her happy, her little face flushed and showing no signs of discomfort, he said softly to the heavy-hearted Sect Master, "The Azure Dragon Clan does not look like they are in any hurry."

The Azure Dragon Clan was rare in this realm, and conceiving offspring was exceptionally difficult. After years of travel, the Clan Leader and his wife had finally returned with an egg, but three hundred years had passed—even a stone should have bloomed by now.

Yet, this egg showed no signs of hatching.

This had left the Dragon Clan, who were waiting for their young master, deeply anxious. They had even petitioned the Taigu Sect for help, especially since the man in green robes, Great Elder Ao Qing, was of dragon heritage himself.

He was also a top-tier Immortal-level powerhouse of the cultivation world.

The Azure Dragon Clan frequently visited the Taigu Sect, hoping to beg Ao Qing, an elder of their own kind, to use his immortal spiritual energy to catalyze the birth.

"The Great Elder’s intention was always to wait. He mentioned to me a few times that the egg is full of life and should contain a dragon. Yet, inside, it remains silent, as if suppressed, forbidden from entering the world. It is not the right time for that dragon child to be born; even if he went, it might not have any effect." Sect Master Yu frowned slightly.

Seeing the fatigue on his face—for managing such a vast sect was exhausting work—Yu Youyou leaned out from her senior brother's arms. She adjusted the beautiful flower wreath on her head and reached out her small hand to her father.

Her tiny hand rested on Sect Master Yu’s rugged face, stroking it as if she wanted to smooth away the furrows of his brow.

Sect Master Yu felt his heart melt. He hurriedly took his daughter into his own arms and said, "The Great Elder is already at the Immortal level; he must have his own reasons for how he acts. But our Youyou is truly well-liked to have received such a precious gift from him. Even the Great Elder trusts her."

The Sect Master was proud.

Even if that dragon scale wasn't Ao Qing’s own, it was a product of the Azure Dragon Clan. In all these years, besides Yu Youyou, the Sect Master had never seen anyone receive such a gift.

Rare treasures like dragon scales were few and far between in the cultivation world.

To obtain a dragon scale was effectively to strip a dragon of its skin; who would dare attempt such a thing? One would likely be whipped in two by a dragon’s tail the moment they voiced the desire.

Moreover, Yu Youyou was a mere three-year-old child.

Yet, the Great Elder had actually believed the direction the child mentioned as if it were a joke, and was even willing to make the trip himself.

Tucked in her father’s arms, the little one heard this and, assuming it meant the elders liked her, lifted her little head with satisfaction.

Having diligently eaten for most of the day, she was much more energetic than before. She counted on her fingers and called out to Sect Master Yu, "Good."

Her grand-uncle-master and the other elders were all so very good; she felt she liked them immensely.

What she found different from the book was that in the memories of the book, Yu Youyou’s relationship with the sect elders had been poor.

As she held her head high with pride, Sect Master Yu finally wore a rare smile, sharing in her honor. He said to the two disciples standing by, "Our Youyou is just so lovable! How could there be a child as cute as Youyou in this world?"

If others loved his child, it pleased him more than if they had respected him personally.

Chu Xingyun saw nothing wrong with his master’s words. He raised an eyebrow, watching the increasingly cheerful toddler.

...Ever since the former Sect Master disappeared and Gong Miaohua left with her daughter, the grand and majestic Sect Leader’s Hall had not felt this relaxed and cheerful in a long time.

Of course, Chu Xingyun was not one for melancholy or deep sentimentality. Rather than sighing over the past, he preferred to focus on the present.

Seeing that Sect Master Yu was now at leisure, he exchanged a glance with his junior sister, Zhu Changshu.

The latter nodded slightly and said softly, "Master, I have something to report regarding our little junior sister."

Having been reliable ever since she joined the sect, Zhu Changshu was highly trusted by the Sect Master, who asked with concern, "What is it?" The little one felt her father’s arms tighten around her, as if he were nervous.

"I have been investigating our little junior sister’s bloodline over the past few days," Zhu Changshu said slowly.

Sect Master Yu asked via telepathy, "Is there something wrong?"

The little one’s ears perked up.

Zhu Changshu looked at her master, who was still communicating via telepathy, and said bluntly, "Master, there is no need for telepathy; our little junior sister can hear you."

This took the Sect Master by surprise. He turned his head to look at the little one, whose ears were twitching slightly.

Seeing her reaction, he couldn't help but ask in astonishment, "Youyou can hear? ...Has she been able to hear all along?" His expression turned serious.

When he saw his daughter nod obediently, Sect Master Yu sighed.

"No wonder she knew what Gong Miaohua was hiding." It was no wonder Gong Miaohua had kept the former Sect Master’s whereabouts a secret from everyone else but let Yu Youyou know.

She had likely been speaking via telepathy with the Red Flame Demon Lord, thinking she was revealing the location in secret, never realizing her daughter could hear her thoughts.

But Gong Miaohua was no weakling, and the Red Flame Demon Lord was a Great Ascension stage powerhouse. For such a small child, who hadn't even begun to channel energy into her body to start her cultivation path, to hear them so clearly...

Sect Master Yu realized everything in an instant. He subconsciously stroked his daughter’s hair, lost in thought.

Even at the Immortal level, one could not easily overhear the telepathic messages of powerful cultivators.

Yet his daughter could hear them clearly.

Furthermore, if the child had also heard his telepathic conversation with the female cultivator just now, it meant that despite the presence of all the powerful figures in the hall, no one had noticed anything unusual.

Holding the little one, who felt heavy yet much lighter than when he had left in the morning, Sect Master Yu could not help but feel a twinge of worry.

The bloodline of the Gong clan...

"It is not necessarily a bad thing; even if our little junior sister hears things, it does not matter. Besides, I am young and inexperienced, and I believe that after I have shared what I have found, you should consult the Great Elder to be certain."

Zhu Changshu acted as if all the toddler’s abnormalities were perfectly normal—as if telepathy, while private, was something that could be overheard if one wasn't careful, and that perhaps with enough effort, anyone could do it... maybe.

Not dwelling on it, she continued, "When I used spiritual energy to explore the little junior sister’s meridians, I found them to be in a state of chaos, like a mortal’s body, with no fluctuations of spiritual energy. However, as someone skilled in alchemy, I recalled that when some pills are formed, the spiritual energy gathers within them. The surface of the pill looks ordinary, but in reality, it holds a vast amount of pill essence."

"A state of chaos." Indeed.

Whether it was Gong Miaohua and her husband, or Sect Master Yu, all had probed her with spiritual energy and only found the child’s flesh and blood to be ordinary.

Her meridians were clear, yet no spiritual energy flowed through them.

"But these are merely my own guesses." Zhu Changshu was skilled in alchemy, her spiritual sense sharp, and she had guessed based on her understanding of pill conditions.

Perhaps... it was possible she really was a talentless waste.

But whether it was the fact that the child had been so heavy that even she had struggled to hold her, or her ability to hear the telepathy of powerhouses far beyond her own level, or even the way she consumed so many spirit pills yet the energy vanished like a stone into the sea, all of it made Zhu Changshu feel that the toddler was by no means ordinary.

"I understand. Changshu, both Youyou and I will keep your concern in our hearts." Sect Master Yu nodded slightly, looking at his disciple with a gentle gaze.

The little one, who was happily munching on a spirit pill while listening, hurriedly nodded vigorously. "Love!" She loved her beautiful senior sister; she loved her so much.

Zhu Changshu’s usually expressionless face twitched slightly when she saw the child press her little hands against her heart.

"The little junior sister enjoys my spirit pills; she has eaten quite a few," she said slowly.

"She’s eaten that many?" Seeing the furnace of spirit pills nearly empty, Sect Master Yu hurriedly checked his daughter’s little belly.

His two disciples were reliable; if they had allowed Yu Youyou to eat so many, surely it wouldn't be an issue, but he still feared she might overeat.

He cursed the Red Flame Demon Lord for not feeding his daughter properly, adding it to his mental ledger. Just as he was fussing over her, he heard a sect disciple outside report respectfully, "Sect Master, the Management Hall has sent the outer sect disciples recommended to care for Junior Sister Yu. Please, Sect Master, make your decision."

Because the person needing care was the Sect Master’s daughter, the Management Hall had clearly been very careful. Soon, several young disciples walked through the hall entrance with their heads bowed.

Since Yu Youyou was a little girl, most of those present were female disciples.

There were quite a few of them.

Yu Youyou actually felt she didn't need so many people to care for her. One or two would suffice to help her change clothes or fetch meals from the dining hall, so her father wouldn't be too busy to handle the sect’s important affairs.

She wasn't picky...

The toddler focused her eyes, looking at the faces of the young disciples before her. She found them vaguely familiar. As she clenched her little fists and tried hard to recall, she realized these were the same familiar faces she had seen in the book when Yu Youyou was in the sect.