Chapter 11:

He gazed at the young girl before him and calmly uttered, “Daddy.”

Xue Ying locked eyes with him for a long while. Though his face was undeniably handsome, something about it unsettled her. “Can’t you change before calling me that?”

Clutching the wound on his abdomen, his expression remained unchanged. “Daddy, I’m injured and can’t transform.”

The little girl burst into tears, distraught. “It’s all my fault. I got my brother hurt.”

Seeing her tears, Xue Ying felt an uncharacteristic pang of guilt. She crouched down and pulled out a spiritual pill someone had given her earlier. “Here.”

He took the jade bottle and flashed her a serene smile. “Thank you, Daddy.”

After three consecutive “Daddies,” Xue Ying’s impression of him shifted entirely. She motioned for the little girl to help, and together they stripped off his clothes. He offered no resistance, compliant to every instruction. His ethereal face gazed at Xue Ying with pure innocence. “Daddy, how many should I take?”

Xue Ying bent down to wrap his wound with bandages while the little girl assisted. His snow-white hair brushed against her cheek, and she caught a whiff of his scent—unexpectedly, it was sandalwood.

“Take one daily.”

Such a sweet talker. She decided to take him under her wing.

After tying a neat bow, she sat back and watched the little girl help him dress.

Once the suspect was tended to, Xue Ying’s gaze lingered on the horns atop the little girl’s head. Definitely a demon. But whether to act—”Do you have a Good Demon Certificate?”

The little girl, intimidated by Xue Ying’s sword aura, sat on the other side of the green-robed man, clutching his sleeve. “No,” she whispered.

The topic upset her. “I wanted to take the exam at the Taigu Valley, but I keep failing.”

Cultivators like Xue Ying weren’t bent on exterminating demons. After all, the neighboring Taigu Valley specialized in demonic creatures. Wiping them all out would invite the wrath of healers.

Humans had good and bad; demons had black and white. If the naked eye couldn’t tell, then certificates would have to do.

Xue Ying eyed the little girl’s deer antlers. Her transformation was incomplete—passing the exam would indeed be tough. “Never mind that. The unexplained fog in White Deer Valley—was that your doing?”

The green-robed man nodded, about to explain, but the little girl clamped a hand over his mouth. “We can’t say,” she insisted.

She knew these cultivators—they always came to pick her family’s spiritual herbs, claiming the land was ownerless. But she was the true master of White Deer Valley.

Thinking of the herbs they’d taken—enough to pay for several training sessions—the little girl teared up and lashed out at Xue Ying. “You’re bad.”

Being blamed unfairly was never pleasant, but the girl’s pitiful look softened Xue Ying’s irritation. She offered a gentle warning: “If the cause isn’t found, other sects will come investigating.”

The next one might not be as lenient as her.

The little girl pondered this, wrestling with her thoughts before finally confessing: “The Udumbara Flower in the valley is about to bloom. I want to trade it for a Good Demon Certificate from Taigu Valley.”

The Udumbara Flower was a top-tier spiritual herb—so precious that possessing it would grant access to the Wanbao Pavilion of the Taichu Sect, where even divine swords were up for grabs.

Though tempted, Xue Ying recognized the girl’s need and felt no greed. Instead, she teased, “So you’re trying to pull strings.”

The little girl hung her head and muttered, “It’s human nature. Why can’t demons do it too?”

Xue Ying couldn’t argue. As she hesitated, the girl sidled up to her, eyes sparkling. “Fairy Sister, can you help me?”

“Well…”

“My home has lots of spiritual herbs. I’ll give them all to you!”

“Taixuan and Taisu are like family. No need to beg. As a disciple of Taixuan, it’s my duty.”

Xue Ying spoke with righteous fervor. The little girl clapped joyfully and took her hand. “Fairy Sister is as kind as she is beautiful—the prettiest person I’ve ever seen.”

Flattery didn’t sway Xue Ying. She corrected the girl sternly: “Don’t praise my looks. Praise my swordsmanship.”

“Fairy Sister’s swordsmanship is the best in the world!”

The trio ventured deeper into the mist. The little girl introduced herself: “I’m Tang Ke’ai, and this is my brother, Tang Yingjun. What’s your name, Fairy Sister?”

Tang Ke’ai, dressed in a dark dress, hopped through the grass, her round face upturned toward Xue Ying—sweet and adorable.

Defenseless against such cuteness, Xue Ying surrendered her name: “Xue Ying.”

The little girl was irresistible. She wanted to pat her head.

Xue Ying pieced together the story: Tang Ke’ai, a native of White Deer Valley, sought to trade the Udumbara Flower for a Good Demon Certificate. Lacking the strength to protect it, Tang Yingjun had conjured the fog to deter intruders.

“Earlier, you took my master’s form…”

“Form arises from the heart. What is seen is not real,” Tang Yingjun said, pulling his hood back up. “It’s all in the mind.”

Xue Ying: So you couldn’t transform into Yuhengzi and call me Daddy, huh?

Tang Ke’ai was indeed adorable—young and naive, she assumed Xue Ying’s beauty equated to goodness and eagerly led her home. Her dwelling was a massive bird’s nest woven from vines, nestled before a waterfall and lined with soft leaves and flowers. She scrambled inside to rummage for treasures while Tang Yingjun waded into the waterfall. Noticing Xue Ying’s confusion, Tang Ke’ai explained: “Brother’s checking on the Udumbara Flower.”

“But I see nothing unusual about this cold pool.”

Tang Ke’ai said, “The Udumbara is a Buddhist flower. Before it blooms, it’s invisible to the eye. You have to see it with your heart.”

Since the flower wasn’t hers, Xue Ying didn’t dwell on it, joining Tang Ke’ai in searching the nest for herbs. Soon, Tang Yingjun returned across the water, carrying someone. Tang Ke’ai looked up and exclaimed, “Brother, you picked up another person?”

When Tang Yingjun set the person down, Xue Ying recognized her—Lin Jiujiu of the Taichu Sect. Though unsure why Lin Jiujiu was here, Xue Ying took charge. “She’s my junior sister.”

Lin Jiujiu wasn’t as resilient as Tang Yingjun. After falling into the cold pool, she was freezing, her lips purple and breath faint. Grumbling about the hassle, Tang Ke’ai placed a green leaf over Lin Jiujiu’s face.

The leaf was clearly a treasure—Lin Jiujiu’s chest soon rose and fell steadily. Relieved, Xue Ying said, “I’ll go back for help.”

White Deer Valley lacked proper medicine. Lin Jiujiu needed to return to the Taichu Sect immediately.

The trio split up: Xue Ying left to fetch help, while Tang Ke’ai and Tang Yingjun stayed to tend to Lin Jiujiu. Once Xue Ying was gone, Tang Ke’ai reverted to her true form—a white fawn—and nuzzled Tang Yingjun playfully. Still new to human form, she found it cumbersome and, free from prying eyes, demanded to be carried. “Maa.”

Tang Yingjun stroked her forehead. “Do you want to hear scriptures?”

The fawn butted his hand affectionately before settling contentedly in his arms, limbs splayed as she dozed off.

Before sleep took her, she bleated once more at Tang Yingjun.

Brother smells like Mother.

A puzzled expression crossed Tang Yingjun’s beautiful face. “Mother.”

As a male, he was called “Mother,” while the Taixuan disciple insisted on “Daddy.” The old monk was right—the myriad forms of life could only be understood through firsthand experience.

…

When Lin Jiujiu awoke, she found herself in the nest. Removing the leaf from her face, she marveled at its emerald veins and soothing warmth. It reminded her of a legendary treasure—the Herb of Immortality from Taigu Valley.

Rumored to revive even the gravely injured if applied for three days. In her past life, Xue Ying, severely wounded by Liu Junzhuo and rejected by Taigu Valley due to her demonic blood, was saved only after Shen Jin braved the valley’s defenses, kneeling and bowing his way to Cangwu’s feet, offering himself as a test subject in exchange for the herb.

And the Herb of Immortality had been the key to Xue Ying’s recovery.

Lost in thought, Lin Jiujiu started when a white fawn approached. Before she could react, the fawn plucked the leaf from her hand with a soft “maa” and chewed it up.

“Don’t eat that!” Lin Jiujiu cried, but the fawn had already bounded away, leaping onto a boulder where a figure sat cloaked in green, surrounded by birds and beasts under the moonlight—radiant as a Buddha.

“Did you save me?” Lin Jiujiu stepped forward gracefully, piecing things together.

The creatures scattered at her approach. The green-robed figure stood, revealing himself—white-haired and lotus-pure, just as the legends described: the Buddhist disciple Udumbara.

And then she noticed the wound on his abdomen, the blood seeping through his robes, his pallor.

Concerned, Lin Jiujiu bit her lip. “You’re hurt.” She recalled her fall into the waterfall before blacking out. “Was it because of me?”

He remained silent. The fawn bleated twice. Tentatively, Lin Jiujiu offered, “You saved me at your own expense. I’m indebted. If possible, please accompany me back to the Taichu Sect for treatment.”

She thought her words courteous and appropriate, but he stared at her briefly before looking past her and uttering, “Daddy, you’re here.”

Lin Jiujiu: “…”

A sword’s hum pierced the air as Xue Ying descended, delighted to see Lin Jiujiu awake. She clasped her hands. “Lin Meimei, you’re up!”

Maids rushed to drape Lin Jiujiu in warm robes, tearfully expressing their worry. Her head throbbed as she watched Xue Ying and Udumbara chat amiably. Cold dread seeped in. “What did you call her?”

Unfazed by the audience, Udumbara replied evenly, “Daddy.”

Under Lin Jiujiu’s bewildered stare, Xue Ying flushed and urged him to stop. “Just call me Xue Ying.”

“Okay, Daddy Xue Ying.”

Lin Jiujiu nearly fainted. Gripping Xue Ying’s arm, she hissed, “Do you know who he is?”

Xue Ying glanced at the serene, handsome man, baffled by her reaction. “Tang Yingjun.”

As his name suggested—exceptionally handsome.