NOVPUBChapter 457: Chapter 455: Beating around the Bush
Chapter 457: Chapter 455: Beating around the Bush
…
The sky had darkened with low-hanging clouds, as flashes of lightning and peals of thunder signaled an impending downpour.
Zi Qi glanced out the window and said, “This rain won’t be light.”
Zong Silu replied, “The rainy season has arrived.”
“Daddy—Little Eighteen has hatched!”
Manman called out, flying into the hall with Little Eighteen, whom she had personally incubated, on her back. Their fur was so alike that one would hardly notice another being on her back if they didn’t look closely…
Ming Linyuan held his teacup, but before he could swallow his tea, he spat it out again.
“What did you say, Manman?” Ming Linyuan turned to look behind her.
He saw nothing.
From Manman’s back, Little Eighteen fluttered his fluffy wings and flew down, heading straight for Ming Linyuan, “Daddy—do I look cool?”
Ming Linyuan rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again, looking at the familiar little cub in front of him… then back at the larger cub, Manman!
He was speechless!
Zi Qi was smiling brightly, clearly pleased, “Congratulations! Little Eighteen’s hatching is a joyous event. Uncle will give you a gift.”
He handed a Little Storage Bag to Little Eighteen.
Little Eighteen accepted it happily, “Thank you, Uncle Zi.”
“Our Little Eighteen is the handsomest! Here—” Zong Silu handed over another gift, unable to contain his smile.
Only Ming Linyuan remained silent.
After a long moment, seeing Little Eighteen looking at him, he took a deep breath before his face broke into a smile, “Yes, Daddy is very happy. Little Eighteen has taken a big step in growth.”
Sally entered the hall with the other children, “It’s started to rain outside, looks like a torrential downpour.”
“Yes, the rainy season is here. Yanyan hasn’t experienced the Eastern District’s rainy season before, have you?” Zi Qi looked at his children and called for Xiaoqi.
Xiaoqi teleported into his arms, showing off his treasure, “Father Emperor, we met Uncle Yu, and he gave us many nice things.”
Putao also took out the gifts that You Hao had given him.
Opening a treasure box made of Divine Crystals, “Uncle Yu said this contains a complete set of space-related cultivation techniques, which can be practiced all the way until ascending to the Divine Realm. There are also many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for cultivation, all inside this storage bracelet.”
Zong Silu was astonished, then turned to look towards Zi Qi.
He seemed to have been equally shocked by what Xiaoqi had brought out.
Sally walked over to Ming Linyuan, smiling, “Manman has hatched a brother who looks exactly like her, aren’t you happy?”
“It’s not that, I just hoped he’d be more like you.” Ming Linyuan said, cradling Little Eighteen, “He really does look exactly like me when I was little.”
“Isn’t there Little Shiyi? He looks like me.” Sally looked around; Shiyi and Little Shiqi had gone out to play.
As for Xiaoba, he was comfortably nestled in his own egg nest, while Xiaojin had suddenly left his shell and flown out.
“The old madam must be delighted,” Zi Qi said with a smile.
The elder Madame Ming, of course, very much hoped Little Eighteen would be a Ghost Chariot Phoenix Bird. She even said every day that if Little Eighteen grew up to be like Manman, she’d be very content, not wanting him to turn out like Xiaoqi…
“Where are Xiaohao and Little Fengning?” Zong Silu asked Sally.
Sally took Little Fengning and Xiaohao out of the System Space, “They were playing a game.”
The two brothers had been engrossed in their game, and were taken aback when they suddenly appeared.
Finally, Little Fengning clung to Sally’s leg and pleaded, “Mom, can we finish off that ape monster, please?”
“Heh—okay then.” Sally smiled and drew them back into the space, “Playing games too much can be addictive, we’ll have to limit it in the future.”
“Indeed,” Zong Silu said, “I’m getting a bit carried away with it, especially that gaming pod.”
Sally looked at him, “How does it feel? Is it helpful for cultivation? It has several modes, including training mode, challenge mode, and a large-scale war mode.”
“It’s somewhat helpful as an aid, but after all, it’s virtual. It’s still better to combine it with actual combat and practice.”
“Mhm,” Sally nodded in agreement.
Welly arrived.
Clutching an oil paper umbrella in his hand.
After entering the hall, he greeted Zi Qi with a half-bow and made small talk with a smile, “Your Majesty, this is quite the downpour.”
“Mhm,” Zi Qi chuckled, “You’ve come at just the right time. Yanyan and the rest have just returned.”
Welly replied, “I was at the bookstore when I saw Xiaojin flying in the sky. I figured it was Yanyan bringing the kids back.”
As he spoke, he looked toward Sally.
But Sally wasn’t paying attention to him, her gaze fixed on a small Phoenix Bird chick.
“I was just about to send you a message,” announced Ming Linyuan, “Come over and see, my little son has hatched.”
“Oh?” Welly looked toward the tiny Phoenix Bird chick in his hands, its grey-brown downy feathers making it look plump, with beautiful eyes sparkling with intelligence and spirit.
“Looks just like Manman.”
“Hello, Uncle Five, do I look handsome?” Little Shiba flew over to Welly.
“Handsome!” Welly laughed as he caught him, “Congratulations to our Little Shiba on hatching.” He then gifted him a Little Storage Bag.
“Thank you, Uncle Five.” After receiving the Little Storage Bag, Little Shiba flew next to Xiaoba and curled up to sleep.
Unable to help herself, Sally chuckled, “…such a little money-grubber.”
Ming Linyuan said to Welly, “Your son is playing games. He’ll come out in a bit.”
“No rush,” replied Welly, taking a seat on a chair beside Ming Linyuan.
Sally remembered what Xiaomei had said about Qing Linghuan going to the Asura Realm to find Welly, intending to take care of the matter with You Hao…
She cleared her throat, “About That matter with You Hao, I think it’s time we talked.”
Zi Qi looked down at Xiaoqi in the palm of her hand, gently caressing the chick’s smooth and soft back feathers, watching it sleep comfortably in her palm.
“This child in my womb is crucial, as it can help the Offspring System upgrade to a divine level. Furthermore, its talent is much higher than I could’ve imagined. The higher the talent, the more heavenly materials and earthly treasures it will require for food, and I’m running low on supplies.”
Sally paused, then continued, “During my pregnancy with Little Fengning and Little Miqi, I exhausted millennia of savings just to barely manage their birth. At that time, eating wasn’t even really eating; there was no enjoyment in the process. I simply consumed the materials, which Xiaomei then refined for the fetus. In fact, I don’t even remember what I ate later on. All I know is that the storage space was completely empty.”
Zi Qi understood what Sally was trying to say, “So, you want to keep You Hao. But you just want him to hunt and provide for the children, right?”
Eagerly, Sally nodded, “Exactly, that’s the idea.”
Zi Qi looked at Welly.
Sally’s words, meant for everyone’s ears, subtly twisted to mention only Little Fengning and Little Miqi. Since Frans was not here, that left only Welly.
It must have been Welly who was behind whatever happened to You Hao.
Welly stood up from his chair and walked over to Sally, handing her a Space Ring, “I had already prepared this for you when I learned you were pregnant with offspring of the Nine Heavens Kunpeng. I just hadn’t had the chance to give it to you yet.”
Sally took it and checked inside… It was filled with all sorts of Divine Materials and Earthly Treasures, and even included Divine Elixirs from Ancient Divine Beasts.
“You!”
“Qing Linghuan came to me before the war between gods began, wanting to kill You Hao. I refused.” 𝚗𝚘v𝚙𝚞b.𝚌𝚘m
“…Where is Qing Linghuan now?”
