Chapter 431: Daily Life of Raising a Daughter
Everyone from Invincible Sect was full of confusion, until Elder Yi Qing came over angrily, holding his sword. He stopped a certain person who was so obsessed with showing off his daughter that he even wanted to go beyond Invincible Heavenly Palace and show her off to all the people of Ten Continents.
"Where are you taking her?!" Yi Qing was very angry, obviously. Before Lonemoon could react, he already robbed the little girl from Lonemoon's arms, before giving him a kick.
"Hey! Chef, that's too much!" Lonemoon was also angry. He gave the other party a stare and said, "I'm just taking her out for some air. Do you have to go as far as this?" With that said, he moved to get the girl back.
"Hmph!" In the next instant, the sword in Yi Qing's hand was already placed against Lonemoon's neck. "I have to!"
"…" He was going to start a fight! The hearts of the disciples couldn't help but sank. Seeing that an internal fight was about to begin, they were just thinking about going forward to persuade them, they suddenly heard a soft, child's voice coming from Yi Qing's arms. It was so sweet as though there was honey mixed in it.
"Mom!"
Everyone: "…"
What?
Σ(°△°|||)
In the next instant, two lily-like little hands reached out from the wide cloak and hugged Yi Qing's neck. "Little Ying is hungry, wanna eat!"
Immediately, the hostile atmosphere was suspended. Yi Qing directly withdrew the sword in his hand, hugged the child, turned, and flew back towards back palace.
"Wait! Let me feed…" Lonemoon hurried to follow. In a short while, the two had disappeared. It was as though the conflict just now had never happened. Everyone else was left with their faces full of confusion…
They didn't hear it wrong just now, right? That child called Elder Yi Qing…
Lonemoon and Yi Qing!
(⊙_⊙)
The faces of the disciples all twitched. They looked as though they had just been hit by lightning. Didn't Elder Yi Qing never leave the side of sect master? If he had any such thoughts, it should be towards sect master. But it was actually towards Elder Lonemoon? And they got a daughter without any prior notice?
Could sect master have suddenly started closed-door cultivation to avoid awkwardness?
Disciples of the whole sect was amazed! They suddenly felt that they had discovered some huge matter.
***
Lonemoon felt that the looks that disciples of the sect gave him was strange somehow. Especially when he appeared together with Chef, everyone looked both excited and awkward. Lonemoon couldn't help but doubt if he had given out the wrong salaries this month?
From time to time, there were even disciples who purposely came all the way to the back palace and looked at him with very strange expressions. Those weird looks made him feel insecure somehow.
"Yu Hong, I heard that Si Yu's needlework is quite good. Suppressing the feeling of awkward in his heart, Lonemoon asked seriously, "Maybe you ask her to help me out, make a few dolls or something like that." Little Ying was a girl after all. With dharma artifacts, she could do with a few more stuffy toys.
Yi Qing was stunned for a moment. She looked subconsciously at Elder Yi Qing who was sitting with his back towards them, feeding the little girl. "But, Si Yu is still teaching Dao in the lower realm…"
"Tell her to come back then." Nothing was as important as his daughter.
"Uh? Ah!" Yu Hong was even more shocked. What happened to his good wish of spreading sword cultivation around the world? Did he have to change heart so soon? But looking at his determined look, she had to nod. "Yes, Elder!" The power of love was strong indeed. So you are actually such an Elder. She suddenly pitied sect master a little. How much mental strength did it take to watch these two over so many years? She was sect master indeed!
Yu Hong was just about to go and contact Si Yu, when she suddenly remembered something. She took a large bush of dandelions from her storage bag, handed it over and said, "Radish asked me to bring this." Lonemoon frowned. "Didn't we say that Shen Ying is in closed-door cultivation? Why is he sending this?"
"Nope." Yu Hong hurried to explain. "It said this is for you!"
"Me?" Lonemoon's eyes widened. "Are there worms on Radish recently?" In the past, besides Shen Ying, he was too lazy to bloom even one for anybody, regardless of how hard they tried to persuade him. And now he actually took the initiative and to send some over.
"Yup, yup." Yu Hong nodded hard and said, "It said that it gave some to me when I married, so it has to make up yours."
"Huh?" Lonemoon was stunned. "What do you mean?" What has this to do with Little Hong and Little Black.
"At any rate…" Yu Hong blushed, as though remembering something. She stuffed the dandelions in her hands right at him. "Hurry up and give it to Elder Chef. He's sure to like them." "Chef?" Were these dandelions for Chef or for him?
"I will go to find Si Yu." Yu Hong showed no intention of explaining at all. She looked once more at a certain person inside the room, then turned and ran away.
"Wait…"
Before he had any time to ask, Yu Hong had already run all the way to the gate of the yard. She even turned to give him a 'Go on!" gesture. Soon she ran out of sight.
Lonemoon, "…"
What the hell?
(@_@;)
Lonemoon looked at the dandelions in his hands and returned to the inside of the room. He handed the dandelions to Chef casually. "There!"
"Why do you give me this thing?" Yi Qing drew back, displeased, showing no intention of taking it at all.
"Didn't you ask Radish for it?" Lonemoon was stunned. "Yu Hong said Radish asked her to send over, and told me to give it to you."
"What do I want this thing for?" Not like it can be cooked into dishes.
"That's strange." He frowned. "That stubborn Radish suddenly changed his character? Didn't he bloom for nobody but Shen Ying in the past?"
Chef's face sank. He looked down at Little Ying who opened up her little mouth for feeding obediently.
"Father Niu, did everyone… notice something?" Shen Ying's shrinking this time was different from the other time, during which there was no big change to her besides her figure being shorter. Besides, her sense of existence was low to begin with, that was why nobody felt strange. But this time, it was far too obvious. Anyone not blind can see the difference. With the matter of mushroom world just resolved, they said that Shen Ying was in close-door cultivation in case something happened.
"Shouldn't be!" With the character of those fangirls and fanboys in the sect, if they realized something happened to Shen Ying, they must have reacted far more strongly! Lonemoon put the dandelions into his storage bag casually, then he turned to look towards the little girl who was eating slowly. His look softened instantly, and he threw whatever doubt he had to the back of his mind. He reached out to touch her little face, but his hand was slapped down by Chef.
"Master is eating!" Little bitch, don't think about touching my Master.
Lonemoon gave him a stare, displeased. He had to be satisfied with getting a chair and sitting down beside Little Ying to watch her eat. When she finished the last bit of her meal, he asked, "Darling daughter, are you full?" The girl's large round eyes turned around and finally settled on him. Her cheek moved rapidly, getting down the food in her mouth, before she showed him a smile sweet as honey. She nodded and said, "Yup." With that said, she even patted her little belly.
"Little Ying is so good! You are not even picky!" So cute, and not at all like a certain troublesome person who couldn't be happy without spicy food, and didn't eat coriander. "Then daddy bring you out to play, okay?" With that said he subconsciously reached out to take her.
And he was slapped down by Chef once more. "She should nap now." If I let you rob Master away once more, I'm not named Yi Qing.
Lonemoon looked and saw that Little Ying seemed to get really sleepy. Her eyes started getting blur, and a little head nodded over slightly.
"Then I'll take her back to…" He moved to hug her. But Yi Qing got her up first. Little Ying rubbed her eyes, put her little head right on his shoulders, and fell asleep immediately!
"Hey, hey, Chef. This is too much!" Lonemoon said, instantly displeased. "You're not married yet. The daughter is still mine!" He stepped forward and was just about to rob her over once more, when he suddenly heard a dream talk, which seemed to contain endless grievance, and there was even a crying tone.
The two stiffened at the same time, their hearts aching a bit immediately.
"Sister…"
Lonemoon, "…"
Yi Qing: "…"
Chapter 432: A Little Knot in the Heart
Once Little Ying started crying, she cried for a whole night. And she didn't cry loudly like ordinary kids. It was so soft that one couldn't even hear the crying. Only a few drops of tears dropped out of her eyes from time to time, wetting the little pillow on the bed. Her sadness was completely unconscious, with an immensely grievous calling of "sister" from time to time, making one's heart break.
"Maybe, we should open up the passage and let Senior Shen over!" Yi Qing suggested with a deep voice. Perhaps because Little Ying behaved so well and obedient these few days, and their previous impression of her, Yi Qing and Lonemoon almost forgot that she was only three now, the age most in need of family companionship. However well they were to her and however carefully they tended to her, they couldn't compare to the part that Shen Jing had in her heart.
Lonemoon frowned as well. "But Shen Ying said just now that she sealed the plane passage to prevent Shen Jing from chasing over in anger. You also know that with her sister's temper, how can the two of us stop her? At that time, not only we, the whole plane might…" "Even just a bit of contact, to let Master take a look, will do!" Yi Qing looked back at the inside of the room, and he couldn't help but continue, "Like this, Master is so… pitiful." For Shen Ying right now, though she treated them like parents, after all, their time together was too short, and she could see them as people a bit nicer than strangers at most. That was why even with crying, she cried secretly after she's asleep. There wasn't enough trust after all.
Lonemoon's eyes fell. His daughter was crying like that, his heart was also painful, so painful that it was like having it broken! Just that…
"You also know that when Shen Ying was back to fifteen, she had already strengthened the plane blockade in case we contact Shen Jing again." He scratched his head anxiously. "Even if we want to contact Big Shen, we can't!" The seals placed by Shen Ying herself was beyond their powers to release, unless Shen Ying removed the seal, but she just returned to three.
"As compared to thinking about these, we may as well have a proper chat with Little Ying." Lonemoon remembered something and gave the inside of the room a concerned look. "I think the look of Little Ying doesn't seem to be simply from missing family. Maybe… there are other reasons too." Or she wouldn't be completely fine during the day but only missed her sister when she fell asleep. This was unlike ordinary homesickness, but more like something that was long hidden but called out subconsciously in sleep.
Yi Qing frowned. Of course, he realized this too. Little secrets were hidden inside Little Ying's heart. She was only three, and easy to see through no matter how clever she was. For so many days, she didn't mention Shen Jing even once, as though she avoided it purposefully.
"This might be Master's knot in the heart. Just that… I'm afraid she won't talk even if we ask."
"That depends on the way we ask." With such things like appeasing a child, he had experience. Lonemoon thought about it and directly made a seal. His body started changing, and within a short while, he became much shorter, and his look changed completely. He turned into the look of Shen Jing. "Doesn't she miss her sister? I will comfort her a bit looking like this."
"… Isn't this deception?" "Pui. I'm doing this so that Little Ying will not be sad. How can it be called deception? At most… at most call it cosplay. You don't understand!" Lonemoon directly sneered at him wearing Shen Jing's face, and he flipped his long hair seriously, giving him a stay-smart-and-don't-expose-me-later look.
"…" Yi Qing felt that since Master returned to three years old, a certain person's madness was getting worse and worse.
"Little Ying is awake!" Sensing the sounds of movement in the room, Lonemoon gave Chef a push immediately. He stood straight in the way Shen Jing might have and put up a cold face.
Indeed, very soon a swaying little figure walked out from the room. She seemed to have not fully woken up, and she walked towards the two rubbing her eyes.
"Mommy…" She swayed to the side of Chef with little steps and waved a little hand to make a hugging gesture.
Yi Qing hurried to carry her up Then her head tilted and rested on his shoulder obediently. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Only then did she seem to see the "Shen Jing" at the side, and she was stunned immediately, and her eyes widened into a circle instantly.
Lonemoon subconsciously wanted to give her a smile, but had to suppress it. He even purposefully activated Immortal Qi to change his own voice, and then called with the cold tone and voice exactly like Shen Jing, "Little Ying!"
Little Ying seemed to waken from her sleepiness instantly. He looked and straightened his back. She looked at him with large, wide eyes in surprise.
It worked! Lonemoon felt a joy in his heart, as he continued, "Little Ying, now you…"
"Daddy!" Before he could finish, Shen Ying burst out, seeing through his camouflage in a second.
"…" Eh? Σ(°△°|||)
Little stars lit up in Little Ying's eyes. She looked him up and down with some curiosity. Suddenly he remembered something, and he showed him a warm smile and said approvingly, "Daddy is so pretty today! Prettier than all other ladies." With that said, she clapped her little hands supportively, looking genuinely happy for him.
"…" Should he be glad that his daughter was so supportive?
But why did he feel like he was being stabbed?
"Puah!"
"DON'T LAUGH!" He turned and stared towards Chef who was having a hard time suppressing his laughter! What was the problem after all? Wasn't she only three? How could she know with one look that he was a fake?
"Father Niu, you'd better…" "Shut up!" Do you have to laugh so hard that you're trembling? Continue laughing and believe it or not, I will beat you! I really will!
Yi Qing took a deep breath and turned away from Lonemoon's face which had already started turning green. Only then did he put Shen Ying on the chair beside him. Remembering business, he squatted down at the extremely well-behaved little person and rubbed her red and swollen eyes sadly. He asked seriously, "Did Master… have a bad dream just now? One about horrible things?"
Little Ying tilted her head, looking like she didn't understand him. After a long while she patted his own little chest and said, "Little Ying is very brave, not scared!"
Yi Qing smiled. "Then did Little Ying… miss Sister?"
She was stunned, and suddenly a bit of timidity showed in her eyes, and her head bowed down. And then, like something was exposed, even her whole small body stiffened, and she didn't answer for a long time. Yi Qing felt a panic in his heart somehow. "Little Ying, if you miss her, maybe go back…"
"No!" Before he finished, she suddenly looked up anxiously, and cried out loudly as though she used all the strength in her body, "NOT A BIT!"
With that said, she suddenly and abruptly pushed away Chef, standing in front of her, and leaped down from the chair. She ran quickly towards the inner room, and soon her figure was gone.
Yi Qing was surprised. He turned back blankly towards Lonemoon, who looked similarly confused.
What was… the matter with Master?
"Did she… go back crying just now?"
"…" The looks of the two changed, and only then they went chasing. They pushed the door and realized that they couldn't open it.
"It's locked!"
Yi Qing subconsciously moved to conjure a spell, but Lonemoon suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Wait!" His looks deepened. "I'll go. Little Ying is different from other kids." At any rate, he used to babysit his nephew, and had some experience.
After a moment of hesitation, Yi Qing pulled back his hand.
Chapter 433: Coming Back
Lonemoon didn't open the door with a spell, but turned directly into a light smoke, and then entered from the window. He looked around, but didn't see Little Ying. Only that in the middle of the pillow on the bed, there was a big hump which was shivering and shaking. From time to time a repressed sob came from it.
Lonemoon felt a pain in his heart. Suddenly he had an urge to get out and give Chef a really bad beating. Bastard! What did you say to my little princess just now! His hands tightened beside his body, as he suppressed the urge to rush right over and carry her up to comfort her.
He stepped forward and said in a soft voice, "Why is Little Ying crying? Did someone bully you?"
The cotton lump on the bed stiffened, and the sound of sobbing stopped immediately, but she didn't reply.
"What are you sad for, can you tell Daddy?" He continued. "Is it Mommy? How about Daddy help you beat him!" "No… no!" A crying voice rebutted from inside the quilt. "Not mommy…"
"Who is it then?"
"…" She fell silent again.
"Can't tell Daddy?"
The inside remained silent. After a long while, an even lower voice came, "Little Ying… can't… tell."
Lonemoon's face fell. He thought about it and said, "If you can't tell Daddy, how about telling cute little bunny?" With that said, he produced a bit of Divine Perception, and made another transfiguration spell, this time not to Shen Jing, but a snowy white little bunny, and he put it at the head of the bed. "Then Daddy will go out first. You have a chat with Bunny."
With that said, he turned and opened the door, walking out. The room fell silent instantly.
After a long while, that cotton lump moved, and the quilt was lifted slightly on the side, showing a little face covered in tears. A pair of eyes, still moist, looked at the rabbit at the head of the bed. After a long while of hesitation, she reached out and took the bunny into the quilt.
She stroked the head of the bunny very carefully. The more she stroked it, the more moist were her eyes. The teardrops which had just stopped started falling again. At the same time, she bit her lower lip, as though struggling to not cry out loud. She cried so hard that she started to hiccup. After a long while, she started talking to the bunny amidst the hiccups.
"Bunny, bunny, is Little Ying a… bad kid?"
"Bunny, bunny, Little Ying misses Sister so much, wants to go home so much."
"But… but Little Ying can't go back. Little Ying must not go back." "If Little Ying goes back, Sister… will… get hurt again!"
"It's all Little Ying's fault.. If not to protect Little Ying, Sister will not…"
"Little Ying is okay by myself. Little Ying has Daddy and Mommy now, must be okay…"
"Little Missy is not going back! No! Little Ying is very brave! Little Ying is very strong! Little Ying… doesn't want Sister any more!"
She struggled to keep back her tears. She clenched her little fists tight, and with every sentence her voice grew deeper, as if she was cheering herself on. It was so mature that it was heartbreaking. It was as though… she was forcing herself to grow.
Outside…
Lonemoon, "…" Yi Qing: "…"
What on earth… did a three-year-old Shen Ying go through? Such that she'd force herself to protect her family in such a way of forcing herself to leave.
No wonder… that unlike the last time, she accepted Chef and him so readily, before they even explained who they actually were. No wonder she didn't mention Shen Jing even once over these few days. No wonder that she was so well-behaved and understanding, unlike other kids. It seemed that she knew from the start she was no longer in THAT world.
So it didn't matter at all who they were. What was important was that she felt she had successfully kept Shen Jing away from danger. This was the only thing the three-year-old felt that she could do for her beloved sister, even if it meant leaving her!
——————
"Master…" Yi Qing felt a stabbing pain in the bottom of his heart, and a stifling, suppressing sensation. He turned to enter. Lonemoon couldn't help but turn to push the door as well. For heaven's sake! What immense good luck Shen Jing had such that she could get a sister like Little Ying!
Just as the two was about to push the door open, they suddenly felt the whole earth trembling, and a series of rumbling sounded around them. The immortal peak not far from them started cracking like it was underneath some great weight. Even the palaces upon it turned into ashes instantly. The Protective Mountain Array was directly activated, covering the whole sky palace.
An extremely creepy but somehow familiar aura swept in their direction.
Lonemoon and Yi Qing were both stunned, and their eyes widened abruptly together. This aura was from… an intruder!
Indeed, in the next instant, with a very loud rumble, a crack appeared in the sky, and a blue realm gate suddenly opened up. A crystalline ice peak taller than all the floating peaks of Invincible Heavenly Palace penetrated the realm gate. As compared to the slow speed in which it moved last time, the iceberg appeared very rapidly this time. Lonemoon and Yi Qing didn't even have a chance to seal the realm gate, when the iceberg was already in front of their eyes.
The two hearts sank together. What happened? They had apparently sealed that mushroom world out of the plane completely, yet why did these intruders still appear! Unless… they didn't come from that small world!
"Elder Lonemoon! Elder Yi Qing!" Yi Qing suddenly rushed in hurriedly. She came directly on a sword, a voice transmission stone in her hand. She said hurriedly without even saluting, "Voice transmission came from Emperors of all continents, saying that icebergs exactly like this one appeared in their sky palaces, and asked sect master to come out of closed-door cultivation to help!"
"Shit!" Lonemoon had to curse. These intruders were leading a full-on attack this time? They were actually in all continents' sky palaces! Where the hell did they come from?
"They should have come along the River of Forgetfulness." Yi Qing suddenly spoke. "What?" Lonemoon was shocked. Yi Qing gestured for him to look at his sea of consciousness, and Lonemoon hurried to shut his eyes and look. On the originally golden plane tree in the sea of consciousness, white lines suddenly appeared, which spread across the whole tree and even onto every twig and leave. Those were… the original positions of the River of Forgetfulness! All of it turned white at the moment.
"Little Shortie!" Lonemoon suddenly remembered. "Holy shit!
They took control of Little Shortie!"
He should have thought about it long ago! Little Shortie went to mushroom world with him, and with himself controlled, how could she be fine? But they were in a rush to seal that small world, and with Shen Ying's accident, they didn't think about her for a while.
No! It wasn't that they didn't think about her, but that they subconsciously ignored her.
"They must have done something during the last intrusion." Yi Qing thought about this as well. That was why, all of them subconsciously ignored this matter, giving them time to move.
Chapter 434: Another Assistant
Lonemoon's expression darkened. He pondered for a moment, then turned around and said, "Yu Hong, pass these instructions down: None of the disciples are allowed to exit the array. Also… Get Little Black to use the transportation array within our sect to return to the demonic realm. Ask him to gather the Skyfiends and the other demons and then head to the various continents to garner support from the various heavenly palaces. He will know what to do. Then, ask Lan Hua to use his demonic aura to stabilize our great array even further. It'll be best if he can block the sun out as well."
Yu Hong understood what Lonemoon was asking for. "Yes, Master!" With that, she mounted her flying sword and took off.
The glacier outside the Heavenly Palace was growing in size and the ground was shaking more vigorously now. There were loud crashes echoing throughout the area, yet they could not see a single figure. It was obvious that the enemy was now attacking their great array.
"Master!" Yi Qing remembered the person in the house and his heart fell. Immediately, he rushed in and carried both the blanket and the toddler, whose tears had not yet dried. He turned around and opened a portal that led straight to the divine territory.
Then, he placed Baby Ying on the thick mat that Lonemoon conjured earlier. He squatted down and said in a hurry, "Master, please be good and wait over here. No matter what happens, don't run around on your own, alright?"
As if sensing that something was wrong, Baby Ying became uncharacteristically quiet. She nodded and muttered, "Alright."
It was then that Yi Qing got to his feet and started to conjure another portal that would lead him back. Baby Ying pulled on his sleeves.
"Mommy… you will come back for me, won't you?"
"Of course!" He nodded firmly. "The moment things are settled, I will come back for you."
"Let's hook our pinkies!" She raised her little pinky, waiting for Yi Qing to respond.
Yi Qing felt a sharp pain in his chest. He reached out and hooked his own pinky around hers. "I pinky promise you!"
Little Ying broke into a grin and shoved the rabbit in her hands to Yi Qing. "This is for Daddy! You have to come back and get Baby Ying soon!"
"Alright!" Yi Qing nodded. He glanced at her one last time before he opened the portal and returned back to the Heavenly Palace.
The moment he entered the house, the rabbit in his hands transformed into Lonemoon's divine perception, and returned straight to him.
"She's settled down?" Lonemoon turned to him for confirmation.
"Mm." Yi Qing nodded. His expression was exceptionally somber.
"Let's go." The flute in Lonemoon's hands flashed and turned into a long sword. "This is going to be a long, hard battle." And they did not have anymore back up. He raised his head to look at the thickening demonic Qi in the air. Faint figures were already beginning to appear above him. He flew upwards on his sword.
Yi Qing summoned his immortal sword and followed suit.
This time, the invaders came as a shock. The entire River of Forgetfulness was now under the control of these invaders. Their people had also invaded every single small world in this pane, so that it was only a matter of time before they took over the entire plane. This situation was the exact opposite of the one they were faced with before. The immortal realm was now the only place that stood uninvaded by these people. If Lonemoon and the others were not able to defend it well, the entire plane would fall.
The purpose of the invasion was clear as well - to get Shen Ying, the manager. That was why it was safest to leave her in the divine territory. The people who were surrounding and attacking the Invincible Sect today formed the core of the invading team. This time, there were more people who had duplicated Father Niu's powers.
Lonemoon and Yi Qing flew out of the array and activated all the sword Qi they had in their bodies. A moment later, daggers began to rain down from the sky, attacking the people who were in turn attacking the array. Hundreds of thousands of swords flashed past the two of them. Just like that, a significant number of familiar figures dropped down onto the ground.
More and more people were gathering to attack the two of them. It was almost as if their resources were limited. Sword Qi exploded from Yi Qing's body as he summoned his sword intent and transformed into a white sword dragon. The dragon flew up and attacked in all directions. Another batch of enemies lay defeated.
"There are so many people here - they definitely have a leader!" Lonemoon exclaimed.
Behind him, Yi Qing frowned. He released his divine perception to scan the huge crowd. Indeed, above the high glacier was an exceptional aura. Surprisingly, it even felt… familiar.
"I found it!" He immediately flew in the direction of that exceptional aura.
The enemy seemed to be able to read his intentions. A more aggressive wave of attacks hit the two of them. The people closest to Lonemoon and Yi Qing even self-destructed, hoping to kill the both of them in the explosions. As Lonemoon dodged the attacks, he conjured a defensive shield. Now that Lonemoon and Yi Qing had complete control of their assistants' authorities, these people's cultivation levels could not do much harm to them. The only real problem was that there were so many of these enemies that Lonemoon and Yi Qing were having difficulty breaking through the barriers.
Lonemoon gritted his teeth and said, "I'll fend them off. You go over." He used both of his hands to conjure a seal using overwhelming sword Qi. Then, he shot the ball of sword Qi toward the glacier, opening a clear pathway for Yi Qing.
Yi Qing did not wait any longer. Together, they flew right through the open pathway. The crowd was closing in fast on the passageway. Lonemoon drew his sword and fended them off. Working hand in hand, the two of them finally made it to the glacier.
Before they could even land, Yi Qing felt the familiar suppressive force press down on him. He felt exactly as he did back in the boundary between the immortal realm and demonic realm. It was almost as if all his powers were being sealed off. This time, however, he understood more. He steadied his heart as the huge Yin-Yang symbol in his mind began to spin on its own. Suddenly, the suppression he felt disappeared.
Yi Qing took the chance while he was free to continue moving as close to the exceptional aura as he could. The next moment, he heard a cracking sound.. Beneath his feet, on the glacier, there was a small crack.
"Eh?" A suspicious voice sounded. A red figure appeared on the otherwise empty glacier. It was Shortie, whom they had not met in a long time. She stood atop the glacier, with an icy smile on her face. She was smiling, yet she spoke with no warmth whatsoever. "In just a few days, you have unlocked your full powers."
Yi Qing's expression darkened. He said firmly, "You're the assistant of that foreign plane!"
The woman's smile grew wider. "It looks like my calculations were wrong. I would need a longer time to get rid of you." She raised her hand. The glacier seemed to come alive. Sharp ice peaks began to shoot out of the glacier, flying toward Yi Qing.
Yi Qing regulated his sword Qi and broke each sharp ice peak into pieces as they flew toward him. Yet, more and more kept coming. Even the ice peaks that he broke mended themselves and flew back toward him. The suppressive force and strange aura were getting heavier and heavier. In it was mixed together a familiar aura - the power of reincarnation that was present in Shortie's body.
Yi Qing was defending himself at a rapid speed. He did not allow even one ice peak to touch him. But the more he shot down, the more there seemed to be. It was almost as if the ice was consciously trying to hold Yi Qing back from the woman.
"Your plane's assistant's powers are really shocking. You do have such exceptional powers," the woman said icily. "It's a pity that I'm no ordinary assistant as well. Even though you know the extent of your true powers, there is no way you can injure someone like me, who has been to hundreds of different planes!"
As she spoke, she raised her hand so that a huge suppressive force rushed toward Yi Qing. That force far exceeded any kind of force Yi Qing ever felt in this plane. It was so strong that the air around him began to twist and turn. Even Lonemoon, who stood a distance from him, was affected. Wounds began to appear on his body, as if he was being attacked by some kind of sorcery. The array that surrounded Invincible Sect broke apart from the impact.
"No matter how exceptional the two of you are, you only amount to a fraction of our powers!"
Yi Qing felt a certain sweetness on his tongue. The Yin-Yang symbol in his mind was spinning even faster now. He sucked in a deep breath and once again, fended off the sharp ice peaks. He could not lose! Master… Master was still waiting for him!
Lonemoon gritted his teeth and his powers exploded in his body. He seemed to grab hold of the suppressive force that had caused such a huge impact before. His body glowed red. Then, a fireball appeared and began to circle his body. Inside the fireball, they could faintly see white flashes of lightning.
He turned around and took on his true form - he transformed into a huge golden dragon that charged into the sky. This dragon looked completely different from the one before. On top of the great dragon's body, two huge balls of fire formed the dragon's wings. The entire dragon was radiating heat. In just a few seconds, huge gusts of True Phoenix Fire and wild flames filled the sky, scorching everything in their wake.
The ice peaks and glaciers all around them melted away and disappeared. The clones that looked like Lonemoon were reduced to ashes.
"How could this be!" The foreign plane's assistant, who had been standing on top of the glacier earlier, looked absolutely flabbergasted. She looked in disbelief at the huge dragon. "How can an assistant be this powerful?"
Her expression changed, as if she realized something. A blinding white light appeared around her body. The small area of ice left beneath her glowed as well. A frightening force shot toward Yi Qing, together with flashes of light that strangely resembled daggers. The ground shook. Anything that the light touched was cut into half. Even the Heavenly Palace was beginning to crumble.
The disciples had no choice but to look for other places to hide. Yet, the clones that looked like Father Niu were attacking them relentlessly.
Yi Qing had no choice but to switch tactics. He turned around and fought off the clones that were attacking the disciples. Then, he watched the flashes of light gather to form a huge net, which flew toward Yi Qing.
"Chef!" Lonemoon shouted.
He did not dodge. Instead, flashes of lightning intensified around his body. A moment later, his entire body seemed to be charged up with electricity. He sent a bolt of lightning bigger than his own body toward the net. There was a loud crash. The lightning pushed the light back toward what remained of the glacier.
Beautiful! Lonemoon could not resist giving Chef a thumbs up. There was another crash as a huge crack as thick as an arm appeared on the glacier. Lonemoon wanted to clear off the bunch of clones, but realized that there were only a few figures left flying around him. Was he mistaken? Why were there fewer people attacking him?
He released his divine perception to investigate. He was not mistaken - there were very few clones remaining. Lonemoon turned to study the crack in the glacier. He lowered his gaze as something clicked in his mind. Then, his eyes widened.
He turned to fly back to where Yi Qing was trying to stop the enemies from attacking the Invincible Sect. "Chef! All of these people are being controlled by the assistant! We just have to get rid of her!"
The dragon in the air paused. Finally, Yi Qing turned around and charged toward the assistant. As he flew, he used his tail to knock out as many clones as he could.
Lonemoon followed suit. He waved his hand, employing a sword technique that caused swords to rain down on the glacier once again. The expression of the woman on the glacier darkened. She waved her hand so that the clones who had been attacking the Invincible Sect turned around and charged toward Lonemoon and Yi Qing. It was too late, however. Lonemoon and Yi Qing had already arrived at the glacier.
Shortie, who was being controlled by the assistant, suddenly looked panicked. Of course, the assistant would not be afraid if she were dealing with any other assistant, but these two…
Once again, the blinding white light appeared. Once again, it was defeated by Chef's lightning. Yi Qing transformed back into a human. The two of them held up their swords and charged toward Shortie.
"Wait! The spirit that governs the main source is still inside my body!" The assistant shouted desperately, knowing that she no longer had any way out. "If you kill me, this woman will not live either! Without this source, your plane is finished!"
"Source?" The two of them paused. He's talking about Shortie! "Father Niu…" Yi Qing turned to Lonemoon.
"Let's hit her first!" Lonemoon refused to give in. He kept his sword and used his bare hands to hit the woman's face, causing her to fall onto the ground.
Yi Qing frowned. The last time Father Niu and the others were being controlled, Master seemed to take the same approach. He made up his mind. Thus, he conjured a defensive array that protected the two of them and joined Lonemoon in violence!
"Wait!" You cannot do this to… Ah! Stop… You're crazy… Ah!"
A moment later, the foreign plane's assistant's painful cries echoed throughout the glacier. Lonemoon and Yi Qing did not rest. Each punch carried with it the power of the assistant. What's more, they aimed at no other place than her face.
The woman soon became unrecognizable. The assistant could bear the blows no longer. A white light floated out of Shortie's body, then shot past the two of them. "It's out!" Yi Qing shouted. At the same time, he sent a ball of True Phoenix Fire after the light, and Lonemoon conjured a sword seal.
The pained cries continued to echo throughout the glacier as the white light disappeared within the True Phoenix Fire and the rain of swords. Immediately, the figures that had been attacking the defensive array relentlessly disappeared as well. Even the glacier beneath their feet darkened.
The two of them felt the glacier slowly disappear. Lonemoon thus summoned his flying sword and caught Shortie, whose face was now swollen beyond recognition. He glanced at the woman whose eyes seemed to be swollen shut, then he looked away. He did this to save her. He absolutely did not do this to release the anger built up inside him when Shen Ying did the same to him earlier.
The only difference between this time and the last was that Shortie recovered very quickly. Before they arrived back at the Heavenly Palace, she came to. Before she said a single word, she spat out blood.
"Shortie!" Lonemoon's heart fell. Had they been too harsh on her?
Without any thought for the wounds on her face, she looked around in a panic. "Elders, the River of Forgetfulness-"
"Don't worry - we have gotten rid of that assistant."
"Assistant?" Shortie's eyes widened, and she looked even more panicked. Shortie reached out and tugged at Lonemoon's sleeve. "No, it's not her! The one controlling the River of Forgetfulness is not the assistant. There's an even… even scarier one…"
The two of them stiffened. One even scarier than the assistant. Could it be… the manager!
They thought that only a world without managers would be interested in invading other planes. Could it be that they did have a manager afterall?
"Master…" Yi Qing paled and immediately opened a passage to the divine territory.
Chapter 435: Manager of the Foreign Plane
Lonemoon conjured a seal to send Shortie back to the sect. Then, he followed Yi Qing into the portal. The scene before their eyes hanged. Under the night sky, they saw Shen Ying still sitting quietly on the mat Yi Qing had left her on. She was still hugging her little immortal boat and her eyes brightened when she spotted them.
The two of them visibly relaxed and walked over. But before they could fully relax, a foreign male voice sounded.
"So this is where she's hiding." Suddenly, an overwhelmingly strong force swept past the both of them from behind. They jumped and drew their swords, but they could not do anything to defend themselves against the formidable force. As it swept past them, they fell to the ground and spat out blood.
The portal that was closing up suddenly ripped open, as if someone was physically tearing it apart. A man in black robes stepped through it. He looked surprisingly average. He had a wide-set face and average looks - the kind that would help him blend into a crowd of people. The only thing exceptional about him was the frightening aura radiating forth from his body. It was different from the two assistants they had met earlier. It felt like a top-grade kind of aura that nobody would be able to defend themselves against.
This was the manager of the foreign plane!
"It's no wonder that I could not find her despite turning the entire small world upside down. Thank you for leading the way
- now I know that she's here." The man laughed. He was being extremely sarcastic to the both of them.
Their hearts sank. They had been way too careless. This man was hiding on purpose. He knew that the two of them would look for Shen Ying - that was why he quietly followed them until he got what he wanted.
"Daddy, Mommy…" Baby Ying looked confused. Her young mind could not process what was happening. Upon seeing the two of them fall down to the ground, she immediately got up and tried to walk toward them.
"Master! Don't come over!" Yi Qing shouted. "Little Ying, be good, don't move," Lonemoon instructed, his tone slightly panicked.
Indeed, Little Ying halted and did not move. BUt the man had already turned to look at her. He broke into an evil grin. "So the manager of your plane…" He narrowed his eyes, as if he was slightly disappointed. A moment later, he continued pointedly, "is so weak! I thought that given the assistants' powers, the manager would be particularly exceptional. I didn't expect that she would turn out like this. Could it be… she gave the both of you all her powers?"
The man thought that he had figured out the reason and looked at Shen Ying in utter contempt, like she was already a dead girl. "This plane chose someone as simple as her to be its manager. It's fated to become mine."
As he spoke, he walked toward Shen Ying. With each step he took, the killing intent and frightening aura around him seemed to grow stronger. The divine realm was threatening to fall apart from the pressure that this man was emanating. It began to shake. Even the plane tree in the middle was swaying from side to side. Its leaves were wilting, as if someone or something was sucking all the energy out of it. "Master!" Yi Qing used all the energy left in his body to charge forward and stop the man, but he could do nothing against the formidable force. No matter how hard he tried to get up, he remained pinned to the ground. Faintly, he heard the sound of his internal core breaking into pieces. Master… Master!
"Shen Ying…" Lonemoon was beginning to panic. He had no backup plan. Not only was his body in pain, his internal core was being crushed into pieces by this formidable force as well. In a weak manner, he called out, "Run, Shen Ying…"
Baby Ying continued to stare blankly at them. She seemed to sense that she was in grave danger. Panic began to rise up in her eyes as she instinctively retreated backward. Yet, she did not know where she could hide. As the stranger got closer and closer, his grin was getting more and more sinister.
Within seconds, he was directly in front of her and raising his hand toward her. A while light appeared on his hand. He shot it toward the defenseless Shen Ying. Yi Qing's eyes widened in shock. A fear like he had never felt before filled him and consumed his entire body. A crazed power rose up inside of him and broke the chains that were holding him down. He heard a ding.
Power from an unknown source fought back against that formidable force that had been holding him down. Yi Qing appeared in front of Shen Ying in a blink of an eye. He fended off the attack from the man. But the man was the manager of the foreign plane after all. How could an immortal sword alone stop him? The next moment, he grabbed hold of Yi Qing's immortal sword and broke it in half. Then, he summoned another white light and pressed down on Yi Qing's forehead.
The white light acted like a blade. The man swiped it down Yi Qing's shoulder, cutting off his entire arm. Fresh blood spurted out of the gaping hole in his shoulder blade.
The man paused, shocked. He did not think that Yi Qing would have been able to stand up due to the force. Lonemoon suddenly appeared behind Yi Qing. He summoned thousands of swords that rained down on the man, forcing him to retreat.
"Chef…" He looked worriedly at the one-armed Yi Qing, whose face was now white as a sheet. With a flick of his wrist, Lonemoon sent a thousand swords raining down on the man once again. But not one of them hit the man. Instead, they flew right through him and onto the ground, as if the man was formless.
"You're really no ordinary assistants," the man said sarcastically as he stared at the both of them icily, as if they were nothing but a couple of chickens struggling on the chopping board. "You could break through my restraints. It looks like you've almost unlocked all the powers you could possibly have as assistants. With skills like that… I should probably get rid of you as soon as I can so that you would have no hope of improving any further!"
The moment he finished speaking, the man's expression darkened. He pointed toward Lonemoon and a laser beam appeared, shooting out from his fingertip. Lonemoon had no time to react at all. Instead, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. The next thing he knew, his sword had fallen on the ground, together with his arm. Even the thousands of swords that he had formed up in the sky fell to the ground at once.
The manager of the foreign plane curled his finger and spun circles in the air with it. Light that resembled rounds and rounds of rope appeared around each of them, tightening around their bodies to restrain the two men who were now bleeding profusely once more. The man then raised his hand so that the both of them flew up into the air. The light ropes became tighter and tighter still. They felt the pressure around them increase as well.
By now, Lonemoon and Yi Qing were both covered in blood. The light ropes were cutting into their skin and cutting deeper and deeper still. They felt like even their souls were getting cut by the ropes around their bodies. Their vision began to blur.
Shen Ying had not spoken a word until then. She looked on with her big, frightened eyes. Trembling, she loosened her grip on her little immortal boat, which fell to the ground.
"Daddy… Mommy…"
She raised both of her hands, attempting to pull them back to the ground. But she did not have enough strength. Instead, all she managed to do was get her own little hands covered in their blood.
Chapter 436: Calling for Parents
"Mas… ter, go… quick!"
"Little… Little Ying…"
The two of them used the last bit of energy they had in their bodies to call out to the toddler below them. Soon, they could not even speak. Fresh blood continued to flow from their bodies.
"You're next!" The man cackled as he faced Shen Ying once again.
The two of them became incredibly anxious, but they had no more power left to even struggle. "Master, hurry…
Shen Ying looked up at the both of them and then at her own blood-covered hands. She began to tremble over vigorously as her breathing became laboured. She looked like she was about to break down at any moment. The emotions that she had been burying were all threatening to explode. She was only three years old afterall. She only knew how to do one thing.
With everything she had, holding nothing back, she began… to cry!
"Wahhhhh ahhh ahhh…"
The skies and ground began to shake as Shen Ying continued wailing. Her wails echoed throughout the skies and even travelled beyond the divine territory, to every corner of the Three Realms. At the same time, a huge force burst forth from her body, that went as far as the sound her wails travelled.
The entire divine realm was shaking, as if it could not withstand the force of Shen Ying's crying. Even the ropes of light around Lonemoon and Yi Qing were breaking apart because of the force of her cries. The two of them dropped to the ground. Everything was shaking more violently now. Huge crashes and bangs were heard all around them as long, thick cracks began to appear in the ground. They spread in all directions. Even the sky looked like it was going to collapse. Shen Ying did not stop crying. Instead, she cried even louder.
"Wahhhh ah ah… Older Sister… Older… Wahhhhh…"
The divine realm… was falling apart!
(⊙_⊙)
"How could this be!" The manager of the foreign plane who looked exceedingly cocky just a moment ago began to panic. Shen Ying's cries were forcing him to retreat several metres."I had control over this plane… how are you so powerful?"
He looked on at the crying toddler in disbelief, his gaze turning more and more evil. This could not go on any longer. He flicked his wrist and tried to attack Shen Ying, determined to kill her.
He moved extremely quickly. Yi Qing and Lonemoon tried to use their final breaths to stop him, but the man disappeared in a flash and re-appeared again behind Shen Ying. "Master!"
"Shen Ying!"
The two of them screamed. The light on the man's hand was shooting toward Shen Ying already. It was just about to hit her squarely in the forehead when the man suddenly paused ten centimetres from her.
A long, slender arm appeared just above the man's curled up fist. That slender hand was holding on to his wrist. An extremely chilling figure had appeared beside him, and she was glaring icily right at him.
That was… Shen Jing!
Shen Jing grabbed the man's hand and moved it away from Baby Ying's head. She looked like she did this effortlessly, but the man was powerless against her. His hand became twisted into an odd position. HIs heart jumped. Who was this?! "Didn't you hear…" Shen Jing's gaze became even more icy as she spoke slowly, "She was calling for her parent?"
The moment she finished speaking, she clenched her other fist and punched the man squarely in his chest. The proud manager flew into the sky, just like a kite. The sound from the impact echoed throughout the divine realm.
"Older Sister… Older Sister… Wah ah ah… Older…" On seeing her own family member, Baby Ying's crying became more intense. She clung onto Shen Jing's legs and climbed upward, seeking solace and comfort from this long-lost parent-like figure of hers.
"Little Ying, why…" Shen Jing lowered her head and studied the toddler in front of her. She had been so close to losing her temper, but her icy and hard-set face instantly melted. "Why are you so cute now! So adorable…" She carried Shen Ying up and snuggled her, like she was her most valuable possession. "Don't cry, don't cry! Tell Older Sister what happened. Who bullied you? I'll kill him!"
"Baddie… That baddie bullied Little Ying… and bullied Dad… Older Sister…" Little Ying said in between sobs. She pointed in the direction in which the man flew. It took her a long time to finish saying what she wanted to say.
Shen JIng's expression darkened as she turned to look.
By then, the manager was getting to his feet. He looked at Shen Jing in fear. "You… You're a manager as well!"
Shen Jing did not answer him. Instead, a strong murderous intent radiated from her body so that even Lonemoon and Yi Qing, who had been standing beside her, began to tremble. Why did Boss Jing seem even scarier than that other manager?"
"Ha ha ha…" The manager began to laugh maniacally. HIs eyes were shooting about. He looked absolutely overjoyed, as if he had just won the lottery. He looked at Shen Jing as if she were the pot of gold waiting at the end of the rainbow. "That's great! Ha ha ha… I just wanted this little plane. I didn't think that I would attract another manager here. What's more… she's from an even higher-level plane. As long as I kill you, both planes will be mine! Ha ha ha…" There was a certain craziness in his eyes. Shen Ying narrowed hers and muttered, "Oh?"
The man sensed her sarcasm, yet he laughed it off. His confidence was growing again. "Heh heh heh, do you think that this is just an ordinary invasion? Let me tell you the truth - I've already conquered more than ten planes. I've swallowed the powers of more than ten managers. I've seen more managers than you know. Other people might not be able to hurt you, but I can."
"Well…" Shen Jing's expression darkened slightly, but otherwise remained the same. It was almost as if she was totally uninterested in what he had to say. She looked around herself, set down the still-crying Baby Ying on the thick mat, and then patted her head. "Be good, Baby Ying. Wait for Older Sister right here."
"Mm." Baby Ying nodded firmly.
With that, she turned around and faced the manager. As she walked toward him, she tied up her long hair into a silky ponytail. The manager was getting more and more excited by the second. He locked gazes ith Shen Jing. "Heh heh heh, soon you will become my-"
Before he could finish speaking, a huge hit him in the head and spread down throughout the rest of his body. His face hurt terribly and his body swayed. Then, he fell flat on the ground. The manager powers he had in his body stirred, threatening to break right out of his weak body.
"How could this be? You…" His heart stopped. The next moment, something tightened around his neck. He was being lifted up by the neck. Shen Jing's icy expression appeared right before his eyes.
Chapter 437: Dealing with Intruder
"I forgot to say…" They heard Shen Jing say, word by word, "that I have also seen plenty of intruding Managers like you!"
"…" WHAT!
He had no time at all to think what this sentence meant. In the next moment, an immense pain came once more. Shen Jing grabbed the person, and hit the ground with him left and right. The movement was so fast that it that shadows blurred. The actual movement couldn't be clearly seen at all. And the abilities of that Manager seemed suppressed by Shen Jing as well, such that he was not in the least bit able to resist. For a time, the sound of human body hitting the ground echoed over the whole Divine Realm. Even the screams of pain disappeared.
Not that he didn't want to scream, but there was no opportunity to at all.
On-looker Yi Qing, "…" On-looker Lonemoon, "…"
They suddenly understood who Shen Ying learnt those Whac- a-Mole-style fighting methods from. Few would probably be able to learn methods like this. The two slow learners trembled!
The whole Divine Realm disintegrated even faster with Shen Jing's hitting madness. The original night sky started cracking all over like broken glass panes, and they even started falling down.
Yi Qing and Lonemoon exchanged a look. Were they supposed to go and remind Big Boss Shen that this place was breaking apart?
But… who would go?
The two turned away once more in silence.
Five minutes later… A certain big boss finally stopped such hitting and throwing and switched to kicking. And she purposely kicked towards a certain indescribable body part, crying out in anger at the same time.
"Bullying a kid, you are proud of that! Huh? Dare you try to bully one more?"
"You actually made my Little Ying cry. Even I never made her cry, how dare you?"
"Whoever that dared touch my Little Ying, I'll let you know the redness of blood!"
"Scum! Rubbish! Ugly thing…"
The two on-lookers shivered once more. They kept their legs close together subconsciously, suddenly feeling a pain in a certain body part…
Shen Jing continued kicking for two minutes, until a ball of light rushed out from that intruding Manager, when she finally stopped. She reached out and produced a blue translucent box, sealing the blue light inside directly. The person on the ground changed to light dots and disappeared forever.
Shen Jing looked at the box in her hand and her look darkened. "Such thick Managerial power. He's destroyed many planes indeed." She frowned and kept the box. Only then did she turn towards the two bloody men behind her who finally recovered some strength. Instantly, her expression grew cold again.
"Next… your turn!" She walked right towards the two. Instantly, a suppression belonging to a Manager rushed towards the two wildly. That was a horrible ability completely different from that of the Manager just now. They were directly pressed down to the ground, and whatever little strength that recovered on their bodies dissipated instantly. Such a horribly strong strength made one unable to make even a resisting thought.
"I told you, right…" She walked closer and closer, killing aura emerging all over her. "If something happens to Little Ying, I will never let you go!" Her voice fell, and a sensation that even their souls were suppressed went all over their bodies. They felt that they were going to disappear in the next moment.
"No!" A bright child's voice sounded. Little Ying suddenly rushed out, spread her little hands and stopped in front of Shen Jing. The pressure on the two lifted instantly. "Sister, don't you hurt Daddy and Mommy!"
"Daddy and Mommy?" Shen Jing was shocked. Her look went towards the two like knives. These two dared take advantage of her!
Looking for your own death!
Seemingly knowing that she spoke wrongly, Little Ying hurried to make amends, "I know they're not, but I feel that they are good people, just like Daddy and Mommy. Sister, don't you hit them."
"Little Ying!" Shen Ying's voice deepened. "Get aside! I told you long ago not to accept… Never mind, you don't understand it now. Get aside. After I dealt with them, I will take you home."
"Little Ying… is not going back!" She took a deep breath, as though to give herself courage.
"What did you say?"
Her little head lowered instantly, and moisture came to her eyes. "It's Little Ying's fault, also making Sister get hurt. I… I'm not going back. If I don't go back, Sister won't get hurt any more."
Shen Jing was stunned. She looked hard at the person in front of her, and a sensation of mixed sourness, bitterness and sweetness went across her heart. She looked at her blankly for a long while, and then she asked something totally unrelated, "How old are you now?"
Shen Ying tilted her head, but still answered subconsciously, "Three." "No wonder…" Shen Jing sighed, as though remembering something. Shen Jing squatted down and hugged the person in front of her, then said, half laughing, half scolding, "Why do you always get sensible at this age! Idiot, right now… nobody can hurt me anymore."
"… Sister?" Shen Ying was stunned. Remembering the people behind her, she couldn't help but continue, "Then can Sister not be angry with them?"
Shen Jing's face turned cold. She looked at Yi Qing and Lonemoon in front and a bit of hesitation flashed across her eyes. She habitually removed any danger that could threaten Little Ying, especially when she was in this kind of situation, only bringing her back was the best choice. Yet…
"They protected Little Ying just now." Little Ying emphasized once more, anxiously, "Little Ying has to protect them too. If Sister really hits them, I will… I will…" She said in all seriousness, "I will never talk to Sister again!"
Crack! It sounded like something just broke. It was like a knife in the heart…
Yi Qing: "…"
Lonemoon, "…"
Shen Jing: "…"
What the f*ck! Don't stop me, I'll kill these two wild men who kidnapped my sister!
(╯°Д°)╯(┻━┻
——————
Eventually, Shen Jing didn't kill those two wild men, though she very much wanted to. But after all, it was her own sister who spoke to plead for them, what could she do? Let her have her way! Especially Little Ying who had just reached three years old and not yet into the rebellious stage. She really couldn't refuse her.
Looking at Little Ying who had already fallen asleep in her arms from fatigue, she sighed, pulled out a light screen, and clicked on it. Instantly, the Divine Realm which was originally full of holes and on the edge of collapsing at any moment started repairing itself rapidly. Like a video playing backwards, the collapsed sky and earth started refilling, and the cracks over the sky disappeared slowly. In less than half a minute, the place had returned to its original state.
Shen Jing clicked on it once more. The Divine Realm which was originally completely dark turned into a green meadow. In the middle of the meadow there was a huge plane tree. Only that it's twigs were somewhat yellow, as though it was sick.
Yi Qing and Lonemoon who were casually cured by Shen Jing because she despised their dirtiness looked at the plane tree with some concern.
Chapter 438: Knot in Shen Ying's Heart
Shen Ying waved a hand, and immediately, many familiar- looking furniture appeared on the lawn. Several sofas, a tea table, and a cup of hot coffee upon it. She directly walked towards the largest sofa, and put Little Ying who was already asleep in her arms on it. Then she took out a white apparatus, and with a beeping sound, that apparatus flew up, letting out red lights, which swept over Shen Ying's body. Instantly, lines and lines of data went across a light screen. It seemed to be examining something.
Yi Qing and Lonemoon exchanged a look, before walking to the opposite side of Shen Jing and started to sit down.
"Did I tell you to sit?" Shen Jing suddenly spoke. Her eyes glanced over, cold as ice.
The two shivered, got up immediately and stood properly beside the sofa.
Only then did Shen Jing draw back her sight. She took up the coffee on the sofa, drank it, while looking at the data beside her hand at the same time. A creepy silence fell.
The two who were left aside looked at each other. Neither dared to make a sound. Big Boss Shen was being serious this time. If Little Ying didn't use her own intrinsic weapon of cuteness just now, she'd really kill them. Now that Little Ying was asleep and had no support, she might really burst out once more if they annoyed her.
The two looked at each other for a long time. After a long while, Yi Qing finally couldn't help it. He gritted his teeth, stepped forward, cupped his fists and said, "Senior Shen, I will be so bold as to ask, what happened to Master when she was young? Why would she think… think that she made Senior suffer."
Only then did Shen Jing look up. Her icy cold glance swept towards them immediately, and then she looked back at the person on the sofa. Something flashed in her eyes. After a long moment of hesitation, she finally sighed and said, "Those were all from very long ago. Since you are the person that Shen Ying liked, you will be her man sooner or later. You should know about these matters indeed." With that said, she put down the coffee in her hand, pointed at the sofa opposite her and said, "Sit." "Thanks, Senior!" Only then did Yi Qing walk over to sit down. Lonemoon beside him followed subconsciously, but at the glance of Shen Jing, his figure shivered and he went back standing.
Shen Jing took a deep breath. After a long while she said with a deep breath. "It started when I became a Manager. Shen Ying and I…" She turned back and patted Little Ying subconsciously, making a gesture for sending a child to sleep. "are actually twins."
"What?" Lonemoon's eyes opened abruptly. He answered subconsciously, "You two are related by blood? Wasn't she a gift from your telephone company?"
"Master said she was picked up from the garbage bin." Yi Qing also answered.
The corner of Shen Jing's mouth twitched, and her ice-cold look turned towards them again, freezing the two instantly. "Are you blind? If she and I were not twins, how can we possibly look so alike?" "…" Okay, you are the boss, whatever you say is right.
Only then did Shen Jing continue, "We were just ordinary people at first. But before we were born, I was chosen by the World Consciousness to be a Manager. At that time, the power belonged to a Manager went inside my body. I was just starting to have consciousness, and hadn't started to sense my surroundings, so I instinctively started absorbing all energy around me, such that…" Her look darkened as though at the memory of something sad, before she continued, "such that I didn't realize that Little Ying was beside me. So unknowingly, I sucked in even her vitality."
The two's hearts sank. Without vitality, wouldn't it be impossible for Shen Ying to even be born?
"When I sensed it, it was already too late." Shen Jing frowned, took up the coffee beside her, took a sip, before continuing, "I pleaded at the World Consciousness to seal her consciousness and last bit of vitality inside my body, for me to wake her when the time comes. World Consciousness agreed, and then I became the Manager of that world."
"Then Master…" Yi Qing asked with some concern. "I kept looking for ways to revive her but couldn't find it. Later, I thought that her vitality was gone because of the power of a Manager, so maybe with the same power, I could return it to her. Indeed, her vitality was revived. But because it took so long, her consciousness which was sealed inside my body fell into sleep." She took a deep breath. "I thought of many ways, but nothing could wake her consciousness. After 3000 years, during a plane intrusion, I was in a crisis. That was when her consciousness suddenly woke up and helped me chase off that intruder. After that, she finally was completely revived. I watched her grow up little by little."
"And then?" Lonemoon couldn't help but ask. Being the little sister of a Manager wouldn't be so easy.
"The power of a Manager wasn't what an ordinary person could bear." She took up the coffee cup once more but realized that it was already empty. She frowned and put it back. "Because she had my power, she had the same aura as me. So intruders thought that she was the real Manager. Despite me watching over, in her early life, she was still kidnapped by various intruders who desired the power of the Manager. I wasn't like what I am now, and I have already lost half of my power from the start, so the price for saving her was slightly high." "…" That was why Little Ying felt that she made Shen Jing suffer?
"When Little Ying was three, she knew about the matter of assistants from I didn't know where. She suddenly said to me that she wanted to grow up quickly and be my assistant." Shen Jing sighed and shook her head. "At that time, I thought it was just a momentary playful thought of hers. But from then on, she really never laughed at me once, never acted cute once, and even secretly lifted the seal which suppressed the Manager power on her, almost killing herself. Only then did I realize that she was serious. So when she was five, I agreed. But… to become an assistant, how could that be an easy matter."
The two were stunned. They exchanged a look, and looked up at her together. Was it not easy? Shen Ying only gave them a little piece of paper back then!
As if knowing what they were thinking, Shen Jing gave them a only-idiots-like-you-think-a-piece-of-paper-makes-assistants look. "As an assistant, one must go through the testing of plane power, before he or she could qualify to be an assistant. And plane power only appear when crossing over planes. But crossing over planes forcefully is likely to cause one to get devoured by the void directly." "So we have also been through it?" Lonemoon was stunned momentarily, and then he thought about it. When Chef came to find them back then, he did forcefully cross through planes indeed. So that was the test? "But… I didn't?" How did he become an assistant?
"That was because you were lucky that somebody protected you and let you cheat every time!" Shen Jing rolled her eyes. "You crossed over three times in total. In the first time, the void consciousness of this world risked its life to drag you over. In the second and third time, there was Little Ying to protect you, so you naturally were fine." But that was still a forceful crossing of planes, because he didn't have the permission to pass.
Lonemoon, "…" So he was the only one who cheated.
Σ(°△°|||)
Never mind. At any rate, he cheated with his abilities.
Chapter 439: Reason of Dormancy
"Then how… did Master become an assistant?" Yi Qing continued to ask.
"Before gaining absolute power, there was no way I could let Little Ying do something like crossing planes. So I thought of another way out." Shen Ying continued. "When she was five, I left her at the the mother planet of Worm Clan. That place was close to the edge of the plane, and had some remnant plane power. Coupled with the high combat abilities of worm clan, that was, in a way, her best training grounds."
"Little Ying didn't fail me. In less than five years, she had completely mastered that half of Manager power I left her. And at fifteen, she became a real plane's assistant. Most of the matters of the plane were managed by her. Without a Manager- level intrusion, I mostly didn't have to intervene." As though remembering something proud, a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Shen Jing's mouth. "Since then, less and less intruders dared to come to our plane, probably because they sensed the power on Little Ying getting stronger and stronger." Such that she had much less opportunity to practice her skills. Her abilities grew mostly through beating up those intruders." Only that since Little Ying reached 25 years old, there was pretty much no intruder in the plane. The stronger Little Ying got, the more she felt that ordinary intruders could no longer harm her. Especially after Kai Tian appeared, she learned that lazy manner from nobody knew where, and started to be idle. Of course, it was not necessary to tell all this to these wild men.
The two listened to Shen Jing finish in silence. Finally they understood why three-year-old Shen Ying thought this way, and why Shen Jing went crazy every time she saw Shen Ying harmed. It was because in those most difficult days, they were the only company of each other.
They had never imagined that Shen Ying who was so strong actually stayed at such a dangerous place when she was young. Such that only by growing strong herself, could she live on. So since three years old, she forced herself to be brave, to be firm, to grow up…
For a time, all three were silent.
Until the examining apparatus at the side made a beeping sound, signaling the end of the examination. Shen Jing looked like she had finally awaken. She took the white apparatus off Shen Ying's head, looked at the light screen in front of them. After a long while she spoke. "So this is it indeed!" With that said, she turned to give the person asleep on the sofa a stare. "This idiot!"
"Senior, have you gotten the reason for Master's multiple dormancies?" Yi Qing asked hurriedly. Lonemoon looked over nervously as well."
"Yeah, pretty much." Shen Jing nodded. "I mentioned just now, that she has half of my abilities in her body, though it was half of my power a long time ago, and nothing when compared to now."
"And this power is why Master went into sleep?"
"Half of it. The other half is still due to over-consumption." She gave the person opposite her a stare, before continuing on to explain. "After Shen Ying took charge of this plane, she is already a real Manager. Because of the presence of double plane power from earlier on, her own power is actually far beyond me, so her body naturally repelled the external power that was left inside her body." "That was why Master…" Yi Qing frowned. "Then why did she…"
"Not get rid of this energy?" She spoke his doubt directly, and then sighed with some helplessness. "Perhaps because she was afraid… I'd get angry."
"…"
"She's my sister, and the manager of this world right now, which meant that she had no more connection with the previous plane. She wanted to keep this half of power so that she had the last bit of connection to me." She turned again to look at the person on the sofa, stroking her head at the same time. Not wanting to annoy her even if she was repelled so hard as to fall into dormancy, what a silly girl. What on earth went wrong with her education, that she got such a stubborn and stupid sister.
Did it hurt to just ASK her!
"Senior Shen, then could you please take the energy on Master…" Yi Qing tried to ask.
"I don't need you to tell me that!" Shen Jing interrupted him, giving him a look as though she was looking at an idiot. I will take care of my own sister without need for advice from a wild man like you! "Hmph! If not for you two who fancy yourselves clever, and kept the plane passage closed the whole time, how do I have to find out about her situation so late!"
Yi Qing who fancied himself clever, "…"
Lonemoon who fancied himself, "…"
The two bowed their heads together. It wasn't them who sealed the plane, but whatever Big Boss said was right.
Shen Jing snorted once more, before reaching out and pointing at Shen Ying's forehead with a finger. Instantly, a familiar power rushed towards her happily as though it had finally found its master. In less than five minutes, it had all returned to the inside of her body. And the body which lay on the sofa suddenly started growing. The body figure which at first took only one third of the sofa suddenly took up the sofa. Only there was still a bit of childishness in her figure, which was familiar and strange at the same time.
"This… Isn't this Shen Ying at fifteen?" Lonemoon recognized her immediately. He thought that she'd recover right away. So it was only returning to fifteen?"
"I've already said just now, that power of mine was just half of it." Shen Jing gave them a are-you-deaf-or-what look. "The over-consumption from opening up the new plane still requires rest."
"Then when would Master recover?" asked Yi Qing.
Shen Jing seemed to remember something. Her eyebrows lifted and she said, "Soon, probably. She…"
Before she finished, the person on the sofa actually frowned and suddenly woke up. She opened her eyes and saw Shen Jing who sat beside her right away. The face which originally had a bit of sleepiness whitened in a second. She spoke with some horror, "Sis?!"
In the next moment, her whole body shivered like it was electrified. She stood up abruptly, and even hit the tea in front of her because of the rush. She subconsciously wanted to rub it but refrained from it forcefully. Her whole person stood as straight as a pencil. She started speaking, "I've finished all my homework, and all the work! Really!" She absolutely wasn't asleep because she was idle!
Yi Qing: "…"
.Lonemoon, "…"
Shen Jing: "…"
What out-of-the-world reaction was this!
"Oh." Shen Jing was speechless. She changed back the ice queen mode once more. Indeed, Little Ying who grew up was not cute at all anymore. Especially during her rebellious stage, she stayed the furthest from her.
Only then did Shen Ying see Chef and Father Niu beside her. She stiffened, as though just remembering where she was. "Sis, now you…"
Shen Jing glanced coldly at this sister who was not cute, and leaned back on the sofa, before speaking seriously, "That intruding Manager, I've already dealt with for you. Hmph! I taught you for all these years and you can't even deal with these low-level idiots. And you actually have the face to ask me for help. Where have all your learning from these years gone?"
Shen Ying's face darkened, and she bowed her head directly like a child who did something wrong, "I'm sorry, Sis."
"What good is being sorry?" Shen Jing's face didn't lighten the slightest bit. "If I had known you would be like this, I wouldn't have agreed to you accepting this plane. If there is a second time, I'd be too lazy to bother with you." "Okay, Sis. I get it, Sis."
"You chose this plane. I can't interfere too much. Take care yourself!"
With that said, she directly opened the Plane Gate and left without another word.
Yi Qing: "…"
.Lonemoon, "…"
Who on earth was that person who held Little Ying just now calling 'darling'? Hello?
They suddenly understood where the awkward viciousness of fifteen-year-old Shen Ying came from!
With no doubt, these were absolutely real sisters, 100% confirmed!
o(╯□╰)o
Chapter 440: Complete Resolution
After Shen Jing left, the place remained silent for two full minutes, before the mood of the three relaxed. As if they had agreed, they let out a long, relieved sigh together. Lonemoon sat down directly upon the sofa.
They were so scared!
She was finally gone. Big Boss Shen was much scarier than the intruders.
"Master…" Yi Qing went took a step forward, his face full of concern. He looked over Shen Ying carefully. "Are you… alright? Did that intruder hurt you?" With that said, he pulled his hand and started checking her pulse, uncertain.
Shen Ying's face blushed, and her heart was warm. Was her boyfriend so worried about her? Hmm, he was a passable boyfriend, and worth some encouragement.
With that said, he tried to keep up a smile. He said with a face full of seriousness, "Hmph! Just a mere intruder, I have seen enough of such. How could he hurt me?" With that said, her icy look glanced up and down the person opposite her. Remember his injuries from just now, she felt a bit of pity and then added, "By the way… you've already mastered the real ability of the assistant, how stupid were you to still get beaten up so badly by intruders."
"…" That was a knife in the heart!
Pui…
Even Chef had a day of getting despised for combat ability.
Lonemoon couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Yet Shen Ying's glance swept towards him next, "What right does another who was also beaten badly to laugh at him?"
Lonemoon, "…" Also a knife in the heart!
"Hey, hey…" Lonemoon's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but say, "That intruder was a Manager of another plane, and someone who has destroyed ten planes! We held on for so long at least. Besides, who was that one who cried so sadly and called for parent?"
"…" Shen Ying's face paled. She seemed to just remember that, and her whole person stiffened. The things after returning to three years old, though she hasn't much impression of them, she still vaguely remembered some of it. The reason that Big Sister suddenly appeared here seemed… perhaps… probably… really because she called for her.
Her face went darker and darker. So… so shameful. She actually called for a parent for rescue. This was absolutely her single worst history in fifteen years!
(*꒦꒳꒦)
What to do? What to do? She lost face in front of her inferiors.
Fifteen-year-old Shen Ying felt a great panic in her heart! Yet the indifference on her face remained exactly the same. She turned away directly, and said with a look of seriousness, "Next, we still have to deal with the problem of intrusion leftovers."
Lonemoon, "…"
Yi Qing: "…"
She was changing the subject, right? Absolutely! She didn't even dare to meet his eyes any more!
"Master, what leftovers problem?" Yi Qing felt relieved, letting go of her hand, giving his own Master a way out.
"With those small worlds, of course." Shen Ying hurried to click open a light screen. Perhaps intentionally, it covered her face perfectly. Very good, the subject was changed successfully.
╭(・ᄇ・)و̑̑ She pointed to the plane tree in front and said with an expression that was still cold, "Didn't you realize that the plane tree still hasn't recovered? Even the Manager himself came for the intrusion, which proved that their whole plane intruded together. Though the Manager is dead, those people who had already intruded into the small worlds will still affect this world if we don't hurry up and deal with them."
The faces of the two sank. They turned towards that golden plane tree, and just as Shen Ying said, those white patterns which occupied the River of Forgetfulness was fainter than before, with signs of turning back to golden, but still didn't disappear. The whole tree looked sick and malnourished, there were even leaves dropping to the ground occasionally.
"What do we do then?" Lonemoon frowned. There were really too many intruders, those who attacked the immortal realm alone was countless. Besides, their real forms were that kind of invisible white light. Not only that, they could also invade one's consciousness, and with purposeful camouflage, it was hard to tell. "We can't possibly go to every small world to find them. How long that would take!" Besides, most of those things occupied the River of Forgetfulness, which meant that they were constantly on the move. It was simply impossible to get them out completely. "Of course we can't look for every one of them." Shen Ying's hand which manipulated the light screen didn't stop. Lines and lines of data swept through it. She looked for a long while before saying, "I analyzed the data of that Manager. Their existence was based on communal living in the form of beehives. Their original plane should have disappeared long ago. The Manager was like the bee queen. With him dead now, the other intruders won't live long before they disappear slowly. Only that, this time may be between several decades and several centuries."
"So long!" Lonemoon was shocked, and he felt anxious. "Those things will occupy consciousness. The longer they were on a person, the more consumption it caused the soul. "It was better for immortals or cultivators, who can perhaps sustain several decades, but if it is on a mortal, the person's soul and spirit would dissipate completely."
"That's why I said they're to be dealt with immediately." Shen Ying closed the light screen and took a deep breath. "Luckily, most of them intruded into the small worlds through the River of Forgetfulness, and the time elapsed was not long. The aura has yet to disappear I should be able to track them, and try to clear them out at one go." With that said, she reached out with one hand and directly pressed on the tree trunk. Chef who never spoke just now suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Master…" He looked at the person in front of him with concern. Alerted by previous occurrences, he was even more worried about her. "Maybe… let me do it first?" Shen Jing said her body had yet to recover completely. He was really afraid something unpredictable might happen.
Shen Ying was stunned briefly. Her head tilted. "But you're not a Manager, you can't control the whole plane."
Yi Qing turned to look at the tree in front of him. For some reason, a strange sensation went across his heart, and he felt as though he could do it. "I'll just try once!"
"Alright." Shen Ying stepped back.
He took a step forward, pressed one hand onto the tree trunk, and closed his eyes. Suddenly, something came out from his body. As compared to the assistant ability from last time, it was much milder this time. For a time, the whole tree rustled, as though replying to something. In a short while, a golden glow started coming out of the whole tree, and it became brighter and brighter. Even the meadows in their surroundings looked like they were dyed golden. Suddenly, dots of white light drifted from the tree, and went towards the surroundings like snowflakes. Those white patterns on the tree which occupied the River of Forgetfulness also disappeared slowly, returning to the original gold color. In less than ten minutes, the originally sickly tree returned to liveliness like spring had come for a dried-up tree. Even those leaves which fell upon the ground floated back up and onto the twigs, like a video played backwards.
In another ten minutes, those drifting white light dots grew lesser, and eventually disappeared completely. At this time, the plane tree had already returned to its original state. Yi Qing opened his eyes and withdrew his hand. Perhaps it was an illusion, but he felt that the plane tree looked even stronger than before.
"Well done, Chef!" Lonemoon was slightly shocked as well. At first he thought he was only worried about Shen Ying, but he didn't expect him to really chase off all those intruders. "I didn't expect you to actually have such an ability?" Looking at those white light dots which drifted out, one could know how horrible the number of intruders was. Though he himself had already completely mastered the power of assistants, he couldn't be confident of doing as well as such. "Tell me, how did you do it?"
"I… I don't know." Yi Qing looked at his palm blankly. In the moment that he touched the plane tree, he only did that subconsciously, and then those intruders were gone. It was like… an instinct?
"Never mind, good that it's dealt with." Lonemoon didn't care about it as well. He said as he opened the plane passage, "We'd better hurry back. I don't know what's it like in the sect right now."
Yi Qing nodded, and caught Shen Ying habitually, "Master!
Time to go home and eat."
"Oh." Only then did Shen Ying follow. She turned back to look at the plane tree, and then at the boyfriend in front of her. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Hmm? Could it be that…