Chapter 9: A Mother’s Worry, A Child’s Embrace

“He didn’t even refute it…”

“That’s because he’s magnanimous.”

Shaking her head, Qíngyǔ pulled the Little Girl to her side by the hand. The old Daoist had just proposed initiating the child into the Dao, and that was something Qíngyǔ needed to ponder for a while.

“Then Little Mom is petty.”

The Little Girl made a face, lowering her voice yet deliberately ensuring Qíngyǔ would hear it.

The copper-buckled belt had stiffened, oh, but this was a world of immortal cultivation, so it should be said the discipline ruler had stiffened.

Pretending not to hear the girl’s words, Qíngyǔ turned to look at the two mortals, their faces etched with complex emotions.

“Please forgive this humble Daoist’s limited abilities; I was unable to swiftly eliminate that demonic entity for you both.”

Upon hearing this, Jí Yào promptly rose, bowing respectfully to the young woman.

“Nonsense, if not for Miss Cangxuan’s flower, we would have long fallen victim to that demonic entity’s venomous grasp. How could we possibly dare to ask for more?”

“Mr. Jí, you flatter me,” Qíngyǔ replied, returning the bow.

Holding the Little Girl’s hand, she addressed the two, “It’s getting late, and the Little Girl is still young, so we won’t linger here any longer.”

By now, it was past midnight; the moon had long since passed its zenith, now swaying precariously as it prepared to dip into the western horizon.

“Wait.”

Yang Qingqing, supported by Jí Yào, rose. Even now, she could still feel a warmth within her, placed there by the young woman.

“Young Lady, is there anything else?”

“I implore you, Immortal, to accept me as your disciple.”

Without hesitation, the Young Lady, despite her injuries and illness, moved to prostrate herself before the young woman once more, only to be gently supported by an unseen force.

Qíngyǔ looked at her, shook her head, and, holding the Little Girl’s hand, prepared to depart.

“You and I share no fated connection as master and disciple. If you truly wish to seek the Dao, Young Lady, perhaps you should inquire with that Daoist priest tomorrow.”

“But that demonic entity said I possess a spiritual meridian. Does that not even warrant the attention of an Immortal?”

Jí Yào’s heart skipped a beat at the Young Lady’s impetuous tone. He quickly stepped forward to support her, yet she brushed him off once more.

“This humble Daoist does not know what a spiritual meridian is, nor how one might use it to enter the Dao,” the young woman said, having reached the entrance of the Yang residence with the Little Girl in tow.

She glanced back at the unwilling woman and added, “Young Lady, it would be best for you to seek another fated encounter with an Immortal.”

Qíngyǔ had not lied. The methods of entering the Dao she was familiar with were indeed vastly different from those of this world.

While she could discern the differences between the Little Girl, Yang Qingqing, Zì Bùxiàn, Ruan Bai, and ordinary people, it was only moments ago that she truly understood what those differences signified.

***

Only after the two figures vanished into the distance did Yang Qingqing let out a long sigh, slowly sinking down to sit against the courtyard wall.

“Young Lady, there’s no need to be overly saddened. Won’t that Immortal be arriving tomorrow? Perhaps, Young Lady…”

“You don’t understand.”

Though she bore no bloodstains, her clothes were covered in dust.

“But didn’t that demonic entity also say your spiritual meridian was precious?”

Yang Qingqing wearily lifted her eyes to look at Jí Yào, then gazed blankly at the small gate through which Qíngyǔ and the Little Girl had departed.

“Just now, after that old Daoist arrived, he didn’t even spare us a glance.”

“This…”

The Servant bit his lip. He had never felt so powerless before; or rather, since mastering the blade in his early years, he had never experienced such helplessness.

It left him feeling as though the steel saber lying on the ground was nothing but a joke.

“Jí Yào, I’m tired. Go close the main gate, then check on my father and mother.”

“Then, Young Lady, you…”

“I want to be alone for a while.”

“You… sigh…”

Jí Yào turned away reluctantly, and before he had taken more than a few steps, he heard a calm voice from behind him.

“Pick up the saber before you go.”

After a moment of silence, he turned back, picked up the saber, and without bothering to wipe the blood, casually hung it at his waist before striding off to close the gate.

The red-lacquered main gate of the Yang residence creaked, and soon enough, it closed, sealing in a courtyard full of sorrow.

***

In the small alley outside the residence, on the flagstone path, the Little Girl dragged her feet, petulantly kicking the ubiquitous pebbles far into the distance.

Qíngyǔ found it somewhat baffling. She hadn’t even had a chance to scold the little one, yet here she was, already sulking.

Having no other option, she cleared her throat twice before speaking: “Ahem, ahem, Little Girl, do you know what you did wrong tonight?”

“Little Mom is mean.”

The moonlight illuminated their figures, yet it couldn’t blend them into the depths of the night.

“How is Little Mom mean?”

The Little Girl pouted in sullen silence, turning her head away, ignoring the person beside her as if she were mere air.

This left Qíngyǔ even more bewildered. Unwilling to scold the little one too harshly, she could only stiffen, continuing in a somewhat rigid tone: “Tonight, did you secretly run out of the house?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Don’t lie…”

“I didn’t!”

Upon hearing the Little Girl’s reply, the young woman felt her head pound. If her disciples from her previous life had ever spoken to her like that, they would have long since felt the sting of the discipline ruler.

“Little Girl…”

Qíngyǔ gently squeezed the Little Girl’s small hand, which was clutching hers tightly, and spoke as kindly as possible.

“It’s clearly Little Mom’s fault! You went to a dangerous place all by yourself and didn’t even tell me!”

The Little Girl, who had kept her face turned away, suddenly spun around.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, her lips pressed tightly together, and her unkempt hair fell loosely, making her look like a vulnerable little waif abandoned by a faithless woman.

“This…”

“It was the same last time, too! You went climbing a mountain all by yourself and just left me alone.”

“Little Girl…”

“Last time was fine, after all, Little Mom didn’t care much about me then. But now, now…”

The Little Girl suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Qíngyǔ’s waist, her small face pressed firmly against her chest.

“Now, I only have Little Mom left.”

Sensing the faint warmth seeping through her clothes, the young woman fell silent. She simply crouched down slightly, wrapped her arms around the Little Girl, and gently patted her shoulder.

Indeed, the Little Girl’s worries were not unfounded. Qíngyǔ had rushed out on a whim this time, neither knowing the true power of the demonic entity nor understanding the Immortal Dao of this world.

She had simply followed her heart, unable to bear seeing others suffer.

If she had been no match for the demonic entity, what would have become of the Little Girl?

Qíngyǔ refused to entertain any worse possibilities.

“Little Mom was wrong. Next time, Little Mom definitely won’t lie to Little Girl.”

The Little Girl sniffled, nuzzling her head against Qíngyǔ, wiping large tears onto the young woman’s clothing.

“I don’t believe you! Little Mom always says she’ll lie to me and then does. You have no integrity at all.”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

“Little Mom is clearly named Cangxuan, but you lied to me, saying your name was Qíngyǔ.”

“Cangxuan is a Daoist title (TL Note: A formal name or epithet adopted by a Daoist practitioner, distinct from their given name.), not a given name.”

Technically, she also had the courtesy name Qíng Huàyǔ, but she rarely used it.

“What’s a Daoist title?”

The Little Girl wiped her tears, blinked her eyes, and looked up, staring suspiciously at the young woman’s serene face.

“A Daoist title is a name given by one’s master.”

A more detailed explanation would take some effort, but there was no need to tell the Little Girl all of it now.

“Then Little Mom isn’t allowed to lie to me again, okay?”

“When was ‘last time’ again…”

Patting the Little Girl’s head, Qíngyǔ finally breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that she had stopped crying.

“I don’t care! Anyway, Little Mom isn’t allowed to lie to me again!”

“Then Little Girl also has to promise Little Mom one thing.”

“Mm… Little Mom, tell me!”

“Don’t make Little Mom worry anymore.”

The young woman suddenly reached out, picked up the Little Girl, and rubbed her cheek against hers with affection.

“Mm… I know I was wrong… Then Little Mom shouldn’t make *me* worry either, okay?”

“Unless Little Mom encounters something she can’t resolve, I won’t make Little Girl worry.”

Qíngyǔ dared not agree to her previous condition, so she forcibly changed the subject.

“I love Little Mom the most!”

“Little Mom loves Little Girl the most too.”

This girl could be rambunctious at times, yet at others, she was so well-behaved it was heart-wrenching.

Looking at the little one, who was already smiling despite the lingering tear stains, Qíngyǔ suddenly remembered that she still needed to ask her how she felt about the old Daoist’s offer to initiate her into the Dao.

However, this wasn’t the right atmosphere for such a question.

The young woman could only tuck the question away, deciding to address it after they met again tomorrow.

If the Little Girl liked it, Qíngyǔ was still willing to let her experience the unique Immortal Dao of this world.

After all, the path she cultivated was far too arduous, and she didn’t want this mischievous little one to become as rigid and serious as herself.