After Marrying the Disabled Demon Lord as a Substitute, I Ran Away with His Child - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The Long Family of the Cultivation World.

When the Long Family received the jade slip from the long-bearded cultivator, they were astonished. This elder of the Long Family, whom they had long thought deceased, was actually still alive as a soul cultivator.

After reading the contents, the Head of the Long Family didn’t care much for the elder’s current status. What truly captivated him was the mention of dozens of other soul cultivators who had regained their freedom.

If he could re-refine these souls into soul puppets for the Long Family or for himself his power would increase exponentially. He believed no one in the cultivation world could resist such a temptation, himself included.

However, no disciple of the Long Family mastered the art of soul-puppet refining.

At this moment, the Head of the Long Family thought of his son, Long Xiaotian. Long Xiaotian was the eldest disciple of Bi Mu, and those returned souls had once belonged to Bi Mu. Furthermore, among the younger generation of the Long Family, none could match Long Xiaotian’s talent and strength.

Long Xiaotian never expected his father to contact him again; he thought he had completely severed ties with the Long Family. He was surprised to find that the tall, majestic father of his memory looked much older today.

Moving slightly with pity, Long Xiaotian asked, “Father, why do you look so aged these days?”

The Head of the Long Family sighed deeply. “Since the Milong Secret Realm was destroyed, our family has lost a vast amount of treasures. Now, as the elders face their tribulations, we lack the materials to refine Tribulation Pills for them. The juniors also need materials to raise their cultivation and forge natal weapons. All this weight is on my shoulders; how could I not grow old?”

Long Xiaotian was moved. His father continued, “You thought I abandoned your sister by choice? I was powerless. As the Head, I must consider the entire clan, not just my children. Since those decisions, I haven’t had a night of peaceful cultivation. But as the Head, can I afford to fall?”

Long Xiaotian felt a pang of regret. He used to think his father was heartless for sacrificing kin for profit. Now, hearing this, he understood the pain and helplessness. He thought perhaps his father wanted to apologize to his mother and sister and bring them home.

“I will go convince Mother and Sister to forgive you and the clan,” Long Xiaotian said.

The Head of the Long Family: “…”

He cleared his throat and steered the conversation elsewhere. “I didn’t call you here for them. Did you know your Master once secretly killed a Long Family elder and refined his soul into a puppet?”

Long Xiaotian was shocked! “I had no idea. Did my Master truly do such a despicable thing?”

“The elder sent a jade slip. I must stay to guard the family estate, and I don’t trust the other juniors. Can I leave this task to you?”

Despite his hatred for how his father treated his sister and sisters-in-law, Long Xiaotian saw his father’s frailty and agreed. He realized that if he were in that position, he too might be bound by duty to make decisions he hated. He decided to help his father in the mortal realm, especially since it involved his missing, perhaps dead, Master.

As he prepared to leave, the Head of the Long Family told him, “Reconstructing bodies for souls is difficult. To prevent others from stealing them, we will first place restrictions on their souls, making them temporary soul puppets until bodies are refined.”

Long Xiaotian frowned. “Will they agree to become puppets?”

“It’s just a way to protect them,” his father lied smoothly. “With so many souls, someone will surely covet them.”

Long Xiaotian thought this made sense. The Head of the Long Family felt relieved and added, “Think back, did your Master ever teach you the method for refining soul puppets?”

Of course, Bi Mu would never teach such an evil art to his disciples while maintaining a righteous image. Long Xiaotian understood his father’s hint. “Master didn’t teach me, but I can collect some information during this trip.”

…

Long Xiaotian arrived in the mortal city discreetly. Souls were seen by many as resources or materials for artifacts rather than people. If word got out, other cultivators would swarm the city to snatch them.

He dodged other eyes, but he couldn’t dodge fate. As he reached the Long Family outpost, he was spotted by Zuo Mudong, who had just returned to the city.

Mudong immediately hid, thought for a moment, and rushed home.

When she pushed open the door to tell her sister about Long Xiaotian, she was greeted by a middle-aged beauty who looked like an ordinary person. Mudong froze, then recognized the familiar aura. It was her mother. She knew her sister could refine bodies, but she didn’t expect this surprise so soon.

The mother and daughter embraced tearfully. After a moment, Mudong asked, “Where is Siqiu? I have urgent news.”

Zuo Siqiu walked out of her room, rubbing her eyes. “Sister, you’re back.”

Mudong explained, “I saw your Eldest Senior Brother in the city. Others won’t recognize us, but we’re using the Long Family’s disguise technique he gave me. He’ll see through us instantly.”

Zuo Siqiu, suffering from a bit of ‘waking up crankiness,’ grumbled, “So we have to leave? We’ve only been settled for a few months and now we have to run again?”

Mudong smoothed her sister’s hair. “We can’t be found. If the Demon Venerable hears of this and comes for us, what then?”

The Demon Venerable himself, perched on the wall, gave a light snort. He wanted to see what these two sisters were up to now.

Zuo Siqiu sighed. “Fine, let’s run. My baby will be born in two or three months. We have to avoid all risks. Xuan Mo cannot know about the child. Better if the Second Senior Brother doesn’t find me either, or he’ll claim the kid is his. I don’t even want to see Eldest Senior Sister; I’m afraid the ‘Phantom Love Pill’ worked so well she thinks two women can have a baby and will claim the child is hers.”

“Besides,” Siqiu added, “I don’t even know whose child this is myself. If the truth comes out and it’s not Xuan Mo’s, and he finds out… with my current strength, I can’t beat him.”

Zuo Siqiu’s mother: “???”

The amount of information was too much for her to process. Zuo Mudong, equally helpless, just said, “Let’s just leave.”

As they packed, Xuan Mo watched from the wall. He found it hilarious that they thought they could hide from him. He had shared a bed with her for so long; he could find her anywhere. Her disguise was invisible to him.

He was annoyed by the talk of the Senior Brother and Sister claiming the child, thinking they were overstepping. But when he heard her say she “didn’t know whose child it was,” he felt as if a giant green hat was being lowered onto his head.

Is this child not mine? he fumed. We were legitimate cultivation partners. She was always clinging to me in bed! Did she cling to someone else too?

She wouldn’t dare! If she even thought of it, I wouldn’t let her live.

Pushing down his rage, he watched them leave. He decided to follow, but he needed a way to appear by their side as someone else.

At the alleyway, the stray dog Xiao Huang, who had eaten many of Siqiu’s flatbreads, jumped out wagging its tail. Siqiu knelt to pet it. “Xiao Huang, I’m leaving. In the future…”

She noticed the dog was limping, its leg broken. “What happened to your leg? Who hurt you?” The dog whined pitifully.

Siqiu realized someone had bullied the poor thing. She already had a rooster and three hens; what was one more dog? She fed it a tiny crumb of a low-grade healing pill, which instantly cured its injuries. Then, she took Xiao Huang with her.

Xuan Mo watched this from behind, his brow furrowed.

As the Demon Venerable, he couldn’t possibly turn into an animal to get her attention; his reputation in the cultivation world would be ruined. However, it seemed Zuo Siqiu couldn’t turn away from a pitiful person or animal.

He had an idea.