Liu Changning’s tea-colored eyes were deep and profound, her back as straight as a pine tree. But if one looked carefully, one could see her footsteps were a bit unsteady.

She stumbled all the way back to the sect gate. At the entrance, she happened to encounter a red-robed man sitting on a flying crane.

The crane was flying very fast. From a great distance, Liu Changning only sensed that his expression was strange, with fine beads of sweat on his smooth forehead.

He didn’t even look down at her, but flew quickly into Mingyuan Immortal Residence on the crane.

Liu Changning’s heart skipped a beat. At this moment her heart was in turmoil as she chased after him on a cloud.

All the serving disciples in the immortal residence had been driven out. When the palace master returned to his cave dwelling, his expression was not good, and his voice was icy as he drove them away.

The serving disciples looked at each other, not daring to come forward to ask. They waited outside the cave dwelling, all breathing sighs of relief when they saw Liu Changning.

Pei Ziyuan’s cave dwelling was very large, with the ground paved with green jade stones and night pearls hanging on the walls for illumination.

The cave dwelling was usually used for the two of them to meditate and rest, with all necessary items. On the inside was a white jade platform, with a mattress made of nine-tailed fox fur on top of the platform.

Two meditation cushions were placed on the thick layer of soft fur. Usually this place was most suitable for dual cultivation.

When Liu Changning walked in, the beads of sweat on his forehead had already gathered into drops. His slender hands were clasped together, covering his lower abdomen.

Seeing this scene, Liu Changning’s heart raced and she flashed over to his side.

“Did you get injured on your lower abdomen outside?”

The two strands of hair on his forehead were already wet. Pei Ziyuan raised his head with difficulty and met Liu Changning’s concerned eyes.

He opened his lips and said with difficulty, “You… go out first.”

Liu Changning’s gaze stayed on his tightly covered abdomen. How could she listen to him now? A trace of worry flashed through her cold eyes as she peeled away his hands without allowing any objection.

Her face sank, “What exactly happened?”

Their eyes met, and Elder Pei’s face turned bright red. He pushed away her hand and said through parted lips, “Get out!”

Of course Liu Changning wouldn’t leave. She tyrannically lifted him up to examine the wound on his lower abdomen.

The man in her arms turned purple. Suddenly there was a “pop” sound. Liu Changning only felt her two hands supporting his buttocks grow hot, and a round object slid out from under his long robe, falling into her hands.

The old cadre’s worried expression froze on her face as she dazedly put down the furiously embarrassed phoenix.

Opening her palms, with her two hands cupped together, an egg appeared in her hands.

“This is?” Liu Changning was stunned for a long while before slowly turning her head to stare at Pei Ziyuan and ask.

His ink-black eyes flickered. His thin lips pressed into a straight line as his fingers anxiously clenched and unclenched. His voice was deep and muffled as he angrily said, “It’s your child.”

Liu Changning choked, unable to catch her breath as she coughed. Even with her vast knowledge and experience, she had never imagined that her child would be an… egg.

Taking in her expression without missing a detail, Pei Ziyuan’s mood worsened even more. He had imagined she might be disgusted, but witnessing her current expression firsthand made his chest tighten uncontrollably.

He kept his face tight, hiding all traces of vulnerability. He snatched the big white egg from her hands and said with a cold laugh, “If you’re disgusted, I’ll raise it myself.”

His voice was icy but inexplicably tinged with a hint of grievance.

Although the old cadre’s reactions were slow, she now sensed the problem. She pulled the man in front of her, egg and all, into her embrace.

She softly comforted him, “How could I be disgusted? A child of Ziyuan and mine should be this unique. Even if you gave birth to a monster, what of it? It would still be the bloodline of us two.”

Pei Ziyuan’s whole body trembled. He suddenly raised his head, the deep ink color in his eyes disappearing, replaced by rippling waves.

He forcefully suppressed the upward curl of his lips and explained with dignity, “I have the bloodline of the ancient Vermilion Bird, unlike other men who give birth through pregnancy. The egg I laid will be able to hatch on its own after ten months, and will be… um! A normal baby, not a monster.”

Liu Changning suddenly understood. She stroked the egg in his arms and said gently, “Ziyuan is amazing, not having to go through the hardship of ten months of pregnancy. I’m very happy.”

Her expression was very calm, with a trace of tender smile in her eyes. Pei Ziyuan looked up and plunged into that deep pool of gentleness.

The irritability, anxiety, and even the faint insecurity and timidity of these past days dissipated like smoke.

He suddenly smiled, realizing he should have had full trust in her. She loved him in her reserved way, without flowery words, but with more acceptance and depth than anyone else.

He used his spiritual power to lift the big white egg and place it in front of the bed. Then he reached out and tightly grasped her shoulders.

His lips pressed against her ear as he said hoarsely, “Wife-master, I want you.”

Liu Changning’s heart stirred. Her wolf-like tiger-like hands reached out, but paused midair. She met his gaze with restraint and hesitantly said, “Ziyuan just laid an egg, do you need to rest for a few days?”

With these words, the ambiguous atmosphere was completely destroyed. Elder Pei lifted his eyelids and angrily tore off her clothes.

Turning on the cold air full blast, he said furiously, “I can do it. If you can’t, I’ll go down the mountain to the brothel to take care of it.”

Liu Changning half-squinted her eyes, pinning him down on the meditation cushion. The corners of her eyes curved upwards, “Oh? The brothel!”

Two human shadows were reflected on the green jade stones, intertwined together.

This night was long, enduring, and drenched in hot sweat.

—

Ten months later, Dunshi Immortal Palace

Dense snow had begun to fall on the mountain in recent days.

Snowflakes danced in the air as the temperature plummeted.

In Pei Ziyuan’s cave dwelling, the floor heating had been turned on early.

The entire room was warm and cozy. The new first-time mother father guarded beside the egg all day, waiting for the child’s birth.

They had carefully calculated the days, and the child should have hatched three days ago.

Liu Changning and Pei Ziyuan had made full preparations, but unexpectedly, the big white egg showed no signs of movement.

As the days dragged on, Pei Ziyuan grew inexplicably anxious, staring at the egg for three days without sleep or rest. Although cultivators don’t need rest, he was still exhausted in body and mind.

Liu Changning couldn’t bear to see him like this, and after much coaxing and persuasion, finally got him to take a short nap.

The snow was heavy that day, covering everything outside in silver. Inside the room, it was as warm as spring.

But Pei Ziyuan’s sleep was restless. He had a dream.

It was a similar snowy day, in a temple. Inside the temple, a woman in white robes encircled the waist of a man in red.

The man reached out to caress the woman’s jade-like face, saying softly: “Wife-master, will you give me a child?”

The woman, half-sitting on the bed, met his clear gaze and opened her mouth.

Silence spread.

She grasped his hand, their fingers intertwining. Her face full of guilt, she said: “Ziyuan, three lifetimes of bitter fruit for one lifetime of perfection. In this life, can we live and die together? A child… I… will eventually grant you one.”

The woman in the dream turned her head, and Pei Ziyuan saw her face clearly. A familiar face, familiar tone, familiar aura.

His mind buzzed, fragments of memories flooding in. Four lifetimes of obsessive entanglement, vividly clear in the dream.

At the moment of waking, the charcoal fire was burning brightly. The woman in white robes, as white as snow, was crouching beside the big white egg. Her eyes deep and profound, she spoke softly to the egg: “I am your mother. In this life, me, him, you – this is perfection.”

Two streams of clear tears flowed down Pei Ziyuan’s cheeks, dripping onto the ground. He stumbled to his feet, barefoot, and embraced the woman who didn’t seem particularly broad in stature.

“Sleep a bit more, I’ll watch the egg.”

She hugged him back, then suddenly looked down, noticing his bare feet. She lightly scolded: “How can you walk barefoot? Such a grown man, not knowing how to take care of yourself.”

She finished speaking and was about to get up to fetch his embroidered shoes.

But unexpectedly, he held her tightly in his arms. Liu Changning raised an eyebrow. Pei Ziyuan rarely embraced her with such dependence.

In this life, Elder Pei’s character was even more strong-willed. Even during moments of joy and love, when she took him fiercely, he never showed a hint of weakness.

But at this moment, he was surrounded by an indescribable softness.

His fingers locked around her waist, as if wanting to meld into her bones and blood.

Surprised in her heart, Liu Changning opened her mouth to ask, but before she could, her world spun as he forcefully laid her down on the white jade platform where the big white egg was.

She curled her lips slightly, reaching out to stroke his ink-black eyes. Her thin lips moved: “Ziyuan…”

But the man on top of her didn’t give her a chance to speak. His lips drew closer inch by inch, grinding and kneading.

After a long while, the surrounding air heated up. A deep call sounded in Liu Changning’s ear: “Wife-master, call me A’Shao!”

Liu Changning’s half-lowered eyelids suddenly lifted. She stared fixedly into his eyes, and he lazily hooked his lips at her. A pair of hands unhurriedly untied her chest wrappings. Their eyes met, everything understood without words.

Before losing rationality, Liu Changning bit his long, fair neck.

—The following is omitted—

The moment the egg was crushed, both their closely pressed bodies paused.

A reddish baby poked its head out from the eggshell.

Its eyes rolled back and forth between Liu Changning and Pei Ziyuan, although they knew a newborn baby couldn’t see clearly.

The shame of being watched by the child made Pei Ziyuan tremble, his heart pounding.

—

Liu Dansheng’s Diary

My name is Liu Dansheng. Because I hatched from an egg, my mother found naming troublesome and gave me this fitting (not really) name.

I inherited the ancient Vermilion Bird bloodline from my father, born with spiritual consciousness.

On the day of my birth, my vision was blurry, but my senses were keener than others.

My mother and my father, heh… did things to me that were not suitable for children.

Forget it, this wife and husband have always been shamelessly affectionate, oblivious to others.

From a young age, I knew that endurance was a basic quality for a cultivator to ascend.

The year I turned one hundred, I had just entered the Nascent Soul stage. That irresponsible wife and husband pair finally felt at ease to ascend together.

When mother was leaving, she earnestly imparted ascension insights to me, while one hand was already climbing up my father’s slender waist.

Heh! The sinful nature of women. Of course, although I am a woman, I would never be as… wolfish and tigerish as my mother.

Before ascending, there was some emotion on father’s face. He wanted to come forward and hug me, but was blocked by my jealous mother. After this wife and husband pair exchanged meaningful glances, they left me a pile of heavenly treasures, immortal weapons, and pills, then departed together.

After being taught (tortured) by this wife and husband pair, I vowed that in the future, I would find a man more beautiful than my father and show off our affection in front of these two shameless parents.

Unfortunately, in another month I will also ascend. Men more beautiful than my father seem to have vanished from the world.

Life is hard.

Oh, there’s something even harder – in another month, I will again face that shameless affectionate wife and husband pair every day.

Distressing!