Upon hearing Huaiyan's instructions, the assistant named Xiao Li hurriedly went to prepare the tea and fruit juice. After Xiao Li left, Huaiyan made a welcoming gesture toward the young man before him.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Fan nodded lightly, then took little Yunli's small hand and sat down opposite Huaiyan. Little Yunli, on the other hand, skillfully climbed into his lap.
"Yunli, this is General Huaiyan, who was once half a teacher to your father."
Upon hearing Fan's words, Yunli in his arms cautiously observed the white-bearded old general before her, who was not much taller than herself. A trace of timidity flashed in her eyes.
"Gen… General Huaiyan, I am Yunli…"
"Hahaha, hello, little Yunli."
Seeing the girl's shy and fearful appearance, Huaiyan did not mind. This child had lost her parents; the shadow would probably follow her for the rest of her life. He himself bore an unshirkable responsibility regarding the demonic sword forging incident.
If he, as a general, had not been momentarily negligent, such a catastrophic disaster might not have occurred.
"Mr. Fan, regarding the matter I mentioned to you last time, have you considered it?"
After observing the timid little Yunli for a while, Huaiyan shifted his gaze to the man before him. This powerful expert of unknown origin—how exactly had he arrived on the Zhuming Xianzhou?
He had truly done it without a sound. If not for the disaster at the Flamewheel Forging Palace that day, this person probably would not have revealed himself so easily.
"Yes, I have considered your proposal. I agree to hand little Yunli over to you for care and upbringing."
After hearing Fan say that he would hand her over to the little old man before her to raise, little Yunli, who had been happily eating her candied hawthorn, froze. Her eyes instantly filled with tears.
The girl looked at the man who had saved her from dire straits with an incredulous gaze. For a moment, she even forgot to cry, letting the tears swirl in her eyes.
After a long while, Yunli finally reacted from her sadness. In a pitiful and aggrieved voice, she asked:
"Big Brother… Is Big Brother tired of Yunli? Big Brother, don't worry, Yunli is very easy to take care of. As long as Big Brother doesn't send Yunli away, Yunli will…"
Yunli's words reached the man's ears, and a strong sense of guilt surged into Fan's heart. If it were possible, he would not want to entrust little Yunli to others either. It was just that…
He ultimately did not belong to this timeline. He had to return to his original time. In order not to interfere with the 'Causality Law's' disturbance of the future, Fan could only hand little Yunli over to the Zhuming Xianzhou for upbringing as originally intended.
"Little Yunli, Big Brother is not abandoning you. It's just that I do not belong to this time, so I cannot stay here for too long. Do you understand?"
"No… Yunli doesn't understand. Yunli wants Big Brother…!"
The heartbroken little girl would not listen to Fan's explanation. Besides, concepts like timelines were still too profound for a child of her age. She could not understand the reasons and connections behind them.
'Does not belong to this timeline?!'
Huaiyan, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the two, felt his heart shake. If the man before him was not lying, then he was very likely from the past or the future.
However, judging from his active intervention to save little Yunli that day, this unknown powerhouse was most likely from the future.
Traveling from the future to the past… In some unknown number of years in the future, had a Star God capable of controlling time been born? Or was this the power of [Finality]?
"Sigh~!"
Seeing little Yunli stubbornly refusing to listen and insisting on following him no matter what, the man gave up on trying to patiently persuade her further. Reasoning with a child—especially a pitiful child—was truly too difficult.
"Okay, okay, okay. Big Brother will take you with him. Big Brother won't leave you. Little Yunli, don't cry, don't cry…"
He held the crying little Yunli in his arms and gently patted her back. Soon, she stopped crying and asked in a half-believing, half-doubting tone:
"You… You're telling the truth?"
"Mhm, of course it's true. How could Big Brother lie to little Yunli?"
Fan smiled and stroked little Yunli's small head, speaking gently.
"Uuu… I knew Big Brother Fan wouldn't abandon me!"
"Yes, yes, yes. Big Brother won't abandon you…"
While comforting little Yunli in his arms, Fan raised his head and gave General Huaiyan a meaningful look.
Seeing the young man signal him with his eyes, Huaiyan hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing more.
"The tea is here, General, and this esteemed guest, please enjoy it slowly."
Just as the atmosphere became slightly awkward, the assistant whom Huaiyan had sent to brew tea returned carrying two cups of tea and a glass of fruit juice.
After placing the two cups of tea in front of Huaiyan and Fan, Assistant Li thoughtfully inserted a straw into the glass and placed it in front of Yunli.
"Please enjoy it too, little princess."
In the following time, Fan and Huaiyan did not discuss any major national affairs. They simply chatted casually about everyday matters.
Fan inquired about basic information regarding the Zhuming Xianzhou, while Huaiyan only simply asked for his name and did not mention anything about the 'timeline.'
Gradually, night fell. Little Yunli, who had been pricking up her ears to listen to the conversation between the two adults, could no longer resist the fatigue coming from her brain. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she soon fell asleep in Fan's arms.
"This child really likes you. How about you stay on the Zhuming Xianzhou? I will personally arrange an identity for you, and Yunli can be left in your care from now on."
"No, I have reasons that force me to leave."
Slightly lowering his head, Fan gently tidied the sleeping girl's hair. Then, specks of starlight appeared on his hand as he left a [Causality] imprint within Yunli's body.
Unlike the imprints given to Sparkle and Topaz, the imprint in Yunli's body could not be sensed normally and could not be actively used. It would only activate when the girl's life was in mortal danger, blocking a strike comparable to the power of a top-tier Emanator for her.
"General Huaiyan, I leave Yunli in your care."
"My sudden departure may cause this little one to feel sad for quite some time, but this is the best choice for her."
At this point, the man paused for a moment before continuing:
"If… after Yunli grows up, she still cannot forget me, then once she reaches adulthood, let her come to the Xianzhou Luofu to find me. At that time, I should be there."