The two little girls recounted the tale of "rescuing the pretty auntie in the bushes" with great enthusiasm, their voices rising and falling like silver bells. Of course, the story had been embellished along the way—Xiao Jietian's every action grew grander, every pill more miraculous, every gesture more heroic.
When they reached the part about the "incredibly precious Eighth-Grade Pill tempered by five-colored tribulation lightning," Xuan Yi's calm phoenix eyes suddenly widened.
Five-colored pill lightning… Eighth Grade!
The words struck her like an invisible sledgehammer, shattering the tranquil lake of her heart into surging waves.
So that was it.
No wonder… no wonder from the moment she awoke, a warm, continuous current had been quietly nourishing her damaged soul sea, mending cracks she had thought would take years to heal.
Even she—peak eighth-grade alchemist, one of the three giants of Pill Tower—possessed only a handful of such pills in her lifetime.
To casually feed one to a complete stranger?
She could never have done it.
On the Dou Qi Continent, whenever an Eighth-Grade Pill appeared, blood would flow—brothers turned against brothers, children against fathers, sects against sects—all for a single pill.
Yet this man had not only taken out such a treasure without hesitation, he had also spent two full hours painstakingly purging the soul-corroding black mist with his tribulation lightning, never once showing impatience or reluctance.
Gratitude surged in Xuan Yi's chest like a tide—vast, deep, almost suffocating. She no longer knew how she could possibly repay such kindness.
About twenty minutes later, Xiao Jietian stepped back into the cave.
Laughter as clear and melodious as silver bells greeted him.
In the deepest part of the cavern, Xuan Yi sat on the stone bed with Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng nestled against her, chatting and giggling. All three faces were lit with genuine smiles.
"Daddy!"
The moment they spotted him, the two little ones broke away from Xuan Yi like arrows loosed from a bow and flew straight into his arms.
Xiao Jietian caught them effortlessly, one in each arm. The corners of his lips curved into the faintest, softest smile.
"Hey~ Daddy's right here."
The two Little Princesses chirped happily, burrowing into his embrace like cheerful little birds.
Xiao Jietian gently rubbed his chin against their soft cheeks. "Our two little princesses are awake?"
Xuan Yi watched from the stone bed.
Just moments ago these same two girls had been clinging to her, sweetly declaring "Aunt Xuan is the best" and "I love Aunt Xuan the most."
The instant their father returned, they had abandoned her without a backward glance.
She couldn't help but feel a tiny, inexplicable pang of loss.
"Daddy, I'm hungry," Xiao Ling announced, tilting her small head up at him with big, pleading eyes.
"Okay, okay. Daddy will prepare something delicious right now. You two go wash up first."
His voice brimmed with deep, doting affection. He planted gentle kisses on each small face before setting them down.
Xuan Yi stared at him.
Earlier, when speaking with her, he had been domineering, fearless of heaven and earth, his every word carrying the chill of absolute sovereignty.
Now, cradling his daughters, he was the epitome of a tender, indulgent father.
For a moment she wondered whether her soul damage had caused hallucinations—whether the two versions of Xiao Jietian could possibly belong to the same man.
And yet… watching him now, she found the sight inexplicably… amusing.
After the four of them enjoyed a fragrant roasted rabbit feast—seasoned to perfection, head dutifully removed per Xiao Meng's earlier instructions—the two little girls obediently sat cross-legged on cushions they had taken from their spatial rings and began cultivating.
Xuan Yi watched them with gentle eyes.
The two porcelain dolls sat with perfect posture, small hands forming seals, aura flowing smoothly around them.
Then—
The moment their cultivation auras began to ripple outward, Xuan Yi's faint smile froze solid.
She reached up and patted her own cheeks—once, twice, hard enough to leave faint red marks—testing whether she had somehow ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms in the soup.
After confirming the sting was real, she finally accepted the truth.
Three years old… Dou Huang?
She turned slowly toward Xiao Jietian, disbelief written across her refined features.
"They… they're Dou Huangs?"
Xiao Jietian nodded casually. "Yes. What's wrong? Do you think their strength is still too low?"
Xuan Yi nearly spat blood.
She had seen people pretend to be humble before—but never to this shameless degree. At least try to hide the smirk tugging at the corners of your mouth; it's practically reaching your ears!
Her gaze flickered between the two cultivating little girls and the man beside her.
Names… Xiao Jietian… two three-year-old Dou Huang daughters…
A long-buried memory surfaced—something her teacher had once mentioned in passing about an ancient clan that had vanished into the river of history.
But she quickly suppressed the thought.
Everyone had secrets. Prying too deeply would only breed resentment.
Xuan Yi composed herself, smoothed her expression into a smile, and turned to Xiao Jietian.
"I'm actually far more curious about your current cultivation."
"Me?" Xiao Jietian shrugged lightly. "Just an ordinary man who happens to be exceptionally handsome. No Dou Qi at all."
Xuan Yi rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into her skull.
She didn't believe a single syllable.
"An ordinary man can produce such monstrous daughters?"
"What if it's because their mother is exceptional?"
Xuan Yi paused.
There was… a certain logic there.
And earlier they had mentioned being "kicked out" by Mommy…
She shook her head violently, almost letting him lead her astray again.
This man is definitely poisonous.
She refused to believe he was ordinary. Even with her soul currently weakened, her judgment of people remained sharp. Xiao Jietian carried the unmistakable aura of someone who stood above the world.
"If you were truly ordinary, how could their mother have fallen for you?" she countered, fixing him with a look that said she had seen through everything.
"Because I'm handsome." Xiao Jietian spread his hands innocently. "Tell me—who on the entire continent is as handsome as I am?"
Xuan Yi fell silent for a moment.
…He wasn't wrong.
Even the person she had once admired in her youth paled in comparison.
Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, finding anyone who could even reach two-thirds of his appearance would be difficult.
(Though of course—this does not include you, dear readers. Guanxi is far more handsome than any protagonist.)
"Slick-tongued," she muttered. "Not a single truthful word leaves your mouth. Sooner or later, I'll uncover every last one of your secrets."
She felt as though the calm composure she had spent decades cultivating in seclusion had been shattered in mere hours by this man.
He is absolutely poisonous. Best not get too close.
Xuan Yi rose, intending to move away and continue recuperating in peace.
After taking only a few steps, she paused and turned back.
Her phoenix eyes softened, carrying sincere gratitude.
"Thank you… for the Eighth-Grade Pill."
Xiao Jietian's hand—currently stirring the fire—froze mid-motion.
He glanced toward the two cultivating little girls, recalled their earlier embellished storytelling, and immediately understood.
A faint, warm smile curved his lips.
"It was just a small effort."
"Your great kindness… I will repay many times over in the future."
Xuan Yi rolled her eyes again.
Her emotions had fluctuated more in this short time than in all her years inside Pill Tower combined.
She decided not to engage him any further.
After leaving those words, she turned and walked toward the stone bed.
But after only a few more steps, she stopped again.
Reaching into her spatial ring, she retrieved a small jade bottle and tossed it lightly toward him.
"Take this. It can help you recover faster."
Xiao Jietian caught the bottle, brow arching slightly in surprise.
Inside the cave, the fire crackled softly.
Outside, mountain winds sighed through ancient pines.
And between them, the invisible threads of karma tightened one more inch—whether by gratitude, curiosity, or something far deeper still.