"Ah! Cheng Shou is dead? Run!!"
A cry of alarm rang out from the crowd.
Hearing this, the people on the street snapped out of their daze and scattered in panic, afraid of being implicated.
In an instant, the once crowded street became empty. Even some shops hurriedly closed their doors.
Most of the people here were ordinary folks. The latter half of this street was where items and resources for cultivators were sold, so there were no brave souls who dared to stay. After all, the Cheng Family was one of the two major families ruling Tianhuang City, and its cruel reputation was deeply ingrained in everyone's hearts.
Anyone who offended the Cheng Family would basically be wiped out.
"Oh well! Nothing left to browse anymore," Xiao Ling said, looking at the now quiet street with a face full of frustration.
"It's all that ugly toad's fault!" Xiao Meng sighed, equally disappointed. She hadn't had enough fun yet.
"Alright, alright. When we get to Holy Pill City, it's even livelier there. I'll have your Aunt Xuan take you to experience it properly," Xiao Jietian said as he brought Xuan Yi over to stand before the two girls.
As for how he brought her—naturally, his arm was wrapped around her waist. While walking, Xiao Jietian also gently kneaded a few times.
It had to be said that Xuan Yi's figure and skin were truly flawless. Even through the cheongsam, he could feel the softness of her waist and the smooth, tender texture of her skin. The sensation was something only those who had touched it would understand.
Xuan Yi naturally felt it too. She even sensed Xiao Jietian's hand secretly sliding downward, getting dangerously close to her buttocks.
Unable to bear it any longer, she reached out and unceremoniously pinched the back of his hand, warning him not to push his luck.
Seeing this, Xiao Jietian knew it was enough. He slowly moved his hand back to its original position on her waist.
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng also noticed that their father's hand was already on Xuan Yi's waist. The two little girls exchanged a quick glance, a hint of sly smiles in their eyes.
Then they looked at Xuan Yi with bright, innocent smiles.
Xuan Yi saw their adorable faces and felt her heart melt. She thought they were happy because they heard they could play again once they reached Holy Pill City.
"Of course. I promise to make sure you two have lots of fun then." Xuan Yi even thought that next time they went out, she must bring some people from the Pill Tower along, just in case another nuisance appeared and made her lose face.
"Really?" Their eyes lit up like bright little light bulbs.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?" Xuan Yi rubbed their heads affectionately.
"That's great! Thank you, Mother Xuan Yi!!" The two girls jumped up happily.
"Ah~ Ah!!"
Hearing that address, Xuan Yi felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her entire body froze in place. Her expression rapidly changed from shock to panicked helplessness, and finally, she completely lost her composure.
The tips of her ears turned red at a visible speed, spreading from her earlobes all the way down her neck. She looked like a boiled shrimp.
"No, no, that's not right!" Xuan Yi's usual calm and collected demeanor had completely vanished. She waved her hands frantically, her voice trembling from urgency and turning into a stutter. "You… you… how can you call me Mother? This… this isn't appropriate… You can't call me that yet…"
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng exchanged another glance. Instead of backing down, they smiled even more brightly and said in unison:
"Okay, Mother Xuan Yi! We know, Mother Xuan Yi!"
Xuan Yi felt her mind go blank. She had never imagined that one day she would be chased by two little girls calling her "Mother."
Her cheeks burned crimson, and even her breathing became rapid.
"Who… who taught you to speak like that!" Xuan Yi tried to use a stern tone to hide her panic, but her trembling voice completely betrayed her.
As she spoke, her eyes quickly darted toward Xiao Jietian, clearly suspecting that the shameless man had taught them this. It was exactly the kind of thing he would do!!
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng clung to Xuan Yi, one on each side, hugging her thighs. Their eyes and small faces looked incredibly innocent as they said:
"No one taught us. It's just that Aunt Xuan is the best to us, so we want you to be our Mother!"
"That's right! Besides Aunt Xuan, no one else treats us this well!"
The two little girls put on pitiful expressions, as if they could burst into tears at any moment.
Looking at them, Xuan Yi felt maternal love instantly overflow. She crouched down, embraced the two little girls, and gently comforted them, completely immersing herself in the role of a mother.
Xiao Jietian watched the two little girls' flawless performance and secretly gave them a big thumbs-up.
Indeed, they were his warm little cotton jackets—so helpful!
Little did he know that when the truth eventually came out, the father and two daughters…
…
Just as Xuan Yi was comforting the two little girls, in the Cheng Family Manor's council hall.
At this moment, all the high-ranking members of the Cheng Family were gathered here discussing matters.
A man in a guard's uniform burst through the door in panic, shouting, "Patriarch… Patriarch… something terrible has happened…"
Bang!
Cheng Chuan slammed his hand on the table. The thick, specially made wooden tabletop let out a dull thud like a thunderclap.
"What's with all this panic?! I've said it before—you must stay calm in times of crisis! That's the family rule!"
The guard was intimidated by Cheng Chuan's roar and fell to his knees with a thud. He didn't dare raise his head, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind. "Patriarch… the Young Master… he… he's dead."
The guard was so terrified that he almost misspoke and said the Patriarch himself had died.
Hearing those words, Cheng Chuan sprang to his feet. His eyes widened instantly, filled with disbelief and raging fury.
He appeared in front of the guard in a flash, radiating a chilling aura. He grabbed the guard's collar and lifted him up. "What did you say? Say it again!"
Cheng Chuan's voice was low and filled with uncontrollable rage. Each word was squeezed out from between his teeth. His eyes were bloodshot, like a beast that had lost all reason.
At this moment, the brightly lit council hall was enveloped in a suffocating killing intent.
"The Young Master was… was killed on Lingsha Street," the guard stammered, so intimidated that his pants started to get wet.
The Cheng Family Patriarch, Cheng Chuan, stared at the kneeling guard with eyes full of murderous intent.
The armrest of the chair he had been sitting on had already been crushed to pieces. His knuckles trembled with rage.
The other people in the hall didn't even dare to breathe loudly.