FRGNM -Chapter 320 The Babies’ Daddy

Could it be…?

Thinking of the Azure Luans that had flown inside, Nangong Mo’s eyes lit up. He asked instinctively, “Could it be that the ones who just went in were Ruoxi and Luo Mingyu…? They’re back?”

“Mm. Where’s Baili Yan?” Jiang Yu didn’t want to say more and continued asking coldly.

As for the four little kids beside him—freshly “born,” how could they possibly stay still? One by one, like wild horses released from their reins, they vanished with a whoosh, leaving no trace behind. The ones who suffered were the people in the imperial city. Before anyone could even react, a large portion of the snacks on the stalls had already disappeared.

“You mean Aunt Baili Yan? She’s with the Old Ancestor, right over—” Nangong Mo pointed ahead, but before he could finish, the black-clad figure vanished outright, not giving him any chance to explain.

What strange people… and who knew where they had gone to find such strange companions?

No, he had to go take a look too…

The people below were completely dumbfounded, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, wishing they could record everything they had just seen. Their Emperor—second only to the Old Ancestor in strength—had been intercepted in midair by a little child, seemingly without any power to fight back…

Just who was that child, to be so terrifyingly strong?

—

Still the same thatched cottage as before. Every time she entered it, Ling Ruoxi felt something different—but this time, she wanted nothing more than to personally destroy the place, crush it to pieces.

That infuriating man, however, was still calmly meditating inside, as if he had no idea they had already arrived.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. His kindly eyes opened a little as Murong Ming looked at the two familiar figures, sniffed the different aura in the air, and said calmly, “You’re back.”

“I’d love to strip off every last one of your beard hairs—eyebrows included, even the hair all over your body! You promised to tell me my father’s whereabouts, and the result is this?!”
Ling Ruoxi lunged forward, practically wanting to grab Murong Ming by the eyebrows. Her entire body trembled with anger, yet the old man before her didn’t move at all.

Smiling faintly, Murong Ming glanced at her and said calmly, “I only promised to tell you your father’s whereabouts. I never said he had to be alive. Besides, have you forgotten my third condition? No matter what you see or learn, don’t get overly emotional. Look at you—still exactly the same reckless girl you were back then…”

“You—you—you—fine, you’re sly. Just tell me where my old man is. I’m going to see him.”
Ling Ruoxi was on the verge of coughing up blood, but there was nothing she could do except glare at him, wishing she could rip all his white beard out.

Stroking his beard, Murong Ming looked at her and casually reached out, brushing past her wrist. His jade-like fingers touched the purple bracelet. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone use Purple Bamboo like this. Hiding it this way—clever, I’ll give you that. The Purple Bamboo Divine Needle belongs to—”

His left hand trembled, and a surge of purple Dou Qi burst forth.

The bracelet on Ling Ruoxi’s wrist sank. The five strands of Purple Bamboo disintegrated on their own, swiftly falling into Murong Ming’s hand. The bamboo, glowing faintly white, had lost its former liveliness and now looked dull and inert.

“Where are the artifact spirits?” Murong Ming raised an eyebrow, a glint flashing in his eyes.

Buzz—

Outside, a black figure arrived in an instant, landing precisely on the surface of the lake. A sharp light flickered in his eyes as he stared at the water, as if seeing straight through it. His small lips parted slightly.
“Someone’s here.”

“Over here, Jiang Yu.” Qing Yi waved at the boy standing on the lake. It seemed things had been settled. With the four Purple Bamboo artifact spirits guarding the imperial city, even if Baili Wushuang wanted to attack Duanyun Kingdom now, she would have to think twice.

Jiang Yu withdrew his gaze and leapt to Ling Ruoxi’s side. His eyes swept over Murong Ming, and suddenly a flame erupted within them—as if something exploded inside his mind. He instinctively clutched his head, nearly collapsing.

Silver Wolf hurriedly supported him, asking in confusion, “What’s wrong? Is this old man really that scary? You don’t even take Luo Mingyu seriously, but you can’t even stand straight when you see this old guy?”

“No… it’s not that…” The veins in Jiang Yu’s hands bulged as murderous intent flashed through his dark eyes. He clutched his head tightly as the long-suppressed killing aura surged out from deep within his mind. Scenes from the past flashed repeatedly before his eyes, and in that instant, his black pupils completely turned purple.

Like someone fully awakened, Jiang Yu stood in the center, staring coldly ahead. With a point of his right hand, the Bloodthirsty Dragon Chant appeared in his grasp. His colorless eyes locked onto Murong Ming. “Old man—do you remember me?”

“Who are you, kid? Why would I know you?” Murong Ming stroked his beard and sized him up, smiling, still not realizing the boy’s true identity.

It was no wonder Murong Ming couldn’t recognize Jiang Yu. Among the artifact spirits, only Jiang Yu possessed a physical body, allowing him to perfectly conceal his identity as Purple Bamboo. Now that all five strands had lost their spirits, Murong Ming assumed they were all outside and never considered this possibility.

A violent killing intent exploded.

Jiang Yu’s eyes flew open, purple light blazing from within. His right hand dropped as the Moon-Slaying Dragon’s Chant slashed toward Murong Ming’s throat.

He was fast—but Murong Ming was faster.

With a sweep of his whisk, Murong Ming deflected the blade. Shock burst into his eyes as he met those purple pupils, something surfacing in his memory. “You’re the artifact spirit of the Purple Bamboo Divine Needle!”

“That’s right, you old bastard. If it weren’t for you back then, how could the Master have melted us down, reforged us into Purple Bamboo, and scattered us across five different locations? We hate you. The only reason we’re still alive is to kill you!”

His voice was cold, like it came straight from hell.

The dagger in his hand seemed alive, merging with him. As his arm swung, ferocious Dou Qi erupted, locking Murong Ming’s vital points like lightning. “Brothers—won’t you return to your positions and avenge our deaths?!”

Murong Ming’s face darkened as he retreated rapidly, his blue-gray figure swaying slightly. A sharp light flashed in his eyes. “What are you trying to do? Now isn’t the time for this! You want to waste Dou Qi fighting me? If you want to save your Master, stop immediately!”

Buzz—

Summoned by Jiang Yu, four figures shot over at once, bloodlight flickering in their eyes. The scene from back then replayed vividly before them. They wanted nothing more than to kill the man before them—drink his blood, eat his flesh.

Even Luo Mingyu rubbed his temples, looking at Murong Ming. “What else did you do to wrong my Master back then? I beat you once and that was that—but now you’ve even offended the artifact spirits of the Purple Bamboo Divine Needle. These five ancestors, if they really lose control, even I wouldn’t be able to handle them.”

“Pfft, that was ages ago, you—” Murong Ming couldn’t be bothered to argue. He glared angrily at the five little brats standing before him like this—it really made his blood boil.

Jiang Yu clenched his fist, staring coldly at Murong Ming. “Where is the Master now? Take us there. Now.”

“Hmph. Let’s go.” Murong Ming snorted. He truly didn’t dare fight these little monsters. Their situation was far too special—they were all artifact spirits of the Purple Bamboo Divine Needle. Dealing with them back then had already cost him immense effort. If he had to go through it again, he’d probably die of a brain hemorrhage.

“Old Ancestor—wait for me!” The figure descending from the sky hurried after them. He had sensed those two auras earlier. To think even his Old Ancestor couldn’t handle these five kids—their identities were clearly anything but simple.

—

A frigid mountain cave, completely frozen, isolated from the world. Even in the height of summer, the ice and snow within never melted—instead, they grew harder and colder. A broken great blade was embedded in the ground, time having eroded its marks. The blood on it had long turned black as it leaned quietly against the cave wall.

Inside the cave, the person sitting cross-legged no longer had any breath at all—like a stone statue. Though not covered in ice or snow, his cold body no longer held any warmth.

His flesh was soft, as if he were still alive. His brows carried a trace of handsome elegance, and the clothes clinging to him looked brand new. The person sitting on the ice bed leaned gently against his chest.

“Brother Feng… I once asked you what you’d do if I died. Do you still remember your answer?”
A soft voice, filled with boundless sorrow, echoed as the person in Ling Feng’s arms hugged his waist tightly. A sweet smile curved her lips, as if she had returned to their playful days of the past. She whispered, “You said that if I fell asleep and my body grew cold, you’d pull me into your arms. A human body is warm—you wouldn’t let me grow cold so quickly. Brother Feng, I know you’re sleeping now. So let me pull you into my arms instead—you’ll wake up, won’t you?”

Her sweet voice echoed throughout the cave. It didn’t sound like words spoken by a mother at all. On the ice bed, the two leaned against each other, faint purple light enveloping them, shielding them from the freezing cold.

Watching the pair before her, Ling Ruoxi subconsciously clenched her fists.

Her father—her father in this life—had abandoned her and her mother here so irresponsibly? A woman trapped for twenty years… and after finally coming out, was she only meant to clean up after this man’s mess?