Chapter 174 – Protagonist 12

Gongxi Yue sat in her cave residence, preparing to enter Closed-door Cultivation. Before sealing the boundary, a lingering worry made her pause. Raising her hand, she sent a message talisman to her uncle, Gongxi Yao.

In it, she urged him to keep a close eye on Qian—especially to make sure her younger brother and sister didn’t take the child to any disreputable places. And to remember to push Qian to cultivate properly, not to spoil her too much.

Given how well she knew her family, Gongxi Yue doubted the message would have much effect. But she sent it anyway.

Having done what she could, even if in vain, Gongxi Yue finally sealed the cave, letting her mind settle as she prepared for the breakthrough.

Ever since her and Qian’s System had crossed paths with Xiao Shou’s, Gongxi Yue could sense the ongoing struggle between the two Systems.

As her sister’s “feelings” for Xiao Shou steadily faded, his romantic conquest had failed, and the intangible thread of destiny seemed to shift. From Qian’s System, she’d received a kind of reward—a sudden acceleration in her cultivation speed. That was why she’d been breaking through so quickly these past months.

Minor breakthroughs didn’t cause much disturbance. Only a fine, almost liquid-like stream of Spiritual Energy spilled from Gongxi Yue’s body, coiling gently around her before being sharply drawn back in.

With each inhale and exhale, her figure seemed to split—half tangible, half illusory—both seated in the same meditative posture. In the center of her divided consciousness, a lotus-shaped apparition floated, and at its heart, the outline of a child, one who looked strikingly like her, rose and fell with every breath.

It was the link that signified their shared life.

No one knew how long had passed when suddenly a streak of violet lightning cracked down from the sky.

Only a rare few with extraordinary innate talent could trigger Heavenly Lightning Body Tempering during a minor breakthrough.

As the thunderbolt sank into her body, Gongxi Yue was struck by a sudden, profound understanding from the heavens and earth.

An icy sense of danger prickled down her spine. A lurking crisis, like a maggot burrowing into bone, was now beyond her control, already beginning to gnaw at the edges.

Frowning with eyes still closed, Gongxi Yue seized the brief window where the Heavenly Lightning allowed communion with the heavens to cast a divination.

The result came quickly—and it was far from good.

As expected, the problem lay with Xiao Shou.

After that incident at Snowfall Palace, she had destroyed his tongue and driven him from Dannan Snow Mountain.

For a time, Xiao Shou had behaved himself. The reports from those watching him said he’d holed up in some obscure small city in An’nan, living out his days in quiet despair, never leaving.

But judging by this new sense of danger… he’d clearly discovered the surveillance long ago, shed his skin like a cicada, and escaped unnoticed.

If not for this sudden warning during her breakthrough, she might have remained in the dark even longer.

She’d underestimated him.

Twice now they’d met—both times he’d been a useless wreck, easily disposed of. Without realizing it, she’d begun to grow contemptuous, both of him and his System. And it was precisely this underestimation that had allowed him to slip away and hide so easily.

“Hmph.”

Gongxi Yue gave a cold snort. So what if he’d escaped? As long as he kept trying to ensnare the women around her, she’d drag him back out soon enough after she emerged from Closed-door Cultivation.

In that other future, even Junior Sister Yingying and Elder Qingyue had been on Xiao Shou’s target list. But now both of them remained safely within the sect, without any chance of crossing paths with him.

Aside from them, there was also her old nemesis, the Demon Realm Young Master, Tu Hongying.

Thinking of Tu Hongying—hair red as autumn maple, temperament fiery as flame—Gongxi Yue doubted she’d ever fall prey to Xiao Shou.

In that future, the only reason Tu Hongying had shown interest in him was because “Gongxi Yue” had liked him first. It had been a calculated move to provoke her rival, giving Xiao Shou the perfect opening.

But now? Gongxi Yue had nothing but disdain for him. And Tu Hongying, with her lofty pride, wouldn’t even spare a glance at a disfigured, broken man.

“Qian, what’s wrong?” Gongxi Jianchen ruffled his little niece’s hair.

Dressed like a bright red butterfly, Qian scratched at her arm and wriggled about as if itching all over.

Just a moment ago, she’d felt as if something had zapped her—like a tiny shock buzzing through her limbs.

But in true childlike fashion, the moment passed, and she tossed the discomfort aside, happily resuming her task of stuffing all sorts of Spirit Stones and gold trinkets into her little embroidered storage pouch.

With the New Year approaching, the Gongxi Family estate was overflowing with people. Given Qian’s unusually senior generation rank, there were countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren lining up to pay respects to her—their “Grand Ancestor.”

Naturally, she was expected to distribute New Year’s money to all of them.

Every year, the Gongxi Family crafted Spirit Stones and gold into auspicious shapes—gourds, goldfish, and other symbols of fortune—for the younger generation.

The small mountain of treasures now sitting before Qian had all been specially prepared for her by Gongxi Yao.

“Whew, I’m exhausted.” Once everything was packed away, Qian let out a dramatic sigh and stood up, holding out her arms for her uncle to carry her.

With her eldest sister absent, Gongxi Jianchen reverted to his usual playboy persona: every strand of hair perfectly styled, every accessory meticulously arranged, not a single wrinkle in his silk robes.

But when his little niece wanted a piggyback ride, vanity or no vanity, he couldn’t say no. Sighing theatrically and waving his fan, he obediently stood in front of her.

“Qian, Uncle will carry you, but please, please don’t get dirt on my new outfit.”

Qian couldn’t care less. She launched herself at him like a cannonball.

Feeling her little arms tightening around his neck and her legs clamping onto his torso, Gongxi Jianchen grimaced. With a swirl of his sleeve, he wrapped the fabric around her feet for support.

“Ah! Ah! My brand-new Tianhe Silk robes… you’ve dirtied them with just two steps!” he moaned, but never moved his sleeve away, keeping her securely perched on his back.

After playing with her for a while, the two of them finally saw Gongxi Wenxing emerge, fully dressed and made-up.

She’d always had a taste for lavish ornamentation, but today she was positively radiant—glittering with jewels, breathtakingly glamorous.

“Qianbao! Look at Auntie—aren’t I gorgeous today?” For the sake of preserving her ensemble, Gongxi Wenxing even resisted the urge to scoop Qian up for a cuddle, unwilling to risk wrinkling her clothes.

She gave Qian a once-over, then suddenly frowned. “Hmm… Qianbao still looks too plain like this. Let’s add a couple more jeweled hairpins… and that necklace is way too small, not grand enough. Let’s switch it out for a bigger one… You know what? Never mind, I’ll take you to get a full makeover!”

Gongxi Yue, being a Sword Cultivator, hated unnecessary trinkets on her body and never liked dressing her daughter up either—choosing simple, practical clothes for her.

But the Gongxi Family’s aesthetic was pure opulence. The moment Qian returned home, it was like trading a wooden stick for a firework cannon—bright colors, elaborate designs, fine fabrics, and jewelry for the hands, the head, and the neck… not a single piece could be missing.

Qian sat perched on her aunt’s dressing stool. While her aunt went off to pick jewelry for her, she couldn’t help but reach for the array of little jars and bottles on the vanity.

Her mother never used things like these. Qian had never even seen such pretty containers before. The powders and creams smelled sweet and felt smooth beneath her fingertips.

Gongxi Wenxing returned with an armful of child-sized accessories, only to find her little niece digging into a jar of rouge with her stubby fingers, patting it vigorously onto her palms, then smearing it across her face—ending up with cheeks as bright as a monkey’s bottom.

The Gongxi Family’s year-end celebration was held at Biyou Mountain within the family estate. The entire mountain blazed with lantern light, and the winding palace corridors bustled with streams of people carrying lanterns.

Only members of the Gongxi Family were allowed on the mountain tonight. Qian sat with her uncle, her aunt, her grand-uncle, and a horde of unfamiliar relatives in the largest palace hall halfway up the mountain.

In front of them, dancers performed while musicians played string and bamboo instruments. Waves of guests approached to pay their respects.

For the many distant branches of the Gongxi Family, this was one of the rare chances to show their faces before the main family. Everyone beamed with joy, offered auspicious greetings, and received rewards from their elders.

Qian, too, was counted among the “elders” this year. It was her first time attending this event to hand out money, and the line of people coming forward to greet and bow to her was especially long.

Mimicking her uncle nearby, she pulled out the Spirit Stones and gold she’d packed into her little brocade pouch earlier, distributing them one by one to the younger generations.

Children around her age stumbled through New Year greetings, calling her “Old Ancestor,” while elderly white-haired men and women bowed unsteadily before her and also called her “Old Ancestor.”

The side branches of the Gongxi Family were vast, most of them ordinary mortals who’d never cultivated, so the age gaps were enormous.

At first, Qian had been full of enthusiasm handing out gifts, but as the procession dragged on, her energy waned. Seeing the long line still waiting, she began to fidget restlessly.

Gongxi Jianchen noticed that their uncle was now dragging Second Sister off to meet with the elders, already dropping hints about marriage.

Here we go again. Every year at this time, Uncle fretted over their marriage prospects. If he didn’t escape soon, he’d be next on the list.

He sidled over to his niece, lowered his fan, and whispered, “Bored? Want Uncle to take you somewhere fun?”

Given how much their uncle doted on Qian these days, taking her out for fun meant he wouldn’t be able to object.

Qian agreed immediately, and the two of them slipped away from the hall under cover of night.

Gongxi Jianchen’s attendants were already waiting outside, along with a beast-drawn palanquin crouched nearby.

Seeing them emerge, the attendants hurried forward. “Young Master, everything’s ready.”

Clearly, this wasn’t the first time Gongxi Jianchen had staged a midnight escape.

They boarded a flying beast and soared across half of Gongxi City toward the northern district.

From the air, the city glittered with endless lights. Several places glowed even brighter than the rest, and the noise from below drifted up clearly through the night.

Qian leaned against the window for a while, kicking her legs, then turned to ask, “Uncle, where are we going to play?”

Gongxi Jianchen fanned himself with a smile. “Taking Qian to buy things—consider it a gift from your uncle.”

Normally, Gongxi Jianchen had plenty of places to play, but most weren’t suited for a child this young. After some thought, he remembered there was a market fair tonight—a place he’d once found all sorts of curious treasures. That seemed fun enough for a child, so he brought her along.

As a regular patron of such entertainments, Gongxi Jianchen’s face was well-known. The moment their beast landed near the northern market streets, the street managers came rushing up, eager to guide them.

Gongxi Jianchen waved them away. He wasn’t in the mood for these overly attentive escorts. Leading Qian by the hand, he headed straight for Treasure Street.

Lanterns lined both sides of the street, uniform in shape but varied in color. Crowds moved between them, browsing and making selections.

“See those lanterns, Qian?” he said. “Each one has something different inside. Most of the stuff was found by cultivators in Secret Realms—things with unknown uses, waiting here for someone with fate. If you like one, spend a hundred Spirit Stones and the lantern’s yours, along with whatever’s inside.”

“Your uncle’s even found cultivation manuals and fragments of immortal artifacts in these lanterns before!”

Of course, there were far more useless rocks and rotten tree roots than treasures, but he didn’t care. He enjoyed the blind thrill of buying on chance and stumbling upon surprises.

Qian loved it too. Perched in her uncle’s arms, one hand clinging to his neck, the other pointed eagerly at lantern after lantern nearby.

“I want that one!”

“Sure, buy it!”

“And that one!”

“Buy!”

Every lantern they bought was taken down. A burst of spiritual energy would trigger the lantern to dissolve into scattered points of light, revealing the item inside.

Qian didn’t care what she got—she’d hold each thing, fiddle with it for a moment, then stuff it into her Storage Bracelet before moving on to the next.

She loved the feeling of holding a lantern and watching it burst into light, like setting off fireworks.

The two of them bought their way down the street, leaving not a single lantern untouched behind them.

Not far from where they were, in front of another cluster of lanterns, stood a man and a woman. The man wore a bamboo hat and a mask, his voice hoarse and low.

“Is the Glazed Orchid we’re looking for in one of these lanterns?”

The woman beside him wore a veil, her gaze lingering on him with soft, lovestruck devotion. “I caught a trace of the Glazed Orchid’s scent. It should be somewhere in this area. I just don’t know which one.”

Xiao Shou nodded. He knew her bloodline was special—able to sense oddities even through barriers that blocked Divine Sense.

But not knowing which lantern meant buying them all. His Spirit Stones were limited; he still needed to buy other spirit herbs.

As he calculated his options, a childish, gleeful voice suddenly rang out behind him.

“I want all of these!”

“Alright, buy them all!”

In an instant, the dozen or so lanterns in front of Xiao Shou were taken down.

“Wait!”

He called out to stop them, forcing down his rising anger as he turned his head—only to be met with a face that sent a jolt through his heart, making his whole body ache faintly in an instant.