The Heart of Man is Thin and Cold

In the darkness.

Urgent, heavy breathing echoed through the freezing cave.

Everyone's gaze converged on the Young Heavenly Emperor. What they saw was a face pale to the extreme.

And a body that would not stop trembling.

"Father is dead. Mother is dead. Only the two of us are left in the whole village. I'm your big brother. I'll protect you."

The Young Heavenly Emperor used his trembling body to hold the wailing infant in his arms as tightly as he could.

Seeing this scene, every expert outside the mirror was moved.

"So he was afraid after all."

"His courage must have come from the infant in his arms."

Someone sighed deeply.

A child of merely five was still at an age of innocence. His parents had been ordinary people, and though he possessed talent in the sword, it had never been unearthed.

The Heavenly Emperor of later days might have been invincible beneath heaven, peerless in his dominance over the world, but at this moment, he was ultimately just an ordinary child.

How could he not be afraid?!

At this moment, everyone was somewhat moved.

Compared to the Young Heavenly Emperor, whose temperament surpassed all others and whose boldness was unmatched—

This child, who was terrified beyond measure yet conquered that fear for the infant in his arms, was undoubtedly more human, more real, and more moving.

"At this point, the Heavenly Emperor was actually still someone who valued love and loyalty," someone murmured.

Yet those words sounded more like a form of mockery.

The Heavenly Emperor had been brutal and savage, slaughtering living beings in seas of blood. For his own selfish desires, he had made all creatures bleed and driven countless races to extinction. He had treated others so, and toward those around him—his closest kin, brothers, and beloved—he had been even more ruthless to the extreme.

Merely thinking of the evil deeds the Heavenly Emperor had committed throughout his life was enough to make one's hair stand on end.

If someone like that deserved to be labeled as a man of deep feeling and loyalty, what a biting irony that would be!

Those words caused the coldness in the eyes of many who had been moved to rise again.

In the scene, the Young Heavenly Emperor walked out of the cave and looked around. Then, without warning, he sprinted wildly down the mountain.

"It seems he understands as well that the dangers in these mountains are far beyond anything he can handle."

"If he stays in the mountains, there is only one road before him now—death."

"But going down the mountain is not a wise choice either. Under the cover of night is when ferocious beasts are most active. If he descends now, his chances of survival are nine deaths for one life. At the very least, he should wait until dawn."

"He can wait, but can the infant? Perhaps the most important reason he went down the mountain was that only at its foot could he find food the infant could eat."

Everyone fell silent.

This child who had just gathered his courage to fight a savage beast for the infant's sake was now leaving the mountains at night for that same infant.

Perhaps summoning a spiritually awakened ferocious beast had used up all of the Young Heavenly Emperor's misfortune.

He ran wildly all the way, yet did not encounter a single wild beast.

Around three hours later, he finally reached the foot of the mountain.

Flickering lights swayed in the distance. It was clearly a village.

Gu Changqing did not dare bring the infant back to his own village. Thus, he came to another remote mountain village.

He had a relative here.

His father's younger brother.

His uncle's family was a wealthy household in the village. In the past, his father had supported this uncle quite a bit, so Gu Changqing chose to seek refuge with him.

The Bronze Ancient Mirror could not only display scenes from one's memories—it could also sense the thoughts within those soul memories at that moment.

Therefore, when everyone sensed that Gu Changqing intended to seek refuge with his biological uncle—

Many people immediately lost some interest.

After all, compared to Gu Changqing struggling to survive in the forest, Gu Changqing throwing himself into a soft haven was clearly far less worth watching.

"It seems the Heavenly Emperor and Gu Youwei must have been taken in by this uncle of his."

"But thinking about it, how could a five-year-old child, with an infant in tow, possibly survive in this world?"

Everyone tacitly agreed with those words.

Yet very soon, that tacit agreement was shattered.

"Bang."

After Gu Changqing knocked on the wooden door, a middle-aged man and woman appeared before him with a youth about Gu Changqing's age in tow.

"Uncle..."

The strength he had shown while battling vicious beasts in the mountains crumbled in an instant. The Heavenly Emperor's vision blurred once more.

He recounted what had happened to him.

His uncle's family expressed deep sympathy for his plight.

But when he asked to be adopted by his uncle's family, the gentle middle-aged man revealed a look of displeasure.

"Changqing, you know Uncle's life isn't easy either. Raising Yi'er alone is already difficult enough, let alone feeding the two of you."

Seeing this, the experts outside the mirror could not help but curl their lips.

The human heart!

Gu Changqing's uncle's family had once received no small amount of kindness from Gu Changqing's family. Yet upon learning of Gu Changqing's circumstances, even blood relatives could not be relied upon.

"Hearts are cold and fickle; everyone weighs the gains and losses."

"Raising one child is already hard enough, let alone three."

After deflecting Cao Yuwei's attack this time, Mei Gongzi did not rush to counterattack. She simply stood still where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so sharp? After he had forged armor from flames, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed her attack, he was confident he could use that method to restrain her. But Mei Gongzi had not come forward, forcing the ability he had poised to unleash to be interrupted.

The battle blade slashed out once more, its fierce blade intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and weapon becoming one as he charged straight toward Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle once again, and with an instantaneous teleport, she switched positions. While dissolving her opponent's attack, she also broke his lock onto her. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A golden-red gleam flashed across Cao Yuwei's body and vanished. Had she not evaded so quickly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed intent on wearing Cao Yuwei down.

Yet no one questioned the origin of this ability. After all, the Peacock Demon Race's greatest innate gift was Stellar Transposition. Her technique possessed the same wondrous essence through a different path.

After deflecting Cao Yuwei's attack this time, Mei Gongzi did not rush to counterattack. She simply stood still where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so sharp? After he had forged armor from flames, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed her attack, he was confident he could use that method to restrain her. But Mei Gongzi had not come forward, forcing the ability he had poised to unleash to be interrupted.

The battle blade slashed out once more, its fierce blade intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and weapon becoming one as he charged straight toward Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle once again, and with an instantaneous teleport, she switched positions. While dissolving her opponent's attack, she also broke his lock onto her. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. A golden-red gleam flashed across Cao Yuwei's body and vanished. Had she not evaded so quickly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed intent on wearing Cao Yuwei down.