Call Mom

That time, the System Mission released was the "First Birthday Gift," and the rewards were quite generous.

It directly increased her soul power by one level, in addition to a special concealment technique.

It could hide her true cultivation, making it impossible for anyone below the god level to discern her actual strength.

As of now, her level had stopped at ninety.

Ninety.

The threshold of a Titled Douluo.

As long as she obtained one more soul ring, she could officially step into the ranks of Titled Douluo.

But Bibi Dong was in no rush to hunt soul beasts.

It wasn't that she couldn't find them, but rather that she needed an opportunity.

Moreover, upon completing missions, the system could directly reward her with soul rings, each one perfectly matching her martial soul.

In the future, she might not even need to hunt for them.

During this year, the Soul Power Liquid in her dantian had also accumulated more and more through day after day of cultivation.

From that initial thin layer to the thick pool now covering the bottom of her dantian, it was enough for her to unleash her Soul Skill without restraint during a major battle.

Coupled with the purification of her soul power quality by that Spirit Milk Water Lily.

Her actual combat power now far exceeded her level on paper.

And the most important change occurred within her heart.

Now, she truly loved this child.

It was not the "maternal love" required by the System Mission.

It was not the tenderness feigned for utilitarian purposes.

She truly loved Luo Dong.

She loved the way he smiled, and the little movements of him clutching her fingers while he slept.

She loved his little feet kicking wildly during his bath, and his little face scrunching up when he hiccuped after drinking milk.

Bibi Dong had never spoken these words aloud, but she knew them clearly in her heart.

Qian Renxue had never made her feel this way.

And now, this child she had picked up had, with a single smile, a pair of tiny hands, and a year of days and nights, slowly thawed the maternal love frozen deep within her heart.

One night, when Luo Dong was not yet a year old.

He had just finished his bath and was wrapped in a small blanket.

Bibi Dong placed him on the bed and turned to pour out the water.

She had only taken two steps when she heard a sound from behind:

"Ma--ma--"

The pronunciation was imprecise, milky, and muffled, as if his mouth were stuffed with cotton.

But these two words were clear; it was Luo Dong speaking.

Bibi Dong turned around and saw Luo Dong lying on the bed, lifting his little head to look at her.

His little mouth opened, and he called out again: "Mama."

Bibi Dong froze in place, the copper basin in her hands nearly slipping from her grasp.

Then she walked quickly back to the bedside, crouched down, and looked Luo Dong in the eye.

Something surged in her eyes, shimmering and bright, which she held back with all her might to keep from falling.

She reached out and ruffled Luo Dong's fine, soft hair.

"Yes," her voice was a bit hoarse, "Mama is here."

Luo Dong grinned and called "Mama" again.

He called it louder and clearer than before.

He reached out his little hand to reach for Bibi Dong's face, but couldn't reach.

Bibi Dong lowered her head, letting his soft palm press against her cheek.

This was the first time Luo Dong had called her Mama before he was even a year old.

It was also the first time Bibi Dong truly felt that her life had found something worth holding onto.

Another period of time passed.

Martial Soul City was in the depths of autumn.

The ginkgo trees on both sides of the street had shed a carpet of gold.

On the long street outside Martial Soul Hall, vendors stood in rows, people came and went, and the sounds of hawking rose one after another.

Bibi Dong walked through the street, holding Luo Dong in her arms.

At one year old, Luo Dong was already completely different from when he was first born.

Under the blessing of his Flawless Body, his physical development was several times faster than that of children his age.

Although only one year old, he could already walk and run; his little arms and legs were sturdy and strong, and he was a head taller than his peers.

He spoke with great fluency, and while his voice still had a milky quality, he could already express his thoughts using complete, short sentences.

At the same time, his set of little teeth had grown in a truly terrifying manner, making eating and drinking no problem at all.

When drinking milk, he would occasionally bump into Bibi Dong, leaving her feeling quite helpless.

At this moment.

He sat in Bibi Dong's arms, clutching a string of bright red candied haws, biting down on one with his little mouth and giving it a hard tug.

Crunch, the sugar shell shattered, revealing the sweet and sour hawthorn inside.

He chewed with a crunching sound, his little face scrunching up, his eyes squinting from the sourness.

Sugar debris stuck to the corners of his mouth and cheeks, making him look like a little tabby cat.

"Is it good?" Bibi Dong asked, looking down at him.

"Sour!" Luo Dong swallowed the hawthorn in his mouth, licked the sugar off the corner of his mouth, and held the candied haws up again. "Mommy, you eat too."

Bibi Dong shook her head. "Mommy won't eat. You eat."

Luo Dong bit into another one, chewing until his mouth was stained red, sugar debris falling all over his clothes.

Bibi Dong pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped his face as they walked.

After finishing, she ruffled his hair, and Luo Dong looked up at her and smiled.

The mother and son wove through the bustling crowd, chatting and laughing as they walked toward Martial Soul Hall.

When they reached the entrance of their residence, Bibi Dong's footsteps faltered.

Qian Renxue was standing at the palace gate.

Four-year-old Qian Renxue had grown quite a bit taller.

Her short golden hair was tied into two little buns, and she wore a small white dress.

Standing before the massive palace gate, she looked exceptionally small and thin.

She just stood there, watching Bibi Dong and the Luo Dong in her arms with longing eyes.

Her gaze fell on Bibi Dong first, carrying a cautious sense of anticipation.

She hoped Mommy would look at her, even if just for a glance.

Then, her gaze shifted to Luo Dong.

She saw the string of bright red candied haws in his hand and the sugar debris stuck to the corners of his mouth.

Mommy was even wiping his face.

Qian Renxue's eyes dimmed for a moment, then she forced them to brighten again.

Bibi Dong had intended to ignore Qian Renxue and walk past as she usually did.

She still didn't know how to face this child.

A year had passed; she could treat Luo Dong with tenderness, yet she still couldn't look at Qian Renxue with the same eyes.

That face, which looked more and more like Qian Xunji, caused a certain place in her heart to freeze over again every time she saw it.

Just then.

A female knight walked quickly to Bibi Dong, knelt on one knee, and performed a standard knight's salute.

"Your Highness, the Great Elder has an important matter and requests that you go to Elder Hall immediately to discuss it."

Bibi Dong frowned.

Qian Daoliu was looking for her?

Ever since he said those words in Nurse Zhou's room a year ago, Qian Daoliu had rarely sought her out on his own initiative.

He was the Great Elder who usually held down the fort at Elder Hall; Bibi Dong did not need to bow to him, and the two maintained a tacit distance.

Neither too far nor too close, they did not interfere with each other.

Unless there was truly an important matter, Qian Daoliu would not send someone to deliver a message.

"What is it?"

"This subordinate does not know. The Great Elder only said it was a pressing matter and requested that you must go."

Bibi Dong was silent for a breath.

She didn't want to go.

But she knew very well that if it weren't a truly important matter, Qian Daoliu would not use the word "must."

Furthermore, the fact that he sent a female knight to deliver the message, rather than an ordinary attendant, indicated that the matter was indeed significant.

She could choose not to give any face to the man who was her father-in-law in name only, but she could not completely ignore a summons from the Great Elder—at least, not yet.