Five Women

Xiao Heng paused, then added another sentence.

"I was also thinking about some things."

Gu Xun'er tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement flashing through her golden eyes.

"Have you figured them out?"

Xiao Heng fell silent for a breath.

Then he nodded.

"I've figured out some of them."

Gu Xun'er did not press further.

"When your father was young, he was just like you."

Her voice was soft, as though she were speaking of something long ago.

"He carried everything on his own shoulders and thought he could handle everything by himself."

Xiao Heng remained silent.

Gu Xun'er led him slowly along the edge of the sea of clouds.

The mother and son's shadows stretched long amid the chaotic radiance, like two parallel streaks of sword light.

"Heng'er, I came today because I wanted to have a proper talk with you."

Gu Xun'er's voice remained gentle, though it now carried an added gravity.

"Not to urge you, nor to force you."

Xiao Heng looked at her.

"There are simply some things you should know."

Gu Xun'er stopped and turned to face her son, her golden eyes filled with seriousness.

"Your father will soon leave the Great Thousand World."

"You know this, and the core upper ranks of the Heavenly Court know it as well."

"After he leaves, the Heavenly Court will need a stable rear foundation."

Xiao Heng said nothing.

He listened.

"And you are the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Court, its future master."

Gu Xun'er's voice gradually deepened, yet became all the more resolute.

"Your marriage is not merely a private matter."

"It concerns the Heavenly Court's future for countless years, and whether those ancient families bound to the Heavenly Court can continue standing at our side with peace of mind."

The sea of clouds surged.