On How to Pull Off a Beard, Part Two

"Yah! Yah! ..."

In the haze, Gu Cheng seemed to hear the innocent, carefree voice of a baby. As consciousness gradually returned, Gu Cheng struggled to open his eyes...

"Hiss... My head hurts... Where am I?"

Finally seeing the light again, Gu Cheng felt waves of pain still throbbing through his head. Still somewhat dazed, he looked around.

"Yah!"

A babyish cry caught his attention. He discovered that it came from above his head. Then, he felt a pair of tiny hands clutching his hair as they climbed onto his head. A chubby, round little face appeared in his field of vision...

"Hm? Is this little fellow the grandson Gu Dao mentioned?"

After resting for a while, Gu Cheng finally recalled his identity and where he was. Little Gu Xia, meanwhile, curiously stared at this unfamiliar face, his plump little hand reaching for Gu Cheng's eyes...

"Pretty cute..."

Seeing the baby trying to grab his eyes, Gu Cheng reached out and picked him up, sitting up as well. He placed little Gu Xia on his lap and carefully examined the soft, rosy child who smelled of milk...

"Yah~"

Perhaps because he had failed to grab Gu Cheng, little Gu Xia restlessly climbed up again. Bracing himself against Gu Cheng's upper body, he stood on Gu Cheng's thigh with his two short legs and stretched his chubby little hand toward Gu Cheng's long white beard...

"Oh? You want to grab Grandpa's beard?"

For some reason, Gu Cheng particularly liked this little milk-scented rascal. His tone unconsciously turned gentle. He was even willing to let the child play with the beard he had groomed for years!

One had to know that he had not even let the Clan Chief's little girl touch his beard when she wanted to! Yet now, he was willing to let this chubby little thing grab and play with it. It was clear just how much Gu Cheng liked him...

"Yah yah yah..."

Little Gu Xia was like a child who had gotten his favorite toy. He messed up Gu Cheng's white beard, stroking and tugging at it...

But Gu Cheng did not mind. What he enjoyed more was watching this little thing seriously play with his beard.

"Hm? Gu Cheng, you're awake?"

Just as Gu Cheng happily watched little Gu Xia pout his lips whenever he failed to pull out a beard hair, Gu Dao walked in...

"Yeah. Say, Gu Dao, where did you pick up this grandson of yours? He's quite lovable..."

Gu Cheng did not turn around. He was still teasing little Gu Xia while casually asking about his origins. He was wondering whether he should go get himself an adorable little child too...

"Right outside the Ancient Realm..."

Gu Dao did not hide anything. He walked straight to the stone table beside the stone bed and took out the things he had bought from his storage ring—infant supplies such as spiritual spring water and beast milk. After checking them one by one to make sure nothing was missing, he turned toward Gu Cheng...

"You actually dared to let him grab your beard?!!"

Seeing Gu Cheng happily teasing Gu Xia, whose little pout was getting bigger and bigger, Gu Dao cried out in shock!

"Why are you so surprised? It's just a beard. What's wrong with letting our little cutie grab it? Besides, look how much fun he's having..."

Clearly, as a Seven-Star Dou Saint and one of the Gu Clan's Three Immortals, he had yet to realize the severity of the situation...

"No, I mean..."

Gu Dao cut Gu Cheng off. He wanted to tell him just how terrifying it was to have his beard grabbed by little Gu Xia. But before Gu Dao could finish, he heard little Gu Xia let out an angry cry. He knew it was too late...

"Yah!"

No matter what little Gu Xia did, he could not pull the smooth, soft thing off that ugly face. And that ugly fellow kept poking his little cheeks! At last, little Gu Xia got angry! He gave a babyish cry to express his displeasure, then his chubby little hand pulled hard...

Bang!

A massive impact echoed out from the cave dwelling...

"I meant that it would be very dangerous..."

Gu Dao picked up little Gu Xia, who was playing with rocks atop a pile of rubble.

Looking at Gu Cheng, with only half his butt sticking out, he calmly finished the words he had not managed to say... For some reason, seeing Gu Cheng like this made him want to laugh a little...

Gu Cheng: "..."

"Alright, stop playing dead. Little Gu Xia hits much more lightly than he did a year ago. As long as he doesn't cry, it's usually nothing serious. Of course, that's only nothing serious for a Dou Saint..."

After preparing little Gu Xia's favorite orange-flavored beast milk, Gu Dao left him alone on the table to quietly drink it. Then he turned around and kicked Gu Cheng's butt...

"Ow! How is this little runt so strong?"

Gu Cheng yelped and leaped out of the pile of rubble. Rubbing his butt with both hands, he looked at little Gu Xia happily drinking milk and questioned Gu Dao...

"Otherwise, why do you think I took him as my grandson? I'm telling you, even if he can't cultivate Dou Qi in the future, he'll still be able to beat you to death with his physical strength alone!"

Gu Dao proudly showed off his grandson to Gu Cheng. Seeing Gu Cheng look like he had just bitten into a lemon made Gu Dao feel exceptionally pleased!

Ah, so this is what showing off feels like? I love it. Maybe I should go show off to the Clan Chief someday? Would he beat me up? Probably not, right? I'm still a Supreme Elder, after all!...

While Gu Dao was still immersed in the joy of showing off, little Gu Xia finished his beast milk. He patted his round, full belly and directly lay down on the table to sleep. Satisfaction hung on his round little face, and he looked exceptionally adorable as he slept sweetly...

"Your luck is absurdly good, isn't it? You just went out and picked up a monstrously talented grandson, and he's even this cute!"

Gu Cheng looked at little Gu Xia, who had fallen asleep quietly while sucking his thumb. He felt like he was about to split apart from jealousy, sour beyond measure!

"Hahaha, that's talent! You can't learn it!"

Seeing Gu Cheng grow increasingly sour, Gu Dao became even happier! He found himself seemingly addicted to the feeling of showing off his grandson. Why had he never noticed it before? Had he known, he would not have stayed here raising a child. Wouldn't raising him in the residential area be far better? Why stay in this godforsaken place?

What? Secluded cultivation? Training? Are those things more important than showing off... Ahem, than raising a child? Besides, after cultivating in seclusion in this damned place for so long, how much had I improved? I might as well go out and enjoy myself!

Gu Dao felt as though he had discovered a new continent! Certain thoughts in his heart gradually began to grow...

"Hey, Gu Dao. Can I discuss something with you?"

"What?"

Having his perfect showing-off... ahem! His child-rearing plan interrupted by Gu Cheng, Gu Dao was a little displeased...

"How about I become little Gu Xia's Second Grandpa?"

"Ugh~"

Seeing Gu Cheng's fawning expression, Gu Dao finally understood what disgust was. Could anyone imagine a face full of wrinkles and a messy beard grinning at them with bared teeth?

"Ahem, it's possible. But little Gu Xia's formula expenses..."

Suppressing the urge to slap him, Gu Dao made a gesture that everyone on Earth understood... A very obvious hint!

"Got it, got it! Take this eighth-grade Spirit-Calming Pill and use it to buy formula for little Gu Xia!"

Still smiling, Gu Cheng took out a jade bottle containing a smooth, round green pill. As for what Gu Cheng felt inside, that was not Gu Dao's concern...

"Hmm... It seems your sincerity is quite sufficient. You even brought out an eighth-grade pill. Fine, from now on, you're little Gu Xia's Second Grandpa!"

Gu Dao swiftly pocketed the jade bottle, then solemnly made his promise to Gu Cheng. Without caring about little Gu Xia's opinion at all, he gave him another grandpa...

"Great! Then it's not too much for me, as his Second Grandpa, to hold my own grandson, right?"

Gu Cheng went over to little Gu Xia and picked him up, not waiting for Gu Dao's answer at all...

"Do whatever you want. I still need to clean up this pile of trash..."

Gu Dao said nothing and let Gu Cheng pick up little Gu Xia. He went to clean up the damaged stone bed instead...

The little fellow sleeping soundly in Gu Cheng's arms still had no idea what terrifying things awaited him in the future...