After Qian Xunji and Ah Yin arrived in Yelin City and settled down, they rarely traveled far.
Time flew by. Day after day slipped through their fingers like sand.
Ah Yin's belly grew larger, and as her due date drew closer, Qian Xunji grew more anxious.
It was his first time becoming a father in this world. He would have been lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Today was the day Ah Yin was due to give birth.
Outside the room...
Qian Xunji paced back and forth outside the door, frowning at Ah Yin's cries of pain from within. "Why isn't it over yet? Is it a difficult birth? Please, don't let anything go wrong!"
He had lived comfortably over the past year, and no one from Spirit Hall had come looking for him. It was irresponsible of him toward Spirit Hall, but he couldn't deny how relaxing it had been.
Still, he had already decided to take Ah Yin back after she gave birth and had some time to recover.
He had heard plenty about Spirit Hall during his absence. Many matters needed him, the Pope, to return and take charge.
He needed to seek justice from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, for one, and there were all sorts of other matters waiting for him.
"Waaah..."
"Waaah..."
"Waaah..."
Just then, loud cries rang out from the room. The weight hanging over Qian Xunji's heart finally lifted.
"She's given birth!" Qian Xunji was overjoyed.
"Congratulations, my lord! Mother and children are safe. It's a girl and a boy!" the midwife called out happily.
The midwife opened the door and came out, immediately bowing to Qian Xunji. "My lord, mother and children are safe!"
"Good." Qian Xunji nodded, then took out a pouch of Gold Soul Coins and handed it to her. "You've earned this."
"Thank you, my lord! Thank you!" the midwife said delightedly.
"How is my wife?" Qian Xunji asked. "There won't be any lasting complications, will there? Tell me the truth."
The midwife tucked the pouch of Gold Soul Coins into her clothes. "Rest assured, my lord. Her ladyship has just given birth and needs to rest and regain her strength, but there's nothing seriously wrong."
"That's good, that's good!" Qian Xunji said. "There's nothing else for you to do here. You may go."
With that, Qian Xunji went straight into the room. The first thing he saw was Ah Yin lying on the bed, her face a little pale.
He hurried to her side, took her hand, and gazed at her tenderly. "You've worked so hard, my dear."
Ah Yin shook her head weakly. "It was worth it. Look at our children... An older sister and a younger brother."
She hadn't expected childbirth to be so exhausting, but the moment she saw her children with her own eyes, all the hardship felt worthwhile.
Qian Xunji nodded slightly, then looked at the two swaddled babies beside her and took them into his arms.
"How about we call the older sister Qian Renxue and the younger brother Qian Renfeng?" Qian Xunji asked Ah Yin.
"Those are lovely names. Let's go with them." Ah Yin managed a smile. "These two little ones are adorable..."
"Their eyes look just like yours, Ah Yin." Qian Xunji studied the babies, both of whom were fast asleep.
Giving birth to two children at once, both with the Angel Bloodline, had taken a tremendous toll on Ah Yin.
It took a full month for Ah Yin to recover, and color gradually returned to her face. Now the two of them sat in the Pavilion, with servants attending them nearby.
"Xunji, when are we going back?" Ah Yin asked, holding the two little ones, who had just eaten their fill.
Qian Xunji had been away from Spirit Hall for a year. She knew it must have faced many matters during that time that needed its Pope to return and take charge.
"In a few days. We've been gone for over a year, and there are things I should go back and deal with." Qian Xunji looked at Ah Yin fondly.
"Mm." Ah Yin smiled sweetly.
"I'll be busy once we're back. I won't have much time to spend with you and the children, so don't blame me for it, Ah Yin," Qian Xunji said with a smile.
"How could I?" Ah Yin shook her head slightly. "This past year has felt like a dream. Life takes such unexpected turns."
"I never imagined that I, a Transformed Soul Beast, would... would become the most honored woman on the entire continent."
"You deserve it, don't you? From the moment you made your choice, our fates were intertwined."
"Speaking of that, when you chose me so impulsively, was it partly because of what your disciple did?" Ah Yin asked, giving Qian Xunji a sidelong glance.
That look made Qian Xunji jolt. "Can I say I fell for your looks?"
"Hahaha!" Ah Yin laughed. "Xunji, I'm not some monster. Why are you still afraid of me?"
"Ahem!" Qian Xunji gave an awkward smile. He certainly couldn't tell her the real reason. How could he?
He had been attracted to her looks, of course, but more than that, he had wanted to get close to the future protagonist. He was now certain that his son, Qian Renfeng, was the protagonist of the original timeline.
Unlike his older sister, the boy could be remarkably quiet at times, his eyes darting around as he took in his surroundings.
As for Qian Renxue, although she had been born to a different mother, he was fairly sure she was the same person from the original timeline too.
Who could have imagined that one decision of his would make the protagonist and the great villain of the original timeline siblings by blood?
Three days later...
Qian Xunji and Ah Yin were setting out for Spirit Hall today, so a carriage had been prepared outside the residence.
Ah Yin looked at the place where they had spent the past year, reluctant to leave. "We lived here for a whole year. Now that we're leaving, I'm going to miss it."
"Ah Yin, we can always come back and stay for a few days when we have time," Qian Xunji said beside her.
"This was only a temporary home. Our home is in Spirit City. That's where we truly belong."
Ah Yin nodded slightly and murmured, "But this place holds all our happy memories from the past year. It's where these two little ones were born, too. Shall we go?"
Ah Yin climbed into the carriage with the two little ones in her arms, and Qian Xunji followed. The carriage slowly pulled away from the residence.
At last, they left Yelin City.
Ah Yin lifted the carriage window curtain and watched the gates of Yelin City recede until they disappeared from sight.
"What kind of city is Spirit City?" Ah Yin drew back her gaze, curiosity stirring.
Everyone said Spirit City was sacred ground to Soul Masters, a place every Soul Master longed to visit in their lifetime. Just what made it so extraordinary?
"Spirit City? It's an ordinary city. There's nothing special about it. I grew up there, and that's how I see it. But it is the safest city on the continent, because Spirit Hall is based there!"
"Where Spirit Hall stands, order reigns more firmly than anywhere else on the continent..."
Qian Xunji explained patiently. He knew Ah Yin was a little nervous. Once they reached Spirit City, she would have to meet his father.
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