Tingting understood some things about the adults; it was all normal. In the Jiang Family, she had seen a lot of worldly affairs and many Jiang Family members, all of whom had many wives and concubines.
Her master said that all these people combined couldn't compare to her father alone.
At the very least, her father benefited from being able to get together with Yan Ruyu.
However, upon seeing Yan Ruyu, Jiang Tingting couldn't help but think of her mother, and as her cultivation level continued to improve, her memories became clearer.
The dead cannot be brought back to life, Jiang Tingting is no longer a naive child.
She wouldn't dislike Jiang Ming or anything like that just because Jiang Ming found another female confidante. On the contrary, what she feared most was that her father would abandon her.
First, according to the cultural customs of this world, it is normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines. The more outstanding a man is, the more women he will have. In the original story, Ji Ziyue said this to Ye Fan.
Secondly, Jiang Tingting was most concerned about her father's movements. People from the Jiang Family would regularly compile information about Jiang Ming into a booklet and send it to her.
She knew a lot about Jiang Ming; she understood everything the last time Jiang Ming went back.
Another half year has passed, and she has grown up a bit more and learned more.
Therefore, she was very happy to see Jiang Ming this time. She was able to come out for training thanks to her master. Otherwise, the Jiang Family elders would have required her to become Dao Palace Secret Realm cultivator before she would be allowed to go out for training once. To officially leave the family for training, she would need to reach the Four Extremes Secret Realm.
" Yan Yan, come on, let me introduce you to Tingting, and also a senior colleague."
Jiang Ming took Yan Ruyu's hand and walked towards the Jiang Family's arriving party.
In fact, Yan Ruyu had already noticed the graceful young girl. She looked about four-tenths like Jiang Ming. Her bright eyes were also looking at her, and her long eyelashes were very beautiful, fluttering. At a glance, it was clear that she was Jiang Ming's daughter. She also knew that this was the child that Jiang Ming's original wife Smoke Glow Fairy, had given birth to for Jiang Ming.
She and Jiang Ming cannot have children right now; they must wait until their cultivation reaches a certain level. So, it's a good thing that Jiang Ming already has a daughter.
She didn't dislike Jiang Ming at first; her curiosity about him stemmed from witnessing him acting erratically, a grown man, howling and crying in Smoke Glow Ridge.
Seeing this scene, many cultivators were very curious. Jiang Ming and Yan Ruyu were already the focus of attention, and now that a little girl had come to the Jiang Family, it naturally attracted a lot of attention.
"That's Jiang Tingting, Jiang Ming's daughter."
Many cultivators immediately guessed her identity, and some exclaimed in surprise.
"My dear daughter, you can walk outside so quickly? I was planning to wait until you reached the Other Shore Realm before taking you to the Yaochi Stone-Appraisal Gathering a year from now!"
Jiang Ming, carrying Yan Ruyu, stepped into the Void, with Divine-Demon Dao Diagram appearing beneath his feet, making each step seem as if he were walking on Void. He arrived in front of Tingting, squatted down, gently hugged his daughter, ruffled her hair, and said.
Upon feeling this familiar and comforting gesture, Jiang Tingting's tense body relaxed slightly. She was still afraid; the little girl lacked a sense of security, a fact Jiang Ming had long known.
There's nothing we can do about it. We can only wait until she grows up, gains strength, and becomes more confident. Everything will get better then.
"Don't worry, you'll always be your father's most precious daughter."
Jiang Ming gave a serious assurance.
" Tingting, don't be afraid. Don't overthink it. Don't think I'll try to take your father away from you. I'm his confidante, and you're his own daughter, his own flesh and blood. No one can take you away from him. We're different."
Yan Ruyu also squatted down and said in a gentle tone.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Finally, after sensing Yan Ruyu's kindness, Jiang Tingting called out in a clear voice.
She wasn't an immature child, and she didn't want to make things difficult for her father.
Besides, the gift Yan Ruyu brought her last time was a strand of essence blood from the Azure Emperor's Heart. Gu Qingyao said that it was a treasure whose value could not be measured by any other means, something that could only be encountered by chance and never sought after.
Even those strands of essence blood alone were of immense help to her, laying an unparalleled foundation for her future cultivation path.
She gave three strands to her master, but Gu Qingyao only accepted one, saying she would use it to comprehend some fragments of Dao principles within.
Jiang Ming had also reminded Tingting of this, teaching her how to conduct herself in society and how to maintain a mentor-apprentice relationship.
At the very least, in the early stages, being able to befriend a powerful figure like Gu Qingyao would bring many benefits.
Gu Qingyao stared at the Divine-Demon Diagram that hovered slowly beneath their feet. It contained the profound Dao of Yin and Yang and Yang, similar to the doctrines of the Yin-Yang Sect in the Central Plains, but even more complex and mysterious.
After entering the Nine-Aperture Divine-Demon Dao Embryo Realm, the first transformation is the Yin-Yang Turn.
The second transformation is the Wisdom Sword Turn.
The third transformation Life-Soul Turn.
The Fourth Transformation is to become Death-Spirit Turn.
The fifth transformation is the Reality-Void Turn.
The sixth cycle: Heaven-Earth Turn.
The seventh transformation is Time-Space Turn.
The eighth transformation is the Fate Turn.
The ninth transformation is the Cause-and-Effect Turn.
The profound mystery of this technique was something even Jiang Ming himself couldn't explain, because it was a variation of the Great Freedom Sword Scripture.
"Senior, my daughter has troubled you."
Jiang Ming looked at Gu Qingyao and said respectfully.
"Didn't you call him 'Big Brother'? In that case, you can call me 'Big Sister' too."
Gu Qingyao looked at Jiang Ming, whose voice, which had been aged, had become gentle and pleasant.
"Sister, you look much better."
Jiang Ming said without any politeness.
"This is all thanks to the Immortal Brew you gave me; it is indeed incredibly delicious and lives up to its name."
Gu Qingyao did not regard Jiang Ming as a junior. Even with her cultivation level, she could not see through Jiang Ming's true strength, which was enough to show that this kid was not simple.
The Yan Ruyu couldn't see through her was because others possessed the suppressed power of the Azure Emperor Armament's Weapon, which was impossible for just anyone to perceive.
However, Jiang Ming's situation is quite different; this kid also possesses a valuable treasure.
"If you like it, sister, I'll invite you to taste it when I brew more fine wine in the future."
However, I have other good things on me, sister, you can try them."
Jiang Ming's supply of Immortal Brew was running low, so he couldn't use it casually. He took out a bottle of Yaochi Divine Spring Purification Liquid and handed it to Gu Qingyao, saying, "Senior, add a few drops when you take a bath; it'll be very effective."
Unless Ye Fan enters the Desolate Forbidden Land again, we can ask him to obtain some Divine Spring and Sacred Medicine.
To entice Ye Fan to help, Jiang Ming gave Ye Fan a pot of Immortal Brew so he could experience its benefits.
The Immortal Brew is mild in nature and can slowly nourish the body. God-King Jiang Taixu has a pot of Immortal Brew, and with the help of what Jiang Ming left behind, he will surely be able to escape his predicament soon.
"You came here because you know something about the Nine Secrets here."
Gu Qingyao looked at Jiang Ming and asked curiously.
After all, Jiang Ming had survived a great calamity, seemingly blessed with great fortune and wisdom, making him a chosen one. She came here to inquire about Gai Jiuyou and, incidentally, to see if the rumors about the Nine Secrets were true.
Of course, while she was speaking, she had already examined the contents of the jade bottle with her divine sense. It contained a large amount of life force, which reminded her of the misty aura emanating from the Yaochi Queen Mother of the West, who was constantly nourished by the misty water vapor. This might be related to that.
The Yaochi has been moved, but it remains the same: an unpolluted Divine Spring is diverted to it. Of course, this was an arrangement made by the Western Empress before her death; no one else has such an ability.
The natural Divine Spring of Yaochi, if bathed in regularly, can keep cultivators young and youthful.
Of course, the actual effect isn't quite that dramatic, but it's still quite noticeable.
For example, the current Western Empress is two thousand years old, but she is still very young and looks only about thirty years old.
No woman could resist such a treasure.
Gu Qingyao was slightly surprised. She gripped the jade bottle tightly, then with a thought, she put it away.
"Heh, you little rascal, you managed to get your hands on something this good. I appreciate your kindness, and I can't refuse."
Gu Qingyao rolled her eyes at Jiang Ming. No wonder this kid could win the heart of Yan Ruyu, the descendant of the Azure Emperor.
"Sister, you flatter me. What treasures haven't you seen?"
"I mainly felt bad seeing how much effort you put into refining the protective weapon for Tingting, so I offered this small token to express my gratitude."
Jiang Ming naturally chose to say the nice things.
He also knew that even with the Nine Heavens Scarlet Jade King, Gu Qingyao would need more than a year to slowly refine and nurture a Saint Weapon.
"Senior, this is Yan Ruyu, a descendant of the Azure Emperor, and now my confidante."
Jiang Ming also made sure to introduce Yan Ruyu to Gu Qingyao, which could be considered as her meeting her family.
Yan Ruyu was holding Tingting's hand and talking softly. They quickly became familiar with each other. She was aloof but a very nice person. Tingting had a similar personality, and they quickly found a topic to talk about. The topic naturally came up with Jiang Ming, and they mentioned some things about Jiang Ming.
" Yan Yan, this is our older sister. You can just call her 'older sister'."
Jiang Ming looked at Yan Ruyu and offered a reminder.
"Elder sister."
Yan Ruyu immediately replied obediently.
She had also heard some things, knowing that Jiang Ming had found a master for his daughter, who was suspected to be a figure from the same era as the Madman.
"Alright, I don't have anything good to give you. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me."
Gu Qingyao looked at Yan Ruyu, nodded slightly, and smiled.
For Gu Qingyao, too much had happened in the past few years. She was originally all alone, with little time left to live, and had been searching for ways to prolong her life.
After meeting Jiang Ming, things turned around for them, and good things kept happening.
She had always thought of herself as an old woman who had survived by sheer luck, with little fortune. In fact, in the original story, she finally found the Northern Pole Light, but perished on the way.
It's clear that this old woman was originally very persistent in her pursuit of immortality. Unfortunately, she failed in her transformation and passed away before even reaching the level of Quasi-Emperor.
In the end, all the opportunities she gained benefited Tu Fei, while she died on the Immortal Ascension Road. Tu Fei, relying on the Annihilation Heaven Technique taught to him by the old woman, underwent the Quasi-Emperor Tribulation more than three thousand years later. The Divine Land shattered, allowing Tu Fei to escape and become Quasi-Emperor.
Jiang Ming understood her personality, so he naturally catered to her preferences and helped her whenever he could, gradually making her unable to leave him.