Call Me Grandpa

Ye Lingling silently watched her mother change before her eyes. The peerless Nine Heart Begonia took on a withered hue, her mother's cultivation plummeted, and her aura quietly weakened. A sheen of tears gathered in Lingling's clear eyes.

Bright as she was, she understood it all at once. Sorrow and gratitude welled up in her heart.

She turned to Lu Xuan beside her. Her voice was soft, with a faint catch she could not quite hide. "Brother Lu Xuan, Mom did all this for me, didn't she?"

Lu Xuan looked down at the little girl, whose thoughtfulness made his heart ache. He hid nothing from her. "For you, Lingling, and for the whole Ye Family."

He added gently, "So you must work hard from now on, Lingling. One day, you need to find a way for the Nine Heart Begonia to break free of its fate and bloom in full."

Ye Lingling did not yet understand what it meant for the Nine Heart Begonia to bloom to its fullest, or to break the shackles on its inheritance.

But she knew her mother's sacrifice and her family's concessions carried all their hopes and love for her.

The tears in her eyes gradually gave way to clear resolve.

Ye Lingling nodded firmly and looked at Lu Xuan. "I understand, Brother Lu Xuan. All of it."

Ye Qingxian closed her eyes and carefully sensed her deteriorated martial soul and greatly diminished Soul Power.

After a moment, she opened her eyes and smiled. "I've only lost some strength. Nothing else feels wrong. I'm fine."

She turned to Ye Renxin, whose expression was grave, and reassured him gently. "Dad, don't worry. I really am fine."

Her strength had fallen off a cliff. Her martial soul had regressed completely, and her Soul Power Level had dropped sharply. She now had barely a fifth of her former strength, while her once-exceptional healing ability had been greatly diminished.

Yet Ye Qingxian felt neither resentment nor regret.

If the small price of lost cultivation and a regressed martial soul could sever the Nine Heart Begonia's shackles of fate, keep her father safe, and give her daughter Ye Lingling the chance to awaken a complete Nine Heart Begonia, it was a bargain beyond measure. It was all worth it.

Ye Renxin's heart ached for her. He let out a heavy sigh, his voice rough. "You've suffered, my child."

"Don't start." Ye Qingxian waved a hand and laughed. "I spend most of the year at the clinic and barely use my martial soul a few times. This hardly counts as a sacrifice."

A sly glint crossed her eyes as she joked, "Besides, now I can use my regressed martial soul as an excuse to slack off openly. No more traveling around to treat patients. I couldn't be happier!"

Her happiness was no act. She had lost some of her strength, nothing more, and it was a price she could bear.

Zhao Yan stepped forward and gently took his wife's hand. Before everyone, he said solemnly, "Qingxian, whatever happens, I'll always be by your side."

"You'd better be." Ye Qingxian shot her husband a look, her expression easing as she bantered with him.

The couple traded quiet jokes as though no one else were there, and much of the oppressive mood lifted.

Ye Lingling watched them, a little lost.

At six years old, she could not yet see the restraint behind the adults' forced lightheartedness. Puzzled, she was about to ask Lu Xuan about it when Ye Renxin called him over.

Ye Renxin turned to Dugu Bo and Lu Xuan. "Brother Dugu, Xiao Xuan, I'm going to take the Fake Death Drug now. To be safe, wait three days before awakening Lingling's martial soul."

"Rest assured, Brother Ye." Dugu Bo nodded at once. "I have everything in mind. Nothing will go wrong."

Then he seemed to remember something and quickly added, "Oh, Zhao Yan hasn't taken an Immortal Herb yet. Which one would suit him best? We could have him absorb it over the next few days and strengthen his foundation."

"Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower!"

Since Dugu Bo had offered an Immortal Herb himself, Ye Renxin made no show of refusing.

He walked over, picked the brilliantly colored Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, and handed it to Zhao Yan. "This is the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. Don't chew it; swallow it whole. When its medicinal power erupts, the pain will be intense. Steady your mind and endure it."

"I'll remember, Father-in-law." Zhao Yan looked solemn and did not hesitate.

He had seen Dugu Bo and Dugu Xin transformed after taking Immortal Herbs, breaking through their limits. He had long hoped for the same chance.

After watching both father and son advance in cultivation and transform their martial souls, he naturally yearned for an opportunity to overcome his own limits.

Now that his chance had come, Zhao Yan was overjoyed. His wish had finally been granted.

He took the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, put it straight into his mouth, and swallowed it as instructed.

Ye Renxin went to lie down in a nearby wooden hut and took the Fake Death Secret Medicine; Zhao Yan remained where he was, sitting cross-legged as he slowly absorbed the immense medicinal power flooding his body; Ye Qingxian watched over the two little girls, Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan.

On the other side of the clearing, Dugu Bo and his son Dugu Xin drew Lu Xuan aside for a chat.

"Brother Lu." Dugu Bo smiled ruefully. "Compared to you and Brother Ye, my son and I might as well be illiterate. When I got home yesterday, I asked Yanyan what path she wanted to take in her cultivation. Unfortunately, she takes after the two of us. She had no idea and couldn't offer a single useful thought."

After a pause, Dugu Bo grew earnest. "So I wanted to ask you to help Yanyan decide. There are countless Immortal Herbs here at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Which one suits her best? I hope one can help her reach the ranks of the Titled Douluo someday."

"Senior Dugu—"

"Enough with 'Senior.'" Dugu Bo waved a hand, cutting Lu Xuan off. "You're a few months younger than Yanyan. Calling me 'Senior' every time only makes us sound distant. Call me Grandpa, just like Yanyan does."

Lu Xuan paused. A moment later, he caught the deeper meaning.

The important part was not calling him "Grandpa." It was "just like Yanyan does"!

So Dugu Bo wants me as the Dugu family's grandson-in-law too, Lu Xuan thought. He had not expected that.

Not that I'd be losing out!