Oh! Her disciple could actually say something like that! She was a tsundere, after all.
Even Fang Yuehua felt unaccustomed to it. "And then?"
Still, this was a good thing.
It had simply reshaped her understanding of her disciple.
Perhaps Chen Fan had said something to her earlier, and her disciple had been somewhat moved. That was what she figured.
"And then? Master, this is the most rational choice." Ling Qingcheng looked somewhat serious.
"But at my current age, getting married isn't appropriate. It would affect my cultivation path."
As for what Chen Fan had told her, those were secret bonds between the two of them, and she had no intention of telling a third person.
That included her current master.
Fang Yuehua hummed in agreement. "That makes sense."
Having her disciple bear Chen Fan a... a child-as long as her disciple was willing, that was the first step taken.
Knowing that Ling Qingcheng was worried about her cultivation, they only needed to approach it from that angle and eliminate her concerns. That task, of course, belonged to Chen Fan.
She did not have that ability.
Then she continued, "The Spiritual Qi here is rich. This place is indeed better suited for cultivation than the Divine Dao Holy Land. Perhaps this is all the Great Emperor's arrangement."
"I really don't know how he cultivates." She glanced at her disciple's expression. She was telling the truth; her master really wasn't singing his praises in her ear.
Ling Qingcheng naturally knew that this was all Chen Fan's doing, and she was indeed somewhat curious.
"He must have his own secrets." How could a reincarnated powerhouse be simple? She understood that principle.
Her own thinking was simple too. She had come back with Chen Fan to take a look at the Chen Lineage, and it seemed different from what she had imagined.
Strong, yet not strong.
Of course, the richness of the Spiritual Qi here was outrageously exaggerated, and it could indeed help her cultivate quickly.
In that case, she had to catch up to her Great Emperor husband's cultivation!
Seeing that her disciple seemed very interested in Chen Fan, Fang Yuehua began offering guidance.
"Qingcheng, if-and I mean if-it wouldn't delay your cultivation, would you choose to start a family early?"
Ling Qingcheng fell silent.
Fang Yuehua hurriedly said, "As the saying goes, establish a family and build a career. Establish a family first, then build a career. Cultivation is that career."
Ling Qingcheng looked at Fang Yuehua. "Master, haven't you cultivated all this time without starting a family yourself?"
Fang Yuehua froze on the spot.
"I was only speaking casually. Still, there's something I must tell you. If you meet someone good, tying the knot is a fine thing too. Otherwise, once you miss your chance, it'll be too late for regrets."
Ling Qingcheng felt that she and Chen Fan had bonds from their previous lives. How could Chen Fan run away? Better to wait until she cultivated to a higher realm and awakened her past-life memories, and then they could...
Make up for it with a child.
"So, Master, does that mean you simply haven't met a good man you love?"
After a silence, Fang Yuehua said, "You could say that. But at my current level, I can't be bothered to think about such things anymore. And you, Qingcheng, carry all my hopes."
Solemn, serious, earnest!
"I see you as my own daughter..."
Ling Qingcheng: "..."
So that's your reason for pressuring me?
The first sentence had felt as though her master hoped she would become powerful. The next had changed the flavor entirely, making it feel as though her master wanted to hold a grandchild.
Chen Fan was on his way when he encountered the Lord of Illusory Sound.
The Lord of Illusory Sound's real name was Mo Qingyin.
"Greetings, Great Emperor." Mo Qingyin nodded in greeting.
Naturally, it would not have been appropriate for her to whisper persuasions in Sage King Yuehua's disciple's ear.
After all, they were not familiar with each other.
Chen Fan said, "What is it?"
Mo Qingyin hesitated slightly. "Forgive my boldness, Great Emperor, but I heard that your engagement was broken off?"
"That is indeed true." Chen Fan admitted it without hesitation, because to him, such a thing was no different from a joke and needed no concern.
"That's good." Mo Qingyin even smiled, then realized something was wrong and hurriedly corrected herself. "Great Emperor, that's not what I meant."
"What I meant was that the Falling Cloud Sect's sect master and Holy Maiden came earlier..."
Chen Fan smiled. Sure enough, women understood women better. He understood what Mo Qingyin meant.
"I understand."
"By the way, I've heard that your Spirit-Concentrating Melody is truly extraordinary, Lord of Illusory Sound. Why not lend Qingcheng a little help when you have the chance?"
The people of the Illusory Sound Pavilion were all skilled in the Daos of illusion and sound. These could temper the soul.
"You flatter me, Great Emperor. It is only right that I help," Mo Qingyin replied.
Chen Fan hummed in acknowledgment, then turned and left.
Mo Qingyin watched Chen Fan's retreating figure. The Great Emperor wanted a child at such a young age... Even the way he did things was different from everyone else!
Still, that made sense. At the Great Emperor's realm, passing on his legacy seemed more important.
If he asked her, she probably would not refuse either...
She shook her head. She still had to coordinate with Fang Yuehua.
Besides, this place was extremely suitable for cultivation. Everything had been fine when she left, but now she couldn't go back. Then she simply wouldn't go back for the time being.
Chen Fan had intended to find Ling Qingcheng, but halfway there, he took a turn and went to find the members of the Chen Lineage to discuss their expansion.
Inside the main hall.
Seeing Chen Fan arrive, everyone bowed. "Ancestor."
Chen Xuandao stared wide-eyed. He had returned, and suddenly, his seniority had dropped!
Filial piety to die for.
Still, he accepted it willingly, marveling that the scale of the changes was greater than the heavens.
Chen Fan looked around. That girl Feng Yao was absent; he did not know where she had gone.
He said, "Everyone, it is time the Chen Lineage expanded its territory. Gather more intelligence over the next few days."
Everyone's spirits lifted. So soon.
Still, it was only reasonable.
"Yes, Ancestor," they all answered.
Chen Fan then looked at Chen Xuandao. "I have something to discuss with the elder."
Hearing this, everyone withdrew of their own accord.
Only the two of them remained in the main hall.
"Ancestor, what is it?" Chen Xuandao was still unused to addressing him by a title that should have been his own.
Chen Fan grew slightly serious. "Elder, you have deep experience and seniority. I want to know something about where our Chen Lineage members have gone..."
Undercover agents! Otherwise, they gave him a fright every time.
Besides, this task needed to proceed in tandem.
Chen Xuandao said earnestly, "Ancestor, I know nothing about that. Unless I happen to run into them, I don't know where the other Chen Lineage members have gone either."
They had made it quite mysterious. Chen Fan did not dwell on it; he could only leave it to fate.
"What about my father and mother? Did they leave any messages before departing?"
"The madam..." Chen Xuandao hesitated. "The madam went to her maternal lineage and has yet to return. If she hasn't encountered danger, she should still be there."
It was fine if she remained with her maternal lineage. Danger was something none of them wanted to see.
Chen Fan nodded. "My mother's life tablet is intact, so she should be all right. As for Great Void Province, I'll go take a look."
His mother's lineage was in Great Void Province, and other major provinces lay between Great Void Province and White Emperor Province. It was rather far away, though that made little difference to him.
Hearing this, Chen Xuandao continued, "As for the lineage head..."
He shook his head. "I don't know either. I only know that the lineage head returned once back then, and I heard a little about some matters."
"What matters?"
"Ancestor, this concerns Great Emperor Xuanji." Chen Xuandao continued, "Even though our Chen Lineage had some reserves, persuading a Great Emperor to accept you as a disciple back then would still have been extremely difficult."
Chen Fan's spirits stirred. Something was hidden here.
"Could it have something to do with my father?"
Indeed. A Great Emperor held everything beneath notice and would not take an interest in worldly things. Buying a master seemed impossible.
Now that Chen Xuandao had brought it up, it confirmed that point, like enlightenment pouring over his head.
Chen Xuandao nodded gravely. "That's right. It was the lineage head who spoke to Great Emperor Xuanji back then. No one knows the specifics. But I would guess it involved some valuable information. After all, the lineage head was out gaining experience at the time."
Information valuable enough to make a Great Emperor relent was absolutely extraordinary. Chen Fan asked,
"What about our Chen Lineage's reserves, then?"
Chen Xuandao sighed. "Back then, it was the lineage head who stepped forward to get you into Empress Cliff. As for those possessions of our Chen Lineage, they were all used as a cover. It seemed he didn't want outsiders growing suspicious."
At this thought, Chen Fan understood. So that was it.
It was meant to conceal the truth from prying eyes.
For the bigger picture, temporary gains and losses were not worth mentioning.
"That was also one of the reasons we went undercover in other factions-to support the illusion. Now, Great Emperor Xuanji's whereabouts are unknown, and your father has yet to return. I'm afraid no one knows the reasons behind it all." Chen Xuandao's words carried deeper meaning.
Knowing this much was enough for Chen Fan. In any case, it had been a transaction from the beginning.
Until he found his father, he probably would not learn the secret behind it.
And Great Emperor Xuanji had reincarnated. Unless Ling Qingcheng awakened her past-life memories, she would not know either.
But this secret had been absorbed internally by him, Chen Fan.
They were all family, so there was no need to speak as though they belonged to two different households.
Suddenly, Chen Fan thought of Chen Wancai from earlier...
"It seems Father may be in danger."
Chen Xuandao realized it too. Ordinary disciples knew nothing, but a betrayal among the Chen Lineage's core forces was enough to make people chase shadows and grow suspicious about what lay behind it.
"Ancestor, what should we do, then?"
"It's fine." Chen Fan's eyes flickered slightly. "It's nothing but unfounded conjecture. Leave the rest to me..."
The Desolate Ancient Continent was so vast that even as a Great Emperor, finding someone would be difficult for him.
By the same token, it would be just as difficult for others.
Inside the grand hall.
While Fang Yuehua was chatting with Ling Qingcheng.
Suddenly, a voice rang out-
"Master's wife."