Early the next morning.
Just as dawn was breaking, an uninvited guest arrived at the courtyard where An Yi was staying.
"Teacher!"
A clear voice came from outside the pavilion.
An Yi sat cross-legged on a stone chair. He slowly opened his eyes and turned toward the voice.
Qian Renxue walked into the pavilion with a light step, carrying a small, elegant food box.
She set the box on the stone table and said with a bright smile:
"Teacher, breakfast is ready."
An Yi glanced at the food box, then at Qian Renxue.
She was being attentive for no reason.
This little girl was definitely up to no good.
Instead of opening the box right away, he leaned back in the stone chair.
"Just say it. What is it?"
Qian Renxue's smile stiffened for a moment.
"Teacher, how can you think that of me?"
"I just saw you cultivating here every morning and worried you'd be hungry, so I brought you breakfast."
An Yi looked at her expressionlessly.
"Keep making things up."
Qian Renxue: "..."
Damn it!
Why was this person so hard to fool?
After grumbling to herself a couple of times, she finally sat down obediently across from An Yi.
"All right, there is something I want to ask you."
"Go on."
Qian Renxue hesitated. "Teacher, you said last night that you met Mom over ten years ago."
An Yi said nothing, merely picking up his teacup and taking a sip.
Qian Renxue continued, "Can you tell me how exactly you met?"
"No."
The smile vanished from Qian Renxue's face.
"Why not?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"..."
Qian Renxue bit her lip and stared straight at An Yi, her eyes looking as though they might squeeze out a few tears at any moment.
Growing up, she had rarely been thwarted by Qian Daoliu or Qian Xunji.
After all, one was a grandfather who held her in the palm of his hand, and the other was a father who owed her.
As long as she showed the slightest hint of feeling wronged, she could get her way in many things.
Unfortunately, she had picked the wrong person this time.
An Yi glanced at her. "Don't look at me like that."
"I'm much more professional than you at playing the pity card."
"With acting skills like yours, you could only fool your grandfather."
Qian Renxue's expression froze.
The next moment, she jerked her head away and said through gritted teeth:
"Fine, don't tell me!"
An Yi smiled and stopped teasing her.
He reached out and opened the food box. Inside were two bowls of lean pork congee, two large chicken legs beside them, and several pieces of delicately made pastry.
An Yi picked up a spoon and took a spoonful of congee.
It tasted pretty good.
After a couple of spoonfuls, he spoke unhurriedly:
"I don't want to talk about the past."
Qian Renxue had her back to him and didn't respond.
An Yi didn't mind. He picked up a piece of pastry and put it in his mouth.
"However..."
Qian Renxue's ears twitched slightly.
"If you want to see your mother, I can take you to visit her."
At those words, Qian Renxue whipped her head around.
"Really?"
An Yi looked at her. "Of course."
But the smile on Qian Renxue's face gradually faded. She lowered her head and said softly:
"But Mom doesn't like me going to see her."
It wasn't as though she had never visited before, but every time she went, Bibi Dong either told her to leave with a cold face or refused to spare her so much as another glance.
An Yi looked at her, his tone calm. "Don't worry. If I take you, she won't send you away."
Qian Renxue looked up, her eyes full of doubt. "Really?"
"Of course."
Qian Renxue stared at him for a few seconds before finally choosing to believe him. She sprang to her feet and said eagerly:
"Then let's go now!"
An Yi nearly spat out the congee in his mouth. He put down his spoon and looked up at Qian Renxue.
"What's the rush?"
"I finally have a chance to see Mom, so of course I have to make the most of it!" Qian Renxue declared with perfect conviction.
An Yi raised a hand and pointed at the sky. "It's morning."
"So what?"
"She needs to cultivate." An Yi looked at her. "Do you think it's appropriate to run over and disturb her while she's cultivating?"
Qian Renxue was at a loss for words.
It seemed... it really wasn't very appropriate.
"Then when are we going?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight?" Qian Renxue's eyes widened.
"Teacher, don't you know? Outsiders aren't allowed in to see Mom at night!"
"The last time I sneaked in, she almost beat me to death!"
An Yi looked at her and calmly took a spoonful of congee.
"But you're not dead, are you?"
Qian Renxue: "..."
What kind of answer was that?
So as long as she hadn't been beaten to death, it didn't count as anything?
She puffed out her cheeks in anger.
An Yi stopped teasing her, the smile fading from his face.
"All right, I'm not joking anymore."
"Your mother's current situation really is a little unusual."
Qian Renxue froze. "Unusual?"
An Yi nodded.
It was no secret that Bibi Dong's killing aura was strong. After all, it had been less than a year since she returned from Slaughter City.
Last night, simple physical contact had caused her killing intent to erupt instantly. If An Yi hadn't used his Moonlight Domain in time, things might not have ended so easily.
The reason he had dared to embrace Bibi Dong under those circumstances last night was that he had enough confidence in his own ability.
His Moon Martial Soul possessed a Moonlight Domain, and one of its effects was somewhat similar to Tang Yuehua's Innate Domain.
When the domain was deployed, its moonlight could ease a target's emotional fluctuations, gradually calming a restless mind.
Under the light of the actual moon, this effect would be strengthened further.
Last night, he had aligned the illusory full moon above his head with the bright moon in the night sky precisely to draw upon the power of moonlight and strengthen the Moonlight Domain's effect.
Even when Bibi Dong's killing aura had spiraled out of control, it had been unable to resist the soothing effect of that power.
But what if it were daytime?
Without the moon's aid, the Moonlight Domain would still work, but its effect would be greatly diminished.
What happened last night had already revealed a great deal.
She remembered him and cared about him, and she even felt guilty toward him because of that expedition years ago.
But that didn't mean he could provoke her without restraint.
Especially when it came to Qian Renxue.
That name alone touched the most sensitive place in Bibi Dong's heart.
If he took Qian Renxue over in broad daylight, who knew how Bibi Dong would react?
If her killing aura erupted again, An Yi couldn't guarantee he would be able to suppress it in time every time.
More importantly, if he really pushed Bibi Dong too far, the little guilt she felt toward him might vanish in an instant.
At that thought, An Yi looked at Qian Renxue.
"In any case, we'll go tonight."
"Before then, you'd better not go out of your way to provoke her."
Qian Renxue blinked. "Teacher, do you know why Mom doesn't like me?"
An Yi's movements paused.
Then he picked up a chicken leg as if nothing had happened and took a bite.
"Eat your breakfast."
"Teacher!"
"Ask again, and I won't take you tonight."