A small crack appeared on the snow-white dragon egg. Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce exchanged worried glances, sweat beading on their foreheads as they carefully cradled the egg in their arms.
“After the ascension, spiritual energy surged out, turning this place into a paradise. Sandan grew by infusing this spiritual energy. He absorbed too much at once, and he’s going to hatch,” Yu Ce said, pointing at the crack and feeling the energy swirling inside the shell.
Golden Immortals can rejuvenate withered trees and revive dead butterflies, possessing boundless life force. This energy can even aid in the hatching process for beings of the mortal realm.
Shen Tanqi anxiously held the egg closer and whispered, “What should we do? Mian Mian isn’t due yet; it’s too early for him to hatch.”
Although the crack was small, it was quite alarming, as if something strange might spill out at any moment.
“Even though it’s not time for hatching, we need to help him form properly so he can hatch smoothly,” Yu Ce said, channeling a stream of spiritual energy into the egg. “Ah Qi, help me.”
At his words, Shen Tanqi quickly placed his hand over Yu Ce’s, both their hands covering the crack as they infused their spiritual energy into it.
Goldfish approached, nervously rubbing his little hands together. “Daddy, I have a bit of spiritual energy too.” After being cleansed by his father’s ascension, he was now in the mid-stage of foundation building.
Seeing Goldfish’s eager face, Shen Tanqi couldn’t help but smile. “Your father and I can handle hatching the little brother. You don’t need to.”
Goldfish withdrew his hand, sitting quietly on the flower-covered grass beside them. He softly said, “I hope the little brother hatches and grows up well. I’d give him all my treats.”
Shen Tanwu, also sat down next to him, hugging Goldfish and pinching his cheek. “Such a good boy, little Goldfish.”
Goldfish pursed his lips and whispered, “Because I’m the big brother, I need to protect my little brother.”
His words made Shen Tanwu drift off for a moment, remembering how he used to be like Goldfish, feeling responsible for his two frail younger siblings and believing it was his duty to protect them.
It seemed he and little Goldfish were quite in tune with each other.
Time ticked away, and Shen Tanqi was on the verge of draining all his spiritual energy into the egg. Yet, the egg showed no sign of hatching. He sighed, gently caressed the shell, and murmured, “Mian Mian, you’ve worked hard. Come out and meet Daddy.”
As soon as he spoke, a faint crackling sound came from the egg shell.
Shen Tanqi’s eyes widened in surprise, and everyone held their breath, staring intently at the smooth, white shell.
Yu Ce noticed the crack widening and glanced at Shen Tanqi, whispering encouragingly, “Say a bit more; he might hear you.”
Shen Tanqi blinked, understanding immediately. He lovingly stroked the shell with his palm and said softly, “Mian Mian, come out quickly. It’s beautiful outside—there’s a sky full of flower petals, green meadows, and your adorable big brother waiting for you.”
The egg remained still, as if to say, ‘Not interested.’
Shen Tanqi: …
His little one was the most unpredictable; he couldn’t figure out what went on in that tiny head.
He paused, thinking back to the day when the little one eagerly absorbed both his and Yu Ce’s spiritual energy, as well as Huo Yening’s demonic energy. Shen Tanqi had an idea and tentatively continued, “Once you come out, you can practice cultivation at Rongyun Sect, absorb more spiritual energy, and even use demonic energy—”
He glanced at Yu Ce and added, “Of course, that’s if you don’t turn to the dark side.”
As soon as he finished, another crack echoed from the shell, as if it was eager to come out.
Shen Tanqi: …
Oh no, his little one seemed to be the type who thrived on constant upgrades, even more so than Yu Ce.
He chuckled, continuing, “Come out quickly, Mian Mian, or Daddy will run out of spiritual energy soon.”
As soon as Shen Tanqi’s words finished, a tiny white dragon crawled out from the egg, delicately climbing onto his finger.
The room fell silent. Shen Tanqi stared in shock at the tiny dragon, which was about the size of his finger, looking more like a white insect. His heart nearly stopped.
Mian Mian was… as small as an insect!!!!
Shen Tanqi’s vision darkened, and he fainted on the spot.
“Ah Qi!”
“Daddy!”
“My little brother has had a fear of bugs since he was a child!”
When Shen Tanqi woke up again, he found himself lying in the Yaoting Pavilion, with Goldfish and Taro Ball sleeping peacefully on either side of him.
The sky was pale with clear morning light.
Birds chirped outside the window, drifting clouds passed by, and the soft, rhythmic snoring of two little ones could be heard from his lap.
It was like waking from a deep dream; all the bloodshed from the tribulation had been washed away by the storm, leaving everything in quiet.
Yu Ce and Sandan were nowhere to be seen. He had no idea where they had gone.
The room was so quiet that a pin drop would have been audible. Shen Tanqi gently sat up, cradling Taro Ball in his arms. The child still had some sword wounds on him, which made Shen Tanqi’s heart ache. He kissed Taro Ball’s forehead, feeling his eyes warm with tears.
Even though his own wounds, inflicted by Xie Chi, were more terrifying, Shen Tanqi felt that the scars on Taro Ball were far more painful to him.
Taro Ball was only three years old, still just a baby.
The little one seemed to be sleeping restlessly, perhaps due to a past trauma of being kidnapped while asleep. He woke up immediately when Shen Tanqi gently touched him.
“Daddy…”
Shen Tanqi put a finger to his lips and then pointed at the still-sleeping Goldfish, signaling for quiet. He asked softly, “Where are Father and Mian Mian?”
Taro Ball nestled into Shen Tanqi’s arms, finding a comfortable position and murmured, “Father said the little brother’s body is now fully formed. We need to take him back to Hidden Dragon Valley to grow up.” Just like they had grown up in Hidden Dragon Valley, Mian Mian also had to be raised there by Yu Ce.
Shen Tanqi was taken aback and asked quietly, “Have they already left?”
Taro Ball shook his head, holding Shen Tanqi close. “No, Father said they’ll set off tomorrow. They’re waiting for you to wake up so we can all go together. Right now, he’s probably dealing with the remaining demons.”
Xie Chi had brought a lot of demons, including several important elders. Dealing with them would take some time.
Moreover, Shen Tanqi had sustained serious sword wounds, and his spiritual energy had been exhausted during the hatching of the dragon egg. The shock of seeing the tiny white dragon crawling out had caused him to faint, and he had slept until morning.
Yu Ce had decided to wait for Shen Tanqi to wake up before returning to Hidden Dragon Valley, where they would stay until Sandan had matured.
“I see…” Shen Tanqi nodded, understanding that dragons needed to be raised in Hidden Dragon Valley before their nurturing period was over.
Knock, knock—
The door suddenly sounded with knocks, pulling Shen Tanqi back to reality. He gently lifted Taro Ball from his arms and tucked him into the soft, cozy bedding, whispering, “Sleep well, my dear. Daddy will go see who’s at the door.”
It should be Yu Ce returning.
Taro Ball, already struggling to keep his eyes open, nodded softly. He hadn’t slept well the previous night, helping the bald doctor stop that bad brother’s bleeding.
After settling Taro Ball to sleep, Shen Tanqi got up and opened the door. But instead of Yu Ce, it was Shen Tanwu, holding a bundle of roasted chicken wrapped in oil paper. He looked Shen Tanqi up and down and asked, “Are you able to get out of bed?”
He handed the roasted chicken to Shen Tanqi, and they both sat at the table.
Shen Tanqi sighed and asked, “I’m fine. What about Sandan?”
He felt a bit embarrassed about fainting at the sight of his own offspring. It wasn’t really something to be scared of; the other two were probably just as tiny when they hatched. Just like human babies look wrinkled and monkey-like at birth, they eventually grow into chubby, healthy kids.
Mentioning Sandan, Shen Tanwu chuckled and said, “Yu Ce is taking care of him. He’s got a little bundle strapped to him, juggling between fighting demons and soothing the baby.”
Shen Tanqi pictured the scene and couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Why didn’t he leave him with me?”
“Yu Ce said that even though the body has formed, the baby isn’t fully matured yet. It needs to be fed with spiritual energy for a while.”
“I see. That makes sense.”
Shen Tanwu unwrapped the roasted chicken, and the aroma filled the room. Goldfish, still lying on the bed, sniffed the air and slowly opened his eyes. He sat up, rubbing his sleepy face, and Shen Tanwu noticed him, laughing. “Ah, woke up at the smell of meat, huh?”
Shen Tanqi turned to see swallowing his saliva, his cheeks flushing with a bit of embarrassment.
Smiling, he waved Goldfish over. “Goldfish, come here. You must be hungry.”
Goldfish climbed down from the bed, his little bare feet padding across the cold jade floor to Shen Tanqi’s side, where he was lifted into his father’s lap.
Shen Tanqi carefully tore a drumstick from the chicken with chopsticks, holding it up to Goldfish’s mouth.
Watching Shen Tanqi skillfully feed little Goldfish, Shen Tanwu’s eyes glimmered with emotion. “I still remember you as my little shadow, always following me around. Now, in the blink of an eye, you have kids of your own.”
Shen Tanqi laughed and said, “Yeah, you should think about settling down too.”
“Me?” Shen Tanwu raised an eyebrow, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at the sleeping Taro Ball. He sighed, “I don’t even have a partner. You’ve outpaced me in life.”
He thought it would be great if he could have adorable kids like Goldfish and Taro Ball without getting married. Someone like him, who is a bit careless and not very good at comforting others, might not be the type of person girls would like. Finding someone like that in real life was tough, and even harder in the pages of a book. So, he didn’t hold out much hope for marriage.
“Oh, by the way,” Shen Tanwu said, pulling a bright blue pearl from his pocket and handing it to Shen Tanqi. “I found this after you fainted. It looks quite beautiful. It should be worth something, right?”
Shen Tanqi looked at it, his eyes widening. He quickly grabbed the blue pearl, exclaiming, “This is… a Deep Sea Mermaid Pearl!”
Shen Tanwu touched his nose and chuckled. “The name sounds impressive. What’s it used for?”
Shen Tanqi remembered Yu Ce’s father telling him not to dwell on the past or enter the pearl again. After a moment, he shook his head and replied softly, “It’s not particularly useful, but it’s a relic from Yu Ce’s father.”
Shen Tanwu was surprised. “Such an important item should be well-preserved.”
Indeed, it should be kept safe. This pearl held the memories of his birth mother and Yu Ce’s father, making it the most precious gem in the world.
Shen Tanqi carefully tucked the pearl into his clothes, planning to find the right moment to explore its memories with Yu Ce. Then…
He wanted to tell Yu Ce’s father that he and Yu Ce were going to get married.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
