Because of his negligence, Nie Xiaowu made Qiongqi suspicious. No one would predict that there would be a b.l.o.o.d.y battle in the Immense Sea in the future. All the forces flocked to the Immense Sea since the Divine Being Heavenly Book had shown up. Nascent Soul fled to the Immense Sea, and Chidi killed the Head of the devil army in his fury. Nascent Soul knew that Chidi did to frighten him. In fact, the battle should have been conducted through collaborating from within with forces from outside, but unexpectedly, Di Qing ruined the plan. However, Chidi only punished Nascent Soul himself, which made him puzzled. "Why does Chidi only punish me?"
"As a Commander in Chief, you were dictated by the Vice-commander."
"Junior Uncle Grandmaster, it was urgent at that time, and I had to let the Emperor of Qi Kingdom go wildly."
"Until now, you haven"t still confessed your mistake? Today, I can kill the Head of the army. Tomorrow, I will kill you, too."
However, Nascent Soul counted the penalty to Di Qing inwardly. Since the Wolf King had been killed by the Spiritual Master of the Teal Hill, Chidi had annexed the devil realm, and then dominated the territory from the devil wolf pack in the west to the Teal Hill in the south. The hometown of Jiang Wuyou had fallen into Chidi"s hands.
"Xiao Douya, come with me to have fun in the market."
Standing on the small tower, Nie Xiaowu delighted the little boy. No sooner had Wuyou picked up the beans and entered the courtyard did Xiao Douya throw himself into his mother"s arms and act pettishly. Since the uncle in the neighborhood gave some dessert to the little boy, Xiao Douya would like to run to the neighborhood to play with him. And Granny Moon found that, and told Wuyou that Xiao Douya should not be allowed to the neighborhood any more. However, Granny Moon did not know that the uncle next to the door was Xiao Douya"s father. Although Xu Linghe did not know Wuyou any longer, she still hoped that the man would see his own child every day.
"Mom, the uncle next to the door bought a string of candied haws to me!" Xiao Douya pulled a string of candied haws out of his pocket, where the little boy put it. When he handed it in, his hands were plastered with candy, and he had a big bite. Looking at her child eating appetizingly, Wuyou could not help but thinking of the past when she was still an innocent little fox, the first thing she tasted in the human world was sweet and sour snack. And she was as curious as Xiao Douya, believing it was the best delicious in the human world. It was the same day when she met the man, and then their love began sprouting. She once believed they would live a happy life since then. But it turned out that it was a test of the Heaven. As she thought that, she put it onto the tip of her tongue carefully and tasted it slowly. Although the man bought if for Xiao Douya, Wuyou still wanted to engrave the taste in her memory.
"Mom, why are you crying?"
Nie Xiaowu knew that the woman was missing a person. Even though she never mentioned it, Nie Xiaowu could feel that. For Nie Xiaowu, the woman was like a book: Although the book appeared plain at the first sight, when he turned the first page, he was fascinated about it and thought the next chapter would be more wonderful. When he kept reading it, he found that he was deeply attracted by it.
"Xiao Douya, come with me to have something delicious in the market."
Nie Xiaowu was unwilling to see the woman shed tears, because that could make him comfortable. On the other hand, Xiao Douya was very happy, since he thought he would have something delicious in the market, even though it was the simple but tasty string of candied haws. With Xiao Douya"s expectation, they walked out of the courtyard. Wuyou stared closely at the door in the neighborhood. Her husband"s door was locked. Xiao Douya broke loose from the embrace and ran toward to the door. His hand knocked at the door and could merely make tiny sounds. It seemed that Xiao Douya missed the uncle so much that his hands had knocked pale, which made Wuyou"s heart ache. Nie Xiaowu could not stand to watch that any longer, thinking that, "Xiao Douya is really a little white-eyed wolf who is supercilious and ungrateful. How can he concern about a man who he has just known for a few days? But when did the person live in the neighborhood? Why don"t I know? I should have a look at him."
"Changxi."
"Come in."
Qiongqi entered the room when Changxi was reading a pharmacology book. Since the Heavenly Book left her body, Changxi felt her body was not as good as before. In order not to reveal her weakness, she had to find some ancient methods to nurture herself so as to make herself look energetic and refreshed. She was afraid that someone would discover her difference.
"Qiongqi, what"s the matter?"
"How many years has Nie Xiaowu been with you?"
"It has been roughly two years."
"Is Xiaowu devoted to practicing medicine?"
"Qiongqi, speak frankly."
"I suspect that Nie Xiaowu gets near to you for a purpose. Several days ago, I saw him acting sneakily outside the door while you"re detoxifying Xiaoyou."
"Xiaowu is a simple child. Perhaps he was out of curiosity."
"I hope he is as we think."
Qiongqi stepped out of the room. Along the way, he could not persuade himself. "Changxi is kindhearted, but I should keep an eye on Nie Xiaowu, because I will protect the G.o.ddess of the Moon all the times."
In the market, Xiao Douya was still attracted by the delicious food there, running all the way with his hands full of snacks. Nie Xiaowu followed him closely. But the scout reported to him that all the influences were heading to the Immense Sea, while Nie Xiaowu himself was waiting for Xu Linghe. Nie Xiaowu believed that the man would come, because Shenzong would send Xu Linghe to Si Shui for Black Emperor. But half a month had pa.s.sed, Nie Xiaowu could not find Xu Linghe. So he went to do some bribery in the black market, but the reply disappointed him. Afraid that Xu Linghe would chicane, Nie Xiaowu set two more spiritual barriers in Si Shui, so even if Xu Linghe had come to Si Shui, it was not so easy for him to find the exit. A group of people came from the east of the street, and Xiao Qi took the lead. His definite purpose to come to the Immense Sea was to find Xiaoyao (Wuyou). It had been a long time since Xiaoyao had hidden herself in the Immense Sea. When Xiao Nai came back to the Fairy Kingdom, he was heavily injured. Obviously, someone had been helping Xiaoyao. Since she had left Xiao Qi, he felt like his soul was lost. The more he struggled, the more heartached he was. He even thought perhaps Xiaoyao was looking at him somewhere. In the busy street, Xiao Qi was missing Xiaoyao in a trance, but he was afraid of facing her. Although he had played some tricks to detain Xiaoyao and Shen Chuya had been pushed into the Underworld, Xiao Qi did love Xiaoyao.
"Xiao Douya."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Douya disappeared in a blink. Wuyou was looking for him all the way, but even Nie Xiaowu disappeared as well. The night in the Immense Sea was attractive, but Wuyou was not in the mood to enjoy it. People to and fro walked past her. Wuyou fell into a panic, and she did not dare to think about what would happen if she lost Xiao Douya. When Nie Xiaowu turned up again, Wuyou"s heart sank with chill. Her child was lost under the eyes of two adults. What a huge mistake! She even could not forgive herself. Nie Xiaowu did not expect that, either. He just left for a little while. Xiao Douya was out of sight, and the woman was anxious like a chicken with its head cut off. Nie Xiaowu felt guilty, because if he had not chased a person, Xiao Douya would not have been lost now. Just now, Nie Xiaowu spotted Xu Linghe, the Sect Master of Kunlun, but when he came back, he only saw the woman burnt with anxiety.
"Xiao Douya."
Because it was the day of the G.o.ddess of Flowers in the Immense Sea, Wuyou"s voice was drowned in the crowd. In all the streets and lanes gathered young women, so it was too hard to find Xiao Douya, like searching a needle in a haystack.
Wuyou followed Nie Xiaowu, and they searched for Xiao Douya separately. She looked for Xiao Douya with great anxiety. The pa.s.sing people were all startled at the masked woman. She stumbled along the way, even was knocked several times by the flooding crowd. The people there lit up with great enthusiasm, totally ignoring the woman"s sadness and anxiety. Wuyou shouted in a plaintive and hoa.r.s.e voice, and she had never been so desperate.
"Uncle, I want a festive lantern."
A familiar child"s voice cut through Wuyou"s heart. Viewed from afar, the man was holding Xiao Douya in his arms. Bathed in the light, the man in the snowy silk garment seemed to come out of a picture. Xiao Douya held the man"s neck, his hands gesturing in the warm light, and the man kept smiling. "The smile once belonged to me!" As Wuyou thought it, she stopped and just quietly observed the two men in front— the most important men ever in her life— they were so closed to Wuyou. In the busy crowd, Xu Linghe turned around inadvertently and fell into a momentary trance as he spotted that the little boy"s mother was staring at him. Xu Linghe loosened his big hands. The little boy appeared grieved at the sight of his mother and ran to her quickly. The little boy"s frankincense faded away in Xu Linghe"s arms. Looking at the little boy running wildly, Xu Linghe was struck with a sense of loss.
"Mom."
Xiao Douya held her mother tightly, his aggrieved tears washing his clothes. Wuyou caressed her child gently. Out of her expectation, Xiao Douya cried more sadly, possibly because he was so frightened at the separation with his mother. Looking at the mother and her child, Xu Linghe felt fortunate that he had come to the market. If he hadn"t, how panic the little boy would have got. Suddenly, Xu Linghe realized that he was considerably concerned about the little boy and amazed at the destined link with the little boy. Perhaps because of blood-and-bone relationship, the link was innate. So if any father and son were apart distantly, they would be bound to meet each other just like the father and his son on the scene.
"Mom, you lost me, and the uncle saved me."
The little boy looked at his mother ruefully. Wuyou turned all of her missing into a word, "thanks". In the past, Wuyou would throw herself in the man"s arms and wail, but now she only had sighs. Her man looked at her in the distance without any affection in his eyes.
"Head Senior Brother."
Chengyi held the festive lantern and played joyfully with the Junior Sister. It turned out that the festival in the Immense Sea was the day when the men and women came to make a blind date and worship the G.o.ddess, and women would present a festive lantern to the man she fell in love with. And now Junior Sister Ruoshui asked Chengyi to give the festive lantern to Head Senior Brother. Chengyi knew certainly Junior Sister"s intention, but the Sect Master had no any amorous affection of her. So Chengyi had to force himself to give the festive lantern to the Head. But the moment he handed it out, a pair of little hands held the festive lantern and ran to the Head. Chengyi felt his eyes were about to pop out when he caught a clear sight. It was Xiao Douya in the neighborhood. "Since when did Xiao Douya become so closed to Senior Brother," wondered Little Blacky (Chengyi). How could he know that Xiao Douya had already been a frequent visitor, but he did not realize it?
"Thank you for your lantern."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Douya sent his grat.i.tude politely. Chengyi swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue and shook his head helplessly. The lantern that Youngest Junior Sister planned to give Head Senior Brother appeared in Xiao Douya"s hands by mistake. It seemed that Junior Sister Ruoshui"s pa.s.sion of love for Head Senior wasted. Watching Senior Brother squatting and wiping sweat for Xiao Douya, Chengyi felt a shock in his heart in the light. "Why is the little boy so familiar?" Chengyi shifted his eyes between Senior Brother and Xiao Douya. The more he sized them up, the more surprised he became. The little boy looked exactly the same as Senior Brother in the childhood. Chengyi looked the masked woman up and down, but had no impression at all. However, Wuyou knew him without doubt— he was her husband"s Youngest Junior Brother. And she also stared at the woman beside who treated her husband well. Looking at the woman knitting her eyebrows, Wuyou saw the light that the festive lantern was intended to present to her husband, but it was spoiled by naughty Xiao Douya. The woman beside glared at the festive lantern. Wuyou thought if eyes would kill people, Xiao Douya would have been killed to pieces and wondered what kind of the woman would be. Obviously, there were always women around her husband. Wuyou held up Xiao Douya in her arms and withdrew from the crowd. No matter how deeply Wuyou loved the man, her Xiao Douya only wanted his father to love him. After all, Wuyou had a lingering fear of what Ming Zhu had done to her.
"Goodbye, uncle."
Xiao Douya ran back and threw himself into Xu Linghe"s arms, his body giving off frankincense. Xu Linghe took a deep breath. This fragrance was the unique sweetness of the babies. And he was unwilling to let Xiao Douya leave. Wuyou held Xiao Douya in her arms, wondering whether Xiaowu had returned home or not.
"Junior Sister, Xiao Douya looks like a person, right?"
Xu Linghe"s mouth curled up in the corner, his heart filled with Xiao Douya.