Chapter 1877: Chapter 933: Pressuring for a Child (Second Update)
“Are you saying, the people from the Sword Lodge might kill Jiaojiao?”
In the study room, Marquis Xuanping listened to his son’s account. To say he was not surprised would be a lie, but to say his son was making something out of nothing, he did not think there was such a necessity.
Xiao Hen said solemnly, “Jiaojiao’s dreams have always been very accurate. Back then, you nearly lost your life in the mudslide thanks to her seeing the storm and mudslide in her dream beforehand.”
It’s said that extraordinary powers and deities are not to be spoken of lightly. Marquis Xuanping is the kind of person who’s lived by killing with his martial prowess. If it had been anything else, he would surely scoff.
However, concerning Gu Jiao, he was extremely cautious.
“The bastards from the Sword Lodge are all dead.” He was somewhat annoyed. Had he known it would come to this, he would have left a few alive.
Xiao Hen said, “Those were only outer disciples. Their understanding of the inner sect is limited, even Mingyue is more valuable.”
Marquis Xuanping mused, “I should grab that guy someday and interrogate him.”
Xiao Hen did not object.
Don’t say one must be merciful; sometimes mercy towards the enemy is cruelty to oneself.
“By the way, father, have you seen that master from the Sword Lodge wearing this mask?” Xiao Hen handed the sketch he carried with him to Marquis Xuanping.
Marquis Xuanping took it, looked at it carefully, and shook his head: “No. Why would people from the Sword Lodge wear masks?”
This question left both Xiao Hen and Gu Jiao stunned.
Because it was an established fact, neither Gu Jiao nor Xiao Hen questioned the irrationality of this phenomenon.
Marquis Xuanping, as an observer, immediately noticed the oddity.
Xiao Hen quickly snapped back and said, “You almost led me astray. Both Dark Soul and the Heaven Slayer wear masks. I guess it should be only the inner disciples who wear masks when executing tasks.”
Marquis Xuanping nodded, “That would make sense. I’ll get to the bottom of it, you just focus on preparing for the upcoming exam.”
Xiao Hen looked at him puzzled: “Did I… tell you I was going to take an exam?”
Marquis Xuanping snorted: “If you didn’t tell me, would I not ask?”
He now understood how to care for his son, not ignoring his academic matters or pretending to ignore them.
Xiao Hen chuckled: “Thank you, father.”
Marquis Xuanping said nonchalantly, “Why say thank you to your own father? If you’re truly thankful, give YiYi a little nephew to play with.”
Xiao Hen: “…”
The two major inescapables in life: urging to marry and urging to have kids.
Little Yiyi was going to sleep, so the two bid farewell to Princess Xinyang and Marquis Xuanping and returned to their courtyard.
Once inside, Xiao Hen asked, “Did my mother say anything strange to you?”
“What strange things?” Gu Jiao asked.
Xiao Hen said, “Like urging you to have a big fat baby boy or something?”
“No,” Gu Jiao said.
Xiao Hen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Before he could fully relax, Gu Jiao added, “She just gave me a bowl of conception medicine to drink.”
Xiao Hen: “…!!”
Truly, she’s more ruthless than father.
Xiao Hen couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “I’ll talk to mother tomorrow and tell her not to do this anymore.”
Gu Jiao said, “It’s okay, it’s actually just some herbs to replenish qi and blood, drinking it doesn’t do harm.”
Xiao Hen thought about it: “That works.” It’s better than telling his mother they don’t plan to have children for now.
“Do you want a baby?” Gu Jiao asked him.
This topic had never been deeply discussed between them. After Gu Jiao drank and brought out contraceptives, they seemed to accept it as a matter of course.
Xiao Hen smiled and said, “You’re still young, it’s not too late to have one later.”
Gu Jiao lowered her eyes, “What if I never want to have one?”
Surprise flickered across Xiao Hen’s eyes, yet he didn’t hesitate for too long. He looked at her steadily and said, “Then we won’t. Anyway, there’s my brother, right? At worst, let him carry on the family line.”
Gu Jiao took a step forward, her forehead bumping against his chest with a thud: “Pat my head.”
Xiao Hen gently smiled and tenderly patted her head.
Gu Jiao felt his comfort, something she couldn’t seek from her parents when she was young.
After a long while, she said in a low voice, “I’m a little monster. I’m afraid my baby would be a little monster too.”
This was the first time she expressed fear in front of him.
She had never feared anyone or anything, whether it be wars or bleeding, or facing plague and death. She never showed a trace of fear.
Xiao Hen’s heart ached, and he hugged her tightly, “You’re not a little monster, you’re my Jiaojiao.”
Gu Jiao didn’t speak, just quietly leaned against him.
She knew Xiao Hen was not her parents from a previous life, and neither was she them.
But there are some subconscious things she couldn’t control.
She could endure all the pains of the world, but she didn’t want her baby to be hurt and scarred as well.
“It really hurts.”
She said.
“They didn’t want me.”
“It really hurts.”
…
Duke Residence.
The night was deep, but Duke An was wide awake. He went to Xuanyuan Qi’s courtyard.
Xuanyuan Qi had always gone to bed early, so unsurprisingly, the lights in his room were still on.
Duke An wheeled himself inside.
“Haven’t you recovered enough to walk?” Xuanyuan Qi opened the door and pushed him in.
Duke An chuckled, “Not too far.”
“You need something from me?” Xuanyuan Qi parked the wheelchair next to the Eight Immortals Table and sat opposite Duke An.
Duke An spoke candidly, “You seem to know Jiaojiao quite well.”
“We fought together,” Xuanyuan Qi replied.
Duke An recalled the time Gu Jiao and Xuanyuan Qi dealt with Gongsun Yu and the Jin Army in Ghost Mountain and Pu City, and he nodded, “Is that so? But I feel like your knowledge of her goes beyond that.”
Xuanyuan Qi didn’t reply to that but instead asked seriously, “How come you’re speaking so fluently?”
Duke An had fallen from a horse and been in a coma for three years, much worse than Xuanyuan Qi’s condition.
Duke An laughed, “Because I’m smart.”
Xuanyuan Qi’s face darkened as he headed to the door, “Goodbye.”
…
Liao Chen returned to the Duke Residence in the middle of the night, after being chased for three days, he finally shook off his pursuer.
He climbed back over the yard wall and hadn’t known if his father was out looking for him or worried sick.
He hurried to assure his father of his safety.
“Father’s really not asleep, seems he was quite worried about me…”
Liao Chen knocked on the room door.
“Come in,” Xuanyuan Qi said.
Liao Chen pushed the door open and saw his father sitting by the window, carefully polishing a wolf tooth silver pendant with a cloth.
This pendant was his father’s personal item, worn for decades. It was said to be a birthday gift from the first master of Dark Soul, and his father had treasured it ever since.
He smiled and said, “Father, I’m back. Sorry, I ran into some trouble these past few days and worried you.”
Xuanyuan Qi glanced at him and stashed away his pendant as if afraid his own son would snatch it.
Liao Chen was utterly speechless, “You don’t have to be so guarded, I won’t steal it.”
Xuanyuan Qi snorted, “Who knows.”
Liao Chen: “…”
Xuanyuan Qi replied calmly, “Not worried.”
Liao Chen was briefly stunned before realizing that his father was responding to his first sentence.
He expressed confusion, “I was missing for three days, and you weren’t worried?”
Xuanyuan Qi explained calmly, “Qingqing said you went chasing after your wife, told me not to look for you.”
Liao Chen: “???”
Shangguan Qing, you better come out, and I promise not to beat you to death!
Xuanyuan Qi’s martial arts were superb. He sobered up halfway through his drink and, not finding his son, wanted to search for him. Shangguan Qing came up with the idea to bluff Xuanyuan Qi.
He even used it as an excuse to congratulate Xuanyuan Qi and got him drunk again.
“Where’s my daughter-in-law?” Xuanyuan Qi asked with great anticipation.
Liao Chen: “…”
…
On June 22, having ended their three-day tour of the Capital City, Little Jingkong and Shangguan Qing finally returned to the Princess Residence.
Upon stepping off the carriage, Little Jingkong dashed straight for the Orchid Courtyard, and Shangguan Qing couldn’t stop him.
Watching the little figure run off, Shangguan Qing, who was worn out, sighed in exhaustion, “This is all I can do for you, brother.”
In just three days, this had driven him to the brink. He couldn’t imagine how his brother managed to bring this little fellow from Zhan Country to Yan Country before.
And one new firearm wasn’t enough, that troublesome brother at least owed him three guns!
“Young Master!”
A servant spotted Shangguan Qing and hurried over to greet him.
Shangguan Qing stiffly said, “Come, give me a hand, I can’t move anymore.”
The little monk had drained all his energy!
As soon as Little Jingkong entered the Orchid Courtyard, he was intercepted by his relentless brother-in-law.
The wicked brother-in-law tucked him under his arm and took him to the training room.
“I want to see Jiaojiao,” he said with a sullen face.
“Jiaojiao is still sleeping. I’ll take you to see her later,” Xiao Hen said.
Little Jingkong looked up at his brother-in-law and asked, “Why isn’t she awake? Is Jiaojiao sick?”
It wasn’t unreasonable for Little Jingkong to ask this; Gu Jiao’s schedule was very regular. She was always among the earliest risers in the family and only got up late when she wasn’t feeling well.
Xiao Hen replied casually, “She’s not sick, Jiaojiao went to bed late.”
“Why did Jiaojiao go to bed late?” Little Jingkong asked.
Of course, Xiao Hen couldn’t reveal the real reason, so he said, “Jiaojiao just got married. As a new bride, she has many things to handle, like organizing the luggage and dowry she brought over during the wedding.”
“There was indeed a lot of stuff brought during the wedding day,” Little Jingkong nodded seriously, then looked at Xiao Hen disapprovingly, “Why aren’t you organizing it? Why let Jiaojiao do it? You’re too lazy! Not lifting a finger! Even Xiaobao is more diligent than you!”
Having exerted himself all night, Xiao Hen: “…”