The conversation had abruptly stopped with just one probing question from the little bun Chino. This is because none of the adults fathom how they should explain in simple words what is the meaning of top and bottom from Yun Suisen's sentence.
With silence spreading in the living, Chino continues to look at his parents with eyes brimming with curiosity.
Chino asked, "Daddy~ what is the top and what is the bottom?" The brave little innocent bun asked for the second time.
Ximen Xueya and Cao Junye for the first of their life don't comprehend what they should inform their son for an answer. They both possess intelligence beyond norms and had fallen into this kind of situation where their son proposed something they couldn't explain.
Shi Moye the brainless brave guy chuckles and said, "Little nephew~ the answer to that is simple. Take your daddy and father for example. Your daddy is bottom and gave birth to you while your father is top and created you. Simple right?"
"Simple my ass!" Yun Suisen covered his first husband's slack mouth while Su Liye hit his stomach to cease him from speaking any more nonsense.
Punch!
Arrgh!
"Muscle brain! What are you saying to a toddler!?" scolded Su Liye.
"I'm merely explaining it to my dear nephew! What did I do wrong?" responded Shi Moye.
"Lang, I think you are extremely boisterous because of the heat. Why don't you cool off for a bit?" said Ximen Xueya as he turned Shi Moye into a susceptible snowman and had him teleported outside the mansion to melt on his own.
At that point, an indifferent gaze wandered to everyone inside the room. Most of them avoided those glowing silvery orbs looking at them, especially when they examined the upturned corner of Xueya's lips. He is pissed off.
Thankfully the little bun after receiving an answer to his question had resumed eating his snacks. Little Chino had inevitably been like this. He likes asking questions to calm his curiosity but as long as someone delivers him an answer he would subsequently exhaust proper interest in it.
Cao Junye stood up and prepared to head to the kitchen, "The baked macaroni should be virtually done. I'll prepare the table."
"Father~ Xiao Jing wants to go too," said Chino.
Wang Lei followed over to help with plates and utensils. Cao Junye kissed in between his wife's eyebrows before taking their son from Xueya's lap.
"I'll call you when lunch is served," said Cao Junye.
Ximen Xueya smiled at him and replied, "Okay. Take your time."
Once the three left and headed to the kitchen, Ximen Xueya resumed the conversation as if nothing happened.
"Tutu or should I address you as Lucas?"
"A'Jing, can call me whatever you want!"
"I call you Tutu then. What did my Uncle require for you to inform me? Uncle wouldn't merely let you guys come to this high-ranked world unless the message he wanted you to convey to me is personal and a secret."
"A'Jing is so smart~ Yes, it's a personal message from Uncle Baojun and Uncle Siwang."
"Speak."
"Uncle says: 'Before the others notice, send the child home.' A'Jing, we are here to pick up Xiao Jing." said Yun Suisen smiling.
Baize and Xu Lin were surprised by what they overheard. But Ximen Xueya, the daddy of Chino, acted calm as if he discerned nothing.
Ximen Xueya responded, "I see… Naturally, there is nothing Uncle and Uncle-in-law wouldn't know. I was preparing to send a message to inform them about Xiao Jing and compelled them to pick him up.
But if this is the case then, someone would come over to pick you guys up and return to the God System. Must be Cao Xinsheng acting as a chauffeur again. Are there more messages for me?"
Yun Suisen inclined his head and said, "Uncle Baojun in addition said that even if your memories are to return, you should fulfill the promise you made with him. Else… You know the rest."
The messages his uncle had told Yun Suisen are quite vague yet direct. He understands that keeping Xiao Jing by their side is extremely dangerous. Not for the child but for him and his husband.
As for the meaning of his uncle's following message, only when his memories return before he deciphers the meaning of this vague message.
"When are you guys leaving?" asked Xueya.
Su Liye replied, "We are supposed to return as soon as possible but after those destroyers entered this world the Heavenly Laws in this place had erected a barrier that prevented the inside from leaving and the outside from entering. We will aid you will the clean-up at least."
Yun Suisen, "Yes that's right! I will cheer you guys on from behind!"
"Are you not going to fight?" asked Xu Lin.
"No. I hate zombies and ghost things. Zombies are both scary and disgusting. Barely identifying them gives me chills." said Yun Suisen.
Meanwhile, Xu Lin, who found a comrade of the anti-ghost and anti-zombie. Happily grabbed Yun Suisen's hands with an understanding gaze on his face.
Xu Lin said, "My friend!"
"We are not friends. We're presently brothers!" said Yun Suisen as he could somewhat feel that Xu Lin is like him.
"Sigh~ both are scaredy cats," murmured Baize and Su Liye.
The two looked at each other and pats each other's shoulders in understanding. Who let their lovers and partners be cowardly. They could purely carry out their job of defending them. With this, a small alliance of diverse kinds was established.
—
After partaking of lunch, everyone had once again gathered and met outside of the mansion. During the meal, everyone has decided to come out of the dimensional space and continue their journey. Ximen Xueya had asked System Yue to check whether the enormous bird was still outside. Only just when they've heard that the phoenix had fled that, the group comes out.
By the cliff, everyone once again returned to the surface.
There are traces of burn on the land and even the nearby plants had turned to black ashes. The previous attack of the phoenix had intended to slaughter all of them off.
But no one perceived why that huge bird suddenly appeared and got angry at them. Thinking about this, the preceding scene they've remembered before the phoenix appeared is that Yun Suisen yelling because of a mutated plant.
Their eyes had all wondered on that hiding figure behind Shi Moye and Su Liye.
Yun Suisen spoke, "W-What? It's not my fault! Moreover, it's gone now. Are you guys going to bully me?"
With hints of fake tears at the corner of his eyes, Yun Suisen runs and hides behind Ximen Xueya. Seeing that he had hidden behind the big boss, everyone had averted their eyes afraid of meeting those cold eyes of their General's wife.
Ximen Xueya looked at the thing hiding behind him and asked, "Do you know how to make a formation?"
"I've learned only the basics. Do you want me to create a defensive formation?" asked Yun Suisen.
"Yes. One with invisibility. We are staying here for the night." replied Ximen Xueya.
Once everyone heard what their other boss had said, their faces paled as the scene of the phoenix attacking them was still fresh from their minds. They were frightened that the huge bird might come over once again this time to thoroughly kill them off.
But different from what they had expected, the general only looked at the setting sun from the horizon and nodded his head to his wife's suggestion.
Cao Junye said, "We've come out too late. The sun is already setting. The forest is a lot more dangerous at night than in the morning. We'll stay here for the night. Yun Suisen, created the formation my wife had told you about. Su Liye and Shi Moye would accompany you for protection. Half of you, come help and clean the area. Start assembling the tents and bonfire. The rest keep your guard up for an ambush."
"Yes, General!" The soldiers responded with a salute.
While everyone else was busy with their task, Ximen Xueya brought out a rocking chair from his space and sat on it together with his baby boy. His eyes keep looking at the far willow tree, just opposite of the place they are in. In between the two cliffs is a trench with unknown depths full of unidentified creatures. No one knows what is in Ximen Xueya's mind as he stares at the Celestial Willow Tree from the other side.
[Host, is there something wrong with the Celestial Willow Tree?]
"I'm just wondering why something like this is in this little star. It normally wouldn't exist in lower realm worlds. It is harder to make it grow from seed than to get it replanted. But there are no traces of it being planted at all, it is like a seed accidentally fell in this land. It took over all the world's energy to grow, now that it's all grown up it caused an apocalypse because of the scarce qi in this world. It is forcefully trying to upgrade this world in becoming a high realm land."
[Is the host saying that this seed was left behind by someone accidentally?]
"Maybe or maybe not. But can you see the tree roots extending towards that abyss? Obviously, there is something under there that is keeping it alive the whole time and what I could perceive. The nutrients it was using to fatten itself up is this world's core."
[T-Then… Is this star really…!!!]
"Yes. It's dying. If this keeps up, it would only last for three hundred years more. When that time comes, everything in this star would die and all those living creatures would be turned into nutrients for the Celestial Willow Tree to ascend to higher worlds."
[Should we do something about it, host?]
"There is no need. The moment Tutu and the rest had taken over the vessels of the main characters of this world, its original plot had been thoroughly destroyed. I cannot be repaired. Plus with three destroyers putting their fingers into this little star nothing else could be done."
Evening.
By the cliff where the group decided to rest, few tents were assembled for the group to share. Thanks to Yun Suisen and Ximen Xueya's space, everyone was given a double-sized tent for one pair to share. Except for Cao Junye, Ximen Xueya, and Ximen Chino as well as Yun Suisen and his husband, most of the soldiers had shared a tent by pair.
A huge bonfire was made at the center of the group. There are few skewers filled with kinds of seafood and meat surrounding the fire. Everyone decided to have some barbeque for dinner that night.
