There were too many ways to interpret these words. Qianye stood stunned on the spot, not knowing how to reply.
Ji Tianqing sat there in calm silence, looking at him. She neither spoke nor pushed for an answer, but she didn’t let go of him, either. Qianye tried to pull his hand back but to no avail. After some hesitation, he simply let his hand stay there to feel the movements of the new life within.
“This… when did it happen?”
“The Great Maelstrom, where else?”
“I mean when inside the Great Maelstrom?”
“Do you really need to ask? Do you not remember?”
“I really… wait, could it be…”
There weren’t a lot of gaps in Qianye’s memory within the Great Maelstrom, but clearly, this had happened during that blank space.
Qianye slowly withdrew his hand and scratched his head, his thoughts in a whirl. He suddenly noticed an abnormality—it felt as though something was spying on him just now but had already disappeared. He kept thinking back to the Great Maelstrom, but those blank spaces were still blank.
In a seemingly empty area in the void, the figures of Nighteye and Twilight gradually came into view. The latter was breathing heavily while grasping her throat, almost as though she was drowning. She finally recovered from her critical state but only to start coughing badly.
After catching her breath, Twilight inhaled deeply and said, “I admit you’re really powerful, but I really don’t want to travel with you. Especially not in this manner.”
Nighteye replied, “It’s your luck to be able to experience Space Traversal in advance.”
“Once is enough! I don’t want that kind of fortune! Are you really leaving? Not going to keep watching?”
Gazing at the distant island, Nighteye said calmly, “I’ve seen what I need to see, what’s the point? At first, I wanted to ask you what your true motive was, but I don’t really care anymore. Let’s go!”
Twilight’s expression changed drastically, but Nighteye already had a hand on her shoulder. Her body suddenly began to warp and distort as though she were in a bubble, then slowly faded away.
She was still screaming until the last moment. “Let go! You can’t treat me like this. Let me go, I’ll go back on my own…”
“The road is long…” Nighteye’s voice echoed in the void.
On the island, Qianye had just recovered from his shock. He sat across from Ji Tianqing, not knowing what to say to this familiar yet alien girl.
“Sorry.”
Ji Tianqing rubbed her belly, saying, “Perhaps I’m the one who should be saying sorry.”
Qianye inhaled deeply. “If it wasn’t for the Great Maelstrom. Let it be, whatever I say will just be an excuse. What can I do now?”
Ji Tianqing gazed at Qianye. “I didn’t want you to know about this at first, but my thoughts eventually changed as she grew bigger. I wanted to see you and tell you about things. As for what you can do… what can you do indeed.”
Without waiting for Qianye’s reply, she said, “She’s your daughter, what do you want to do for her?”
Qianye said seriously, “I’ll take care of her and protect her. And…”
Qianye glanced at Ji Tianqing but couldn’t say anything. The latter chuckled. “Will you take care of me?”
“You’re from the Pointer Monarch’s residence, what would you ever need?”
“The kid needs a father.”
Qianye remained silent for a long while, then said with great difficulty, “Sorry, I can’t do that.”
“Is it because of her?”
Qianye nodded after a while.
“I heard her second awakening is very likely a major character from before the Empire’s founding. She’s no longer the person you met on Evernight Continent.”
“You know quite a lot.”
“You kept talking about her when you were unconscious back in the Great Maelstrom. I came to know the general situation between you two after a while.”
“You were awake back then?”
“How else would I know who the father is?”
“Why didn’t you resist?”
Ji Tianqing laughed. “You think I can? We were in the Great Maelstrom, who can fight a monster like you? You didn’t let me go even afterward and toyed with me until I was half-dead.”
Qianye instinctively wanted to escape this topic. He thought of something after calming down. “While that was going on, why didn’t Kuanglan…”
He stopped midway because yet another unacceptable possibility emerged.
Ji Tianqing wasn’t going to let him off. “How could she stop you? You had your way with her first. I wanted to help her but you got me.”
“Then… is she…?”
“How should I know? Ask her yourself.”
Qianye forced a conclusion. “Things can’t be that coincidental.”
“Perhaps.”
“Why didn’t you guys tell me?”
“You don’t even remember it, what’s the point?”
Qianye buried his face in his palm and sighed deeply.
Ji Tianqing wasn’t taking it. She knocked Qianye on the head with her book, saying, “Hey, we’re the ones who got the worst of it. Why are you being gloomy?”
Qianye looked up at Ji Tianqing’s belly. “Tell me, what can I do?”
“What do you think she needs?”
As Qianye and Ji Tianqing’s daughter, the little lass would not be lacking in talent. And there were all kinds of secret arts and resources in the Pointer Monarch’s residence. Who else would be a better guide in cultivation than the number one heavenly monarch?
The little kid really didn’t need anything else. She already possessed whatever Qianye could offer, but what she really needed, Qianye could not give.
Ji Tianqing sighed. “Why does it have to be a dummy like you? How about this, don’t leave tonight. Accompany me and we’ll call it clear.”
“That won’t do.”
“You’re not willing to stay?”
“I mean that’s a different matter. I will take care of her.”
“Oh, there’s really no need. Just stay here for the night, chat and read with me.”
Qianye sat beside her, his heart filled with myriad emotions that tangled up into a bewildering mess in the end.
The island remained floating in the void as day turned into night and night became dawn.
When the first light of dawn touched the valley, Ji Tianqing put down the book she was reading and rubbed her fatigued eyes. Qianye walked out from the house with a tray filled with porridge and side dishes.
“There isn’t much in the kitchen, these will have to do.”
Ji Tianqing smiled as she tasted the porridge and side dishes. She said with a content expression, “Who would’ve thought you would be so skilled at cooking?”
“I had no other way to make a living back on the Evernight Continent, so I ran a bar there. That was where I learned to cook. But the lower continents lack resources, so my knowledge is rather limited.”
“Eat with me?”
“Sure.”
The two sat down and finished their breakfast in silence. Qianye had a feeling that they wouldn’t meet again for a good while after this meal.
Moments later, Ji Tianqing put down her empty bowl and said, “It’s about time for you to go and time for me to return.”
“When will you give birth?”
“I don’t know, this little lass is quite worrisome. Maybe next month, maybe next year. I do hope she comes a bit later, that way, I’ll be relieved.”
True geniuses usually stayed longer in the womb. This isn’t as exaggerated in humans as it was with the dark races, but there might be a couple of months’ delay.
Before leaving, Qianye asked hesitantly, “Do you think I should go and see Kuanglan?”
“Why would you when she’s not looking for you? It’ll only add to the awkwardness. From what I know, she disappeared from her circle after coming back from the Great Maelstrom. Who knows where the Li family hid her? You don’t need to worry about her, she has the current Empress for an elder sister. What could ever happen? You should be more concerned about yourself. I heard you ran over to Fort Continent. Be careful over there, or this little fellow will be fatherless if you die.” Ji Tianqing warned him repeatedly, but her words sounded really awkward.
“Will you be okay with your family?”
“Not many know about it. And who would dare criticize me? The kid’s father is already a divine champion!”
When the time was up, Qianye left the small courtyard, his heart filled with frustration. Ji Ruofei remained standing in his previous position. It was as though he had never moved for an entire day and night.
The airship took to the skies and quickly left the island behind. On the airship, Qianye asked restlessly, “Has she been living there all this time?”
“That’s not something I’m allowed to know.” It would seem Ji Ruofei wasn’t going to talk.
Qianye’s heart felt heavy, but he didn’t say anything else. The airship flew swiftly and silently until they reached the city of Peng.
Peng was one of the Empire’s most important arm’s distribution hubs. In the two days of Qianye’s absence, Song Zining had already withdrawn everything on the list and arranged transports for shipping. They were currently being loaded. This went to show how much actual power was in Zhao Jundu’s hands. The allocation order issued in his name was highly prioritized, cutting directly ahead of every other department.
Qianye and Song Zining stood side-by-side near the warehouses, watching the crates being loaded onto the airships. Neither of them was in high spirits.
Song Zining was busy checking the goods against his list and had no time for Qianye. However, the latter asked all of a sudden, “Did you know everything?”
“What about?” Song Zining tried to feign ignorance, but he was defeated under Qianye’s stare. “Fine, I already know. I was just afraid you wouldn’t be able to take the sudden news.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier!? What do I do now?”
“Would it have changed anything?”
Qianye opened his mouth but no words came out.
Song Zining glanced at him. “Besides, isn’t this a good thing?”
“What’s good about it? Tianqing now has a child but no husband, she’ll be the topic of idle gossip from now on.”
“If they find out that the kid is yours, they’ll likely be envious instead.”
