Chapter 3: Chasing Shadows and New Bonds

The yellow and green auras intertwined.

Liu Hongmei used the Seeking Spell, and every hundred meters, a tiny figure identical to her, visible only to her, stood pointing the way.

She swiftly flew in the direction the figure indicated.

She didn’t know how long she flew.

As a Golden Core cultivator, she suddenly realized her spiritual energy was nearly depleted.

“What? How is it so far? This is almost the border of Tianxuan Immortal Sect.”

Liu Hongmei landed slowly and bought a flying boat at a nearby merchant guild.

Unlike other flying artifacts or spiritual tools, which required the user’s spiritual energy to operate, a flying boat only needed spirit stones to fly automatically.

Thus, Liu Hongmei could search while absorbing spiritual energy.

Le Yushang brought Gu Yunfei to a town far from Tianxuan Immortal Sect.

The town was under the jurisdiction of the Blazing Sun Alliance.

The Northern Domain had three major powers, known as the Triad of the Realm: Tianxuan Immortal Sect, Great Liang Dynasty, and Blazing Sun Alliance.

At this moment, Gu Yunfei had awakened in the old man’s arms.

His big eyes curiously studied the old man before him.

‘Is this the prince of the Great Liang Dynasty? The one who picked me up?’

Gu Yunfei sifted through the System’s history records, comparing them to the old man.

Since the System hadn’t alerted him and Le Yushang had the human mask, Gu Yunfei assumed this was indeed the prince of the Great Liang Dynasty.

Seeing the old man wasn’t looking at him, he focused entirely on the System.

[Task completed. Task reward stored in System space.]

“Task completed?”

Gu Yunfei’s body shook.

How had he completed the task? Didn’t Liu Hongmei leave?

Le Yushang noticed Gu Yunfei’s trembling and lifted him from her arms.

“Tch, tch, tch, little one, give me a smile—”

Le Yushang curved her index finger and gently scratched Gu Yunfei’s chin.

“Fck, are you teasing a dog?”

Gu Yunfei frowned, his mouth forming a silent curse: “WCNM.”

“Hm?”

Le Yushang paused.

Though she didn’t understand the words, she felt they were insulting, maybe even cursing her mother?

“It feels like you’re cursing me, but I have no proof.”

Le Yushang thought for a moment and dismissed the idea.

“Why am I arguing with you? You’re just a baby. How could you have such complex thoughts?”

She pinched Gu Yunfei’s cheek.

“I’m called Liang Dekuai. From now on, call me Grandpa.”

“Liang Dekuai? Who names someone ‘Fast to Cool’?”

Le Yushang held Gu Yunfei up to her ear.

“Come on, little rascal, call me Grandpa.”

She loved children, always had.

Gu Yunfei saw Liang Dekuai lift him to her ear, where dirt was just inches away.

He frantically pushed at the old man’s head with his hands and feet, trying to get away.

“Hey, little rascal, you’ve got some strength!”

Le Yushang put away her cane with her other hand, holding Gu Yunfei’s limbs.

“If you don’t call me Grandpa today, I won’t put you down.”

Seeing no progress, Gu Yunfei opened his mouth.

Le Yushang watched him with anticipation.

Gu Yunfei’s mouth drew closer, slowly opening, and under her expectant gaze, he said, “Old bstard!”

“Hm!”

Le Yushang brought Gu Yunfei to her face, examining him closely.

“Where are you from? Why can’t I understand you?”

“But whatever, you’re a motherless child now. Doesn’t matter where you’re from. You can call me whatever feels familiar, like that ‘old bstard’ you just said. That’s fine.”

Le Yushang hugged Gu Yunfei, her wrinkled, rough face rubbing against his belly.

“You’re the one without a mother!”

Gu Yunfei couldn’t say much, so he cursed in his heart, kicking at the old man’s face.

“Old bstard, I’m just a baby. Can I handle your rough face grinding against me? It hurts!”

“Ouch, ouch, these little feet are strong. You’ll grow up to be a real man!”

Le Yushang saw Gu Yunfei’s little feet waving in front of her and flicked one with her rough finger.

“Fck… you old bstard, you—”

Before Gu Yunfei could finish, the old man arrived at a tailor shop, turning him around to look at the fabrics and pick one for his clothes.

Gu Yunfei stopped his angry outburst, scanning the fabrics hanging on the walls.

He spotted a black fabric with gold trim that looked extraordinary.

“Nei… Neige—”

Gu Yunfei made unclear sounds.

“Neige?”

Le Yushang followed his pointing finger.

“Hey, little rascal, you’ve got good taste. That looks special.”

“Shopkeeper, we’ll take Neige. Measure my grandson properly, make it snug, and prepare clothes for the next year. Kids grow fast, so don’t let them be too tight.”

After paying, Le Yushang picked a temporary outfit for Gu Yunfei to wear until the new clothes were ready.

“Gurgle, gurgle—”

Gu Yunfei’s stomach growled with hunger.

Hearing this, Le Yushang’s expression turned comical.

“Oh no, I forgot to find you a wet nurse. Hold on, little one.”

She stuck a finger in Gu Yunfei’s mouth.

“Little rascal, suck on Grandpa’s finger for now. I’ll find you a wet nurse, and then you’ll have food.”

“Fck!”

Gu Yunfei saw the black dirt under the old man’s nail and turned his head away.

“Get lost, old bstard. Do I need to point out how filthy your finger is?”

Seeing Gu Yunfei turn away, Le Yushang stubbornly kept waving her finger near his mouth.

Gu Yunfei reached out his tiny hands, covering his mouth.

“Hey, little rascal, you won’t eat? Fine, I’ll find you a wet nurse first.”

Le Yushang was about to search but suddenly remembered something.

“Oh no, little rascal, an old man like me wandering around with a baby, looking for a wet nurse—won’t people think I stole you?”

She held Gu Yunfei eye to eye.

Gu Yunfei, hearing this, folded his arms and nodded heavily.

“Hey, you little guy, you actually understand me. You must be the child of a cultivator.”

“Only a cultivator’s child would awaken so early.”

Gu Yunfei wanted to say, ‘I’m not some cultivator’s kid. I’m a noble transmigrator!’

But he didn’t say it.

First, in the novels he read, protagonists always hid their transmigrator identity.

Second, his current vocal cords could only manage simple words like “old bstard.”

So Gu Yunfei folded his arms again and nodded.

“Who are you to this child?”

A familiar female voice sounded near Gu Yunfei’s ear.

He and Le Yushang turned toward the voice.

It was Liu Hongmei, who had been chasing them.

Gu Yunfei glanced at the System panel, checking Liu Hongmei’s favorability.

[Liu Hongmei’s current favorability: 90.]

Gu Yunfei strongly suspected Liu Hongmei had come to take him back and reached out toward her.

But Le Yushang thought she was being accused and declared righteously, “I’m this child’s grandfather! I didn’t steal him!”