Chapter 769: Bloodline

Breakfast at Marquis Pingxi Residence always carried a peculiar sense of ritual.

Today, Marquis Zheng happened to rise early.

Tian Tian had just been preparing to recite his lessons as usual. When he saw his godfather had already arrived, he put the book away and went to fetch stools instead.

One.

Then another.

He pushed the two together.

Soon after... he saw First Mother arrive too.

Tian Tian went back inside.

One stool.

Then another.

Four stools now stood together.

Immediately afterward...

Tian Tian went in yet again and carried out three small folding stools, setting them down neatly.

The child bustled back and forth.

Zheng Fan, as his father, simply watched from the side.

Spoiling a child was one thing. Sometimes you wanted to do everything within your power for them.

But when you watched the child doing something for you instead... the happiness could be many times greater than the act itself.

"Father, Mother. Sit."

Zheng Fan sat down.

Siniang sat beside him.

Soon, four small dishes were set out: pickled mustard greens, pickled ginger, fermented tofu, and sour long beans.

Then a small basin of fish aspic was placed in the center.

The staple was shredded-chicken congee.

A small basket of salted duck eggs sat beside it.

As usual, Tian Tian happily busied himself peeling eggs for his father.

Zheng Fan, meanwhile, looked toward Siniang.

"All right, Master. Stop worrying about me. Liqing being pregnant is a happy thing. One more person in the family will make the household livelier. I have plenty of work myself. I don't have the leisure to sit around feeling jealous, grieving, or washing my face in tears. Let's just keep living the way we've always lived. You stay easygoing, I stay easygoing. All right? It's not like we're filming some palace-intrigue drama."

At the words "palace-intrigue drama," Tian Tian looked faintly puzzled.

But he did not ask what it meant.

Zheng Fan nodded.

True enough.

When it came to using beauty to please a man, no one could compare with Siniang.

But that was not what Siniang depended on to survive.

She was one of the Demon Kings.

She had seen too many storms to be so fragile.

Marquis Zheng relaxed as well.

Because compared with her... he was usually the fragile one.

The congee was portioned out.

At that moment, the Princess arrived.

"Elder Sister, I'm late."

Siniang shook her head.

"You're not late. Sit and eat."

Tian Tian rose and went inside again, bringing out another folding stool.

"Second Mother, sit."

The Princess sat down.

Her gaze moved from Tian Tian, to her husband, and finally to Siniang.

"Elder Sister is an openhearted person. Husband is here today too, so I'd like to say everything plainly. May I?"

Siniang nodded.

"We're family. Naturally we should speak openly. Hiding things from one another only creates distance."

Xiong Liqing acknowledged that and continued:

"Husband dislikes trouble. He truly treats this family as home. Sometimes he fights outside until he's tired and exhausted. Once he comes home... he's home. So there are certain things I understand very clearly. In terms of seniority, Elder Sister was beside Husband long before I was. You accompanied him from Tiger Head City, step by step, all the way to where he stands today. I cannot compare with that. In terms of affection, Husband refused to take my body for so long that Ruqing nearly misunderstood him. But I knew he was waiting for Elder Sister. In terms of ability, Elder Sister can manage both affairs outside and matters inside. There is nothing in which I can compare. So from the day I entered this Residence, I never intended to compete with Elder Sister. Women in an imperial harem compete for favor. What do they rely on? First, their family background. Second, the sovereign's favor. Husband is already a Marquis. Even the new sovereign does not dare slight him. My title as a Princess of Chu is nothing more than a flowered crown. It looks splendid, but that is all. With Husband here today as witness, I want to make my position clear. I have no intention of competing with Elder Sister. I never did, and I never will. Even now that I carry a child, when the child is born, the child will call Elder Sister 'Mother' and call me 'Auntie.'"

Siniang took a sip of congee.

The Princess continued:

"I'm not deliberately lowering myself to set some trap for Elder Sister in front of Husband. I know perfectly well that I could never be your opponent. Husband is not the kind of man one can deceive either. Before, I truly did imagine that because Husband found it so difficult to have children, once I became pregnant my back would naturally straighten. My head was full of dreams about a mother rising in status through her son. I thought that, one way or another, perhaps I could finally joke around in front of Elder Sister and wave my claws a little. But when Mr. Bei told me I was truly pregnant... I don't know why, but all those fantasies I had before immediately faded. There is a little life inside me now. My own flesh and blood. And suddenly all I can think about is what that little one will look like after birth. There is no room left in my heart for anything else. My only wish in this life now is for that child to grow up safely. Elder Sister, these are my sincere words. I ask Elder Sister... to judge them fairly."

With that, the Princess rose and knelt before Siniang.

Siniang did not stop her.

Marquis Zheng, meanwhile, continued drinking his congee with absolutely no shame.

Tian Tian, however, instinctively stood the moment he saw Second Mother kneel.

The Princess performed the full salute with complete seriousness.

When she saw Siniang accept it without avoiding the gesture... she immediately smiled.

Siniang put down her bowl.

"Enough. Get up and drink your congee. It'll get cold."

"Thank you, Elder Sister."

Breakfast ended in genuine harmony.

Afterward, Siniang said she wanted to inspect Tian Tian's calligraphy.

He had gone to the snowfields and then Zhennan Pass, so his lessons had certainly been delayed.

Tian Tian immediately began laying out paper.

The Princess rose and said she felt somewhat tired and wanted to rest.

Then she returned to her side courtyard.

Marquis Zheng stretched and looked toward Siniang.

Siniang waved him away.

"I'm going to check on San."

Marquis Zheng left too.

Before visiting Third Master, however, he intended to stop by the Sword Saint's house next door.

Siniang remained where she was, watching Tian Tian practice.

About half an hour later, Tian Tian finished writing.

Siniang came over to inspect the pages.

"Go move your body around a little."

"All right, Mother."

Tian Tian obediently went outside to run drills.

He had developed the habit in the army camp.

Liu Dahu ran drills and practiced breathing exercises every morning, and Tian Tian had followed along.

Siniang stood beside the writing desk.

At first, she looked at Tian Tian's characters.

Proper.

Square.

Naturally still far from truly excellent calligraphy.

But at his age... they were already very good.

As she looked...

Siniang's gaze eventually settled on the red stone holding down the paper.

A smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

She pulled over a chair and sat down.

"You heard all of that, didn't you?"

The two spirit beasts that normally stayed in this room had followed Tian Tian outside to protect him.

So it was obvious whom Siniang was addressing.

The red stone did not move.

"I believe what she said. She's clever. Clever people know how to read the situation. What she said was sincere. Her bowing her head was sincere too. I accept it."

Siniang studied her fingernails as she continued:

"In the end, this is a family matter. If the household is peaceful and harmonious, without all that irritating nonsense, then life can remain peaceful. I believe that's what you want to see too. You don't seriously think I'd pull some trick to get rid of the child in her belly, do you? That would be too crude. Too boring. I saw the Blind Man looking bruised and battered. You did that, didn't you? Whatever happened between you two is your business. I don't care."

At that point...

Siniang's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"But I, Feng Siniang, am not exactly known for having a gentle temper. She lowered her head for the sake of her child. That's true. I should be magnanimous. That's also true. But..."

Siniang picked up a writing brush beside her.

Threads emerged from her palm.

In an instant, they sliced the bristles from the brush cleanly away.

Then the threads began gathering again, rebuilding a fresh brush tip.

"But I still feel somewhat unhappy."

The red stone remained motionless.

Siniang shook her head.

"I didn't ask the Blind Man whether the child in her belly is a boy or a girl. I didn't ask you either. I don't care. But once that child is born, you'll have another little brother or little sister. Will you acknowledge them?"

The red stone still did not move.

"Hey. I'm asking you a question. Will you? We so-called adults need to preserve appearances. We have to consider the household as a whole. We have to maintain this peaceful atmosphere. Truthfully, this whole thing really has nothing to do with Master. I was the one who captured the Princess in the first place. I don't blame Master. But I do blame you. Do you know why the Blind Man went to talk things through with you? Oh, right. He probably didn't tell you. The reason he let himself end up bruised and battered was so I could see it. He was reminding me. So now I'm asking you. Before... you once said: 'She thinks she's worthy of being your mother?' Then what about her? Once her child is born, will you spend all day circling that child the way you once cared for Tian Tian? Worried about whether they're cold or hungry? Worried when they cry or make a fuss? Will you?"

The red stone rose upright.

Siniang smiled.

"Speak honestly. You're the most willful one among us, and you're the biological son besides. What can't you say openly? Don't tell me even you've learned to hide things now."

The red stone swayed from side to side.

No.

"She carries Fire Phoenix blood. The child she gives birth to may inherit some trace of the Xiong Clan bloodline of Chu. The child won't be entirely ordinary."

The red stone shook from side to side again.

"No?"

This time the stone tilted forward and back.

A nod.

Siniang nodded too.

"Right. Tian Tian himself is a Spirit Child, and he was the first child you personally accompanied and cared for. Naturally that bond is different. But if you're going to have a second one... someone too ordinary probably wouldn't be interesting, would they? Master can preach equality to Savages, Barbarians, and Jin people because they're all human. But we aren't. And especially you. You don't need to pretend. How many children in this world are even worth a second glance from you? How many could possibly make you willing to spend effort on them? I'm not coaxing you. I'm not threatening you either. Just watch. Once her child is born, your father will definitely hang you beside the child like a protective charm. When that happens, will you really have a choice? Heh. No matter how strong that Fire Phoenix bloodline is, after passing down this many times, how much flavor can possibly remain? Will that child be able to play with you the way Tian Tian did when he was small? Roll around with you? Remain unafraid of being harmed by your baleful nature or influenced by you?"

"Heh-heh... heh-heh..."

The Demon Child's laughter rang out.

The laughter was clearly aimed at Siniang.

He had obviously understood long ago what she was really getting at.

"What the hell are you laughing at? You still have the nerve to laugh?"

Siniang glared at him.

"If you ever want another child sturdy enough to survive you... then help me!"

The reason Marquis Zheng had failed to father children with the Princess and Liu Ruqing had already been proven.

The Demon Child had spent years giving his own father a ghostly vasectomy.

The Demon Child... was a ghost.

The intimacy between him and Zheng Fan, whether spiritually or in the bond created through possession of the body, had long since become inseparable.

And every matter had two sides.

One had to look at problems dialectically.

If the Demon Child could prevent conception... then naturally... so long as he was willing... he could also assist conception.

Forget pills.

Forget Dragon-Seeking Grass.

The truly supreme medicine was the Demon Child himself.

And that medicine could only be "taken" by Zheng Fan.

The Demon Child's power could act only on his "father."

Meaning... the Demon Child could reverse the use of his own ability.

There was a genuine chance he could break through that so-called... reproductive isolation.

Siniang pointed at herself.

"My bloodline. A child personally born from my body. That child will absolutely be tough enough to withstand you. I could hand the child over to you to play with and raise without the slightest worry."

That confidence... came from bloodline.

Even with Master dragging down the average...

Siniang's own bloodline formed the lower limit.

The child simply could not be too weak.

"Think about it. A few years from now, your nominal little brother or little sister sees your true form. Would you rather they burst into tears from fright... or grin at you?"

Buzz!

The red stone shot directly toward Siniang.

A lattice woven from silver threads appeared before her and stopped it.

Clearly... the Demon Child was furious.

"What? Can't take even that much? Heh. Who do you think you are? You think everyone loves you? You think every child in this world is like Tian Tian? Let me put it in an even uglier way. In this family... the ones who truly aren't afraid of you... the ones who genuinely treat you as one of their own... the ones who, when the moment comes, will treat you as a companion instead of looking at you strangely, because they're already used to you... there's Master. There's Tian Tian. There's Sha Tuo Queshi lying underground. And who else? Who else? Me. The Blind Man. San. A'Cheng. Fan Li. A'Ming. Before... you caused trouble and played your tricks. I hadn't realized what you were doing. The Blind Man had no proof either. But none of that mattered. You were a child. Even after your father learned the truth, he wasn't angry at you at all. I even think that if giving up children was what it took to make you happy, he'd genuinely do it. But now? There already is one. You already let go once and allowed another woman to become pregnant. Then you have to help me. And you must help me."

Siniang waved one hand.

The barrier vanished.

The red stone floated directly in front of her.

She stared at it.

Then gently patted her own chest and smiled.

"Because we're people of the same circle. Normally, we can look down on one another. Mock one another. Ridicule one another. Without Master's restraint, we could even go our separate ways. Even if we fought among ourselves until brains splattered everywhere, that wouldn't matter. But if the day comes when you turn your elbow outward, favoring outsiders over your own people... then this relationship really can't continue. Heh. You think the others haven't figured this out? They're all sharp as demons. They've all guessed it. And they're all... watching."

The Demon Child's figure appeared above the red stone.

A small infant.

His cheeks puffed with anger as he glared at Siniang.

"You think I'm begging you? No. You're wrong. I'm not begging you. You can keep playing your own games. Keep being carefree. Keep being as willful as you like. You're unique. Fine. A biological son deserves the treatment of a biological son. But from then on... don't blame the rest of us... for no longer treating you... as one of our own."

The Demon Child floated toward Siniang.

He was angry.

Truly furious.

Because they understood one another far too well.

Every word Siniang had spoken landed directly on the most vulnerable place in his heart.

He wanted to ignore everything and fight Siniang here, just as he had fought the Blind Man that day.

But he understood perfectly what that would mean.

Siniang sat back down.

Crossed one leg over the other.

And straightened the folds of her skirt.

"Give me an answer one way or the other."

The Demon Child's chest rose and fell.

The child had been angered so badly he was practically about to become depressed.

How long had it been?

For the past two years, he had devoted himself to manufacturing a permanent "safe period" for his biological father.

And now... he was actually being forced to help him conceive instead?

"I won't tell your father about this. I won't use your father to pressure you or influence your choice. I'm speaking to you alone because I'm speaking from the position of one of your own kind."

At last... the Demon Child spoke.

"The child... I'll raise..."

[End of Chapter 769]