“What do you mean Hua Yan’s daughter has come looking for us? And a great-granddaughter at that?”
Hua Yuheng stared blankly at Protector Liu, unable to come to her senses for a long time.
‘That brat Hua Yan doesn’t even have a Dao Companion, so where did a daughter come from!’
‘Could it be…?’
“Valley Master, please don’t be angry. Listen to me explain. It happened like this…”
Seeing the Old Valley Master’s face growing increasingly gloomy, Protector Liu quickly bowed and began to explain.
…….
Half an hour ago.
Protector Liu, who had returned to the valley after purchasing supplies, was humming a little tune while standing atop an enlarged Green Jade Flute.
As soon as she landed at the entrance of Hundred Flowers Valley, she looked up and spotted a small pink figure.
It was a pink-haired girl. Her face, no larger than a palm, was as white as jade with a faint pink glow.
Her almond eyes were bright and watery, their corners slightly upturned, and they sparkled with intelligence.
She had a dainty, perky nose and lips as red as cherries.
She wore a pink and white crossover-collar dress with elegant floral patterns embroidered on the neckline, white satin embroidered shoes on her feet, and her hair was styled in double buns.
Two strands of long pink hair hung down her front, and the pearl-white flower ornaments pinned to her buns shimmered in the sunlight, making the girl look even more charming and adorable.
‘Whose child is this? She is so beautiful.’
Protector Liu’s gaze fell on the pink-haired girl, who was looking down and aimlessly tracing circles on the ground with one foot.
With a wave of her hand, the Green Jade Flute transformed into a streak of green light and vanished into her sleeve.
She smoothed her robes and walked slowly toward the girl.
“Little sister, are you separated from your family? Do you need me to help you find your way home?”
The little girl looked up at the gentle woman in green who was leaning down with a smile.
She shook her head and spoke in a crisp voice.
“No need, big sister! I’m not lost. Mother told me to wait for someone here!”
‘Waiting for someone? Could it be that a nearby mortal wants to send their child to the valley to cultivate and purposefully left her here?’
Protector Liu was slightly taken aback. She immediately swept her Divine Sense across the surrounding area, but there was no trace of any mortals.
‘How strange…’
She scrutinized the pink-haired girl again. There were no fluctuations of spiritual energy; the girl was just an ordinary mortal.
Looking at her appearance, she seemed to be no more than 10 years old, yet she was lively and cute, showing no signs of anxiety from her long wait.
Then, who was the mother…?
“Little sister, can you tell me what your mother looks like and what her name is? Who are you supposed to be waiting for?”
Protector Liu looked at the mysterious little girl and continued to ask softly.
“My mother is very beautiful!”
Hearing this, the little girl immediately began to gesture excitedly, her tone full of childish and blatant pride.
“She has white hair and wears white clothes. She always carries a long sword on her back. She’s so pretty that it’s like she’s glowing with immortal qi!”
“My mother’s name is Yun Xuechang! She told me to come here to find a guy named Heartbreaker!”
‘Yun Xuechang?! Isn’t she the Chief Sword Immortal of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect’s younger generation?! And a heartbreaker?!’
‘Could it be…?’
Protector Liu stared at the beautiful girl in shock, her heart skipping a beat.
‘Could it be that a disciple from our valley took advantage of Fairy Yun, and she secretly gave birth to this child before leaving her at our Hundred Flowers Valley?!’
‘Looking around the valley, the only person who has the strength to take advantage of Fairy Yun and the audacity to abandon his wife and child is…’
The more Protector Liu looked at the girl’s features, the more alarmingly familiar they became. She couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Um, little sister, may I ask what your name is? And does that heartbreaker have another name?”
Protector Liu’s voice trembled as she asked cautiously.
“Yes! He does!”
The girl nodded her small head and replied crisply.
“My name is Hua Xiangrong! As for that heartbreaker… let me think…”
The pink-haired girl named Hua Xiangrong pressed a pink finger against her chin, looking pensive.
“Ah, I remember!”
Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she clapped her hands. Her small face puffed up into a pout like a little bun.
“I remember now! Mother sometimes hides in her room and cries secretly while looking at a painting. When she does that, she calls the heartbreaker by another name!”
“The heartbreaker’s other name is—Hua Yan!”
……
“…”
“That’s enough to kill me! That unfilial descendant, Hua Yan! How dare he abandon his wife and child! He bullied a young woman, got her pregnant out of wedlock, and then dared to be irresponsible! That damned wretch!”
After hearing Protector Liu’s story, Hua Yuheng was trembling with rage.
She turned around to grab the ruler from the table, no longer looking even remotely like the kind and gentle elder from a moment ago.
“Um, Valley Master, please calm down first…”
“Calm down? There is no such beast in our Hua family! It’s one thing for him to chase cats, tease dogs, and cause trouble usually, but to do something so shameless! I raised him for so many years, only for him to throw the basic concepts of etiquette, justice, and shame out of his mind! He has brought utter disgrace to our Hundred Flowers Valley!”
“Um, Valley Master…”
“Don’t try to persuade me! If I don’t crush that wretch’s dog head today, my name isn’t Hua!”
Holding the ruler, the Old Valley Master swung her sleeves and stormed off to settle the score with Hua Yan.
But as soon as she turned around, she saw a pink-haired girl who looked like she was carved from jade.
The child was so terrified that she was buried in Protector Liu’s embrace, sobbing with a trembling voice.
“Waaa… Sister Liu, you brought me here to find my great-grandmother, but she’s so scary… Does she not like me…?”
“Be good, Rongrong. Our Rongrong is so cute; your great-grandmother couldn’t possibly dislike you.”
Protector Liu gently patted the little girl’s back to comfort her while giving Hua Yuheng a helpless look. She secretly sent a transmission:
‘Valley Master, I wanted to say this just now. The child came in with me. You were speaking so loudly that you scared her…’
‘…Then why didn’t you stop me!’
Hua Yuheng first argued back through transmission, then threw the ruler onto the table.
She rushed forward in a few quick steps, and her wrinkled old face instantly broke into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum.
“Oh, oh, Rongrong, don’t cry. Your great-grandmother loves you too much to dislike you! I was just scolding that heartbreaker Hua Yan for your mother!”
“Great-grandmother has sweet pastries and fun toys. Does little Rongrong want them?”
As soon as she spoke, several exquisite pastries and small toys appeared out of thin air in her hands.
Hua Xiangrong looked up. She looked at the smiling face of the old woman, then at the floating items.
She sniffled with her red nose and asked in a soft, milky voice with teary eyes:
“…Do you have tanghulu?”
“Yes—I do!”
A bright red tanghulu coated in sugar frosting immediately floated into Hua Xiangrong’s open hand.
“Mm, thank you, Great-grandmother!”
The little girl took a big bite of the sweet tanghulu and suddenly smiled through her tears.
Even though crystal droplets still hung from the corners of her eyes, the corners of her mouth were already turned up high.
Seeing this, Hua Yuheng also laughed so hard she couldn’t close her mouth.
“Little Rongrong, do you like eating tanghulu?”
“Yes! I love it!”
The girl nodded vigorously while munching on the tanghulu, the corners of her mouth already sticky with sugar.
“Good! In a little while, when that heartbreaker Hua Yan returns, Great-grandmother will take all the Spirit Stones from his pockets and use them all to buy tanghulu for Rongrong, okay?”
Hua Yuheng scrutinized the charmingly cute girl before her, feeling that she became more likeable the more she looked at her.
“Mm, okay!”
The little girl snapped her head up, a big, innocent, and brilliant smile blooming on her face.
“Thank you, Great-grandmother! You’re the best!”