Chapter 56

The night was as still as water, the rustling of leaves dancing in the gentle breeze. In the quiet of the night, one can't help but recall the past, and with the tranquility of the night, the sorrows and joys of the past surfaced in Yang Zhen's mind. He had been in this world for more than three hundred years, and Yang Zhen had always tried not to think about the past. But in the dead of night, the past would involuntarily appear before his eyes, making him feel a bit melancholic.

Raising his head to gaze at the bright moon, he lowered it to think of his hometown. Li Bai's poem was truly fitting for the scene.

The Green Mountain was lush and verdant, and the River Biqu flowed ceaselessly.

When Yang Zhen returned to the Kingdom of Biqu, it was already night. Although his trip to the Heavenly Court seemed to have taken little time, when he returned to the mortal world, more than two months had passed. A day in heaven is a year on earth, so the immortals never truly understand the emotions of mortals.

Putting aside his melancholy, Yang Zhen took flight and headed toward the capital of the Kingdom of Biqu. Life must go on, and it was enough to occasionally reminisce about the past.

"Ow! Waaah~!"

Before Yang Zhen even entered the Grand Master's residence, he heard the cries of a baby from within. Recalling, Yang Zhen remembered that before he went to the Heavenly Court, he had found a baby at the border of the Kingdom of Biqu. Due to the urgency of his trip to the Heavenly Court, he had sent the baby to the Grand Master's residence to be taken care of.

Following the cries, Yang Zhen found a wet nurse holding the baby, rocking it back and forth to soothe it to sleep.

"Grand Master!" The wet nurse, upon seeing Yang Zhen, immediately placed the baby on the bed and tried to bow. However, Yang Zhen waved his hand, and a gentle force lifted the wet nurse, preventing her from bowing.

"How is this little one?" Yang Zhen asked the wet nurse while playing with the baby.

Strangely, as soon as Yang Zhen returned, the baby stopped crying and even laughed, full of energy.

"Grand Master, it's a little girl," the wet nurse said cautiously, standing beside Yang Zhen. "When the little girl was first brought here, she had a high fever, but fortunately, you brought her in time, and she survived. After two months, the baby is now very healthy."

"Good job!" Yang Zhen praised, then said, "You can put her to sleep now. When it's light tomorrow, find a childless family in the city and give her to them to raise."

The wet nurse was taken aback and turned to Yang Zhen, asking, "Grand Master, you don't plan to raise this little girl?"

Yang Zhen glanced at the wet nurse strangely and said, "Of course not. I found this baby by chance on the road while I was out. I have no time to take care of a baby with my daily meditation and cultivation. Giving her to someone else will allow her to grow up happily."

"Waaah~!" The baby, lying on the bed, seemed to understand that she was about to be given away and suddenly started crying loudly, waving her arms and legs, and staring at Yang Zhen as if begging him not to send her away. Her little face was pitiful.

"Ha! She's quite spirited!" Seeing this, Yang Zhen felt a bit amused and sensed that this baby was somewhat extraordinary.

"Grand Master, you don't have time to take care of a child, but we servants can! I will take good care of her. Please don't give her away," the wet nurse said anxiously. She was about to kneel again, but Yang Zhen lifted her with a gentle force, preventing her from bowing.

Actually, Yang Zhen was quite uncomfortable with the kneeling etiquette. Every time someone bowed to him, he felt a bit awkward and very uncomfortable.

"Since you like this child, she can stay," Yang Zhen said with a smile, agreeing to the wet nurse's request.

Then, Yang Zhen bent down, rubbed the little girl's face, and said, "There, there, don't cry. I won't give you away."

Strangely, as soon as Yang Zhen spoke, the little girl sniffled and slowly stopped crying.

After playing with her for a while, Yang Zhen handed the baby to the wet nurse and went back to his cultivation.

In the following months, Yang Zhen's life returned to its usual calm. The only difference was that the Grand Master's residence now had a little girl, which made it much livelier. Even the maids who cleaned the place liked the child and would visit her every day to feel at ease.

Of course, Yang Zhen's originally peaceful life was not without changes. He would also take time during his cultivation to visit the little girl. Each time he saw her innocent smile, he would become more cheerful, and her smile seemed to affect his mood.

Nine months later, when Kuimulang returned to the Grand Master's residence, Yang Zhen was once again involved in this side story.

"Brother Yang, I really appreciate your help this time," Kuimulang said as soon as he saw Yang Zhen.

"Save it!" Yang Zhen didn't even look at Kuimulang, sitting there with a calm tone and asked, "Did you find out the reason for that incident?"

"Alas!" Kuimulang sighed, his face full of disappointment. "No, I didn't find any clues. I've been back and forth between the Heavenly Court, the Underworld, and Huaguo Mountain, but I found nothing. The other brothers also found no useful clues. Although I don't want to say it, this matter will probably end without resolution."

"Since you didn't find any clues, why did you come to the Kingdom of Biqu?" Yang Zhen asked skeptically.

"To fulfill my promise, of course," Kuimulang said. "I said I would return to the Kingdom of Biqu within a year to atone for my past sins."

"Is that so!" Yang Zhen hadn't expected Kuimulang to actually return.

He had never taken it seriously when he told Kuimulang to come to the Kingdom of Biqu in a year to face his death. It was just a joke, but he didn't expect Kuimulang to take it seriously and return on time.

"What do you plan to do?" Yang Zhen asked.

"I've decided to undergo soul dissolution and reincarnation, to cultivate again. This will also serve as a way to atone for my sins. With my previous foundation, I believe it won't take more than a hundred years to regain my current cultivation level," Kuimulang said.

Although Kuimulang spoke casually, reincarnation is not that easy. Especially during the early stages of life, with no cultivation, one is vulnerable to danger and could easily be reborn again. Kuimulang was not being reborn as a human but as a wolf, and the environment for wild animals is much more dangerous than that for humans.

Looking at Kuimulang, Yang Zhen asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes!" Kuimulang nodded, then his soul left his body, and his entire soul quickly flew toward the Underworld.

As the saying goes: "Fortune harbors misfortune, and misfortune harbors fortune." Although Kuimulang had to cultivate again, it was precisely this reincarnation that allowed him to cultivate the "Sarira Linglong Inner Dan," greatly increasing his strength. This could be considered a reward for his integrity.