Chapter 46: I Don't Want This Kind of Fortune!

However, Yuanchen Daozhang seemed to see right through her thoughts and smiled, shaking his head.

"If the bond is not yet exhausted, there will naturally come a day to meet again."

"The workings of heaven must not be revealed."

An Luo rubbed her chin.

"That's the same as saying nothing at all — might as well just say you don't know, that would be more satisfying!"

Yu'an pressed her little lips together.

【Fairy Sister, what are Mother and the old gentleman talking about? Yu'an can't understand a word of it.】

"Don't mind them, they're playing guessing games."

An Luo instructed.

"In the future, Yu'an may speak in profound ways, but never learn to talk like him — all wrapped in fog, going on and on without ever getting to the point."

The little one seemed to half-understand, but obediently nodded her little head.

【Oh.】

Yuanchen's gaze fell on Yu'an, who was clearly daydreaming, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

"This little benefactor is blessed with deep good fortune — a person with great destiny by her side."

Hearing these words, Tian Qin's expression grew solemn, and she reached out to pull Yu'an behind her in one swift motion.

"Daoist Priest, those words are too heavy — Yu'an is nothing more than the most ordinary child."

Seeing her wariness, Yuanchen Daozhang merely smiled and said nothing.

Yu'an stepped out from behind her mother, and from a little pouch began to rummage and rummage, finally pulling out a small packet of oiled paper.

Upon opening it, a small handful of Milk Candy, already stripped of its wrappers, lay on the paper.

The little one looked at the old gentleman before her, then glanced twice at the burly uncle who had knocked out the bad guys with two punches and saved them. She puffed out her cheeks, and after much inner struggle reluctantly took out four pieces of Milk Candy and placed them in Yuanchen's hand.

She was only allowed one piece a day — these had been saved up with great difficulty.

"Old gentleman, I'm sorry. Yu'an misunderstood you just now. Yu'an apologizes to you."

Then she looked at the burly man.

"Thank you, burly uncle, for saving us."

Meanwhile, after having the guards tie up Scarface and One-Eye, Yi Jiang viciously kicked the two of them several times.

Having vented his anger, he ran to Yu'an's side and happened to see the milky-white treat in Yu'an's hand.

"What's this?"

Yu'an picked one up and stuffed it into his mouth.

"It's Milk Candy, it's super delicious."

The milky fragrance was rich, but it didn't have that gamey taste like cow's milk or sheep's milk at all — it was sweet, even sweeter and more fragrant than the best maltose candy she'd had at New Year!

Yi Jiang instantly narrowed his big eyes, his face full of bliss.

"So good!"

Discovering the candy was soft and could be chewed, Yi Jiang smacked his lips and finished it in a few bites.

Seeing how happily he ate, Yu'an placed the last piece from the paper packet into his hand as well.

"This one's for you too."

"Such delicious candy — aren't you going to eat any, Yu'an?"

Yu'an shook her head.

"I've already had some."

Walking back, Yi Jiang savored the sweetness of the candy melting in his mouth, and grew ever more certain that Yu'an was a good friend.

Didn't he see her give him the very last piece of candy?

So as good friends who had gone through life and death together, he couldn't be stingy either!

He had decided — tonight he would treat Yu'an to his favorite dish: iron-pot stewed Goose!

Yuanchen Daozhang watched Yu'an and the others leave with a faint smile, then raised his head to gaze at the sky.

The heavens were about to change.

The burly man walked to his side, grabbed a piece of Milk Candy from his hand and tossed it into his mouth — his gaze instantly turned profound.

"This candy... it seems that little child is no simple matter."

Besides, those two punches of his just now could never have sent those two men crashing into the wall.

What on earth was going on?

Thinking this, the burly man grabbed two more pieces of Milk Candy.

Mm, he hadn't really tasted it properly just now — two more!

By the time Yuanchen Daozhang came back to his senses, only one piece was left in his hand. He shot his disciple an exasperated glare, then quickly tucked it away.

"Of course she's no simple matter."

A little child who had received an immortal's blessing — how could she be simple?

City Lord's Manor.

Yi Jiang's mouth hadn't stopped the whole way, chattering away nonstop, telling Yu'an about the fun adventures he'd had sneaking out of the manor in the past.

"Today was so exciting! Yu'an, let's go out and play again in a couple of days, alright?"

Recalling the bad men they'd just encountered, Yu'an instinctively shivered, still shaken, and quickly shook her head.

"I don't want to come out anymore."

Actually, Yi Jiang was a little scared too.

"Don't be afraid. Next time we'll bring guards along with us."

"Actually, Father only allows me to leave the residence twice a month. The rest of the time, I sneak out through the dog hole."

"Is that so?!"

Lost in his own thoughts, Yi Jiang didn't notice anything off about the voice at all, and even nodded in reply.

"That's right!"

Chen Delin gave a cold snort and turned to instruct the steward.

"Go patch up every single dog hole in the residence!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Yi Jiang's heart gave a sudden lurch.

He flashed an ingratiating smile at his grim-faced grandfather, his hand quickly fumbling in his sleeve pocket, and finally pulled out a small paper packet.

"Hehe, Grandfather, what are you doing here?"

"Oh right, look—Yu'an gave me two pieces of candy. They're really good, but I only ate one and saved one for you."

He leaned in closer, winked and made faces at Chen Delin, and said in a low voice.

"Look, even my father didn't get one. I only saved one for you. Am I filial or not? With such a filial big grandson like me, just wait and enjoy the good life."

Chen Delin glanced at the candy, which was clearly missing a small piece along with the teeth marks on it, and looked at him with a forced smile.

"Oh really? Then you've just about filial-ed me to death!"

"I don't want that kind of good fortune. Better leave it for your father."

Saying that, Chen Delin raised the ruler he'd been hiding behind his back and brought it down once on Yi Jiang's bottom.

"Oww!"

Yi Jiang hopped around in pain, then took to his legs and ran.

Chen Delin chased after him from behind, ruler raised.

"I'll beat you to death, you little brat! Sneaking out on your own is one thing, but you've even led Yu'an astray!"

"Grandfather, stop hitting me! I know I was wrong! Father, save me!"

The City Lord's Manor was thrown into utter chaos.

Watching this scene, Yu'an's eyes gradually reddened.

Noticing his mood, Cheng Old Madam took him from Tian Qin's arms and asked softly.

"What's wrong, Yu'an? Are you still feeling scared?"

Yu'an shook his head, pressed his little lips together, and looked up at her with big, dewy eyes.

"I... I miss Grandfather and Father."

And Great-Uncle and Little-Uncle too.

So many people said Father and the others wouldn't come back, but he refused to believe it.

Grandfather and Father often went to the battlefield, away for a year or half a year at a time. This time... this time they were just gone longer than before, that's all.

He would eat well, grow up properly, and practice martial arts diligently. Once he'd mastered his skills, he'd go to the battlefield and help Father fight the enemy!

That way, Grandfather and the others could come back sooner.

Hearing his words, the women of the Cheng Family all reddened their eyes. There was not a single moment they didn't miss them.

Cheng Old Madam blinked her moist eyes and looked toward the door.

She wondered whether Qiuyun had run into Shengxuan.

……

In a small county town some ten-odd li from the Capital.

At a tea stall, several people were chatting away.

"Have you heard? The Xiyue Emperor issued an Imperial Decree, ordering Zhou Old General to take over the Cheng Family Army."

"Really?"

That person nodded.

"It's spread all over the Capital—can't be fake!"

None of them noticed that, upon hearing these words, two men in plain-colored long robes at a nearby table rose and left the tea stall.

One shook his head and sighed.

"Sigh, the Cheng Family really has all..."

"Don't even mention it. They say the Cheng Family women, on the very second day after arriving at Beihuang City, perished in a fire!"

Hearing this, the two men who had been about to leave suddenly froze in their tracks.

"Where did you get that information? The rumors only said something did happen, but no one heard what the cause of death was."

The man who'd shared the news took a sip of tea.

"I have a distant cousin who serves as a manservant at the Prince's Residence. A few days ago, he happened to overhear the Prince mention the matter."

"It must be true."

The moment those words fell, a "pfft" came from not far away.

A man in a plain-colored long robe was seen spitting out a mouthful of blood and fainting.

"Young... Prince's Son? Prince's Son!"