Chapter 114: Old Bai's News

Wu Tie remembered wanting to enter the Mist Blade Ancestral Land, which required passing through a transmission platform.

The platform was activated by an eight-sided Blood-Colored Crystal.

Chief Steward kept the crystal hidden close to his chest.

Chief Steward tore open Xiang Liu's shattered chest clothing, pulled the Blood-Colored Crystal from her hidden pocket, and gripped it tightly in his hand.

Xiang Liu's ten fingers struggled to break through the brocade carp's defense; her scalpelike fingers, covered in dense scales, were shredded, continuously spraying dark green poisonous blood, which she drove hard into Wu Tie's chest.

Wu Tie's flesh was torn open, and the poisonous blood corroded his body.

Xiang Liu's knuckles slammed hard into Wu Tie's chest ribs with a dull thud; Wu Tie's bones were unharmed, while Xiang Liu herself was shaken back several steps.

"What hard bones!" Xiang Liu roared in shock and anger.

The Moon Scar flew back, slicing an extremely deep wound in Xiang Liu's brow, from which pale green brain matter oozed.

However, a snake's vitality is extremely strong, its nature exceedingly tenacious—let alone Xiang Liu, an ancient powerhouse among serpents. Injuries that would have killed an ordinary person over ten times were nothing to her.

Xiang Liu let out a hoarse scream, he suddenly opened his mouth; on his elongated cheeks, a blood-basin-sized maw gaped as wide as a water jar, filled with sharp poisonous fangs, and Xiang Liu gulped Wu Tie down in one bite.

Now he was very weak; aside from his essence spirit being stronger than Wu Tie's, his body was still basically Chief Steward's mortal flesh.

He could not exert much strength, only able to use his instinctive devouring power.

With Xiang Liu's innate ability, even a lump of iron swallowed into her belly would be forcibly melted into a pool of liquid.

Wu Tie's golden light cluster at his brow flickered feebly, his vision went dark, and he slipped into a semi-conscious state.

Xiang Liu's essence spirit was vastly stronger than his soul, and the mental assault inflicted severe damage on him.

The blood-basin maw descended, and Wu Tie had no chance to dodge.

With a "crack" sound, the small white egg behind Wu Tie suddenly shattered, specks of seven-colored light scattering, a tiny snow-white pink arm shot out and grabbed Wu Tie's arm, while the other arm seized the Wind and Cloud Banner.

Gusty winds rose, and thick clouds filled the sky.

The surrounding light twisted and bent rapidly; in the snap of a finger, Wu Tie vanished without a trace.

Xiang Liu gulped it down, he instinctively slammed his jaws shut, his mouthful of sharp teeth clacking together; using too much force, he even broke several of his fangs.

His mouth was empty, feeling nothing substantial.

Xiang Liu stared blankly at the direction where Wu Tie had just been, he remained silent for a moment, then burst into hysterical screams, leaping about in furious madness: "Wu Tie… Wu Tie… get back here!"

"My life's essence blood… that is my life's essence blood!"

"You despicable, shameless thieves, you lot that deserve to die!"

"I will never die until you do, never die until you do!"

Winds and clouds surged, crossing in an instant a black sand Gobi over two hundred li wide, arriving at the spot where Wu Tie and company entered the ancestral land. The Blood-Colored Crystal flew up and settled precisely into the depression in the ground.

A hazy Blood Light shone, and Wu Tie returned to that small platform surrounded by cliffs.

The Blood-Colored Crystal set in a depression on the ground, a tiny snow-white pink hand reached out, picked up a stone, and slammed it hard against the crystal.

Amid the cracking sounds, the key to enter the ancestral land, which the Mist Blade inheritance had guarded for many years, shattered into dozens of pieces.

Specks of Blood Light faded, the Blood-Colored Crystal gradually dimmed, finally turning into a black translucent state, completely losing all power.

Time passed bit by bit, Wu Tie's golden light cluster at his brow gradually recovered. Bit by bit, golden light flowed with his circulating blood, continually emerging from his body and flying toward the golden cluster at his brow.

The excruciating pain that had nearly crushed his brain gradually subsided; Wu Tie stared wide-eyed at the black rock dome above.

"Am I still alive?" Wu Tie muttered to himself, lightly moving his arms and legs.

"Daddy." A soft, tender, sweetly clear voice sounded beside Wu Tie's ear.

Wu Tie's whole body suddenly stiffened.

He slowly turned his head, looking with a strange dread at the tiny figure sitting beside him… well, the cloth wrapped around her was familiar, likely torn from Wu Tie's own clothing.

No taller than three feet, delicate and frail, pink and tender, this appeared to be a little girl about three to five years old. Her eyebrows were like dark jade, her eyes like autumn water; on her delicate melon-seed face, her exquisite features were practically perfect.

The little girl had a head of extremely thick hair, just shoulder-length, flowing smoothly down her back.

She sat beside Wu Tie, blinking her bright eyes as she stared fixedly at him.

Her gaze was perfectly clear, without any impurity, exuding a strange power that calmed the soul.

Wu Tie felt his chest armor; his Cosmos Bag was there, the Spider Pendant wrapping the Old Iron Crystal Brain was also present, but the white egg was gone.

He quickly turned his head to look around; the white egg was truly gone.

Wu Tie trembled as he looked at the little girl: "Senior?"

The little girl blinked her eyes, smiling sweetly and affectionately at Wu Tie: "Daddy."

Wu Tie felt as if his whole body were on fire; he sprang up, crouched before the little girl, suppressing his urge to scream hysterically, and earnestly stroked her head.

"I'm not your father; look, I'm only a few years older than you. How could I possibly be your father?"

Wu Tie earnestly wanted to explain her origins clearly to the little girl.

But the little girl's clear, pure eyes stared straight at Wu Tie: "Daddy, I'm hungry."

Wu Tie stared stiffly at her; the little girl looked at him resolutely. They locked gazes for a long while, and Wu Tie muttered to himself: "I had wondered what would hatch from that egg… a daughter?"

Wu Tie wanted to cry, and even more to die.

He took a deep breath, pulled a piece of jerky and a canteen of water from his Cosmos Bag, and handed them to the little girl.

The little girl didn't stand on ceremony, she grabbed a slab of jerky about half her size and began to chomp on it with "munch munch" sounds; after a bite of meat and a sip of water, not much time passed before she had eaten the whole piece clean.

She exhaled with a "ha," patted her belly contentedly, nodded, and said: "Full… hug!"

That jerky was greasy, yet after the little girl hugged and gnawed it for a while, her face and hands were spotless, not a trace of oil.

Wu Tie stared blankly at the little girl, his mind wandering as he tried to recall every possibility… after a long while he finally came to himself, his face shifting between shades of blue and red.

Perhaps, maybe, this little girl truly is his daughter.

In the Formless Divine Cauldron, the last reserve left by that great being, Wu Tie used a large amount of his essence blood, even employing the Soul-Splitting Curse to draw off a portion of his soul power to nourish that being's leftover safeguard.

If that great being left behind a drop of his own essence blood and quintessence…

then this little girl would be the condensed fusion of that great being's and Wu Tie's essence blood and essence spirit. In that sense, she truly is Wu Tie's daughter.

Wu Tiexin's mind was in a tangled mess; he stared blankly at the little girl.

Translation: Wu Tie's mind was in a tangled mess, he stared blankly at the little girl.

Check: "mind in a tangled mess" = mind in a tangled mess. "staring blankly" = staring blankly. Good.

His thoughts drifted into the endless void as he repeatedly asked himself whether the mighty one who had laid that backup plan was a woman.

Translation: His thoughts flew into the endless void…… He repeatedly asked himself, the powerful one who set up this backup plan, should be a woman, right?

We need to keep the ellipsis as is? Use three dots. We'll keep "……". The Chinese uses fullwidth ellipsis; we can use three dots.

Should be, right?

Translation: Should be, right?

If such a contingency had been laid by a male expert, Wu Tiexin couldn't bring himself to accept it.

Translation: If it was a male expert who set up such a backup…… Wu Tie couldn't accept this psychologically.

"You… do you still remember what your mother looked like?" Wu Tiexin shuddered all over, fighting back his pounding heart, and blurted out this vital question.

Translation: "You…… do you still remember what your mother looked like?" Wu Tie finally trembled all over, suppressing the throbbing in his heart, and stuttered out this most vital question.

"Pretty." The little girl gazed intently at Wu Tiexin and said sweetly, "Hug!"

Translation: "Pretty." The little girl stared straight at Wu Tie, sweetly saying, "Hug!"

Wu Tiexin couldn't even say what he was feeling.

Translation: Wu Tie also couldn't say what mood he was in.

Does the little girl truly remember that expert's appearance? If she can call them 'pretty,' they must be a woman, right?

Translation: Does the little girl really remember that expert's appearance? Being able to describe them as "pretty," they should be a woman, right?

Okay, I can't keep dwelling on this or I'll drive myself mad. For now, let's just assume that expert is a woman.

Translation: Alright, can't keep thinking like this, otherwise Wu Tie would really go crazy. For now, let's just assume that expert is a woman.

He let his head hang, thought for a moment, then with a shake turned the White Tiger into arm guards that wrapped around his hands; his arms stiff, he slowly extended them toward the little girl.

Translation: He drooped his head, pondered for a while, his hand trembled, and he transformed the White Tiger Splitting into an arm guard wrapped around his hand, his arms stiff as he slowly reached out to the little girl.

The little girl's pure white hands swiftly seized Wu Tiexin, climbing up like a monkey and perching on his shoulder.

Translation: The little girl's two fair little hands quickly grabbed Wu Tie, like a monkey climbing a tree, nimbly she climbed up and sat on Wu Tie's shoulder.

She pulled at the cloth wrapped around her, frowned, and said, "Clothes—dirty, ugly… I want new, pretty clothes."

Translation: She tugged at the cloth wrapped around her, furrowed her brows: "Clothes, dirty, ugly…… new, pretty clothes."

Wu Tiexin's face twitched as he glanced at the girl's tattered cloth, then he sighed.

Translation: Wu Tie's face twitched, he looked at the ragged cloth wrapped around the little girl, and sighed.

He pulled a fresh outfit from his cosmos bag and put it on; the snug armor on his body shifted onto the girl, forming a delicate soft armor that wrapped her.

Translation: Taking out a change of clothes from his Cosmos Bag and putting it on, the tight armor on Wu Tie's body writhed and moved onto the little girl, turning into a delicate soft armor that wrapped her.

The little girl laughed, lifted her hand to inspect the soft armor on her arm, yet she kept the cloth wrapped around her.

Translation: The little girl laughed, she raised her hand to look at the soft armor on her arm, but still kept the cloth wrapped around her.

With the little girl perched on his shoulder, Wu Tiexin retraced his steps and left the Fog Blade ancestral land without delay.

Translation: Carrying the little girl on his shoulder, Wu Tie followed the route he came, without delay leaving the Mist Blade Ancestral Land.

Just thinking of Xiangliu trapped in the ancestral land sent shivers up Wu Tiexin's spine.

Translation: Thinking of the Xiangliu trapped in the ancestral land…… Wu Tie's scalp went numb in waves.

We might run into him again someday, but it's best if we never cross paths.

Translation: Perhaps we'll meet him again in the future, but it's best if we never see each other.

The little girl gulped down all the essence blood Xiangliu had stored away; it seems that creature will never amount to much. If it ever regains its strength, finds a way out of the ancestral land, and comes back to Wu Tiexin for revenge… who knows when that will happen?

Translation: The little girl swallowed all the essence blood that Xiangliu had stored beforehand; coming to think of it, this guy probably can't amount to much. Once he recovers his strength, finds a way to leave the ancestral land, and comes to seek revenge on Wu Tie…… who knows when that will be?

After quickly departing the Fog Blade ancestral land and reaching the dark, gloomy rocky shore outside, Wu Tiexin's mood inexplicably lightened.

Translation: Quickly leaving the Mist Blade Ancestral Land and arriving at that pitch-black, dim stretch of rocky beach outside, Wu Tie's mood inexplicably relaxed a lot.

"Little girl, you need a name," Wu Tiexin said as he hurried through the rocks, chatting with her intermittently.

Translation: "Little girl, you need a name." Wu Tie said while swiftly walking among the rocks, chatting with the little girl off and on.

"A name? I want a name!" the little girl exclaimed, happily patting Wu Tiexin's head.

Translation: "A name? I want a name!" The little girl happily patted Wu Tie's head.

She looks delicate and tender, but her palms are surprisingly strong—her blows leave Wu Tiexin's head tingling.

Translation: She looked delicate and tender, but her palms had considerable strength, making Wu Tie's head go numb in waves.

Wu Tiexin furrowed his brow, thinking as he hurried along.

Translation: Wu Tie furrowed his brows, thinking as he walked quickly.

He recalled the poems that Master Grey loved most.

Translation: He recalled the poems that Grey Master loved most.

"Listening to Spring Rain in a Small Pavilion for One Night?"

Translation: "Listening to Spring Rain in a Small Tower Overnight"?

Wu Chun Yu?

Translation: Wu Chunrain?

That doesn't sound very good.

Translation: Seems not pleasant to hear.

"Selling Apricot Blossoms in a Deep Alley at Dawn?"

Translation: "Selling Apricot Blossoms in a Deep Alley at Dawn"?

Wu Xinghua?

Translation: Wu Xinghua?

That sounds even worse.

Translation: Seems even less pleasant.

Then, what about the lyrics Old Iron often hums?

Translation: Then, what are those lyrics that Old Tie often hums?

"Sharing Enmity with You?"

Translation: "Sharing Hatred with You"?

Wu Tongchou?

Translation: Wu Tongchou?

That doesn't sound like a name a girl should have.

Translation: That doesn't sound like a name a girl should have.

For some reason, Wu Tiexin found himself tangled in a puzzling worry, and he actually began seriously considering what name to give the little girl.

Translation: For some reason, Wu Tie fell into a puzzling worry, and he actually began seriously considering what name this little girl should have.

This question puzzled Wu Tiexin for days; even after leaving the rocky area, traveling down a passage back near Stone City, he still couldn't think of a fitting name.

Translation: This problem puzzled Wu Tie for several days, until he left that rocky beach, followed a passageway back to the vicinity of Big Stone City, and still couldn't come up with a suitable name.

He sighed, then Wu Tiexin glanced at the little girl, whose face was full of expectation as she had watched him all along.

Translation: He sighed, and Wu Tie looked at the little girl, who wore an expectant expression as she had watched him all along.

"Wu Nü," Wu Tiexin muttered guiltily: "You're a girl, so you shall be called Wu Nü. Hmm, this name isn't bad; I think… it's actually truly good."

Translation: "Wu Nu." Wu Tie muttered with a guilty feeling: "You're a girl, so you shall be called Wu Nu. Well, this name isn't bad; I think this name…… is actually truly good."

"Wu Nü?" the little girl said, her face clouding over as she frowned and stared at Wu Tiexin for a long time before sighing: "Wu Nü, let it be Wu Nü… huh, Dad was right—this name is actually truly good."

Translation: "Wu Nu?" The little girl's face looked a bit gloomy, she furrowed her brows and seriously regarded Wu Tie for a long time before sighing: "Wu Nu, let it be Wu Nu…… well, Dad said it right, this name…… is actually truly good."

Wu Nü shook her head, patted Wu Tiexin's head, and softly said, "I'm hungry…"

Translation: Wu Nu shook her head, patted Wu Tie's head, and softly said: "I'm hungry……"

"Oh," Wu Tiexin replied. He also had a big appetite; the dried meat in his cosmos bag had already been eaten clean along the way. He scouted around, successfully hunted a bowl‑thick rock python, lit a fire and began to roast it.

Translation: "Oh," Wu Tie responded. His own appetite was also large; the dried meat in his Cosmos Bag had already been eaten clean along the way. He scouted around, successfully hunted a bowl-thick rock python, lit a bonfire and began to roast it.

This is a stone cavern with many passages.

Translation: This is a stone cavern with passages in all directions.

Within a hundred‑meter radius stone cavern, there were several clumps of glowing mushrooms and a dozen or so small openings leading who knows where.

Translation: Within a stone cavern of a hundred-meter radius there are several clumps of luminous mushrooms, and also more than a dozen small openings whose destinations are unknown.

The fire flickered, casting their shadows on the cave wall; the little girl sat upright on a large rock, staring fixedly at the snake meat in Wu Tiexin's hand as it gradually turned charred yellow.

Translation: The bonfire flickered, casting Wu Tie and Wu Nu's shadows onto the cave wall; Wu Nu sat upright on a large stone, staring fixedly at the gradually scorched-yellow snake meat in Wu Tie's hand.

Suddenly, some movement came from inside one of the openings.

Translation: Suddenly, some movement came from inside one of the openings.

Without a word, Wu Tiexin backhanded a flash of cold light; the Moon Scar flew silently over a hundred meters, swishing past Old White's scalp and shaving off a large patch of his white fur.

Translation: Wu Tie, without a word, backhanded a flash of cold light; the Moon Scar flew silently over a hundred meters, with a "swish" it scraped Old Bai's scalp, shaving off a large patch of his white fur.

"Ahhh!" Old White screamed shrilly, clutching his head with both hands and lying motionless on the ground.

Translation: "Ah yah yah yah yah……" Old Bai shrieked sharply, clutching his head with both hands and lying on the ground, unable to move.

Wu Tiexin turned his head, saw Old White letting out a heavy sigh, and said, "Old White, don't sneak up from behind like that—it's dangerous."

Translation: Wu Tie turned his head, looked at Old Bai and let out a heavy sigh: "Old Bai, don't sneak up from behind like that, it's dangerous."

"It's me who's dangerous!" Old White trembled for a while, then jumped up, pointing at Wu Tiexin and shouting, "It's me, the old guy, who's dangerous—you know? My fur… my head…"

Translation: "It's me who's dangerous!" Old Bai trembled for a while, then jumped up, pointing at Wu Tie and shouting: "It's me, old man, who's dangerous, you know? My fur…… my head……"

Glaring hatefully at Wu Tiexin, Old White brought a few rat‑person warriors, using the rat‑people's characteristic sneaky, cautious movements, darted over to Wu Tiexin's side and sized him up from head to toe.

Translation: Glaring hatefully at Wu Tie, Old Bai brought several rat-people warriors, using the rat-people's characteristic sneaky, cautious movements, darted over to Wu Tie's side, and sized him up from top to bottom.

"Little Steel Steward, you also escaped, huh? Really… it's terrible." Old White sighed long and short: "Black Skin, One‑Eyed, Iron Eighty‑Eight—they're all dead… sigh, all dead."

Translation: "Steward Xiao Tie, you also escaped? Really…… too miserable." Old Bai sighed long and short: "Heipi, Duyaner, Tiebasiba, they're all dead…… alas, all dead."

Wu Tiexin fell silent for a moment, then sighed: "That Zhu Zixi is too strong… the Supreme Elder of the Eternal Life Sect is too strong; we simply aren't a match for him."

Translation: Wu Tie fell silent for a moment, then sighed: "That Zhu Zixi is too strong…… the Grand Elder of the Changsheng Sect is too strong; we now are simply no match for him."

Old White nodded seriously, then examined Wu Tiexin from head to toe; after a long while he hesitantly asked, "Little Steel Steward, may I ask—do you have a surname? Well, for example, what is your surname…"

Translation: Old Bai nodded seriously, then examined Wu Tie from head to toe; after a long while, he hesitantly asked Wu Tie: "Steward Xiao Tie, may I ask, do you have a surname? Well, for example, your surname is……"

Wu Nü sat to the side and bluntly said, "My father's surname is Wu. I am Wu Nü, and he is Wu Tiexin."

Translation: Wu Nu sat to the side and bluntly said: "My father's surname is Wu. I am Wu Nu, he is Wu Tie."

Old White's body suddenly stiffened; he stared straight at Wu Tiexin and hissed, "Wu Tiexin? You're Wu Tiexin? You really are Wu Tiexin?"

Translation: Old Bai's body suddenly stiffened; he stared straight at Wu Tie and hissed: "Wu Tie? You are Wu Tie? You really are Wu Tie?"

Wu Tiexin looked at Old White in astonishment and asked, "What's wrong?"

Translation: Wu Tie looked at Old Bai in astonishment: "What's wrong?"

Lao Bai grabbed Wu Tie's arm: "Outside the Cangyan Realm, inside the Wa Valley, we rat people have an amazing brother who put out the word, looking for a person named Wu Tie Wu Tai Ping. Is that you?"