Chapter 113: Lotus Nest

"Fifth Sister!"

Seeing Hua Changxi enter the room, Hua Wuniang struggled to lift her hand.

Hua Changxi stepped forward quickly and grasped her hand: "Fifth Sister, I am here."

Hua Wuniang's eyes glistened with tears: "Ninth Sister, I thought I was doomed this time, that I would never wake up again. Before I fell into a coma, I felt as though I had already seen the Road to Yellow Springs; it was you, you who pulled me back from that path."

Hua Changxi looked at her: "Fifth Sister, it is all in the past now. This childbirth has injured your body; you must rest well and recover, for only with a healthy body can you care for the child. Have you seen the baby? He is so adorable."

Mentioning the child, tears slid from the corners of Hua Wuniang's eyes, and a smile tugged at her lips: "I have seen him; Eldest Aunt and my mother brought him to show me. Ninth Sister, please give the child a name."

Hua Changxi widened her eyes and shook her head repeatedly: "Me? Name a child? No, I cannot do it; I am terrible at naming. If my little nephew grows up and dislikes his name, he will blame me, his aunt."

Rarely seeing Hua Changxi display such panic, Hua Wuniang could not help but laugh; after laughing, she said: "You delivered the child. Without you, either both the child and I would have died, or the child would have been born without a mother. Ninth Sister, you saved us, mother and child; I hope you are the one to name him."

Hua Changxi felt a headache coming on; she truly did not know how to name anyone: "How about I give him a childhood name instead?"

Seeing her genuine difficulty, Hua Wuniang nodded: "Very well."

Scratching her ears and cheeks in thought, Hua Changxi said: "Xiaoman, He Xiaoman, how does that sound?"

Hua Wuniang repeated: "He Xiaoman... When the moon waxes it wanes, when water fills it overflows; Xiaoman is just right." Then, looking at Hua Changxi with bright, sparkling eyes, she declared: "The child shall be named He Xiaoman."

Hua Changxi was unsure how good the name actually was, but seeing Hua Wuniang so satisfied, she said no more; after all, it was only a childhood name.

Seeing that Hua Wuniang's emotions were relatively stable, Hua Changxi hesitated a moment before asking: "Fifth Sister, do you still wish to remain in the Marquis Manor? If you do not, I have a way to take you away."

Hua Wuniang looked at Hua Changxi: "Ninth Sister, I believe your words, but if I leave the Marquis Manor, what will become of the child? Third Master has passed thirty and has long hoped for an heir; he will never allow me to take the child away."

"Moreover, if I return home, outsiders will view me as an abandoned woman, which will tarnish my family's reputation and hinder the future marriages of my brothers and sisters."

Hua Qiniang, who had been standing guard nearby, spoke quickly: "What reputation? We do not care about that."

Hua Wuniang forced a faint, bitter smile: "You may not care, but Grandfather and Grandmother do. You know how much Grandfather values face; besides, our other siblings may not be indifferent either."

Hua Changxi fell silent for a moment before saying: "Fifth Sister, our family's situation is different now from what it was before."

"Many of our brothers and sisters are cultivators; a cultivator's primary duties are cultivation and trial. Marriage must take a back seat; if one does not fear loneliness, living alone is perfectly acceptable."

"Reputation truly is not as important as it once was."

"Furthermore, once one embarks on the path of cultivation, both women and men have more choices; one does not necessarily have to marry and start a family."

Hua Wuniang disagreed: "Ninth Sister, are cultivators and martial artists not roughly the same? Aside from the few martial artists who enjoy wandering the world, most martial artists still establish families."

"Is Eldest Uncle's martial arts not high enough? Yet he did not refuse to take a wife and have children for the sake of practicing martial arts. Even the female martial artists spoken of in the markets hope for a home that shelters them from wind and rain."

Hua Changxi truly could not refute this; it was not merely a generational gap in thinking, but mainly that there were matters she herself had not fully figured out.

After becoming a cultivator, one's physical constitution improves drastically, and lifespan extends accordingly; amidst such long years, can one truly endure the loneliness of walking heaven and earth alone?

Understanding Hua Wuniang's intentions, Hua Changxi respected her choice and said no more, instead recounting in detail all the promises the Lady of the Marquis had made to the Hua family in the main hall.

Upon hearing this, Hua Wuniang's eyes reddened once more: "Ninth Sister, thank you."

She knew clearly in her heart that without Ninth Sister fighting for her, neither the Marquis Manor nor Third Master would have cared about her, a mere concubine, and her own family would likely have swept the matter under the rug.

The confidence her family showed in backing her had always come from Ninth Sister.

Hua Changxi said: "Fifth Sister, focus on recovering your health. I am somewhat busy daily and cannot visit often, but once I return, I will send someone to help regulate your body."

Hua Wuniang smiled and accepted Hua Changxi's kindness, asking no further questions about her affairs.

Afterwards, Fourth Aunt Hua and Hua Qiniang remained at the Marquis Manor to care for Hua Wuniang and the newborn, while the rest of the Hua family, along with Hua Tai and his wife and Hua Zhong, departed the manor.

As soon as the Hua family left, Third Master He was summoned to the main courtyard of the Marquis Manor.

In the main courtyard were Lord and Lady Wuyi Marquis, the Heir Apparent and his wife, Second Master and his wife, He Dalang, and a host of other younger generations of the He family.

Even He Sirong and He Siqi had returned from the Medical Bureau.

As soon as Third Master He entered the main hall, he knelt down: "Father, Mother, I failed to handle matters in the rear courtyard properly; please punish me."

He Sirong and He Siqi already knew about Hua Changxi causing a scene at the Marquis Manor; seeing that Lord Wuyi Marquis and the Lady Marquis both wore grim expressions, they exchanged a glance, rose, and knelt behind Third Master He.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, we were the ones who told Hua Changxi about Concubine Hua's situation."

Hearing this, Third Master He whipped his head around to look at the two, dissatisfaction evident in his eyes.

Seeing this, Lord Wuyi Marquis picked up the teacup beside him and hurled it at Third Master He: "Useless creature! If not for Sirong and Siqi, our family would have formed a deadly feud with the Hua family."

Speaking thus, he turned to He Sirong and He Siqi and bid them rise.

"Informing Hua Changxi about Concubine Hua's matter was the right thing to do."

Splashed all over with tea, Third Master He hung his head and knelt on the floor without uttering a word.

Lord Wuyi Marquis glared at him furiously: "Find a way yourself to repair relations with the Hua family."

The Lady Marquis had no desire to meddle in affairs concerning a son by a concubine; today she had lowered her status to meet the Hua family, only to be contradicted and mocked by their juniors, and she still felt uneasy about it, yet as the mistress of the household, certain matters required her presence.

"Concubine Hua's difficult labor was caused by Third Master's wife. The Hua family demands an explanation from the Marquis Manor. Third Son, what do you intend to do?"

Before Third Master He could speak upon hearing this, He Dalang could not help but interject first: "Grandmother, ours is a dignified Marquis Manor; must we really provide an explanation to a ruined family like the Huas?"

Lord Wuyi Marquis glanced at He Dalang with some disappointment, then addressed Third Master He directly: "Send Lady Shen to the estate."

Third Master He lifted his head abruptly: "...Father, how long must Lady Shen remain at the estate?"

Lord Wuyi Marquis paused briefly: "That depends on whether the Hua family has a future."

Third Master He understood what Lord Wuyi Marquis meant and did not plead on Lady Shen's behalf.

Lord Wuyi Marquis waved his hand: "Enough, you may all withdraw."

After everyone withdrew, only Lord Wuyi Marquis, the Lady Marquis, the Heir Apparent, and Second Master remained in the hall.

The Heir Apparent looked at Lord Wuyi Marquis: "Father, is it really necessary to place such importance on the Hua family?"

Lord Wuyi Marquis moved his somewhat stiff left shoulder; he had been injured when he barely managed to exchange a single move with Hua Changxi using his bloodline divine ability: "Hua Changxi's cultivation far surpasses mine."

Hearing this, both the Heir Apparent and Second Master's expressions changed drastically: "How is that possible?"

Lord Wuyi Marquis looked at his two sons: "There is nothing impossible about it. With the resurgence of spiritual energy, everything will be reshuffled; even the imperial court cannot avoid this, let alone our family."

"Various forces vied for power around Mount Kunlun, yet in the end, some wild youth became the master of Mount Kunlun."

"And then there is Mount Wuzhi; although it remains unclear what background that Fairy Fire Lotus truly has, various factions fought for months only for her to suddenly appear and reap the rewards, which speaks volumes."

"Power and influence can bring certain advantages, but cultivation involves many profound and unpredictable elements; having power alone does not guarantee one can reach the end."

Hearing this, the He heir and Second Master He both wore solemn expressions; the recent scramble among various factions to send their own alchemists into the Medical Bureau had already made them feel a sense of crisis.

It turned out that many nobles and officials were secretly cultivating their own alchemists and cultivators, while their family was clearly lagging far behind.

As for the apothecaries on First Street, the Marquis Wu Yi's residence had failed to secure even one.

Speaking of alchemy, Second Master He recalled the scene where Sixth Brother He and Eldest Brother He consumed pills during their duel, and immediately brought this up with Marquis Wu Yi and the He heir.

Marquis Wu Yi narrowed his eyes: "It seems the Hua family is even more formidable than I imagined." Then, looking at his two sons, he said, "Sirong and Siqi did very well this time; go back and tell them to continue fostering good relations with Hua Changxi."

The He heir and Second Master He nodded in agreement, then departed from the main courtyard.

Meanwhile, Hua Zhong took Hua Tai back to the Count Dingyuan's residence to meet with Count Dingyuan and the Hua heir.

"What? After clashing with Lady Hua Nine, Marquis Wu Yi actually chose to retreat voluntarily?"

Upon hearing the report from Hua Zhong and Hua Tai, Count Dingyuan's gaze flickered uncertainly.

Among military generals, Marquis Wu Yi was notoriously arrogant; for him to voluntarily yield, the opponent must be someone he had no confidence in defeating.

Lady Hua Nine's cultivation level is actually above that of Marquis Wu Yi!

Reaching this conclusion, Count Dingyuan was deeply shocked, but then thinking of Lady Hua Ten from the Taisu Palace, he suddenly understood.

It seemed Lady Hua Ten had long been secretly guiding Lady Hua Nine onto the path of cultivation, and had even informed her in advance that the Medical Bureau was a sacred land.

Otherwise, Lady Hua Nine would not have entered the Medical Bureau two years ago, not even caring if she only served as a menial laborer.

The Hua heir frowned: "Both Sixth Brother Hua and Lady Hua Nine are cultivators, yet they never reported this to the clan; what do they mean by this?"

Count Dingyuan cut him off: "Do not pursue this matter; it is meaningless." Then, tapping the table, he said, "Eldest Brother Hua is a cultivator, and so are Sixth Brother Hua and Lady Hua Nine; there is no reason why Third Brother Hua would not be one as well."

"All five children are cultivators; there is a high probability that Minghe and his wife are cultivators too."

With the entire family being cultivators, even Count Dingyuan felt a twinge of envy: "Hua Minghe... truly begot a good daughter!"

Count Dingyuan looked at Hua Tai: "Lady Hua Nine saved Fifth Sister Hua; her medical skills must be quite excellent, then?"

Hua Tai nodded: "Lady Zhong went in to check on Fifth Sister Hua's condition and said that even if an ordinary physician had gone, they could not have saved her life." He paused, then added, "If Lady Hua Nine had not arrived in time, Madam He the Third would have taken Fifth Sister Hua's life to keep the child and discard the mother."

Hua Zhong added: "Sixth Brother Hua carries a large quantity of spirit pills, the kind that can instantly replenish spiritual energy."

The Hua heir was extremely concerned about the pills: "Who is supplying them with these spirit pills? Does the family of Hua Bin have connections to know an alchemist?"

Hua Tai hesitated slightly before saying, "Perhaps... they refined them themselves." Seeing both Count Dingyuan and the Hua heir looking at him, he continued speaking.

"Not long after Hua Changxi entered the Medical Bureau, the Hua family apothecary began selling pills for martial artists; all of them were refined by Third Brother Hua himself. I have consumed them, and their efficacy is better than those sold in many other apothecaries."

Count Dingyuan rapidly rotated the thumb ring on his right hand: "The clan has paid too little attention to the family of Hua Bin; we must prioritize them in the future."

Then, looking at the Hua heir, he said, "Have Shuran interact more with Lady Hua Nine at the Medical Bureau; since she and Lady Hua Ten are twins, she might know many things that we do not."

Just as the Marquis's residence and the Count's residence were discussing the Hua family, Hua Changxi also returned to the Hua family compound with her relatives.

Hua Changxi had originally thought that after displaying such aggression at the Marquis's residence, she would be scolded by Old Master Hua and Old Lady Hua upon her return, but unexpectedly, neither of them said a word about it.

"Grandmother, if you have something to say, just say it."

Seeing Old Lady Hua glancing at her occasionally, looking as if she wanted to speak but holding back, Hua Changxi could not hold herself back and asked directly.

Old Lady Hua was also unable to keep things hidden; looking at the red lotus pattern on Hua Changxi's brow, she asked, "Why did you paint a floral design on your forehead all of a sudden?"

Hua Changxi had not expected it to be about this; touching her brow, she asked, "Does it not look good?"

Old Lady Hua said testily, "You are already quite conspicuous on ordinary days; now with a floral design painted on... it is too flamboyant. Do not paint it again in the future."

Hua Changxi turned her head to look at Lady Yao, asking her if it looked good.

Lady Yao examined it carefully and smiled: "It looks good." Then, looking at Old Lady Hua, she said, "Mother, there are many young ladies who paint floral designs; Ninth Daughter is not particularly striking."

Old Lady Hua looked at Hua Changxi's expressive eyes and skin as smooth as congealed fat, which made her want to look a few more times: "Just look at what your daughter looks like; you indulge her too much. Do you think it is a good thing for a young lady to be too outstanding?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi finally understood Old Lady Hua's meaning; was she complaining that she looked too beautiful?

Hua Changxi thought for a moment, then took out the Totem Golden Bowl.

Sixth Brother Hua immediately stepped forward: "Ninth Sister, what is this?"

Hua Changxi replied, "This is the Totem Golden Bowl; it can reveal the bloodline totems within a human body."

Sixth Brother Hua was puzzled: "What is a bloodline totem?"

Hua Changxi explained, "That tiger that manifested within Third Brother He's body is the He family's bloodline totem."

Sixth Brother Hua had personally experienced the power of that illusory tiger up close: "Does our family have one too?"

Hua Changxi looked at the people in the room: "We will only know after shining the light on them."

Next, starting with the younger generation, Hua Changxi used the Totem Golden Bowl to shine on each of them one by one.

To her surprise, every young member of the Hua family revealed a lotus totem.

Hua Changxi then began shining the light on the adults; the three brothers Hua Minghe, Hua Ming'ang, and Hua Mingcheng all revealed lotus totems, but Second Aunt Hua and Fourth Aunt Hua revealed nothing, while Lady Yao revealed the Fire Bird Zhu Que.

"So many people in our family have undergone ancestral revival? Have we fallen into a nest of lotuses?"

Hua Changxi shone the light on Old Master Hua and Old Lady Hua again; Old Lady Hua revealed nothing, but an even more surprising thing occurred.

The lotus totem that manifested on Old Master Hua's body was the clearest, meaning his degree of bloodline ancestral revival was the highest.

Regarding the matter of cultivation, it was impossible to say that Old Master Hua had never been tempted, but Lady Ten had only brought back three portions of pills, so they had to prioritize the grandchildren first.

When his ninth granddaughter revealed his lotus totem, Old Master Hua asked with some excitement, "Ninth Daughter, can Grandfather cultivate as well?"

Hua Changxi nodded: "It is possible, but it will be very arduous."

Old Master Hua grinned; what did arduous matter? He had endured hardships all his life, and the last thing he feared was hardship.

Hua Changxi asked curiously, "Grandfather, did you eat something that caused ancestral revival before you got married?"

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why so many people in their family had undergone bloodline ancestral revival.

Old Master Hua shook his head: "How would I know anything about ancestral revival or not?"

Hua Changxi pressed, "Think carefully; have you ever eaten anything special or unusual?"

Old Master Hua recalled events before his marriage, then shook his head: "When I was young, I ate from the hundred families' bowls; when I grew up, I wandered everywhere, eating whatever I could find when hungry; I cannot remember."