Chapter 900: Family

"Ancestor, why aren't we fighting for it anymore?"

Outside the great hall, Lady Muhan followed the Nine Heaven Ancestor along a quiet path within the Dalundigong, strolling slowly outward.

The Nine Heaven Ancestor's face was dark: "We can't win anymore… When we competed for the Mingwang Sacrifice, they came over and accused our Nine-Colored Split-Feather Sacrifice of plagiarizing human culture!"

"And in the end, everything was given to the humans anyway!"

"And they claimed that anything written in human script belongs to them!"

Lady Muhan snorted: "That's incredibly shameless!"

"Hmph…" the Nine Heaven Ancestor said: "There are many shameless people in this world—just stay away from them in the future!"

"Alright!" Lady Muhan sighed, then asked again: "Wait… Ancestor, didn't you just say Cangjie was one of our Nine-Colored clan's ancestors? If so, then human writing should belong to us."

"Then why are we afraid?"

"Shouldn't everything written in script rightfully belong to our Nine-Colored Peacock clan?"

"I was just making that up!" the Nine Heaven Ancestor shook his head: "There's no such thing—I was only speculating."

"After all… why must Cangjie be human? He could just as easily belong to another race…"

"Ancestor, you're brilliant!" Lady Muhan said: "You're right, Ancestor—I think Cangjie really might be connected to our Nine-Colored clan. Just look at his name—it sounds exactly like one of ours. When we return, we must record this!"

"I never imagined that the Sage Cangjie was actually from our Nine-Colored Peacock clan!"

…

North of Dalundicheng lay another vast palace complex.

Su Zhenzhen and others resided there.

When He Pingsheng arrived, Su Zhenzhen was present, but He Tianya was not.

To his surprise, Zhou Qingmei was there too.

"Why are you here?" He Pingsheng asked. "I heard you returned to Gusong Mountain!"

Zhou Qingmei said: "Yes, I did return to Gusong Mountain, but I come here periodically to visit Sister Su."

"To ensure her safety!"

Su Zhenzhen said: "You don't need to. If the Phoenix Clan wanted to kill me, they'd have done it ten or twenty times already!"

"If they haven't acted yet, it's because they never intended to harm us in the first place!"

"Besides, this is Dalundicheng—protected by the Great Dalun Mingwang!"

He Pingsheng's gaze settled on Su Zhenzhen.

Su Zhenzhen looked exactly the same.

After all these years, not a single change.

Every time he saw her, He Pingsheng felt an urge to harmonize yin and yang.

Hummm…

He Pingsheng waved his hand, took one of the talisman patterns from his spiritual sense, and placed it into Zhou Qingmei's hands: "Long ago, I promised you that once I reached Body Integration, I would return this Heavenly Dao Slave Seal to you!"

"I've just ascended to Body Integration in the past decade or so—and now that I've seen you, I return this seal to you!"

"From today onward, Zhou Qingmei, you are free—you are no longer my servant!"

Zhou Qingmei took the slave seal, her body trembling violently.

Tears welled in her eyes, tracing down her pale cheeks and falling.

"Master… don't!"

"I want to be your servant!"

"For life, for eternity—I willingly choose it!"

He Pingsheng shook his head: "That's only because you're bound to me now, by the laws of Heaven. Once you shatter this Heavenly Dao Slave Seal, you'll no longer be bound by the master-servant rule!"

"Then you won't feel compelled to serve anyone."

"Shatter it."

"No… I don't want to… I just want to stay with Master!" Zhou Qingmei cried, clutching He Pingsheng's arm.

He Pingsheng said: "I command you—now, immediately—break this Heavenly Dao Slave Seal!"

"Wu… wu… wu… wu…"

"Wu… wu…"

Boom…

Though her heart ached, bound by the master-servant law, she obeyed He Pingsheng's command and smashed the seal.

The faint, almost invisible rule-force between them vanished simultaneously.

Zhou Qingmei regained her freedom.

Yet she continued weeping.

"Enough crying," He Pingsheng wiped the tears from her cheeks: "We've only dissolved our master-servant bond—not our connection. Why cry?"

"We can still be friends!"

"You'll remain a vital member of Gusong Mountain!"

"Really?" Zhou Qingmei quickly wiped her tears.

"Of course," He Pingsheng smiled gently: "Now go, I have matters to discuss with Lady Su."

"Mm, mm, mm…" Zhou Qingmei withdrew from the hall.

Inside the hall, candlelight burned brightly.

Su Zhenzhen rose to brew tea for He Pingsheng and asked: "Husband, how have you been these many years?"

He Pingsheng said: "Fine. After leaving Tianhuo Continent, I lived in seclusion on Lei Huang Continent under a false name."

"And how are you?"

Su Zhenzhen poured tea as she replied: "We've lived peacefully—the Phoenix Clan hasn't troubled us."

"Your son has reached Void Refinement Level Eleven—he's traveling outside, seeking to break through this Void Refinement bottleneck."

"You came at an unlucky time—Tianya just left not long ago."

He Pingsheng chuckled, leaning close behind Su Zhenzhen and whispering: "I think it's better he's gone—no need to worry about the child being around."

"You're so bold."

Su Zhenzhen's face flushed crimson: "You're incorrigible!"

"Wait—I have good news to tell you!"

He Pingsheng asked: "What good news?"

Su Zhenzhen said: "Tianya has taken a Dao partner—and already has several children!"

"Some of his children even have children of their own!"

He Pingsheng's mouth dropped open in shock: "What…? This brat…?"

"Yes—you, He Pingsheng, now have a whole clan of descendants!"

"And there will be even more in the future!"

He Pingsheng let go of her.

His brow furrowed.

He sensed a problem—big, serious.

His descendants were merely numerous now.

The youngest generation was only two generations below him.

What about later?

Once the base grows, the descendants will multiply endlessly.

Every hundred or so years, they'll multiply several times over.

With so many people, all kinds of personalities will emerge—not everyone can be a gentleman.

Some will be virtuous, others petty, even cruel and dark.

Some will abuse his authority to commit evil; others will flaunt his name to bully and dominate.

The karmic consequences will be immense.

Though these karmic debts may not directly fall upon He Pingsheng, they will inevitably affect him.

What to do?

The best solution: establish a family, with a strict code of rules to bind everyone within, preventing them from acting recklessly.

And now, for He Pingsheng, it was truly time.