Chapter 69

Qin Bi wrapped her cloak and stood still on the outdoor veranda.

Taking out a tea bowl, Qin Bi summoned a small cloud for Xiangyun. At first, the little Xiangyun remained unmoved, but upon sensing the cloud gathering rain vapor, it paused, then swiftly tucked itself into the cloud-condensed small bundle.

Rong Juan hurriedly stopped her: "Mother, no, you cannot summon rain while carrying your younger brother."

"I'm just playing with rain," Qin Bi said, looking at the child and soothing him. "I won't draw upon much spiritual power."

Unconvinced, Rong Juan immediately wobbled off to fetch Rong Juan. Startled, Qin Bi quickly stopped and followed Rong Juan to find Rong Juan, fearing the reborn man would grow suspicious and think she was harming the fetus.

Rong Juan was handling official duties when Qin Bi and Rong Juan arrived at the study.

The man raised his gaze. Rong Juan called out, "Father."

Rong Juan rose, walked over, and lifted Rong Juan into his arms. Qin Bi spoke first, summoning Xiangyun: "I was feeling stifled at home, so I thought to gather rain vapor for fun. I won't tire myself. Once enough gathers, I'll send Xiangyun to the fiefdom to summon rain."

Qin Bi looked at the man: "Do you think that's acceptable?"

Rong Juan was surprised; in his several rebirths, he had never heard of using Xiangyun to summon rain. Since Qin Bi came to consult him, Rong Juan said, "Let me see how you gather the rain first."

Qin Bi held a hand warmer and went to the veranda, summoning a cloud for Xiangyun to collect.

Qin Bi turned to look at Rong Juan. Rong Juan lowered his gaze, staring at Qin Bi and asking, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Hearing this, Qin Bi laughed: "No, I was just bored. This counts as cultivation too, and it's quite fun."

People in the Immortal Cultivation world do not cultivate this way. Rong Juan asked no more, nodding: "Just keep yourself in check. Don't tire yourself. It's cold outside, so don't stay long, lest you catch a chill."

Rong Juan agreed. In high spirits, Qin Bi summoned several more small clouds for Xiangyun, then left them be. Rong Juan summoned Lin Yao from the fiefdom, and Lin Yao, looking utterly bewildered, took little Xiangyun back to the fiefdom.

"Why have you brought Young Master Rong's Xiangyun here?" Guard Yan asked, puzzled.

"The Young Master ordered it brought," Lin Yao replied, equally confused. "He said to summon rain."

Guard Yan and Lin Yao exchanged glances, looking up at Xiangyun carrying a small bundle on its back.

"Summon the rain!" Lin Yao said.

Upon hearing this, little Xiangyun flew over ten mu of vegetable fields, carrying its small bundle. It released the clouds one by one from the bundle, and immediately, the small clouds began to drizzle a fine, dense rain.

The rain was not heavy, but it fell very evenly.

These ten mu of vegetable fields were not particularly short of rain; they could easily last half the winter. If this light rain continued for half a day, it would be excellent for the vegetables, after all, this world lacks rain.

Half a day? Lin Yao had underestimated these small clouds; they rained steadily until evening.

The vegetables in the fields were extraordinary, growing vigorously. From morning to evening, the Chinese cabbage grew three new leaves, and all kinds of vegetables grew significantly.

First Strategist Lin Yao and Guard Yan were left utterly stunned. Before leaving, Guard Yan looked at the ten mu of fields and said, "With this growth rate, we will harvest vegetables very soon."

Lin Yao was dazed and said nothing. He had never known that with sufficient rain, crops could be so productive; they changed completely in half a day. His own rain-summoning was nowhere near this effective.

Glancing at little Xiangyun, he wondered if it was the cloud's power, for the rain fell truly evenly.

Guard Yan stayed at the fiefdom, leading the guards to watch over the ten mu of fertile fields.

Lin Yao returned to the Rong Prince's Mansion and reported the condition of the vegetables after the cloud-rain to Rong Juan. Rong Juan was only slightly surprised and did not intend for Qin Bi to continue gathering clouds.

But Qin Bi was idle. The next day, bored, she waved her hand in the courtyard, summoning a small cloud to rain on the planted vegetables and on a few fruit trees, though she did not know what kind of fruit trees they were.

Rong Juan followed Qin Bi, occasionally checking if she was tired.

After summoning rain, Qin Bi and Rong Juan returned indoors to roast sweet potatoes, boiling a few to make dried sweet potato snacks. Mother and son played happily and ate happily. Seeing this, Rong Juan simply let Qin Bi do as she pleased.

After eating their fill, Qin Bi and the child took a nap. Upon waking, she gathered small clouds, summoning them just for fun, then picked the smaller ones for Rong Juan's Xiangyun. Xiangyun opened its small bundle to pack them.

Once packed sufficiently, little Xiangyun left, carrying the bundle on its back.

Thus, the vegetable plots in the family courtyard lacked no rain, nor did the ten mu of fields in the fiefdom. Rong Juan followed Qin Bi, picked up a palm-sized small cloud, and went to the palace to present it to the Great Yan Emperor.

"What is this?" The Great Yan Emperor stared, stunned.

Rong Juan opened his mouth but could not explain. He pulled the Great Yan Emperor to the cabbage patch in the Imperial Garden, took a small tea bowl, summoned a small cloud to rain. The cloud flew high; the vegetable patch in the Imperial Garden was not large, so the raindrops falling from the cloud were larger.

The rain fell like severed water beads.

The Great Yan Emperor was dumbfounded: "Imperial Nephew, where did you get such a small cloud?"

"From me," the child said, looking up.

"Are there more?" The Great Yan Emperor asked excitedly.

"None left," the child said, spreading his hands.

If there were none, so be it; the rain was not light. The Great Yan Emperor, fascinated, refused to leave and watched the rain fall in the Imperial Garden. Rong Juan accompanied him for a while, then waited no longer, as the rain continued.

As the child prepared to leave the palace, the Great Yan Emperor gave him a box of monster crystals.

It was not that this rain was worth a box of crystals, but rather that such rain-summoning clouds were rare. The Great Yan Emperor, delighted, wanted to give the child something. Eunuch Fu and the young prince escorted Rong Juan back.

Rong Juan was cheerful. Returning home, he presented the box of crystals to Rong Juan.

Rong Juan opened the box to look, then gave it back to the child: "Put it in your little treasury."

"Let's buy spiritual food to eat," Rong Juan suggested.

Rong Juan did not agree. Rong Juan simply placed the box of crystals into his little treasury. Rong Juan would not let his wife and child go wanting; later, he sent a guard to the Spiritual Plant Street to purchase spiritual rice and spiritual vegetables.

Qin He had been keeping an eye on Qin Bi. Hearing that Rong Juan had gone to the Yan Marquis Mansion again, she was furious. Qin Bi and He Yan had already divorced; how could she have the child go to the Yan Marquis Mansion?

Most likely, she was jealous that her lucky treasure was favored by the entire Yan Marquis family. Qin He snorted, growing angrier with every thought. After pondering, she went to the Qin Yan Marquis Mansion to discuss the matter with the legitimate mother.

Cui Shi saw Qin He, holding a tea bowl, and immediately understood what was happening.

"You are pregnant and your body is weak, are you not?" Cui Shi set down her tea bowl and said, "Why do you run about instead of staying home? With two Young Masters killing monsters for you, you should have some sense."

"Mother," Qin He said angrily, "Qin Bi's child went to the Yan Marquis Mansion again. What does she mean?!"

Cui Shi was also puzzled. Seeing her legitimate mother's expression, Qin He stepped forward and speculated: "Mother, if Qin Bi is so restless, could the child she carries not be the Rong Young Master's?"

Cui Shi turned pale with shock. Qin He was close, and Cui Shi swiftly slapped her.

Qin He was stunned by the slap, covering her cheek and looking at Cui Shi in disbelief.