Chapter 224: Past Life's Parting of Li and He

In her dream, Shen Qingli felt a warmth and comfort she had never known before.

Even before Di Jin appeared, her happiest moments were only when she was alone with her father.

There was never a time when both parents were present and it felt warm. After all, Zhao Yue's demands of her had always been strict to the point of harshness.

Mom~

In Shen Qingli's past dreams, she had imagined times when Zhao Yue treated her well.

But even in the dream, Zhao Yue would at most just pat her head.

For Shen Qingli back then, that was already very warm.

During the years she was hunted, she had countless fantasies: if Zhao Yue could touch her and say it was all over, how wonderful that would be.

But there was none.

She waited for Zhao Yue's purification.

So after rebirth, she actually had no expectations for any emotion.

She wholeheartedly wanted only to grow stronger, leave the Azure Jade Sect, leave those people! And become strong enough that no one could hurt her.

However, just a small change, and everything changed……

Dad.

Dad has come.

A Jin also came.

And even the 'mother' she had long abandoned was now there.

This time, the mother in the dream was no longer Zhao Yue's likeness, but the true likeness of Zhong Minglan.

She was strong yet gentle, swift yet meticulous.

She would not tell her, she is the empress, must consider the greater good, cannot only think of her daughter.

She would not tell her, she is the war god, must protect Shen Ting inside and out, cannot only protect her daughter.

She would not tell her, you are the young emperor, the war god's daughter, you must give everything useful, manage the Vermilion Bird Palace well, train the Vermilion Bird Army up and down.

As long as she needs her, her mother will be there!

Like the earth, steadily bearing what she seeks.

In fact——

At this moment, Zhong Minglan really held her, cradling her steadily in her arms, patting her back.

Sleep, Mom is here.

Zhong Minglan didn't know what Shen Qingli had dreamed of, but she thought, Xiao Piaoliang was calling her, surely she needed her.

In Xiao Piaoliang's past twenty years, she hadn't been a good mother, but it's not too late now; no matter her age, she is still her Xiao Piaoliang.

She is a goddess, the Vermilion Bird Empress among the Four Spirits; as long as Shen Ting is immortal, she is undying and can always embrace her daughter.

"Great."

In Jiuli's mind, Little White's voice suddenly sounded.

It turned its head and saw that this kid wasn't asleep! It was wiping its tears with its claws.

Jiuli, who had been about to tear up, swallowed it back, saying, "What are you doing?"

"Wuu wuu wuu," in Little White's memory, there were the experiences of Shen Qingli suffering.

But it was too small back then; even going back to fetch reinforcements was too slow. Every time it brought Shen Kuo over, she had already finished suffering. Moreover, when Shen Kuo came to see her, he would not say anything and just left.

That Zhao Yue was too fierce!

If she knew Shen Kuo had gone, she would surely be even stricter with Xiao A Li.

Moreover, back then it couldn't understand Zhao Yue's words at all, and the harm to Xiao A Li was huge!

It thought that as long as A Li wasn't hit, she wasn't bullied; Xiao A Li didn't smile, just naturally not fond of smiling.

It didn't know then that words hurt Xiao A Li more than corporal punishment, "wuu wuu wuu…"

"Can you stop crying?" Jiuli was speechless.

Little White couldn't help it; the miniaturized it curled under its wings, sobbing nonstop, not daring to make a sound.

"When Xiao A Li had her bones pulled out, I was useless, I had also been poisoned, and couldn't run back to find Lord Shen,"

Little White thought, if it could go back to spread the word, Xiao A Li wouldn't have to endure that greatest suffering, and could surely escape that devil Zhao Yue sooner.

"I'm so stupid."

It is so stupid, so useless.

Yet Master Li still gave it all this, letting it return to its ancestry to become the Responding Dragon.

It is unworthy!

"Wuu wuu wuu…"

"Shut up! What mourning? Look at how good A Li is now."

Jiuli couldn't listen anymore; hearing it again would make it cry! Really.

Little White held back its tears, poked its eyes out from under its wings, and saw Lord Shen embracing the mother and daughter, with A Li in their shared embrace.

"May the bitterness end and sweetness come, I guess."

Jiuli secretly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

If it had seen A Li earlier, it would surely not let A Li suffer.

But back then it couldn't even get out of the Ten Directions Forest; if it encountered anything, well?

Jiuli suddenly recalled a memory, it seemed! It had encountered A Li before?

"Oh my god, did I forget A Li?"

Jiuli held its head, faintly recalling that, it seemed, long long ago, it had really seen A Li!

But at that time she was very weak, her body filled only with gloomy demonic qi, oh!

It remembered, it hadn't been able to wake up then, vaguely sensing that she had come and then left.

"I'm also useless!"

Nine Li clutched its head! It also shut itself off.

If it had been able to wake up then! A Li definitely wouldn't have suffered so much.

"Boss?"

Little White wondered, it had been following A Li all along, could it have missed something?

"Forget it, it's all in the past; from now on we'll properly protect A Li."

"Mmm!"

The two beasts communicated mentally with muttering sounds; Shen Kuo glanced at them when he had a moment, obviously still able to hear.

Nine Li's words, he took to heart, because he also had some vague memories.

It seems not to belong to the current timeline, with significant deviations; likely it's another path he would take if he didn't return to his position.

And that line…

He was too late, A Li died.

That scene, he originally thought it was his inner fear.

But Nine Li also has memories, so it's highly likely it 'actually happened'.

Thinking of this, he fiercely embraced the mother and daughter in his arms!

Zhong Minglan frowned, "You—"

In the blink of an eye when she looked up, she saw the alarm in Shen Kuo's eyes.

They are all deities; only something that harms the little beauty could frighten them, especially Shen Kuo.

"What's wrong?" Zhong Minglan asked in a low, solemn voice.

Shen Kuo didn't speak, he steadied himself, and looked at the daughter sleeping in Zhong Minglan's arms.

Soul and spirit scattered, fragments turning to ash…

No matter how he tried, he couldn't make up for it; after finally restoring his body, he had exhausted all his strength,

The final scene was him looking at A Li with bloodshot, blurred eyes, not daring to touch her, afraid that even a touch would cause her to scatter again.

Her body had no bones; that is, in that timeline A Li never managed to retrieve her own bones before death, dying without a complete corpse…

"Don't stay silent!"

Zhong Minglan grew anxious, Shen Kuo's face was deathly pale!

Shen Kuo looked at her, and for a long moment there was no breath.

Even though gods don't need to breathe and won't die from it, this situation…

"Does A Li still have a great tribulation?"

Zhong Minglan sent a mental inquiry! Very solemn.

Shen Kuo shook his head, his voice hoarse, each word hard to utter.

"She has passed it."

At that most difficult moment, he wasn't by her side, nor was Zhong Minglan.

Can't imagine how desperate A Li was at that time.

No wonder, on the sect master's hall, when he previously protected her, her gaze was also cold, toward him she had none of the childhood affection, because at her most desperate and brutal moment, he wasn't there.

"A Li."

Shen Kuo couldn't hold back, tears fell.

As a father, he failed miserably.

No, not just that,

In Shen Kuo's memory, there is also something else.

He finally understood how Di Jin became his little cub.