Chapter 637: Epilogue: River God

I sat up and looked toward the door.

Soon I saw that familiar figure walk in from outside.

Our eyes met, and my vision blurred instantly.

Li Qingying came to my side, took my hand, and said again, "Xiao Jiu, it's me, Qingying, I'm back."

I threw my arms around her and wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Even the usually rational Bai Shulan choked up.

I had so much to say to Li Qingying, I wanted to keep holding her, to release this year's longing, but suddenly my stomach began to hurt.

A wave of sharp pain came and went.

Amniotic fluid mixed with blood kept flowing out.

Bai Shulan examined me briefly, steadied her emotions, and said, "This time the water really broke—Xiao Jiu is about to give birth. Men, go out. Aunt, Qingying, help."

I was helped to my room, laid on the bed, and contractions came in waves. I gritted my teeth and made no sound, conserving my strength for the delivery.

Bai Shulan prepared for the delivery, while Li Qingying, experienced, fetched all the birth supplies she had prepared for me earlier, organized them, and bustled about.

Watching her busy back, I felt as if I had returned to the past.

Everything seemed unchanged.

Li Qingying seemed never to have left the pawnshop.

But I knew everything had actually changed.

I deliberately stared at Li Qingying's nose tip for a while; that little red mole on her nose had completely vanished.

"Xiao Jiu, come to your senses, hold your breath—I'll tell you when to push, and you push right away."

Bai Shulan's hand rested on my belly, applying pressure while guiding me.

Having been through this before, though it was rushed then, my memory is still clear; plus Bai Shulan's guidance, I felt no panic.

"So many birds! They're all flocking toward the pawnshop."

"How can there be so many kinds of birds? Each one looks so beautiful!"

"Look at the horizon—it's terrifyingly red, like blood."

"The Zhu Pan River is all reflected red."

"This temperature is too high—how many degrees must it rise before it stops? Without air conditioning, people will die of heat."

"..."

"Ordinary midwifery methods probably won't work." Bai Shulan, sweat dripping from her forehead, suddenly turned to Li Qingying and said, "Qingying, you come."

Li Qingying puzzled: "Me?"

It's not that she can't deliver; she just thinks Bai Shulan is right here, so there's no reason to let her do it instead.

But despite her doubts, her body moved forward on its own.

Bai Shulan explained: "Xiao Jiu has been pregnant for over a year; just as you returned, she went into labor. I guess you two both have fire affinity, so this little one needs you more."

All things in the world mutually generate and overcome.

One could say my stomach suddenly hurt because Li Qingying's return collided with me; but likewise, the little one likes Li Qingying, who also has fire affinity.

There's no conflict.

Li Qingying quickly disinfected, then took over from Bai Shulan to deliver my baby.

I lay on the bed, eyes fixed on the canopy, pushing wave after wave.

On the roof, the birds' cries rose and fell in intensity; I heard A Cheng shouting outside: "Sister, I just observed the heavens—the next Phoenix Lord is descending; something big will happen in the Feng Clan, I and Aunt must leave first, you..."

"You go first, I'm fine." I replied, "Once I deliver safely, I'll tell you right away."

I know in my heart that the moment the child is born, they will sense it instantly over in the Feng Clan.

Tang Xun didn't want to leave, but I kept urging her: "Aunt, with so many people circling me, you have nothing to worry about. The pawnshop has gathered so many birds; the Feng Clan will have even more, so you must go back with A Cheng right away to stabilize the situation."

Tang Xun had to give countless instructions, then begged Li Qingying and Bai Shulan, and finally left reluctantly.

Crack!

With a thunderclap exploding over Wufu Town, torrential rain poured down.

The raindrops took away the heat, and the temperature gradually dropped.

After a quarter of an hour, following another wave of my effort, Erbao was finally born.

When Li Qingying held that little red bundle and placed it beside me, letting me kiss it, I blinked: "Born... born alive?"

Bai Shulan said, "There's an eggshell inside the amniotic membrane, soft. I guess if Qingying hadn't returned today, she'd have stayed in your belly a few more days, but by then the shell would harden, making it an egg birth."

It's a bit complicated.

But it doesn't matter.

The little one screamed at the top of its lungs, voice loud, arms and legs flailing, very healthy.

Li Qingying quickly cleaned her, wrapped her in thin gauze, placed her beside me, and let me try to nurse her.

Bai Shulan tidied the medicine box; she needs to return to the Bai Family Clinic to fetch some herbs—part to boil water for my bath, part to replenish my qi and blood after childbirth.

Li Qingying stays to help me clean my body, the bedding, and the room.

I sincerely said, "Sister Qingying, it's great that you're back."

No one knows how to care for me better than she does—not even Liu Junyan.

Li Qingying smiled: "I truly have fate with Erbao; she seems to have been waiting for my return all along."

I laughed along.

Yeah, everything is just right.

I couldn't help but ask: "This time you're back, you're not leaving again, right?"

"Not leaving." Li Qingying said, "I've been temporarily appointed as the River God of the Zhu Pan River and its upstream and downstream tributaries; if I later achieve merit, and someone erects a stele or builds a temple for me, I might become the local Land God or even a City God of this area."

I said somewhat excitedly, "Your spirit tablet can still be temporarily enshrined at Dang Pu or our hall, accumulating Merit, right?"

Li Qingying nodded: "You just gave birth, your emotions mustn't be agitated; we'll have plenty of time together ahead, so first calm your mind before we talk."

How could I not be excited?

Then I added worriedly: "News of your return will spread quickly; the Yellow Sea side might summon you, and back then we promised the Old Dragon King of the Yellow Sea that he would take you as his adopted daughter."

"I know, I owe them a favor." Li Qingying said, "But you don't need to worry; I have an imperial appointment, and you and the Linghai Dragon Clan have my back, so the Yellow Sea side won't dare make excessive demands."

Indeed, Xiaoye said the same thing back then.

Li Qingying added: "The crucial point is that after absorbing the evil flood dragon's inner elixir, I fully merged with its cultivation, yet I didn't take on its genes, so I can completely sever ties with the Yellow Sea Dragon Clan."

That really is the best outcome.

I also know that during the period when Li Qingying secluded herself at the Yellow Sea's outlet to fully merge with the evil flood dragon's inner elixir and suppress its backlash, she put in tremendous effort.

But looking back now, everything was worth it...