Back at his bamboo house, Shen Jiu gently placed Yuexin on his bed. The child was still fast asleep. He carefully tucked soft blankets around her and arranged cushions so she wouldn't roll off the bed. She stirred a little, but her breathing stayed steady.
Shen Jiu stood still for a while, unsure of what to do next. He was a father now, and he still couldn't believe it. But he was happy.
"I promise I'll raise you well," he whispered softly, looking down at Yuexin, who was sleeping peacefully.
Then he left the room and stepped into his small living room. It was clean for the most part, but scrolls and books were scattered across the floor. His work desk was buried under stacks of paper: reports, letters, and notes from his duties as Peak Lord. Shen Jiu let out a quiet sigh.
He moved around the room, picking up scrolls and organizing his paperwork. After a while, he picked up a green butterfly-shaped talisman he had crafted himself as a message device. Holding it up, he whispered a soft call to his head disciple, "Ming Fan, come here." The talisman glowed brighter, absorbing his words, before shimmering briefly and vanishing, carrying the message away.
A few moments passed before Ming Fan appeared at the door. He knocked softly.
"Come in," Shen Jiu said.
Ming Fan opened the door and stepped inside, then bowed in greeting. ''You called, Shizun?'' he asked as he looked at Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Jiu sat behind his desk, his eyes fixed steadily on Ming Fan.
"How was the peak while I was away?" he asked quietly, a trace of concern in his voice.
Ming Fan swallowed nervously before replying, "Everything was mostly stable, Shizun, but..." His gaze flickered downward, hesitation evident in his tone.
Shen Jiu noticed immediately and raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly.
"But?" he urged gently yet firmly.
Ming Fan lowered his head, hiding his smirk from view. Shen Jiu didn't notice. After a brief pause, Ming Fan finally admitted, "A disciple accidentally broke the phoenix vase in the storeroom."
Shen Jiu's expression darkened immediately. His voice was low. "Which disciple?"
"Luo Binghe," Ming Fan answered with a straight face, though he was secretly pleased.
In truth, another disciple had broken the vase by accident and confessed to Ming Fan out of fear. But Ming Fan had his own reasons. Ming Fan didn't like Binghe. Ning Yingying, the girl he liked, was always close to Binghe. It irritated Ming Fan how much attention Binghe received. Framing him seemed like the perfect way to get back at him.
Shen Jiu's anger grew. That vase wasn't just decoration. It was a personal gift from the Emperor. He had received it years ago when he saved the Fourth Princess from a kidnapping. At the time, he was wandering the city, buying milk candies for himself, when he noticed two men dragging a young girl away. He fought them off and saved the girl, only realizing later that she was royalty. He personally brought the girl back to her home, the palace. Shen Jiu didn't want anything in return, but the Emperor gave him the vase to show his thanks.
No one in the sect knew about it. Everyone had assumed he had gone off to spend a week in a brothel. Shen Jiu never corrected them. He had no reason to.
Now that vase was gone.
He really should not have taken that disciple. Ning Yingying had been the youngest before, so she wanted someone new to take that place. Liu Qingge had pointed to Lou Binghe because he thought Binghe was fit for Baizhan Peak and wanted him as a disciple. But Shen Jiu was in a bad mood because of Liu Qingge, so he took Binghe for himself instead. Maybe he really should not have. Binghe was just like that brute and always broke his things. How many times had it happened by now? He sighed.
Ming Fan smiled to himself as he saw how furious Shen Qingqiu had become. He was already imagining the punishment Luo Binghe would receive.
Just as Shen Jiu opened his mouth to give the order, a loud cry came from the bedroom.
He froze, then quickly got up and rushed to Yuexin. She was crying, arms flailing in the blankets. He gently scooped her into his arms and whispered softly to calm her.
Ming Fan stood frozen in place, eyes wide. It was true, then. The rumors he had heard were not lies. His Shizun really had a child.
When Shen Jiu returned to the living room, he was holding Yuexin in his arms. She had stopped crying and was now quietly staring up at him, her eyes calm and content. Shen Jiu smiled down at her, his expression soft in a way Ming Fan had never seen before.
"Are you hungry, little one?" he murmured gently.
Yuexin reached up with her tiny hands, trying to grab his face. When she laughed, he laughed with her.
Ming Fan felt his face grow warm. His Shizun looked beautiful. The usual coldness had vanished, replaced by a rare smile and a soft, melodic laugh that lingered in the air like the chime of distant bells. It was light, unexpected, and far too lovely, so unlike the man everyone feared. Ming Fan's heart skipped a beat. It was a side of Shen Jiu no one in the sect had ever seen. For a moment, he stood frozen, suddenly nervous and unsure of what to say or do next.
Meanwhile, on another peak, trouble was brewing.
Qi Qingqi paced back and forth, clearly upset. Her voice was sharp with disbelief as she repeated what she had heard.
"Shen Qingqiu came back… with a child?" she said to herself, eyes flashing with anger. "What shameful act has he committed this time?"
She didn't wait for answers. Turning on her heel, she marched straight toward Qiong Ding Peak. As she neared the Sect Leader's office, a few disciples stepped forward to stop her.
"Peak Lord Qi, please wait. Shifu has asked that no one disturb him for an hour."
But Qi Qingqi was already pushing past them.
She stormed into the room, throwing the door open. Yue Qingyuan looked up from his paperwork, startled. His disciples rushed in behind her, trying to explain, but he raised a hand to calm them.
"It's alright. You may return to your duties."
The disciples hesitated, then bowed and left. Only Qi Qingqi remained, standing in the middle of the room with her hands clenched.
"Zhangmen shixiong," she said, her voice tight, "you must do something. You must protect the child and the mother."
Yue Qingyuan looked confused. "What are you talking about, Qingqi?"
Qi Qingqi lowered her voice. "Shen Qingqiu returned to the sect… with a child."
Yue Qingyuan's expression changed instantly. His eyes darkened, and for a long moment, he was silent, as if the words had struck him like a blow.
"A child?" he finally asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
A sharp pang of hurt clenched his heart.
"Yes," Qingqi answered firmly. "I don't know what he did to that child's mother, but that's why you must do something. You must protect them both."
His Xiao Jiu had slept with someone, and she had given him a child. The weight of this truth settled heavily on his chest, making it hard to breathe or think clearly.
So much was left unsaid between them, and now it seemed too late to ever say it. Yue Qingyuan gripped the brush in his hand so tightly that it snapped in two. Ink splattered across the papers. Even Qi Qingqi was startled by the sudden outburst, but she assumed the Sect Leader's fury was directed at Shen Qingqiu.
After a moment, Qi Qingqi spoke again, her voice cold and sharp.
"I don't trust him," she said. "Shen Qingqiu is scum. Everyone knows how reckless and selfish he is. He's brought nothing but trouble to the sect."
Yue Qingyuan's expression darkened. He had always been patient with her and with others, despite their constant disrespect toward his Xiao Jiu, but now his patience had finally worn thin, and his voice was cold and sharp.
"That's enough, Qingqi."
''But…''
"I said that's enough." His tone left no room for argument. "I will speak to Shen shidi myself."
Qi Qingqi shot him a hard look but finally nodded in reluctant acceptance. She turned and walked away, her robes swishing quietly behind her.
Yue Qingyuan remained seated, staring long and silently at the empty doorway. The silence in the room was heavy, weighed down by unspoken fears and painful truths.
Back in the bamboo house, Shen Jiu sat on the edge of the bed while Yuexin slept in the center. The baby had fallen asleep after drinking her milk, her tiny hand gripping tightly the sleeve of his robes.
For the first time, he felt like life had meaning beyond mere survival. "Thank you, little Yuexin," he whispered softly as he kissed her forehead. Then he lay down gently next to her, watching her peaceful face until he fell asleep.