Ying Prefecture, Heavenly Vault City, Teleportation Chamber.
Fresh off the teleportation array, Ye Ling stared a little stiffly at the strange duo in front of him.
Leng Qingqiu in men's clothes, plus an adorable little girl he had no idea where she'd picked up.
To be honest, he'd panicked for a second. But once he got a clear look at the little girl's face, he immediately relaxed.
She was unbelievably cute, with small dimples. When she smiled, tiny tiger teeth showed, and her eyes were a blood-red color somewhat similar to Bai Yiyi's. Her pale golden hair fell to her shoulders, the ends lightly curled. It was obvious she wasn't from around here.
It was that striking feature that made Ye Ling finally breathe easy.
He knew the Cultivation World wasn't the only continent in this world. Far beyond the White Tiger Dynasty in the Western Desert Hills was another continent, home to humans and demonic creatures completely unlike those here.
But it was so distant that even the records in the Heavenly Gate Sect Study Room barely mentioned it. He'd never imagined that he'd run into someone from there the moment he came down the mountain.
And the person he ran into was a little girl, cute as a small animal.
Maybe it was just that they didn't share a language?
After collecting himself, Ye Ling noticed the little girl didn't look like him at all, and she didn't resemble Leng Qingqiu either. That only confirmed his guess.
So he walked over at an unhurried pace. First, he smiled at the little girl.
"Hello, young lady from the outer realms."
Then he lifted his gaze to Leng Qingqiu and spoke as naturally as if they'd arranged to meet.
"What a coincidence, Junior Brother Leng."
Since Leng Qingqiu was dressed as a man, Ye Ling wasn't about to be tactless and call out her true identity.
"Ye… Senior Brother Ye."
Leng Qingqiu's expression was complicated. Clearly, she hadn't expected to run into Ye Ling here either.
Even more unexpected was the fact that the little girl she was holding hands with had called Ye Ling "Daddy."
Unlike Ye Ling, Leng Qingqiu had arrived earlier, and she knew perfectly well that the little girl could speak their language.
So she wasn't surprised in the least when the little girl let go of her hand and bounced straight toward Ye Ling.
"Daddy!"
The little girl shouted happily as she launched herself at him.
"Ah—"
Ye Ling hurriedly caught her, hands supporting her little bottom so she wouldn't tumble.
With her in his arms, it felt like hugging a bundle of soft cotton. A sweet, milky scent rushed up, lingering in his nose for a long time.
Holding her, Ye Ling looked at Leng Qingqiu and asked, "What's going on with this kid?"
"Scumbag."
Leng Qingqiu's face turned cold. In her emerald-green eyes was the same look one gave to filth.
Hah. Men.
Even now, he still wanted to pretend he didn't know?
To be honest, Leng Qingqiu had believed him for a second. But the moment she saw the little girl fling herself into Ye Ling's arms, and Ye Ling catch her with such practiced ease, she was convinced.
Sure, the little girl didn't look like Ye Ling, and her features suggested a different origin, but in the cultivation world, changing one's appearance was hardly rare.
So in Leng Qingqiu's mind, Ye Ling was no longer just a "liar."
Now he was a "scumbag," too.
Not even acknowledging your own daughter? You really are shameless.
What Leng Qingqiu didn't know was that back at the orphanage, Ye Ling had long since gotten used to scooping up his "younger brothers and sisters," which was why he looked so natural doing it.
Being suddenly called a "scumbag," Ye Ling's sharp brows knit slightly.
But compared to what showed on his face, he was already panicking inside.
System, are you messing with me?
No, wait… there really is a kid?
But the ethnicity doesn't match!
Even if he was willing to accept an extra adorable daughter out of nowhere, he'd accept the title only. Absolutely not the "real thing."
Becoming a dad out of nowhere? Even if it were the System's arrangement, he absolutely wouldn't acknowledge it.
Suddenly being a father?
Was that even reasonable?
Hands trembling slightly while holding the baby.
So Ye Ling forced himself to stay calm and asked Leng Qingqiu, "You brought her here, right? What exactly is going on?"
"Heh, still planning to keep up the act?"
Leng Qingqiu laughed in anger, almost impressed by Ye Ling's acting.
If she had arrived later, she might really have believed him.
Unfortunately, she had arrived earlier than Ye Ling. In her mind, a whole storyline had already taken shape. Ye Ling, abandoning his wife and child for the sake of cultivation.
In her imagination, Ye Ling had secretly come down the mountain to see his daughter, which was why he refused to acknowledge either himself or the little girl in front of others.
"I may not know the full story, and I'm not someone who enjoys gossiping, but Senior Brother Ye, isn't this getting a bit pointless?"
"Hm?"
"I was the first to arrive. She came shortly after, looking like she was waiting for someone. That someone should be you, Senior Brother Ye, right?"
"No, I came to—"
"The child is already asleep in your arms. You're still trying to deny it?"
"…"
Only after Leng Qingqiu pointed it out did Ye Ling notice that the little girl in his arms had somehow fallen asleep.
"Snff… huu… snff… huu…"
She was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly, completely unlike a child resting in a stranger's arms.
With that adorable sleeping face, even someone as cold-hearted as stone would be softened by the sight, let alone Ye Ling, the so-called FBI magnet.
???
At this moment, even Ye Ling began to doubt himself.
Could it be that the System, in order to help him cultivate more effectively, had arranged some bizarre setting for him?
He looked up at Leng Qingqiu and saw that her expression hadn't changed. She wasn't lying.
No way…
I'm barely in my twenties and I'm already a dad?
The world suddenly felt surreal to Ye Ling. But no matter how absurd it seemed, once it landed on his head, he couldn't just ignore it.
Fine. This daughter is pretty cute anyway. I'll take her home for now.
Even though he was still resisting the idea, Ye Ling couldn't possibly just dump the little girl and run.
He'd bring her back first and figure things out later.
Looking at Leng Qingqiu, Ye Ling gave a bitter smile. "Junior Brother Leng, believe it or not, this child… might really have nothing to do with me."
He deliberately used the word "might." After all, what if this really was the System's handiwork?
"Mhm."
Leng Qingqiu nodded noncommittally, but her gaze remained cold, the meaning obvious.
"Forget it. Let's ask the garrison guards later."
Ye Ling felt a headache coming on, but he wasn't the type to run from trouble. He'd deal with things one at a time.
This was the teleportation chamber. Unless someone was extremely wealthy or had urgent business, no one would come here. After all, even teleporting to the nearest city cost ten low-grade Spirit Stones, roughly an entire day's worth of resources for a third-grade sect.
In fact, up until now, the only people in the chamber were Ye Ling, Leng Qingqiu, and the little girl.
So in Ye Ling's view, once he stepped outside and asked the garrison guards, the truth would come out.
"Sir, you must be joking."
However, when Ye Ling approached the guards stationed outside the teleportation chamber, one of them replied, "I've been on duty here the whole time and haven't seen any little girl pass through. Don't use me for a joke, sir."
Although his words sounded calm, there was a hint of hostility beneath them. If Ye Ling and Leng Qingqiu couldn't give a reasonable explanation, he looked ready to call people over and settle things by force.
"Hahaha… Junior Brother Leng, see? I told you the guards here are reliable."
Seeing the situation turning tense, Ye Ling quickly laughed it off and said to the guard, "We're inspectors from the Righteous Path Alliance, here to check on the work of local garrison forces. You're doing well."
As he spoke, Ye Ling took out the Heavenly Gate Sect Token and waved it briefly in front of the guard. Its appearance alone was enough to dispel any doubts.
"So that's how it is?"
The garrison guard visibly relaxed. Although he still had some doubts about the Heavenly Gate Sect Token, after seeing Ye Ling and Leng Qingqiu's bearing and their attire, he didn't think too deeply about it. Instead, he even became much more enthusiastic.
"Then I'll have to trouble you two to put in a good word for us."
"Of course," Ye Ling replied.
He nodded at the guard, then exchanged a perfectly natural glance with Leng Qingqiu. The two of them walked out of the teleportation chamber together.
"You really know how to put on an act, Senior Brother Ye," Leng Qingqiu said coldly, her words dripping with double-edged sarcasm.
"If you keep saying that, it just gets pointless, Junior Brother Leng," Ye Ling replied.
Once they were out of the teleportation chamber's line of sight, Ye Ling stopped and turned to look at her.
"Mhm."
Leng Qingqiu nodded, her expression toward Ye Ling easing somewhat.
Although Ye Ling's suspicion hadn't been completely cleared, she was certain of one thing. The little girl in his arms was anything but ordinary.
The teleportation chamber was one of the most important structures in any city, tied directly to the transport of troops. It was a top priority for the garrison guards, second only to the City Lord's residence.
A little girl who could slip into the teleportation chamber without being noticed by the guards was, without question, problematic.
"So what exactly are you here for, Senior Brother Ye?" Leng Qingqiu asked.
She hadn't originally planned to speak. She didn't want too much interaction with Ye Ling, but at the same time, she didn't want him taking that little girl out of her sight either. Who knew what Ye Ling might do to her?
"Isn't the Talisman Examination Assembly being held here soon?" Ye Ling replied.
As he mentioned business, he glanced around.
Right, didn't Fourth Master say someone from the Talisman Examination staff would come pick me up?
Where are they?
Don't tell me they went off to slack?
For an examiner like Ye Ling, the examination assembly might not roll out an overly grand welcome, but they certainly wouldn't ignore him. At the very least, there should have been someone to receive him.
"You're here to take the exam?" Leng Qingqiu asked, sensing something was off, though she still forced the question out.
"No."
Ye Ling seemed to come to a realization as well. Looking at Leng Qingqiu's darkening expression, he broke into a bright smile.
"I'm an examiner."