"Sister Ling’er, your belly must be over four months along now, right?"
Ouyang Ye knew Sister Ling’er's belly had already started to show, though it wasn't visible from the outside because she was wearing a loose white robe.
"Mhm, four months and twelve days."
Sister Ling’er instinctively touched her belly, a happy smile unconsciously appearing at the corner of her mouth.
"Sister Ling’er, starting today, you should stop impersonating Young Lord Chiyan."
The reason Han Dong had been opposed from the very beginning wasn't just because she knew Sister Ling’er was pregnant, but also because she knew Sister Ling’er had a loving husband waiting for her. She said, "You should go back and rest peacefully. Your husband is still at home waiting for you."
"Han Dong, I'm fine. It's only four months, and my belly isn't very obvious yet..."
Ouyang Ye, who was also aware of Sister Ling’er's situation, chimed in, "Sister Ling’er, it might not be obvious now, but by the fifth or sixth month, people will definitely notice."
"When that time comes... I can bind my belly! That way, no one will be able to tell!"
"Sister Ling’er, thank you. Really, you've already done more than enough for me."
Han Dong shook her head slightly, expressing her gratitude softly.
She knew that from the moment Sister Ling’er began impersonating Young Lord Chiyan, Aunt Xue, to avoid raising outsiders' suspicions, had performed some techniques on Sister Ling’er's body. She suppressed the innate Yin breath of a woman and muddled Sister Ling’er's spiritual breath. This was inherently harmful to the fetus. If they were to let Sister Ling’er bind her belly on top of that, it would be too cruel.
"But... if I don't impersonate Young Lord Chiyan, what will you do, Han Dong..."
Sister Ling’er knew just how important the Young Lord Chiyan she was impersonating was to Han Dong. It was no exaggeration to say that Han Dong was still the heir apparent of Yaoyue Palace entirely because of this impersonation. If she stopped, then Han Dong...
"And your master... how happy and relieved she has been since learning you and Young Lord Chiyan are Dual-Cultivation Dao Companions. If..."
Before Sister Ling’er could finish, a faint smile suddenly appeared on Han Dong's originally ice-cold and stunningly beautiful face.
It was a beautiful, moving smile, like a frozen rose suddenly blooming, as if even a thousand-year-old iceberg had melted.
"Sister Ling’er, don't worry. I know my limits."
Ouyang Ye also chimed in, "Yeah... yeah! Sister Ling’er, actually, you don't know this, but Han Dong and I found a perfect candidate to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan a long time ago. His acting is much better than yours!"
"Really?"
Sister Ling’er was somewhat skeptical.
"Why would I lie to you!"
Ouyang Ye shrugged, putting on a serious expression. "If you don't believe me, ask Sister Han Dong."
Sister Ling’er looked at Han Dong. Han Dong gave a faint smile and replied, "It's true. Yeye and I found a rather suitable candidate earlier and have already discussed it with him. Sister Ling’er, you can rest assured."
Sister Ling’er knew Ouyang Ye was mischievous and full of tricks, but she believed Han Dong wouldn't deceive her, so she took it as true. Without delay, Han Dong and Ouyang Ye accompanied Sister Ling’er all the way home, instructing her to rest and focus on her pregnancy.
...
The Peach Blossom Secret Realm was bustling with people coming and going.
Although the chaos in the secret realm had subsided, the search for treasures and the fighting over them had not stopped. On the contrary, it had intensified. Looking around, conflicts sparked by competition for cultivation resources seemed to be everywhere.
A group of over ten people from Yaoyue Palace, led by Daozun Ziyu and Bi Lan, flew through the Peach Blossom Secret Realm while searching for other members of their sect.
"This is infuriating! That bitch Han Dong is getting more and more insolent!"
Recalling what had just happened, Bi Lan was furious, gnashing her teeth in anger and feeling uncomfortable all over. She sneered, "So what if she found some Young Lord Chiyan to be her Dao Companion! What's so great about that! Hmph! Sooner or later, I'll make her kneel before me!"
Noticing Daozun Ziyu remained silent, Bi Lan asked, "Senior Aunt, have you still not managed to uncover the true identity of that so-called Young Lord Chiyan? Is he really a fraud impersonating the successor of Monarch Chixiao or not?"
Daozun Ziyu shook her head, saying nothing.
It wasn't that she didn't want to speak, but she didn't know the answer to that question either.
Ever since Young Lord Chiyan suddenly barged into Yaoyue Palace three months ago, they had been investigating the true identity of this so-called Young Lord Chiyan.
But after three full months of investigation, they had found absolutely nothing.
Those several dozen Chixiao people from the Four Great Regions who had recognized Young Lord Chiyan as the successor of Monarch Chixiao had already gone into seclusion three years ago, their whereabouts unknown.
Now, most of the old Chixiao veterans from the other Chizi Tou branches in the Great Northwest frontier were also in closed-door cultivation.
Who could prove whether this Young Lord Chiyan was the true successor of Monarch Chixiao or not?
"There are many frauds impersonating Monarch Chixiao within the world, they're everywhere. In my opinion, this so-called Young Lord Chiyan must be fake too!" Bi Lan declared angrily.
"This Young Lord Chiyan was once recognized by several dozen Chixiao people from the Four Great Regions," Daozun Ziyu sighed. "Among them was even a former Xiangzhu who followed Monarch Chixiao back in the day. This forces us to be cautious and careful!"
"Let's not talk about whether he's real or fake for now. Even if he is real, so what? Are we afraid of him?" Bi Lan continued. "In the Ancient Era, Monarch Chixiao held overwhelming power, and the Chixiao Sect was untouchable. But Monarch Chixiao has been dead for so many years, and the Chixiao Sect is no longer what it once was. The current Chizi Tou is just a ragtag bunch. What's more, in the Current Era, the Immortal Dynasty reigns supreme. Even if he is the successor of Monarch Chixiao, what can he do? Even if he were the reincarnation of Monarch Chixiao himself, it would be useless!"
Hearing Bi Lan say this, Daozun Ziyu glanced at her and sighed again.
This sigh was for Bi Lan's ignorance, and also for the excessive arrogance of the younger generation in the Current Era.
"Bi Lan, you didn't live through that era, so you have no idea how terrifying an existence Monarch Chixiao was. If you had experienced the mad era at the end of the Ancient Era that belonged to Monarch Chixiao, you would not speak such foolish and ignorant words."
Daozun Ziyu said solemnly, "The Chizi Tou of the Current Era may no longer be the Chixiao Sect of the Ancient Era. That's because all the Chixiao people are in seclusion or hiding. Once the true successor of Monarch Chixiao appears, they will inevitably emerge from their retreats. This is also why there are so many indistinguishable true and false Monarch Chixiaos within the world, and so many indistinguishable true and false successors of the Monarch."
"Because they are all afraid. They would rather enshrine a fake than offend a real one. Enshrining a fake is just that—enshrining. At most, they lose some resources. But if they offend the real one, the consequences won't just be a loss of resources. The terrifying fallout that would ensue is something no one under heaven could bear."
"Not even the Immortal Dynasty dares?"
Bi Lan couldn't believe that Monarch Chixiao could still wield such influence in the Current Era, ruled by the Immortal Dynasty.
"Whether the Immortal Dynasty will dare in the future, I don't know. But one thing I am clear about is that the Immortal Dynasty does not dare in the short term, at least not now. If they did, the branches of Chizi Tou wouldn't be spread across the world!"