Duan Chenhui stayed behind to recuperate. He had observed the Ten Thousand Demons Valley; it was quite large, like a small world. However, there were only a few demons living here. They fed themselves by eating spiritual herbs every day, and given time, they would likely become great demons.

Duan Chenhui walked to a small waterfall, and behind him, a rabbit was following closely. When he turned around, the rabbit pretended to eat grass. Duan Chenhui chuckled, walked over, and parted the white fur on the rabbit’s back. Sure enough, he found a lotus seed hidden inside.

“Your Majesty the Demon King, are you following me?”

“No, I’m just out for a walk.” Since he had been caught, He Qing simply jumped out and sat on a small Nimbus cloud.

Duan Chenhui nodded and continued walking back. This time, He Qing followed openly.

“Are you really a deity? What’s the Celestial Palace like?” He Qing caught up and asked him.

Duan Chenhui answered in terms He Qing could understand: “It’s like an imperial palace, but it floats in the sky, surrounded by waterfalls, rainbows, and clouds, with celestial birds flying all around.”

“Exactly like what I’ve heard before.” He Qing nodded, staring at the long ponytail on Duan Chenhui’s head. If He Qing had hair, he would definitely tie it in a long ponytail like that.

“Who told you that?” Duan Chenhui was curious to know who else He Qing, a little demon, was acquainted with.

“Uncle Pine,” He Qing revealed, talking about the old pine tree.

Duan Chenhui looked back at him. The oldest being He Qing knew seemed to be that pine tree, but Old Pine always claimed that He Qing was even older than him… It was quite awkward.

But He Qing didn’t seem like an experienced, ancient demon.

That is, until one day, Duan Chenhui finally discovered the truth.

After He Qing fell asleep and couldn’t be woken up, Old Pine carefully placed him in a cradle and covered him with a small blanket. The surrounding little demons all gathered around.

“Why is He Qing asleep?”

“Are we still going out to play?”

“It’s dangerous outside, don’t go out,” Old Pine stroked his beard. “He’s probably going to sleep for a long time. By the time he wakes up, you’ll all be grown up.”

Duan Chenhui looked at the sleeping He Qing in the cradle. “Is this normal for him? Why?”

“I’m not sure either. Maybe he hasn’t had the right opportunity yet. As you can see, even after living for ten thousand years, he’s still just a lotus seed and hasn’t sprouted,” Old Pine was a bit worried, pacing around the cradle. “At this rate, isn’t it bad? I’ve heard that seeds that can’t sprout eventually die.”

The other little demons started crying after hearing Old Pine.

“Wahhh, is He Qing going to die?”

“He’s not dead yet!”

Duan Chenhui lowered his head and looked at the lotus seed. “He saved me. Why don’t I take him up to the heavens and see?”

Old Pine stared at him, full of worry. “Then you must swear an oath that you won’t harm him.”

That wasn’t an unreasonable request. Duan Chenhui raised his hand. “I, Duan Chenhui, will never harm He Qing. Once he sprouts, I’ll bring him back.”

Only then did Old Pine nod. “Alright, but once he sprouts, remember to bring him back. This is his home.”

“Okay.” Duan Chenhui scooped up He Qing, placed him in a basket, and covered him with a handkerchief made of silkworm threads. “I’ve mostly recovered from my injuries. Thank you all for taking care of me.”

“Alright, I’ll send you out,” Old Pine said. “When He Qing sprouts, call for us at the edge of the heavens.”

Duan Chenhui nodded, and a group of little demons started tearfully saying goodbye.

“He Qing, you must come back!”

“A day without seeing you feels like three years!”

“Idiot! That’s not how you use that saying!”

“Wahhh, I like using it that way!”

Old Pine used his pine branches to lead Duan Chenhui out in the blink of an eye, and they arrived at the edge of the heavens. Duan Chenhui glanced back at the mist and sunrise over the horizon; the Ten Thousand Demons Valley was already out of sight. He couldn’t even sense where the entrance was.

Old Pine stood with his hands behind his back. “So, we’ve made our agreement.” After saying that, he transformed into a giant pine tree, guarding the edge of the heavens.

Duan Chenhui bid him farewell. “Until next time.” After paying his respects, he flew up to the sky with the basket, disappearing in a blink.

•

The news of Duan Chenhui’s return quickly spread from the Southern Heavenly Gate all the way to the Ninth Heaven.

Someone came to greet him, congratulating him on his safe return while escorting him inside.

One of the generals saw the basket in his hand and asked, “What’s this?”

Duan Chenhui raised the basket with a smile. “A lotus seed.”

“A lotus seed? Can you make soup with it?” The Stove Lord’s first thought was of this.

Thunder God was speechless. “You can’t just make soup with it! But seriously, what is it?”

Everyone turned to Duan Chenhui, who lowered his head, lifted the handkerchief, and they all gathered around. Good heavens! A pure white, round lotus seed!

“Can you tell what it is?” Duan Chenhui asked.

“No idea…” Everyone pinched their fingers and shook their heads. “It seems unusual by the looks of it. Are you planning to raise it?”

“Yes.” Duan Chenhui looked up. “I want to use the Spirit Pool in the Outer Heaven.”

Everyone was shocked. “You want to use the Spirit Pool, but you don’t even know the nature of this little demon.”

The Star Lord of Virtue thought for a moment. “Actually, it might not even be a little demon… Isn’t it like ten thousand years old?”

“…” Only then did everyone realize, though it was indeed quite rare.

The Star Lord of Virtue added, “Maybe it’s because it’s just a seed. Like those thousand-year-old lotus seeds in the mortal realm that remain dormant due to poor conditions. For cultivators, this is also a kind of tribulation.”

Everyone nodded, thinking that made sense.

Duan Chenhui agreed. “Then I’ll take him up there first. If the Celestial Emperor asks for me, just say I’m busy.”

“Go ahead.” The Star Lord of Virtue patted him on the shoulder.

Duan Chenhui thanked them and flew straight up.

The Star Lord of Virtue rubbed his chin, thinking how free they were in the Outer Heaven, even the Celestial Emperor couldn’t control them.

•

Duan Chenhui arrived at the Outer Heaven.

A crane boy ran over. “General, you’re back!”

“Mm, how are things here recently?” Duan Chenhui asked while walking to the Spirit Pool.

The crane boy reported, “After you descended to the mortal realm, Tai Bai and the Green Lord fought. They fought in the clouds until scales fell off!”

“Mm, tell them I’ll be using the Spirit Pool for a while. They can find somewhere else.”

“Understood.” The crane boy curiously glanced at the basket before transforming into a crane and flying away.

Duan Chenhui squatted down and placed He Qing into the pool. He Qing didn’t sink but instead floated on the water’s surface. Duan Chenhui touched him gently, then plucked a leaf from the side and set He Qing on it.

Standing up, Duan Chenhui formed a protective barrier around the Spirit Pool, feeling reassured before heading off to visit old friends.

He stood on the edge of the clouds, watching as a white dragon and a green dragon fought in the clouds.

The moment the white dragon saw him, it shouted, “Wait! Stop! Duan Chenhui’s back!”

The green dragon, seeing this, retracted its claws. They both flew down and transformed into human form. Tai Bai unfolded a fan and laughed lazily. “You really know how to make things difficult for yourself. Now the Celestial Emperor will be wary of you again.”

Duan Chenhui glanced at the poetry on the fan, then turned around. “Shall we go for a drink? You two are too carefree. What if I hadn’t returned?”

The green dragon, dressed in a green robe, said as he walked, “I calculated it. You’d be safe and sound. That Demon King was no match for you.”

Tai Bai chimed in, “I also calculated—” He was about to say something when the green dragon stepped on his foot.

Tai Bai silently shut his mouth. Duan Chenhui was curious, “What were you going to say?”

“Heavenly secrets mustn’t be revealed,” Tai Bai thought to himself, “Wasn’t it just about your romantic fate? Why can’t I say it?”

Duan Chenhui didn’t mind their secrecy. After all, he had reached the pinnacle of cultivation, and many things could be understood with a glance. Sometimes, it gets a bit… boring.

The green dragon changed the subject, “So what did you gain this time?”

“I found a lotus seed.” Even facing Tai Bai and the green dragon, Duan Chenhui didn’t intend to reveal everything about He Qing.

“A lotus seed? It’s not even enough for soup.” Tai Bai wasn’t interested in lotus seeds, but he said, “I’ve heard there’s a black carp in Bodhisattva’s lotus pond. I’d rather raise that.”

“I thought you only liked white things.” The green dragon glanced at Tai Bai’s white clothes.

Tai Bai replied, “This is the balance between Yin and Yang… One day, I’ll go get it. But if it looks ugly, I’ll forget it.”

Suddenly, Duan Chenhui wondered whether He Qing would like carp. Would it be okay to put a carp in the Spirit Pool to keep him company?

The three of them arrived at a courtyard, and Duan Chenhui invited them to have a drink.

Tai Bai took a sip and teased, “Is this from the Hundred Flowers Fairy? She’s quite thoughtful. Even we didn’t get any.” Could it be that the red strings of fate were connected to the Hundred Flowers Fairy?

“Yes,” Duan Chenhui thought for a moment. “Next time, I’ll decline and send a gift in return.”

“…” Tai Bai, feeling like he had messed things up.

The green dragon wasn’t as gossipy. He stomped on Tai Bai’s foot again to stop him from spouting nonsense. Tai Bai silently closed his mouth and changed the subject. “This time, our Daoist cultivation won. The Celestial Emperor said there’d be a Peach Banquet when you returned. Are you going?”

“I’ll make an appearance.” Duan Chenhui suddenly sensed something. He looked up just in time to see a lotus seed flying straight at him.

“General! Where is this place? I woke up thinking I’d been captured by a demon!” He Qing crashed into his arms.

Duan Chenhui’s chest hurt from the impact, almost reopening his old wounds. He Qing’s lotus seed was indeed quite hard. Looking down, he saw that not only was it hard, but it had grown larger—was this the power of the Spirit Pool?

“This is the Outer Heaven of the celestial realm.” He picked up He Qing. He Qing was now about the size of a hen’s egg, seemingly smoother and more polished… and also more appetizing.

Tai Bai glanced over and quipped, “Your illegitimate child?”

The green dragon stuffed a snack into his mouth. “It’s obviously a lotus seed. Duan Chenhui isn’t a lotus spirit, how could he have a lotus seed?”

“Cough… but he could have a black dragon egg,” Tai Bai corrected himself. The green dragon glared at him, and Tai Bai quietly sipped his tea. “I’ll stop talking.”

He Qing noticed the two strangers and quickly hid in Duan Chenhui’s robes. “General, who are they?”

Duan Chenhui patted He Qing and introduced them. “The one in white is Tai Bai Longjun, and the other is Qing Long Jun.”

He Qing peeked out and greeted them. “Hello, uncles.”

Tai Bai & Qing Long: They hadn’t been called “uncle” in years and years!

“Do we look that old? Call us ‘brother’!” Tai Bai grinned menacingly, trying to reach out and pinch He Qing, but Duan Chenhui blocked him.

Duan Chenhui said, “He hasn’t sprouted yet, so you can call them grandpas.”

Tai Bai immediately retorted, “Then you’re a grandpa too.”

“…” Duan Chenhui was speechless.

He Qing rubbed against Duan Chenhui’s chest and said, “But the General is clearly a thousand years younger than them!”

Tai Bai & Qing Long were stunned.

Tai Bai was surprised. “Little guy, is this your innate ability? Even the Celestial Emperor can’t see how old we are!”

“Yep,” He Qing puffed out his small chest.

“…” Duan Chenhui suddenly felt old. Only a thousand years younger… He pressed his forehead, picked up the Hundred Flowers Wine, and fed it to He Qing. “Can you drink wine?” The Hundred Flowers Wine was actually quite nourishing.

Duan Chenhui figured that He Qing’s inability to sprout might be due to malnutrition.

“Yes.” He Qing dunked himself into the jade wine cup, and in the blink of an eye, absorbed all the Hundred Flowers Wine. “I feel a bit dizzy…”

“Don’t drink so much all at once.” Duan Chenhui quickly picked him up, shook the excess wine off him, and placed him on the handkerchief to dry him.

“How foolish,” Tai Bai shook his head.

“You were even more foolish when you were young,” Qing Long threw a barbed comment.

Tai Bai stood up with a hearty laugh. “I’m off to see the Celestial Emperor.” Then he dashed off in a flash.

Qing Long shook his head, looking at the lotus seed. “This lotus seed…”

“Do you know what it is?” Duan Chenhui wrapped the lotus seed in the handkerchief and asked him.

Qing Long thought for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s fate that you encountered him.” He stood up. “I’m going to keep an eye on Tai Bai.”

“Go ahead,” Duan Chenhui didn’t ask further. “Make sure he doesn’t mess with the Celestial Emperor again.”