Qin Lou’s mind was buzzing. After all this time, he finally saw a new glimpse of Xueman, and his eyes just couldn’t look away. But at the same time, the bitter jealousy and frustration stirred up by what he saw nearly drove him insane.

I should just strangle myself.

Qin Lou forced himself to shove down the violent emotions surging inside. In the face of such overwhelming feelings, thankfully, he still had a shred of sanity left.

At last, he noticed that Xueman was wearing a thick fur cloak.

In the best parts of the Spirit Realm Continent—from the First to the Third Heaven, and even stretching into the Upper Realm’s First to Sixth Heaven—the spiritual energy was abundant, and the weather all year round was near-perfect. Saying it was spring all year wouldn’t be an exaggeration, so thick cloaks like that were totally unnecessary.

Well, sure, some flashy cultivators might go all out with aesthetics and conjure blizzards in their courtyards just to look cool, but Xueman wasn’t that type of guy.

Qin Lou had been focused on the Upper Realm for the past year. With Xueman’s strength, going any further down would’ve made him uncomfortable. For the longest time, he thought he couldn’t find him simply because the place was too big, the clues too vague, and Xueman was purposely avoiding him.

But… what if Xueman wasn’t even here?

He had already spent so much time searching, and though he was anxious, Xueman wasn’t something that could be rushed.

He gently held the crystal orb in his hands, his thoughts sinking deeper.

—

In the Seventeenth Heaven, Shen Guan had stayed outside the room all night without shutting his eyes.

He’d seen clearly the choice Xiao Xueman made. This wasn’t something he should interfere with, so he stood guard outside, preventing anyone from barging in and discovering what was going on, while also checking in on things from time to time.

Turns out, Xiao Xueman’s decision was the right one. After an entire night of turmoil, Xiao Wan’s condition had stabilized. He’d really gained control.

From another perspective, maybe crises were opportunities too. Not long ago, he and Xiao Xueman had been racking their brains for a solution, debating whether to tell Xiao Wan the truth—but no plan could keep up with real life. Luckily, things turned out not just okay, but shockingly well.

Xiao Wan was truly a prodigy. The dual-attribute bloodline he inherited was probably the best on the continent. Born with such a massive challenge, maybe it was just the heavens testing him because he was meant for great things.

Shen Guan peeked into the room again. Xiao Wan was fully awake now, and his spiritual power was steady and restrained. Meanwhile, Xiao Xueman was slumped over the bedside, eyes closed—fast asleep.

He’d been even more exhausted than Xiao Wan last night. Everything had happened so suddenly. No one was prepared. Xiao Xueman had completely overdrawn himself. The wound on his hand from earlier barely even counted.

Xiao Wan was holding him, crying.

He’d never cried since the day he was born. Always tough and disciplined, not like a kid at all. But now, he gently touched the faintly healed wound on Xueman’s hand, his heart aching, tears falling like a broken string of pearls.

“Daddy… hic… when are you gonna wake up?” he sobbed to Shen Guan, hiccuping through his words. “I’m scared…”

Shen Guan came over and gently lifted Xiao Xueman onto the bed, comforting him, “It’s okay. He’s just exhausted. He’ll be fine after a rest.”

Xiao Wan curled into his daddy’s chest, looked at his tightly closed eyes, and cried even harder.

Xueman didn’t wake up until evening. His head ached fiercely, and the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was look for his son—only to realize, belatedly, that his son was right in his arms.

“Xiao Wan,” he rasped. “You okay?”

He never expected that just asking that would make Xiao Wan burst into tears again.

Xueman had never seen his son cry before. He was so stunned he practically jumped up in bed and scrambled to wipe his face.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you still in pain somewhere?”

Xiao Wan clung to his waist, trying to burrow into his arms like he was trying to become one with him.

He sniffled, voice soft but firm: “Daddy’s not allowed to do that again!”

Xueman didn’t take it to heart. He comforted him, “It’s okay. My hand will heal on its own. I promise in a few days there won’t even be a mark, alright?”

After saying that, he began checking Xiao Wan’s condition.

On the surface, he had stabilized at Spiritual Power Level 3. The spiritual energy in his body was wood-type and seemed normal enough.

But digging deeper, Xueman could tell something was different—his spiritual power wasn’t purely green anymore.

Xiao Wan let him examine him obediently, even offered up an explanation: “I’ve already smoothed it out.”

What he said was smoothed out, not suppressed—a critical difference.

Normally, for someone like Xiao Wan, the solution would be to use the dominant attribute to suppress the secondary one—just like the person from that ancient record had done.

But after sensing his daddy’s spiritual energy in action, Xiao Wan had grasped something else entirely.

Wood wasn’t a forceful attribute. Its strength lay in healing and acceptance, in overcoming hardness with softness.

Xiao Wan didn’t really know anything about dual-attribute power theory—he just went with his gut. Instead of suppressing, he chose to blend.

And surprisingly, it worked incredibly well. The wood and fire in his body didn’t battle to the death like people expected. As long as he walked the right path, the fire-type energy could actually be tamed and embraced.

The reason dual-type power was so powerful was because it brought together two streams of strength instead of one. But Xiao Wan had taken a different route—one that no one else had dared try.

He lifted his hand, a faint green mist forming above his palm. With a slight movement of his fingers, it shifted to red, flickering like flame.

Other people’s dual-type power ran like two separate channels. His felt like the front and back of a single hand—intertwined, inseparable.

“For now, I can keep it under control,” Xiao Wan said seriously. “Daddy doesn’t have to worry.”

His level was still at Spiritual Power Level 3. What erupted last night was just his talent. The sealed power hadn’t fully broken loose.

Given that, there was no way Xiao Xueman could keep hiding the truth anymore.

So he explained, simply, about Xiao Wan’s birth and why he had sealed and hidden everything from him.

“…That’s also why we came to the Seventeenth Heaven,” Xueman said, ruffling his soft hair. “I just didn’t expect Xiao Wan to be this amazing.”

But Xiao Wan knew—if Daddy hadn’t been there, guiding him hand in hand, he wouldn’t have held out or found that method on his own.

He also reassessed his current state. This troublesome wood-fire combo wasn’t something that could be solved in one night. What he’d found was more like a method. Right now, his body didn’t hold much spiritual energy, so he could still handle it. But if the full seal broke and it all flooded out, he wouldn’t be able to take it.

Even under normal, non-conflicting dual-attribute circumstances, cultivation was still way harder than for single-type users. Knowing the method was just the first step—he still needed time to get used to it.

For the next week, Xiao Xueman got the school to grant Xiao Wan sick leave. He stayed home, focusing on adapting to his new condition.

The seal Xueman had placed was like a warehouse with a gentle lock. Much like his own wood-type attribute, the seal had been meant as a warm protection from the start. Now, the key was already in Xiao Wan’s hands—it was just a matter of when he’d be strong enough to use it.

With that big weight off his shoulders, Xiao Xueman relaxed a bit—even around Shen Guan.

“I used to plan that if we found a solution, I’d take Xiao Wan home,” he said. “But I don’t think we can now.”

Shen Guan looked at him. “Because of me?”

It was true—he couldn’t leave Xueman now. He didn’t want to return to the Upper Realm, but if he stayed in the Seventeenth Heaven, he’d need Xueman’s sealing ability.

“Xiao Wan’s attached to you. I can’t just abandon a friend either. But that’s only part of it,” Xueman sighed. “It’s just the two of us in that house. There’s no one else. Xiao Wan wouldn’t be able to adjust.”

Shen Guan didn’t ask too much about what “home” meant for Xueman. After a moment of silence, he said, “Is it really only because of Xiao Wan and me?”

Xueman smiled, and admitted, “Alright, it’s also because I don’t want to go back. Home’s… pretty lonely.”

He genuinely liked the simple life here. Sometimes, he thought being an ordinary shop owner forever wouldn’t be so bad.

Maybe because he felt more at peace, Xueman rarely opened up about the past—but he did this time.

“You know, I climbed up from the Sixteenth Heaven one layer at a time. I’ve been through more than most people. But it was exhausting. I never stopped. Didn’t even take a moment to enjoy the view. Half the time, I barely saw people. But I didn’t feel bitter back then—I just kept chasing what I had to do.

Then I finished what I needed to do. I had Xiao Wan. And once I stepped out again, I realized this world wasn’t what I first thought it was.”

The much-looked-down-on Seventeenth Heaven was actually pretty nice. Take this little town for example—most people were kind and simple. Life was slow and peaceful. It was comfortable.

“I just wanted to see more. Someday when Xiao Wan grows up and I return home, I’ll have memories to look back on,” Xueman said. “It’s not about you, or Xiao Wan. It’s just… for me.”

Wasn’t Shen Guan the same?

Screw those backstabbing Fox Clan bastards, he thought. I’m retired.

“Sounds good,” he said. “Count me in.”

They probably wouldn’t stay in the Seventeenth Heaven forever. Shen Guan’s bounty had been lifted a year ago. The people on that side seemed to have given up looking, probably thought he was dead.

Xiao Wan might’ve reclaimed his talent, but cultivation was a long, hard road. They weren’t going to rush back to the Upper Realm, or run into the people they didn’t want to see. Everything would come slowly, and they had time.

Xueman wasn’t the kind of parent who couldn’t let go. When Xiao Wan truly grew up and could protect himself, he’d let him go on his own journey. Returning home could wait until then.

—

A week later, Xiao Wan emerged from seclusion, having reached Spiritual Power Level 4.

It didn’t seem like a big leap on paper. But considering that his dual-attribute power had now fully awakened, breaking through in such a short time without any accidents said everything about his control.

And just in time—the second-grade graduation exams.

Xiao Wan didn’t let anyone down. He took first place again.

He declined the annual exchange opportunity to visit the Sixteenth Heaven, giving the spot to another student. Xiao Wan knew in his heart—he wouldn’t be staying in the Seventeenth Heaven for much longer.

His daddy had been in a great mood lately. That night, after his cultivation session, Xiao Wan saw his daddy drinking with Uncle Shen.

It had snowed a little outside. They had a brazier going indoors, and the room was toasty warm. Xiao Xueman sat by the window, wrapped in the fur cloak Xiao Wan had gifted him, holding a wine cup.

His fingers looked even whiter and more delicate than the porcelain cup itself. When he saw Xiao Wan come out, he waved him over.

“Come here, baby.”

Xiao Wan climbed into his lap and caught a strong whiff of wine.

“How much did you drink?” he asked.

Shen Guan grinned and held up three fingers.

Xiao Wan looked at the wine jug on the table—it was that famous super strong liquor.

Then he looked up at his daddy. Though he was sitting up straight, his eyes were definitely glassy.

Totally drunk.

“Daddy,” Xiao Wan tested the waters, “the school results came out. I got first again.”

Xueman heard it, tilted his head, thought for a second… then planted a huge kiss on his cheek.

After the kiss, he seemed to realize what he’d done, let out a quiet “Ah…” then sighed and repeated the last two words Xiao Wan had said, “First place…”

Yep. Definitely drunk.

Xiao Wan was sure of it now.

He was going to help Daddy lie down and rest when Shen Guan, tipsy himself, said something:

“Your dad can’t hold his liquor, but he’s a good drunk. Never causes trouble. Once he’s drunk, ask him anything—he’ll tell you everything honestly. Then when he sobers up, he’ll forget almost all of it.”

Xiao Wan froze. The hand he’d raised slowly dropped back down.

Author’s note:

Xiao Xueman: retired old man + obsessed with raising his kid.

Gong? What’s a gong?