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A month later, Qingli discovered she was pregnant, and she immediately felt excited and packed her things to return to Ming Valley.
After traversing the lush green mountains, she arrived at a massive stone. Qingli pushed aside the vines covering the rock and pressed a hidden switch. A door opened in the gigantic stone.
Happy, Qingli walked inside and closed the door behind her.
After passing through a short, dark passage, she entered a spacious and beautiful canyon.
The sky brightened, and the canyon was filled with the sounds of birds and fragrant flowers. Everywhere she looked, there were blooming flowers, green grass, lush trees, and flowing streams.
A small white dog stood on a high point. Upon seeing Qingli, it immediately wagged its tail and ran toward her, barking excitedly.
Qingli caught the small dog as it leaped into her arms and smiled, patting its head. “Little Bai, it’s been a while! Did you miss me?”
“I thought you might have forgotten how to get home!”
A deep, resonant voice sounded from above, tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Qingli looked up to see her Master.
Qingming wore white robes, and though his hair was graying, his face did not appear old. His features were well-defined, and his skin had a light tan. Aside from his white hair, he looked to be around forty.
Qingming gazed at his little disciple with a discontented expression, scanning her up and down. When he noticed the faint purple glow on her forehead, his feelings became complicated.
Qingli, holding the dog, skipped toward him. Seeing this, Qingming hurriedly said, “Slow down! Why are you always in such a rush?”
Worrying that she might trip, he instinctively reached out to help her, but when Qingli stood right in front of him, he withdrew his hand.
“Master, um… can you see the purple aura on me?”
Qingli had come back after diagnosing her pregnancy. She intended to share this good news with her Master immediately, but facing him now, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words “I’m pregnant,” feeling somewhat shy about it.
Qingming nodded, “Yes, you have it. If you stay in the valley for this year, your death tribulation will pass.”
Qingli was instantly filled with joy!
“Really? Master, do I really have the purple aura? It’s such a pity I can’t see it.”
She was thrilled, not expecting to gain the aura so easily. This was wonderful news.
However, seeing her joyful expression, Qingming couldn’t bring himself to smile. After nurturing her for over a decade, the situation was… sigh! It truly frustrated him.
What a troublesome fate; the heavens were truly…
Well, he couldn’t blame the heavens; he couldn’t afford to offend them.
Qingming shook his head in self-reflection and then asked, “Have you dealt with that man? You can’t let him have any other offspring; otherwise, it could affect you and the child in your womb.”
Lin Jiabao felt a pang of guilt and lowered his head, speaking softly, “Master, I can’t bring myself to kill anyone, but I can guarantee he won’t have any other children. I gave him medicine that will prevent him from having more kids.”
Initially, Qingming had told her to eliminate the man after their encounter to prevent future troubles, but she couldn’t go through with it. It was bad enough that she had taken advantage of him; to then kill him would make her a truly heartless person. Such a heinous act was beyond her.
So, she had to think of another way and decided to drug him instead. As long as her goal was achieved, it didn’t necessarily have to result in death.
Qingming sighed helplessly and reached out, wanting to scold her, but when he saw the purple glow on her forehead, he retracted his hand.
With a resigned tone, he said, “You agreed to this so readily, and now you’re learning to go back on your word, aren’t you?”
Qingli chuckled softly, speaking sweetly, “Master, killing is wrong. I can’t commit such a sin. I need to do good deeds so I can live long, just like you.”
Although Qingming looked around forty, he was actually over ninety years old. Aside from himself, no one knew his true age. Qingli could not fathom it; she only remembered that when she was a child, he looked like this, and now that she had grown up, he remained unchanged.
Qingming sighed lightly and then turned to leave, heading toward their residence.
“By the way, your Eldest Brother has returned.”
He suddenly mentioned.
Qingli’s eyes lit up with excitement!
“Eldest Brother is back? Really? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
She bounced up the mountain path with glee.
Qingming hurriedly called after her, “Slow down! Walk carefully; no running!”
Qingli didn’t listen and quickly dashed to the mountaintop, using her lightness skill.
At the peak, the scenery was even more beautiful, with a wide view of the endless layers of mountains.
There were several small houses on the mountain. As Qingli arrived, she spotted her Eldest Brother, Qingyu, coming out of the kitchen with a plate in hand.
Qingyu was the eldest disciple of the Seven Mystic Sect, but he wasn’t skilled in fortune-telling or ghost catching; instead, he focused solely on medicine and martial arts.
Upon seeing his beloved junior sister, Qingyu was instantly filled with joy! His handsome face lit up, and his eyes were full of smiles.
“Little junior sister, you’re back!”
Qingyu hurriedly walked over, scanning Qingli up and down. He had been away for two years.
After two years apart, Qingli had grown taller and even more beautiful. Qingyu looked at her, his eyes filled with affectionate admiration.
“Yes, Eldest Brother, I’m back! When did you return? You didn’t even send me a message. If I knew you were back, I would have come sooner!”
Qingli reached for the treats on the plate he was holding, grabbing a piece of her favorite sweet steamed pastry. The delicate, sweet taste melted in her mouth. Eldest Brother had often made this for her since childhood, claiming it nourished the lungs, benefited the spleen, and improved skin. It was both delicious and healthy.
It had been two years since she last had it, and she missed it dearly.
Seeing her eagerness, Qingyu’s eyes sparkled with fondness as he couldn’t help but reach out to pat her head.
Just then, Qingming arrived, observing the two of them. Noticing the affectionate glimmer in Qingyu’s gaze, he shook his head helplessly.
He interrupted, “You can eat the sweet steamed pastry, but remember to avoid other cold foods.”
“Qingyu, since you’re skilled in medicine, you’ll be in charge of your junior sister’s diet from now on. Be extra careful.”
Qingyu looked puzzled. “Master, is there something wrong with junior sister?”
As he spoke, he scrutinized Qingli carefully but saw no visible injuries.
Qingming replied lightly, “She is pregnant, so her diet needs special attention.”
Qingli felt a bit embarrassed. At her age, being pregnant made her feel like she had done something wrong, and she was shy about facing her Eldest Brother and Master.
Qingyu stood frozen in place, disbelief washing over him, followed by a sense of impossibility.
Qingming continued without acknowledging Qingyu’s reaction, “Regarding Qingli, you don’t know much. She has a death tribulation, and the only way to overcome it is to bear a child with the purple aura, allowing her to have protection from the aura as well. That’s why she came down this time—to accomplish this.”
Ten years ago, when Qingming discovered his little disciple’s death tribulation, he had been consumed with worry, searching through countless ancient texts without finding a solution.
One day, while he was down the mountain, he saw a pregnant woman radiating the light of the Wuxing Star. But it wasn’t her own; the light was faint on her, leading him to suspect it came from her unborn child.
He followed her until she gave birth, and indeed, the child radiated brightly with the Wuxing Star, while the mother’s glow gradually faded.
That was when Qingming realized he could use this method to protect Qingli. As long as she could conceive a child with the purple aura, he could time it right to ensure she was pregnant with such a child, which would allow her to overcome her death tribulation.
For this reason, Qingming had been searching for a man with the purple aura, but after many years, he had only found a few suitable candidates.
He had intended to arrange everything for Qingli, but when he interfered too much, he faced the wrath of heavenly tribulation. Although it was minor, he understood it was a warning from above.
Since then, he had refrained from further interference—not out of fear for himself, but out of concern that Qingli’s fate might change unpredictably due to his meddling.
Thus, this time, Qingming let Qingli go alone. He had even consulted divination for her journey, which showed great auspiciousness, so he felt reassured.
Qingyu, however, found it difficult to accept and thought it was too absurd.
Seeing her brother’s pale expression filled with worry, Qingli couldn’t help but comfort him. “Eldest Brother, don’t be sad. It’s really not a big deal. With the purple aura protecting me, I probably won’t die. It’s just a pregnancy; it’s not that difficult. Hehe.”
Qingli laughed cheerfully, but Qingyu felt a deep sense of helplessness at her carefree demeanor.