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A Regular Inn in Nuoding City
"So this is her background?"
Zhu Zhuqing sat on the sofa, her legs crossed, chin resting on her hand as she curiously observed the little girl kneeling on the floor. The child was holding a calligraphy brush, carefully writing on a long scroll with a serious expression.
"Yeah." Lu Xian nodded. He had just finished explaining the little girl's origins. There was nothing to hide from his little cat.
"Big Brother Lu, I'm done!"
The little girl excitedly got up from the scroll, holding her brush proudly, eager to show off her work.
Lu Xian looked at her confident little face and suddenly saw a reflection of his younger self—back in kindergarten, when he had proudly handed in his test paper, thinking he had aced it, only for the teacher to give him a dark expression... and then getting a broom to his backside at home.
But compared to his own "brilliance," this little one's "test paper" shouldn't be that bad.
At the moment, the little girl was wearing a fresh blue embroidered palace dress, her fair skin glowing with a rosy tint. Her twin buns were adorned with silver leaf ornaments, making her look like a delicate porcelain doll straight out of a fairytale.
There was no trace of the pitiful state she had been in before.
No one understood better than Lu Xian how to properly raise a child!
"Oh? Let me take a look, then."
Lu Xian smiled, ruffling the little girl's hair as he glanced at the scroll laid out on the carpet.
"As the sun rises, the eastern sky glows.
Scarlet mist drapes like silk curtains.
The green sun blazes, foggy rain drizzles.
Winter creeks flow, resembling pools of jade.
As dusk falls, warmth fills dreams.
Floating in slumber, like a pheasant in flight."
Amazing!
Every single character was correct.
There was hope for the future—true potential!
Lu Xian grinned, giving her a big thumbs up. "Nicely done! Nana, you're amazing!"
"Big Brother Lu, how do I practice this secret technique?" The little girl beamed with pride at his praise but was also confused. She had an excellent memory, remembering the 48-character mantra after just one lesson, but she couldn't grasp its meaning.
"It's simple! Whenever you see someone you dislike, just recite these 48 words to them. Keep doing it, and eventually, you'll master the technique!" Lu Xian patiently guided her.
"Got it!" The little girl jumped up joyfully. So that's how it worked—how easy!
Wait, what secret technique?!
Zhu Zhuqing had assumed Lu Xian was simply teaching the girl calligraphy, but now he was calling it a secret technique? Intrigued, she walked over for a closer look. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, then she pondered deeply, and finally—realization dawned!
Her gaze toward Lu Xian became... complicated.
Teaching a child something like this... your brain must be in top condition, huh?
Of course! Lu Xian's little black horse was super healthy—it could eat ten pounds of hay in one go!
[Ye Fan: Just got rid of one little ancestor, and now another little troublemaker has appeared! This one keeps running around, disturbing my cultivation. It seems to be trying to tell me something, but I can't understand a word. Lu Xian, I hate you!]
[Ye Fan: I can't even train properly anymore... Despair! I wanna just end it all!]
[Lu Xian: Then pick a bad day to do it, so you can turn it into a good day.]
[Xiao Yan: Can you wait a while before doing that? My third uncle's second cousin's fourth aunt's granddaughter's husband's youngest son's wife's family's old sow is about to give birth. I don't want you reincarnating over here.]
Zero-frame startup. Two people born from different worlds. Your horses are gone!
Ye Fan stared at the little grass spirit circling his alchemy cauldron. His mindset underwent a subtle shift—a state of utter resignation, the kind that just makes you want to lie down and give up.
[Flame Spirit Princess: Why is your conversation... um...]
She seemed to struggle to find the right word.
[Lu Xian: Don't be jealous! Learn from us, Fire Princess. You can do it too! By the way, how come you have time to join our nonsense group chat?]
[Flame Spirit Princess: It's nighttime. I found an abandoned village to rest in, but I can't sleep—too many mosquitoes! I burned a bunch of them, but more just flew in. Every time I close my eyes, they bite me again. I'm covered in itchy welts! So annoying!]
[Xiao Yan: Easy fix! This is ancient wisdom from over two thousand years later—just use your fingernail to press a cross into the mosquito bite. Boom! Problem solved.]
[Ye Fan: It should be a hash symbol! (#)]
[Xiao Yan: A cross is the right way!]
[Ye Fan: I tested it myself! A cross still itches, but a hash mark truly exorcises the itch!]
[Xiao Yan: I'm not arguing. Majority rules. Lu Xian, what do you think?]
[Lu Xian: I think it has to be a cross...]
[Xiao Yan: See? Told you! Majority rules, Ye Fan!]
[Lu Xian: After making the cross, I also take a screwdriver and twist the whole bump off. That way, it's completely exorcised.]
[Ye Fan: ...Huh?]
[Xiao Yan: ...What?]
Case closed!
Some people wrapped their feet... but Lu Xian? He probably wrapped his brain!
Zhu Zhuqing had gone to take a bath. After traveling all day, then shopping for clothes with the little girl and buying Martial Soul Awakening Stones and Soul Power Crystals at the Spirit Hall, she was exhausted. All she wanted was to soak in the tub and relax.
The task of babysitting the little girl? Completely dumped on Lu Xian.
Not that he minded—bonding time was crucial! This little one would be his golden ticket in the future, and he was more than happy to invest in her.
Turning off the lights, he lay on his side, one hand propping up his head while the other gently patted the little girl's back. He was telling her the story of the Little Mermaid and the Prince to lull her to sleep.
The little girl curled up habitually. This was the first time she had ever experienced such warmth. Her large, dark eyes quietly gazed at Lu Xian, a peaceful smile playing on her lips. She had never felt this kind of familial presence before. To her, Brother Lu was the brightest light in her little world.
"A long, long time ago, there was a prince sailing on the sea..."
"Then, suddenly, a storm hit, and the prince fell into the water..."
"The prince was silly—he didn't know how to swim..."
"Luckily, a mermaid princess saved him and brought him back to shore..."
Soft, steady breathing filled the room as she drifted off.
"Mermaids are a treasure of nature..."
"And then he caught one and made soup, boosting his kingdom's strength overnight..."
"....."