81: Mother and daughter are doing well.

Three days later.

The restless panting within the Secret Realm gradually subsided.

"Are you saying... because I consumed the lotus of life... my consciousness was taken over by my 'little brother'... and then I begged you for it... and you gave in because your heart softened? Is that what you mean?"

Chen Qingxuan sought confirmation repeatedly.

"What do you mean by that?" A lingering blush remained on Ji Li's beautiful face, and her phoenix-like eyes held a hint of resentment as she looked at Chen Qingxuan. "You called me 'darling' with your pants off... now that they're back on, you want to deny everything?"

"No, no, no."

Chen Qingxuan waved his hands frantically, explaining, "I just find it hard to believe you would go this far for me... Don't worry, I will take responsibility."

"Responsibility my foot!"

Ji Li couldn't take it anymore.

She picked up the blood-stained white cloth from the ground and hurled it fiercely at Chen Qingxuan's face.

Before Chen Qingxuan could speak, she struggled to stand on her trembling, jade-like legs. "I'm warning you... no one is allowed to know about this... otherwise, I'll never forgive you."

"Also... don't think that just because this happened between us... you've become this Venerable One's man... I've played with countless tender-skinned men like you."

Ji Li feigned indifference.

To be honest, she felt quite aggrieved inside.

Out of nowhere, she had been taken.

But seeing Chen Qingxuan on the verge of death at the time, even if given the choice again... she would likely have crossed her inner boundaries once more.

"?"

Chen Qingxuan listened with a face full of dark lines.

Once Ji Li finished speaking, he held up the stained white cloth. "Oh? Are you the type of Physique that shows red every single time?"

"Hmm?"

The coldness on Ji Li's face instantly turned into a realization-induced daze.

How could she have forgotten about the 'first red'?

Before she could ask for it back, Chen Qingxuan tucked it away and stood up. "Stop pretending, Madam. I know what you're worried about. I'm not a fool; how could I go around bragging... that I slept with the Demon Lord of the Demon Emperor Palace... and that I took the Demon Lord's first night... that I'm not only the Demon Lord's first man, but her only man... and that the Demon Lord offered herself voluntarily... How could I possibly brag about such things?"

"You..."

Facing Chen Qingxuan's smug attitude after getting what he wanted, Ji Li's pink cheeks burned. She was so angry she wanted to deliver a jade-foot kick.

Unfortunately, even lifting a leg was an extravagant hope right now.

"But I don't understand... you clearly have Qian You, so why was it still your first time?" Chen Qingxuan's tone shifted, his expression becoming serious.

If someone said Ji Qianyou and Ji Li weren't blood-related, no one would believe it.

After all, when the mother and daughter stood together, it was like a mature version and a loli version of the same person... they were carved from the exact same mold.

But if they were blood-related yet not mother and daughter... why pretend to be?

"..."

Ji Li fell silent.

Meeting Chen Qingxuan's intense curiosity, she hesitated for a moment before finally choosing to be honest: "Actually, Qian You... doesn't have a father at all... and I have never had physical intimacy with any man... except you."

"Then you two are?"

Chen Qingxuan's eyes widened.

Ji Li looked around at the scenery within the Secret Realm and said slowly, "When I first came here years ago... after being knocked unconscious by that bell toll and waking up... there was a baby lying next to me... that was Qian You."

"Wait a minute."

Chen Qingxuan couldn't help but interrupt.

He confirmed with a look of utter shock, "You're saying that after you were knocked out... you woke up to find an extra kid?"

"Yes!"

Ji Li nodded with certainty.

"How long were you out?"

"Emm... a day or two!"

"What? Even a sow couldn't give birth that fast!"

Chen Qingxuan said excitedly.

"Who are you calling a sow?"

Ji Li frowned and asked.

"Sorry, I wasn't insulting you," Chen Qingxuan waved his hand, clarifying, "In just a day or two... a child appeared out of thin air... and she looked exactly like you... is that what you mean?"

"Yes!"

Ji Li nodded with absolute certainty.

Facing Chen Qingxuan's shocked gaze, she sighed softly, "I knew you wouldn't believe me... believe it or not, it's up to you!"

"..."

Chen Qingxuan looked like he was questioning his life.

If it weren't for the fact that they had just shared a bed and the 'red' had indeed appeared, he would definitely think Ji Li was spouting nonsense to deceive him.

But both logic and reality told him... Ji Li was a virgin.

And he was the one who took it!

"Could it be... related to the lotus of life?" Chen Qingxuan suddenly had a suspicion. He pulled out the <myriad things codex> to try and find clues.

But unfortunately, he found nothing.

According to the <myriad things codex>, there was no record of a <lotus of life> in the Cangyun Continent at all, which meant... this item was not a product of this world.

This led to an even more perplexing mystery.

Who left the lotus of life here?

While Chen Qingxuan was lost in these chilling thoughts, Ji Li spoke up to ask him something.

He didn't hide anything and honestly shared his suspicion that the situation between the mother and daughter might be related to the lotus of life.

"So, did you find anything?"

"No."

"..."

Ji Li bit her lip, though she didn't seem particularly disappointed.

After all, she had been secretly investigating this for decades and still had nothing to show for it.

It was no surprise Chen Qingxuan wouldn't find out immediately.

Suddenly, the corners of Chen Qingxuan's mouth curled up. "So... Madam, you and Qian You aren't actually mother and daughter in the true sense, are you?"

Ji Li's lovely face froze slightly. "What are you smiling about?"

"Ah? Was I smiling?"

Chen Qingxuan was stunned for a moment before returning to the main point: "That's not important. What matters is that your feelings are real. Regardless of whether you are mother and daughter in the traditional sense, your bond is no less than that. It's good... being mother and daughter is pretty good too."

"..."

Ji Li crossed her arms, highlighting her full, peach-like chest, and urged, "Don't tell Qian You about this... I'm afraid it would make her sad."

"Of course."

Chen Qingxuan nodded seriously.

He wasn't some big-mouthed man; how could he go around blabbing?

Not to mention Ji Li trusted him enough to reveal the truth, and he was also incredibly fond of his Beloved Disciple, Ji Qianyou.

How could he bear to make his Beloved Disciple sad?

The next moment, Chen Qingxuan thought of something. "Madam, wait a moment... I'm going to have an argument with the air."

"What?"

Ji Li thought she had misheard.

She watched as Chen Qingxuan walked to the side, and before she could question him, she heard him shout:

"You damn System, get out here!"

Ding—

[Through wind or rain, the System waits for you.]

[Friendly reminder: The Host does not need to speak aloud and can communicate with the System directly through the mind.]

"Communicate my ass!"

Chen Qingxuan couldn't hold it back at all.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier that consuming the lotus of life would cause a backlash of Yang energy that requires Primordial Yin to resolve? Do you know I almost exploded?"

Ding—

[Please calm down, Host.]

[The Host has already received the gift of the lotus of life. Even if your Physical Body had truly exploded, there would be no need to worry, as you could have reshaped it using the power of heaven and earth.]

[The reason the System did not provide a reminder was simply because it understands the Host's extraordinary willpower—unafraid of difficulties, cutting through thorns... thus, a reminder was deemed unnecessary.]

"Emm..."

Chen Qingxuan found it hard to suppress a smile and said gently, "Although you're right and you do know me well... if something like this happens in the future, please do remind me. It's not like I'd back down out of fear... I just enjoy that feeling of rising to a challenge, you understand?"

[The Host is absolutely right!]

"What's wrong with you?"

At this moment, Ji Li walked up with a look of alarm.

Watching Chen Qingxuan talk to himself and giggle foolishly, her heart skipped a beat. She reached out a jade hand and placed it on his head.

"Don't move, let me check your brain... to see if it's been fried."

First chapter for now~~~