449: Yunniang gives birth

The letter was made of extremely exquisite pink silk, emitting a faint fragrance of orchids and herbs.

The handwriting on it was elegant and delicate, carrying a hint of a young maiden's charm. Every stroke revealed a deep sense of longing.

In the letter, she said she had been taken back to the Immortal Spirit Pavilion by her Master.

The Immortal Spirit Pavilion was located deep within the Vermilion Bird Imperial Dynasty, hidden among the mist-shrouded mountains, tens of thousands of miles away from Northern Border City.

Ordinary sound transmission jade talismans and Jade Slips simply could not cross the barrier of thousands of mountains and rivers, which was why she had been unable to contact him for so long.

The letter also mentioned her gratitude for the Spirit Medicine he had gifted, which had healed her mother's Spiritual Root.

Now that her mother's health was improving day by day, she spoke of his kindness every day, hoping he would have time to visit the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty as a guest.

She also expressed regret that she could not return to Northern Border City, missing her days as a deacon at Junyue Tower, the street snacks of Northern Border City, and every little moment spent with him.

She wrote voluminously, filling several pages.

From daily Cultivation to interesting anecdotes in the Sect, and her expectations for the future—everything, in all its variety, revealed her longing.

Between the lines, it was as if that bright-eyed, fair-toothed woman with an Immortal Qi aura was standing before him, her eyes rimmed with red, softly whispering her heart's secrets.

Situ Jun held the letter, his fingertips lightly brushing over the elegant handwriting, a faint smile unconsciously tugging at the corners of his lips.

He recalled his first meeting with Qin Ximeng, that heroic and stunningly beautiful woman. He remembered how she had desperately tried to win his favor to save her mother, and her promise as she left with red-rimmed eyes: "I will definitely return in three months."

In a flash, half a year had passed, nearly a year now.

Fortunately, the letter said she was doing well and that once she reached a Breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, her Master would let her descend the mountain. At that time, she would return to Northern Border City as soon as possible.

Situ Jun's hanging heart finally settled down.

What surprised him even more was that the letter vaguely mentioned that the power behind the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce was actually the Immortal Spirit Pavilion—a renowned super power in the Vermilion Bird Imperial Dynasty with deep foundations and many experts.

Situ Jun's eyes flickered, and his heart suddenly cleared.

No wonder the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce could span across major Dynasties and conduct such large-scale business; it turned out they had a backer like the Immortal Spirit Pavilion.

In this way, his future cooperation with and attention toward the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce could go a step further.

Situ Jun carefully folded the letter and placed it in the inner pocket of his robe. Then, he refocused his mind, discarded distracting thoughts, and continued his work on repairing the space pearl.

As the days passed, life in Northern Border City remained peaceful and orderly.

The commoners worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. The furnace fires in the workshops burned fiercely, and the patrol soldiers on the city walls stood tall. Everything was progressing in a better direction.

Inside the City Lord's Mansion, an even more heart-tugging event was quietly approaching—Su Yunniang's due date was near.

On this day, outside the quiet room, a sudden flurry of light footsteps was heard, accompanied by the suppressed whispers of a maidservant.

Situ Jun's brow furrowed slightly.

With the Restriction he had set, no one could get close without his permission.

Those who could come here must be someone very close to him in the mansion.

He slowly withdrew his Chaos Spiritual Power, carefully returned the space pearl to his Dantian, and stood up to push open the stone door of the quiet room.

Standing outside the door was the Grand Butler of the City Lord's Mansion, Wang Decai.

He looked anxious, his forehead covered in sweat. Seeing Situ Jun come out, he hurriedly bowed, his voice trembling slightly:

"Lord of the Mansion! Over at Yunxiang Courtyard... Yun Niang, she's about to give birth!"

Situ Jun's heart skipped a beat.

Yun Niang!

In an instant, he swept past Wang Decai. His Spiritual Power surged around him, turning into a streak of light as he flew toward Yunxiang Courtyard.

His black robes cut through the air, creating a gust of wind that caused the lanterns under the corridors to sway back and forth.

In Northern Border, at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the chill was still heavy.

The distant mountains were still covered in white snow, and the sunlight reflecting off the snow created a dazzling light.

But at this moment, Situ Jun had no time to appreciate this winter scenery. His mind was filled only with Su Yunniang's gentle face.

Su Yunniang was the woman he recognized in his heart as his first wife, and she was the earliest to follow him.

When he was just a small manager in the City Lord's Mansion, she had wholeheartedly devoted herself to him, never leaving his side.

She was gentle and magnanimous, and she handled matters fairly. The servants in the mansion held her in high esteem, and the concubines were also convinced of her merit; she held great prestige in the mansion.

This pregnancy had lasted a full ten months, and it was Situ Jun's first offspring.

The significance was, naturally, extraordinary.

Whether it was Situ Jun, everyone in the mansion, or the core subordinates of Northern Border City, all placed high hopes on this.

Yunxiang Courtyard, where Su Yunniang lived, was now a scene of bustling activity.

Since early morning, the servants of Yunxiang Courtyard had been so busy they hardly touched the ground.

The delivery room had already been prepared. Inside the Warm Chamber, the floor heaters were burning, making it warm and cozy.

Thick wool rugs covered the floor, and soft silk quilts were spread on the bed. The air was filled with the faint scent of mugwort, used to ward off evil and pray for blessings.

Midwives and female cultivators skilled in medicine were already waiting on the side.

They were all specifically hired by Situ Jun with heavy gold from the city and surrounding cities before he went into seclusion; they were experienced and skilled in medicine.

Precious Spirit Medicines from the mansion's storehouse had also been prepared: thousand-year-old ginseng, Tianshan Snow Lotus, and High Grade Labor-inducing Pills. Everything was ready, placed on a table outside the delivery room, available for use at any time.

Embroiderer, Liu Xuaner, Princess, Jiang Yan, Xu Lian, Nangong Xue, Su Wan... all the women of the mansion were gathered in the outer hall of Yunxiang Courtyard, waiting.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy. Everyone's face carried a hint of tension and expectation, and even their breathing became light.

Embroiderer, in a plain-colored dress, stood at the courtyard gate with her hands pressed together, whispering something under her breath. Her expression was tense, her hands clenched so tightly her knuckles were white, showing no less anxiety than Situ Jun.

Liu Xuaner had unusually set aside her usual quiet and gentle demeanor. Her charming face was full of worry, and she paced back and forth in the hall, muttering:

"Why is there no news yet? Where are the midwives? Why hasn't anyone come out to report? Will Sister Yun be alright?"

Princess stood to the side, one hand supporting her highly protruding abdomen and the other tightly clutching a handkerchief.

She was also pregnant, though her term was shorter than Su Yunniang's. Looking at the tightly closed delivery room door, her face was full of expectation, yet also carried a hint of empathetic nervousness.

Giving birth was essentially a woman's walk through the gates of hell; how could she not worry?

Jiang Yan, Xu Lian, Nangong Xue, Su Wan, and the others were also gathered in the outer hall, each holding their breath.

Jiang Yan's face held a touch of novelty and envy. She looked at Princess's belly, then at the delivery room, her eyes full of expectation for the new life.