In the past, A-Yao would never hide anything from her.
But now, she had her own little secrets?
If Duanmu Yao were a normal, mature woman, it might be understandable. But instead of growing up, she seemed to have regressed, looking even more childlike.
From their interactions, Tantai Yuruo could also sense that her personality had reverted to its former childishness.
This made it hard for Tantai Yuruo to treat Duanmu Yao as an adult.
Naturally, she couldn’t rest easy.
That absent-minded look, along with a few instances of sneaking out eagerly at night—it all seemed like secret rendezvous.
Though the Qinglian Sect was entirely composed of women, who could say for sure?
Having lived in the imperial palace, a cesspool of intrigue, Tantai Yuruo knew all too well the filth hidden within. Even relationships between women were possible.
A-Yao, as a princess, was naive and wealthy, never having to worry about cultivation resources.
To those with ill intentions, wasn’t she just a juicy piece of meat?
Or perhaps it was a male cultivator from outside the sect.
That, Tantai Yuruo absolutely could not accept!
Sometimes, when she secretly observed, she noticed A-Yao returning with a limp.
At those moments, Tantai Yuruo nearly lost her temper, wanting to catch the culprit red-handed and storm their doorstep.
But in the end, she held back for the sake of the child’s dignity.
Yet the anger remained.
A-Yao… she was still just a child!
Whoever this person was, man or woman, she would drag them out—and then beat them to death!!!
The jade disc elevator of the Demon Lock Tower swiftly ascended to the top floor.
The wind chimes set at the entrance tinkled softly.
With light, hurried footsteps, Duanmu Yao appeared, her face bright with excitement.
Ning Chen raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“Didn’t you say your mother was here? Why haven’t you been spending time with her these days? Instead, you’re visiting me more and more often?”
Meanwhile, Li Yiya, who was sitting naked on Ning Chen, serving as his sheath, straightened slightly.
With a soft, seductive voice, she greeted, “Yiya pays her respects to Senior Sister Duanmu~”
Ignoring Li Yiya, Duanmu Yao scrunched her little face into a pout and complained to Ning Chen, “Don’t even mention it.”
“After all these years, I just found out how strong Mother really is!”
Her lips pursed, she whined, “She’s only twenty years older than me, lived in the palace all this time, and I’ve never even seen her cultivate properly. So how is she already at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage?! Aaaah!”
“If not for meeting you, Father, I’d probably be a useless waste my whole life.” The girl was uncharacteristically dejected.
“Uh…” Ning Chen wanted to say something comforting but gave up.
Because she wasn’t wrong.
“No!” Duanmu Yao stomped her foot, her big, watery eyes widening as she scrambled onto the bed and clung to his arm.
“You have to help me!”
They say the student should surpass the master—she had to outdo her mother somehow!
“How am I supposed to help?” Ning Chen tilted his head helplessly.
Besides, hadn’t he helped enough already?
“I don’t care!” Duanmu Yao shamelessly exploited her current advantage—being an adorable little girl—to throw a full-blown tantrum.
But the words that came out of her mouth were anything but innocent.
“Just give me a few more rounds, won’t you?”
Well, this brat was beyond saving.
“Sigh.” Ning Chen exhaled softly. Compared to other women, he had far more patience with this little one. Still, he tried to reason with her. “But even if you win , wouldn’t it be unfair?”
He felt Duanmu Yao’s personality had taken a strange turn.
Not only was she overly competitive, but whenever she fell short, she always wanted to take shortcuts with him.
“Most things in life require your own hard work!”
Duanmu Yao fell silent for a moment, then glared at Li Yiya, who was still polishing the spear, and snapped, “You! Get lost already! Can’t you read the room?!”
She really hated this damn blood demon!
At first, she’d thought Li Yiya was just a tragic girl with a rough past, which was why she’d helped her join the Qinglian Sect.
But then the head disciple had immediately seen through her identity.
Deceiving her was one thing, but now, it was obvious Li Yiya was just another rival fighting for Daddy’s attention.
Li Yiya, knowing she was in the wrong, shrank back under Duanmu Yao’s glare. She stole a glance at Ning Chen and, after receiving a nod, finally pulled the Soul-Devouring Spear free with a soft pop.
“Hmph! At least you know your place.”
Duanmu Yao placed her hands on her hips, her face the picture of arrogance.
Meanwhile, Li Yiya descended to the second-highest floor.
No matter who came, she always had to give up her spot.
With a thought, she swapped souls with her doppelganger living normally outside the tower.
Whenever forced into downtime , she would do this to avoid losing touch with the outside world.
Once Li Yiya was gone, Duanmu Yao immediately scrambled into position.
Even though her body wasn’t fully prepared, she went straight for the goal.
Because Duanmu Yao was small, and Ning Chen was… well, the adjective fit.
“Guh!” The little girl gagged slightly, arching her back.
But soon, her formidable physique adjusted.
Duanmu Yao grinned, her smile radiant.
With an utterly sunny tone, she declared, “Don’t worry, Father! I’ll work hard!”
Yet, given her current state and actions, it was nothing short of absurd.
No, the “hard work” he meant wasn’t this kind of hard work!
He’d genuinely been trying to give her a pep talk!
But once the gun was loaded, what else could he do?
Especially with Duanmu Yao’s sweet, pleading voice whispering in his ear:
“I can’t live without your… injections.”
Hearing that, any red-blooded man would lose control, right?
And Ning Chen was as red-blooded as they came.
With Li Yiya keeping his spear polished, he was always in top condition. Charging into battle was no issue.
After a vigorous session, Ning Chen looked down at the little loli collapsed in front of him, catching her breath before round two, when a thought struck him.
“Earlier, you said your mother is at the peak of Nascent Soul?”
“And you still live together?”
“Mhm.” Duanmu Yao replied, her face flushed with satisfaction.
Ning Chen fell silent.
How could the actions of a Nascent Soul third-stage escape the notice of a Nascent Soul peak?
“Has your mother ever asked about your daily life?”
“Of course she has. Why?”
You’re being watched, kid.
Sneaking out every night? It couldn’t be more obvious!
But seeing the girl’s still-clueless expression, he sighed inwardly.
This really was like raising a daughter—endless worries for the old man.
Pulling up the system, he checked the sect’s surveillance, focusing on the Demon Lock Tower.
Though it was dark outside, Ning Chen could adjust the screen’s brightness.
Sure enough, after some searching, he spotted a figure in luxurious palace robes hiding in the woods.
Having observed her remotely once before out of curiosity, Ning Chen recognized her instantly.
Her uniquely elegant beauty was striking even to him—though she didn’t resemble Duanmu Yao much. Maybe the girl took after her birth father.
Tantai Yuruo—truly deserving of her title as the former number one beauty of the Great Xia Dynasty.
The older generation’s taste had real weight.
Right now, her stunning face was a picture of unease, fury, and anxiety.
Clearly, she’d long since noticed her daughter’s odd behavior.
And from the looks of it, she was about to make her move soon.
Ning Chen pondered this.
But then, Duanmu Yao suddenly spoke up:
“Father? Why are you suddenly so interested in Mother?”
Before he could answer, she dropped another bombshell:
“Do you… want Yao’er and Mother to serve you together?”