Chapter 1857: Lantern Festival

This was an ancient star, a mortal world, not particularly well-known, about the size of Dà Chǔ, situated on the fringes of the universe.

On this ancient star, within a small city, there was a little garden where Yè Chén and Jǐ Níng Shuāng sat in meditation, recovering from their injuries.

The two of them were quite extraordinary—one absorbed the power of the stars, the other drew in the essence of the bright moon, both employing profound secret techniques.

Besides them, there was a little one, Yè Fán. He had always been kept by Jǐ Níng Shuāng's side until now, when he was finally let out.

As they healed, the little guy wasn't idle either. He toddled along on his unsteady feet, chasing butterflies across the grass.

He was innocent and pure, but his childish giggles carried a hint of pain. His small body was constantly torn by lightning, tormenting him without respite.

Yet, the little guy was strong and sensible. He didn't want to make his mother cry, so even in agony, he gritted his teeth and endured it.

Perhaps tired from playing, he ran back, glanced at Jǐ Níng Shuāng, and then curiously eyed Yè Chén.

After staring for a while, he timidly reached out his little hand and touched Yè Chén's face, feeling an inexplicable closeness.

A gentle breeze blew by, and Yè Chén was the first to open his eyes.

The little guy quickly pulled his hand back, as if he'd done something wrong, lowering his head and avoiding Yè Chén's gaze.

Yè Chén smiled and gently lifted the child into his arms, stroking his little face with the warmth of a loving father.

"Daddy, I'm hungry."

"Here, eat up!" Yè Chén hurriedly took out a spirit fruit.

The little guy was delighted. The fruit was too big for his small size, so he had to hold it with both tiny hands, burying his face in it as he ate heartily.

Yè Chén said nothing, just kept wiping the juice from the little guy's mouth. The more he wiped, the more his heart ached; the more he wiped, the deeper his guilt grew.

Perhaps too focused, he didn't notice that Jǐ Níng Shuāng had awakened beside him. She watched them with teary eyes, not hoping for Yè Chén's forgiveness or another lifetime of love from him. She only wished that the man she loved most would accept this child, born from a twist of fate.

She was truly touched—touched that Yè Chén had defied the world for her, and touched that he had challenged the forbidden zones' authority for their child, even destroying the Téng Shé to seek justice for them.

"Lóng Jié came after me and nearly split me with a sword," Yè Chén said with a laugh, wiping the fruit juice from little Yè Fán's mouth as if he already knew she was awake.

Jǐ Níng Shuāng parted her lips but didn't know how to respond, unsure what his words implied.

"I should thank him for it." Yè Chén chuckled. "If not for him, I wouldn't have known you were on the Huá Fán star, and that you'd given birth to such an adorable child for me."

Jǐ Níng Shuāng smiled complexly, her memory of that night on the Huá Fán star still vivid, and she was grateful to Lóng Jié as well.

*Am I a living disaster?* she wondered in her heart, not for the first time. Though it was Lóng Jié who disrupted her ordinary life, it was because of her that the tears of a devoted person streamed down his face.

The small garden fell silent, with only the gentle breeze stirring.

Jǐ Níng Shuāng gathered her thoughts and gazed at Yè Chén again.

Suddenly, she raised her jade-like hand, wanting to brush aside a strand of his scattered white hair and get a closer look at his face. But halfway, she pulled it back, forcing a teary smile. "That battle must have been so difficult!"

"Ninety million heroic souls of Dà Chǔ fought for a hope—how could I let it end in defeat?" Yè Chén replied with a laugh, his voice laced with weariness.

He remembered all too well the first invasion by the heavenly demons, how brutally Dà Chǔ had fought, those bloody memories etched deeply into his soul. Even after reincarnation, he could never forget.

He also remembered the sight of the woman before him dying in his arms, so tragically beautiful, never hearing his promise for the next life, carrying her regrets to the end.

How heartless he must have been back then, knowing she longed to hear those words, yet he never said them.

The past was too painful; they tried to forget and go their separate ways, but fate's threads couldn't be severed. A child had extended their past connection.

"Mommy, look, there are flowers!"

The garden's quiet was broken by little Yè Fán's innocent words.

The little guy tilted his head up, pointing a tiny finger at the sky.

Yè Chén and Jǐ Níng Shuāng snapped out of their thoughts and looked up together.

Flowers—indeed, flowers, but they were fireworks. Bunches of them soared into the sky, blooming brilliantly under the stars, displaying vibrant colors like dancing butterflies, extraordinarily splendid.

In that moment, little Yè Fán's eyes widened with wonder. It was his first time seeing fireworks—so beautiful and exciting.

In that moment, Yè Chén and Jǐ Níng Shuāng both felt a brief daze.

Those fireworks in the sky were so much like a person's life—seemingly splendid, yet fleeting, with a brief pinnacle followed by a dim fade, that splash of brilliance being the only trace left in the world.

"Hurry, hurry! There are lanterns on the street—it's Yuán Xiāo Festival!" While they were lost in thought, children's voices echoed from outside the garden. A group of kids ran toward the main street, munching on candied hawthorn, full of innocent joy and free from worries.

"Mommy, what is Yuán Xiāo?"

"It's a festival," Jǐ Níng Shuāng said, stroking the child's little head. Since his birth, he had known nothing of the human world.

"Come on, Daddy will take you to see the lanterns." Yè Chén stood up, holding the little guy and perching him on his shoulders, then headed out of the garden toward the bustling streets.

Jǐ Níng Shuāng smiled and followed. Yuán Xiāo Festival was a time for reunion, symbolizing people's longing for beauty. Just hearing it evoked warmth. For their family, reuniting had been anything but easy.

The mortal city's ancient streets were lively, full of worldly splendor.

Glancing around, the streets and alleys were packed with people.

Most were in pairs, with elegant young ladies often accompanied by handsome young men holding folding fans.

Some of the less reserved young ladies, perhaps cooped up too long, dashed about like unleashed horses once on the street, with their maidservants chasing and calling after them.

Stalls lined both sides of the street, adorned with lanterns, selling rouge, jewelry, and all sorts of trinkets.

Street performers were a must, with acts of sword dancing, fire-breathing, and more, drawing crowds and cheers.

And of course, lantern riddles, with people gathering around and playful young men from prominent families showing off.

In this small ancient city, amid the hawking and calls, the worldly hustle thrived, free from war, with smiles everywhere.

The family of three strolling the streets drew plenty of attention—more precisely, Jǐ Níng Shuāng stood out.

It couldn't be helped; she was stunningly beautiful, leaving the young men from prominent families staring in a daze, forgetting the ladies at their sides.

"If you like her so much, go after her!" The ladies stormed off in frustration, stomping their feet.

"Don't go! I only glanced!" The young men chased after them, but even as they ran, they couldn't help looking back at Jǐ Níng Shuāng.

Such scenes played out all along the way.

What were once romantic pairs now felt anything but, thanks to Jǐ Níng Shuāng—all romance turned to chaos.

Jǐ Níng Shuāng remained expressionless, like an eternal ice beauty, her eyes only for Yè Chén and the child, ignoring everyone else.

Yè Chén, on the other hand, sighed along the way. *It's supposed to be a lovely reunion festival, but you're breaking up couples left and right!*

As they walked, a young man from a prominent family approached.

"This lady seems unfamiliar—would you honor me with a drink?" He fanned himself lightly, not particularly handsome but convinced of his own charm.

Behind him were a few cronies, all dressed in fine silks, clearly from wealthy families.

Obviously, they were drawn by Jǐ Níng Shuāng's peerless beauty—who could resist flirting?

But they had picked the wrong target. Before Yè Chén could speak, Jǐ Níng Shuāng struck them all with a single palm, sending them flying—who knows how far.

Wow!

Little Yè Fán looked up, his big eyes following their flight path from side to side.

"I thought you'd look better in disguise as a man," Yè Chén coughed, his expression meaningful. Otherwise, who knows how many more would come flirting and end up sent skyward.

Jǐ Níng Shuāng said nothing but changed into men's clothing and tied up her hair, making little Yè Fán's eyes light up—it was his first time seeing his mother dressed like that.

In men's attire, Jǐ Níng Shuāng was strikingly handsome, her features nearly perfect.

The young men flirting with ladies thinned out, but the elegant young ladies grew restless, embarrassing the young men at their sides. Some even rolled up their sleeves, threatening to fight Jǐ Níng Shuāng.

*Is being handsome such a big deal?*

*If you're that handsome, stay home!*

*Don't come out and steal the spotlight—ruining our chances.*

Curses flew, and the young men's faces darkened. Pairs that had just reconciled were broken up again.

Yè Chén clicked his tongue, half-tempted to draw a circle on Jǐ Níng Shuāng's face.

*Handsome—damn handsome. I'm feeling awkward too.*

*No wonder back then, when you disguised as a man, you had the Qī Xī Saintess completely smitten, and even now, Xǔ Nuò Yán is still unmarried, waiting for Jǐ Wú Chén to marry her.*

"Daddy, I want that one."

Adults' world was beyond the child's understanding. Little Yè Fán, sitting on Yè Chén's shoulders, kept pointing excitedly—everything here was so novel.

"Buy it—all of it." Yè Chén laughed. Whatever the child wanted, he bought, just to see him happy.

With a string of candied hawthorn in one hand and a small lantern in the other, the little guy was overjoyed, momentarily forgetting his pain.

The father and son were having a great time, but Jǐ Níng Shuāng behind them kept running into trouble, with waves of bold young ladies surrounding her.

Jǐ Níng Shuāng was clever about it. She used a secret technique to alter her appearance, making her face look full of wrinkles to mortal eyes.

It worked wonders. No longer seen as beautiful or handsome, whether young ladies or young men, everyone behaved themselves.

With the trouble gone, the family of three continued on, their figures warm and harmonious in the Yuán Xiāo night, leaving a touching moment.