"Master, that's the situation in detail." Sitting on a stone in the middle of the river, Xu Zhijun spoke toward the jade bracelet on her wrist.
"So you're saying, Lian'er killed that Heaven-tier peak dragon all by herself?" From the other end of the bracelet came a man's excited voice, clearly delighted that his daughter had achieved such a feat.
"Master, how many times have I told you, she didn't do it alone. She just dealt the final blow that finished the dragon. Before that, she was fighting alongside everyone else. Well... except for that final strike that cut off its wings." Xu Zhijun sighed helplessly. No matter how many times she explained it, her master refused to believe otherwise, stubbornly insisting his daughter single-handedly slew the dragon.
Although, in a sense, that was technically true... still, did he have to completely ignore her words? She couldn't help but feel a little irritated.
"Then it means my Lian'er defeated it by herself. Think about it— even the American army, wiped out to the last man, couldn't even hurt that dragon much. Yet Lian'er alone severed its wings and killed it. How is that not her alone killing it?" Chu Xiao, with just a few sentences, had twisted the story right back around. Xu Zhijun could only roll her eyes. Fine—arguing with him was pointless.
"Yes, yes, Chu Lian killed it herself, alright?" she replied impatiently.
"Actually, I know I shouldn't overlook your contribution," Chu Xiao continued, his tone softening, "but seeing how far Lian'er has grown... as her father, I'm truly proud."
"You know, I used to think after her twelve years of silence, she'd never grow into what we had once hoped for. Yet in just a single year, she's reached heights I couldn't even touch at her age. How could I not be happy? Mingxue and I hid our names for twenty years just to protect them until they could stand on their own. Now, that time isn't far. Five years at most—three at the shortest—and she'll achieve what we could not."
"Zhijun, the future world will belong to your generation. Mingxue and I... we still have things we must settle. Lian'er and Chu Chu already have the strength to walk their own paths. Ke'er and Churen are also following Mingxue's steps in their cultivation. Now only you remain—you still haven't found your own goal. Don't you wish to leave your master's side and explore the world outside?"
There was a trace of melancholy in Chu Xiao's tone, as though recalling something—his own glory days, and the karmic ties he had yet to resolve.
"I don't want to. I've followed you since childhood, Master. Aside from the tasks and training you assigned me, I've never left your side. Asking me to go out into the world... I can't do that." Xu Zhijun shook her head again and again, determined not to leave him.
"I understand your feelings. But you must know—we are master and disciple, nothing more. I will never be moved by anyone except Mingxue. You understand this, don't you? So why wait foolishly?" Chu Xiao sighed softly, directly exposing the girl's hidden feelings.
It wasn't the first time he had said it, but the girl remained as stubborn as ever. "You've always taught me that a drop of kindness must be repaid with a spring of gratitude. You know better than anyone how much you've sacrificed for me all these years—raising me, teaching me cultivation. I have nothing to repay you with except my life."
"There's no outcome to this, you know." Leaning back on his chair, Chu Xiao let out a faint, bittersweet smile. The child he'd taught since she was small had grown far more capable than others her age—but also far more persistent. Once she decided on something, she never wavered.
"There doesn't need to be an outcome. You gave me the warmth of a family, the love of a father, everything I once lost. That is the greatest kindness. Dedicating my life to you is my repayment." Xu Zhijun didn't truly understand what love was—but she believed firmly that this was it.
"Enough. Let's leave it at that for now. Remember—protect Lian'er and the others, and protect yourself as well. When they return, you should come back too. I imagine you're all rather familiar by now." Rubbing his forehead, Chu Xiao knew continuing this talk would only end in another fruitless argument. Every time he tried to persuade her, he failed. He really didn't know who she'd inherited that stubbornness from.
"Alright, Master." Xu Zhijun didn't insist further. By nature, she was a quiet person. If not for her unwavering conviction and persistence toward everything she pursued, she would usually spend her days calmly minding her own business. Since Chu Xiao was about to end the call, she didn't try to continue.
"That girl... once she understands what love truly is, she'll realize how absurdly wrong she's been." Setting down his arm, Chu Xiao stared absentmindedly at the photo on his desk—a picture of himself and his wife, Li Mingxue.
Beside them were two little girls about the same age, looking remarkably alike. Behind the girls stood a young boy and girl who also shared some resemblance. The six of them filled almost the entire photo with their bright smiles; only a small portion revealed the background—it looked like their family courtyard.
"Mingxue, you'll probably hear about this soon. Unfortunately, I can't go back. They're pressing closer with every move. In at most five years, we won't be able to hold them off any longer. When that time comes, surrounded from both inside and outside, we'll be in grave danger. So before that, we'll have to separate for a while. With you at home protecting them, I won't have to keep returning." Chu Xiao gently stroked the photo frame, gazing at his wife within and murmuring softly.
Then, he connected another video call. The tenderness and smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by composure and solemnity. He couldn't let family matters interfere with his work. That kind of distraction could lead to fatal misjudgments—especially for something that concerned the survival of humanity.
"Master, my whole life belongs to you. If I don't do this, I don't know how else to repay you. I don't ask for your love; I only wish to stay by your side forever—to always be your disciple, to always follow you." Hugging her knees, the young girl slowly drifted into slumber.
She wasn't worried about being discovered. She had already set up a concealment formation here; unless someone had reached the Heaven-tier or specialized in such arts, finding her was nearly impossible.
"Speaking of persistence... she might even surpass me in that regard." A thought of that small girl—shorter than herself, yet always standing ahead of everyone—flashed through her mind. Her heart slowly calmed. The master's daughter truly was extraordinary.
Meanwhile, at the outskirts of Miami, Chu Lian dismissed the Water Lord, letting Tina return to her ordinary form. Only then did she and the girls head toward the Qingping Grand Hotel.
But before they reached the hotel, a figure pacing anxiously at a street corner spotted them—Ning Zhiyuan. The girl rushed over at once. "Chu Lian, are you all alright?"
Her face was full of concern, her eyes still glistening with moisture. The events that had unfolded here had clearly terrified her. And since Chu Lian and the others had vanished during that time, her worry was only natural.
"We're fine. When we discovered the dragon, we slipped away quietly. We were afraid the bombardment would reach us, so we didn't dare move until the firing stopped. Only then did we come back. What about you all? Are you safe?" Before returning, Chu Lian had already told the girls that she would handle all explanations herself. So she had mentally prepared exactly what to say.
Hearing her say they were fine, Ning Zhiyuan finally let out a breath of relief. "We're fine too. The battle didn't reach our side, but the other area was completely destroyed." As she spoke, her face still showed lingering fear—this was an experience she would never forget.
"That's good, that's good. As long as everyone's safe, that's all that matters." Chu Lian patted her chest, exhaling deeply. She had worried earlier whether any of the students had been harmed. Fortunately, they hadn't.
It was likely because the dragon had appeared too early—at dawn, when most people were still asleep. When Xu Zhijun lured it to Miami while its mind was clouded, most hadn't even woken yet, which explained the heavy casualties.
Still, that timing was what spared her classmates, who had stayed inside the hotel the entire time.
They had initially planned to evacuate, but then a mysterious American military unit arrived and blocked all exits, preventing anyone from leaving. With no choice, they had to remain inside the hotel and wait for the outcome.
All along the way, as Chu Lian listened, she had already pieced things together. That squad of American soldiers had likely been dispatched to prevent anyone from witnessing the zombie horde—and surely, they weren't the only team.
Now, she realized just how lucky they'd been. The horde they encountered must have been only a partially gathered fragment; most of the zombies were still in the process of being transported. She couldn't even fathom how there could be so many of them—so many that, even with the U.S. military so close to Miami, they still couldn't spare the manpower to attack the dragon. All they could do was barely maintain secrecy from the public.
When she first arrived and hadn't seen them, it must have been because they had either completed their mission and withdrawn, or were urgently dispatched elsewhere.
"Oh, right, teacher—does this mean we can't continue anymore?" As they neared the hotel entrance, Chu Lian suddenly asked. Even though she already knew the answer in her heart, she still went through the motions.
"Mm. The school sent an emergency notice. This study trip can't continue. We're to move to the nearest city and board a flight to England. Depending on the situation, tomorrow or the day after, we'll take a private jet back home." Ning Zhiyuan nodded. She didn't feel regret—only relief.
Other classes had uneventful itineraries, but theirs had been full of mishaps from the very first day. Now, after what had happened, it was impossible to go on.
Even if the school didn't recall them, the students' parents certainly would protest, and Huaxia's side would undoubtedly intervene. To avoid further incidents, it was best to send them home early.
As they entered the hotel lobby, Chu Lian noticed the hesitant look on Ning Zhiyuan's face and knew what she wanted to ask. So she spoke first. "Teacher, are you looking for Cai Ya? Her family's people in the U.S. already came to pick her up. She's either quietly gone back to Huaxia or is staying somewhere safe now. You don't need to worry."
"I'm glad she's fine. And... who's this little girl?" Ning Zhiyuan knew about Cai Ya's background; with her family's power, such arrangements were simple. What truly caught her attention was the unfamiliar young girl tightly holding Chu Lian's hand.
"Ah, she's Anna, and she's—" Chu Lian began, pretending as though she had just remembered. But before she could finish, Anna interrupted brightly, "I'm Mommy's daughter—the most well-behaved daughter!"
"Pfft..." Ning Zhiyuan's elegant eyes widened in disbelief, her expression like she'd just seen a ghost. Even seeing a dragon today hadn't shocked her as much as that one sentence from the little girl. After all, the girl looked barely twelve—and Chu Lian herself was only thirteen!
"Teacher, it's not what you think..." Chu Lian stammered. The foreigners nearby who understood a bit of Chinese were equally stunned. These Chinese girls were really saying something outrageous.
"Anna's background is... complicated. For now, I'm just her guardian. She's lost her past memories, though her knowledge remains. I don't know why, but the moment she saw me, she started calling me Mommy." Chu Lian's face flushed red as she hurried to explain.
She didn't want anyone thinking something strange had happened—how absurd that would be! Even a three-year-old would know that was impossible!
"Mommy... Mommy, don't you want Anna anymore?" Hearing her explanation, Anna's eyes welled up instantly. In mere seconds, tears gathered, shimmering like glass.
"Of course not—how could Mommy ever stop loving Anna? Mommy loves Anna the most. Don't cry, okay? Believe Mommy, she would never abandon you." Seeing her cry, Chu Lian panicked completely, hugging her gently and comforting her in the softest tone.
Her natural, practiced movements made onlookers even more convinced their earlier assumptions were right. They just didn't know who the father was—but whoever he was, to have such a cute eternal-loli wife, he must be impossibly lucky.
Thankfully, they were a bit more decent than Chu Lian feared; rather than assuming she was an actual loli, they believed she was an adult woman who just happened to look like a youthful, adorable young wife.
"Great, now I'll never be able to explain this... I just hope no one recognizes me." Chu Lian could tell exactly what those looks meant, but she dared not clarify further. If she did, this little crybaby in her arms would surely flood the entire hotel.
Her hopes were dashed a moment later. Someone quickly pulled out their phone, snapping a picture of her holding Anna, excitement all over their face.
Chu Lian froze, then shut her eyes in resignation. This was it—she was doomed.
No matter how she tried to explain it, it would only get worse. And the last thing she wanted was the fans back home running wild again with their usual jokes—
"Eternal Loli, my love forever!"
"Madam, I like you!"
"Mother-daughter combo, best timeline ever!"
And so on...
"My Integrity Points... are they going to skyrocket again?" she thought miserably, nearly in tears.