Overwhelmed by General Huaiyan's aura, Lingsha quietly hid by the wall, not daring to say a word. She glanced at Yunli.
"Yunli, it's not that I don't want to help you, but with the old general like this, I really don't dare say anything."
Facing the furious old general, Yunli blushed and lowered her head, not knowing what to say.
In fact, the news was just as much of a shock to Yunli herself. Pregnant. A new generation, hers and Derick's, was growing inside her. This was something that had completely exceeded Yunli's expectations. She was utterly stunned.
How old was she? Just barely of legal age. And at this age, she was about to become a mother.
Did she resist the idea? Perhaps a little. She still had many Demon Swords to pursue and capture, and the months of delay due to pregnancy were not something Yunli wanted to see.
However, this slight resistance was quickly washed away by the joy of becoming a mother. Although Grandpa Huaiyan treated her extremely well, Yunli still hoped to see a relative connected to her by blood. Her parents had died when she was young, and now she truly wanted a child, to make up for her own childhood by raising them well.
It wasn't until she heard her grandfather's roar that Yunli snapped back to her senses.
"Um, Grandpa..." Yunli replied to Huaiyan in a low voice.
"Who is it!?" Huaiyan said to Yunli, forcibly suppressing his anger.
He was furious. Nearby, Lingsha watched him while hiding. Even the artisans forging iron outside, though they couldn't hear the conversation in the rest area, were so shaken by General Huaiyan's anger that they quietly stepped away from their forges.
But when facing Yunli, Huaiyan worried his loud voice would frighten his granddaughter, so he held back his fury and tried to soften his tone as he questioned her.
"Um..." Yunli's head drooped lower. She still didn't want to give Derick up.
That would surely lead to a storm of blood.
Huaiyan looked at his granddaughter's uncooperative expression and knew it was impossible to get her to say it directly.
So, he had no choice but to suppress his anger and continue persuading her calmly, "Granddaughter, you're still young. I'm worried you've been deceived by some older fellow. Those bad adults love to trick innocent young girls like you."
Hearing her grandfather say this, Yunli subconsciously retorted: "Grandpa, I wouldn't be deceived! Besides, he's not that much older than me!"
As soon as she said it, Yunli realized her slip of the tongue and quickly covered her mouth.
Hm!?
Hearing Yunli's words, Huaiyan's senses instantly sharpened. By saying this, Yunli had all but exposed the other party.
His granddaughter had very high standards. If someone's strength was lacking, they wouldn't even catch her eye. This eliminated a large number of people.
Among the remaining group, they had to be very strong and close to Yunli's age. No, to be precise, slightly older than Yunli, not younger.
Mulling it over, Huaiyan had more or less identified the person. He just needed one last confirmation.
Huaiyan turned his head to look at Lingsha.
"Lingsha, how long has little Yunli been pregnant?"
Hearing the old general's question, Lingsha didn't dare to delay and quickly replied, "The pregnancy is about one to two months along."
Huaiyan nodded lightly.
Confirmed. Absolutely confirmed.
"Miss Lingsha, please excuse us for a moment. I will have your payment sent to you later," Huaiyan said to Lingsha.
"No, no, it's what I should do." Lingsha had no intention of staying anyway; she had wanted to leave as soon as possible. Hearing Huaiyan say this, she naturally scurried away.
Huaiyan nodded lightly and added, "Also, regarding little Yunli's matter, I hope you can keep it a secret for me."
"Of course," Lingsha promised.
Keeping a patient's secrets was a doctor's duty. With General Huaiyan's reminder, Lingsha was even less likely to leak anything.
Lingsha turned and left, not forgetting to close the door to the rest area on her way out.
Huaiyan's gaze turned to Yunli, and he spoke, "So, it's that boy Derick, isn't it?"
"No, it's not," Yunli hurriedly waved her hands in denial.
But Huaiyan just snorted and immediately said, "My dear granddaughter, I raised you from a child. Your lies can't deceive me. Looking at your expression, besides that boy Derick, there's no other possibility."
Thinking it was Derick, Huaiyan felt anger surge in his heart.
The last time, he had specifically called Derick and asked him to help take care of Yunli. Was this how he took care of her? He took care of her right into her womb, leaving his child there.
That scoundrel!
Huaiyan also recalled his last call with Derick. During the call, Derick had been hesitant and said he didn't need any more payment.
At the time, I thought you were just a good, shy kid, but it turns out you had already devoured my granddaughter whole!
Huaiyan wished he could go over and smash Derick's face in with a single punch right now.
Don't doubt for a second that the old man had the ability. As a veteran Xianzhou general who had lived for over seventeen hundred years, his strength was not to be underestimated. He was definitely not someone Derick could compare to.
Seeing her grandfather's expression, Yunli knew she couldn't hide it any longer.
She scratched her head and said to Huaiyan, "Grandpa, don't be angry. It was all consensual."
As she spoke, she picked up a skewer of Qiongshi Birds and handed it to Huaiyan.
"As if I didn't know you were willing!" Huaiyan glared at Yunli, but still took the skewer of Qiongshi Birds.
It was a sign that he wasn't as angry with his granddaughter anymore.
"Tell me, what's so good about Derick?" Huaiyan said to Yunli.
Yunli retorted, "Grandpa, what's not good about him? His looks, or his strength?"
"Well..."
Huaiyan was at a loss for words.
In terms of appearance, Derick's handsomeness was beyond question; among the hundreds of billions of people in the Xianzhou Alliance, Huaiyan couldn't find many who could compare.
As for strength, aside from Emanator-level powerhouses in the universe, there were almost none who were Derick's match.
His character was also more than satisfactory, showing none of the pride or arrogance of youth. Whether dealing with superiors or subordinates, he was gentle and polite, neither servile nor overbearing.
On top of that, his accomplishments—slaying Phantylia, handling the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, clearing out the Borisin, and helping Yunli obtain the Demon Swords—were each extraordinarily great.
Looking at it purely from this perspective, even Huaiyan couldn't find a more outstanding candidate than Derick.
"But don't you forget, he already has a girlfriend," Huaiyan said to Yunli.
Yunli said in a serious tone, "Um, I knew that when I confessed to him. But liking someone... that sort of thing doesn't follow any logic."
Well then. So his own granddaughter was the proactive one.
Hearing Yunli say this, Huaiyan pieced together what must have happened. His granddaughter was lovesick; she'd throw caution to the wind for someone she liked. As for that boy Derick, his willpower wasn't firm enough, and so this happened.
"So what should we do now? Should I go drag that kid over here and make him marry you?" Huaiyan asked Yunli.
"No!" Yunli said, holding her waist as she objected. "I don't want to force him. I want to handle matters of the heart myself. If you intervene like this, Grandpa, it will only cause conflict and strife. Derick will absolutely never yield."
"You always have to speak up for that kid," Huaiyan grumbled with dissatisfaction.
However, he also knew it was true. Derick was incredibly bold, and his will was so firm he could even resist the temptation of the Borisin's Crimson Moon. Trying to make such a person submit through force was absolutely impossible.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, I just want to do this through my own efforts," Yunli said with a serious expression. "Besides, I believe Derick isn't the kind of irresponsible person."
"But, what if?" Huaiyan said to Yunli.
Huaiyan also knew in his heart that Derick wasn't an irresponsible person, but damn it, he had responsibilities to more than one person! Don't tell me my granddaughter is going to be the other woman?
(Huaiyan doesn't know about Polyxia and the others.)
"If it comes to that, I can do it alone," Yunli said with a firm tone.
Seeing his granddaughter's expression, Huaiyan could only sigh in his heart that his granddaughter had grown up.
"Since you insist, then you should rest well on the Zhuming Xianzhou for a while. Put aside the matter of hunting Demon Swords for now," Huaiyan said to Yunli.
"That... I understand."
To this request, Yunli naturally nodded in agreement.
"Whatever you need, just say the word. I'll have the people at the General's manor fully provide for you."
General Huaiyan had been a general for who knows how many years, and his daily life was extremely frugal; the amount of money he had saved was unknown. Now that his granddaughter was pregnant, Huaiyan would absolutely not be stingy.
"Mhm," Yunli thought for a moment and said, "Grandpa, I want to eat more Qiongshi Bird skewers."
"Alright, alright, I'll have someone buy them for you later."
Qiongshi Bird skewers had a sweet and sour taste, perfect for whetting the appetite. If Yunli wanted to eat more, Huaiyan would definitely not refuse. Although he had never been married, his thousand-plus years of life had shown him a great deal, and he knew that pregnant women could have poor appetites. It was for the best that Yunli now had something she wanted to eat.
Huaiyan then continued, "In a few days, after I've handled the matters at hand, I'll go find Derick and tell that boy the news."
"Grandpa!" Yunli anxiously tried to say more, but Huaiyan raised his hand to stop her.
"Relax, I won't drag him back here by force. But this matter, Derick must know about it. He needs to be prepared," Huaiyan said in a serious tone.
"This... okay."
Yunli thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. In truth, a part of her also wanted to see how Derick would react after finding out she was pregnant.
"Mhm, that's more like it. Alright, you should go back and get more rest," Huaiyan said to Yunli.
"I will, Grandpa." Yunli casually hoisted her greatsword. "Ol' Rusty, let's go! You might have to rest a while."
With that, she skipped off in the direction of the General's manor.
Seeing her run and jump, Huaiyan shouted anxiously, "Yunli, don't run around! Be careful of your body!"
Since others might hear, that was all Huaiyan could shout.
"I know, Grandpa." Hearing Huaiyan's words, Yunli slowed her pace and walked slowly towards the General's manor.
After Yunli left, Huaiyan walked over to the forges to see the other artisans from the Artisanship Commission at work.
"Come, let's see what you've forged. There are many shortcomings..."
Huaiyan had pent-up anger that he couldn't take out on Yunli, so the nearby artisans at the forges had to bear his wrath.
However, Huaiyan was a reasonable man. Although he was angry, he would point out the artisans' flaws and tell them how to improve. So, after Huaiyan had vented his anger for the afternoon, the artisans of the Artisanship Commission were not the least bit resentful; on the contrary, they were quite happy.
Having let off most of his steam, Huaiyan headed towards the General's manor. He still had official duties to handle, and he wanted to free up a few days to find Derick, tell him the news, and see what he thought.
---
At this moment, Derick had no idea that in a couple of days, General Huaiyan would be coming to Penacony to find him.
He was still strolling with Topaz. Not far away, three people were watching them.
"Topaz, is that General Feixiao's student, Derick?"
The speaker was a handsome, blond-haired man. Aventurine, one of the "Ten Stonehearts" from the Interastral Peace Corporation's Strategic Investment Department.
"That's right. What are you planning? Let me tell you right now, my relationship with Derick is good. Don't expect me to help you deal with him!" Topaz replied to Aventurine.
Topaz owed Derick a favor from last time, so she was genuinely unwilling to help Aventurine go against him. Besides her personal feelings, from a purely profit-oriented perspective, Aventurine was taking the lead in this Penacony operation. It was impossible for her to use her personal favor to help Aventurine.
"Relax, I have no interest in making enemies so easily. Offending Derick is the same as offending the Yaoqing Xianzhou. If I did that, plenty of people within the Corporation would come looking for trouble with me."
The Corporation itself was very reluctant to provoke the Xianzhou. The Xianzhou were a bunch of lunatics; if you offended them, they would really try to kill you with everything they had.
Especially the Yaoqing Xianzhou, which the Corporation wanted to provoke even less. It wasn't for any other reason, simply that the Corporation had too many investments on the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
If Feixiao was in a bad mood one day, the next time the Yaoqing Xianzhou went on an expedition, a huge pile of Corporation assets could be blown up, and when asked, the answer would be that the Denizens of Abundance did it. If you want compensation, go find the Denizens of Abundance.
If Aventurine offended Derick, and Derick went to Feixiao, there's no telling how Feixiao would screw over the Corporation. If the profit was large enough, it wouldn't be out of the question. The problem was, in Penacony, offending Derick would just be looking for trouble for no reason.
It wasn't for any other reason, simply that the Corporation had too many investments on the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
If Feixiao was in a bad mood one day, the next time the Yaoqing Xianzhou went on an expedition, a huge pile of Corporation assets could be blown up, and when asked, the answer would be that the Denizens of Abundance did it. If you want compensation, go find the Denizens of Abundance.
If Aventurine offended Derick, and Derick went to Feixiao, there's no telling how Feixiao would screw over the Corporation. If the profit was large enough, it wouldn't be out of the question. The problem was, in Penacony, offending Derick would just be looking for trouble for no reason.
"I'm looking for Derick simply to make a friend."
Aventurine said to Topaz. The situation in Penacony was now a complex web of powers, and with the Xianzhou also in the mix, Aventurine needed to get a better understanding of things.
____
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