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The Paternity Guard (PATERNITY)
“Brother Qi!” Shi Qi exclaimed in surprise.
The familiar face under that bamboo hat confirmed his suspicions. He had thought Ying Qi had decided not to show up again but clearly, he was still concerned about them.
"Stay quiet, they're after you." Ying Qi pulled Shi Qi away from the area where they were fighting. Watching Ying Qi's back, Shi Qi felt a pang of sadness.
‘Their ultimate target was you and yet you risked so much to come here.’
If a Shadow Guards hides his whereabouts; few people can discover them. Perhaps the Master's approach is right. At least Ying Qi's whereabouts are difficult to track outside.
"Brother Qi, while they haven't noticed yet, you should leave quickly," Shi Qi said firmly.
Ying Qi fell silent for a moment before whispering, "I will leave but I need to see you and the Master safe first. Yin Ji's goal is to exchange you for me and I won't let that happen."
Shi Qi didn't know what to say. If it were someone else, he might have wished Ying Qi well. But with Yin Ji, no one could guarantee his sincerity or consistency. Blood Demon Sect will not stand securely in the Martial Arts World. If Yin Ji doesn't disband the Blood Demon Sect, his fate won't be any better than Yin Haoyue's. Those who claim to be righteous in the Martial Arts World won't tolerate their existence.
As they faced each other, Yin Ji's purple robe had spots of crimson while Xing Beiming looked slightly better but his white clothes were still disheveled. Xing Beiming listened to the commotion behind him and said, "Yin Ji, you never fail to disappoint me. You're trying to obtain what you can't have by any means necessary. Unfortunately, Ying Qi is not something you can have now. Have you ever asked yourself why you must have him?"
Yin Ji sneered, "I don't need reasons for what I want. Even if today's plan fails, I won't give up!"
Xing Beiming shook his head. "If you insist, I won't say more. I'll just tell you that Ying Qi has already been removed from the Shadow Guard's roster. From now on, whether he lives or dies is not the concern of our World's Supreme Fortress. Naturally, he won't appear in the Fortress anymore. Your spies should change their direction of investigation."
"You!" Yin Ji didn't expect Xing Beiming to do this. Suddenly, he realized, "You don't want me to harass your little Shadow Guard, so you kicked him out of the Shadow Guards. Now you're pretending in front of me. You're too hypocritical! Why don't you just hand him over to me directly? Maybe I'll remember your kindness and won't trouble your Shadow Guard anymore."
Xing Beiming felt Yin Ji was irrational. He had hoped that after their last parting, Yin Ji might reconsider.
He had underestimated Yin Ji.
Although they had enmity since they were young, Yin Ji grew up in hatred and didn't understand many emotions. Xing Beiming didn't want to explain anymore. His own Shadow Guard's situation was unclear and that was what mattered most to him.
Yin Ji stood still, feeling a rush of blood as he spat out another mouthful. Xing Beiming was about to leave and threw a final remark at him, "Blood Demon Sect's attack is a double-edged sword. Yin Haoyue left early and didn't teach you how to seek advantage and avoid harm. You're being harmed by demonic arts, and if you still want your life, you'd better stop now."
Yin Ji stood still, not knowing how much time had passed. Zuo Wuxiao appeared behind him, calling out with a hint of concern, "Palace Master."
Yin Ji seemed to have realized the outcome. "He wasn't captured...forget it. Xing Beiming is so wary; it won't be easy to get to him. Zuo Wuxiao, do you have something you desperately want?"
Zuo Wuxiao didn't understand why Yin Ji would ask such a question but answered respectfully, "Something I desperately want? Lately, I seem to have that kind of feeling, but it's not a thing; it's...a person."
Yin Ji nodded. "A person? Perhaps I understand now..."
…………
Xing Beiming left the mountain and as he met the Shadow Guards who had already ended the battle and were waiting, he didn't see the person he was thinking about. Before he could speak, a figure emerged from the woods and scrutinized Xing Beiming from head to toe. Only after confirming that the injuries weren't severe did the person relax a bit. "Master, let's go to the inn first to bandage the wounds."
Xing Beiming's gaze swept over a fleeting shadow in the dark and sighed internally but he remained composed on the surface. He waited until the person seemed nervous before directly lifting them up and bringing them into the inn, leaving the others stunned.
"Master…Master, this is…."
———
In the inn's room, Xing Beiming was shirtless as Shi Qi carefully cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Shi Qilooked at Xing Beiming's broad shoulders and whispered, "Master, I saw Brother Qi. If possible, I don't want Brother Qi to leave Yueming City but if that's the case, his issues with Yin Ji will never be resolved. I... just said goodbye to Brother Qi. Master, I don't want to lose contact with Brother Qi but..."
"Your concern is valid." Xing Beiming interrupted him, "I just told Yin Ji that the Fortress expelled Ying Qi but that was a lie. You and the other Shadow Guards are all staying at Yueming City voluntarily. If one day you want to leave, I won't stop you. The rules in the World's Supreme Fortress are for the Shadow Guard's sake. Since Ying Qi said goodbye to you, he naturally doesn't want you to pursue his whereabouts. But if you're worried, just focus your spies on Yin Ji. Now, you can be considered my Fortress 's Lady. If you want information on someone, who would dare to stop you?"
Shi Qi was listening attentively but Xing Beiming's words shocked him. His face turned bright red and he stammered, "Ma-Master? What Fortress's Lady..."
Xing Beiming pretended to look stern and lifted someone's chin, "We have children together and I am the Fortress's Lord, who do you think is the Fortress's Lady? Don't deny it!"
Shi Qi felt dizzy as the sudden revelation was overwhelming.
Unexpectedly, Xing Beiming continued, "As the Lord of the Fortress, it's time for me to get married. How about we set a date for the wedding and invite the other sect, hm?"
Get married?
Invite the other sect?
Shi Qi was completely stunned.
Upon hearing the news of Yin Ji and others leaving, Xing Beiming also prepared to return home. He had originally planned to enjoy some sightseeing along the way but now he had a new idea and couldn't wait to return to Yueming City.
Ying Ba, who had returned early to report the news to the Fortress, was in a state of constant shock.
Master said he was getting married and instructed him to inform everyone in the Fortress to prepare. Besides that person, who else could be the bride?
Master was serious.
Ying Ba's heart, which had never fully let go of concerns about Shi Qi and their Master, finally calmed down. Perhaps they all felt this way.
"Getting married?!" Shi Er exclaimed joyfully. After confirming that he hadn't misheard, he spun around with the baby in his arms who was happily blowing bubbles, "Great! There's finally going to be a celebration in the Fortress! Baobao, your two dads have finally remembered to get married. You're so lucky to witness their big day!"
The baby clapped its hands and giggled, not understanding but joining in the joy.
Steward Cheng Bo remained calm as usual but his hurried pace indicated he was busy preparing for the celebration.
Invitations needed to be printed, drinks needed to be arranged, the feast should be meticulously planned and most importantly, how to tailor the wedding attire.
‘Master, you've given me a big challenge. We can only wait for your return…’
…………….
When their figures appeared in everyone's sight, even Xing Beiming couldn't bear the intense gaze. He took the baby and pinched its cheek before handing him to Shi Qi.
The little one, oblivious to the adults' excitement, just laughed along. Its chubby legs kicked against Shi Qi's body and it planted a small kiss on Shi Qi's cheek.
Xing Beiming's face turned red. His gaze, like that of a killer as his gaze followed Ke Weiqing.
Ke Weiqing, who couldn't escape in time, awkwardly greeted them, "Hey, long time no see, haha... Look how chubby and cute baobao has become under my care.”
Xing Beiming gestured with both hands, implying, "Just you wait."
Shi Qi could only laugh helplessly as the inexplicably joyful baby planted numerous slobbery kisses on his face.
But it was a relief, temporarily easing his embarrassment in front of so many people. It seemed like everyone knew and their gazes carried kind smiles, excitement and blessings.
Because the news had been kept secret within the Fortress, no one in Yueming City knew yet, which also avoided them being surrounded on their way here.
Everything was arranged quietly—red silk ribbons and lanterns—creating an atmosphere of festivity. The servants were busy non-stop, as World's Supreme Fortress occupied a vast area and everything had to be done in a grand manner.
Xing Beiming looked satisfied as he observed everything along the way while following Cheng Bo to the room where new clothes were being tailored. Cheng Bo introduced each garment one by one.
He pointed to a pair of dragon and phoenix patterned wedding robes first, "Master, while this design isn't the latest, it was designed by a Master tailor specifically for weddings. It's simple, elegant and quite stylish." Then he pointed to another pair. "This is a classic style and your measurements, Master, are already set. As for the bride, since we don't have his measurements, we've tailored based on his usual clothes but it's best to try again. Also, Master, is this a pair for two men, or is it for a man and a woman..."
Xing Beiming was pondering when he casually glanced at Cheng Bo and said, "Cheng Bo, I don't recall bringing back a Lady of the house for you. Are you getting forgetful in your old age, hm?"
Cheng Bo immediately lowered his gaze and instructed someone to take down all the female wedding garments from the rack. With one hand, he led Xing Beiming to the inner room to inspect. In the small room, there were only a pair of men's wedding outfits displayed. Xing Beiming's eyes lit up at the sight. Unlike the previous ones, these were obviously tailored specifically for a couple, and Cheng Bo spoke somewhat excitedly, "Master, this is the only pair available in the Central Plains. Time is a bit tight, otherwise, it could have been even more perfect."
Xing Beiming nodded, "Very good, Cheng Bo. It's all about being unique. You've handled this matter well. After the wedding, I'll give you two months to travel around and relax."
Cheng Bo bowed, "Thank you, Master."
Cheng Bo then invited Shi Qi to come in for measurements and to make further adjustments to the wedding attire while there was still time. Initially, Shi Qi felt a chill when he saw the previously removed female wedding garments but before he could react, he was led to the room and stared blankly at the clearly male outfits. Xing Beiming whispered something in his ear and Shi Qi's eyes welled up with emotion—truly unique!
All the wedding invitations had been delivered, and the Martial Arts World was buzzing with excitement!
Xing Beiming, the Lord of the World's Supreme Fortress, was getting married. Whether the bride would be in red or blue makeup [1], and who Luo Cheng was, remained a mystery to many.
[1] Red is deeply rooted in tradition and symbolizes joy and blessings, while blue can represent modernity, calmness, and personal expression. (To read more about it, see it at the end of the chapter.)
Some observant individuals noticed that Xing Beiming's son, Xing Luo, coincidentally had a surname combining the couple's. This sparked speculation about the child's origins once again.
On the day before the wedding, just as everyone in the Shadow Guards wanted to tease Shi Qi, one of the key figures in the wedding, they discovered—he was nowhere to be found...
……..
The author has something to say:
Regarding the doubts about the childbirth medicine, let me explain.
The medicine comes in a bottle but how many pills are inside? There aren't many.
Three people having buns in the oven is enough.
Wow~~~
As for the reason for the childbirth of Xing Luo, it's not due to the Moon Shadow Divine Art, but rather the Cold Soul Silver Flower. The combination of the Silver Flower and the fertility medicine produces a special substance in the superior's XX that, when introduced into the little one's OO, um... well, as seen in other stories, the little ones usually take the medicine~ This flower isn't so easily obtained, so for the happiness of our little attackers, work hard! ↖(^╧Й^)↗
The extras for Xiao Qi (Ying Qi) have just been written and it's quite tortuous.
There are two ideas for the top, one is that after a difficult journey of chasing Ying Qi, Xiao Yin (Yin Ji) finally brings Ying Qi back and being mischievous, makes Little Qi have buns.
The other is that in order to chase Ying Qi, Xiao Yin sacrifices himself, gives Xiao Qi the medicine and then pushes Xiao Qi, taking the top position and having buns himself...
Actually, I lean towards the latter plot but then I imagine Ying Qi with a big belly and I'm conflicted~~~ Speak up, or no meat for you, hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮
......
Additional Info of footnote:
In Chinese culture, the color of the bride's makeup, specifically in terms of red or blue, carries different symbolic meanings.
1. Red Makeup:
- Traditional Symbolism: Red is a highly auspicious color in Chinese culture, symbolizing happiness, good fortune, and prosperity. Red makeup on the bride is traditional and represents joy and celebration.
- Cultural Significance: Red is often associated with weddings and is believed to ward off evil spirits. It is commonly used in wedding attire, decorations, and makeup to bring blessings to the couple.
- Emotional Connotations: Red makeup can evoke feelings of warmth, excitement, and festivity. It's a color that signifies love, passion, and auspicious beginnings, making it a popular choice for brides.
2. Blue Makeup:
- Unconventional Choice: Blue makeup for the bride is less traditional and more modern or unconventional in Chinese culture.
- Symbolism: Blue can symbolize calmness, tranquility, and stability. It may represent a sense of serenity and peacefulness in the context of marriage.
- Personalization: Choosing blue makeup might reflect the bride's personal style, preferences, or a desire for a unique and non-traditional wedding look.