Quest Maker: 424

Title: Baihe; Renxue

A few days after the guest’s return, Ja Sun eradicated more of Xunji’s traces spread like a virus, for they were exactly that. He wasn’t overthinking it at all. Xunji always has to have a scheme within his schemes. But Ja Sun is only beneath Xunji on this planet when it comes to the Law of Blood, and his experience with other Laws makes it far more effortless for him to locate all of Xunji’s marks and cull the problem at its root. That wasn’t all. The Defiance Array occupied a significant portion of his thoughts, leaving him with little energy to focus on other projects.

He moved on to his other task fairly quickly—restructuring the Island.

The Island consists of three ‘rings.’ The first ring consists of the Central Plaza, the second ring consists of the Seven Lakes possessing the pillars of seven aquatic beasts, and the final circle consists of Seven Cities under the Seven Children of the Sea. The first two rings were necessary to operate the Divine Grace Array, but not anymore. Not only did Ja Sun reforge the damaged trident into his Vajra Gauntlets, alleviating the latter’s status to a true blue incomplete Divine Artifact, but Ja Sun also doesn’t need ‘nodes’ left by Poseidon to operate the Divine Grace array since he can mobilize it from any spot in the city. And frankly, Ja Sun is keen on taking things a step further.

The Destiny Defiance Array isn’t just useful for letting him—as the girls eloquently describe it—Breed the beast girls, but it’s the actual notion of defiance of causality. It’s far too precious not to make use of further. But that’s for later. For now, his family only needs to know that he is shifting the array out since it melts through Spatial Artifacts.

And so, Ja Sun makes changes again. The Seven Lakes are useless and only occupy empty space since even the Seven Children of the Sea focus more on their cities in their own way. It needs to change.

Ja Sun replaced the once revered plaza with the Ice And Fire Yin-Yang Well. The dual-faced lake sits in the center of the Island with poisonous potency to increase floral growth by ten times, a domain bereft of usual fauna except for certain groups of Pokemon. It also solidifies Ah-Yin’s stay as the actual ‘key’ to the Divine Grace Array since she will be the one to act as the Island’s protection. The center of the Island is further blessed when Yin uses her Yang Node to set an independent Blue Silver Domain, creating a utopia of floral growth.

Heh! The couple can farm immortal herbs and sell them for profit! Ehm!

The only reason Ja Sun kept from making Bibi Dong AND Yin the controllers of the Array is the difference in how they are pre-disposed to use their control-type abilities. While Bibi Dong is downright nasty with her schemes, she falls short of devising defensive ingenuity, something Ah-Yin is expertise in.

The second ring of the Island now sports Giant’s Forest. It has always been Bibi Dong’s domain. The arrival of the giants surprised the Island. But they welcomed it shortly after hearing how precious their spirit rings are and how accomplished Islanders will have a chance to attain said spirit rings every few years. It will undoubtedly add diversity to the combat system on the Island predisposed to sea-based tactics.

These changes also solidify Ah-Yin and Bibi Dong in the Islander’s eyes. While Ja Sun planned on achieving these changes early on—Bibi Dong and Bi Ji were the ones who helped him with the execution as the two bounced ideas off each other. The main reason to plan a well-thought execution was to farm Faith. These acts will put the number of women in Ja Sun’s life as the Island’s ‘Saintess,’ as he will get a chance to slowly drift away from the civilian side of the Island without worrying about his popularity fading. And with less civilians to suck up to in his godly ways, Ja Sun will free himself to focus on his family instead.

Yet, he didn’t overlook confirming Bibi Dong’s and Bi Ji’s consultation with Bo Saixi. In the end, the woman knows the Island the best. The former Priestess understands the heart of the Island, and it showed when she tweaked some things in the execution. For instance, she offered to add a ‘safe’ line through the two regions for non-spiritual civilians for their desire to gaze at their ‘God’s’ wonders. Bibi Dong and Bi Ji overlooked that civilians tend to be more zealous. If they find themselves treated as fairly as the Spirit Masters, they will devote themselves to their leaders.

Of course, the path must feel like a pilgrimage with roundabout routes and whatnot.

Yet, Ja Sun expected some sass from the woman.

“Are you feeling alright?” He inquires while idling on Saixi’s couch as she quietly meditates.

“I’m quite well,” she replies. “Are we done with consultation? If so, I’d like to return to cultivation.”

“What’s the point?” Ja Sun hums. “You’ve hit a bottleneck. If you keep at it, Master will keep widening the distance. Instead of banging your head against that bottleneck, you should find a way to fracture and grind it.”

Saixi opens her eyes, “It was my understanding you preferred your Master’s growth over mine.”

“That old man?” Ja Sun snorts a chuckle. “He’s the one who deposited the load in his wife that gave rise to Blood God. Do you think I’m letting him live that one down? And he still attracts women like flies when he goes to open his centipede noodle stall in the Seven Cities! For shame!”

It’s as Ja Sun says. Qian Daoliu took it upon himself to enjoy his second life and open a store in the seven cities—seven days, seven cities.

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to student and master,” Bo Saixi decries. There you go—sass.

“Yin?” Ja Sun muses. “I suppose I can see her with someone like Yuehua or Yuena. They are the elegant sort, you know?”

Saixi rolls her eyes as his gaze falls on her. “You’re also the elegant type.”

“Please refrain from conjuring such images.”

“Too late.”

“Then keep them out of my head,” Saixi snaps lightly as Ja Sun impishly snickers before refraining from teasing her further. “Thanks for helping out. And best of luck with your bottleneck.”

He sits up before stretching slightly.

“Can I ask you something?” Bo Saixi questions. “How do you do it? It’s hard to shower others with genuine affection, but you seem to have loads of it. Did the Tribulation not ground it away? Did the Blood God not poison the slightest bit of it? I cannot seem to understand it. You know about my relationship with Tang Chen. You must have the slightest indication of the despair one feels at such tragedies, and you set yourself for several such events. Why?”

Ja Sun crosses his arms and tilts his head, thinking for a long while as he does not shy from Saixi’s invasive gaze.

“Well,” he clears his throat. “There is the long answer, and there is the short answer. I’ll start with the latter. You care a lot about emotions and their consequences. What you should worry about is the consequences of your actions instead.”

“And the long answer?”

Ja Sun grins. “I think I’m starting to get your problem. Other girls made a bet that you’re only feeling lonely.”

Saixi clenches her jaw, seething, “Yuena!”

“Yep, her. She is rather talkative with Lana and Xiao Wu. I guess everyone is. Hmm. Anyway, I think you don’t trust yourself.” He shrugs. “When you build enough self-confidence and trust, you will realize that these ‘tragedies’ you talk about are effortlessly healed with time. If someone leaves me, I’ll find another one. If someone important to me dies an unnatural death, I will do my best to get closure for them, even if it means dabbling in unorthodox means. I trust that even death will give me a new understanding of life. So, there isn’t anything to fear except the girl’s anger if I do something ridiculously foolish. Even then, I trust myself to brush it off and say it was just a prank.”

Bo Saixi digests his words before muttering, “You’re somewhat wise.”

“Bitch, I’m Sagely,” he chuckles, leaving her room.

“Hmm,” she scoffs, closing her eyes with the relief of some burden chiseled off her shoulders. She isn’t quite there yet, but Bo Saixi at least understands what she has to work on and how she may work it. It’s not anything as ridiculous as Yuena’s claim. As it turns out, the Silver Dragon may just be projecting.

So why?

Why does she find herself ‘imagining’ between Ah-Yin and Yuehua as they drill—

“Ja Sun!” she snaps.

“Right, it’s just a prank.” She hears a naughty giggle.

The bastard! He was eating snacks in that image while watching the two women—Ahhh!

She must stop thinking about it herself.

---

“Okay! Deep breaths! Wow, I’m feeling woozy!” Ja Sun takes deep breaths as he holds Bibi Dong’s hands. “Do I need to be here?” He questions as Bibi Dong grits her teeth. “Just take her out!”

“Oh. It would be interesting to create a portal inside Bibi’s womb,” Gu Yuena muses from the side.

“I promise!” Bibi Dong hisses. “I will cut your cunt out if you waste another second!”

“Isn’t she exaggerating?” Yin soothingly brushes Bibi Dong’s hair. “It can’t be that painful.”

“You almost crushed my hand during your time,” Bibi Dong snarls as Ja Sun gets to work. Spirits! He never knew Bibi Dong could stretch THAT much! Who the fuck said birth is nature’s most beautiful process?

Master!

Ja Sun vows to shove a rock as big as a child up Daoliu’s ass one of these days!

---

“She’s here!” Ja Sun loudly announces as he steps out of the room with a covered infant cradled in his arms. His voice fails to reach the resting infant as the surrounding cheers do not disturb her first sleep.

“And Sister Dong?” Yuehua questions quickly as he smiles, “She is fine. Yin is doing some final touch-ups and will return to training in a few hours.”

“Ehhhh?” Lana whines. “Can’t she take a rest? I enjoyed the few months without her constantly setting training goals for us!”

“Really? It was boring,” Erlong scoffs. “All I could do was butt heads with Sea Dragon. Sister Dong is entertaining to spar due to her poisons and tactics. She would start collecting spirit rings for her other martial soul, right?”

“Hmm,” Ja Sun nods as he looks at the girl in his arms. She’s as fair as Liang, for whom Ja Sun kneels while letting the boy get a good look at his half-sister. Like Liang, she has dark hair similar to Ja Sun, but unlike Liang, being a mommy’s boy with sapphire eyes, his daughter possesses similar vibrant green hues under those eyelids. She sleeps like an angel, too.

“Hmph,” Bing Bing snorts. “Does she have a name? Truly, I don’t get human customs at times. It’s just a child. He’s bound to have many.”

She feels attention focusing on her as the stinger’s stance falters, “What?”

“Preparing yourself?” Lana smiles thickly as a ruddy hue overtakes Bing’s cheeks. “N-Nonsense! I’ve never slept with that depraved man!”

“Then who was there with us?” Xiao Wu blinks in surprise, gasping, “A ghost?”

“Shut up!”

“Heh,” Ja Sun ignores them as he smiles at his curious son. “Liang, her name is Baihe. Ja Baihe. Protect her with everything you’ve got.”

He leans forward to let Liang touch Baihe’s cheek as the girl frowns, irritated by the sudden intrusion into her peace as she sobs and starts crying loudly.

“She’s a crybaby!” Xie Yue snickers while holding his sister in his arms as Lana carries Oscar Jr. instead, taking care of Jun’er’s son in her absence.

“You were a crybaby, too,” Ja Sun smirks at the boy before standing slowly. Ja Liang floats behind him, not left out at all. Ja Sun glances at everyone, deadpanning. “And I know you little shits made a bet again.”

“Tch,” Xia Xan clicks his tongue.

“I would never bet against Sage God,” Bi Ji smiles calmly.

“Yeah. You had me do it instead,” Zi Ji scoffs before sealing her lips shut under the former’s faux bespectacled stare.

“I suppose your Law of Control is superior,” Qian Daoliu chuckles.

Sun waves them off with a contemptuous stare, “Off with you!”

He enters Bibi Dong’s room again with his children as he feels his heart drumming against his chest.

“Damn, I almost let it slip!” He heaves deeply, ignoring Yin, Dong, and Yuena as he brings Liang closer, snuggling with his adorable children as a tear gently rolls down his left cheek. “I just feel so overwhelmed every time! But I love this feeling. And you two boobie-suckers haven’t even done anything to make me feel so damn proud!”

Yin and Bibi glance at each other with fond smirks as Yuena inclines her head before glancing away. She doesn’t like such an emotional Ja Sun. It feels like an exploitable weakness, yet she finds herself incredibly calm. It’s almost enlightening to see someone like Ja Sun acting so human around his children when even his lovers rarely find luxuriate in such instances.

It’s heartwarming—only if she possessed one, no thanks to the mother of the said ‘Purest Girl.’ Does Ja Sun really believe his daughter won’t raise one massive storm as she grows? She has two of the most chaotic bloodlines flowing in her veins.

Ja Sun won’t have a chance against his daughter’s whims.

---

“I wish your grandfather were here,” he softly sighs as he holds an innocent child in his arms, a being bereft of any sins. Infants are intriguing. They are so blameless, yet their eyes always possess intuition that adults ordinarily find themselves lacking. These are creatures meant to absorb everything inside them. But that won’t do.

Xunji is a God. And he senses more than the rest. As children grow, they absorb beneficial things but also unnecessary substances. The polluted chi of this world does not compare to the benefits of a mother’s womb.

A lesser man would fail to provide the best conditions for their children, but not Xunji. He could sense that she was the one—a seed with the maximum potential possible from within him. Her mother is no longer valuable except for providing the most optimal ‘condition’ for his daughter’s nourishment. She possessed deep golden hair like the rest of his family and vivid red eyes.

Those are intelligent eyes.

“Father would have loved to raise you. Under his guidance, you might have surpassed him. While I’m outstanding, your Grandfather is one of the best teachers. Hmm. You will meet him soon. I promise—ah, what should I name you?”

“D-Dear,” he hears a weak voice. “I thought we would name our daughter—”

Her voice seals shut.

The audacity.

He sighs as creepy squelching noises fill the blood-red interior of the cave. His daughter keeps staring at her father, seemingly unable to see or hear her mother’s screams as the woman’s flesh presses into itself until it forms a strange blood-red blanket.

“Renxue. Qian Renxue. Your Grandfather wanted to name his child Renxue should my mother bore him a daughter. Grow well,” Xunji whispers. “For me, my ambitions, and your fallen brothers and sisters.”

He covers the girl in the blood-red blanket that was once the woman who gave birth to Renxue as Xunji smiles. “Hmm, the blanket will refine and purify all the chi as if you were still in your mother’s womb. Truly, applications of runes and arrays with my Law of Blood count in thousands.”

---

“You deserve to make the decision. I told the same things when I returned to Yin and Liang.” Ja Sun kisses Bibi Dong’s forehead as she gently strokes Baihe’s head, letting the girl feed with a soothing and fulfilled smile. She’s glad Ja Sun talked her into this decision. Baihe might just be her grandest ‘result’ yet.

“You’re saying you can create an artifact that purifies what gets into our daughter?” the spider muses before shaking her head. “What’s the point? We’d be some insane parents if we thought of spoiling our children to such an extent. Adversaries and our ability to conquer them make us who we are—powerful.” She shakes her head. “Sorry. I know how much you looked forward to meeting our daughter, but I cannot let you do that.”

“No need to be sorry,” Ja Sun chuckles. “Besides, the impure qi would only mean minor bottlenecks. And even if she could surpass Innate Full Spirit with our interference, it would be bad for her mentality in the long run. Yin decided the same thing for Liang.”

“She looks so peaceful,” Bibi Dong wonders. “It makes you wonder if we were just like her.”

“Of course we were,” Ja Sun rolls his eyes. “It would be a tragedy if a kid grew to teenage years inside their mother!”

“Why’d you have to put that image in my head?!”

“I thought it, but why should I suffer alone~? We’re married. In sickness and health—all that crap.”

“Marrying you was a mistake.”

“Too bad. I’m keeping Baihe!”

“Hah?” Bibi Dong snaps. “You were just here for some pumps! I carried her.”

“Some pumps?!” Ja Sun takes offense. “We were at it for hours!”

“Stop showing images in my head!”

“It’s just practice for visualization,” Ja Sun shrugs. “It can be a good teaching technique to teach the kids when they grow up.”

Bibi Dong snorts before embracing her daughter closer. “I suppose a preparing father like you would do. But I don’t want to hear anything about you fighting the world for our daughter’s purity. What are you? A child?”

Ja Sun grows quiet before nodding. Yet his words make the woman roll her eyes. “I shall instill all the virtues of purity upon dear Baihe. She shall cringe at the thought of the filthy acts!”

“You’re calling us filthy?”

“Do you look yourself in the mirror? We ARE filthy!”

“Fair enough,” Bibi Dong smirks.

***

Alternate Title: Reconstruction; Pilgrimage; Evolving Tactics; The Defense and Offense; Plans For The Breeding Array; The True Bottleneck—Confidence; Emotions Hurt; It Takes Little To Fear; Ja Sun Cooks Wildest Images!; The God of Corrupting Maidens; The Consulting Forces; Delivery; Daughter; A Heartbreaker; Bing Bing Thrives In Denial; The Lost (Won) Bet; Ja Baihe; Another Daughter; Qian Renxue; Ja Liang’s Sister; Thriving Family; Casually Challenging Her Father’s Law of Control: A Menacing Daughter Indeed; Yuena Casually Pulling Brook-Level Heartless Puns; Baby Blanket On Another Level; Qian Xunji: Your Mother is Always With You, Renxue; Different Circumstances; Godly Insight—Incompetent Parenting; Adversary Makes Men