Inside the bedchamber, when Yang Kai entered, Zhu Qing was holding Mo Xiaoqi's hands and whispering to her. He couldn't tell what they were talking about, but whatever it was had brought a smile to Mo Xiaoqi's face. After a while, she suddenly shook her head, her expression turning troubled and nervous. Zhu Qing patiently coaxed her, and after quite some time, she finally gave a soft nod.
Then Zhu Qing walked over and gave Yang Kai a meaningful glance.
The two of them left together.
"What did you say to her?" Yang Kai wrapped an arm around Zhu Qing, his free hand roving shamelessly over her as he asked.
Zhu Qing swatted his mischievous hand away and said, "I asked her when she wanted to go meet the Third Elder. She seems a bit scared."
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai said, "That's only natural. She's been caught between anticipation and nerves the entire journey, and being here has only made it worse. What — she doesn't want to see her own mother?"
Zhu Qing replied, "It's not that she doesn't want to — she's just very anxious. But since she's like this, perhaps we should go invite the Third Elder over instead."
"That works too." Yang Kai nodded.
The two immediately set off toward the spirit island where the Third Elder resided. The island wasn't far from Zhu Qing's Crescent Island — at their speed, they arrived in little more than the time it took an incense stick to burn. The entire island was scenically beautiful, with range upon range of mountains rising in succession. What made it truly remarkable was a massive waterfall that plummeted from the summit, its curtain of water stretching from sky to earth. Before they even arrived, they could hear its thunderous roar.
At the base of the waterfall lay a valley, and within the valley stood a handful of pavilions and towers. This was where the Third Elder, Fu Xuan, made her home.
Zhu Qing led Yang Kai here with practiced ease, and they arrived to find a woman in a water-blue palace dress tending to various flowers and plants. Her bearing was serene, her temperament gentle and graceful.
As though sensing something, Fu Xuan raised her head and looked their way. She gave Zhu Qing a slight smile, then her gaze settled on Yang Kai.
"Third Elder!" Zhu Qing stepped forward and bowed. Yang Kai also cupped his fists in greeting. "Greetings, Third Elder."
Fu Xuan nodded with a smile. "You're here?"
She had met Yang Kai before and knew of his relationship with Zhu Qing. Their situation was almost identical to her own with Mo Huang — both had committed a grave taboo on Dragon Island. The only difference was that she and Mo Huang already had a child, leaving no room for reversal, while Yang Kai and Zhu Qing had not yet reached that point. Because of this, Fu Xuan felt a sense of shared fate with them. Although she wasn't especially close with Yang Kai, there was no trace of unfamiliarity when they met.
This was the first time Yang Kai had properly appraised Fu Xuan. The last time he'd seen her, she had just been freed from over a decade of exile in the Dragon Tomb, still frail and pale, the kind of pitiable beauty that tugged at one's heart. She had clearly recovered since then. Her features were exquisite, her gaze warm and tranquil, without the slightest hint of the arrogance one might expect from a dragon.
He had just heard from Zhu Qing that the Third Elder was a Water Dragon, the gentlest of all the dragons on Dragon Island. If one got to know her well enough, one would find she was more like a recluse than a dragon.
Hearing about something and seeing it for yourself were two different things. Fu Xuan's every movement truly gave one the feeling of a spring breeze brushing across the face. She was practically heaven and earth compared to the Second Elder, Fu Zhun. Just thinking of Fu Zhun made Yang Kai's skin crawl — he had no idea how Zhu Yan, that old fox, tolerated her.
"Last time you went chasing after Wu Kuang, and it took you so many years to return. Were there any mishaps?"
Yang Kai shook his head. "No mishaps. I just worried Qing'er for nothing."
Fu Xuan nodded. "Qing'er was indeed worried. All those years she spent by my side, she never once—"
"Third Elder!" Zhu Qing hurriedly cut her off, steering straight to the point. "Yang Kai came today because there's tremendous news to share with you."
Fu Xuan pressed her lips together and smiled. "What good news could I possibly have? This little girl is always talking nonsense."
Zhu Qing grinned. "Xiao Qi has come to see you. Does that count as good news?"
"Xiao Qi?" Fu Xuan's expression changed the instant she heard the name. Those gentle, water-like eyes suddenly blazed with startling brilliance. She turned to look at Yang Kai, her voice trembling with excitement. "Xiao Qi is here?"
Yang Kai nodded. "The Beast Martial Great Emperor knew I would be coming to Dragon Island, so he entrusted Xiao Qi to me and asked me to bring her here for a visit."
Receiving this confirmation, Fu Xuan's delicate frame actually trembled. Her gaze darted past Yang Kai's shoulder, searching, but found nothing. Her voice came out hoarse. "Where is she? Is she here?"
With her pure ninth-rank dragon bloodline and Sacred Spirit cultivation, had Mo Xiaoqi truly come along, she would have sensed her presence immediately. The fact that she asked such a question showed her mind had already grown muddled, her capacity for rational thought overwhelmed. One could only imagine what kind of impact the news of her daughter coming to visit had on her.
Yang Kai shook his head. "She's waiting for you on Qing'er's Crescent Island."
Zhu Qing added, "Little sister Xiao Qi seems a bit afraid, so she didn't dare come here…"
But Fu Xuan was in no state to listen to explanations anymore. A single thought echoed through her mind on repeat: Xiao Qi is here. Xiao Qi has come to Dragon Island. Xiao Qi has come to see me — and she's not far away. I can see her any moment now.
So many years had passed since she had been separated from her daughter while the girl was still in swaddling clothes. This was the first time she had been this close to her, the first time there was real hope of seeing her again.
Before Zhu Qing had even finished speaking, Fu Xuan's figure blurred. She transformed into a streak of brilliant light and shot off toward Crescent Island at breakneck speed.
Yang Kai and Zhu Qing exchanged a glance, each seeing a look of helpless amusement in the other's eyes — but they understood exactly how this mother and daughter felt in this moment.