Qiu Ling took a deep breath and his gaze cleared from the confusion that had been written there just a moment ago.
Jinde raised his brows but didn't comment. Even he forgot sometimes but this child wasn't as innocent and stupid as he wanted others to think. He had such a streak, yes, but it was hardly his whole personality. No, under that part of himself that he showed to the world, there was still the dark one that the troubles of the previous generation had created.
Qiu Ling forced himself to smile. "Well … That's something we can discuss when Jing'er gets back. For now, we should solve this problem with cousin-in-law first."
Jinde nodded. "As I said you could go and gather some materials, Xin Lan can come and get these lists. As for Bai Mu … you probably have speaks to talk to your lover about."
"Mn." Bai Mu nodded. Even if they weren't able to stay together forever in the end, they could still have many precious years in the dragon realm if Nie Huang wanted to.
"Then I'll go ask her over." Qiu Ling got up but still took another look at Jinde. Thinking of what might happen to Jing He … "Uh … Old geezer, if those people on your list aren't alive anymore and you really don't feel up to it, then don't do it. We can find another way."
Jinde nodded. "Of course. You … you've managed to live through a lot and solve any problem you were confronted with. So with you around, how could my soul just give out?"
"Mn." Qiu Ling cut the connection but kept the transmission stone in his hand. Mn, solving any problem … that sounded nice. But how come he still had a demonic side then and wasn't married to Jing He yet? However much he tried, it seemed that something would always go wrong on the last step. Could he really trust that everything would go well in the end?
Behind him, Xin Lan cleared his throat. "If you want to go and notify that woman, then you should do so. Don't just stand there."
"Oh." Qiu Ling wanted to put the transmission stone away but Bai Mu leaped to his feet. "Wait! What … what about my father then?"
"Uh …" Qiu Ling took the stone back out and threw it to Bai Mu. "Then you keep it."
"But … but he doesn't even know me."
"That's also true." Qiu Ling took the stone back and looked it over. What to do with it? He couldn't leave it with Bai Mu but he couldn't take Bai Mu with him either. In the end, he could only turn to Xin Lan. "Why don't you go and tell her to come over?"
"Because I don't know her. Furthermore … Didn't you hear His Majesty just now? I should go and get the lists. And then there's still that fallen god you made me find. Do you think all of that will get itself done?"
"No."
Xin Lan didn't bother to answer. Instead, he turned back to Bai Mu. "Are you sure you don't know anything else?"
"About my mother's family and a fallen god? No. Not in the least."
"Then I guess I'll also have to ask the God of—"
A transmission stone was thrust at him, interrupting what he had wanted to say.
He furrowed his brows and looked at Qiu Ling incredulously. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Well, since you need to wait anyway you might as well help out here. If uncle-in-law tries to contact me, you can just explain to him and ask your questions as well. In the meantime, I'll go and tell sister Nie that she should come here. And after that, I'll go find the ingredients for that pill. When you're finished and have to go to the old geezer you can just leave the stone with cousin-in-law. Now, everything should work out, shouldn't it?"
Xin Lan looked from Qiu Ling to the stone in his hands and finally nodded. "Alright then. I only hope the God of War will —"
Qiu Ling didn't listen and just left. He also didn't want to wait. The sooner he managed to deal with all these things, the sooner he could go and find out if what Jinde had said was true.
Well, why was he kidding himself? The old geezer had lived a very long time. He might have hidden in the human realm for many years but that didn't render his previous knowledge invalid. If he said that that was what would happen when a god's reincarnation ascended, then it would be this way.
Right now, he could only hope that there was some kind of exception that none other than the gods or maybe even just the Heavenly Emperor knew of. Otherwise … he really didn't know what to do. He would have to kill Jing Yi to get Jing He back but he would have to condemn Jing He if he wanted to let Jing Yi live. Both choices were equally unacceptable. He loved Jing He but … he had spent so many years with Jing Yi already and he had always regarded him as his lover too. It was just that …
Qiu Ling stopped in front of the restaurant and looked up at the sky. His life hadn't been good. In fact, it had been awful most of the time. Even after taking place on the dragon realm's throne and even with his predecessor's consent, he had never been truly at ease.
He was part demon. It wasn't his fault but it was also part of his nature. He might be more like a dragon thanks to a stroke of luck but that didn't negate his demon blood. Nothing could. So each day on that throne was another day he needed to deceive the people around him.
What if someone found out? Should he do what he had done when he was young? Should he kill that person how he had killed that woman? Should he dirty his hands with blood once again just to keep his secret? But then what right did he have to condemn the demons and claim to be a dragon? Everything he did to keep his heritage under wraps brought him one step closer to losing his way. Wasn't that why he had always avoided everyone else?
He had thrown his work at his advisers and locked himself up in his chambers or somewhere else if people came to bother him too much. He had hardly ever seen someone and kept away from any event he could. He had … been as lonely in the capital as he had been in that cursed hut.