Outside, Jinde led Fei Bai Mu to one of the many rooms in the palace. He did make it a point to choose one that was a little further away just in case he wouldn't return to the lake immediately and stay outside with his husband for some more time.
Anyway, it would be strange if somebody from his sect was right in the next room if they got up to something, wasn't it? Not that he would mind having an audience but Leng Jin Yu probably wouldn't be happy about it. Since his husband was shy like that, he should indulge him a bit.
At the door, he turned to Fei Bai Mu, giving her a smile. "It's nice to hear of the Jian Yi Sect. I'm sure it means a lot to him to know that you have his back. It is just … He also feels indebted to the Yun Zou Sect. He likely won't leave just like that, even if I am healed."
Fei Bai Mu nodded. "I appreciate you telling me this. Since the Yun Zou Sect is important to him, our Jian Yi Sect will naturally take good care of them. It's just … He is our Grandmaster. Since he has returned to the mortal realm, it would be strange for him to be anywhere else but in his own palace. We have been keeping the place up and nobody else has moved in. If you ever feel like it … You can return at any time."
Jinde nodded. "Well, then I guess after I'm healed, you'll have to figure out how to go about this. If you really want him to return, then you'll have to make sure that the Yun Zou Sect is in a situation where he can leave.
"Other than this problem with the vanished disciples, there is probably just the issue of who is going to succeed Sect Master Yuchi. He was pretty adamant about it being my husband but that won't work because of obvious reasons. Jin Yu also knows that. It is something he has been agonizing over for a while. I guess if it hadn't been for me, he just would have taken over that spot for a while and then made sure to give up the position to somebody else soon after. Anyway, it's come to this now. There will need to be another approach."
"Then I will inquire some more and think about it. The Yun Zou Sect probably has several excellent disciples. It's just a matter of doing the right thing to make one of them eligible for the position. I'll figure something out."
Jinde just smiled and didn't say anything else. He still looked at her though, waiting for her to speak up. Obviously, there would be another few things that she would want to say.
Fei Bai Mu smiled wryly. It had been a while since she was seen through like that. Talking with somebody of the immortal races was indeed a different matter compared to interacting with human cultivators. Normally, there weren't too many that were this sharp even if there was still a handful of them. Anyway, since their Grandmaster had left, she hadn't had this feeling in a long time. "Before, you said that you wanted a child. Was that the truth?"
Jinde gave a hum, not feeling that that was anything he needed to hide. "This matter between your Grandmaster and I isn't that simple. In any case, I've always loved children and I do want to have one. I also think that Leng Jin Yu supports this. So you don't have to worry that your disciple will be used to convince him of something he isn't up to. He can do this. I'm sure that Jin Yu will be a great father."
Fei Bai Mu thought back to how the Grandmaster had just looked at the child in his husband's arms. Even if she wasn't sure if he would be a great father, he was obviously a good husband. His feelings for this person were very deep. There was just one thing that was a little difficult. "Well, the two of you are both men. So for a child … Since you can't leave, do you want me to be on the lookout for one that you could adopt? It might be difficult to find one that looked similar to you but we could find one that has at least a bit of a resemblance with the Grandmaster. That shouldn't be completely out of the question."
Jinde chuckled. "Thank you for the offer but I don't think that will be necessary. As far as children go … While I wouldn't mind adopting one, I do want one of my own."
"But …"
Jinde gave her another smile. This was very much like the moment when he had brought it up for the first time with Leng Jin Yu. He wondered if she would also believe him when he said that he would carry it on his own.
In the end, he felt like he shouldn't joke around too much though. If his husband really thought that things were like that, it might just cause further trouble in the future. "Don't worry. The dragons do have a way of accomplishing this. It's just that … I shouldn't do this while I'm still in this state.
"It's not that it's completely impossible but the process is quite draining and I honestly don't know if I would be able to take it right now. Even if I could, I wouldn't be a good parent. I should first make sure that I'm in a good place and then I'll be able to focus on this child. It would be better for everyone involved."
Fei Bai Mu looked at him searchingly. "In that case, you should let us help you. Even if there isn't much that the Jian Yi Sect can do, at the very least, if we can help you out a bit, that's already very good. What do you think of that?"
"Once again, I do appreciate the offer. But I think Jin Yu wasn't quite fond of the idea. And anyway, I really don't know if it would help much."
Fei Bai Mu nodded but inwardly, she didn't take it to heart. Their Grandmaster naturally wouldn't want them to use their precious materials to help them out if there was another way to do this.
He just was that kind of person. Despite his high position, he had never asked anything of the sect. He was a bit withdrawn, especially towards the end. But he had given the Jian Yi Sect a lot. And if he returned, he would give even more in the future.
That was something she couldn't deny. And to be honest, she could also feel his sincerity in treating them. This kind of person should be treated with sincerity in return. Thus, she would do anything she could to help his husband. Even if there was not much she could do, she would still do the little bit that could be done.