Mo Ran spoke without thinking it through. A sneer on Jiang Xi's face was tantamount to rejection. And yet before he said anything in reply, Chu Wanning butted in and said something astounding.
"That is a good idea. Sect Leader Jiang, can I bother you to take a look at Mo Ran?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Mo Ran knew to shut up, but he did not understand why Chu Wanning would allow him to stay for treatment.
Xue Meng thought that the dog was really sick in the head, maybe Jiang Xi could tighten a bolt or two.
Shi Mei's lips parted in concern. He clutched at Mo Ran's sleeve and whispered, "A-Ran, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Chu Wanning had a good reason to want Mo Ran to stay. In his previous life, he did not have good enough of a relationship with Jiang Xi to seek his help regarding the Hatred Flower.
Chu Wanning's medical knowledge was adequate to some level, but definitely could not compare to any of the Guyue'ye Sect Elder's, let alone Jiang Xi's. He had learned from the few weeks with Jiang Xi that the man was literally a genius, a maniac even who would stop at nothing to broaden his horizons. What he knew, he knew a lot. What he did not know, he would research and he would become an expert in that area.
Jiang Xi narrowed his eyes at the pair of disciples in front of him who was practically snuggling under his nose.
"Can our deal cover Mo Ran's treatment?" Chu Wanning turned to Jiang Xi in all seriousness.
"If not, I am willing to pay for more."
"No need," Jiang Xi said. "In fact, your disciple might be sick with an ancient disease which cure is still not yet found to date. Guyue'ye Sect will gain benefit from researching your disciple."
Chu Wanning knew what Jiang Xi was talking about when he spoke about benefit and research, but the three disciples immediately got goosebumps.
Just like that, Xue Meng and Shi Mei went back to Sisheng Peak the very same day and Mo Ran returned to Guyue'ye Sect Hall with Chu Wanning and Jiang Xi.
A disgruntled Guyue'ye Sect disciple was given the task to show Mo Ran to the guest-chamber, and he was not particularly happy about it. He was incidentally the same disciple who had to swallow his vomit after dealing with Xia Sini. The wonder child managed to gain Sect Leader's approval and was given permission to stay longer. And he was from Sisheng Peak. Sisheng Peak! Was that not the only sect in Lower Cultivation Realm? The other sect disciples were dumb, but the Sisheng Peak disciples must have an even lower standard.
When this disciple heard that Mo Ran also came from Sisheng Peak, he assigned him to share Xia Sini's room so he would not "pollute" other disciples. He quickly gained the verdict that Sisheng Peak disciples were indeed idiots when Mo Ran started to ask him about a certain woman from Guyue'ye who was tending to Xia Sini.
"What woman???" The disciple angrily answered. "Look here, Guyue'ye Sect is not a place for rearing kids. We are all intellectuals in search of a new height!"
Mo Ran barely managed not to roll with his eyes. He wondered how this particular intellectual died in his ambush to Guyue'ye Sect in his past life. And yet Mo Ran was there for answers. He pressed on, "Xiongzhang, please be kind and share me some information. I understand that Xia-shidi is here to see his parents."
"Hmph! If you must know, your Xia-shidi has been selfishly taking most of Sect Leader's time! Whoever his parents are, they must be outside!"
Mo Ran's face turned dark.
"It cannot be," he said with a low voice. "Unless he is born from two men."
The Guyue'ye Sect disciple found Mo Ran's words funny so he went on to ridicule him. Patting on Mo Ran's back like a caring elder brother, he then said, "Then he came to the right place huh? If there is anyone that could make a man conceive, then it has to be our Sect Leader. Hahahahaha!!!"
The young man left, cackling all the way. Mo Ran's face was as dark as the night sky.
The guest-chamber was equipped with two beds. One was messy with scrolls and ink spots while the other one was untouched. It was easy to know which one was Xia Sini's. It seemed that Xia Sini inherited his messy trait from his father, Chu Wanning. Or better said, his mother?
Mo Ran sat on the bed, a snowstorm raging in his mind.
Could it be?
Chu Wanning and Jiang Xi?
Chu Wanning and Jiang Xi!
Both of them were renowned in the cultivation realm and yet both had remained unmarried.
"If there is anyone that could make a man conceive, then it has to be our Sect Leader, Hahahahaha!!!"
The words kept ringing in Mo Ran's head.
If that was true, then...
Mo Ran sighed.
Xia Sini could have been his child with Chu Wanning. Did he not want that? He despised Chu Wanning but he also wanted the man to be pregnant with his seed. He often thought that how unfortunate it was that his Shizun could not bear him a child. If he had, then things might have gone differently between them. There might be some sort of affection in form of a shared love for a child.
And yet, this child, this child was not his. He was Jiang Xi's.
Damnit.
If he had known that Jiang Xi could make men give birth, he would have tortured Jiang Xi to death to make him reveal the secret.
No.
Death would be too easy for someone who dared to sully his Shizun's body.
The fact that Chu Wanning had had a physical relationship with Jiang Xi before him made Mo Ran partially disgusted, partially furious. He gritted his teeth and punched at the wall just above the bed. The entire wall shook for a bit.
Why?
Mo Ran roared out of frustration.
-Focus, Mo Ran, he told himself.
-The feathered tribe is coming. Chu Wanning was your concubine in the past, but not in this life. In this life, he is your Shizun. Whether or not he gives birth to anyone does not concern you at all. His relationship with Jiang Xi is not your business at all.
-You. Have. To. Think. About. Shi Mei.
-Easier said than done.
The poor dog rolled around on his bed in agony.
-It doesn't work.
-I have to find Xia-shidi and ask him directly if he has a mother. If yes, then who.
-I have to hear it from his mouth, else I will not believe it!
-And by the way, where is Xia-shidi?
Mo Ran's eyes widened in alarm.
-God damnit, WHERE IS CHU WANNING???
Fueled by rage and youthful energy, Mo Ran bolted out of the guest-chamber in search of his Shizun, who went with Jiang Xi while Mo Ran was shown to his temporary bed-chamber.
Of course he knew where Jiang Xi's private residence was. He had his own treatment chamber adjacent to his own private bed-chamber on the highest floor of the building. None of the Guyue'ye Sect disciples was brazen enough to even remotely come close to the floor without Jiang Xi's specific permission. Thankfully Mo Ran was not a Guyue'ye Sect disciple.
His movement was fast and nimble like a trained puppy's. Mo Ran stopped in front of a black double door embroidered with gold. He pressed his ear to the door and a soft whimper was heard coming from the door.
The whimper turned to a sob.
It was the sob of a child.
Xia-shidi!!!
Mo Ran kicked the door open angrily, gallant as a knight looking to save his princess. Or his apprentice little brother. Or his Shizun's neglected son.
Chu Wanning in his child form was sitting at a table with his upper body slumped over the table surface, his face was pressing against an arm while his other arm was dipping inside a basin.
At the opposite side of the table was Jiang Xi, who was unperturbed by Mo Ran's rude interruption. Jiang Xi was holding a tweezer and he was picking some stuff from Chu Wanning's arm inside the basin and putting them into a bowl.
"..."
Mo Ran came close and saw what it was.
Chu Wanning had an arm inside a basin filled with big black leeches! They hungrily sucked the blood off the poor little boy's arm, while Jiang Xi plucked the fat ones that had drunk enough into the bowl.
Mo Ran was horrified.
He might have done a lot of horrible things in the past but he had never done this kind of thing to a child! This was torture! Madness! Lunatic!
"Quiet," Jiang Xi told Mo Ran before he even said something.
Mo Ran stared at him in disbelief. And then he discovered that he could not speak. He fumbled around his throat in panic, and then he wanted to grab Chu Wanning and take him away, but Jiang Xi spoke again, "Freeze."
Mo Ran literally froze on spot.
Jiang Xi continued picking the leeches in peace. After all leeches had been removed from Chu Wanning's arm, Jiang Xi rose from his seat, placed the bowl of leeches on a side table, and went to check on Chu Wanning.
Mo Ran was able to take a good look at Chu Wanning after Jiang Xi turned him around. The little boy's face was practically bloodless. Blood drained from Mo Ran's face, his mouth open in a silent cry.
-Jiang Xi!!!
-What have you done???
-I will kill you!!!
Jiang Xi took Chu Wanning's arm out of the basin. The initially smooth, translucent jade skin was now dotted with tiny wounds from the blood-sucking leeches. Jiang Xi wiped the wounds clean, and spread a creamy ointment evenly on the surface. And then he bandaged Chu Wanning's arm meticulously and lifted the little boy in his arms.
Jiang Xi spoke, "Release."
Mo Ran immediately toppled forward and his stomach crashed against the table edge. He groaned while holding onto his stomach, his eyes teary from the pain.
"Jiang Xi, you!!!" Mo Ran scowled angrily. He did not give a fuck who Jiang Xi was. As it stood, Xia Sini was a disciple of Sisheng Peak, and a promising one at that, despite his questionable parentage. Jiang Xi did not have the right to treat him the way he did!
Jiang Xi's gaze swept over Mo Ran, from top to bottom. And then he put Chu Wanning into Mo Ran's arms.
"You can come back tomorrow. Take the fever medication as always before sleeping," he calmly said while slipping a pack of powder into Mo Ran's chest.
"..."
With those words, Mo Ran was kicked out of Jiang Xi's private residence. Like a drenched dog in a headlight, Mo Ran stared dumbly at the black-gold door for a while. Then Chu Wanning let out a soft whimper and Mo Ran hastily focused his attention on him.
"Xia-shidi???" He wailed in distress.
Mo Ran rushed back to the guest-chamber with Chu Wanning in his arms, careful not to bounce him too much. Just like Jiang Xi predicted, the little shidi in his arms developed fever not long after. Xia Sini's bed was a complete mess, so naturally Mo Ran lay the little shidi on the other bed.
"Fever medication, fever medication..."
Mo Ran hastily took out the pack of powder from Jiang Xi and ran out again to find some water to dissolve it in. When he came back to the guest-chamber, Chu Wanning was curling up in fetal position with his brows pulled together. He was in a lot of pain but he refused to cry out loud. This trait of him reminded Mo Ran so much of his Shizun. Xia Sini was undoubtedly Chu Wanning's son. When Mo Ran looked closely, he could see the physical resemblance as well.
It was like looking at a tiny Chu Wanning.
Mo Ran helped Chu Wanning up and let him lean at his chest.
"Little Shidi, come, drink some medicine, ok?"
Mo Ran patiently held the bowl at Chu Wanning's lips. The little boy took one sip and choked.
"Bitter," he whined. "I don't want..."
They even act the same when they have to drink bitter medicine...
"Drink one more sip, it will taste better next," Mo Ran persuaded with a honeyed voice.
Chu Wanning took another sip and quickly complained, "Still bitter..."
"One more, one more, the next one is so sweet!!!"
"Not sweet at all..."
"Next one! Trust me! You will regret it if you don't drink!"
Just like that, Mo Ran fooled the poor little boy into drinking the whole bowl. Then, he cradled him to his chest and patted him on his back like a baby.
"You liar," Chu Wanning said angrily and bit into Mo Ran's shoulder.
"Yes, yes. I am a liar, I am a liar."
Mo Ran sighed. His little shidi was too pitiful. But where did Chu Wanning go? Jiang Xi might be treating him next after the little shidi. Mo Ran wanted to go back to spy on them, but how could he leave the little shidi, feverish and helpless, on his own? Chu Wanning and Jiang Xi, these two people really did not deserve to be parents!
"You know what, Xia-shidi, if you were my son, I would treat you very well," Mo Ran advertised himself as an ideal father.
"I would take care of you since birth. I would buy you as many toys and sweets as you want."
Chu Wanning frowned.
How could he sleep if this dog disciple did not stop talking? And what was he talking about? Was he thinking of having a child? The last time Chu Wanning checked, Shi Mei was still a male.
"Oh really," Chu Wanning commented, his eyelids starting to drop when the medication started to take effect.
"Of course. This Venerable One would pamper you for life. In spring we will pick flowers and cook together. In summer we will pick watermelons and swim in the river. In autumn we will play with fallen leaves and roast potatoes and drink mushroom soup. In winter we make snowmen and fight with snowballs..."
-Oh.
Chu Wanning closed his eyes and his grip on Mo Ran's shoulders slackened.
-I am mistaken. It is not Mo Ran. It is Taxian-Jun talking about having a child again.
-With whom, Song Qiutong?
"Then you should not have fried her alive..."
The words were nothing but a soft whisper, but Mo Ran still heard it clearly. He immediately froze on spot.
"Xia-shidi, what... What did you say just now?"
No answer came from Chu Wanning, who had fallen asleep on Mo Ran's shoulder. Mo Ran rubbed at his temple in confusion. Maybe he misheard.
Yes.
He was talking about food. Maybe Xia-shidi misunderstood something.
Yes...
He could not be talking about something else.
The only person he fried alive was in his past life, and it was none other than Song Qiutong, his empress.
Xia-shidi could not have known that.
Could he...?