Ye Lingling, holding Ye Renxin, raised her head, confusion showing on her immature face.
"Grandpa, I'm about to awaken my martial spirit. Why mom doesn't look happy?"
Ye Renxin squatted down, smiling comfortingly:
"How could that be? Once you awaken your martial soul, she will spoil you even more."
"Really?!"
Ye Lingling's eyes lit up with excitement, her clear eyes as pure as the sky.
"Does that mean Lingling can have lots of candy?"
"Haha, yes, yes."
Ye Renxin chuckled and crouched down, picking up his granddaughter.
He sat in his usual recliner, swaying his body, with Ye Lingling resting in his arms.
Frowning slightly, Ye Lingling scratched at Ye Renxin's waist.
"Grandpa, you promised Lingling a jade pendant. Where is it?"
Ye Renxin smiled and gently explained:
"Grandpa found someone who can be with you for the rest of your life in my place. The jade pendant is with him."
"Given it to someone else?"
Ye Lingling froze, her delicate face showing distress.
"Why give it to someone else?! Grandpa, you promised it to Lingling."
"Because he can protect you."
Ye Renxin patiently explained.
"Protect me?"
Ye Lingling blinked her bright eyes in amazement.
"Does he have more soul rings than Grandpa?"
"Haha, not yet, of course."
Ye Renxin shook his head with a helpless laugh as Ye Lingling's face filled with confusion.
"Then why give it to him?"
"Because he'll surpass Grandpa one day."
Ye Renxin lifted a hand, gently caressing her face, smiling as he said:
"If you don't like him later, you can take the jade pendant back."
"Okay."
Ye Lingling nodded earnestly, but there was a hint of fear in her eyes.
"But what if Lingling can't beat him?"
"Haha, he won't fight you. Grandpa has already talked to him."
Ye Renxin laughing hearthily
He trusted the promise of the Grand Priest of the Spirit Hall.
"Who exactly did Grandpa give the pendant to?"
Before Ye Lingling could finish her sentence, a soft, tearful voice came from outside the door sounded
"Dad, Lingling, breakfast is ready."
At the doorway stood Ye Qingshui, her eyes red and still wet with tears.
Strands of damp hair fell over her face as she slowly walked into the room and placed a few simple dishes on the table.
Ye Renxin frowned deeply.
Ye Lingling quickly jumped to the ground and tugged at Ye Qingshui's dress.
"Mom, why are you crying?"
"Lingling, mommy isn't crying. It's just the smoke from the kitchen."
Ye Qingshui sniffled and quickly shook her head.
"Smoke? Then let Lingling help you blow it away, okay?"
Ye Lingling happily tugged at her mother.
"Okay."
Ye Qingshui nodded slightly, crouching down to face her smiling daughter.
"Huff~~huff~"
Ye Lingling pouted and gently blew air.
Watching her, Ye Qingshui's tears almost overflowed, and she blinked them back.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Mom~"
Ye Lingling froze.
Seeing this, Ye Renxin frowned even deeper, his throat tightening as he said hoarsely:
"Qingshui, is it so hard to sit down and have one last meal with your father?"
"Sob... Dad... I understand!"
Ye Qingshui could no longer hold back her sobs. She stood up quickly, covering her face as she ran out.
"Lingling, wait for a bit. Mom is gonna wash her face."
"…"
Ye Lingling raised her hand, looking at the tears glistening on it, and turned around in confusion.
"Grandpa, what's wrong with mommy?"
Ye Renxin quickly blinked his reddened eyes and explained with a forced smile:
"Haha, nothing. Maybe cooking hurts her eyes too much."
He didn't say any more.
Ye Renxin led Ye Lingling to sit at the table.
"Alright, let's sit down."
"Okay."
Ye Lingling nodded, sitting at the table. She looked at the dishes in surprise.
"Grandpa, these are all your favorite dishes."
"Yes... they're all Grandpa's favorites."
Ye Renxin's voice grew hoarse as he quietly waited at the table.
Ye Qingshui knew that Ye Renxin wanted to have one last meal together as a family.
Hurriedly returning to the room, she wiped her face clean and applied powder to hide the traces of her tears.
In the strange atmosphere, Ye Renxin, seemingly at peace, contentedly wiped his mouth.
Ye Qingshui silently tidied up.
In the eerie stillness, the smile on Ye Lingling's face faded slightly.
Sitting in Ye Renxin's arms, she asked softly:
"Grandpa, who did you give the jade pendant to?"
"Lingling, don't worry. First, go awaken your martial soul."
Ye Renxin had already told Ye Qingshui everything, but he didn't want to tell Lingling too soon.
"Grandpa, aren't you coming? It's very close."
Ye Renxin smiled and shook his head.
"No need. Grandpa is tired. I need to go rest."
"Lingling, come with mom to awaken your martial soul."
Standing outside, Ye Qingshui's voice broke, almost choking with tears.
"I'm coming, mom."
Lingling happily ran out, holding onto Ye Qingshui's hand.
Without turning back, Ye Qingshui walked forward, afraid that if she looked back, her tear-streaked face would be exposed.
Her steps were heavy, as if she were leading Ye Renxin to the execution ground, not just walking with Lingling.
Lingling, full of anticipation, bounced alongside her mother.
Ye Renxin watched the two figures as they walked away, then slowly closed the door.
He lay quietly in his recliner, two streams of tears trickling from his eyes, fading along with the life force in his body.
…
After just half an hour, Lingling burst back into the room, full of excitement.
"Grandpa, grandpa!"
"Lingling has awakened her martial soul! It's the Nine-Hearted Begonia, just like Mommy and Grandpa!"
The sunlight stretched Lingling's small shadow across the room.
Everything was silent inside.
"Grandpa, Grandpa?"
Lingling called softly, slowly approaching the recliner.
She gently poked Ye Renxin's slightly stiff face.
"Grandpa, are you asleep? Lingling has awakened her martial soul and is back."
"You need to tell Lingling who you gave the jade pendant to~"
…
A few days later.
The small figure of Ye Lingling knelt before the heavy coffin in the mourning hall, her eyes full of confusion and blankness.
She listened to the sobs around her, her blue eyes were bloodshot.
She whispered again:
"Mom, Grandpa has been sleeping for so long. Why isn't he waking up to play with Lingling?"
"Lingling... Grandpa is still asleep."
Ye Qingshui choked out, gently placing a piece of candy into Lingling's mouth.
"Still asleep…"
Lingling mumbled, her delicate face falling.
Over the past few days, no matter how much she called, she could no longer hear that warm voice and hearty laugh.
She pressed her lips against the candy, but tears began to fall uncontrollably.
"It's not good… It's not sweet at all!"
Lingling lifted her hand, throwing the candy away in anger.
…
At some unknown time, a transparent bead the size of a dragon's eye disappeared into the sky above the Ye family estate, seeming to fly across space toward Spirit City.
In the Pope's Hall.
A red-robed bishop rushed into the hall.
"Your Majesty, a pair of twins with innate ninth-level soul power has appeared in the Soul Awakening Hall."
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