"I have a general understanding of your situation. I can understand being called 'master,' but why call me 'father'?" Ye Cheng asked curiously.
"Because you gave me a new life."
The Blue Silver Emperor smiled innocently, looking at him as she said, "If it weren't for you, I probably would have only become a vessel for my predecessor's resurrection… possessed by her."
"And most of my understanding of the world now comes from you. Calling you 'father' feels reasonable, don't you think?"
"Or… would you rather I call you 'master'?" She tilted her head slightly, staring up at him with those wide, crystal-clear eyes. Her expression was so pure, it made people feel inexplicably guilty.
"…"
Ye Cheng looked at the radiant woman before him. Though she had inherited fragments of his memories, memories were just that—memories. They couldn't compare to actual experience.
In many ways, the Blue Silver Emperor was still a newborn child. It would take real contact with people and firsthand experiences for her to truly grow, absorb those memories, and mature.
"In the future, when others are around, call me City Lord. As for privately…" Ye Cheng hesitated briefly before continuing, "Father or Master—whichever you prefer."
Right now, the Blue Silver Emperor was innocent, easily impressed, and easily swayed. Ye Cheng decided to keep her close and raise her carefully. After all, he had cultivated this 'cabbage' with his own blood and flesh. How could he let it be picked by some wild boar?
What if, because of a laissez-faire approach, this simple-minded Blue Silver Emperor got tricked by a scumbag like her predecessor did—losing both heart and body? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?
You had to understand, after the contract was complete, Ye Cheng had actively shared a portion of his power with her, boosting her from 100,000 years to 990,000 years. As a result, he was still feeling the aftereffects of the energy drain.
Originally, he only intended to casually boost her to 200,000 years.
But midway through, he thought—200,000 years was still too low. Even if she didn't instantly become a million-year divine beast, at least she should be close. That way, her path to godhood would be much smoother.
After all, he'd only shaved off some of his own cultivation to feed her. He could recover with time. But if the Blue Silver Emperor had to cultivate from 100,000 years to a million on her own, it would take far too long.
In comparison, it made sense to take the shortcut. So he directly pushed her to 990,000 years, just shy of a million.
Ye Cheng could still bear the cost. He remained at the divine ring level. It was like dropping from level 101 to 100—still a god, with his foundation intact.
"Then… when no one is around, I'll call you Master," Blue Silver Emperor blinked her crystal blue eyes and chose that title based on his reaction.
"Whatever you want."
Ye Cheng didn't mind what she called him. He then said he would take her back to Baiyun City.
But just as he was about to leave, the Blue Silver Emperor stopped him.
"Wait, Master, you haven't given me a name yet."
As a newly-born soul beast, she had no human name. She earnestly hoped that Ye Cheng—the one who had given her a new life—would give her a name, to symbolically separate her from her previous incarnation.
From now on, she would no longer be the old Blue Silver Emperor who loved a human and gave birth to Tang San.
"Your name…"
Hearing this, Ye Cheng nodded. Originally, he was going to just call her Ah Yin, but since she rejected it, he thought for a moment.
"Well… your true form is Blue Silver Grass, so let's go with 'Lan.' And your surname will be mine. Ye Lan? Or Ah Lan?" Ye Cheng muttered the names aloud and felt they had a nice ring to them.
"Ye Lan…" she repeated softly. A radiant smile suddenly blossomed on her pretty face, as if in this moment, she had fully shed the shadow of her previous life and become her own person.
"Mm! From now on, I'll be Ye Lan! You can also call me Ah Lan." The Blue Silver Emperor—no, Ye Lan—said with joy.
…
Baiyun City
Ye Cheng brought the newly-reborn Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Lan, back to the City Lord's Mansion through spatial transfer.
As soon as they arrived, they ran into Miku—one of the quintuplets—who was inspecting the mansion. She was startled to see them appear so suddenly. But what surprised her wasn't the sudden arrival—it was the unfamiliar woman beside Ye Cheng.
Even though she was confident in her own appearance, Miku felt overshadowed the moment she saw Ah Lan.
Her looks were secondary. What truly set Ah Lan apart was her aura. As the Blue Silver Emperor, she naturally carried a noble, all-encompassing presence—like a queen, mother of the world.
Standing next to Ye Cheng, they seemed like a perfect match.
"Master, who is this?" Miku asked, trying to sound casual, though her heart felt slightly bitter.
But she knew she had no right to be jealous. After all, she was just a maid.
"She is Ah Lan. She'll be living here from now on," Ye Cheng said indifferently, not offering further explanation. "Miku, Ah Lan has free access to the mansion. Aside from a few restricted areas, the rest is open to her."
"Master… this Miss Ah Lan… is she our mistress?" Miku hesitated before speaking.
Normally, a maid wouldn't dare ask such a question. It would be a serious breach of hierarchy, an insult to her station.
But the quintuplets were no ordinary servants, and their background was quite special. More importantly, Ye Cheng had never treated them as slaves. There was no slavery in Baiyun City. All maids and guards were employees, free to leave at any time. Their freedom was protected.
As someone from modern society, Ye Cheng despised the archaic and barbaric systems of this world. So although the quintuplets still addressed him as 'Master,' their relationship was actually one of mutual respect and equal footing.
Because of that, Miku had the courage to ask the question without fear of punishment.
"Mistress?"
Seeing her conflicted expression, Ye Cheng reached out and ruffled her hair, messing up her neatly combed bangs.
"You little troublemaker. Instead of worrying about that, why don't you go take care of the tasks I gave you?"
Having had his fun, Ye Cheng turned and walked away, showing no intention of answering. Ah Lan followed quietly at his side.
Miku stood behind them, her messy hair fluttering slightly in the wind. She stared at his back, puffing her cheeks.
"In the end… you still didn't say if she's the mistress or not!"
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