The middle aged man nodded and looked toward a certain direction, calling out with a smile,
"Little Lilith…"
Suddenly, a young woman appeared before them… no more than twenty years old in appearance. Her blood-red irises surrounded pitch-black pupils, deep and unsettling against her beautiful, pale, porcelain-like face. She wore a fitted crimson long dress of dark, lustrous fabric that flowed over her gently fuller curves, giving her figure a soft, natural allure without appearing excessive. A high collar framed her pale neck, lending her an air of cold nobility.
A long black cloak rested over her shoulders, its inner lining faintly red. Behind her, a pair of large black wings slowly spread open, smooth and obsidian dark. As they unfurled, the air itself seemed to grow heavier, as though night had quietly descended upon the world.
"You are back," Lilith said in a calm tone devoid of emotion.
The middle-aged man was not surprised by her reaction. He smiled lightly and replied,
"How have you been, little girl? You didn't miss me, did you?"
Lilith looked at him indifferently, her gaze carrying a faint sense of irritation as she replied,
"I was sleeping just fine. Then you had to come back and disturb me."
The man wore an apologetic, slightly embarrassed expression. He coughed twice, trying to change the subject.
"Little girl, you should go out more and enjoy yourself. What's the point of staying in your room all the time?"
Lilith stared at him, her eyes clearly saying, 'I don't have much time… say it quickly'.
The middle-aged man coughed again, clearly unwilling to endure her silent judgment any longer.
The woman seated beside him… whose face closely resembled Su Wen's grandma… interrupted gently,
"Stop teasing my little girl."
She then turned to Lilith, her voice softening.
"Little Lilith, we need you to do something very important for us."
Lilith's gaze finally shifted a little surprised.
The man nodded and took out a golden token, placing it into Lilith's hand.
His tone grew more serious as he spoke,
"Little Lilith, you need to make a trip to the Netherworld and deliver this token to the Soul Emperor, Yama. He is holding something that is very important to us. Just show him this token… he will understand."
After a brief pause, he added,
"We'll be entering seclusion for some time. You're allowed to call us out if it's necessary."
Lilith nodded, her voice slightly less indifferent.
"Alright, then. I'll be leaving."
She cast one final glance at them, then turned and walked away without waiting for a response. As her black wings unfurled, she vanished from sight in a graceful blur.
The man and woman exchanged a glance, quietly shook their heads, and sighed softly.
After a moment of silence, the woman turned her head again and met his eyes, hesitating before speaking.
"So…?"
The man held her gaze for a moment, then asked softly,
"So… what do you want to do now?"
The woman carried an aura of immortal majesty, her face proud and cold, yet she smiled softly.
"I want my grandson to be happy. I want gifts from him, to taste his cooking again… to be spoiled by him… and to tease my little granddaughter-in-law once more," she said, her voice tinged with melancholy.
She paused, tilting her head slightly.
"And you? What about you?"
The man, whose aura stretched vast and boundless, like the expanse of the heavens itself, fell silent for a moment before speaking with rare gentleness:
"I want to read the latest volumes of The Legends of Boss Wife."
He then took out a bottle of wine, his expression softening even further.
"And I want to drink the wine he brewed, play chess with him… and bicker with him again."
The couple exchanged a warm, nostalgic glance, quietly proud, before breaking into hearty laughter.
The atmosphere around them seemed to settle, calm and serene, and their Dao Hearts grew incomparably firm. Within them, the image of a young man appeared: a proud, scholarly youth with sword-like brows and grey-silver hair, a presence so resolute that even if the world collapsed, he would still stand.
In unison, they murmured,
"Let's complete this breakthrough… and return to our grandson and granddaughter-in-law."
They released their auras at full strength. In that instant, the tremor rippled across the universe, felt by every major powerhouse within it. Far across the cosmos, cultivators, deities, and cosmic beings froze mid-action, their senses tingling as they felt the profound, overwhelming aura.
Stars quivered, distant planets shivered, and even the void itself seemed to pulse with the pressure of their combined power.
But all of that cosmic commotion had nothing to do with the small mountain near a quiet village. Night had fallen, the cold air drifting gently across the peaceful landscape.
Su Wen and Du Yue sat side by side, the lake's cool water lapping softly against their feet. The quiet of the night felt almost sacred
Su Wen, lost in thought, gazed at the distant stars quietly shining above, seemingly untouched by worry. A sense of loneliness and uncertainty weighed on him, leaving him unsure of what the future held.
Sensing his emotions, Du Yue immediately pulled his head to her chest and hugged him tightly, careful not to disturb little Suzume. She didn't say anything, simply held him close and gently patted his back, as if telling him, 'You're not alone. Your big sister-wife is here'.
Su Wen felt a flush of embarrassment at her sudden affection, yet he didn't resist. Warmth spread through his chest, and he closed his eyes, letting himself quietly savour the comfort and safety her embrace offered.
After a long while, Su Wen reluctantly lifted his head from her embrace and looked away, unable to face her out of embarrassment.
Eventually, he calmed down. When he finally looked at her, her beautiful face stunned him under the radiant moonlight, even with those ghastly scars. Her blue eyes shimmered like reflecting pearls, bright and mesmerizing. It was as though he were gazing at a goddess who had quietly descended from the heavens. He had been staring longer than he realised, making her feel a rush of embarrassment.
Du Yue's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks burning a deep crimson as she realized his gaze was fixed on her. She parted her lips to speak, but no words came out, leaving her frozen in an awkward, flustered silence.
Su Wen, on the other hand, finally realized he had been staring at her and felt utterly foolish. He quickly turned his face away, shy and flustered like a young village girl experiencing love for the first time.
Du Yue, though embarrassed herself, couldn't help but giggle at his reaction, the sound light and melodic in the quiet night.