Chapter 1501: 【Heartless Glaze】(Part 2)

"Yuechan, what gift is Wuxin preparing for me exactly?" As soon as Yun Wuxin ran off, Yun Che immediately moved closer to Chu Yuechan, unable to contain his curiosity.

Chu Yuechan glanced at him and said, "You'll like it."

"Hmm..." Yun Che had no choice but to stop asking, but he was still itching with anticipation.

"How are things progressing with what you're doing?" Chu Yuechan asked. "You've never explained it in detail, clearly not wanting us to worry... It must be something very serious."

"Yes... it is a big deal, even bigger than you might imagine," Yun Che nodded, then smiled again. "But don't worry, even the absolute worst outcome won't harm me, and it certainly won't affect this planet."

"Oh?" Chu Yuechan's beautiful eyes showed a hint of doubt.

"You can't imagine how special this little planet we're on is in this vast world, so there's absolutely no need to worry. If we get a relatively good outcome, then..." Yun Che's face showed anticipation, "when the time is right, I can take Wuxin, and all of you, to visit the God Realm. Especially the Snow Realm; Wuxin loves the Frozen Cloud Asgard so much, she'll surely adore the Snow Realm."

"If all goes as planned, we'll have a result in about another month."

"In that case, why have you suddenly returned at this time?"

"Of course, it's for something important." Yun Che turned his gaze to the distance. "In thirteen days, it will be Grandfather's seventieth birthday."

"For Grandfather's sixtieth birthday, I was trapped in the Primordial Profound Ark. Not only was I unable to be by his side, but I also caused him immense sorrow. This time, no matter what, I must properly and personally prepare for this event."

"So that's it..." Chu Yuechan nodded slightly.

Xiao Lie, though not Yun Che's biological grandfather, everyone around Yun Che knew his importance in Yun Che's life... it was far more than just the kindness of raising him.

"That woman named Qianye just now, she..." Chu Yuechan's brows subtly furrowed. Qianye Ying'er's aura was truly terrifying; the suffocating and heart-palpitating sensation hadn't faded even now.

"She is the one I told you about before... Qianye Ying'er," Yun Che said.

"What!?" Chu Yuechan was visibly startled. Back then, Yun Che had described her as the most terrifying woman in the God Realm, and it was she who had nearly sent him to his death.

"Don't worry," Yun Che said with a reassuring smile. "For some reasons, I've placed a slave seal on her, turning her from the most terrifying person into the most obedient." When he first mentioned Qianye Ying'er's name, Chu Yuechan was clearly frightened... because she was now beside Yun Wuxin.

"A slave... seal?" Chu Yuechan was even more surprised, but she was by no means a pedantic or soft-hearted person. Her beautiful face immediately cooled. "Such a soul seal, which goes against human ethics, is perfectly suited for her."

At that moment, Chu Yuechan suddenly thought of something. Her gaze shifted slightly as she looked at him and quietly asked, "You... haven't touched her, have you?"

"No, no!" Yun Che immediately shook his head, his face full of pure sincerity and confidence. "Absolutely not!"

"Really?" Seeing that Yun Che showed no sign of guilt, Chu Yuechan was rather surprised. "That doesn't seem like your usual nature."

"Ah, haha," Yun Che stepped forward and embraced Chu Yuechan's soft body. "I have my little fairy; why would I bother with a wicked demoness?"

In the following days, Yun Che indeed began preparing early for Xiao Lie's seventieth birthday banquet. He knew Xiao Lie disliked ostentation and commotion, so despite attaching great importance to the event, he didn't make a big show of it or send out widespread invitations. The preparations were simple, yet he personally oversaw every detail with utmost care.

This was the first time he was hosting a birthday banquet for Xiao Lie. It was also a small way of repaying Xiao Lie's kindness in raising him.

During the day, he busied himself with Xiao Yun, but at night, he would immediately reveal his dissolute nature, indulging in nightly revelry without a moment of peace. He had already realized that this was likely related to his Dragon God bloodline.

Probably...

He didn't let Qianye Ying'er stay by his side, likely a major reason being his desire not to be spied upon by her or to expose his "true nature"... After all, during the days Qianye Ying'er had been with him, he had consistently acted very reserved and proper!

What he didn't know was that many strange conversations took place daily between Yun Wuxin and Qianye Ying'er.

Yun Wuxin: "Auntie Qianye, why do you always call Daddy 'Master'? It's so strange."

Qianye Ying'er: "Because Master placed a slave seal on me, I must be absolutely loyal to him for a thousand years."

Yun Wuxin: "A slave seal? What's that? It sounds like something bad. Auntie Qianye, are you... are you not really willing to call Daddy Master?"

Qianye Ying'er: "The fact that I could have a slave seal placed on me is due to Master's power, and it has nothing to do with willingness."

With Yun Che's command, she answered all of Yun Wuxin's questions seriously.

"So, in the God Realm, Daddy is also a very powerful person?" Yun Wuxin's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yes, Master is a remarkable person, and a very special one... perhaps the most unique person in the world," Qianye Ying'er replied.

"Heheheh..." Yun Wuxin felt inexplicably happy listening to this. Her image of her father suddenly grew taller and more mysterious in her mind. She clasped her hands together and said with full anticipation and longing, "Do you think Daddy will like the gift I prepared for him?"

"He will," Qianye Ying'er answered without hesitation. "Master is someone who values emotional bonds immensely. Whatever gift you, little master, give him, he will cherish it greatly, especially since you poured so much effort and emotion into it."

"Yes! Mom and Master said the same thing!" Yun Wuxin said, looking at Qianye Ying'er's golden mask. "Auntie Qianye, I want to see what you look like. Can I?"

"Master has commanded that I cannot remove my mask without his order," Qianye Ying'er said.

"Just for a moment, just for a tiny moment! I'm really curious."

"I cannot disobey Master's command."

"...Stingy," Yun Wuxin pouted in disappointment, then added, "Then... Daddy said you're very powerful. Are you even more powerful than Daddy?"

"...Yes," Qianye Ying'er replied.

"Wow!" Yun Wuxin exclaimed. "Can you show me how powerful you are?"

"I cannot do that," Qianye Ying'er said.

"Huh? Why not?"

"This planet is too fragile. If I use my full power, it will surely be destroyed," Qianye Ying'er replied very plainly.

Yun Wuxin: "???"

"And just like that, it's completely finished."

Yun Wuxin carefully brought her hands together, a faint colorful glimmer peeking through her fingers, reflecting in her starlit eyes.

The object in her hands represented all her hard work during this time; it was the first time in her life she had prepared a gift with such dedication.

"Tomorrow is Great-Grandfather's birthday, and Daddy takes it very seriously. Should I give him the gift now, or after the birthday celebration?" Yun Wuxin started to ponder.

Qianye Ying'er, beside her, said, "Delay often leads to complications; it's better to do it sooner."

Qianye Ying'er was an extremely calm and cautious person, rarely speaking emotionally and never deliberately trying to please a girl. However, Yun Wuxin had already grown accustomed to her way of speaking during their time together. She thought for a moment and said, "Yes! You're right! Daddy suddenly left the last few times; what if he does again... Let's go find Daddy now."

Qianye Ying'er nodded slightly, then with a flick of her finger, she took Yun Wuxin with her. The scene before them instantly shifted.

The space on the Azure Cloud Continent was as fragile as thin paper to her. In just an instant, she brought Yun Wuxin before Yun Che.

Sensing their presence, Yun Che turned around. Just as he was about to speak, Yun Wuxin eagerly held up her hands. "Daddy! A gift for you!"

"Oh?" The words he was about to say were swallowed back. Yun Che's features unconsciously relaxed, a reflection of the anticipation that had been building for over ten days. "It's finished? I've been looking forward to it for so long... Hmm?"

As Yun Wuxin parted her hands, three distinct, yet exceptionally pure, glimmers of color shone in Yun Che's eyes.

In Yun Wuxin's hands were three lychee-sized jade stones of different shapes. They varied in color, were slightly translucent, and emitted a very faint, lustrous glow, resembling three shades of glazed jade.

Yun Che recognized at once that these three glazed jade stones were actually three Glazed Sound Stones.

Glazed Sound Stones are a type of jade stone used to record and play sounds. They are common across various realms, much less precious than even the most ordinary Profound Image Stones... After all, Profound Image Stones can record both images and sounds, while Glazed Sound Stones can only record sounds.

Moreover, they are often just byproducts in the process of creating transmission stones or jade.

On the Azure Cloud Continent, common Glazed Sound Stones are typically grayish-black and lack profound light. However, the three stones in Yun Wuxin's hands were pale gold, aqua blue, and crimson respectively, and their luster was exceptionally pure.

In the God Realm, colorful Glazed Sound Stones are ubiquitous; no profound practitioner would even glance at them if they were on the ground. However, Yun Che knew deeply that, due to the elemental plane and activity levels, colorful Glazed Sound Stones were exceedingly rare on the Azure Cloud Continent and only appeared in extreme environments with highly active elements.

Such as volcanoes, deep seas, deserts...

What's more, these three colorful Glazed Sound Stones were not only similar in size but also exceptionally pure in color. Clearly, Yun Wuxin must have personally visited one extreme environment after another, searching for a very long time...

"Beautiful Glazed Sound Stones," Yun Che said with a smile. He extended his hand, gently took them from Yun Wuxin, and held them in his palm.

The three Glazed Sound Stones were strung together with a strand of dark green, glistening silk, forming a simple necklace. As his fingers touched the "silk," Yun Che understood something. He gently lifted the "strand" with his finger. "Is this... Wuxin's hair?"

"Yes!" Yun Wuxin said with a beaming smile. "The length is just right! I infused it with lots of divine power, so it definitely won't break unless Daddy tries to break it on purpose."

"Haha, how could I ever bring myself to break it?" Yun Che said with a laugh.

"That's not important right now!" Yun Wuxin took a small step forward, her eyes twinkling with starlight. She said with full anticipation, "Quick, listen to the messages I left for Daddy! They're very important!"

"Okay," Yun Che nodded with a smile, touching the middle Glazed Sound Stone with his finger.

This was a pale gold Glazed Sound Stone, shaped into a fairly standard heart. The faint traces of profound energy on it proved that Yun Wuxin had carefully molded it herself. As his fingertip touched it with profound energy, Yun Wuxin's voice emerged from the stone: "Daddy, Wuxin misses you."

The girl's voice was soft, sweet, and pure, carrying her most innocent and flawless intentions. Not just Yun Che, but even Qianye Ying'er, standing to the side, felt a momentary melting sensation in her chest.

"This is to remind Daddy that you have a daughter, so you can't always run around outside! You have to come back often!" Yun Wuxin said, her eyebrows curved, but her tone was completely serious.

"Okay..." Yun Che's lips moved several times as he softly said, "I promise Wuxin that once I've resolved this current matter, I'll stay by your side every day."

"Heheh, Daddy must keep his word!" Yun Wuxin's gaze shifted. "There are two other stones too, and they're also very important!"

Yun Che touched the Glazed Sound Stone on the left. This one was light blue, shaped as a regular triangular prism, and it carried a deliberately released sense of sharpness: "Daddy, you mustn't do dangerous things!"

This time, the young girl's voice coming from within was exceptionally serious!

Yun Che chuckled. "This one must be a reminder for me to protect myself well, right?"

"Hmph, as long as Daddy knows," Yun Wuxin's nose and lips simultaneously turned up slightly. "Mom and Master both say that Daddy always likes to play the hero and do very dangerous things. There have been many times you almost lost your life!"

Yun Che: "..."

"Never mind what happened before! But now, Daddy is a person with a daughter! A Daddy who makes his daughter lose him is the most hateful Daddy in the world! So!! From now on, Daddy absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot do anything dangerous anymore! Not even the slightest bit of danger!!"

"Even if people call you a coward, you still can't!"

"Okay... okay," Yun Che said, hand over his chest, very seriously. "I promise Wuxin that from now on, no matter where I am, I will protect myself well and not do anything dangerous."

His gaze fell upon the third Glazed Sound Stone.

This Glazed Sound Stone was crimson, containing a rather intense aura of fire, likely found in a place like molten lava. What surprised Yun Che was its irregular shape. From a different angle... it seemed like a tightly clenched little fist?

"Is this... a fist?" Yun Che asked.

"Yes!" Yun Wuxin nodded. "It's a fist! This one was really hard to make; it took me a long time to mold it into this shape, and I almost broke it! The message inside is important too!"

Hmm... a fist...

Yun Che was quite curious about his daughter's creative imagination, so he gently touched the stone with his finger.

"Daddy! You mustn't flirt or fool around!"

Yun Che's face twitched.

"Heheheh!" Yun Wuxin's eyes narrowed slightly, and she chuckled mischievously. "I'm not the only one who said this, you know. Neither Mom nor Master objected!"

"To teach you even such strange phrases like 'flirt and fool around,' your mother deserves a spanking too!" Yun Che said through gritted teeth.

"Mom also told me to tell Daddy that if you're secretly doing strange things with other aunties outside, you must be careful not to accidentally touch this Glazed Sound Stone!"

Yun Che sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Oh my god! My little fairy! She's actually learned bad habits..."

"Huh?" Yun Wuxin blinked. "Daddy! Your expression is so strange. Don't you like this gift?"

Yun Che shook his head and smiled. "Of course not! This is the most precious gift I've ever received in my life. How could I not like it?"

Having said that, he picked up the string of Glazed Sound Stones and very carefully, very gently, placed it around his neck.

Given Yun Che's knowledge and experience, Glazed Sound Stones were as common as mundane objects could be. Yet, these three stones carried his daughter's priceless thoughts and intentions.

"I'll wear it forever. That way, no matter where I am, I can hear Wuxin's voice every day."

He stepped forward, opened his arms, and gently held his daughter close. Unconsciously, his arms tightened little by little.

"Ah..." Yun Wuxin let out a soft sound. "Daddy, your heart is beating so fast."

"Mmm," Yun Che closed his eyes, a gentle, flawless smile gracing his face—the most tender he had ever shown. "Wuxin, my daughter, thank you."

"Oh dear," Wuxin mumbled softly, a little embarrassed by the few gentle words. "It's just a small gift, Daddy. You don't need to say such strange things."

"It's not just thanks for your gift, but also thanks to my Wuxin for making me the luckiest person in this world."

"Huh?" Yun Wuxin was taken aback.

"Wuxin, I want you to remember," Yun Che whispered in her ear. "No matter what has happened in the past, or what will happen in the future, as long as you are always happy and safe, I will be the luckiest person in this world."

"...Mmm!" Yun Wuxin replied softly. She quietly hugged her father back, resting her head on his shoulder.

Qianye Ying'er turned her gaze, and for a long, long time, she remained transfixed... When she finally looked away, a flicker of bewilderment and poignant sorrow, unfamiliar even to herself, crossed her golden pupils.