Inside Changle Palace.
Li Mu looked up and down at the little girl floating in the air. Even now, he still couldn't understand how the Law Bell could become a human.
He had only heard of plants, animals, and insects becoming spirits. He had never heard of a transcendent artifact becoming a spirit.
Li Mu looked at her and asked the question he was most concerned about. "Can you still become a bell?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a small clock appeared under the little girl's body. She sat on the clock and blinked her large eyes as she looked at Li Mu.
Li Mu relaxed. As long as the Law Bell was still there, it was fine. If he really lost the bell, not only would he lose a powerful transcendent artifact, but he also wouldn't be able to answer to F Lu School.
Then, he said to the little girl, "Actually, you misunderstood. I'm not your father."
The little girl said stubbornly, "Father."
Li Mu wanted to correct her, but the Empress waved her hand and said, "It's useless for you to say this to her. Because of you, she was able to transform. In her heart, you are her father. In fact, this is the case."
Li Mu's lips moved, but he didn't say anything else.
The Empress's words made sense. Although the Law Bell had existed for a long time, it was much harder for a transcendent artifact to gain intelligence than a creature that was born with intelligence. She had been influenced a lot by Li Mu. After transforming, she could speak the human language, but her intelligence was only equivalent to that of a two or three-year-old child.
She was born because of Li Mu, so naturally, she saw him as her father. The first person she saw was the Empress, so she saw her as her mother. Many animals had similar habits.
If the word "father" was macroscopic, it wasn't just limited to biology. It wasn't wrong to say that Li Mu was her father. After all, it was Li Mu who created her.
But no matter what, her mother should be Liu Hanyan. Li Mu wanted to explain to her, but she stretched out her arms to the Empress and said, "Mother, hug …"
The Empress reached out and hugged her. A smile that Li Mu had never seen before appeared on her face.
Li Mu swallowed the words he was about to spit out when he saw the overflowing maternal instinct of the Empress.
Based on his understanding of the Empress, he was certain that if he dared to ruin the Empress's mood, what awaited him would be an extremely cruel ending.
Women of this age were at the age when their maternal instincts were overflowing, especially women of the same age as the Empress. Even if they married later, their children would already be able to run and jump. Although the Empress was still inexperienced, she also had the instincts of a woman.
Today, he wasn't in the mood to experiment with Dao techniques. With complicated feelings, he said to the Empress, "Your Majesty, how about I bring her back first?"
For such a young lady to appear in the Imperial Palace, beside the Empress, and even call her "Mother", if this matter were to spread, the entire Imperial Court, the entire Shen 'du, and even the entire Great Zhou would be in an uproar.
The Empress clearly knew this as well. She gently kissed the young lady's face and said to her, "Go home with your father first. Mother will come and see you later."
As Li Mu carried the young lady out of the Imperial Palace, he was still pondering over the Empress's words. No matter how he listened to them, they sounded strange. It was as if this young lady was really Li Mu's child. However, Li Mu quickly put this matter to the back of his mind and cast an invisibility spell on the young lady.
The outside world had always been saying that he was the Empress of the Demon Kingdom. If the people of the Shen 'du saw this, who knew what kind of gossip would spread?
Changle Palace. After Li Mu left, Zhou Yi summoned Shangguan Li and lightly said, "Have the Assistant Minister of Personnel, Zhang Chun, and Prince Shou come and see me."
…
After returning to the Li Mansion, Li Mu discovered that the courtyard was very lively.
Not only was Ting Xin Yinxin at home, even Phantom Princess was there.
He removed the invisibility spell on the young lady. Wanwan, who ran over, was stunned. She asked, "Young Master, whose child is this?"
Liu Hanyan, Li Qing, and the others also looked at Li Mu.
Under the gaze of so many people, the young lady seemed to be a little shy. She hugged Li Mu's neck and nervously said, "Father …"
Wanwan and Xiao Bai were dumbfounded. The other pretty faces in the courtyard also turned pale with fright. Li Mu hurriedly said, "Listen to me. It's not what you think …"
He had turned the Dao Bell into its original form and swore to the heavens in order to gain their trust.
In fact, after Liu Hanyan and the others discovered the young lady's true form, there was nothing to be suspicious about. She was clearly a spiritual body. She couldn't have been born by Li Mu or a ghost.
The adorable young lady quickly ignited the radiance of motherly love in the girls. They surrounded Li Mu and touched her face and pinched her arms.
Xiao Bai suddenly asked, "Benefactor, what's her name?"
Li Mu was stunned. He hadn't thought about this question. Thus, the girls began to enthusiastically give her a name.
Wanwan murmured, "What's her surname? Is it Young Master's Li?"
Li Mu thought for a moment and said, "Her surname is Zhong."
After all, the Dao Bell was from the Fu-lu School. It wasn't appropriate for her to take his surname. Even if he was the future Sect Master, it wasn't appropriate for him to take the sect's assets as his own.
The girls all expressed their opinions about the name of the young lady, but no one could convince anyone. Liu Hanyan looked at her pink little face and suddenly said, "Since she's a consciousness created by the Dao Bell, why don't we call her Zhong Yi …"
Li Qing agreed. "This name has a good meaning."
Xiao Bai also chimed in, "Zhong Yi, Zhong Yi, it sounds very nice …"
Li Mu shook his head decisively. "This name won't do, definitely not."
Liu Hanyan had thought of this name with great difficulty, but Li Mu rejected it for no reason. She said in dissatisfaction, "Why don't you tell me why this name won't do?"
Li Mu didn't know how to explain it to her. Just as he was in a dilemma, Yin Xin suddenly stepped forward and helped Li Mu out of his predicament. "How about the name Zhong Ling? Zhong Ling 'er is both her name and her identity …"
The girls thought for a moment and felt that this name was more suitable. Even Liu Hanyan gave up on her original name. She picked up the little girl and said with a smile, "Ling 'er, let's hear you call me Mother."
This time, she didn't get what she wanted. No matter how she teased her or tempted her with delicious food, the little girl didn't say a word.
Wanwan said, "Young Miss, she's just been born, so she probably doesn't know how to say 'Mother' yet. She'll learn very quickly if you teach her …"
At this moment, there was a spatial fluctuation in the courtyard of the Li Residence, and the Empress' figure appeared.
The little girl stretched out her hands and said happily, "Mother …"
Li Mu looked at Liu Hanyan, whose expression had changed, and his vision turned black.
…
In the courtyard of the Li Residence, the girls were teasing the little girl Zhong Ling. Li Qing, Liu Hanyan, and her maid were conducting a joint interrogation of Li Mu.
Without waiting for them to ask, Li Mu took the initiative to explain, "She's just a newborn baby. What kind of thoughts can a newborn have? The first person she sees will be her father and mother. Coincidentally, when she was born, Her Majesty and I were in the palace. I definitely didn't teach her this …"
As the first wife, Liu Hanyan was still angry. Li Qing pulled her wrist and said, "This isn't his fault."
Liu Hanyan said unhappily, "Why are you always protecting him?"
Li Mu felt gratified that one of the judges had already betrayed him. Since he met Li Qing, as the leader, she had always protected him. This kind of feeling was not something that Liu Hanyan could understand.
Wanwan also held Liu Hanyan's hand and said, "Miss, I think what the young master said this time is right …"
Li Qing and Wanwan both stood on Li Mu's side. Even if Liu Hanyan was angry, she couldn't vent it on Li Mu. Li Mu struck while the iron was hot. He grabbed her hand and said, "She's a child. She doesn't know anything. She'll know everything after I teach her …"
Li Mu pulled her back into the courtyard and said to Zhong Ling, "In the future, when you see her, you have to call her mother. Do you understand?"
Zhong Ling nodded as if she understood. She looked at Liu Hanyan and said in a childish voice, "Second mother …"
Li Mu's vision darkened again. He no longer hoped that this little brat would be able to improve the harmony of the family. As long as she didn't destroy it, it would be fine. No one would be able to tolerate the first wife becoming the second mother.
Li Mu temporarily let the Empress take her away. He could forgo the dao bell, but he had to coax his wife well.
When he walked into Liu Hanyan's room, he just happened to see Illusion Princess fanning the flames in front of Liu Hanyan.
She pretended to be considerate of Liu Hanyan and said, "Let me tell you, Zhou Yi has bad intentions towards your husband. You have to be careful. Don't let your husband be snatched away by someone else …"
Liu Hanyan glanced at her. The Empress might have other intentions, but this fox was definitely not a good fox.
Li Mu formed a seal with his hands and Illusion Princess was teleported out. Then, the door immediately closed.
Illusion Princess stood in the courtyard. She wasn't angry at all. She hummed a song and left.
She couldn't win against Zhou Yi, but someone else could. No matter how high her status was or how strong she was, in front of someone, she was still an outsider.
Li Mu walked to the bedside and sat down next to Liu Hanyan. He said, "Why are you angry with a little girl who just gained intelligence?"
Liu Hanyan said, "Why am I not angry? The three of you are like a family. What am I? Second mother?"
As his legal wife, she did have a reason to be angry. Li Mu hugged her and comforted her, "It's my fault. I should have considered the possibility that she could transform. I should have considered that she would call people randomly. I should have let her transform at home …"
Hearing Li Mu say this, Liu Hanyan felt that she was being unreasonable. She shouldn't blame him because of an accident.
Li Mu said again, "In a moment, I will tell her that she can't call Her Majesty 'mother' anymore. I will have her call you. If she doesn't listen, I will spank her. If she still doesn't listen, I will send her back to Fu-lu School …"
Liu Hanyan glared at him and said, "Why are you arguing with a little girl …"
Li Mu hugged her and asked, "You're not angry anymore?"
Liu Hanyan turned her head away and didn't say anything.
Li Mu thought for a moment and said, "Aren't you just jealous of Her Majesty? Zhong Ling calls me father and she calls me mother, but I still call her Her Majesty. We have our own relationships …"
Liu Hanyan huffed softly and said, "We don't have to have our own relationships. If you have the ability, marry Her Majesty and bring her home. What's wrong with letting her be the first wife of the Li family?"
Li Mu said, "We have already gone through the wedding ceremony and are married. No matter when, you will always be the first wife."
Liu Hanyan looked at him and asked, "You really want to?"
Li Mu said seriously, "I swear, I don't want to."
These words came from the bottom of his heart. After experiencing the twists and turns of the past two days, Li Mu understood that Liu Hanyan and Li Qing being able to get along was already his good fortune. In this family, other than Wanwan and Xiao Bai, there was no room for another woman.
Even if there was room, they would build another courtyard next door.
This was for his own sake.
Liu Hanyan's tone suddenly softened. "Actually, I know that Little Sister Qing and I are always in seclusion and can't accompany you for a long time. This is unfair to you. Wanwan and Xiao Bai are also too young. If you want, you can have someone who can always accompany you by your side. Besides Her Majesty, I think Tingxin and Yinxin would also be willing …"
Li Mu sneered in his heart. If Li Qing had said this, he might have believed it a little.
Coming from Liu Hanyan's mouth, he couldn't even believe the punctuation marks. If he dared to nod his head now, he would have to sleep alone in the study for the next three days. After knowing each other for so many years, how could Li Mu not understand her tricks?
Li Mu waved his hand and said, "Are you joking? I don't want to at all. Tingxin and Yinxin were just looking for me. I'll go over for a moment …"
After leaving Liu Hanyan's room, Li Mu went to the courtyard where the two sisters lived.
The two sisters were in the room. Li Mu walked forward and asked, "Yinxin, Tingxin, are you looking for me for something?"
Bai Tingxin looked at Li Mu reluctantly and said, "Father said in the spirit snail today that he wants us to go back to the Eastern Sea …"
Humans had a New Year, and the Dragon Clan had a similar festival.
They would worship the Dragon God on the second of February every year. This was the most important festival for the Dragon Clan. Both Tingxin and Yinxin had half of the Dragon Clan's bloodline. The White Demon King and his wife had already gone to the Eastern Sea in advance.
Li Mu said, "I'll get someone to send you to the Eastern Sea."
Yinxin smiled and said, "No need. We'll go by water. There won't be any danger."
Li Mu thought for a moment. With their current strength and wealth, even a Fifth Realm cultivator would have to avoid them. Normally, there wouldn't be any danger. However, just in case, Li Mu still gave them two Realm Breaker Pills.
He refined these pills when he was in the Demon Kingdom. Other than giving them to Phantom Princess's subordinates, Li Mu also kept a few for himself.
Tingxin and Yinxin's strength had increased rapidly in the past few months, especially Tingxin. Her cultivation had already surpassed Yinxin. She was only one step away from the Fifth Realm. Needless to say, this was naturally due to the Empress's efforts.
As long as she could hug the Empress's thigh, her cultivation path would be smooth.
Li Mu used three days to help them refine the Realm Breaker Pills. He waited until their cultivation had broken through before sending them away.
Before they left, the two sisters took the initiative to hug Li Mu. Tingxin even gave Li Mu a spirit snail for communication. Considering her clingy personality, Li Mu was worried that she would call the spirit snail every day to annoy him. He didn't want to accept it at first, but he was also worried that they wouldn't be able to contact him if something happened. Thus, he could only reluctantly accept it.
Without the two sisters, the house was much quieter. Liu Hanyan and Wanwan went to Great Music Lane. Xiao Bai took Phantom Princess to tour Shen 'du. Other than the four maids, only Li Mu and Li Qing were at home.
The two sat on the swing in the courtyard with their fingers interlocked. Li Mu asked, "When are you returning to Mount Baiyun this time?"
Li Qing said softly, "Sister said that we'll wait until after the Lantern Festival."
Li Mu was a little silent, but that was all.
Li Qing and Liu Hanyan were not ordinary women. It was impossible for them to stay at home like ordinary women and help their husband and children. They couldn't give up their cultivation. Li Mu was the same. However, his cultivation method was special. He relied on psychokinesis instead of seclusion.
Beside Li Mu, the one who didn't care about cultivation and only wanted to grow flowers and plants was the Empress, who had the highest cultivation.
Li Qing felt Li Mu's disappointment and said with some guilt, "Sister and I know that this is unfair to you. If there was someone who could always be by your side, we wouldn't object. But I heard from Sister that you refused?"
Li Mu looked at her blankly and asked, "You mean, she wasn't joking?"
… …
Changle Palace.
Zhou Yi hugged Zhong Ling. The little girl shook her head and looked at her and asked, "Mother, does Father not want us anymore?"
Zhou Yi kissed her face and said, "He'll be here in a while."
Not long after, Li Mu walked into Changle Palace with a look of regret. Zhong Ling flapped her arms and flew into his arms. Li Mu sighed, looked at the Empress, and asked, "Your Majesty, what should we do?"
Zhou Yi glanced at him and said, "Don't ask me about the trouble you caused."
Li Mu thought about it. If he forcefully corrected Zhong Ling, it might cause irreparable damage to her young heart. No matter what, the child was innocent.
So he looked at the Empress and said, "How about this? In the future, Ling 'er will call me Father and you Mother. I'll call you Your Majesty, and you can call me Li Mu. How about we call each other …"
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