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A day had passed in the snow-capped mountains, and throughout the day, Kong Yu had been with Kong Xuan. In the evening, Tang Zisu asked Kong Yu, "Baby, what have you been doing with him?"
Kong Yu raised an eyebrow in a manner reminiscent of Kong Xuan and replied, "I have a name; don't call me baby."
Tang Zisu sighed. She reached out to hold the child in her arms. Over the years, she hadn't been very close to him because she feared that seeing him would only amplify her longing for Kong Xuan. As a result, the child often stayed with Horse Abdomen. Being held by his mother like this made him somewhat uncomfortable but also a bit happy.
Tang Zisu ran her fingers through his black hair and said, "Kong Yu, is that how you want to be called?"
Kong Yu nodded vigorously. Tang Zisu continued, "What do you talk about when you're with your father?"
"Not much. He teaches me to write and also teaches me spells. Mother, I really like Father; he knows everything, much more than Uncle Ma Fu."
Tang Zisu poked his forehead with her finger and said, "You little ungrateful one! You've only just gotten your father and already you’re dismissing Uncle Ma Fu? He raised you from infancy; you must respect and honor him, understand?"
Kong Yu nodded earnestly. He then asked Tang Zisu, "Mother, when can we live together with Father? Just the three of us, without that bad woman, back in our home in the capital."
Tang Zisu pulled the child onto her lap and said seriously, "Kong Yu, as long as we work hard, that day will come. The capital is not our home; our home is on Peacock Mountain. It's very beautiful there—there are high mountains, lakes, and kind people. One day, you, I, and your father will happily live there together."
As Tang Zisu painted this beautiful picture, little Kong Yu fell asleep. She carried him to the bed and made another Lotus Fire heater for warmth. At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
When Tang Zisu opened it, she was surprised to see Kong Xuan.
Kong Xuan was holding a plate with several translucent jelly-like pieces on it. He asked Tang Zisu, "Has Yu'er fallen asleep? He didn't eat enough peach milk jelly earlier, so I had someone find some more to bring for him."
Tang Zisu reached out to take it from him and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Ming Wang. He’s already asleep; do you want to come in and see him?"
Kong Xuan hesitated for a moment before nodding and following Tang Zisu into the room.
Kong Xuan sat by the bed, reaching out to tuck the blanket around the child tightly, then leaned down to kiss the child's small face.
Tang Zisu asked, "Ming Wang seems to really like this child?"
Kong Xuan stood up and said, "Tang Zisu, I have a request tonight. I really like Yu'er, and I want to be his Godfather. Is that okay?"
Under the light, Kong Xuan looked slightly anxious; he was afraid Tang Zisu would refuse.
Tang Zisu replied firmly, "No."
"Ah?" Kong Xuan's eyes dimmed, instantly losing their brightness.
Tang Zisu seemed oblivious to his disappointment. She said, "The child already has many Godfathers: Horse Abdomen, Lang Ye, our world's emperor Liu Hui, and Prime Minister Little Fish. He doesn't need another. If you want to be involved, you can be his biological father."
Kong Xuan was taken aback, but Tang Zisu didn't give him a chance to continue: "Kong Xuan, I don't want to beat around the bush. My husband is Peacock King Kong Xuan. If you are the son of a peacock and a phoenix, then that is my husband. Although we haven't sworn an oath before heaven and earth, we are already bound by life and death. I am not someone else; I am your Silly Goose. How could you forget me? How could you?"
Tears fell from Tang Zisu onto his fingertips, feeling particularly warm. The sensation gradually reached his heart, melting a crack in the ice there. Something like snowflakes rushed in, but due to confusion, he could only see vague silhouettes. He couldn't help but pinch his brow.
Tang Zisu grasped his hand and leaned in to place a kiss on his forehead under his astonished gaze: "Don't rush; I'm not forcing you. Kong Xuan, I will always wait for you. If you can't remember me for a day, I'll wait for a day; if you can't remember me for a year, I'll wait for a year—until my hair turns white and my face is wrinkled. Perhaps one day you'll remember and come to my grave with a bouquet of hope flowers, maybe even attracting fireflies like that year."
Hearing her say this made Kong Xuan suddenly feel uncomfortable; that originally cold and unfeeling heart felt as if it had been chiseled open by a hammer, gradually leaking air. He abruptly pulled Tang Zisu into his embrace instinctively, rubbing his face against her neck in a somewhat agitated manner: "No, I won't let you die. No way."
This embrace might not have been what Tang Zisu truly wanted; it might have come too late. Yet she still felt the long-lost warmth, like the first ray of sunlight she saw when she woke from her slumber during the disaster in Peacock Valley caused by Candle Dragon.
As Kong Xuan walked out of Tang Zisu's room, the night breeze was cool. Tang Zisu called out for him to wait and came out holding a cloak to drape over him. She stood on tiptoe to pull his hair out from the collar of the fur coat. Suddenly feeling warmth in his heart, Kong Xuan leaned down and kissed her hand lightly. The previously so generous Tang Zisu blushed and turned back into her room to close the door but leaned against the door panel with her hand pressed against her flushed face.
Once Kong Xuan had walked far away, Horse Abdomen emerged from the corner. He still wore that calm expression, but it appeared even paler against the backdrop of snow.
"What's wrong? Are you jealous? You've invested so much in this woman, only to end up with nothing, and even your son is being raised by someone else." Liya stepped out of the shadows, her expression sharp and biting.
Horse Abdomen couldn't be bothered to look at her and walked straight past her back to his room.
"Stop." Liya reached out to block him. "If you cooperate with me, you can take that woman and child away. You can live happily as a family of three, while I will be with Kong Xuan. This arrangement benefits us both. So, are you interested in cooperating?"
Horse Abdomen glanced at her, his eyes filled with pity, as if he were looking at a fox struggling in a trap, unaware of where it went wrong. Liya couldn't stand that look and gritted her teeth, asking, "So, will you agree or not?"
Horse Abdomen replied, "To love someone means to possess them, control them, destroy them, or to respect them, care for them, and help them succeed? I'm not like you; as long as she is happy, I can accept anything."
The moonlight shone brightly on Horse Abdomen's face, making even the dot of vermilion on his forehead appear unusually vivid.
"Would you include dying for her?" As soon as Liya's words fell, the ice spike in her hand plunged into Horse Abdomen's back. With a sickening sound, it pierced through his chest, blood spilling everywhere.
Horse Abdomen turned around; before he could grasp the ice spike tightly, a second and third one stabbed into him. He could no longer stand and collapsed onto the snow, the pure white snow blooming with bright red flowers.
"Acting like a romantic hero? Go to the Underworld and play that role." Liya kicked Horse Abdomen's body off the sheer ice cliff and then waved her hands to summon a snowfall that covered Horse Abdomen's blood without leaving a trace.
Kong Xuan and Tang Zisu finally saw hope between them, but Liya was like a cornered beast facing its last struggle. She had made up her mind for one final strike; if she couldn't succeed, then what she couldn't have wouldn't go to anyone else either—she would destroy him instead. Horse Abdomen was just the first step in her madness.
Horse Abdomen's body fell through the air but did not reach the valley floor. A monk wearing a Pilu crown and draped in robes caught him mid-air. The monk placed him on his wrist. "Fool, after cultivating for a thousand years, you must have gained some enlightenment from this tribulation?"
Horse Abdomen's body was stiff, but his soul communicated with the monk: "Bodhisattva, Horse Abdomen has no regrets; I would return again just to protect her. I only hate that people are too cunning to allow me to stay by her side."
The monk sighed: "What is love in this world? Enough of this; you have your karmic ties with her, and she has her own fate. Stay in my treasure vase for now and cultivate with me."
Horse Abdomen expressed his gratitude but refused to enter the monk's treasure vase. The monk said: "Very well; I do have some connection with her and will ensure she is safe. You can rest easy."
With the Bodhisattva's promise, Horse Abdomen finally felt at ease and burrowed into his treasure bottle, while Auspicious Cloud danced lightly, and the monk vanished in an instant.
"Ah!" Kong Yu screamed as he woke up from his dream, cold sweat covering his forehead. Tang Zisu quickly sat up and held the child in her arms. "What happened? Did you have a nightmare?"
Kong Yu threw himself onto her: "Mother, I dreamed that Uncle Ma Fu died."
Tang Zisu comforted him by stroking his sweaty hair: "Silly child, that was just a dream. Uncle Ma Fu is so capable; no one can harm him." Although she said this, Tang Zisu also felt a strong sense of foreboding.
As dawn broke, Tang Zisu went with Kong Yu to knock on Lang Ye's door. When Lang Ye opened it, his hair was disheveled and he was yawning. He asked, "What are you two doing up so early?"
Kong Yu squeezed past him and shouted, "Uncle Ma Fu, uncle!"
Lang Ye replied, "That kid hasn't returned yet. I thought he was out guarding the door for you again. Can't find him?"
At that moment, Kong Yu pushed him aside and ran outside.
Lang Ye called after him, "This kid has gone crazy; he's got quite a bit of energy. Be careful; the ground is slippery."
Tang Zisu suddenly exclaimed, "Not good," and followed after him.
Kong Yu encountered Liya and loudly questioned, "Did you kill my Uncle Ma Fu? I saw in my dream that a woman with flower-patterned nails killed him. Where did you hide his body?"
Liya shouted back, "What an ill-mannered child! Barking like a dog so early in the morning. Why are you asking me about your missing Uncle Ma Fu? I wasn't watching him! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll have to teach you a lesson for your lewd mother."
Kong Yu charged at Liya and bumped into her waist, causing her to stagger. He yelled angrily, "How dare you insult my mother! You're a bad woman, a bad woman!"
Liya raised her hand to hit Kong Yu but suddenly saw Kong Xuan approaching and ran into his arms in tears: "Brother Xuan, I can't take it anymore! Now even a child is bullying me."
Kong Xuan saw Kong Yu bump into someone and walked over, saying, "Yu'er, what you did is wrong. Apologize to this aunt."
Kong Yu clenched her small fists stubbornly, "I won't. She caused my Uncle Ma Fu to die and insulted my mother. I'm not apologizing."
Kong Xuan turned to Liya, who quickly said, "Early in the morning, she claims I caused her Uncle Ma Fu's death. When did I ever harm your Uncle Ma Fu? This child is not thinking clearly."
Kong Xuan shot a stern look at Liya, who immediately fell silent. At that moment, Tang Zisu also arrived. Kong Xuan said, "You're just in time. Why did Yu'er say early this morning that Horse Abdomen is dead? What's going on?"
Tang Zisu replied, "Last night he dreamed that Horse Abdomen was killed, and this morning he couldn't find any trace of Horse Abdomen. He was frantic."
Kong Xuan chuckled, "How could that be? You little rascal, perhaps your Uncle Ma Fu went out to play and will be back soon."
Kong Yu's eyes turned red as she said, "No way! I saw clearly that a woman with flowery nails killed him. She had flowers on her nails."
Just as Kong Xuan was about to respond, a maid rushed over in a panic and said, "Celestial Maiden, something terrible has happened! Our treasure from Snow Mountain, the Snow Chong Bao Pearl, is missing."
"What!" Liya's face turned pale. "This is serious! If the pearl is gone, the snow mountain will melt and flood the entire world. Who did this?"
The maid shook her head. Suddenly, Liya turned to Kong Yu and said, "What a coincidence that our pearl is missing just as your uncle is also gone. Is there any connection here?"
Kong Yu, being quite clever, immediately retorted, "You’re slandering me! My Uncle Ma Fu wouldn't want your worthless pearl."
At this moment, Liya said nothing but looked at Kong Xuan with an expression of a weak woman seeking help, which made Tang Zisu want to vomit.
Kong Xuan said, "Everyone calm down. Let's think this through. Without evidence, no one can accuse anyone else unjustly."
Suddenly, Kong Yu noticed something shiny by the edge of the ice cliff. She took a few steps forward to pick it up.
Tang Zisu and Kong Xuan were both taken aback, wanting to shout a warning but fearing it would frighten him. They anxiously watched as he bent down to reach for the red string hanging from the ice ridge.
That was the Golden Auspicious Pearl his grandfather had given him, which he had handed over to Horse Abdomen for safekeeping because it was uncomfortable to carry.
Kong Yu's small hand had already reached the pearl, and a smile appeared on his lips when suddenly a hand emerged from beneath the glacier and pulled him down into the abyss.
"No!" Tang Zisu screamed as she rushed toward the cliff.
However, someone was faster than her. Kong Xuan grabbed her and threw her to Lang Ye, then transformed into a peacock and flew down.
In an instant, the vast Cloud Sea made it impossible to find any trace of Kong Yu. Kong Xuan's heart felt like it had been crushed; the cold wind rushed in from all directions, making him feel cold, in pain, and as if he might shatter into pieces.
Kong Yu, where are you?
Kong Xuan flew up and down, nearly searching the entire Snowy Mountain, but it was too high and shrouded in mist year-round. Below was a snow pit, and there was no sign of Kong Yu. He transformed back into human form at the cliff's peak, his face pale and his body swaying unsteadily.
Tang Zisu approached and grasped his arm. "What’s wrong? Did you find him?" Even though she hadn’t seen anyone, she still asked, holding onto a glimmer of hope.
A strange and dense pain surged within Kong Xuan, like a small flame slowly roasting and tormenting him until it turned to fine ash. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth before he coughed out a mouthful of blood. "Yu'er, my child," he said.
Tang Zisu knelt and crawled to the edge of the cliff, wanting to jump down as well, but Lang Ye tightly held her back.
Suddenly, a clear bird call echoed from deep within the gorge below. Then millions of Azure Birds gathered between the Cloud Sea and White Mist, forming a vibrant green tapestry on which sat none other than Kong Yu.
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