Chapter 4
Zan Yunxiao sat quietly outside the wooden house as the morning breeze swept gently across the rice fields. In the distance, the cheerful laughter of children echoed throughout the village as Zan Tianming ran off to play with his friends, full of endless energy and innocence.
For a while, Zan Yunxiao simply watched in silence.
Then, slowly, his thoughts shifted inward.
A translucent blue panel quietly appeared before his eyes.
[Mission Accepted: Have a second child with current spouse
Reward upon completion: Reconstruction Pill]
His gaze lingered on the reward section for a long moment.
The system had never clearly explained what the Reconstruction Pill truly was, but if it was connected to allowing Xueyun to cultivate, then its value was unquestionably immense. After all, he himself had already stepped onto the path of immortality through the system, while Xueyun remained an ordinary mortal.
The difference between them would only continue to grow with time.
Zan Yunxiao lowered his gaze slightly.
Five hundred years of lifespan…
To mortals, such a number was nearly eternal.
Yet to him, the thought no longer brought pure excitement like before.
Because if Xueyun remained mortal, then one day he would still watch her grow old and disappear beneath the passage of time while he continued living on alone.
That was not a future he wanted.
A faint sigh escaped his lips.
“I should tell Xueyun…” he thought quietly. “About having a second child.”
The moment that thought surfaced, his expression immediately became slightly awkward.
Even though they were already husband and wife who had lived together for years, directly bringing up such a matter still felt strangely embarrassing to him.
Especially when the reason was tied to a cultivation system that rewarded him for expanding his bloodline.
“It really sounds like I’m being controlled by this strange system…” he muttered inwardly with slight helplessness.
Still, after a brief silence, his gaze gradually became firm once more.
If there was truly a way for Xueyun to cultivate alongside him… then no matter what, he would obtain it.
Zan Yunxiao remained seated outside for a while longer before finally standing up and walking back into the house. The warm scent of food still lingered in the air as Xueyun quietly arranged a few things near the table, her movements calm and familiar.
For a moment, Zan Yunxiao hesitated.
Then he slowly walked toward her.
“Xueyun,” he called softly.
Hearing his tone, Xueyun turned around slightly. “Hm?”
Zan Yunxiao coughed lightly, suddenly finding it strangely difficult to continue. Even though they had been husband and wife for years, bringing up the topic directly still made him feel somewhat awkward.
“I was thinking…” he began carefully, “maybe… we should have a second child.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Xueyun immediately froze.
A faint blush rapidly spread across her cheeks as she lowered her gaze, clearly embarrassed by the sudden topic. For several seconds, she remained completely silent, making Zan Yunxiao instinctively prepare himself to persuade her little by little.
However, before he could even organize his thoughts.
Xueyun quietly spoke.
“…Actually,” she said softly, avoiding his eyes, “I was already planning to have a second child too.”
Zan Yunxiao blinked in surprise.
“Huh?”
He had expected hesitation, maybe even refusal, not agreement this quickly.
Just as he was about to say something else, Xueyun suddenly grabbed his sleeve and hurriedly pulled him toward the room.
“W-Wait—Xueyun?”
Before Zan Yunxiao could react properly, she had already dragged him all the way inside until they reached the bedside.
Xueyun’s face was completely red now, yet despite her embarrassment, her actions were unexpectedly bold. Compared to her usual gentle personality, this side of her caught Zan Yunxiao entirely off guard.
For once, even Zan Yunxiao himself became embarrassed.
“A woman can actually be this aggressive…” he thought blankly as his composure nearly collapsed.
Several hours later, the room had finally fallen quiet.
The evening sunlight filtered softly through the wooden windows while Zan Yunxiao lay exhausted on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as though all strength had been drained from his body. Beside him, Xueyun leaned quietly against his shoulder, her face still slightly red from embarrassment.
After remaining silent for a while, Zan Yunxiao finally turned his head toward her with a helpless expression.
“Xueyun…” he said weakly, “how did you suddenly become so active today?”
The moment she heard that question, Xueyun’s face reddened even further.
She avoided his gaze for a moment before speaking softly.
“I… I don’t know either.”
Her eyes slowly drifted toward him.
“But lately…” she continued quietly, “when I look at you, you seem to become more handsome day by day.”
Zan Yunxiao blinked in confusion.
“Huh?”
Xueyun hesitated slightly before finally speaking honestly.
“The girls in the village…” she muttered softly, “they keep looking at you strangely lately. Like they’re lusting after you.”
Her cheeks puffed faintly with dissatisfaction.
“That’s why I got irritated and dragged you into bed first.”
For a brief moment, Zan Yunxiao was completely speechless.
Then he could only laugh helplessly.
It seemed that after stepping onto the cultivation path and obtaining the Clear Spirit Body Constitution, even his appearance and aura had gradually changed without him noticing.
Seeing Xueyun’s jealous expression, warmth quietly surfaced within his heart.
Despite his exhausted state, he still reached out and gently pulled her into his embrace.
“Alright,” he said with a smile. “Let’s get dressed before Tianming comes back.”
Xueyun immediately widened her eyes slightly before hurriedly nodding.
“You’re right!”
The two quickly fixed their clothes before leaving the room.
As night gradually deepened, the atmosphere inside the house slowly became uneasy.
Xueyun sat quietly in the living room, her hands unconsciously tightening together as she repeatedly glanced toward the door.
“It’s already past curfew…” she murmured worriedly. “Why isn’t Tianming back yet?”
Zan Yunxiao’s expression also gradually darkened.
Normally, their son would never stay outside this late.
A faint uneasiness quietly rose within his heart.
“I’ll go search for him,” Zan Yunxiao said as he stood up immediately.
But just as he was about to leave—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Urgent knocking suddenly echoed from outside the house.
“Master Yunxiao! Master Yunxiao!”
The panicked voice instantly caused both Zan Yunxiao and Xueyun’s expressions to change.
Without hesitation, Zan Yunxiao rushed toward the door and opened it.
Outside stood a villager breathing heavily, his face pale with fear.
“What happened?” Zan Yunxiao asked sharply.
The man swallowed nervously before speaking in panic.
“Your child… your child was attacked by a monster!”
The moment those words entered his ears, Zan Yunxiao’s mind went blank.
“What?!”
Then, almost instantly—
Tianming!
A terrifying pressure suddenly erupted from his body.
“Where?” Zan Yunxiao demanded, his voice trembling with suppressed fear.
“The mountains!” the villager hurriedly replied. “They went inside the mountain forest!”
The moment the answer came, Zan Yunxiao disappeared.
No explanation.
No hesitation.
His figure instantly transformed into a streak of light, vanishing from his spot like a ghost shooting into the darkness of the night.
The surrounding villagers who witnessed the scene froze completely.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Even Xueyun herself stood there stunned, unable to process what she had just seen.
Because the Zan Yunxiao they knew…
Was merely a farmer.
Yet what they had just witnessed.
Was clearly the power of an immortal.