Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Little Red Carp was slowly learning human mannerisms and principles.

”Oh, okay. Not for adults or children.” Little Red Carp nodded repeatedly. ”I understand now, Sister. Don’t be mad. Brother-in-law is right here, and you don’t look good when you’re angry. Come on, give me a smile!”

”You... If you didn’t make me mad, I’d be smiling all day.” Zhao Nuanyue shot Little Red Carp a glare, then glanced at Hua Yusen. She relaxed when she saw he wasn’t looking back at them.

’It’s true, I don’t look good when I’m angry,’ she thought. ’I can’t let Hua Yusen see my fierce side.’

But up ahead, Hua Yusen was even more delighted. He loved that dual nature of Zhao Nuanyue’s—as tranquil as a maiden one moment, and as lively as a startled rabbit the next. Even her fierce, angry expression was alluring to him. He loved every side of her.

When they arrived at their destination, Zhao Nuanyue tightened Little Red Carp’s shoelaces. ”You were the one who insisted on coming to climb Brick City,” she said. ”So you’d better climb well today and try to walk the whole way yourself.”

”Okay, okay! I’ll walk by myself.” As soon as she finished speaking, Little Red Carp shot off like a little cannonball.

’Dragon Spine, here I come!’

It turned out that Little Red Carp hadn’t come to climb Brick City just to play. She had an important task: to refine the Dragon Energy in her body that she couldn’t absorb. She had acquired a great deal of Dragon Energy by Qingya Lake, but without the Old Dragon King’s help, her absorption rate was very slow. That was why she wanted to come to the Dragon Spine for assistance.

The closer she got to Brick City, the more the Dragon Energy inside her began to stir. Once she was on top of Brick City, the Dragon Energy’s activity intensified.

Little Red Carp broke into a light jog, just managing to keep pace with the adults.

After a short while, her face grew flushed and beaded with sweat.

”Little Red Carp, are you tired?” Hua Yusen asked. A child so young was bound to get exhausted from jogging like that.

Little Red Carp looked up, her face red, and shook her head. ”I’m not tired! Not tired at all! I can keep running!”

Zhao Nuanyue found Little Red Carp’s behavior a bit odd. She gave her brother, Zhao Nuan Yang, a meaningful look, signaling for him to go talk to Hua Yusen while she asked Little Red Carp what was going on.

As expected of fraternal twins, Zhao Nuan Yang understood with just one glance from Zhao Nuanyue. He immediately walked over to his brother-in-law to chat about work. Although Hua Yusen still diverted some of his attention toward Zhao Nuanyue and Little Red Carp, he couldn’t hear what they were saying.

”Little Red Carp, what’s wrong?” Zhao Nuanyue asked with concern. ”Your face is so red, it’s a little scary. I can carry you, or you can have your brother-in-law or your brother give you a piggyback ride. You don’t have to push yourself so hard.”

”I’m fine. I’m just on the Dragon Spine to refine the Dragon Energy in my body,” Little Red Carp said, panting. ”It’ll be over soon. I just need to run for another half hour, and I’ll be done.”

’Half an hour?’

Zhao Nuanyue was taken aback. She glanced at Little Red Carp’s short legs; for her, that was a very long time.

However, since it was beneficial for Little Red Carp’s cultivation, and she wasn’t an ordinary child, Zhao Nuanyue didn’t press the matter. She just continued to walk alongside her, keeping her company.

Hua Yusen watched Little Red Carp, who was drenched in sweat a short distance away, and asked worriedly, ”Nuanyang, aren’t you worried about her?”

”It’s fine, my sister is with her.” Zhao Nuan Yang was a little concerned too, but Little Red Carp wasn’t a normal child. Plus, with his sister by her side, nothing should go wrong. ”She had her heart set on climbing Brick City. Even if you offered to carry her, she wouldn’t have it.”

”Oh!” Hua Yusen was only half-convinced, but he kept a close eye on Little Red Carp’s condition. He noticed that aside from a flushed face and some sweating, she showed no other symptoms.

After half an hour, Little Red Carp finally stopped.

Zhao Nuanyue quickly took out a water bottle and handed it to her. ”Here, Little Red Carp, drink up. Slowly now.”

”Thank you, Sister.” Little Red Carp took a drink of water and slowed to a walk. The redness in her face faded, and her sweat disappeared. She had completely refined the Dragon Energy in her body; her cultivation had advanced another step, and her mana had grown stronger.

’Looks like I’ll have to come climb Brick City more often in the future.’

After resting for a moment, Little Red Carp held out her arms, asking her sister to carry her.

Zhao Nuanyue picked up Little Red Carp. The poor thing really had been exhausted. But Little Red Carp was already five years old and quite chubby, and Zhao Nuanyue found her a bit heavy to carry.

”Sister, let me carry Little Red Carp,” Zhao Nuan Yang said when he saw his sister struggling. He took off his backpack, getting ready to give her a piggyback ride.

Hua Yusen smiled. ”Little Red Carp, come let your brother-in-law carry you!”

So, Little Red Carp climbed onto Hua Yusen’s back. ”Thank you, Brother-in-law!” she said gratefully.

Little Red Carp was being very well-behaved. Hua Yusen patted her head and smiled. ”I promised you before that I’d carry you when you got tired,” he said. ”We’ve been out for quite a while. Let’s walk a little further and find a cool place to rest.”

Only then did Zhao Nuanyue have the peace of mind to stand on Brick City and admire the scenery on both sides. The endless wall of Brick City was like a colossal dragon lying across the land, a truly majestic sight.

Despite having weathered thousands of years of wind and rain, it still stood strong.

Brick City no longer served its original purpose, but its spirit endured.

They reached an exit and descended, finding a shady spot. Zhao Nuanyue took out a picnic blanket and spread it on the ground. Then she set out boiled water that had been cooled, sugar water, and two large boxes of flaky pastries in a variety of flavors.

When Little Red Carp saw so much delicious food, her eyes lit up and she was about to grab some.

Zhao Nuanyue quickly grabbed her hand. ”Let’s go wash our hands together!”

There was a small, clear stream nearby.

The four of them washed their hands. Little Red Carp ran ahead, eagerly opening a pastry box. She handed one to her brother, her sister, and her brother-in-law before taking a red bean paste one for herself. She took a big bite, and the sweet, wonderful flavor made her squint her eyes in bliss.

They all drank water and ate their snacks, enjoying the clear breeze and birdsong of the mountain forest, their spirits soaring.

Far from the clamor of the world, their minds found a quiet peace.

At that moment, Zhao Nuanyue saw only her lover and her family before her.

However, this tranquility didn’t last long. Soon, they heard the voices of a man and a woman from a short distance away.

Zhao Nuanyue turned her head and saw, to her surprise, Guo Dongmei and Li Gongming not far from them.

’What rotten luck. Such a great mood, ruined just like that.’

Zhao Nuanyue had excellent hearing and eyesight, so she could see and hear them clearly even from a distance.

”Gongming, I’m pregnant,” Guo Dongmei said, her voice choked with sorrowful complaint. ”We can’t keep on like this, in this ambiguous state. People are gossiping. It can’t go on.”

Li Gongming was annoyed. He had come out to clear his head, only to be run into by Guo Dongmei.

’No, not run into,’ he corrected himself. ’I was followed.’