DDDV Ch 157 Part 2 – This Is My Daughter, Lu Yaoyao (II)

Lu Yaoyao was led by Yao Jiuxiao at the front. She kept looking straight ahead, but she couldn’t help but secretly glanced over familiar faces from the corner of her eyes.

Master, Brother Junyang, Muxue…

All were still immersed in shock and hadn’t recovered; staring blankly at her.

The appointed auspicious time for the memorial ceremony had arrived, and Yao Jiuxiao, noticing the lack of the customary chant, furrowed his brows and looked toward the officiant.

Jolted by Yao Jiuxiao’s glance, the officiant immediately snapped back to reality, announcing the start of the ceremony. “The grand ceremony begins!” An invisible ripple spread outwards, and his steady voice echoed throughout the Guiyuan Sect.

Yao Jiuxiao, with Lu Yaoyao by his side, was the first to bow. Throughout the ceremony, she remained close to him. The grand memorial was akin to the mortal’s funeral ceremony. It was her first time attending such a ceremony, and with guidance from Lu Junyang, she made no mistakes.

The ceremony lasted the entire day, with one session in the morning and another in the afternoon. Throughout the entire process, the atmosphere was quiet and solemn until the ancestor’s coffin was taken to the forbidden area, marking the end. But the day seemed to pass in a blur, the minds of those present unsettled, as if they had yet to fully process the news of His Venerable having a child.

The forbidden area of the Guiyuan Sect doubled as a burial site for important figures of the sect and thus was off-limits except for a select few. Among those present, only Yao Jiuxiao and his daughter, along with Lu Chongyun and his successor Lu Junyang, could enter. Even Chao Muxue was not allowed inside. The ceremonial tomb for Lu Yuandao had long been erected there, left empty for hundreds of years, and today, his remains finally received a proper burial.

Yao Jiuxiao and Lu Chongyun led the way, with Lu Junyang holding Lu Yaoyao’s hand a few steps behind. Lu Yaoyao looked warily at the backs of the two people in front. Concerned about her Father’s mood, she paid little attention to the appearance of the forbidden area.

Throughout the day, Yao Jiuxiao’s expression remained unchanged, and Lu Chongyun showed no sign of sorrow. The most challenging times had passed long ago, and any emotions, good or bad, had settled. Besides, cultivators view life and death with detachment, though they might feel some sadness.

“Brother Junyang, do you think people will have an afterlife?” Lu Yaoyao suddenly asked. She had never heard about the concept of reincarnation in this world. While there were rare instances of people coming back after death, they were all using some special methods. But cultivators cultivated their souls and tempered their bodies. After the demise of one’s physical body, where did the soul return to?

“When a cultivator passes away, their soul disperses and returns to the earth. Once rejuvenated by the world, it will be ready to be reborn.”

“But what’s the difference between the soul dispersing and being utterly destroyed?” Lu Yaoyao pondered, both resulting in dissipation. So why was one acceptable and the other one not?

“…” Lu Junyang was stumped by her question, having never considered it. After a moment, he responded, “A naturally dispersing soul may have a chance for rebirth, but one that’s utterly destroyed does not.”

Lu Yaoyao nodded, then mused again, “Why is there no reincarnation here?” It would be great if there was a system of underworld here. A cultivator’s soul was strong, and unless it was disturbed by external forces, it would not dissipate instantly after death. If there were reincarnation and an underworld to settle the deeds committed during one’s lifetime, good people could quickly be reborn.

Lu Junyang gently patted Lu Yaoyao’s head. He didn’t know what kind of reincarnation this girl was talking about, but he was quite marveled at the vast array of curious thoughts that ran through her small head.

After a while, Yao Jiuxiao and Lu Chongyun stopped in front of a tombstone.

“Now that you have a child, do you still insist on going on your own way? Aren’t you afraid of harming her?” Lu Chongyun coldly asked.

“The grievances among the Three Realms cannot be settled through slaughter,” Yao Jiuxiao replied. If killing could put an end to it, they would have found peace long ago. Countless centuries of war have proven this path leads nowhere but to mutual destruction.

The only way forward is to find a new path, one that leads to survival from a seemingly hopeless situation.

Lu Chongyun’s hands clenched tightly as he said, “Demons and devils cannot be trusted.”

“To them, humans are equally untrustworthy.”

“If that’s the case, how can there be peace?”

“The Devil Realm has its Devil Venerable, the Human Realm has me, and although the Demon Realm now only has four great Demon Kings, there has emerged a Demon Emperor. The power balance among humans, devils, and demons is nearly equal. Any further warfare would only result in mutual devastation.”

How could Lu Chongyun not know that? To put it bluntly, the human race was not powerful enough to annihilate the other two races in one fell swoop. Despite the presence of Dao Venerable Hengwu, Devil Venerable Chijia Luo hindered humans from acting recklessly, and while the demon race had no Great Ascension powerhouse, the united front of the five demon kings could trap Dao Venerable Hengwu.

“Why not just continue as it has been for the past three hundred years?” Lu Chongyun scoffed. Why bother?

Yao Jiuxiao remained silent. He was aware that the current peace was fragile, a mere illusion easily shattered. What he sought after was true peace.

“I won’t help you,” Lu Chongyun said with a flick of his sleeve, “You’re on your own.”

Despite the close proximity, Lu Yaoyao and Lu Junyang couldn’t hear the specifics of the conversation between Yao Jiuxiao and Lu Chongyun, but they could feel the tension. Soon, they saw Lu Chongyun, visibly upset, striding alone towards them.

Seeing the cute little dumpling, Lu Chongyun’s anger dissipated instantly, and his deep frown was replaced by a beaming smile. “My niece!” he exclaimed excitedly. “I’m your martial uncle.”

Lu Yaoyao glanced at her father before obediently calling out, “Hello, Martial Uncle.”

“Ah!” Lu Chongyun’s smile widened, his eyes turned into a crescent. The martial niece he finally met was totally adorable. Her round face brimming with vitality, and her cute voice was so sweet it melted his heart—a stark contrast to her boring and cold father. The child must take after her mother!

With a voice dripping with honey, Lu Chongyun said, “Would you like to follow us back to the main peak? Martial Uncle wants to chat with you.”

Lu Yaoyao subconsciously looked to Yao Jiuxiao for approval. Seeing no objection, she assumed it was alright.

Lu Junyang took Lu Yaoyao’s hand, “Yaoyao hasn’t visited the main peak yet, have you?”

Overwhelmed by the warm invitation, Lu Yaoyao nodded, “Thank you, Martial Uncle and Brother Junyang.”

Lu Chongyun’s smile grew even brighter. What a cute, well-behaved, and polite child!

Between his joy, Lu Chongyun also harbored some complaints towards his senior brother. His martial niece had returned to the sect a long time ago, yet Senior Brother kept her presence a secret, causing him to fail to recognize her early on. If only he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have let that Mo Liuying take advantage and he would have taken her as his disciple himself!

Well, he was not totally blameless here. On closer inspection, his niece’s features were at least fifty to sixty percent similar to Senior Brother’s, although thankfully not inheriting his temperament. It was baffling to see a walking glacier like Senior Brother could have such a cute daughter.

Wait, what is his niece’s name again? Lu Yaoyao? Surname Lu?

Lu Chongyun was overjoyed. This surname was good, very good, like one family! Although he was curious why Senior Brother didn’t give her his surname, the surname Lu was very nice; she must keep it!

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Translator’s Note: