Martial Peak
chapter-5230

Since Yang Kai had cultivated the Dao of Time and learnt a few things from his Third Disciple, time flowed four times faster in his Small Universe than the outside; therefore, even though the Old Ancestor had been recuperating in his Small Universe for four months, only one month had passed in the outside world.

In just one month, the East-West Army was able to carry out such a plan. Yang Kai couldn’t help but admire Xiang Shan and the others’ far-sightedness.

After the three Universe Worlds circled around the forward base, Yang Kai was unable to see what happened next as his sight was obstructed. With that said, even though he was in a desolate valley on the opposite side of a Universe World, he could still feel the violent energy fluctuations coming from the Royal City.

He reckoned that the expressions on the Territory Lords’ faces would be interesting when they saw the Universe Worlds, which were equipped with various arrays, coming at the Royal City; however, he didn’t think it would be difficult for the Black Ink Clan to fend off these Universe Worlds. After all, there were some 30-plus Territory Lords, not to mention that they had many Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples with them.

It was unlikely that the Universe Worlds could harm them.

That was indeed the case. The energy fluctuations coming from the Royal City only lasted for about 10 breaths of time before they vanished.

Again, days went by peacefully.

From the looks of it, the Human soldiers didn’t seem to have the intention of invading the Royal City at all. Meanwhile, inside the Small Universe, the Old Ancestor was still recuperating in the hunter’s home.

The couple treated her very well. Although they were not related by blood, they took care of her as though they were her biological parents. Half of the food brought back by the hunter from the mountain found its way into the Old Ancestor’s stomach.

Certainly, the couple was surprised at the fact that the little girl they picked up from the mountain had such a big appetite despite being so petite; moreover, she seemed to truly love eating.

The only thing that concerned the couple was that the little girl hadn’t grown much in size despite her big appetite.

She looked like she was three to four years old when they picked her up back then. Four years had passed, but she hadn’t changed one bit.

This was unusual, for kids normally grew very quickly at such a young age. Four years was long enough for a toddler to become a child that could freely run around; however, that wasn’t the case for Xiao Xiao.

Yes, after raising the little girl they picked up from the mountain for four years, the couple had given her a name. She was named Xiao Xiao because she would smile brightly whenever there was delicious food for her.

Considering the fact that Xiao Xiao was abandoned by her family back then because she was critically ill, the couple believed that her illness was the reason she hadn’t grown much. In the past, Doctor Cai had left behind a prescription slip. Using the herbs on the list, the couple spent the next four months pulling Xiao Xiao back from death’s door. Although her life was saved, she must have been left with a hidden ailment that resulted in her sluggish growth.

With that said, they were gratified that Xiao Xiao wasn’t mute, unlike what they initially thought. Furthermore, she was an intelligent child who was good at speaking and singing.

Additionally, she also seemed to be gifted when it came to hunting.

She was only four years old when they picked her up, and she was eight years old now.

What could an eight-year-old child do? The hunter had no idea what other eight-year-old kids were like, but Xiao Xiao could already follow him to the mountain and hunt every day.

He had even crafted a small bow for her. Over the past six months, Xiao Xiao was able to bring back a lot of prey. There was even once when the hunter killed an 800-kilogram wild boar with her help.

The wild boar was large enough for all the villagers to enjoy for half a month.

All the villagers treated Xiao Xiao well. Knowing that she loved food, the villagers would frequently send her delicious dishes so that she could satisfy her craving.

One day, the stout woman was busy doing household chores in the afternoon when she heard some noises outside the house. After opening the door, she saw that her Husband and Xiao Xiao had returned.

That surprised her because it was only in the middle of the afternoon. Usually, her Husband wouldn’t come home so soon.

What bothered her was that there was a hint of worry on her Husband’s face.

Although she wasn’t a typical sensitive woman as she was rather straightforward, she was good at observing her Husband’s expressions. After all, they had been married for many years.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

The hunter shook his head and remained silent. Gazing at Xiao Xiao, he said, “Go out and play.”

After a grunt, Xiao Xiao put down her bow and quiver, “I’ll look for Sir, then.”

Then, she turned around and left the house in a hurry.

Worried, the stout woman shouted from behind, “Take it slow! Don’t trip!”

Despite knowing that the little girl could easily move around on the mountain along with the hunter, the stout woman was still worried that she would trip over if she ran too fast.

As for the ‘Sir’ Xiao Xiao had mentioned, he was a scholar who happened to arrive at this place four years ago. The scholar seemed to have fallen in love with the environment here, so he decided to settle down. Several years had passed since then. Perhaps he had decided to stay here forever.

Though the scholar didn’t have other skills, he was a well-read person. They happened to need a teacher in the village, so the scholar decided to help the children learn how to read and write upon the hunters’ request. In return, they would give him some food, so he didn’t have to worry about survival.

Xiao Xiao loved spending time with the scholar. According to her, the young man would always give her treats every time she paid him a visit. The couple had never heard of some of the food she had mentioned.

The couple pondered on this issue many times. The scholar received his food from the villagers, so where did he even get some treats to share with the children?

However, to Xiao Xiao, anything edible was delicious.

After Xiao Xiao was out of sight, the stout woman turned around and saw that her Husband was seated by the table. He took a few sips of the tea and sighed.

Annoyed by her Husband’s behaviour, the stout woman landed a slap on his back, almost causing him to spit blood, “Just spill it! Stop sighing and keeping silent!”

The hunter let out another sigh before saying, “I came across a woman on the mountain today.”

While glaring at him, the stout woman sneered, “Was she beautiful?”

After becoming startled for a moment, the hunter put on a helpless smile, “What are you talking about? Why don’t you ask me where I saw her?”

The stout woman snorted, “Where did you run into her?”

In a grim voice, the hunter replied, “In that house.”

The stout woman fell into a dazed state for a moment, then her expression changed, “What do you mean?”

Gazing at her, the hunter went on to say, “You’re also aware that I picked up Xiao Xiao from the log house on the mountain back then. Over the years, I’d go take a look at the house whenever I go hunting in that area. I’ve never seen anyone there, but today, there was a woman in the log house. Judging from the clothes she was wearing, she should be from a well-to-do family. She also had some servants with her.”

“So what?” The stout woman appeared wary.

The hunter continued, saying, “I asked them what they were doing there, and one of the servants told me that the woman lost something around there a few years ago, so they were looking for it now.”

The stout woman’s expression changed drastically, “Have they found it?”

The hunter shook his head, “I never asked her what she had lost.”

“Did she see Xiao Xiao?”

The hunter replied, “No. Xiao Xiao and I separated to run down a roe deer. She wasn’t by my side at that time.”

The stout woman was evidently relieved.

The hunter sighed, “Dear, I think the woman’s appearance somewhat resembles Xiao Xiao…”

“Shut up!” The stout woman roared. The hunter was so shocked that he hunched his back. He wouldn’t dare to offend his Wife when she was enraged.

Relentless, the stout woman walked up to the door and placed her hands on her hips before shouting at the clearing outside the house, “You have lost her, so what’s the point of you looking for her now? You were not heartbroken when you lost her back then, so how could you look for her when she’s healthy now? Do you think she’ll go back to you? What a heartless woman!” She spat in contempt.

There seemed to be an invisible enemy outside the house as the stout woman resentfully cursed at it. She didn’t have any other skills, but she excelled at cursing at the people she hated.

It wasn’t until a long time later that her fury slightly subsided. She turned around and stared at the hunter, “Go up the mountain and kill that woman with your bow tomorrow!”

The hunter’s forehead was covered with cold sweat, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“What’s wrong with that? I’ll take all the responsibility!” The stout woman appeared determined as she walked towards the table and picked up the teapot. She directly chugged it down to quench her thirst.

After she was done drinking it, she landed the teapot on the table with a loud thud. Then, she sat on the chair with a listless expression. She was no longer as feisty as earlier when she cursed at the invisible enemy.

A moment later, she covered her eyes with her hands.

The hunter stole a glance and asked, “Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

The stout woman was trying to suppress her sorrow when she heard her Husband’s words. Unable to take it anymore, she started bawling her eyes out, “Darling, don’t you think that Xiao Xiao is a gift to us from the Heavens? No one can take her away from us, right?”

It had been over 20 years since the couple got married. They were pretty hard-working when they were younger, but for some reason, she couldn’t bear a child.

When the hunter brought Xiao Xiao back from the mountain four years ago, the stout woman thought that the Heavens had finally had mercy on her by sending this child to her.

Initially, she still hoped that her Husband could find Xiao Xiao’s relatives so that she could return to her family; however, four years had passed, and the couple already regarded Xiao Xiao to be their Daughter. They were not willing to part ways with her now.

At the thought of the possibility of Xiao Xiao leaving her, the stout woman was heartbroken.

The hunter placated her by saying, “Well, I simply chanced upon a wealthy woman who lost something several years ago. She’s just looking for it now. She might not necessarily be Xiao Xiao’s relative.”

The stout woman’s vision had turned blurred from all the crying. While sobbing, she said, “You said that the woman resembles Xiao Xiao, and she’s looking for something she lost. Who else could she be if she’s not Xiao Xiao’s Mother?”

At that, the hunter fell silent.

In fact, such a thought sprang into his mind the moment he saw the woman. That was because Xiao Xiao indeed took after her.

While the stout woman continued bawling, the hunter remained silent.

A moment later, he said, “The child has her own parents. The woman is from a wealthy family. If Xiao Xiao goes back to her, she’ll have a bright future. It’s much better than staying with us here. In the future, she’ll be able to marry a good man.”