Chapter 790 Father and daughter meet

"I am already aware of this matter. If there is nothing else to report, you may leave."

A moment later, Medusa's voice came again, and Flower Snake could still hear a hint of resentment in her tone.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now."

Guessing that Her Majesty the Queen was not in a good mood, Flower Snake naturally did not dare to stay any longer. She bowed respectfully and then turned and left the luxuriously decorated palace.

The sound of Hua She'er's footsteps retreating faded into the distance, and the bedroom returned to its previous tranquility.

Medusa held her sleeping daughter in her arms, her fingertips still gently tracing her delicate cheek, but the faint smile on her lips had quietly vanished without her noticing.

She looked up at the deep night outside the window, the outline of the distant mountains blurred in the moonlight, but her thoughts drifted towards the capital of Gama.

That man, now back in Gama, has caused such a commotion, throwing a banquet and keeping himself incredibly busy, yet he hasn't even thought to come to the Monster Mountain Range to see her and the child.

A subtle, almost imperceptible sense of resentment crept into Medusa's heart.

Over the years, she has been protecting the snake people and this family. She gave birth to a child for Xiao Ling and spent countless sleepless nights holding the child. From the baby crying for milk in swaddling clothes to the baby babbling now, she has taken care of everything herself, working hard and worrying a lot.
But Xiao Ling, upon returning to the Northwest Continent, made his first stop in the bustling capital, leaving her and the snake-people behind.

She frowned slightly, looking down at her daughter's peaceful sleeping face, her voice so soft as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility, a hint of reproach in her whisper: "You heartless little thing..."

The Flower Snake, who had just retreated outside the palace, hadn't gone far when her sharp ears caught a faint sigh from inside. She paused, unable to suppress her indignation for her queen.

Master Xiao Ling is indeed renowned, but Her Majesty the Queen's efforts over the years are also beyond the imagination of others.

He single-handedly shouldered the burden of the Serpent People and also had to take meticulous care of the young princess. Now that he has returned to Gama, it would be one thing if he didn't rush to the Holy City to visit her first, but instead he's making a big fuss about the Heaven and Earth Alliance in the capital. It's really a bit unreasonable.

Hua She'er sighed softly, shook her head, and then composed herself, turning to walk into the night outside the palace. She was just a lowly guard captain; it was better to let the Queen handle her family matters herself.

What Flower Snake didn't know was that the moment she turned to leave, a nearly transparent figure quietly stood in the void above the temple.

Xiao Ling had originally planned to tear through the void to reveal himself, but he happened to overhear Medusa's whispers and Hua She'er's soft sighs inside the hall.

His face, which had been carrying a slight smile, suddenly stiffened, and a hint of helplessness and embarrassment flashed across his eyes.

How could he have forgotten Medusa? Had he forgotten his beloved wife and children in the holy city of the Serpent People?

After all, they were an old married couple, and besides, his return to the Northwest Continent was solely for Medusa and the Snake People.

Xiao Ling also planned to bring the Snake-People race into the Heaven and Earth Alliance he intended to establish within the Gama Empire, granting them certain privileges. This would allow the Snake-People race to operate more smoothly after Xiao Ling and Medusa left.

However, when it first arrived in the capital of Jiama, its aura leaked out, causing too much of a commotion and attracting the attention of various forces. Therefore, it had to stay in the capital to finalize the charter of the Heaven and Earth Alliance and the establishment of its base.

Now that things here have just been settled, he didn't even have time to rest for a moment before tearing through the void and rushing to the Monster Mountain Range.

How could he be indifferent to Medusa? Clearly, his heart and soul are completely devoted to her and this peaceful place.

Xiao Ling shook his head helplessly, concealed his aura, and waited until Hua She'er's figure was far away before stepping out of the void. He walked very lightly towards the door of the bedroom that was emitting warm light.

On the soft couch in the palace, Medusa carefully moved the little girl who had fallen asleep in her arms to her side, and then gently tucked the brocade quilt beside her, her movements so gentle as if she were afraid of disturbing this sweet dream.

After doing all this, she slowly leaned against the soft pillow, closed her eyes, and calmed her mind.

The slight resentment from before had long since receded like the tide, but the image of that handsome figure in a moon-white robe involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

The image of Xiao Ling standing in the light and shadow, the faint smile on his lips, the gentleness in his eyes when he lowered them—all of these clearly swept through Medusa's heart, causing a tender and lingering affection to unconsciously seep into her own eyes.

Each queen of the Serpent People, if she doesn't marry, is fine; she can remain alone and look down upon the world with her pride. But if she truly falls in love with someone, she will be loyal forever, her heart completely devoted to that person.

Even if a beloved person tragically passes away, that once passionate heart will fall silent, without a ripple of emotion.

This is an obsession etched into the bones and blood of the Serpent People, and Medusa understands it better than anyone else.

She knew all too well that her encounter with Xiao Ling was hardly romantic; their connection began with a weighing of interests, rather than a tender entanglement of love.

Not to mention someone like Xiao Ling, who has shown his talent since he was young and has made great strides all the way. He has never lacked beautiful women by his side and has never been a devoted person who stays with only one person.

But Medusa also knew very well that she was destined to never forget Xiao Ling in her entire life.

Even though he was away from home for many years and the two hadn't seen each other for a long time, Xiao Ling's face hadn't faded in her memory at all. On the contrary, it had become more and more profound and clear as time went by. The feelings buried deep in her heart were like fine wine, becoming more and more mellow and intense.

Just as Medusa's mind was racing, a few very soft knocks suddenly came from the carved wooden door of the bedchamber. The delicate sounds were exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Medusa's myriad thoughts suddenly stopped, her delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and she looked up at the tightly closed door.

She subconsciously spread out her soul perception, but the perception she extended was like a mud ox sinking into the sea; she couldn't detect even the slightest trace of it.

This bizarre situation instantly chilled her aura, and a look of vigilance flashed in her eyes.

She gave a sharp shout, her voice devoid of its previous tenderness, replaced only by the majesty and coldness of a queen: "Who goes there? State your name!" The moment her words fell, the fighting spirit within her body began to circulate silently, and powerful energy gathered in her meridians, ready to be unleashed.

Meanwhile, the two Dou Zun puppets hidden in the dark of the bedchamber slowly awoke under the guidance of her soul power, their bodies shimmering with a cold light, ready to strike at her command.

"Medusa, it's me. I wonder if it's a convenient time for you to come in?"

Xiao Ling's voice came from outside the door. As he responded, he withdrew the concealment around him, and a familiar, clear aura quietly seeped into the bedroom through the crack in the door.

Inside the bedchamber, the moment Medusa heard the voice, her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers instinctively tightened around the brocade quilt.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, but before the smile could fully bloom, she forcibly suppressed it again.

She quickly composed herself, her tone deliberately tinged with resentment, and she raised her voice with a hint of reproachful coldness,
"Isn't this Master Xiao Ling, the most famous alchemist in Zhongzhou? What's wrong? I heard that you're busy with the important affairs of the Heaven and Earth Alliance in the capital of Jiama, yet you still have time to visit my poor and remote Snake-People's Holy City in the middle of the night?"

As she spoke, she quietly dissipated the battle aura she had been gathering around her, and the two Dou Zun puppets in the shadows also fell silent. Only deep in her eyes was there a hint of joy that she herself did not notice.

Xiao Ling could naturally hear the hint of resentment in Medusa's tone; she was clearly still upset that he hadn't arrived in the Holy City immediately. He chuckled inwardly, thinking that his queen was throwing another little tantrum, but he was already quite adept at handling such situations and could simply appease her.

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Ling's figure flashed slightly, like a gentle breeze, and he appeared in the bedroom in the next second.

Medusa, inside the bedchamber, was caught off guard when her gaze fell upon the figure she had been longing for day and night. A ripple of emotion instantly washed over her, and her fingertips involuntarily curled slightly.

But she insisted on maintaining a queenly demeanor, as if she had been prepared all along, and forcefully suppressed the emotion that almost showed. She turned her delicate face away and turned her gaze to the night outside the window, refusing to look at Xiao Ling.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling chuckled softly, walked very lightly to the soft couch, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He didn't rush to speak, but simply reached out and gently covered Medusa's hand, which was resting on the brocade quilt. The warm touch of his fingertips instantly soothed her slightly cool skin.

"What, are you still angry with me?" His voice was low, with a hint of coaxing, the last syllable rising slightly, sounding unusually ingratiating.
"It was indeed my fault for not returning to the Snake-People Clan to visit you immediately, but that was because I caused too much of a commotion when I arrived in the capital, making it difficult to leave directly. Otherwise, I would definitely have returned to the Snake-People Clan to visit my beloved wife first."

As Xiao Ling spoke, he leaned slightly closer to Medusa's ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, causing the tips of her ears to turn slightly red.

"I came here as soon as I finished dealing with things in the capital, without even taking a breath. See, I just had a moment to myself and came to see you."

Seeing that Medusa still didn't react, Xiao Ling tightened his grip on her hand, enveloping her palm in his own, his fingertips gently caressing the delicate back of her hand, his voice full of tenderness:

"My dear wife, don't be angry. You've had a hard time these past few days... It's my fault for coming home late and making you suffer."

As he spoke, Xiao Ling reached out with his other hand and gently turned Medusa's shoulder, forcing her to turn around.

Medusa struggled symbolically, but eventually turned around with Xiao Ling's help. Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, stared at him, but the corners of her eyes unconsciously turned slightly red. Her resentment and joy were intertwined, making people's hearts soften.

Seeing the turmoil in Medusa's eyes, yet her face maintained a cold and aloof demeanor, Xiao Ling couldn't help but chuckle. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead.

The kiss landed very lightly, as if afraid of disturbing the person before him, yet it carried a burning heat, spreading along his skin all the way to his heart, melting away all the resentment that had arisen from waiting in this gentle touch.

As the kiss landed, Medusa's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and the anger that had been building up in her heart for so long seemed to dissipate with that gentle touch.

She no longer maintained her previous cold and resentful expression; her demeanor softened completely. She nestled her head into Xiao Ling's arms, the familiar, refreshing scent of his medicine filling her nostrils. Her voice was muffled, tinged with a sob, and tinged with helplessness.
"I've already given birth to your child, what else can I do? In this life, I can only go along with you."

Xiao Ling chuckled softly, then wrapped his arm around Medusa's delicate body and pulled her tightly into his embrace. He then looked up and cast his gaze toward the petite figure curled up on the other side of the bed.

When his gaze fell upon the little girl's exquisitely beautiful sleeping face, Xiao Ling's heart skipped a beat. An indescribable surge of emotion welled up from the bottom of his heart, and a warm current spread through his limbs and bones. It was a pull and bond that originated from the depths of his blood, so intense that even his fingertips trembled slightly.

It was obvious that the little one sleeping soundly in front of him was his daughter with Medusa.

"How about it? This is the precious daughter I gave birth to for you. Isn't she beautiful?"

Seeing his gaze fixed on his daughter, Medusa followed his gaze, her eyes instantly softening with maternal tenderness, and even her voice became gentler.

But this tenderness didn't last long. She looked up, reached out and gently pinched Xiao Ling's waist, her tone tinged with a hint of reproach: "I carried her for more than three years by myself, and raised her all by myself for so long. When she cried at night, I was the one who held her until dawn. You, as her father, are only seeing your daughter for the first time now. You are not a good father at all."

When Medusa's reproachful retort hit him, Xiao Ling's lips twitched, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

He knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't argue. He simply reached out and ruffled Medusa's hair, his voice becoming even softer.

"There are just too many things to do in Zhongzhou, and I can't get away for a while. I'm sorry to trouble you. But honestly, thank you for giving me such a lovely daughter. To me, she is the most precious gift in the world."

As he spoke, his fingertips slowly reached out and gently touched the little girl's chubby little hand on the bed.

The little guy seemed to sense something; his originally curled-up fingers twitched slightly, and even though he was still fast asleep, he stretched out his pink palm and firmly grasped his index finger.

The warm, soft touch sent a jolt through Xiao Ling's heart once more. A strange yet burning emotion instantly spread from the depths of his heart, engulfing his entire body.

Having lived two lives, this was the first time he had experienced fatherhood. It was a complex mix of joy, cherishment, and bewilderment, so intense that even his breathing became lighter. (End of Chapter)