"Great!"
Bailu suddenly and excitedly clapped both hands together, her eyes shining as brightly as the stars.
"We must hurry up and come back to the Scalegorge Waterscape with me! Hurry! Go reclaim the position of High Elder right now!"
"I don't want to be the High Elder! Every single day, I'm locked up studying this and learning that, and I still have to drink those bitter medicines!"
"I don't have any freedom at all!"
Bailu spoke so quickly and urgently that it sounded as though she had finally found the greatest savior she could possibly ask for, someone who could finally free her from the position she had never wanted in the first place.
When everyone heard her outburst, they immediately understood why the little girl had been so thrilled by Dan Feng's resurrection.
Evidently, this whole time, she had simply been hoping to dump the responsibility onto someone else!
'Just as I expected...'
Jing Yuan silently pressed a hand against his forehead, already feeling a faint headache coming on.
Dan Feng looked at the little vidyadhara standing before him, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as though she wished she could pack him into a box and express-deliver him straight back to Scalegorge Waterscape this very instant.
A bitter smile gradually spread across his face before he gently shook his head, his expression carrying equal measures of apology and helplessness.
"I'm sorry, Bailu. I'm afraid... I can't take your place."
"Why?!" Bailu's tiny face immediately crumpled, her disappointment written so plainly across her features that it was impossible to miss. "You're the real High Elder! I was the one dragged in to take the blame for you!"
"I was the one who dragged you into this?"
Dan Feng's gaze slowly swept across Dan Heng and Baiheng before finally settling back on Bailu.
"Because I am a sinner. What I caused, the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, was an unforgivable crime."
As he spoke, Dan Feng's voice remained calm and steady, yet there was unmistakable heaviness behind every word.
"Although I have been reborn, my sins have not been erased. Neither the Luofu nor the entire vidyadhara would likely accept me as a High Elder again. In fact, the only reason I can remain here is because of Teacher Lucian's protection. How could I dare hope to reclaim that position?"
Every word reflected the deep remorse Dan Feng still carried, as well as his clear understanding of the consequences of his past. He had long since accepted that resurrection did not mean that everything he had once done could simply be wiped away.
Bailu stood frozen after hearing his explanation, her expectant expression gradually fading.
Only then did she remember Dan Feng's infamous 'great accomplishments' and everything recorded within the Xianzhou Luofu regarding the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae.
In the end, the more she recalled, the more she realized that Dan Feng taking back the position of High Elder was not nearly as simple as she had imagined. Her little face immediately scrunched into a miserable frown, and all the excitement she had shown moments ago disappeared without a trace.
"I see..."
Bailu dejectedly lowered her head, and even the dragon horns atop her head seemed to lose their usual shine.
"So... that means I'm still the one who has to do this awful job? And I'll still be watched all the time and won't be allowed to go out and have fun..."
Her small shoulders drooped as though an enormous burden had suddenly been placed back on them.
Watching her look as though the entire sky had collapsed onto her shoulders, everyone present found it difficult not to smile despite themselves.
Lucian chuckled softly as he reached over and ruffled her hair, gently messing up the hair atop her head.
"C'mon, don't look so depressed. If you really don't wanna be a High Elder, then just ask me. I can help you."
A sly grin spread across his face as he continued, clearly having already come up with a solution.
"Big Sis Jingliu and Big Sis Baiheng both adore you. They'd love nothing more than to raise you like their own daughter, so how about becoming my daughter instead? I'll solve your problem."
Just like that, the instant Lucian casually proposed adopting Bailu, everyone's attention shifted toward him.
Who was Lucian?
With his strength and status, anyone who established a close familial relationship with him would practically ascend to the heavens in a single step.
Countless people would never receive such an opportunity even if they dreamed about it for a lifetime, yet he was casually offering Bailu exactly that kind of opportunity.
Stelle blinked in surprise before a bright smile appeared on her face.
"I'm getting a little sister? And she's a cute little dragon?"
"Awesome!" March's eyes immediately lit up, and she practically looked ready to rush over and claim Bailu for herself. "Stelle, you gotta lend your little sister to me for a couple of days."
"You two, stop fooling around."
Himeko smiled helplessly and shook her head, clearly accustomed to the two girls getting excited over the slightest thing.
Evernight, meanwhile, had always been easily influenced by March.
Since March liked Bailu, she naturally found herself liking the little vidyadhara as well, so she had no objection whatsoever to Bailu becoming Lucian's adopted daughter. In her eyes, having another little girl around the group was hardly a bad thing.
Silver Wolf, on the other hand, immediately leaned over with an interested look, her eyes carrying the unmistakable curiosity of someone who had just discovered a potentially useful loophole.
"Partner, you don't mind adopting a few more, right? I can join in too."
Ever since learning about Stelle's carefree lifestyle, Silver Wolf had grown genuinely envious.
Every day, Stelle simply ate, drank, played around, spaced out, and wandered everywhere collecting trash from various trash bins, never having to worry about anything, never having any real troubles or burdens weighing on her shoulders.
She could spend her days doing whatever she wanted without having to concern herself with responsibilities that would normally make other people miserable.
With a father-like figure like Lucian standing in front of her to handle everything, her life was absurdly comfortable.
In Silver Wolf's eyes, Lucian was basically the ultimate cheat code.
Wasn't using cheats the dream of practically every gamer?
Since the entire world was nothing more than one giant game in her eyes, naturally she wanted to experience the thrill of playing with cheats herself.
Unfortunately for her, Lucian simply shook his head.
"Nah, I got other plans for you."
Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow, her curiosity immediately piqued.
"What plans? You recruiting me as one of your lackeys to work for you?"
Lucian merely smiled and shook his head again.
"It's a secret."
In truth, compared to adopting Silver Wolf as either a daughter or an employee, he would much rather make her his wife.
After all, who could resist someone so petite, adorable, and, most importantly, completely legal?
Naturally, Silver Wolf had no idea what was actually going through Lucian's mind, so she simply pouted in dissatisfaction before flopping back onto her lounge chair.
"Phantylia, keep going. Give me another massage."
Phantylia glanced at Lucian for a brief moment before forcing a graceful smile onto her face. Suppressing the humiliation she felt inside, she silently resumed massaging Silver Wolf as though nothing had happened.
At that moment, Jing Yuan walked over.
Looking at Dan Feng, whose expression had become noticeably dimmer, he spoke in his usual relaxed tone.
"Imbibitor Lunae, the truth is that today's vidyadhara aren't exactly united when it comes to their High Elder."
"After your reincarnation, the Luofu's vidyadhara remained leaderless for a very long time. Yes, Bailu was elevated to the position of High Elder, but she's still too young, and her power has yet to fully mature."
He slowly raised two fingers.
"As a result, the vidyadhara have now split into two factions."
"One is the firmly pro-Bailu faction. They claim they wish to nurture her into the next true High Elder because she possesses the High Elder's power, but their real objective is to dismantle the High Elder's absolute authority. They intend to use her as a puppet while gradually dividing and seizing the High Elder's power for themselves."
"The other is the pro-Dan Feng faction. They still long for your former authority and strength. They've always placed their hopes on your reincarnation, Dan Heng, and have repeatedly tried to bring him back. Now that your true self has returned, those old fellows are undoubtedly becoming even more eager."
Jing Yuan paused briefly before glancing toward the still-confused Bailu, his expression becoming noticeably more serious.
"If you were to return to Scalegorge Waterscape now, your former prestige and overwhelming strength would guarantee the full support of the pro-Dan Feng faction. Reclaiming the position of High Elder would not be difficult."
"However..."
Jing Yuan paused for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone present before finally settling on Bailu.
"If that happens, Bailu's position would become extremely delicate... perhaps even dangerous."
"If that happens, the elders supporting Bailu would abandon her without hesitation, while there's no guarantee the elders supporting you wouldn't regard her as a thorn in their side that had to be removed."
Needless to say, the meaning behind Jing Yuan's words could not have been any clearer.
Once the former High Elder returned, Bailu would almost certainly become a sacrificial pawn in the political struggle between the two factions. Regardless of which side ultimately gained the upper hand, she could easily end up being the one who paid the price.
Dan Feng frowned deeply.
He understood the implications immediately, which was why he had never intended to compete for power again, nor did he wish to drag an innocent child into danger simply because of his own return.
"I understand..." Dan Feng said and nodded firmly. "I absolutely will not—"
"Waaah! No!"
Before Dan Feng could finish speaking, Bailu let out a miserable cry.
Having listened carefully to Jing Yuan's explanation, she had also realized exactly what it meant.
"Doesn't that mean I'm doomed?! Those old fossils will definitely lock me up in that black room forever and never let me out!"
The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became.
Her little face turned deathly pale, and even the aroma of her beloved barbecue no longer tempted her. Almost instinctively, she shuffled closer to Lucian, the person nearest to her who gave her the greatest sense of safety.
Watching the pitiful little vidyadhara tremble as though she might be dragged away and tossed into a stewpot at any second, every woman present felt her maternal instincts stirred.
"Poor thing..."
Baiheng was the first to give in.
Warm-hearted and compassionate by nature, she immediately crouched down, pulled Bailu into a gentle embrace, and softly patted her back in comfort.
"It's okay. Don't be scared. We're all here with you. Become our daughter, and we'll all protect you."
Even though Jingliu's expression remained as cool and composed as ever, even her normally icy eyes softened ever so slightly as she watched Bailu being comforted.
March, meanwhile, was already fuming.
"How could they do something like that?!" March exclaimed indignantly. "Poor Bailu... Come here, let me hug you~"
Gazing at Bailu, Himeko quietly frowned, unable to hide the sympathy in her eyes as well.
Even Kafka couldn't help but meddle, smiling faintly before speaking in her usual composed tone.
"Listen to me, Bailu. You need to call Lucian 'Papa.' Only then will you gain true freedom."
===
[A bonus chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]