To make up for incapacitating the two little ones with her less-than-perfect culinary skills, Yuan Heng decided to beg her master to let her take them along to the Demon Court for the feast.
Ever since the Dao Ancestor attained sainthood, the two little ones had rarely had the chance to roam freely in the Primordial World. Upon hearing that Yuan Heng wanted to take them out to play, their faces were instantly filled with surprise and joy.
Haotian and Yaochi's eyes shone with hope as they looked up at Yuan Heng, their faces glowing. “Little Senior Sister, can we?”
Yuan Heng nodded solemnly. “I will go find Master right now. Rest assured, your senior sister will make sure everything is taken care of~”
One moment, her small face appeared before Hongjun with a sycophantic smile, and the next moment, the Dao Ancestor already knew her purpose here.
Hongjun raised an eyebrow, glancing at the two little ones peering in expectantly from the doorway, and then at his own disciple's completely shameless, beaming face.
With a wave of his hand, Hongjun granted his approval. “My disciple, I already know. Take them with you if you wish.”
“Once the banquet is over, I will naturally fetch them back.”
The Dao Ancestor did not mention bringing Yuan Heng back as well. Cough, cough. Even between a master and disciple, it was necessary to maintain a certain sense of distance.
It was absolutely not because he feared that if Yuan Heng stayed in the Purple Heaven Palace any longer, he might end up eating whatever dark cuisine she concocted next.
Absolutely not.
He was a Sage, so how could he possibly fear those strangely shaped pastries and drinks that practically glowed with the color of death?
Of course he wouldn't.
Yuan Heng walked up with great enthusiasm and happily began massaging her master's shoulders, her voice bubbling with joy. “Hehehe, thank you, Master!”
“I knew it! Master, you are the absolute best~”
The corners of Hongjun's mouth twitched upward slightly. He let out a strategic cough into his hand and said, “My disciple, do not delay. The banquet is about to begin. Let me send you there.”
Yuan Heng nodded and stood alongside Haotian and Yaochi. The three of them bowed deeply in unison. “Thank you, Master!” / “Thank you, Lord!”
“Your disciple / servants take our leave...”
“Very well.”
Hongjun swept his hand, sending the three of them straight to the South Heaven Gate of the Demon Court.
As soon as Yuan Heng appeared, someone came forward to welcome them. The newcomer had a tall, upright stature and an elegant, scholarly aura.
Even more striking was his white hair. He was shrouded in an auspicious aura, making him look exceptionally knowledgeable.
In her mind, she secretly matched his features to a known figure. This appearance, this temperament, this auspicious aura... He must be the ancient auspicious beast, Baize, right?
Baize recognized her identity almost the moment he saw her. He stepped forward to welcome her with a polite smile. “Fairy Yuan Heng's presence truly brings great honor to our Demon Court.”
Yuan Heng returned an even more polite smile. “You are too polite, Demon Commander Baize.”
Baize smiled, bypassing further small talk. He stepped aside to guide them. “Fairy Yuan Heng, and our two little friends, please come inside.”
Yuan Heng nodded slightly and led the two little ones in.
Stepping into the main hall of the Heavenly Court, they found the room already bustling with guests. Yuan Heng scanned the crowd, spotting many familiar faces, though of course, there were plenty of strangers as well.
At that moment, Taiyi and Dijun were hosting the guests. Catching sight of her from afar, their eyes lit up. Taiyi whispered something in Dijun's ear and walked straight over to her.
“Fairy Yuan Heng, I trust you have been well since we last met.”
His tone carried a hint of familiarity, and the usual arrogance in his brow had softened slightly due to his elder brother's big day.
Hearing this, Yuan Heng raised her eyebrows, a polite smile on her face. “Fellow Daoist Taiyi.”
Only when Taiyi drew closer did he notice that the two children following Yuan Heng looked incredibly familiar. He stared at the two recognizable little faces, lost in thought.
Who were they?
Taiyi: !!!
He remembered now—they were the Dao Ancestor's attendants!
He thought to himself, Could Yuan Heng have just returned from the Purple Heaven Palace? How did she manage to abduct the Dao Ancestor's attendants as well?
His elder brother had told him that since they had already lost their opportunity for sainthood, the Demon Court could not afford to offend the Dao Ancestor. If they could curry a bit of favor with him, that would be for the best.
Now, both the Dao Ancestor's most beloved disciple and his attendants were right here, so...
Taiyi's lips curved into a perfectly measured smile. “Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng, and you two little friends, please follow me.”
Yuan Heng had no idea what kind of brainstorm was happening in Taiyi's mind. She only felt that compared to their last meeting, he seemed a bit less... sharp?
This genuinely baffled her, but she didn't show it.
Under Taiyi's guidance, Yuan Heng very obediently led the two little ones to a seating area on the left side, situated very close to the main seats at the head.
Once Taiyi escorted them there, he nodded slightly. “Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng, and my two little fellow Daoists, please take your seats and wait for the Heavenly Marriage ceremony to begin.”
“Alright, thank you, Fellow Daoist Taiyi.”
Having settled them in, Taiyi took his leave. Looking at his busy retreating back, Yuan Heng sighed with emotion in her heart.
Even someone as formidable as the Eastern Emperor Taiyi had to work like a dog during his elder brother's wedding.
Hosting a wedding is truly exhausting.
Before long, the various mighty figures arrived one after another. As expected, her senior brothers and senior sisters cared about making an entrance more than anyone else.
As if they had calculated their arrival to the second, they made their entrance together as the grand finale of the guests.
Catching sight of them from a distance, Yuan Heng waved her hand at them, her eyes shining brightly. “Senior Brothers! Senior Sisters!”
Tongtian was the first to react. His eyes lit up upon seeing her, and he dashed over. “Little Junior Sister~”
“Senior Brother Tongtian~”
As the others approached, Yuan Heng stood up, composing her small face to greet them politely. “Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.”
Taiqing and Yuanshi nodded slightly to her. Jieyin and Zhunti, on the other hand, were much more expressive. Their demeanor was just like their attire, brimming with the same intense warmth.
Zhunti took a quick step forward to close the distance. “Junior Sister Yuan Heng, have you been well these past few thousand years?”
Yuan Heng nodded. “I have been very well. Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Zhunti.”
She turned her gaze to Nuwa. Noticing that Nuwa's aura had grown even more profound, she asked with a bright smile, “Have you been well, Senior Sister Nuwa? Just looking at you, I can tell your cultivation must have increased yet again.”
Nuwa smiled and nodded. “It is passable. Regarding what happened before, I have not yet had the chance to apologize to you, Junior Sister. Truly...”
Yuan Heng quickly waved her hands. “Oh, Senior Sister, please don't say that. I am eagerly waiting for you to become a Sage soon so that you can be my backer~”
Hearing this, Nuwa was instantly amused. She raised her hand and gently tapped Yuan Heng's nose, her tone filled with affection. “You little mischief. I understand. I will definitely work hard.”
“The same goes for my senior brothers. You must all work hard as well. When that time comes, I'll be able to walk tall across the entire Primordial World...”
Hearing her words, everyone found themselves between laughter and tears, and they naturally agreed to her request.
The atmosphere was exceptionally pleasant.
Yuan Heng looked back at the two little ones behind her and gestured for them to come closer, her tone warm and welcoming. “Haotian, Yaochi, come quickly and greet your senior brothers and senior sisters.”
Haotian and Yaochi were still tiny. Over the years, their cultivation had grown, but their heights had not changed at all, making them look exactly the same as when the others had last seen them at the Purple Heaven Palace.
They offered a polite, formal bow. “Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.”
The others nodded slightly, accepting their greeting.
Tongtian leaned closer to Yuan Heng and asked curiously, “Little Junior Sister, how did you manage to abduct them?”
“And Teacher actually agreed?”
Yuan Heng's small face was full of pride. Was this a joke? Who was she? Was there anything she couldn't accomplish?
“Master naturally agreed. With me taking action, wasn't it as easy as turning over my palm~”
Yuan Heng opened her hand and then squeezed it into a tight fist, putting on a confident show of having everything firmly in her grasp.
Tongtian couldn't help but burst into laughter, thoroughly charmed by her cuteness. “Yes, yes, yes. You are indeed the most capable, Yuan Heng.
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