"Daughter?" Yuwentuo's mouth hung open, his eyes wide, his hands flapping uselessly at his sides, then tracing hesitant patterns before him, yet he could not grasp what was expected. "Whose daughter?"

Ye Wen glanced at his young disciple as if he were an imbecile. "Yours, of course! Who else could it be? Did you really forget everything you did back then?"

At first, he had assumed Yuwentuo had merely fallen for the Valkyrie because she saved him, and then through long association. He never imagined that the upright gentleman Yuwentuo had engaged in such matters—he’d even managed to produce a child.

"My child?" Yuwentuo didn't believe it initially, but then a possibility struck him, followed by a burst of foolish giggling. "Heh heh heh!"

Ye Wen felt a chill creep up his spine, fearing the stimulation might overwhelm his disciple and leave him mentally stunted. "Tuo'er, are you alright?"

"Fine, fine! Just a bit too surprised. I never thought I'd be a father too!" As he spoke, Yuwentuo suddenly remembered he had been gone from Valkyrie for nearly ten years. In all that time, had she been struggling alone to raise the child?

If so, would the child resent him? Would they even accept him as a father?

Fortunately, Ye Wen sensed his worry and soothed him. "You don't need to worry; the child is tiny now, still doesn't understand anything!" Seeing Yuwentuo’s face suddenly turn green, he quickly added, "The physique of the Divine Race is incomparable to mortals; even gestation doesn't necessarily take long!" Only then did his young disciple’s complexion return to normal.

"Can you not even trust your own woman?"

That single sentence left Yuwentuo incredibly awkward. He could only manage a muffled reply, "Master speaks wisely," and then fell silent, following his master quietly down the cavern passage.

The further they walked, the faster Yuwentuo felt his heart pounding. By the time a faint glow of firelight appeared ahead, his heart felt ready to burst from his chest. Yet, as he stepped into the main hall and saw Valkyrie sitting there, gazing at him in stunned silence, the frantic pounding instantly subsided. Looking at the face he had missed so dearly for so long, Yuwentuo finally managed to choke out a single sentence: "Are... are you well?"

Ignoring his young disciple’s reunion with Valkyrie, Ye Wen carried Yekaterina directly to the large, sprawling sofa. He had fashioned this piece himself, later layering it with thick furs, making it wonderfully comfortable and warm. Minot usually monopolized it, but with him absent, Zhang Ling sat cross-legged on top, reading a book. Seeing Ye Wen approach carrying a blood-soaked Yekaterina, she immediately jumped to the floor, yielding her spot.

"Master... this is...?"

Ye Wen shook his head. "I’m not entirely clear on the specifics. It’s said Apollo did this!"

Zhang Ling knew Yekaterina was the reincarnation of Artemis, and since Apollo treasured his sister above all others, how could he do such a thing? "Didn't he know this was his sister’s reincarnation?"

Ye Wen hadn't understood at first either, but now he began to piece together a rough idea. He estimated that Apollo shared the same initial mindset as he: since it was only a reincarnation, killing her would have no effect on Artemis’s true body, and in fact, slaying the vessel might even hasten the true Artemis’s return to consciousness.

Thus, Apollo had been ruthless, operating under that very calculation—or perhaps, angered by his inability to find Artemis anywhere, he had found this reincarnated body and vented all his rage upon Yekaterina.

Of course, there was another reason: Apollo had always looked down upon ordinary mortals. The arrogant Sun God considered humans to be low, insignificant ants, unfit even to serve as his slaves. With such a mindset, how could he tolerate his favorite sister being reincarnated in human form? The only reason he hadn't immediately blasted Yekaterina into dust was likely because her current appearance held a shadow of Artemis.

However, he hadn't anticipated that Artemis had fallen prey to Athena's scheme, and this reincarnation was not what they had originally supposed. It was even intricately linked to the true body. If Yekaterina were to die just like that, it could very well threaten the main body of Artemis.

If Apollo ever learned this, Ye Wen wondered what expression he would wear—he figured the man would shift all blame squarely onto Athena and then seek her out for reckoning. Honestly, trying to make that man admit he was wrong would be simpler than killing him outright.

In truth, Ye Wen’s deductions were largely accurate; the general situation was no different from what he surmised. But since he didn't know for sure right now, these remained mere conjectures.

Taking out some elixirs, Ye Wen first administered them to Yekaterina. Finally, he checked the extent of her injuries, confirming that the rest were superficial wounds. Although troublesome to heal, they were no longer life-threatening, finally allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was at that moment that Yekaterina, lying there, opened her eyes.

There was no soft moan as she awoke, nor any lingering, sweet sigh. Yekaterina’s eyes snapped open rather abruptly, startling Ye Wen a little. Especially since it happened with almost no prior warning—her eyes just suddenly opened, locking directly onto his. That feeling—it could only be described as chilling.

"Uh... you're awake?"

They stared at each other for a moment before Ye Wen finally broke the silence. As soon as he spoke, he noticed Yekaterina’s gaze shift sharply from curiosity mixed with disappointment to sudden joy.

"Niu... Uncle...?"

"Ah!" Ye Wen gaped. He truly hadn't expected her to recognize him based purely on his voice, and even though his current appearance was vastly different from when he was in the Sanctuary, she could still make that judgment.

Since recognition had occurred, there was no need to deny it. "Yes, surprised?"

A brilliantly radiant smile broke across her face; she seemed genuinely happy. "Mm!" Her eyes narrowed into fine crescents, her lips pressed together, but the two faint dimples at the corners of her mouth clearly betrayed her current joy.

However, after only a brief moment, the smile gradually faded from her face. Yekaterina’s re-opened eyes seemed to carry a trace of sorrow. "Am I... a cripple now?"

A warrior knows their body intimately! If one cannot understand their own body, how can they use it to fight an enemy?

In less than a minute after regaining consciousness, Yekaterina had already sensed her current condition. From her chest upwards, she still felt sensation, but it was weak and powerless; she couldn't even lift an arm. As for the parts below... she felt almost nothing.

Ye Wen gently stroked Yekaterina’s forehead, brushing the sticky strands of hair aside. "Don't worry, I will find a way to heal you!" Seeing that Yekaterina, despite forcing a smile, clearly didn't believe his words, he reluctantly resorted to explaining his current identity.

"You probably noticed by now that I am not actually from Olympus. I am actually an Immortal from the East. Because I befriended your Goddess Athena, she entrusted me with training the first batch of Saints, which is why I appeared in the Sanctuary..."

He roughly explained his identity, repeatedly emphasizing that he was a being as formidable as the Goddess herself, so even though she was paralyzed, it wasn't an incurable affliction.

"Master is lying again!"

Zhang Ling muttered this under her breath while standing nearby, but Chris, next to her, heard it clearly. He glanced at her, then offered a wry smile. "But Master couldn't possibly be heartless enough to abandon Linna. That wouldn't be like him!"

Hearing this, Zhang Ling stopped talking. Although she had followed Ye Wen under the guise of a 'pirate ship' without fully grasping the situation, after spending so much time together, she had grasped the general nature of her Master.

To put it plainly, this Master was very caring and solicitous toward those he was familiar with, sometimes even giving the impression of a simple good Samaritan—though, when angered, he could certainly inspire fear.

Now, Yekaterina had practically grown up under Ye Wen's gaze since infancy. Even though he left when she was five, those five years of shared memory guaranteed that Ye Wen could not stand by and watch Yekaterina suffer without intervention. This had nothing to do with Artemis now; it was entirely because of those five years.

Yekaterina remained silent while Ye Wen spoke, listening quietly until he finished. Only then did she meekly respond with an "Mm."

"..."

This reply gave Ye Wen the sudden feeling of punching cotton—he had gone to such lengths explaining himself, only for the girl to obediently nod and signal: I believe you! If she was going to be this compliant, why had he bothered wasting so much breath?

He pulled over a thick, fur-lined blanket and covered Yekaterina. "Rest well now. Your injuries haven't fully healed; you need plenty of rest!"

Whether it was seeing her 'Uncle Niu' again or some other reason, Yekaterina slept soundly. The moment Ye Wen finished tucking her in, her eyes closed again, and she drifted into slumber almost instantly.

Only then did Zhang Ling approach to inquire, "Is Linna alright?"

She had stayed in the Sanctuary for a long time as the attendant to the Taurus Saint, and she had actually spent more time there than Ye Wen. Therefore, she naturally cared for Yekaterina—she had, in a way, watched the little one grow up.

Although she had acted rather aloof and muttered criticisms earlier, she was still concerned about Yekaterina now. Anyone watching a heavily wounded person open their eyes, then close them again into silence after a few brief exchanges, would naturally feel worried.

"She's fine. Her injuries were too severe. Even though I managed to save her life, it greatly depleted her vitality. She needs quiet rest these next few days!"

Although Ye Wen possessed many healing methods, they tended toward internal injuries caused by inner cultivation or hidden trauma from energy attacks. He was not proficient with pure physical trauma. After all, his practice was in martial arts, or the Immortal Way, not medicine!

He shelved Yekaterina’s condition for the moment, as Ye Wen needed to question Athena about a few things before deciding how to handle the current situation.

Otherwise, the matter wouldn't be so complicated; he could simply take Yekaterina back East. Even if Ye Wen couldn't heal her, the Shu Mountain sect couldn't either, and there was Cui Jun to consult. At worst, he could directly ascend to Heaven to seek aid, or find the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord for some miraculous immortal pills—there were always suitable solutions.

The problem was that this situation involved methods used by Athena and the Moon Goddess, Artemis. How to proceed required understanding the detailed circumstances first.

He estimated that the Holy War was now entering its late stages; the success of Athena’s many arrangements would depend on the developments over this period! His initial plan was to wait until the Holy War concluded before seeking out that woman for a proper accounting, but Athena certainly wouldn't wait that long. Therefore, Ye Wen figured that within the next two or three days, even if he didn't seek her out, Athena herself would come knocking.

Turning around, Ye Wen looked at the pair sitting shoulder-to-shoulder by the fire pit, playfully teasing the little one—the 'couple.'

"Moving forward, what are your plans?"

He hadn't intended to be a third wheel, but this needed to be settled sooner rather than later. Yuwentuo, hearing his Master’s question, handed the child back to Valkyrie, then frowned, struggling to find words for a long moment.

Ye Wen understood his dilemma. "Your cultivation isn't weak now. Given your unique talent, your progress has been meteoric. Reaching this level in just ten years is rare under heaven! What you need next is merely to solidify your learning and accumulate experience; you don't necessarily have to return with me to Shu Mountain for secluded training!"

Hearing this, the furrow in Yuwentuo’s brow finally eased! After all, he knew Valkyrie would never leave this snowfield. For the sole survivor of the Aesir gods, this snowfield represented too much; Valkyrie might very well spend her entire life here, until the day she too perished, following the footsteps of the other Aesir.

Yuwentuo couldn't possibly abandon Valkyrie alone, especially now that they had a child! Yet, as a disciple, returning to the sect was also important; moreover, he needed to undergo the formal initiation rites at Shu Mountain—currently, he was merely Ye Wen’s disciple, not a formal member of the Shu Mountain sect.

Regarding this, Ye Wen’s decision was: "Find a time to bring your wife and child to Shu Mountain. Complete those initiation rites—consider it an extended honeymoon trip. After finishing the necessary formalities, you two can return here to settle down!"

Yuwentuo thought that made sense. Even if they decided to settle permanently in this snowfield, it was impossible for them never to leave it—that seemed entirely unlikely; they would at least need to travel around a bit.

"Everything as Master commands!"

Since Ye Wen had arranged everything satisfactorily, Yuwentuo found no reason to object; why rack his brain when he just needed to follow instructions?

This arrangement satisfied both parties immensely, but just then, the Jade Qilin suddenly spoke up: "I will stay here too!"

Although this Jade Qilin remained on site all day, it was usually silent, finding a spot to lie down, sometimes remaining motionless for ten days or half a month. If it weren't for its warm flesh and steady breathing, it would have been indistinguishable from a statue. Over time, everyone had almost forgotten about this creature’s presence.

"You’re staying here too?"

"Yes, I’m staying?" The Jade Qilin seemed quite content with the location; no one knew what had impressed it, but thankfully, the Qilin wasn't one for suspense and directly provided the answer: "I found a Fire Spring beneath this place, which is beneficial for restoring my divine power! Moreover, I have other matters to attend to!"

So that was the reason. He hadn't expected that beneath this unremarkable mountain peak lay a Fire Spring... But a Fire Spring? Wasn't that the same kind of thing found on Mount Tianshan within the Nine Cauldrons? He wondered what the temperature of this Fire Spring was!

Later, he made a point to go and look, only to curse the Jade Qilin for deceiving him; this wasn't a Fire Spring at all, it was essentially a pool of magma!

Ye Wen had pointed at the Jade Qilin and cursed, "You're not a Fire Qilin, are you!"

As for now, Ye Wen was unaware of those details and suddenly asked with curiosity, "Are you male or female?" At this question, everyone present instantly fixed their gaze on the Qilin, clearly curious as well.

"Why ask that?" The Jade Qilin looked confused, scanning the curious faces around it, which only deepened its bewilderment.

Ye Wen made a show of being bored. "Just asking casually!"

The Qilin’s reply left Ye Wen speechless: "Qilins do not have male or female distinctions!"

"..."

Chris curiously pressed further, "Then how do Qilins reproduce?"

The Jade Qilin replied, "If one feels the desire for offspring, one seeks a blessed land rich in spiritual energy, concentrates one's essence, and spits out a pearl. This pearl, after being nurtured, transforms into a newly born Qilin!"

Only then did everyone realize the miraculous nature of Qilins and looked at the Jade Qilin with renewed wonder. Yuwentuo then asked, "So, the one you birth would also be a Jade Qilin?"

"That's not certain; it might be influenced by the surrounding environment at the time."

After all this discussion, Ye Wen suddenly concluded, "You fancy this Fire Spring because you want to bear offspring, is that it?"

It was a casual remark, but the Jade Qilin actually nodded. "The experiences of these past few centuries have made me realize much. The world is uncertain; I was lucky to escape this time, but who knows if I'll be so fortunate next time? I must ensure the continuation of the Qilin lineage. Taking this opportunity to birth a new Qilin is fulfilling my duty!"