Chapter Eight: Bai Yue Confides in Feng Xiu About Her Pregnancy

"But the Demon Court is entirely under my command!" Feng Xiu said nonchalantly, pausing for a brief moment.

"..." Bai Yue was momentarily choked by these words, but upon reflection, she realized her father was technically correct.

However, this harbored a hidden danger. In her previous life, had it not been for her father's autocratic ways, which caused the Moon Demon God Agares to lose trust in him, Agares would never have chosen to cooperate with Hao Chen at the final moment to seek a way out for the demon race.

Bai Yue could not judge whether Agares's choice was right or wrong, but in this life, she would do her utmost to avoid repeating the same mistakes and leading the demon race toward destruction.

"Father, although you sit high on the throne of the Demon God Emperor, you cannot be a tyrant who acts arbitrarily. That will only lead to resentment among your subjects," Bai Yue advised sincerely.

Feng Xiu nodded with satisfaction and smiled. "Yue'er, you have a deep understanding of the way of ruling. It seems I was not wrong in my choice; appointing you as the Imperial Crown Princess, as the heir apparent, is truly fitting!"

"Father, I cannot cultivate yet. The heir of the demon race certainly cannot be a half-human, half-demon who possesses no cultivation," Bai Yue said candidly.

Feng Xiu did not see this as an issue at all. He waved his hand dismissively. "If you wish to cultivate, it is a simple matter. You only need to soak in the blood pool within the Heaven-Defying Dragon Pillar for a period to activate the Heaven-Defying Dragon bloodline within you."

"Father, surely there are taboos regarding soaking in the blood pool?" Bai Yue remembered that the system, Liu Liu, had mentioned that activating her bloodline at this time would very likely lead to a miscarriage.

Feng Xiu laughed. "Activating your bloodline in the blood pool will cause the blood in your body to surge. It will only benefit you, with no side effects."

"Surging blood? Wouldn't that affect the child inside me?" Bai Yue asked, feigning shock.

*Clatter—* Feng Xiu, who had been holding a teacup, dropped it upon hearing the news of Bai Yue’s pregnancy. It shattered into eight pieces, much like his heart as an old father, which crumbled into dust.

"Yue'er, what did you just say? Say it again, I didn't hear you clearly." Feng Xiu’s pupils constricted as he asked with a tremor in his voice.

"Father, I am pregnant. You are going to be a grandfather," Bai Yue said softly, gently stroking her abdomen.

Seeing the expectant look on Bai Yue’s face, Feng Xiu knew she loved and cherished this child, and he naturally breathed a sigh of relief.

He asked hesitantly, "Is this child... Long Xingyu's?"

"Yes! Half of the bloodline belongs to him, but Hao Chen is my child, and he will be your grandson, Father," Bai Yue said resolutely.

She was making her stance clear to Feng Xiu. Although Hao Chen carried the blood of the man she despised, he was indeed the child she had hoped to bring into this world. She hoped her father would love the child as he loved her.

"Since you wish to give birth to him, then let him be born. The imperial bloodline of our Heaven-Defying Dragon clan is far too thin as it is," Feng Xiu said wistfully.

"Yue'er, since you are pregnant, it is indeed not the right time to activate your bloodline. Wait until the child is born, and three years later, once you have recovered from the depletion of your vitality, it will be better to proceed with the bloodline activation."

"Your body has been neglected for too many years among the humans; you look malnourished. You must nourish yourself properly to improve your compatibility with the Heaven-Defying Dragon Pillar. Back then, my own compatibility with the pillar was ninety-nine percent—I was the demon with the greatest talent among all the direct descendants throughout history." Feng Xiu lifted his head and began to recount his extraordinary talent during his cultivation years.

This lecture lasted for a full hour. While Bai Yue grew somewhat exhausted, the interaction served to bring the father and daughter closer together.

...

Bai Yue spent her days nurturing her pregnancy and tending to her child, living a fulfilling life.

Upon learning of her pregnancy, the Moon Demon Consort, Yun Xi, visited her frequently, passing on various tips for a healthy pregnancy that she deemed useful, saving Bai Yue from many pitfalls.

For a woman, pregnancy is inherently difficult, and childbirth is akin to walking through the gates of hell.

There was another pregnant maid in the Demon God Palace who carried the bloodline of the Demon God Emperor, but because of her low status, she was not held in high regard.

When Bai Yue learned of this, she brought the maid to live with her.

The maid’s name was Luo Niang, and the child she carried was, in fact, the future Princess Leng Xiao.

Seeing Bai Yue’s prominent belly, Luo Niang assumed she was the Demon God Emperor’s new favorite. She looked at Bai Yue with envy, but without a trace of jealousy.

As the delivery date approached, Luo Niang sent a demon to invite Bai Yue, having matters she wished to entrust to her.

After Bai Yue arrived, Luo Niang, disregarding her imminent labor, knelt and begged, "Lady Yue, I know you are kind-hearted and possess the Emperor's favor; you will surely have a safe delivery. But I fear I may not make it through this ordeal."

"Bearing the bloodline of the Heaven-Defying Dragon royal family is a life-or-death struggle. If I die, could you please help raise my child?"

"You may have him call you mother. If you find my existence a burden, you may erase all traces of me, and he shall be your own flesh and blood."

"..." Bai Yue listened to Luo Niang’s plea for guardianship in utter confusion.

She parted her lips, feeling both bitter and amused, and said, "Have your child call me mother?"

"Lady Luo, have you misunderstood my identity?"

"Haven't you seen A'bao call me 'Big Sister'? How could you think I am a consort of this harem?"

Luo Niang paused, looking surprised. "If you are not the Emperor's consort, then why are you pregnant, living openly in the harem, and so deeply favored by the Emperor?"

Well, Bai Yue finally understood completely. It turned out Luo Niang had mistaken her for a favored consort. No wonder she had been giving her such strange looks lately.

"In truth, I am not the Emperor's consort. I am his daughter," Bai Yue stated plainly.

"Ah?" Luo Niang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"But I can sense the human bloodline in you, and it even has the attribute of light!"

"The attribute of the Heaven-Defying Dragon royal family cannot be light; it can only be darkness!"

"Lady Luo, you have been in the Demon God Palace for many years; you should know what kind of place the residence of our Princess is," the maid serving Bai Yue couldn't help but remind her.

Luo Niang was not a foolish demon; she had simply assumed that because Bai Yue was favored, she had been granted this residence.

"The most prosperous palace on the east side of the Demon God Palace is the East Palace. Is this not the East Palace? But everyone calls it the Yue Palace."

Bai Yue scratched her head and said sheepishly, "I previously thought the name 'East Palace' was too hasty—just because it was on the east side, they named it the East Palace. So, I told my father I wanted to rename it the Yue Palace."

The corners of Luo Niang's mouth twitched slightly. So, Bai Yue didn't even know that the East Palace was the crown prince's residence.

To be precise, it was the palace for the first heir of the demon race. Since she had moved in and even changed the name with the Emperor's approval, did this not imply that Bai Yue might well surpass Prince A'bao to become the primary successor? Yet, she was a half-human, half-demon who could not even cultivate!