Wet viviparity

Chapter 715 Birth, a Vicious Appearance
Inside Jinjing Mountain, in a small courtyard, Mingniang was ten months pregnant. One day, her pregnancy suddenly started, and she sensed that her child was about to be born. So she hurriedly ordered the midwife who was attending her to help her to the Tiger Cave in the underground palace to deliver the baby.

Deep within the cold stone walls and pillars lies a cave. As Mingniang, sitting on her cloud bed, struggled to reach it, Jiang Shenhu and his five sons were already waiting at the foot of the steps outside the cave.

Jiang Shenhu's tall figure surpassed that of the five sons, like a moving mountain. He wore a long, bright red robe with a hidden glow, and carried a red gourd as tall as a person on his back.

On his imposing and cold tiger-like face, there was no joy at the arrival of the newborn, only an almost greedy scrutiny, as if he were examining a weapon that had been painstakingly forged and finally completed.

"Mingniang."

As soon as Jiang Shenhu spoke, the cloud bed supporting Mingniang immediately stopped.

Even though Mingniang's belly was already stretched by the baby, she still had to listen to Jiang Shenhu's words.

"From this day forward, you will regain your freedom and be under the protection of the Jiang family. Even if the three calamities come in the future, you can come to Jinjing Mountain for refuge, as long as you can live until then."

Having said that, he raised his hand, and the cavern opened wide, with the cloud bed carrying Mingniang inside.

"This wicked child... If this child is born, there's no guarantee that word won't leak out and damage the reputation of the True Spirit Sect."

Among the five sons, a bearded man in a brocade half-sleeved robe looked troubled. He carefully observed his father, Jiang Shenhu, and seeing no displeasure, he continued to express his concerns, "The Zhao family has been paying close attention to this son's situation; they seem to care about him exceptionally much."

"Tiger Biao!"

Jiang Shenhu interrupted the child, saying, "People say that when a tiger has three cubs, one of them will be a 'biao' (a fierce tiger cub). The 'biao' is the most ferocious and can eat tiger cubs. I named you Hu Biao because you are the most unruly and vicious, and I hope that you will not follow the norm and become an extraordinary talent in the family."

"Father."

"Let me continue."

Jiang Shenhu spoke without any emotion, which terrified Jiang Hubiao so much that he almost lost his mind.

"Who knew that your ferocity was only directed at the good-for-nothing brothers in the family, and even more so at those unorthodox and weak people? But when you are in front of a powerful cultivator, you are as docile as a cat. With your kind of appearance, it is a disgrace to our ancestors that you are listed among the five tigers of the Jiang family."

"How could I not dare to act violently against Qiangxiu?"

Jiang Hubiao said, quite unconvinced.

"Alright, putting everything else aside, didn't you suffer a loss in the Guangyuan Water Palace last time? Do you dare to go and get it back now?"

"Don't dare."

Jiang Hubiao shuddered at the thought of the past, and subconsciously replied, then quickly added, "Once I have mastered the sect's secret technique for restricting internal energy, I will go and demand an explanation."

"Cough cough!"

On one side, Jiang Neng, the third tiger of the Jiang family, spoke up at the right time.

He had no choice but to speak up. That senior had been kind to him, and now the senior had long since retired from the world, cultivating his reputation and standing tall as a renowned figure in the south. He wanted to maintain this relationship and visit him again in the future, so how could he remain silent at this moment?

"Senior Lingxu has always been good at tracing back to the source, and now his cultivation is becoming more and more profound. He is truly a first-rate figure in the world."

My elder brother has always been reckless. If he truly harbors evil intentions, it will surely bring great disaster to our family in the future. I urge Father to reconsider his decision.

"Wow~ Aww~"

Just as Jiang Shenhu was looking gloomy, a cry suddenly came from inside the cave. This was not like the cry of an ordinary baby at all; instead, it was a deep, muffled growl, as if squeezed from the depths of the heavy rocks. Upon hearing this sound, the five children outside the cave had different expressions.

Unlike his five sons, Jiang Shenhu's face lit up with joy as he stared at the dim stone lamps embedded in the walls of the passageway for illumination.

The once steadily burning pale green flames were now swaying and elongating wildly, the light and shadow dancing erratically on the cold stone walls, casting countless grotesque and ever-changing shadows along with the cries from inside the cave.

Knowing that his unfilial son had been born, Jiang Shenhu was both worried and happy because he knew that his clansmen were unworthy, indulging in pleasure and lacking in talent. He needed someone who could break the mold to appear.

He was not afraid of deep-seated hostility, nor was he afraid of entanglements with Buddhism. The only problem he, as the current head of the family, worried about was the lack of a successor. As for raising a tiger to cause trouble, that was a problem for later.

"Deep planning and foresight" is a good phrase, but it overlooks the fact that there are many mediocre people in the world who are already doing a great job of taking the first step well.

The door to the cave was half open, and the midwife came out, carrying a swaddled baby in her arms, her every step trembling with fear.

She held the swaddled baby in front of Jiang Shenhu. Inside the swaddled baby was a wriggling infant with black fur all over its body, bluish-black skin, a large head and thin limbs, and a fierce, wrinkled face.

The five children each glanced at the infant in its swaddling clothes. Most of them only glanced at it before feeling displeased and forcibly suppressing their disgust. Only Jiang Hubiao came closer and touched the black baby's stiff fur.

He said, "I've heard of auspicious signs described as having 'jade nails and green hair.' My brother has black nails, the jade is smooth and warm, and his body is covered in black hair—this is a unique auspicious sign."

Jiang Shenhu, holding the black baby, seemed to be in a very good mood and began to explain.

"Refining bones into jade, nails radiating a blue light" refers to the completion of the Sun and Moon Refinement practices in the four stages of the Golden Elixir, and the great perfection of the four stages. After the elixir embryo is formed, the nails will exhibit a jade-like quality.

When this extraordinary appearance of having jade-like claws and green hair on one's body is placed on an ordinary person, it indicates that the person's wood-element longevity energy has permeated their entire body, hence the green hair growing all over their body. Because of this, their bones and physique are like jade, and their potential is profound, which is why their claws have jade-like claws.

Once such individuals enter the Dao, they can establish their foundation within a hundred days, and they will not encounter significant obstacles before reaching the perfection of the four realms.

In the Great Pure Yang Palace, there lived a reclusive master from ancient times, the Golden Hoop Immortal. He was born with this unusual appearance, so our righteous sects all respectfully called him the Jade Hair Immortal.

Although your younger brother has black hair and black armor, resembling a lump of charcoal, this is not due to the longevity energy of wood permeating his body, but rather the yin and malevolent nature of metal that has tainted a trace of his innate spirit, manifesting this unique trait in his physical body.

"As long as he enters the Dao in the future and cultivates the Six Jia Yin Tiger True Body, integrating this Yin and violent nature of metal into it, this ugly appearance will naturally fade away. If he continues to act violently and cruelly, the acquired violent energy will amplify the violent nature of metal, and his physical body will become increasingly ferocious and monstrous."

Jiang Hubiao said confidently, "My younger brother has such distinctive features, Father, have you thought of a name? Or should I come up with one?"

"You're going to name my son?!"

Jiang Shenhu glared at the clueless child.

Seeing Jiang Hubiao's appearance, Jiang Shenhu's other four sons were not surprised at all. The reason why Jiang Hubiao was able to win his father's favor was because of his naivety, which was a rare thing in the True Spirit Sect, which was known for its shrewdness.

This time, however, his foolishness has crossed a line.

The saying goes that like attracts like. Seeing that his newborn brother was just as ugly as himself, Jiang Hubiao felt a rare sense of closeness, as if he had found a kindred spirit in the cold and somber house. Without even reading his father's expression, he said, "How about calling him Heiwa? Black Ghost is not bad either!"

"what!"

The ugly black baby suddenly cried out in alarm at Jiang Hubiao.

(End of this chapter)