Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Zhu Gaoxi descended from the clouds, and as soon as he stood still, he saw Empress Xu standing at the palace gate.

Her eyes were slightly red, clearly she had been worried all morning, and countless terrible thoughts had crossed her mind.

His heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward. A soft light of creation shone from between his fingers, gently brushing over Empress Xu's body. The redness in her eyes faded, and she regained her former radiance.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Empress Xu had already spoken.

Her voice was filled with lingering fear, and she even sounded a little sob as she spoke: "You child, why didn't you tell me where you were going? You scared your mother to death. I thought something had gone wrong with your cultivation, I was so afraid something would happen to you. You've only been back in the palace for a short time..."

Empress Xu looked him up and down, making sure he was unharmed, before letting out a long sigh of relief. "It's good that you're alright. If you really do ascend to heaven in the future, be sure to tell your mother. Don't just leave so quietly."

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Gaoxi felt as if something was blocking his heart. In his previous life, he was an orphan, and no one had ever cared for him like this, or worried about his safety like this.

He stood there with his head down, his nose tingling, his eyes reddening, and his throat tightening.

He was about to say something to reassure his mother, but before he could speak, he noticed that Empress Xu's gaze had already passed over his shoulder and landed on Liu Shen behind him.

The worry on Empress Xu's face hadn't faded before it was replaced by another expression.

She looked over Zhu Gaoxi's shoulder, her gaze falling on the woman in the green dress with long hair. She blinked, and the sorrow in her eyes vanished, replaced by a look of joy and gossip.

She tugged at Zhu Gaoxi's sleeve, suddenly becoming dignified, her tone tinged with curiosity: "Xi'er, who is this young lady?"

Zhu Gaoxi had anticipated this question. He glanced back at Liu Shen, then turned to Empress Xu and said, "Mother, this is A Liu. She was my Daoist companion when I was cultivating under the Daoist Ancestor. The Daoist Ancestor took pity on me and specially opened a passage to send her down to the mortal realm to accompany me."

Empress Xu's eyes lit up the moment she heard the words "Daoist companion".

When she looked at Liu Shen again, her eyes had completely changed. It was clearly the look a mother-in-law would give her daughter-in-law, her eyes and brows brimming with an undisguised aunt's smile.

She took two steps forward and carefully examined Liu Shen. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. She had a good figure and was very beautiful. She couldn't suppress the smile on her lips: "Good, good, it's good that you're back. This girl is really beautiful and has a good temperament. Xi'er has good taste."

Empress Xu took Liu Shen's hand, gently patted the back of her hand, and smiled broadly.

Empress Xu held Liu Shen's hand, growing happier with each glance. She turned and walked into the palace, beckoning back to Zhu Gaoxi as she went: "Don't stand in the courtyard, come inside and talk."

Her gaze lingered on Liu Shen for several breaths before she added, "Xi'er, you come in too. What are you standing there for?"

Zhu Gaoxi followed behind, watching his mother lead Liu Shen through the palace gates. The intimacy between them was palpable. From the moment they met until now, his mother had only spoken three sentences to him, the rest of the time being directed at Liu Shen.

He had just been immersed in his mother's concern, his eyes even brimming with tears. Now, he sighed silently to himself—well, having a daughter-in-law has made her forget her son; in the end, she's only wasting her time.

Entering the East Warm Pavilion of Kunning Palace, the pavilion was not large, but it was decorated in an elegant and comfortable manner. Empress Xu pulled Liu Shen to sit down on the Luohan couch. The two sat side by side, their hands still clasped together.

Zhu Gaoxi sat down on the armchair next to him, and the palace servants quietly served him tea before silently leaving.

Empress Xu held Liu Shen's hand, her smile never fading, and asked, "Miss Liu, how long have you been cultivating under the Dao Ancestor's tutelage? When Xi'er was over there, did he ever bully you? If he did, just tell your mother, and I'll stand up for you." Her tone was so natural that it seemed she had already accepted Liu Shen as her daughter-in-law.

As he spoke, he turned and glanced at Zhu Gaoxi, his eyes carrying a hint of warning, clearly saying: "You better tell me the truth."

Zhu Gaoxi felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze. Was this the same mother who had just moments ago had red-rimmed eyes and worried about his cultivation going wrong? She was already making decisions for someone else so soon. He shook his head helplessly: "Mother, I wouldn't dare bully anyone. Ask A-Liu if you don't believe me."

Before Liu Shen arrived, Zhu Gaoxi instructed her to be as gentle as possible in front of the Empress Dowager and not to be too aloof.

She lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "He has been cultivating for a long time. He has never bullied me."

She thought for a moment, then added, "He takes good care of me."

These words were taught to her beforehand by Zhu Gaoxi, but when she said them, coupled with her slightly awkward expression, she really looked like a shy new bride.

Upon hearing this, Empress Xu's eyes lit up even more, and she patted the back of Willow Goddess's hand: "That's good, that's good."

She became more and more enthusiastic as she spoke, and began to inquire about the past, "When you were under the tutelage of the Daoist Ancestor, what did you usually do? Was Xi'er diligent in his cultivation? Did he ever slack off?"

Liu Shen thought about it carefully and replied, "Cultivation. He cultivates every day and never slacks off."

Empress Xu nodded in satisfaction, then leaned forward slightly, with a hint of probing: "Then you two must have had a very good relationship during these years under the Dao Ancestor's tutelage, right?"

She changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of expectation, "Do you have any children over there? Did you two come down to the mortal realm to play and leave your child up here? Sigh, young people these days are so irresponsible. If you two came down to play, you should at least bring your child down with you. My poor grandson has never seen his grandmother." As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears again.

A rare hint of bewilderment flickered across Liu Shen's face, which had remained impassive for millennia. Her ears flushed slightly, and she was somewhat speechless; after all, she hadn't been taught this phrase!

Zhu Gaoxi was drinking tea when he heard this and almost choked. He quickly put the teacup back on the table and said, "Mother, we don't have children yet."

After all, Liu Shen was resurrected by the Rat Talisman and is essentially still made of wood, so he wasn't sure if he could conceive. However, according to the general logic of the cultivation world, the higher one's cultivation level, the harder it is to have offspring, a principle that the Empress Dowager should understand.

Empress Xu glanced at Liu Shen's slightly red ears, then at her son's embarrassed expression, and her smile deepened.

Her tone carried a certain confidence, as if she'd been through it all: "Xi'er, why are you so nervous? I was just asking casually. Well, it'll happen sooner or later."

She took Liu Shen's hand again and patted it gently, her tone tender but unable to hide her eagerness, "Don't be afraid, I've been through this before, having a child is inevitable. You two are both so beautiful, your child will definitely be adorable. Just thinking about it makes me excited."

He had to admit that Liu Shen was indeed breathtakingly beautiful. If he really had a child with her, how exquisite would it be?

But then, a thought struck him, and he suddenly realized he was a human, and Liu Shen was a willow tree, so wouldn't their offspring be a willow person? And what should he name them? He was stumped again. How about Lin Shu (Forest Tree)? It sounds like a dragon among men, and he could send them to play e-sports.

Just then, footsteps came from the doorway.

Zhu Di strode to the palace gate. Just as the palace servant guarding the door was about to announce his arrival, Zhu Di waved his hand to signal her to be quiet and then quietly walked in.

He heard Empress Xu inside saying something about "child" and "beautiful," and couldn't help but pause at the door for a moment before stepping over the threshold, his voice tinged with curiosity: "What are you talking about, child? What child?"