“What about our parents?” Cheng Qi suddenly became nervous upon hearing that many people had died.

Seeing Cheng Qi’s worry, Cheng Yu’s heart warmed slightly, but his voice was heavy, “Father was seriously injured protecting mother and me. He still cannot walk, but fortunately, he is alive. However, the cultivator who helped us back then unfortunately died.”

“Ah…” Cheng Qi felt uncomfortable upon hearing the person who had sent him to the mortal world was dead.

“Mother told me all these things after I entered the Immortal Sect. Xiao Qi, our parents have been thinking about you for so many years. I also promised them that once I establish my foundation, I will find a way to locate you in the mortal world.” Cheng Yu didn’t know what Cheng Qi was thinking, but if he were in his place, he would probably feel saddened upon learning that his biological parents had left him in the mortal world.

“Really?” Cheng Qi suddenly had tears in his eyes upon hearing this. It turned out he wasn’t the one who had been abandoned. Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “Then why didn’t they leave anything behind?”

“Father said that’s what he regretted most—it all happened so suddenly. He was so confused that night; he didn’t know what to do. He also thought if it was just a dream, he would be able to take you back soon, so he simply left nothing. The box of belongings was sent to the Cheng family as a token of appreciation for looking after you. Even the few words he said to them were just to avoid suspicion. Who would have thought that once he left, there would be no meeting again?” After Cheng Yu finished speaking, he took out what he was wearing—a jade pendant.

“Here are your jade pendants. Mother bought them while we were still in the womb. When father saw these pair of jade pendants, he thought of our names, Cheng Yu and Cheng Qi.”

“Thank you.” Cheng Qi sobbed uncontrollably as he took the jade pendant.

The two jade pendants were both engraved with phoenixes, together forming a picture of two auspicious phoenixes.

“I was born two hours earlier than you, so my name is Cheng Yu. Are you willing to recognize me as your brother?” Cheng Yu asked, feeling a little uneasy.

“Hmm!” Cheng Qi nodded lightly.

When Li Tianyan witnessed Cheng Qi and Cheng Yu recognizing each other, his emotions were complicated and difficult to understand. It felt as though something significant had been taken away.

Seemingly sensing his complex mood, Cheng Qi quickly introduced Cheng Yu to Li Tianyan, “I haven’t introduced you yet, but this is my… Taoist companion.”

“Ahem.” Li Tianyan was caught off guard and almost choked on his tea. He coughed a few times, secretly amused by Cheng Qi’s introduction.

Cheng Yu glanced at both of them. Undeniably, Cheng Qi had found a good husband like Li Tianyan, provided this man had no intentions of taking advantage of Cheng Qi. “I heard you call him young master. Why is that?”

“Because the young master is very powerful and will protect me,” Cheng Qi replied proudly when mentioning Li Tianyan.

“Come here,” Li Tianyan gestured to Cheng Qi. As the shuanger hurried over, any lingering unease he had felt before dissipated instantly.

After pulling Cheng Qi to sit beside him, Li Tianyan used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears still in his eyes. Then he turned to Cheng Yu and said, “Sit down and let’s talk.”

Cheng Yu finally understood what Li Tianyan was implying—asserting his role. He also realized that in Cheng Qi’s mind, Li Tianyan was much closer than the older brother he had never met.

Seeing Cheng Qi sitting obediently next to Li Tianyan, he seemed relaxed. Only then did he feel like engaging with Cheng Yu. Li Tianyan poured another cup of tea and pushed it towards him, saying, “Please, have some tea.”

“Young master, I’m a little thirsty too,” Cheng Qi murmured to Li Tianyan softly, showing he wanted to join in.

“You drink from mine,” Li Tianyan offered the tea cup he had just sipped from. Cheng Qi accepted without hesitation, taking a big sip.

Watching their interaction, Cheng Yu’s hand, reaching for his tea cup, paused abruptly. He cleared his throat before speaking, “Since Cheng Qi has secured a spot for the secret realm expedition, he needs to exercise caution this time in the Canghong Secret Realm.”

“What do you know?” Li Tianyan asked.

“Remember what I mentioned earlier—in my mother’s dream, Cheng Qi became an evil cultivator. In this secret realm, he and other spies from Shura Sect will kill and frame others to sow chaos. After the secret realm expedition, the cultivation world of the Hengwu Continent fell into internal strife,” Cheng Yu said, his gaze lowering to the tea cup on the table, his voice regaining its earlier coldness.

“Mother’s dream became blurry at this point, and she only had a rough idea. Though Tianfan Immortal Sect acted preemptively this time, in other areas, I feel someone is instigating trouble. I can’t be sure if they are genuinely protecting our sect’s interests or trying to spark conflicts.”

Li Tianyan nodded knowingly. He had seen this mission from Chi Zhuo’s memories. However, the Shura Sect had kept their spies well-hidden. Chi Zhuo didn’t know the identities of other factions’ spies, but…

“They seem to have a signal. If you encounter danger in the secret realm, pretend to be one of them,” Li Tianyan suggested to Cheng Yu.

With most spies of Tianfan Immortal Sect eliminated, this tactic wouldn’t work for him and Cheng Qi. But Cheng Yu could attempt it. As long as he avoided encountering members of Haoyue Immortal Sect, he might succeed in deceiving others.

Cheng Yu’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. It was a good plan. He could gather evidence and possibly prevent a future civil war.

Li Tianyan studied Cheng Yu for a moment before retrieving a fire-attribute technique and placing it in front of him. “Since there’s no rush, it’s better to switch technique sooner rather than later. It won’t be as easy once you’ve established your foundation.”