--- Chapter 23 ---

"I see. There is a territorial fight between two spirit beasts in this area a few hours ago." Bibi Dong commented while looking at the destructed area around her, which resulted from the fight between the vajra ape and the demonic purple spider. ​​

"Ghost, Chrysanthemum, check the area around here." Bibi Dong instructed her subordinate, who nodded their head before disappearing from her side.

"Let's go, Nana." She added before walked around the area, followed by her disciple.

After walking for a few seconds, she finally found a crater, where the vajra ape use his suicide attack on the demonic purple spider.

"The explosion most likely happened here." Bibi Dong said as she jumped into the crater and found a puddle of purple blood.

Hu Liena followed her teacher as she also jumped into the crater and appeared on her side before shifting her eyes into a purple blood puddle.

"This blood is..." Hu Liena said while looking at the purple blood.

"It's poisonous blood from a spirit beast," Bibi Dong stated while her eyes are wandering around the crater, searching for a spirit beast's corpse.

"Weird, I don't see any spirit beast's corpse..." She said while frowning as she is suddenly noticing human footsteps a few meters away from her.

'There were four peoples in this place before, two adults and two children.' Bibi Dong thought while observing the footsteps.

'Did they take the corpse with them?' She added in her heart while trailing the footsteps but noticed that the footstep became fainter and fainter as she walked out from the crater.

"The tracks end here." Bibi Dong muttered while looking at a tree, which is already half destroyed because of the explosion.

Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo suddenly appeared and kneeled in front of her.

"Your majesty, we found a trail of spirit beast blood in the east." Ghost Douluo stated, which makes Bibi Dong frowned.

"Did you say east?" Bibi Dong said while staring at Ghost Douluo to confirm something.

"Yes, your majesty." Ghost Douluo replied as he nodded his head.

'Yunlong...' Bibi Dong thought while shifting her gaze to the east, which is precisely the way to the appointed place where she should go to meet her son.

'But, there are four footsteps in that crater.' She added in her heart before calming herself down.

"Let's go to the east." Bibi Dong suddenly stated as she flew away to the skies.

Ghost Douluo, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Hu Liena were dazed because of Bibi Dong's sudden shout before they followed her.

"Yunlong..." Bibi Dong muttered while increasing her speed, leaving the three people behind her in the breeze.

-------------

After walking for two hours, we could see four people, Yunlong, Bibi Dongxue, Chu Xiaoyu, and Chu Yunxi arrived at a small lake with crystal clear water.

"We arrived." Bibi Dongxue said while looking at a small lake surrounded by bushes and trees.

"This place still looks the same." She commented as she walked toward the small lake.

"Hmm, a small lake?" Yunlong said while tilting his head as he followed his mother to the small lake.

"Mother, this place is..." He curiously asked Bibi Dongxue, who is gently touching the water surface with her hand.

"I found this place with my teacher when I was young." Bibi Dongxue calmly replied as she looks at her face's reflection on the water.

"Well, this lake is an ordinary lake that holds a few memories for me." She added while forming a smile on her face.

"Her smile... It's different," Yunlong muttered while looking at his mother's smile as he could feel a trace of hatred on her smile.

'Memories about her teacher, huh.' Yunlong thought as Bibi Dongxue's closed her eyes.

'This lake makes me remember my past, but my future is with me right now.' Bibi Dongxue thought as she turned around and opened her eyes.

"Yunlong." Bibi Dongxue said while staring at her beloved son.

"You love me, right." She asked with a smile on her face.

"Mm, of course, I love you." Yunlong sincerely responded while forming a smile on his face.

Bibi Dongxue pulled Yunlong into her embrace before whispering "I love you too." into his ears.

'Wait, what did she say?!' Yunlong thought while feeling kind of unsure for a moment.

Yunlong shifted his gaze at her and found her lovingly staring at him, making him dazed because she never does this to him before.

"Hmm? Something is coming toward us." Bibi Dongxue suddenly said as she turned her gaze to the skies.

Yunlong is also shifting his gaze at the skies as a black dot is flying toward them.

"It's her..." Bibi Dongxue said while looking at the woman in a white robe, moving toward them at incredible speed.

"Mother..." Yunlong said while gawking as he could see Bibi Dong's face.

"Yunlong..." Bibi Dong said while staring at the black-haired children near the small lake.

Bibi Dong hurriedly landed on the ground as she calmly stared at him to see just how big he is right now.

'Looks, just how big he is right now.' Bibi Dong said to herself while observing her son, who she missed for six years.

'Yunlong, does he still remember that I'm his mother.' She suddenly added and panicked as her steps got staggered.

"Go... She missed you." Bibi Dongxue whispered before releasing Yunlong from her hug.

"She had to wait for six years. Go and hug her." She added with a smile on her face.

Yunlong nodded his head before walking toward Bibi Dong with a smile on his face.

"Mother," Yunlong said as he arrived in front of Bibi Dong, which makes her body shivered a little bit.

"Yunlo-." Bibi Dong stiffly replied, but to her surprise, Yunlong suddenly hugged her.

"Mm, It's okay, I already know," Yunlong whispered into her ears, which makes Bibi Dong's eyes widened as she saw her clone nodded her head.

'My son...' Bibi Dong thought while also hugged Yunlong, which warmed her lonely heart.

'Yunlong.' She added as she closed her eyes and enjoyed her son's warmth.