31: Black Crystal Queen Bee

"Congratulations, Talisman Master Liu, it's two baby girls!"

The midwife held the two wailing newborns for Liu Xuan and Lin Xue'er to see.

Seeing his own kind for the first time, little Eldest Son's eyes went round, his little mouth slightly agape, staring at them motionlessly as if he had been frozen in place.

Liu Xuan walked to the bedside to check on Da Shuang Xiao Shuang, while Lin Xue'er took out several gold coins and handed them to the midwives.

"Thank you, Madam Liu!"

"Thank you, Madam!"

Several gold coins was not a small amount; this was just a tip, as they had already been paid for their services when they were hired.

As expected of a Talisman Master's Family, they were certainly generous with their money.

"Young Master!"

"Young Master!"

Seeing Liu Xuan enter, Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang tried hard to prop themselves up, wanting to sit against the headboard.

"Don't move! Rest well."

Although they had taken Medicinal Pill specifically for postpartum recovery, it would still take a few days to fully recover, and they shouldn't move around within the first day.

The two daughters were born almost at the same time. According to the midwife, the daughter born to Da Shuang came out first and was the older sister, while the daughter born to Xiao Shuang came out a little later and was the younger sister.

"I hope you both have Spiritual Root and Spiritual Qi, and that you can both cultivate immortality. Hmm..."

Looking at his two daughters and pondering for a moment, he said to the eldest daughter: "You shall be called Liu Lingxiu!"

Then he said to the second daughter: "You shall be called Liu Lingyun!"

…

The next day.

Liu Xuan kept Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang company for most of the day, only leaving the city by carriage at dusk.

Inside the carriage, Liu Xuan pulled down the curtains and then took out a Talisman to activate it.

Concealment Talisman!

The Talisman expanded into a translucent bubble, enveloping the entire carriage.

It was a Rank 1 Low Grade Concealment Talisman, the latest Talisman Liu Xuan had drawn. Its effect was to create an isolated area, blocking prying eyes from the outside.

After getting everything ready, Liu Xuan focused his consciousness on the three light orbs rewarded by the System within his Sea of Consciousness.

He mentally confirmed that he wanted to claim them.

Ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, a light green medicine bottle, and a black, metallic-sheened 'insect' appeared before Liu Xuan.

Ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones were equivalent to one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. The Rank 1 Medium Grade qi gathering pill was worth even less, only about thirty Spirit Stones.

This was the System's gift for the birth of his second and third children. Compared to the Immortal Rank Cultivation Technique he received when Eldest Son was born, the gap was significant.

Putting away the Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pill, Liu Xuan looked at the Black Crystal Bee Queen. This was an extra reward for having reached three children and achieving the basic achievement 'Family Prototype'.

Achievement Reward!

What were the conditions to reach this achievement?

The System didn't explain, but Liu Xuan estimated that it likely related to the number of offspring.

"It seems I must continue to work hard!"

Picking up the Black Crystal Bee Queen and placing it in his palm, Liu Xuan brought it close to his eyes to examine it carefully.

"Buzz~"

A strange feeling of a Divine Soul connection emerged in Liu Xuan's heart, and countless pieces of information about the Black Crystal Bee Queen appeared in his mind.

[Black Crystal Bee Queen: Rank 2 Yao Beast. Upon reaching adulthood, it can smoothly reach the Rank 2 Late Stage without any Bottleneck.]

[It can lay eggs to cultivate the Black Crystal Bee Swarm. With thousands of bees mobilized, its power far exceeds that of ordinary Yao Beast of the same rank.]

[It can produce black crystal honey and Black Crystal Bee Royal Jelly, both of which are spirit items beneficial for nourishing the Divine Soul.]

"Aba~"

"Aba~"

…

"Hungry..."

The Black Crystal Bee Queen's pair of shiny black compound eyes met Liu Xuan's gaze, and a wave of Divine Soul fluctuation was transmitted directly into Liu Xuan's consciousness.

The pet rewarded by the System directly acknowledged its master, was absolutely loyal to Liu Xuan, and could communicate through the Divine Soul connection.

After 'Aba-ing' for a long time, the Black Crystal Bee Queen transmitted a thought: it was hungry!

"What do you eat?"

"Aba~"

"Aba~"

Alright, Liu Xuan roughly understood; it wanted to eat Royal Jelly or Yao Beast Essence Blood.

Liu Xuan had neither. He took out the Medicinal Pill he had on him and brought it to it, but it only sniffed it and didn't eat it.

It wasn't until Liu Xuan took out the moonlight spiritual marrow he had prepared for his son and daughters that it finally began to suck it up in small mouthfuls.

"Not tasty!"

It transmitted a Divine Soul thought while eating.

It actually disliked the moonlight spiritual marrow that cost fifteen Spirit Stones a bottle, which made Liu Xuan laugh.

The Black Crystal Bee Queen was still in its larval stage and hadn't even reached the Qi Refinement Stage. The level of the moonlight spiritual marrow was certainly sufficient; it probably just wasn't suitable for it to eat.

After sucking up nearly half a bottle of moonlight spiritual marrow, the Black Crystal Bee Queen curled into a ball, radiating a grayish halo, and fell into a deep sleep.

Liu Xuan put it into his pocket, pondering in his heart how to feed it in the future.

If the Black Crystal Bee Queen wanted to grow, it had to lay eggs to cultivate the Black Crystal Bee Swarm; Royal Jelly was its best food.

The Black Crystal Bee Swarm could only be free-ranged. Relying solely on purchasing food to feed them, not to mention how much money that would cost, it was impossible to buy suitable food for them to eat.

'The Spirit Plant Hall has a Beast Taming branch that raises various Yao Beast and spirit insects; they should have professional experience there!'

Liu Xuan planned to go to the Spirit Plant Hall tomorrow to take a look; perhaps he could find a suitable breeding method.

The carriage arrived at the Lin Family Talisman Hall. The Concealment Talisman had already expired, and Liu Xuan accompanied Lin Anqi to handle the shop's business.

After finishing the important matters, Lin Anqi leaned into Liu Xuan's embrace and complained:

"Husband, the time you spend with me recently has become shorter and shorter!"

"Is it because I am pregnant that you are no longer willing to spend more time with me?"

"How could that be!" Liu Xuan smiled guiltily and explained: "It's just that I've been quite busy lately."

Lin Anqi didn't expose Liu Xuan's excuse, but instead called out toward the outside of the room: "Xiao Lan, come in!"

A well-behaved little maid entered, curtsied, and bowed: "Madam, Master!"

Lin Anqi's eyes were smiling as she looked into Liu Xuan's eyes: "The maid I carefully selected, are you satisfied?"

Lin Anqi's previous personal maid, Xiao Yue, was pregnant, so it was inconvenient to ask her to do many things. Therefore, Lin Anqi had found a new maid, Xiao Lan.

"This..." Liu Xuan looked Xiao Lan over, "Is she of age?"

"Rest assured!" Lin Anqi waved for Xiao Lan to come over and said with a smile: "Xiao Lan just looks petite; her age is actually about the same as mine."

"Really?"

"Really!"

Then he could rest easy!

According to Lin Anqi's introduction, Xiao Lan had a special status; she was originally the descendant of an official who was also a cultivator in the city. Although she had no Spiritual Root, her status and position were not low.

Later, her father was killed by the Sect for embezzling Spirit Stones, and the entire Family was implicated. All the men were killed, and the female relatives were sold to the Dual Cultivation Hall.

Lin Anqi took a liking to her well-behaved nature and appearance, so she spent five Spirit Stones to buy her.

Killed for embezzling Spirit Stones! Presumably, he must have been an ordinary cultivator without a Foundation.

'She is a pitiful person!'

Such a well-behaved little girl; if she had been sold into a brothel, who knows how pitiful that would have been!

This world is too unkind to those at the bottom!

Liu Xuan didn't have any great ambitions. He didn't want to change the world; he just didn't want to be one of the people at the bottom...

"Husband, the night is deep; it is time to rest!"

With a look from Lin Anqi, Xiao Lan untied her belt and, with a blushing little face, climbed onto the bed.

...

"Anqi, you are still pregnant; this is not good!"

Just as Liu Xuan's emotions were running high, he discovered that Lin Anqi had also half-undressed, as if she wanted to join in.

"Husband, don't panic; I just want to help you..."