After a long, dreamless sleep, the first thing Yue Xing heard upon waking up was some furtive whispering.

“What if something’s wrong with this big brother?”

“Don’t be stupid. He’s fine. He’s just sleeping.”

“But what if? He fought all those bad guys by himself. We should check on him.”

“No! Stop!”

Yue Xing opened his eyes by a crack. The three children stood a few feet away from him with uncertain expressions on their faces. The older boy was holding the girl back, while the younger boy stood behind them.

It looked like they were arguing about whether to check on him or not. Yue Xing found it amusing, as well as a little heartwarming. A part of him wanted to keep pretending to sleep. However, he had too much to do.

So, with great reluctance, Yue Xing opened his eyes and sat up. Thanks to his body cultivation, he felt fine even though he spent the past several hours sleeping on a sofa.

The children let out yelps, before they fled to the next room. Yue Xing chuckled, before he stood up and stretched. From the sunlight streaming in through a nearby window, he guessed that it was either noon or close to it.

He slept later than he had intended, wasting half the day. Still, it couldn’t be helped. Until he reached a high enough realm, he would have the same needs as a regular mortal. Sleeping, eating, etc.

At the thought of eating, Yue Xing’s stomach growled.

Right. Before anything else, he needed to feed himself and the children. He didn’t know the last time they ate anything, but it must’ve been before their village had been destroyed.

Yue Xing’s mood dimmed at the thought of the village. He would’ve liked to go back and bury the villagers, to put their spirits to rest, but last night’s urgency forced him to flee. What if the demonic cultivators’ had friends looking for them? He couldn’t take that risk.

With the children safe for now, maybe he could risk visiting the village.

Yue Xing caught sight of the children peeking at him from around the corner, interrupting his thoughts. They hid most of their bodies, revealing only their eyes. He resisted the urge to chuckle. For some reason, he found their wariness of him cute.

“Hello, little ones,” he said in a warm voice.

The girl and the younger boy pulled back, while the older boy remained.

“Why don’t we introduce ourselves? My name is Yue Xing. I’m a cultivator of the righteous path.”

The older boy gave him a suspicious look.

“You don’t look like a cultivator,” he said in a skeptical tone.

Yue Xing raised an eyebrow at him.

“And what are cultivators supposed to look like?”

The older boy frowned.

“Like immortals. Detached, ethereal, mysterious.” He looked Yue Xing up and down. “You seem normal.”

Yue Xing gave the boy an amused smile.

“Some cultivators are like that. However, I am not one of them.”

He forced himself to act like that for years, and look what happened to him. No more. He wanted to live a freer life this time around.

The older boy watched Yue Xing in silence for several more moments, before stepping forward and revealing his entire body. Yue Xing took a moment to study him.

The older boy, while young, already looked handsome and carried himself with a righteous bearing. When he became an adult, he’d attract a fair amount of attention.

“What do you want with us?” the older boy asked, wary.

Yue Xing frowned as he mulled over the question.

“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “When I set off to rescue you, I didn’t know what I would find, so I didn’t plan that far ahead.” He looked the boy in the eyes. “However, I swear to you that I mean the three of you no harm.”

The older boy studied Yue Xing for a bit, before nodding.

“Alright,” he said. “I believe you. My name is Xu Liang.”

At that, the other two peeked around the corner again. This time, they revealed their entire heads. The girl looked cute and adorable for now. However, from her features, Yue Xing knew she’d grow up to be a great beauty.

As for the younger boy, he was also cute and adorable. However, like the older boy, he’d grow up to be quite handsome. Unlike the older boy, he’d be a softer, gentler kind of handsome.

“My name is Xu Shu!” the girl chirped. She pointed to the younger boy. “This is Xu Zhen.”

Yue Xing’s lips twitched as he resisted the urge to laugh. He noticed a common theme for their names.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said. “You three are siblings, I take it?”

The girl nodded.

“How did you find us?” Xu Liang asked.

Yue Xing’s mirth fled.

“I found the ruins of your village,” he said in a soft voice. “When I noticed the cart tracks, I realized that the demonic cultivators had taken prisoners. So, I chased after them.”

Xu Liang looked at him with hopeful eyes.

“You found our village?” he asked. “Did anyone else survive?”

Yue Xing shook his head.

“No,” he said. “As far as I know, you three are the only survivors.”

Xu Liang’s expression crumpled, and the other two children looked ready to cry. Yue Xing knew it was cruel of him to reveal the truth to them like this. However, hiding it would only make things worse.

“Auntie,” Xu Shu said, her voice thick with tears. “Uncle. They’re gone.”

Xu Zhen started sniffling. Despite looking ready to cry himself, Xu Liang went over to comfort his younger siblings. It took him a few minutes, but he succeeded. While they still looked sad, they were no longer on the verge of tears.

“Why don’t we get something to eat?” Yue Xing suggested. “That will make you feel better. Afterwards, we’ll discuss what to do with you.”

The children all looked at him, before the other two looked at their older brother. After a moment, he nodded. He took them by hand, before following Yue Xing downstairs to eat.

They were in luck. The inn they were staying at also offered food. Some inns that catered to cultivators didn’t bother, since many cultivators refrained from eating by using fasting pills. So when staying at an inn for cultivators, it was an even chance on whether or not it served food.

Yue Xing and the children sat down in the dining room. There were a few other customers eating as well, but it was otherwise empty. A waiter came to take their order. Yue Xing ordered porridge for all of them. The children hadn’t eaten in about a day, so he didn’t want them to eat anything too heavy.

A few minutes later, the waiter came back with their food, placing down four bowls of steaming hot porridge made from low-grade spirit rice. Yue Xing appreciated the waiter’s thoughtfulness. While low-grade spirit rice provided minimal benefit to cultivators, it was suitable for mortals to eat. In fact, it was even beneficial. This made it perfect for the children.

The four of them ate their meal in silence. Yue Xing spent that time observing the children. They looked strong and healthy, so it was obvious that they had been well-taken care of. That made the deaths of their aunt and uncle even more tragic.

He also noticed that Xu Liang was a responsible older brother. Whenever his younger siblings had difficulty eating, he helped them. From blowing on the porridge to cool it off, to adjusting his younger siblings’ chopsticks, etc.

After they finished their meal, Yue Xing paid for it before bringing the children back up to their room. They looked calmer with food in their bellies. He sat them on the sofa, before crouching down in front of them. He didn’t want to scare them by looming.

“So,” Yue Xing said. “Do you have any relatives who can take you in?”

The two younger children looked at their older brother.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Auntie and Uncle were the only relatives we had. There aren’t any others.”

Yue Xing frowned.

“What about your parents?” he asked, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth.

If the children were staying with their aunt and uncle, then their parents likely weren’t around anymore.

Idiot.

“Gone,” Xu Laing said in a quiet voice. “Our parents are gone. The only relatives we had were Auntie and Uncle, and they’re gone as well.”

Xu Shu started tearing up again.

“We’re all alone,” she said, sounding ready to cry.

Xu Zhen followed his older sister’s example and started sniffling.

“In that case, I’ll bring you to an orphanage,” Yue Xing said. “A good one. They’ll take good care of you.”

“Can we stay with you?” Xu Liang asked. “You’re a cultivator, right? Can you take us in as your disciples?”

Yue Xing shook his head.

“I’m not looking to teach any disciples,” he said.

He hadn’t even secured his own place in the world. He wasn’t in a position to look after others, let alone three children. Still, a part of him wished to.

The children brought a touch of color to his life. He hadn’t realized just how much he had missed spending time around other people. People who didn’t regard him with hatred and suspicion, that was.

“You don’t have to take us in as your disciples!” Xu Liang said, a little frantic. “Let me be your servant! I can clean, carry things, and do anything else you might need.”

Yue Xing shook his head.

“Please!” Xu Liang begged. “If you bring us to an orphanage, we might get separated. If we stay with you, we can stay together.”

“No,” Yue Xing said in a firm tone. “Cultivators live dangerous lives. Bringing you with me will only put you in danger.” He gestured to Rising Sun City outside their room. “It was risky enough to bring you here. You’re better off remaining in the mortal world.”

Now Xu Liang looked ready to cry. Yue Xing’s heart clenched at the sight. He understood the boy was just trying to do his best for his family. However, Yue Xing meant what he said.

Still, the children’s sorrowful expressions weakened his resolve. He hadn’t realized that he was this softhearted.

“But what if the bad guys come after us again?” Xu Shu asked. “Who will protect us then?”

Yue Xing opened his mouth to say that this wouldn’t happen, but then stopped. What if the demonic cultivators came after the children again? Maybe that was why they attacked the village in the first place. They killed everyone else, including other children, but took these three prisoner.

The more Yue Xing thought about it, the more sure he became. It wasn’t a certainty, but the possibility existed.

“You make a good point,” Yue Xing said slowly.

The three children looked at him with hopeful expressions. That weakened his resolve even further. After mulling it over for a moment, Yue Xing sighed. He knew he’d regret it if he left the children at an orphanage and the demonic cultivators came after them again.

“Fine,” he said. “You can stay with me for now.” He gave them a stern look. “However, only until I find someone more suitable to look after you.”

The children broke out into bright smiles, before all three of them rushed forward to hug Yue Xing, catching him off guard. They almost knocked him over, but he managed to maintain his balance. Warmth filled his heart.

“Thank you, Big Brother,” Xu Shu said.

Yue Xing smiled. A part of him wondered if he had been like this with his former martial siblings, back when his former master first brought him back to the Celestial Sword Sect.

He shook his head. Even if that had been the case, that part of his life was over. Now, he had no connection to his former martial siblings. They were simply strangers he once shared a history with.

That thought didn’t sadden Yue Xing as much as he thought it would. In fact, he felt no sadness at all. Maybe it was because his former martial siblings sided with Liu Chen and condemned him. Or maybe it was because the Divine Vitality Lotus brought about a mental and spiritual rebirth, as well as a physical one.

Regardless, he felt no more attachment to his former martial siblings or his life in the Celestial Sword Sect. Instead, he looked forward to the future and what it would bring.

“Come on,” Yue Xing said, pulling away from the children and standing up. “Let’s head out. “We need to get the three of you some new clothes.”

The children weren’t wearing any winter clothing, and he wouldn’t risk heading back to their ruined village to fetch any. It was safer to just buy some here in Rising Sun City. Not to mention, he needed to buy supplies for them. He doubted the children could subsist on fasting pills, nor would he force them to try.

Besides, Yue Xing also needed to buy some defensive equipment, just in case more demonic cultivators came after the children. Artifacts, talismans, pills, etc. He planned to get a little of everything, just in case. It never hurt to be prepared.

In that moment, Yue Xing realized that taking care of three children all of a sudden would be a bigger undertaking than he first anticipated. Regardless, he didn’t regret his decision.

“Let’s go,” he said.

With that, Yue Xing took the children out into Rising Sun City.