[Age 15: For reasons unknown, the frequency of demon sightings has been increasing lately, and conflicts between humans and demons have become more frequent.]
[Shenhe's injuries healed quickly, and her cultivation advanced at an astonishing pace. Moreover, you noticed her gaze toward you had become somewhat peculiar—as if she were looking at a delicious piece of food.]
[And indeed, that was the case. Ever since tasting your blood, she had become unable to resist its allure and frequently sought to drink it again.]
[Naturally, you couldn't allow your blood to become Shenhe's regular sustenance, so you limited her to drinking it only once a month. Even so, it was taking a toll on your body.]
[You suddenly recalled the Thousand Calamities Dual Cultivation Technique. If you practiced that technique, you could substitute other methods to sustain her instead of offering your blood.]
[When you carefully proposed the idea to her, Shenhe surprisingly agreed without hesitation.]
[You: "Shall we give it a try?"
Shenhe: "Let's try it!"]
[Even after you explained that it wasn't a conventional technique and that practicing it would require something very significant for a girl to give up, she remained unconcerned.]
["It's fine. It's your first time too, right? I'm not losing anything," Shenhe replied bluntly. Even after her transformation, her way of thinking was far from ordinary.]
[The Thousand Calamities Dual Cultivation Technique was fraught with danger, requiring extreme caution at every step. However, the rewards were immense. Both you and Shenhe experienced rapid cultivation progress.]
[While you were relieved to no longer have to offer blood regularly, you now had to provide other "substitutes" much more frequently than before—several times a month instead of once.]
[Ganyu found your and Shenhe's "unusual behavior" somewhat suspicious, but you managed to brush it off by claiming it was part of mutual supervision during cultivation practice.]
[Ganyu, pleased to see her son and junior sister bonding, was none the wiser that their bond had gone far beyond familial affection.]
[Though you possessed the Gluttony bloodline, even your resilience struggled to keep up with Shenhe's relentless demands. To compensate, you had to devour more targets to replenish the energy consumed during cultivation.]
[To combat the growing demon threat, the Liyue Qixing and Adventurers' Guild introduced policies such as increased rewards for demon-slaying tasks and offering support to adventurers.]
[However, only Vision-bearers had the strength to confront demons, leaving less capable adventurers unable to claim such rewards while avoiding other tasks due to the rising dangers outside the city.]
[You and Shenhe formed a two-person adventuring party, specializing in demon-slaying missions. By devouring demons and the occasional lone adventurer, you replenished your energy.]
[Though you and Shenhe were demons yourselves, you showed no mercy toward other demons. As you continued to devour them, you gained many new abilities.]
[Your partnership gained increasing fame. Those who knew the truth recognized you as an aunt and nephew duo, while others mistook you for a pair of young vigilantes ridding the land of demons.]
[Your body became a perfect, albeit twisted, energy cycle: replenished energy → dual cultivation with Shenhe → depleted energy → devouring demons and adventurers → replenished energy → repeat.]
[Only a beast of Gluttony, capable of recovering energy through devouring others, could sustain such a cycle. As a result, both you and Shenhe advanced your cultivation rapidly.]
[It was no wonder Shenhe's family had gone to great lengths to lure her into practicing this technique. The benefits were undeniable.]
[However, the rapid cultivation brought a bottleneck. To break through, you and Shenhe needed to engage in uninterrupted cultivation for three days and nights.]
[For others, this might not have been a problem, but for you and Shenhe, it was complicated.]
[The reason was simple: Ganyu doted on you excessively, needing to see you multiple times a day. Your usual cultivation sessions with Shenhe had to fit into the gaps between Ganyu's work hours.]
[To practice uninterrupted for three days and nights would undoubtedly arouse Ganyu's suspicion.]
[So, you and Shenhe devised a plan. You forged a letter from Cloud Retainer, claiming that she missed Ganyu and wished for her to visit Mt. Aozang for a few days. Though busy with work, Ganyu agreed.]
[Even with Ganyu's speed, traveling to and from Mt. Aozang would take two days, leaving enough time for you and Shenhe to complete your session.]
[After leaving numerous instructions, Ganyu finally departed. As soon as she left, you and Shenhe prepared for the three-day session.]
[During these three days and nights, you could not be distracted or physically separate, lest you risk severe backlash from malevolent energies, resulting in irreparable injuries.]
[On the first day, you managed to endure and even enjoyed yourself somewhat.]
[On the second day, you began to feel mentally drained but persevered.]
[On the third day, you were nearing your limit. Yet, with the final breakthrough so close, you pushed onward. Only one incense stick's worth of time remained until success.]
[But then, you both suddenly heard the sound of the estate gates opening.]
[Entering immersive mode.]
"I'm back!"
Ganyu's eager voice echoed from outside. "Son, Junior Sister, I missed you both so much these past few days! I brought you a surprise!"
Lucas and Shenhe exchanged complex glances.
Why was she back so soon?
"What do we do?" Lucas whispered nervously. "If we stop now, we might still have time to dress."
"We can't!" Shenhe's face flushed slightly, shaking her head. "You know as well as I do—it's the critical moment. If we stop now, all our efforts will be wasted."
While she had a point, Lucas couldn't help but feel that he was the one doing most of the effort.
Still, with their breakthrough so close, Lucas also didn't want to stop now.
"Lucas?"
Suddenly, Shenhe frowned slightly and said, "Don't think speeding up will shorten the time. Three days and nights are three days and nights—every second counts."
If he pushed any harder, he might catch fire!
"This is no time for sarcasm," Lucas said tensely. "What if she catches us?"
"So what?" Shenhe said, unconcerned. "She's not a child."
"But I am!" Lucas sighed. "At least, in Ganyu Mama's eyes, I'm still her little boy."
"With all due respect," Shenhe smirked coldly, "you might be a boy, but there's nothing 'little' about you."
She would know better than anyone.
"Lucas? Junior Sister?"
Ganyu's voice grew closer. "Are you two home?"
"Did you lock the door?" Lucas asked urgently.
"Uh… no," Shenhe stammered. "I didn't think she'd be back so soon. Besides, with her strength, do you think a lock… would matter?"
Fair point. Even if they'd installed a 30cm-thick iron door, Ganyu could break through with one punch if she wanted to.
Finally, Ganyu's footsteps stopped at their door. She knocked lightly.
"Lucas? Are you in there? Mommy's coming in!"
Oh no!
Lucas felt a chill as the breakthrough moment arrived.
"I'm… I'm here!" Lucas called out reluctantly. "I was just napping. Give me a moment to get dressed."
"You scared me," Ganyu said, relieved. "Okay, I'll wait by the door. Hurry up!"
"Yes, hurry," Shenhe whispered.
Ten seconds. Five seconds. One second.
The breakthrough happened! A surge of energy coursed through Lucas and Shenhe as they achieved harmony and perfection.
Lucas came out!
Ganyu came in.
With a loud bang, the door was suddenly pushed open. Ganyu entered with a bright smile, saying, "I couldn't wait any longer! Mama missed you too much. And guess what? Your grandma is here to see you too!"
Standing beside Ganyu was none other than Xianyun herself. Apparently, this was the "surprise" Ganyu had mentioned.
However, for the four of them, all that remained of the surprise was the "shock."
Looking at the chaotic state of the room, Ganyu was utterly dumbfounded. Her shock rendered her momentarily speechless.
Lucas and Shenhe, on the other hand, were completely petrified.
Had it only been Ganyu who entered, Shenhe might have been able to manage the situation. But the presence of her mentor, Cloud Retainer, accompanying Ganyu made the situation far worse.
It was akin to a pair of high school sweethearts sneaking into a room only to have both sets of parents barge in unexpectedly.
After an awkward silence that lasted half a minute, Xianyun finally broke it. "So this is what 'awkwardness' feels like. Honestly, this is my first time experiencing such an emotion."
"You two!" Ganyu finally spoke, her face dark and her tone icy. "Get to the main hall and kneel. Now."
Lucas and Shenhe exchanged glances but said nothing. They quietly put on their clothes and left the room.
As soon as they closed the door behind them, Ganyu, who had been forcing herself to stand tall, stumbled slightly, nearly falling to the ground. Thankfully, Xianyun was there to steady her.
"How… how could this happen?" Ganyu muttered, her voice trembling. "Lucas has always been such a good boy…"
"Ganyu, there's no need to panic," Xianyun said, surprisingly calm. "They are not like us immortals, who can completely discard worldly desires. They are human, after all, and at the peak of youth. Acting on impulse is only natural."
"But…" Ganyu frowned deeply. "They're aunt and nephew. How can they…"
"What of it?" Xianyun smiled faintly. "They share no blood relation. If their feelings are mutual, why should we stand in their way?"
Ganyu had no response to this.
She couldn't even understand why she was so upset. When she saw that scene earlier, she had felt a pang of pain in her heart.
By Liyue's customs, a man of Lucas's age marrying and having children was perfectly normal.
Though Shenhe was older, her high cultivation and ageless appearance made the age gap insignificant.
Logically, as Lucas's mother, Ganyu should be happy for him. So why was her heart filled with such resistance?
Even she couldn't explain it. Her life had always been tranquil, free of desire or ambition. Yet now, she found herself anxious and conflicted.
"In any case," Ganyu said resolutely, "I must get to the bottom of this."
"I'll come with you," Xianyun said, nodding. "With my expert communication skills, I'll ensure they open up completely."
Cloud Retainer's communication skills?
Alarmed, Ganyu quickly interjected, "I think it's better if I handle this myself. They're still young and shy. If you're there, Shenhe might feel nervous. I've prepared some refreshments in the dining room—why not enjoy them while you wait?"
"That's fine," Xianyun said, seemingly unaware of Ganyu's true intentions. "But do not let anger cloud your judgment. They're just children, after all."
Children?
Ganyu recalled the earlier shocking scene and couldn't help but blush.
Unknowingly, the boy who used to cling to her for food had grown so much.
"Ganyu?" Xianyun asked, puzzled. "Why is your face suddenly so red? Are you angry?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard, Ganyu quickly shook her head before nodding slightly. "Yes, I'm… a little upset."
But deep down, she knew that her blush wasn't entirely due to anger. At least, not completely.
Meanwhile, in the main hall.
Lucas and Shenhe knelt obediently on the floor.
Though they were both now powerful demons, neither dared to act out in front of Ganyu and Cloud Retainer.
After all, one's elders remain one's elders.
"I can't believe things turned out like this," Lucas said with a helpless sigh. "Aunt Shenhe, do you have a plan?"
"What plan could I possibly have?" Shenhe replied calmly. "Is your mother going to eat us alive? She's not you."
"Under no circumstances can we reveal our cultivation of that forbidden technique," Lucas said firmly. "As for everything else, we'll just have to play it by ear."
Of course, this reassurance seemed more directed at himself than at Shenhe.
"Playing it by ear" was a concept entirely foreign to Shenhe. Her approach to situations had always been simple: use force if it solves the problem, and speak as little as possible.
But the problem was, neither Ganyu nor Cloud Retainer could be dealt with using Shenhe's fists.
Lucas, ruthless and efficient when dealing with outsiders, could resolve most matters cleanly and without hesitation.
But in front of Mama Ganyu, he was forever her needy little boy.
"Why aren't they here yet?" Shenhe muttered, shifting her knees slightly. "Kneeling like this is uncomfortable."
"I thought you'd be used to it by now," Lucas teased, grinning. "After all, you had to kneel for half an hour before."