"Big sister, why doesn't Zi Xia have a father?" Zi Xia asked.

She was four years old already. She had long since noticed that, unlike other children, she didn't have a father. However, she never had the courage to ask anyone about her father since she was afraid to learn that her father might have been already dead.

Zi Xia didn't want that to happen.

Before she went to sleep, she would always imagine that she had a wonderful father that would love her unconditionally. In her dreams, her father would accompany her in her sleep while singing lullabies to her. In her dreams, her father would buy her toys like what she had seen the father of other children did to them. In her dreams, she imagined that her father was always there for her when her mother wasn't.

That was the only solace Zi Xia had in the cold place she called home. In her home, the only people who loved her were her mother and Yue Dongmei. However, her mother couldn't always be there for her because of how busy she was. Even if she wasn't busy, they couldn't openly show affection to each other especially if her grandfather was around.

As for Yue Dongmei, she also couldn't openly show her love to Yun Xia because of her grandfather too since she was just her caretaker.

That led Zi Xia to create an imaginary father in her dreams. The only time she would feel comfortable and be herself was in her dreams. There, she had a wonderful father. She had a mother who was with her father and was always with her. In her dreams, there was Yue Dongmei. In those same dreams, her grandfather would no longer be mean to her.

All thanks to her imaginary father.

That was why although she was wondering about her father for as long as she could remember, she never asked anyone about it for she was afraid that the moment she learned the truth, her imagination about her father would shatter. She could no longer dream the same dreams again if she learned that her father abandoned her mother and her, or that her father was already dead.

At the very least, if she remained silent and feign ignorance, she would still have her dreams.

However, after her grandfather had scolded her once again and with her mother not around right now because she was on another mission yet again, she finally gathered her courage and asked Yue Dongmei.

Yue Dongmei looked at Yun Xia and was surprised. She never thought that Zi Xia would ask her that since the little girl really never showed any curiosity about her father before.

"Big sister, can Big Sister tell Zi Xia about my father?" Zi Xia called out and asked something else when Yue Dongmei took a while to answer her.

Yue Dongmei was thinking about what to say to Zi Xia. She didn't really know about Zi Xia's father that much. She didn't even know his name nor what he looked like and even if she did, she wouldn't have told her since she felt it wasn't her place to do so.

The only one who could tell Zi Xia about her father was none other than her mother.

"Young Miss, you should ask your mother about that. She's the only one that can tell you about your father," Yue Dongmei said.

Zi Xia was dejected upon hearing that. Just as she had gathered her courage to ask about her father, Yue Dongmei couldn't give her an answer.

"Is Zi Xia's father still alive?" she asked with a hopeful look on her face.

Yue Dongmei's heartstrings were struck when she saw Zi Xia's expression.

"Yes," she said.

She didn't intend to answer her since she felt it wasn't her place to do so but she just couldn't bear keeping the little girl in the dark so she would at least tell her that much.

Yun Xia's face brightened up when she heard that her father was still alive. But then, that happiness turned into sadness.

If her father was still alive, where was he? Why wasn't he with them? Did her father not like her too just like her grandfather that was why he left her?

"Did Father abandon Zi Xia?" Zi Xia asked sadly. "Does he dislike Zi Xia?"

Seeing the sadness on the little girl's face, Yue Dongmei let out a sigh.

"No, your father didn't abandon you," Yue Dongmei said. Her mistress was so going to scold her for telling Zi Xia that.

"Then where is he?"

"Young Miss, you should ask your mother when she gets home. However, one thing I can say for sure is that your father didn't abandon you so rest assured."

Zi Xia really wanted to ask her more questions but since Yue Dongmei had said that, then she would just wait for her mother to come back so she could ask more about her father. For now, she was just satisfied to know that her father was still alive and that he didn't abandon her.

...

Yue Dongmei was standing at the side as she watched her mistress teaching her young miss about the different types of lesser beasts when her young miss asked her mistress about them. However, their topic was suddenly changed when she heard her young miss ask something unrelated to the lesser beasts.

"Mama, why doesn't Zi Xia have a papa?" Zi Xia asked.

It had been months since Zi Xia talked to Yue Dongmei about her father. When her mother arrived home from her mission then, she asked about her father but didn't really get a straight answer from her.

Though Zi Xia knew that her father was still alive and he didn't abandon her, she didn't know why her father wasn't with them.

Every time Zi Xia saw a happy and complete family in the streets when she and her mother occasionally went out, she couldn't help but be jealous of them.

Yue Dongmei saw that her mistress went silent while her young miss was waiting for her response.

...

"Dongmei."

"Yes, Mistress?" Yue Dongmei asked when her mistress called her out.

Her mistress was silent for a while.

Yue Dongmei didn't make any noise as she waited for her mistress's words.

Eventually, after a few minutes, her mistress finally spoke, "Lord Father is sending me to another mission in the World of Terra once again. I don't want to leave you and Zi Xia in here while I am away. I don't want my daughter to stay in this stifling place any longer."

Yue Dongmei nodded. If she had to be honest, she didn't want to stay anymore in the sect too especially after learning how cold-blooded the sect master was.

"I might as well take this chance to bring you both along with me to the lower realm. But before that, I want you to do something."

"What is it, Mistress?"

"Investigate Yun Ling and the Yun Clan for me," her mistress ordered.

"Yun Ling?" Yue Dongmei asked.

She was unfamiliar with that name.

Her mistress responded, "It's time for Zi Xia to meet her father."