Shuoxia City, the fifty-ninth day, a chilly night.
Horse-drawn carriages passed through the gates of Shuoxia City. It was almost time for the city to close. Several guards were eager to change shifts and head to the taverns for a drink.
Looking around, the emblem of the Shen family adorned every corner of Shuoxia City – five phoenix, evenly distributed like the petals of a plum blossom.
From the city gates to any random vendor, without this family emblem, one couldn’t establish a foothold in Shuoxia City.
Even the city lord was merely the eldest son of a branch of the Shen family. The influence of the Shen family had spanned several cities within a hundred years, making them the undisputed leaders of the region.
“The male lead in the original book failed to eliminate the Shen family several times, showing how deeply rooted their power is.”
On the road to Shuoxia City, the system was narrating the original book’s plot to Shen Tanqi as if telling a story. “Unfortunately, you were mere cannon fodder in the story, killed off by the male lead too early. If you had died later, your family’s legitimate son wouldn’t have had a chance to inherit the Shen family. That legitimate son is even more ruthless and malicious than your original self.”
“Legitimate son?” Shen Tanqi was getting tired of listening. While feeding a banana to the cub in his arms, he absentmindedly said, “Why not just start from the creation of the universe by Pangu? Can we focus on the most relevant plot points?”
The system cleared its throat, saying, “We’ll delve into that part next time. For now, let’s talk about this Ghost Night. In the original plot, there were minimal details about this segment. Later on, when the male lead’s strength soared and he became unstoppable, the Chen Gui became insignificant and was easily disposed of. But in the early stages, no one knew how powerful Chen Gui truly was.”
Shen Tanqi: …
It was as if nothing had been said at all.
He lowered his gaze, and little Goldfish was already nestled on his lap, eyelids heavy as if about to drift into sleep. The tiny hands clung to his shirt, refusing to let go, as if afraid Shen Tanqi might vanish.
Unable to resist, Shen Tanqi curved his lips into a smile, gently leaning down to kiss Goldfish on the forehead.
The child woke up suddenly from the kiss, trying to widen his eyes. Seeing his daddy’s face in front of him, as if realizing his mission, he raised the unfinished banana in his hand like a sword, swinging it around while muttering, “Don’t bully Daddy. Dandan will protect Daddy.”
Shen Tanqi quickly hugged him, thinking he might be having a nightmare. He gently patted Goldfish’s back, saying, “Goldfish, don’t be afraid. Daddy is fine, and no one will bully me.”
Hearing this, Goldfish, half-asleep, nestled against his shoulder, took a bite of the banana, and drifted off, saying, “Dandan will always protect Daddy, like younger brother.”
Seeing him muttering even in his sleep, Shen Tanqi’s heart softened. However, when the Goldfish mentioned younger brother, Shen Tanqi couldn’t help but feel a subtle worry.
According to Goldfish, Taro Ball must have accidentally gotten into Xiao Qingyu’s carriage, which he was supposed to be riding in.
But why would Taro Ball suddenly do that?
Could it be because of Yu Ce…!
Did Yu Ce want to use the two little ones so that he couldn’t shake him off?
If that were the case, Yu Ce’s intentions were devious. However, upon closer thought, it didn’t seem like something Yu Ce would do. After all, he was the male lead, always straightforward and never resorting to such underhanded methods.
Just now, while communicating through the silver token, he accidentally let Yu Ce hear about his plan. After saying that sentence, he quickly had Dandan shut down the silver token’s communication. He didn’t know what Yu Ce thought of his plan.
Sigh.
It would be great if Yu Ce could understand his predicament.
Shen Tanqi furrowed his brows in worry, rubbing his forehead. Just then, outside the carriage, the little black dog sitting by the door barked twice.
“What’s going on?” Shen Tanqi asked loudly.
As the words fell, a strong sense of evil emanated from outside the carriage, just like the feeling when he encountered Mei Wuning earlier.
Perhaps, this thing was demonic energy?
Thinking of this, Shen Tanqi instantly felt a chill. He placed the child on the seat, instructed the system to protect Goldfish, and then lifted the carriage curtain.
The scene before him resembled hell, with countless bodies scattered in all directions, almost all fatally wounded by a single sword.
The trembling voice of the little black dog came to his ears, “Those who died here are all from the demonic clan.”
Hearing that they were from the demonic clan, Shen Tanqi’s heart eased slightly. He whispered, “These demonic beings are dressed in black, probably lying in ambush here for a long time. The night is so dark; we can’t see anything. If we had arrived a bit earlier, we might have already died here.”
Little Black Dog grumbled, “Yeah, now that you mention it, we’re quite lucky.”
However, who killed these demonic beings?
Judging from the sword marks, Shen Tanqi reluctantly felt it resembled the swordsmanship of the Rongyun Sect. Could it be that Xiao Qingyu, who arrived ahead of them, killed all these demonic beings?
That seems to be the case.
However, Xiao Qingyu’s swordsmanship and cultivation have improved too quickly, almost resembling someone in the Nascent Soul stage.
On the other side,
Five miles from Shuoxia City.
The desolate grassland was dyed red with the blood of the demonic clan.
A luxurious carriage was tightly sealed with a bubble-like barrier. A faint voice came from inside the carriage.
“Um… Actually, I’ve already broken through the Golden Core stage. I can help you.”
The reply came from a calm and composed young voice, “No, don’t come out. There are still traces of the demonic clan nearby, and the Golden Core stage won’t be enough.”
Taro Ball took a deep breath, enduring the foul stench of demonic blood. He wiped his sword clean, a blade given to him by his dad when he first learned to wield a sword. It matched his stature, a resilient and flexible blade that he effortlessly lifted.
He glanced at the carriage, his eyes filled with worry.
What went wrong? Why isn’t his daddy in the carriage?
Nevertheless, since he’s here, he can’t just watch this person on the carriage get ambushed and killed by the demonic clan.
Fortunately, these demonic beings are only at the Golden Core level, and he can handle them alone. However, he hopes his daddy follows the same path he took and doesn’t encounter such an ambush.
Otherwise, he would never forgive himself.
He had promised his brother that he would protect their daddy…
Taro Ball bit his lip, but suddenly felt a chill inside his clothes. His expression froze slightly, and he took out the silver token from his pocket, emitting a cold aura characteristic of the dragon clan.
It was his dad.
His eyes lit up, as if he had found his backbone. His fingertips touched the silver token, urgently saying, “Daddy is on his way to Shuoxia City now. I arrived a step ahead, and the road is filled with demonic clan ambushes. There must be a demonic conspiracy here. Father, hurry!”
Although the child was anxious, his speech was clear and well-organized.
On the other end, there seemed to be a brief silence before he spoke, “Since when did you start calling me father?”
Taro Ball: …
“At a time like this, you’re concerned about that! Daddy is in trouble!” The child angrily pressed the silver token, hating the fact that he couldn’t change his dad’s mind.
“It sounds awkward.” Yu Ce casually said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there soon. Dandan is with him. Take care of yourself, my son.”
Taro Ball: “…Don’t call me that, it sounds awkward.”
The awkward father and son tactfully decided not to dwell on this matter and simultaneously ended the communication on the silver token.
Knowing that his brother and daddy were together, Taro Ball finally felt a sense of relief. Although his brother hadn’t reached the Foundation Establishment stage and hadn’t even opened his meridians, he had been incredibly lucky since childhood.
When they were kids and went out to catch fish, he almost got swept away by a big wave. When he turned around, his brother was standing casually by the reef, leisurely picking up seashells, not even a drop of water on him. He even smiled and showed him the shells he had just picked up, while Taro Ball was already soaking wet.
“Erdan, did you go swimming?”
Every time they ate New Year dumplings, his brother always got the one with the coin.1In the old times, usually a coin is hidden in one of the dumplings. The person who find or bite the coin is said to be lucky, good fortune and prosperous in the New Year. With his brother around, Taro Ball firmly believed that Daddy would follow the path he had already cleared of ambushes.
Perhaps it was some mystical belief, but Taro Ball could only pray that this mysticism would come true.
After a while, Xiao Qingyu got off the carriage, looking at the countless demonic clan bodies on the ground, stunned, “Did you… do all of this?”
Senior Brother Yu and Senior Brother Shen’s child, truly extraordinary!
Taro Ball nodded indifferently, saying, “Get on the carriage quickly. We can’t waste time. We need to get to Shuoxia City to wait for Daddy and the others. Otherwise, we might miss them.”
Hearing this, Xiao Qingyu felt even more that the child in front of him looked exactly like Yu Ce when he was a teenager.
Like father, like son!
He quickly climbed back into the carriage, sitting properly, waiting for Taro Ball to join.
Taro Ball glanced at him and said, “You don’t have to be so formal. I’m only three years old this year.”
Xiao Qingyu coughed and said, “Uh, I know.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead, exposing his nervousness.
Xiao Qingyu, trying to find something to say, commented, “Speaking of which, Senior Brother does seem a bit strange today.”
Taro Ball looked at him and asked, “What do you mean?”
Talking about these things with a three-year-old, Xiao Qingyu also felt a bit embarrassed. However, the topic had started, and he had to continue, “It’s just… he never takes on missions voluntarily on normal days, so I find it a bit strange.”
At this, Taro Ball looked out the window thoughtfully, picturing in his mind how Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce usually interacted.
As soon as they moved into Daddy’s residence, Daddy had to take on a mission and leave.
Could it be that Daddy didn’t want to be with them?
Taro Ball narrowed his eyes, carefully pondering for a moment. He felt that Shen Tanqi didn’t seem to dislike them but rather… didn’t like Yu Ce.
Thinking of this, his eyes lit up.
Yes, his dad is so stupid, not interesting, not handsome, and he even has a plain name. It is normal for daddy not to like him. Daddy must have gone to Shuoxia City to avoid his dad.
But this couldn’t go on; he still wishes to be with his daddy forever.
It seemed like the only solution was to find a way to make daddy fall in love with dad. Then they could stay together.
Thinking about it, he made up his mind and excitedly infused spiritual energy into the carriage, instantly accelerating its speed.
This scared Xiao Qingyu, who leaned back. He looked at the child’s confident expression, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Although he seemed mature, why did he feel so unreliable?
When they arrived in Shuoxia City, Shen Tanqi didn’t have much to do, but the little black dog had already vomited inside the carriage. It was the first time he had seen a demonic being nauseous on a carriage.
Fortunately, despite seeing many demonic clan bodies along the way, miraculously, they hadn’t encountered a single live demonic being.
It was as if someone had specifically cleared obstacles for them on this road.
Shen Tanqi sighed deeply, carrying Goldfish who was still sleeping in his arms. The little one, raised by Yu Ce, was chubby and had made his arms numb, but he didn’t mind the fatigue from carrying his child.
As soon as they got off the carriage, a group of beggars surrounded them at the city gate. These beggars survived at the base of the city wall, relying on the light of the city tower. Seeing Shen Tanqi’s carriage, they came knocking their bowls in quick succession.
“Master, spare us a bit!”
“We haven’t eaten for days. Please, give us something.”
Worried that it might disturb the child, Shen Tanqi quickly asked Little Black to distribute some silver and copper coins to them, dispersing the beggars.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the coins were distributed, these beggars, who had seemed disabled, suddenly straightened up, and those who couldn’t speak began talking. Counting their coins, they headed into the city to buy drinks.
Shen Tanqi’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t care about these trivial matters. The urgent matter was to enter the city and find Xiao Qingyu and the others.
The city curfew was about to begin, and the lights on the city tower were gradually extinguishing. Shen Tanqi, disregarding other matters, rushed towards the city gate.
After walking a few steps, he was blocked by a seemingly eccentric beggar.
Shen Tanqi urgently said, “Little Black, give him some money.”
Hearing this, Little Black was about to shake the money, but the beggar suddenly waved his hand, saying, “Hold on, the monk is not lacking in money.”
Shen Tanqi: ?
“Then, please don’t block the way.”
The beggar leisurely took half a steamed bun from his pocket, took a bite, and thoroughly inspected Shen Tanqi from head to toe, refusing to let him pass.
“Kind sir, I see that your forehead is dark. There will be a bloodbath tonight!”
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi fell silent for a moment and said, “Old man, I really have urgent matters.”
The beggar burst into laughter and said, “Donor, don’t you want to know what the bloodbath is and how to resolve it?”
Shen Tanqi shook his head quickly and said, “I don’t want to know. I’m not curious. Goodbye.”
After saying that, he skillfully dodged around the beggar and sprinted towards the city gate.
Just as he was about to reach the crimson gate, the gate slowly closed in front of him.
Shen Tanqi, standing in front of the gate: …
The beggar laughed and walked calmly from behind him, hands in his pockets, saying, “Donor, we meet again, don’t we?”
Shen Tanqi was really impatient to argue with him. He took out the bronze coins with the image of the phoenix and handed them to the gatekeeper, saying, “Open the gate.”
The gatekeepers, upon seeing the string of coins, widened their eyes instantly and hastily ran to the gate, eagerly pushing it open.
As for the beggar, upon seeing the string of bronze coins, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. After some calculations, he carefully looked up at Shen Tanqi and excitedly said, “The Red Phoenix Star is moving! Donor, not only do you have a bloodbath, but there is also the movement of the Red Phoenix Star. This Red Phoenix Star movement happens to resolve your bloodbath. Do you want to know more?”
Shen Tanqi glanced at the beggar, carrying the child, and walked into the gate. Just before the gate closed, he made a funny face at the beggar, “Nah, not interested.”
What’s with the bloodbath and Red Phoenix Star movement? Can’t novels come up with some new lines after so many years? It sounded like a scam.
Seeing him leaving without hesitation, the beggar was first stunned but soon burst into laughter. Taking a few bites of the steamed bun, he mumbled to himself,
“He’ll think about it, he’ll think about it.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
