Invincible Dad

No... it wasn't a little turtle, but a large one. This time, however, a magical palm was used instead of a paintbrush. As Ruan Tang's eyelashes quivered, she closed her gentle eyes. The night was as cool as water. Outside, the sea breeze was biting; inside, there was boundless tenderness.

「That night.」

Most of East Sea City's ordinary residents were asleep. A few night owls gamed until dawn, and some unlucky souls worked overtime. But the Martial Dao World was in a complete uproar.

It was because Li Sanbai, the Feng Shui Taoist renowned throughout Southeast Asia, had decided to come out of seclusion to lend his strength to the Jiangnan Spiritual Vein project! Furthermore, he announced he would be arriving in East Sea City in a few days to survey the region and prepare the necessary materials for its construction.

In an instant, Li Sanbai's already immense fame spread throughout the entire nation. Even the scandal of his disciple, Dongfang Xun, swindling people in East Sea City was intentionally or unintentionally suppressed.

Li Sanbai took the Jiangnan Spiritual Vein project very seriously. For one, the Pseudo-Spiritual Vein of Harbour City was a lifelong regret, and he dearly wished he could remove the "pseudo" from its name. This was a chance, and though he knew it was a slim one, he had to try. Secondly, his master needed to devour a true Spirit Vein.

Since the Martial Dao Association was footing the bill for the Formation materials, he brazenly demanded a vast quantity of extremely precious materials and heavenly treasures, opting for the most extravagant options available. For this reason, no one dared to complain; in fact, they found it perfectly reasonable. As the old saying goes, to do good work, one must first sharpen one's tools. If they couldn't even guarantee the most basic heavenly treasures, how could they ensure the quality of the Pseudo-Spiritual Vein or the success of the Formation?

From that night on, East Sea City bustled with activity, attracting the attention of many powers, both domestic and foreign. Taoists from the mainland, as well as those from major provinces and cities like Harbour City, heard the news and hastily booked late-night flights and hotel rooms to East Sea City.

They all planned to witness Li Sanbai make his move for the second time in many years. The last time he had acted, Li Sanbai had stunned Hua Country. What kind of surprises and shocks would he bring to the world now? This event was destined to be recorded in the annals of history. It had to be witnessed firsthand, as it would become bragging material for future generations and friends.

Of course, these trivial matters had nothing to do with Xu Lai. He and Ruan Tang went to bed just after nine and didn't fall asleep until after one in the morning. As for what happened during those hours… no one knew besides the two of them.

「At seven in the morning.」

Xu Lai and Ruan Tang woke up one after the other. When their eyes met, Xu Lai was smiling, while Ruan Tang blushed and chided, "You flirtatious man."

"Hmm? But you were clearly enjoyi—"

Before Xu Lai could finish, a mortified Ruan Tang covered his mouth. "Shut up! No talking!"

Last night, they had done practically everything short of a home run. And Ruan Tang had become very proactive later on… which was why she was so abashed upon waking up.

"Alright, I'll go make breakfast. I'll come get you when it's ready." Xu Lai took Ruan Tang's hand and planted a kiss on her forehead.

「In the kitchen.」

Xu Lai was humming a little tune as he prepared breakfast. The sea snail girl, Beibei, heard him and hurried over. She stood on the edge of the cutting board, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.

Xu Lai raised an eyebrow. "What is it? You want to add a dish for Yiyi and Ruan Tang? I'm sure they'd like stir-fried sea snails."

Beibei quickly hopped to the ground and retreated out of the kitchen. She said hesitantly, "Demon King Yuan Man wishes to have an audience with you."

"I'm not seeing her," Xu Lai said while continuing to chop vegetables. "Did you go back to Sea City last night?"

"Yes," Beibei nodded.

Her heart warmed. Xu Lai still cares about me.

She didn't expect his next words, however. "Was it because Xiao Hei grabbed you and slurped on you a few more times? Did you run home to complain?"

Beibei was speechless. Her little face flushed with anger. "Xu Lai!!!"

Although she knew Xu Lai was incredibly strong, strong enough to kill a Demon King with ease, Beibei was still angry enough to want to punch his smug face. How could such a bastard who always loved to rub salt in others' wounds exist in this world?

And he was right. She had indeed been grabbed and slurped on by Xiao Hei several times last night. Recalling the painful memory, Beibei's face filled with indignation. She, Beibei, swore to the heavens that one day she would throw that damned round furball into the sea to soak. She would soak it every time she saw it. For at least three days and three nights!

Beibei turned and walked away, but her voice drifted back to Xu Lai's ears. "It's not just Demon King Yuan Man. Other Demon Kings want to see you too."

Beibei didn't try to persuade Xu Lai to meet them. She was only a messenger; once the message was delivered, her task was complete. Whether Xu Lai agreed or not was none of her concern.

「After breakfast.」

Instead of going to work, Ruan Tang and Xu Lai took Yiyi to visit some tourist attractions in the city. The family of three had a joyful and harmonious time together. Incredibly, at the ticket gate of the city museum, they happened to run into Luo Chu and her son, Qian Xiao. Qian Song was nowhere to be seen; they said he was away on a business trip.

"What a coincidence," Luo Chu said with a smile. "Go on, go play with Yiyi. Your Aunt Ruan Tang and I need to have a little chat."

"Boss Lady!" Qian Xiao excitedly ran circles around Xu Yiyi. Whenever he saw a bizarre artifact, he would excitedly tell her he'd found a treasure.

Meanwhile, Ruan Tang and Luo Chu walked behind them. They started with small talk, but then Luo Chu's expression turned worried. "Ruan Tang, I'm pregnant again."

Ruan Tang was taken aback, but not surprised. "I know."

During their last get-together on Sea Temple Island, an exhausted Qian Xiao had fallen asleep on Xu Lai's back. In his sleep, he mumbled that Luo Chu had been constantly nauseous lately and couldn't keep anything down. Ruan Tang had guessed then that her best friend was pregnant. Having been a mother herself, her intuition was scarily accurate.

"I don't want it," Luo Chu frowned. "But Qian Song is insisting I have it. I wanted to hear your opinion."

"It's your marriage and your life. I can't really give you advice on that."

"You haven't changed a bit." Luo Chu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She stroked her slightly bulging belly, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. "Maybe it's for the best if I have the baby… then I won't have to hold the fort alone anymore…"

"What?" Ruan Tang hadn't quite heard her.

"It's nothing," Luo Chu said, shaking her head with a smile. "But what about you? When are you and Xu Lai having a second child? You should hurry while you're still young."

Ruan Tang couldn't help but think of their antics from the previous night, and a blush crept onto her face. "There's no rush."

"Oho, look at that lovestruck expression! Spill it. How far have you two gone?"

"You're about to be the mother of two kids, how can you still be so gossipy!"

"Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll just go ask Xu Lai."

As the two women chatted and laughed, Xu Lai stopped in front of a display case containing a single copper coin. Staring at the coin, he frowned deeply, a hint of doubt in his eyes. Could this be… a Spiritual Artifact!?