Invincible Dad

Taotie hastily said, "I'm sorry, Madam. I was wrong."

He then picked up all the seafood and walked over to Xu Lai.

Ruan Tang squatted down, pinching Yun Jin's cheeks with a smile. "So cute," she said.

"Yes, she is!"

The female employees of Above the White Clouds all came over, patting her head and poking her cheeks.

If this had been any other day, Yun Jin would have gone ballistic by now!

Who am I? The prodigy of the Taotie clan! Before being banished to the Dead Realm, I roamed the Immortal Domain unhindered. Why would I fear a group of mortals on Earth?

However, Yun Jin quickly grew bewildered. Aside from the Heavenly Court's Madam, she couldn't see through the cultivation boundaries of any of the other women.

Before I knew this mansion was The Supreme Emperor's residence, I thought these people were all mortals. Now, it seems they are all unfathomably powerful. Would The Supreme Emperor personally cook for a group of mortals? Not even a fool would believe that.

Therefore, she acted exceptionally well-behaved and obedient. She wouldn't even be surprised if the entire courtyard was filled with Immortal Venerables.

In the crowd, someone suddenly whispered, "Is this really Xiao Liu's boyfriend's relative? She couldn't be his daughter, could she? They look a bit alike…"

"N-no, not boyfriend," Liu Wan explained, her face flushing, but her heart was pounding frighteningly fast. She was extremely concerned about the little girl's identity.

If she really is his daughter… Liu Wan knew that no matter how smitten she was, she would have to back away. She would never interfere with another person's family.

The ancestor's woman! Yun Jin thought, then hurriedly said, "Greetings, Distant Ancestress."

Everyone was stunned.

Distant Ancestress… That's an ancestor from eight generations ago!

The expressions of the surrounding women grew even more suspicious as they looked at Taotie.

Ruan Tang also frowned, asking Xu Lai, "Your friend's seniority is that high?"

Xu Lai kicked Taotie. "She's asking you."

Taotie nodded. "Yes, my seniority is high."

"See? She must be his daughter."

"A gap of two or three generations is understandable, but eight... I suspect you're lying!"

"Xiao Liu, you need to be a better judge of character!"

"..."

Facing the skepticism from the women of Above the White Clouds, Xu Lai cleared his throat. Taotie understood the signal.

He could only say with a straight face, "Actually, I'm her older brother. She likes to spout nonsense."

Yun Jin's face turned crimson. She knew this ancestor was still angry about her calling him 'brother' at the door.

And now I'm the same generation as my great-great-great-great-grandmother! If the ancestor finds out, won't he beat me to death?

"My friend here is single, Xiao Liu. Don't overthink it," Xu Lai said with a grin.

However, Xu Lai had no idea that because of that single cough, once Yun Jin returned to her clan, she would receive a joint beating from Taotie and his sister that would leave her howling in bed for half a year.

Perhaps that was true cruelty.

"Here, eat more oysters. They'll build up your strength," Xu Lai said, passing the largest one to Taotie.

The Divine General didn't actually like seafood. But what The Supreme Emperor gave could not be refused. Even if it were poison, he would have to drink it down.

Taotie held the oyster, preparing to swallow it whole, when Liu Wan suddenly appeared beside him.

Their eyes met. Liu Wan's gaze was clear, while Taotie's was resolute.

Ordinarily, a simple glance would mean nothing. But unfortunately for Taotie, Liu Wan caught the flicker of hesitation in his eyes as he looked at the seafood.

Although Liu Wan's heartbeat was slow, she had an uncanny ability to perceive the emotions of others. "Let me eat it for you," she said softly.

Then she took the oyster and began to nibble on it.

The Supreme Emperor gave this to me, why are you eating it? Woman, are you trying to start something?!

Liu Wan whispered, "You don't have to thank me."

Taotie was speechless.

Meanwhile, Xu Lai, having just remembered Taotie's aversion to seafood, was about to say something when he saw this unfold.

It was a good thing Ruan Tang was standing right beside him. Otherwise, the food in his mouth would have suddenly lost all its flavor.

Ruan Tang leaned close to Xu Lai's ear and whispered, "I think those two are quite a good match."

"I think so too," Xu Lai nodded.

Taotie's 'sister', Yun Jin, remained in the backyard, feeling very constrained and not knowing where to put her hands. She kept forcing cute, innocent smiles as the 'Immortal Venerables' pinched her cheeks and patted her head.

Yiyi, on the other hand, was delighted to finally meet a girl her own age, especially one who was a relative of her dear Uncle Taotie.

"Do you want more? When you're full, I'll take you to play games," Yiyi said.

"Play games?" Yun Jin tilted her head, confused. "What's that?"

In the Immortal Domain, strength was paramount. For a cultivation prodigy like her, playing games was unthinkable. To avoid being trampled by others, one had to seize every single moment for seclusion or cultivation. Prodigies of their clans and heirs of their Tao Lineages shouldered immense burdens. They carried the weight of Sect Gates that had existed for millions of years, or families that had proliferated over entire epochs. They were also responsible for the fates and lives of the hundreds of billions of souls governed by their families, a heavy burden of pressure and glory carried on a single pair of shoulders.

To be born into such a powerful family was both a blessing and a curse.

Only cultivators with humble backgrounds, or those with average talent who were content with mediocrity, would choose to lose themselves in various forms of entertainment.

"My aunt has lots of game consoles! Come on, let's go! She's not home today, so we can play a two-player game," Yiyi said cheerfully.

Her aunt always complained that she was a noob, so she was thrilled to finally have another friend to play with.

***

The company dinner at Haitang Court continued late into the night, showing no signs of ending.

Meanwhile, on a lone island far out at sea, a man cloaked in a black robe stood. It was Ji Wuming.

He frowned deeply, gazing from afar at the courtyard perched atop the mountain peak.

He had successfully connected with Mu Cheng via the Sound Transmission Jade Slip. So why did the other man hang up without saying a word? He had sensed the aura from the shattering of the Crystal Ball, so why was there no sign of trouble at Haitang Court?

And just a moment ago, the drop of Mu Cheng's Soul Blood within his mind had suddenly shattered.

Mu Cheng is dead. The mission... has most likely failed.

Ji Wuming rubbed the space between his brows, finding it hard to believe. That Crystal Ball was a trump card given to him by the Moon King's own hand. Sealed within was a juvenile Taotie! Its Boundary was at the terrifying peak of the Golden Core Stage, and with its innate racial talents, it could easily fight a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage.

Once awakened, such a terrifying monster could destroy a city at the very least. At worst, it could annihilate a star... no, an entire star system!

That was one of the reasons Ji Wuming had been so reluctant to use this trump card. But why had the Taotie done nothing?

Is it dead?

And yet, just moments before, he had clearly sensed its aura fluctuating—it was furious, violent, and still at its peak.

It was incomprehensible. Utterly incomprehensible.

As the elite leader of the Moon's Royal Clan hidden on Earth, Ji Wuming knew this was no time for contemplation. It was time to withdraw.

For those in intelligence or assassination, the first rule was to retreat immediately after a failed strike to avoid danger. This was a lesson paid for with tens of thousands of lives.

Ji Wuming clenched his fist, filled with unwillingness, but finally sighed and prepared to turn and leave.

But in the next instant, his scalp went numb with terror.

Because a woman's face, bearing a smile that wasn't quite a smile, was right in front of his own—merely three centimeters away.