Invincible Dad

Ruan Jin's body trembled.

His blood-red eyes flickered with madness. "You're lying! Xu Lai killed them long ago! It's impossible for you to have seen them!"

Ruan Tang held Xu Lai's hand and lowered her head apologetically. "I'm sorry. For a few seconds, I actually suspected you were the one who killed Ruan Jin's parents…"

"You're silly," Xu Lai said, lightly flicking her nose.

He was ruthless toward his enemies but always magnanimous with the friends and relatives of those close to him. His little sister-in-law was a prime example. He also showed tolerance toward Ruan Tang's two best friends, Wei Qing of the Chongming Bird Clan, and even his cowardly parents-in-law who had once demanded a 500-million-yuan bride price.

There was no other reason for it; it was simply because they were Ruan Tang's friends and Ruan Tang's parents.

Even though Ruan Jin's family of three had done such awful things to Ruan Tang, Xu Lai hadn't demanded their lives as payment. The tragedy that had unfolded today was entirely of Ruan Jin's own making.

"You're the silly one," Ruan Tang retorted, glaring at Xu Lai.

Watching the two people he hated most completely ignore him to flirt with each other, Ruan Jin began to tremble all over.

Hate. I hate them so much!

He now had nothing. His family was gone, his money was gone, and even his parents had died at Xu Lai's hands. He, Ruan Jin, just wanted to avenge his parents and take back what was rightfully his. Why was it so difficult!?

"Heavens, you are unjust!" Ruan Jin screamed at the sky. "If you have eyes, strike Xu Lai dead with lightning!"

RUMBLE…

Thunderclouds gathered densely over the abandoned factory, and thunder roared within them.

Ruan Jin was stunned. Through the dilapidated factory roof, he could see Heavenly Thunder actually forming, and he burst into laughter. "Xu Lai, even the heavens can't stand your evil deeds!"

"..."

Xu Lai said nothing, his expression full of pity.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the boy, Heavenly Dao, would never dare to strike him, the dignified Supreme Emperor. So, it was obvious who the Heavenly Thunder was meant for. Ruan Jin. Or Ji Wuming. Or perhaps both of them.

"Let's go, honey," Xu Lai shrugged. "Someone's here to clean up the mess for us."

"Okay." Ruan Tang didn't ask any more questions and left the factory hand in hand with Xu Lai.

Watching the pair leave, Ji Wuming was momentarily stunned before his heart swelled with elation. He had actually managed to save his own skin!

Earthlings are indeed idiots!

Ji Wuming pulled a Transmission Jade Slip from his Storage Space and crushed it, intending to make a swift exit.

However…

The Transmission Jade Slip seemed to fail; no Formation appeared beneath his feet.

As he stood there in a daze, the thunderclouds in the sky began to roil thunderously, directly unleashing dozens of bolts of Heavenly Thunder.

CRACKLE!

A total of seventy-seven bolts of Heavenly Thunder slammed into Ji Wuming and Ruan Jin.

Oddly, although the Heavenly Thunder looked terrifying and carried the might of world-annihilation, the power it unleashed wasn't that great. Even more strangely, their bodies were restrained by an indescribable force, rendering them completely immobile. They could only watch helplessly as the lightning continued to fall.

"AAAAAH!"

Piercing screams echoed through the factory.

Within the thunderclouds stood a three-year-old child wearing a red bellyband and holding a stick of candied hawthorn, his cherubic face filled with annoyance.

He took a bite of his treat, stomped on the thunderclouds beneath his feet, and slurred, "I went through so much trouble to maintain the balance between the Moon and Earth! You idiotic Moon Clan, you know The Supreme Emperor isn't to be trifled with, yet you always provoke him! You motherfuckers… Ruan Jin is an even bigger idiot! He had the chance to cling to The Supreme Emperor's coattails but didn't, and instead killed his own parents for power…"

Heavenly Dao continued cursing up a storm. He was really having a hard time. Why did these clueless morons keep provoking The Supreme Emperor again and again?

The more Heavenly Dao thought about it, the angrier he became.

Was it easy for me to lay low and bide my time all these years? In just a few short months, the risk of exposing myself is getting bigger and bigger!

So, he continued to command the thunderclouds, yet he deliberately weakened the Heavenly Thunder, making it powerful but not immediately lethal.

But even a weakened version was more than enough. After tens of thousands of bolts had struck, Ji Wuming and Ruan Jin were battered beyond recognition. They were utterly dead, every trace of life extinguished. Ji Wuming still had several life-saving trump cards, but in the face of Heavenly Dao, he never had a chance to use them.

"Phew, that's much better."

Having vented his frustration, Heavenly Dao let out a long breath, finished the last candied haw, and casually tossed the stick away. Feeling that littering was uncivilized, he summoned a bolt of Heavenly Thunder to pulverize the stick into dust. With a wave of his hand, the thunderclouds dissipated.

The reason he took the initiative to help The Supreme Emperor wasn't that he was arrogant enough to think he could meddle in The Supreme Emperor's affairs. It was because the matter involved the Moon Clan. Besides, he understood Xu Lai well. He knew The Supreme Emperor wouldn't want to dirty his hands with trash like Ruan Jin, so he chose to step up and play the villain.

* * *

On the other side, Xu Lai and Ruan Tang were walking down the street after leaving the abandoned factory on the outskirts of East Sea City.

Before Ruan Tang could speak, Xu Lai took the initiative. "As you've seen, this world isn't as peaceful as you imagined. That stranger in the black robe is from the Moon Clan."

"Who are the Moon Clan?"

"They're people who live on the moon."

"..."

Ruan Tang stopped in her tracks, shocked. "There's life on the moon?"

"Yes, and not just on the moon. Several celestial bodies around Earth have life: Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury… Just within the Milky Way, there are hundreds of billions of stars with life."

"How… do you know all this?" Ruan Tang stared at Xu Lai, dumbfounded.

"You saw it yourself. That man from the Moon Clan, and Ruan Jin after he gained power, they possessed strength far beyond ordinary people. In the Immortal Domain, people like them are called Cultivators." Xu Lai said earnestly, "I'm a Cultivator. It's just that compared to others, I'm a tiny bit stronger."

Ruan Tang fell silent, seeming to digest what Xu Lai had just told her. She had always suspected Xu Lai was no ordinary person, but she had never imagined he was a Cultivator. Her thoughts were a jumble.

"I hid the truth from you because I didn't want to disturb our peaceful life," Xu Lai sighed. "But since you've seen it with your own eyes, I won't conceal it anymore."

Ruan Tang was still silent.

Xu Lai didn't rush her. He just sat on the curb, watching cars whoosh by every few seconds as he waited for Ruan Tang to sort through her feelings.

Ruan Tang smoothed the hem of her skirt and sat down beside him. The ground was a little cold, and she subtly furrowed her delicate brows but said nothing.

Time ticked by between them. After a full ten minutes, Xu Lai looked directly into her eyes and broke the silence. "If my identity bothers you, I'll—"

"I don't mind," Ruan Tang said, her gaze unwavering as she looked back at him. "I love you. I don't care if you're a Cultivator or from the Moon Clan. None of that matters to me."

Xu Lai breathed a sigh of relief.

Ruan Tang tucked her hair behind her ear, a little embarrassed. "Xu Lai, since you're a Cultivator, there's something I'd like your help with."

"Name it!" Xu Lai said with gusto. "There's nothing your husband can't do."

"Could you get me Venerable Qingfeng's autograph?"

"..."