Invincible Dad

Tan Chang!

In just a few minutes, his name spread throughout Hua Country.

It was just a pity. If it weren't for the appearance of Sword Peak, the shock from this news would have been far greater. As it was, however, the timing was just right.

For Tan Chang, who had been an unknown shadow of the Jiang Family for decades, leaving his name on the Martial Dao Sky Ranking was a historic achievement. Regardless of his future, this was an indelible mark on the history of the Martial Dao World.

However, when the Jiang Family discovered that one of their kept shadows, Tan Chang, had vanished and his control brand had disappeared along with him—just as a Seventh Grade Martial Ancestor of the exact same name suddenly appeared in Hua Country—their expressions turned as ugly as if they had swallowed a dead fly.

"Deploy ten elite shadows to investigate. If it is the same person, kill him. If it is not, find out where he's hiding."

"Traitors—kill without mercy!"

A secret order was issued by the higher-ups of the Jiang Family.

…

「By the seaside.」

A smile touched Xu Lai's lips as he watched Xu Yiyi run around happily on the beach, her little feet bare in the sunset twilight.

Life was very tranquil now, and he liked it a lot. No fighting, no troublesome matters—this was what life should be.

But Xu Lai had no idea that Taotie, the acting First Divine General of the Heavenly Court, was crying his eyes out every night. He just wanted to be a simple brute, but now he had to deal with a mountain of paperwork.

Truly, even in the Heavenly Court, one is not their own master!

"Daddy, let's have a water fight!" Xu Yiyi scooped up some seawater in her small hands and suddenly splashed it on Xu Lai.

Xu Lai took off his shoes as well, putting on a fearsome expression as he pounced, "Here I come!"

The little girl giggled and ran away.

「Two hours later.」

A drenched Xu Lai stood in the corner as punishment, alongside Xu Yiyi, whose clothes were also partially wet. Three steps away stood Ruan Tang, her expression cold as ice.

"Mommy, it was Daddy who wanted to play. Yiyi didn't know anything," Xu Yiyi tugged at the hem of her dress, her beautiful big eyes brimming with a misty, aggrieved look.

Xu Lai was dumbfounded. How could my daughter throw me under the bus like that!

"Xu Lai, you've really outdone yourself, playing with water," Ruan Tang glared, her beautiful eyes narrowed. "Don't you know how much the temperature drops at night? What if Yiyi catches a cold?"

"She's just a kid, it's no big deal that she likes to play. Besides, I'm a doctor. Even if she gets a cold, I can—"

"So it *was* you!"

Xu Lai was rendered speechless. He was at a loss for words and finally sighed.

Fine. I give up. If I don't take the fall for this, who will?

"You'll face the wall and reflect on what you've done for one hour." After speaking, Ruan Tang picked up Xu Yiyi and carried her to the bathroom, clearly intending to give her a bath.

"Mommy, can I take the tablet? The anime I'm following has a new episode," Xu Yiyi said timidly.

After a moment's hesitation, Ruan Tang nodded. "Only for half an hour."

After their bath, Ruan Tang returned to the room in her pajamas to dry her hair, while a somewhat ashamed Xu Yiyi approached Xu Lai. "Dad, Yiyi betrayed you just now."

"I understand. After all, your mother is super scary!" Xu Lai gently pinched his daughter's nose and laughed carelessly.

Xu Yiyi nodded vigorously. She glanced cautiously at the master bedroom before whispering, "But when you do something wrong, you have to apologize."

As she spoke, the little girl quietly stuffed her tablet into Xu Lai's hands.

Under his daughter's expectant, praise-seeking gaze, Xu Lai curiously turned on the tablet. His expression quickly darkened.

The photo album was filled with pictures of Ruan Tang! Oh, they were from the bath just now... And I have to say, my wife has a fantastic figure.

Wait!

Xu Lai's expression hardened, and he flicked Xu Yiyi firmly on the forehead. "How could you take photos like these?"

Clutching her head, her eyes welling with pained tears, Yiyi was confused. Wasn't Dad supposed to praise me? Why did I get a flick on the head instead?

"If these photos were to accidentally leak, not only would the consequences be terrible, but it would also hurt your mother!"

"I'm sorry, Dad." Xu Yiyi hung her head in dejection. "Dad and Mommy always sleep in separate rooms. Even when Auntie was here, Dad still slept on the sofa. Qian Xiao said that means a husband and wife aren't getting along! That they need a catalyst, and that men especially like this kind of stuff, so I..."

Xu Lai felt his face darken. That little bastard Qian Xiao... what kind of ideas has he been feeding Yiyi? He can forget about getting any cloud candy for a month.

"I'll delete the photos right away and then apologize to Mommy," Xu Yiyi sobbed.

"Let me delete them. Don't let this happen again." Xu Lai sighed. Yiyi is still just a child, after all. I need to guide her to have the right values.

So, after sternly warning Xu Yiyi again, Xu Lai deleted the photos from the tablet. He did, however, keep one, which he transferred to his phone.

In the photo, Ruan Tang and their daughter, fresh from their bath and wearing bathrobes, stood by the tub making heart gestures with their hands.

Though this picture wasn't revealing in the slightest, Xu Lai liked it the most. The normally icy Ruan Tang was not only making a heart gesture, but the corners of her lips were turned up in a bright smile. The photo radiated a sense of warm family harmony.

The only shame was that Xu Lai wasn't in the photo himself.

"Here," Xu Lai said, handing the tablet back. "From now on, you need to be a good, honest person, just like Dad. As for what happened today, I'll pretend I don't know anything about it, so you should forget it too."

"Okay!" Xu Yiyi nodded her little head vigorously, the guilt on her innocent face deepening.

Dad didn't even scold me, and he helped cover it up... Dad is the best person in the world!

…

Although Ruan Tang had sentenced Xu Lai to face the wall for an hour, she shooed him into the bathroom as soon as she finished drying her hair. She was, of course, worried he might also catch a cold. But being the proud woman she was, she would never admit it, saying only that she was afraid he would get sick and pass it on to their daughter.

After his bath, Xu Lai started cooking. It was quite a feast: three dishes and a soup.

As a spoonful of lotus root soup passed her lips, Ruan Tang blissfully closed her eyes. It was simply the most delicious thing in the world. The savory flavor flowed through her, washing away all her fatigue.

As a result, not a single scrap of food was left over that night.

Just then, the phone rang. Xu Lai looked at the screen and saw it was an unfamiliar number.

He answered, and a respectful voice came from the other end. "Mr. Xu, this is Fang Zheng of the Fang Family. Are... are you free anytime soon?"

"Get to the point." Hearing Fang Zheng's hesitation, Xu Lai already had an idea of what this was about.

"I wanted to ask what medicinal ingredients are needed to treat my son, Fang Cheng. I'd like to prepare them in advance," Fang Zheng said hurriedly.

"Just bring your son directly to the Dongli University infirmary tomorrow. I work there."

Fang Zheng was dumbfounded. A great Martial Ancestor is working in a university infirmary? Just how powerful is that school's background?

Although curious, Fang Zheng didn't dare ask any more questions. "Then I will be in your debt, Mr. Xu," he said respectfully.

After he hung up, Ruan Tang casually asked, "What was that about?"

"Oh, just a patient in a coma who needs my help."

Ruan Tang rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him for a second. Instead, she said nonchalantly, "Yiyi and I are going to bed. You should come too."

Xu Lai's spirits soared. "Together? I'm on my way!"