Invincible Dad

"..."

Xu Lai coughed and said, "Although Venerable Qingfeng is strong, I don't think he deserves your admiration, honey. I'm ten thousand times stronger than him!"

Ruan Tang nodded. "That's true."

Xu Lai's mouth twitched slightly.

He somewhat regretted what he had just said. He should have just revealed his true identity; maybe then he could have seen her eyes fill with admiring little stars.

But then, something that made his scalp tingle happened.

He heard Ruan Tang ask with a smile, "Xu Lai, you're actually Venerable Qingfeng, aren't you?"

Without hesitation, Xu Lai nodded. "Yes…"

THUMP!

Ruan Tang tapped Xu Lai on the head and scolded, "In your dreams!"

Xu Lai was dumbfounded.

Ruan Tang had been all smiles just a moment ago; how had she become angry in the blink of an eye? A woman's mood was indeed like the weather, changing without warning.

"Emperor Qingfeng is the Human Emperor, the Lord of the Heavenly Court. You're just a tiny little Cultivator on Earth, yet you actually think of yourself as The Supreme Emperor?" Ruan Tang's beautiful eyes widened in reprimand.

"Actually, it really is me."

"It is not!"

"…It really is."

"Emperor Qingfeng has 30,000 consorts in his harem. Are you sure that's you?"

Ruan Tang narrowed her eyes. "Thirty thousand ex-girlfriends... Impressive, Mr. Xu. Why don't you bring them all here for me to see one day?"

Mr. Xu!

Every time Ruan Tang uttered those two words, it meant her emotions were extremely unstable.

His next answer could determine not only his fate but also whether he would be sleeping on the stiff couch or lying in bed, cuddling the soft and fragrant Ruan Tang.

Does who I am really matter? Not in the slightest. What matters most is being able to indulge in the Gentle Homeland at night.

"I was just joking," Xu Lai said with conviction. "I don't even know that supreme playboy, Emperor Qingfeng. I, Xu Lai, am an upright and honorable man. I've only had two…"

He mumbled "ten thousand" so quietly that even he could barely hear it before finishing, "…ex-girlfriends."

Ruan Tang nodded in satisfaction.

She quickly complained, "Get up and take me back to the company. Since Ruan Jin took me away, the girls at the office have probably already called the police. Now I have to deal with this today. What a hassle."

Xu Lai didn't dare talk back. He instantly teleported with Ruan Tang back to her company, a move that made her heart race.

Come to think of it, this was the third time Ruan Tang had experienced instant teleportation.

The first time was when Xu Lai took her from her old little apartment to Mount Haitang.

The second time was a couple of days ago, from the mall parking lot to the seaside.

And the third time was now.

Ruan Tang kicked Xu Lai and lectured, "Use instant teleportation less in the future. And get back to your job at the school!"

"Alright."

Xu Lai scratched his head, somewhat uncertain about Ruan Tang's attitude toward him. She seemed a bit cold, but her words didn't exactly reject his identity. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

I can't understand a woman's heart.

Sighing, Xu Lai left Above the White Clouds. This time, he didn't teleport but obediently headed for the subway entrance.

Watching that familiar figure walk away, Ruan Tang took several deep breaths to suppress the complex emotions rising in her heart.

She clenched her fists tightly, her thoughts unspoken. You idiot. I don't care whether you're The Supreme Emperor or a Cultivator. You are just my man, Ruan Tang's man, and Yiyi's father.

Just that, and nothing more.

***

Meanwhile, the Martial Dao Association in East Sea City had already noticed the terrifying thunder from the city's outskirts and had promptly sent people to investigate.

Five minutes after the thunderclouds had dissipated, Gao He, who was in the association's headquarters pondering whether any members of the Moon Clan were hiding in Jiangnan and Jiangbei, received a report from his subordinate.

"There are two bodies in the abandoned factory. One of them has moon patterns on its arm, confirming they're from the Moon Clan."

"Excellent!" Gao He roared, absolutely thrilled.

Tan Chang's resourcefulness knows no bounds! Nothing can escape his calculations!

With this, it was finally certain that the conflict between Xu Yiyi's group, the Penglai Sword Pavilion, and the other thirteen Holy Lands had been instigated by the Moon Clan.

"Those damn creatures even know how to sow discord. They almost had me fooled." Gao He's expression was grim. "People always say human hearts are sinister, but who knew the Moon Clan were just as vicious!"

With evidence in hand, Gao He hurriedly requested reinforcements from his superiors, intending to launch a thorough investigation into the two major regions of Jiangnan and Jiangbei.

Of course, all of this had nothing to do with Xu Lai. Instead, Tan Chang's fame in the Martial Dao World inexplicably grew even greater.

That 'mastermind' reputation of his was on the verge of making a comeback…

Time passed quietly, and soon it was mid-January.

Ruan Lan and Yiyi were both on winter break. The two of them were holed up at home playing video games every day, but Ruan Lan was getting frustrated.

She had discovered that the high scores in several games were held by a player with the ID 'Yun.'

"That's Yun Jin! She's super awesome!" Yiyi praised her little friend.

When Ruan Lan found out that her rival was just a little kid, she was immediately indignant.

How could a true gamer girl swallow this defeat?

However, after pulling an all-nighter trying to break the high score, Ruan Lan emerged with dark circles under her eyes and declared, "This is pointless. Games aren't that fun. It's better to read more and navigate the vast ocean of knowledge."

"Ew," Yiyi said with disdain.

Ruan Lan raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Auntie will take you to do some practice tests."

"Daddy, save me!"

"..."

Haitang Court was suddenly bustling with noise.

Xu Lai, meanwhile, sat on the sofa with Ruan Tang wrapped in his arm, watching a TV show.

BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.

Her phone vibrated. Ruan Tang answered, and her expression quickly changed. "What? A car accident? I'll be right there!"

"What's wrong?" Xu Lai asked with concern.

Ruan Tang's face was etched with worry. "My parents were in a car accident while they were out for a walk after dinner."

"I'll come with you."

Without a moment's hesitation, Xu Lai went out the door with Ruan Tang. Ruan Lan wanted to go too, but she didn't feel right leaving Yiyi home alone, so she stayed behind to look after the child.

When they arrived at the Central City People's Hospital, a frantic Ruan Tang saw her father sitting in the hospital lobby with nothing more than a small bandage on his forehead. She was utterly baffled.

"Dad, weren't you in a car accident?"

"Yeah."

Her mother, Zhu Fen, said with great exaggeration, "You have no idea how fast that little truck was going! It scared your father so much that he ran a little faster while crossing the road, tripped, and hit his forehead. He might have a concussion!"

Beside Ruan Yinshan and Zhu Fen stood an ordinary-looking middle-aged man—the driver of the small truck.

With a troubled look, he said, "Ma'am, your husband seems fine. How about I give you 3,000 yuan to settle this privately?"

"No way!" Zhu Fen glared. "My husband may look fine, but he has a concussion. You're not leaving until you pay 50,000!"

Ruan Yinshan immediately began to wail in a display of perfect cooperation. "I'm dying! I'm really dying!"

"..."

By now, Ruan Tang understood everything completely.

Her outrageous parents had been scared by the truck while jaywalking, causing them to fall, and were now trying to extort the driver!

Feeling both ashamed and furious, she hurried over to the driver. "I'm so sorry. My parents don't know any better. I apologize for wasting your time."