Jinbao swiftly darted into Zhouzhou's arms, its tail subtly brushing against Ye Lingfeng's arm, its round eyes narrowing in contentnt.
Ye Lingfeng glanced at it but ignored it, striding forward with Zhouzhou in his arms.
Zhouzhou clung to his neck, noticing that this path was one neither King nor Wangcai had taken her before. Curious, she asked, "Daddy, where are we going?"
Ye Lingfeng did not answer directly, only saying, "You'll know soon enough."
Before long, he stopped at a place. Zhouzhou, cradled in his arms, could now clearly see their surroundings, her eyes widening in surprise.
Before them stood rows of stone tablets, densely packed, numbering in the hundreds. In the air, nurous spirits hovered, each bearing the glow of rit.
The sheer amount of this rit light dispelled the cetery's usual gloom, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Jinbao leaped from her arms and ran towards the spirits, eagerly sniffing and licking them, clearly overjoyed.
"Daddy, who are they?" Zhouzhou asked, stunned by the sight.
"They were once my colleagues and predecessors," Ye Lingfeng replied, his gaze landing on a particular spot. "And so juniors too."
He set Zhouzhou down and led her by the hand to a stone tablet, saying, "This one joined a year after and passed away last year at the age of seventeen, only a few months older than your elder brother."
Zhouzhou's eyes widened even more as she gazed at the youthful face in the distance. The boy, sensing her stare, looked back, his eyes clear and innocent, yet already imbued with the glow of rit—a life exchanged for it.
Zhouzhou fumbled in her bag, pulling out an incense stick, and lighting it with a talisman. She held it reverently, bowing before the gravestone.
Ye Lingfeng watched her actions, gently ruffling her hair. "Zhouzhou, Daddy wasn't trying to scare you about the dangers. You've seen it now. Do you still insist on joining?"
He hoped this would dissuade her, but Zhouzhou, without hesitation, nodded firmly. "Yes!"
She clutched his hand, looking up at him. "I want to protect you, Daddy. I don't want you to turn into a stone."
She disliked the thought. Even if he beca a spirit and she could still see him, he would eventually have to reincarnate.
She understood now that reincarnation, while a new beginning, ant death was final. Just like she could never see her mother again, if Daddy reincarnated, she wouldn't see him either.
She'd be left with his treasures and wealth, but she didn't want any of it—she wanted him to be well.
Her words echoed in his mind, softening his heart. Yet he steeled himself, frowning. "Alright, if you can defeat everyone in the upcoming competition, I'll agree to let you join."
Zhouzhou blinked. "Including you, Daddy?"
"Yes," Ye Lingfeng nodded.
That was difficult. Zhouzhou furrowed her brow; Daddy was very strong, and she couldn't beat him yet.
Ye Lingfeng knew this too, hoping she would give up on her own. Seeing her frown, he resisted softening. "So, do you give up?"
Upon hearing 'give up', Zhouzhou puffed out her chest. Giving up? Sanqing Temple's top troublemaker never gave up!
"Of course not!" She waved her small fists. "Daddy, just you wait!"
Seeing her tiny arms and legs, a smile flickered in Ye Lingfeng's eyes. He nodded. "Alright, I'll wait."
The two locked eyes, stubbornness evident in both.
"Let's go eat." Ye Lingfeng gestured, moving to pick up his daughter, but Zhouzhou ducked away, evading his hand.
He raised an eyebrow. Zhouzhou crossed her arms seriously. "Daddy, we're opponents now. We can't be too close."
"Don't you know that to defeat your enemy, you must first understand them? How will you beat if you don't?"
She brightened, opening her arms with a smile.
Ye Lingfeng scooped her up effortlessly, lifting her onto his shoulder. Zhouzhou clung to his ears for support, her childish voice asking, "Daddy, did you get hurt on this mission?"
"No, just a few small fry. They can't beat ."
"That's not true. If they weren't strong, why would you be sent? You're too strong, Daddy, that's why they're easy to handle."
His lips curved into a smile, though he said, "Zhouzhou, flattery won't sway ."
Hmph. Zhouzhou huffed, squeezing his ear. "Daddy, you're so hard to please."
Not really, but he was particularly cautious about her joining.
Father and daughter arrived at the dining hall, devouring their al before lounging back in their chairs.
Zhao Xinghua, seeing Ye Lingfeng hadn't left, hurried over, visibly relieved. "Ye, you're not leaving?"
Ye Lingfeng glanced at him, not answering. Instead, he asked, "Have the finalists for the competition been decided?"
Zhao Xinghua nodded, puzzled. Ye Lingfeng had never cared about this before.
Zhouzhou cleared up the confusion. "Uncle Zhao, Daddy said if I can defeat everyone, he'll let join."
Her voice brimming with excitent, Zhao Xinghua's face fell. No one could beat Ye Lingfeng, let alone Zhouzhou, who, though talented, lacked experience.
This wasn't a compromise but a disguised refusal.
He opened his mouth to speak, but seeing Ye Lingfeng's expression, he swallowed his words. He had already shown considerable respect by getting this far. Pushing any further might provoke a confrontation. So, he simply nodded and said, "Alright, I'll make the arrangents."
With that, he strode away.
Zhouzhou, aware that she couldn't match Ye Lingfeng in strength, felt restless. She jumped to the ground and declared, "Daddy, I'm going to practice!" Then she dashed off.
She needed to work hard to catch up!
However, the gap between her and her father was vast. How could she improve quickly?
As she pondered, Jinbao suddenly appeared out of nowhere, tugging at her clothes and pointing in a direction.
Zhouzhou asked curiously, "Where are we going?"
Jinbao made a close, conspiratorial gesture, its tongue sticking out intermittently, looking rather sly.
Zhouzhou instantly understood, her eyes lighting up. She had found a way!
Reviews
All reviews (0)