"Mhm, mhm, mhm!"

Ruan Tang didn't speak, but Yiyi nodded continuously, saying in a sweet voice, "Right, right, right! Daddy is taken! His other half is the kindest, prettiest, and most gentle mommy in the world."

Ruan Tang's face flushed red. She wasn't nearly as wonderful as her daughter described, but she was very satisfied with Xu Lai's response.

Xu Lai was an outstanding man, so he was bound to have his share of admirers at the university. It wouldn't matter much if they were teachers, but Ruan Tang was worried about the students. They were still young, their values not yet firmly established. It would be terrible if a failed attempt to pursue Xu Lai led them to become confused or hopeless about their future.

Of course, Ruan Tang was also afraid that Xu Lai wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. A youthful, beautiful young woman was certainly more attractive than a twenty-four-year-old like her. After all, no one stays twenty forever, but there will always be someone who is twenty. For a woman, age is both an advantage and a disadvantage.

Xu Lai touched his forehead to Ruan Tang's, as if he had guessed her thoughts, and said softly, "I'm not some scumbag with no integrity."

Ruan Tang hastily took a step back and shot him an embarrassed, annoyed glare. His actions were too intimate!

As she expected, quite a few students were already looking over with surprised expressions. One or two of the female students had looks of sorrow in their eyes.

"Director Xu, is this your girlfriend?" a bold male student asked.

"My wife," Xu Lai said, ruffling Yiyi's hair with a smile. "And my daughter."

"That's great! That's really great!" the male student exclaimed, nodding excitedly. "I have to tell my goddess the news right away! My only chance to make a move is if she's heartbroken over you. She's in the Go club and admires you the most!"

Xu Lai was speechless.

This student... don't you get that bootlickers end up with nothing in the end? But then again, who would willingly be a bootlicker if they didn't genuinely like someone?

Xu Lai wished the young man success.

However, the guy had some nerve. He actually took the opportunity to pull out a pen and paper, asking Xu Lai for an autograph.

Afterward, Xu Lai walked around the Dongli University campus, holding his wife's and daughter's hands. Although it wasn't her first time here, it was the first time Ruan Tang had ever taken a serious look at the private university. The family of three chatted and laughed, their atmosphere warm and cheerful.

「But at this moment.」

Atop the main peak of the Mount Fu Dragon Vein, a large number of Hua Country's experts had gathered. Among them were two Watchmen, two experts from the Divine Gate Realm, and fourteen from the Ninth Grade Realm.

They stared, dumbfounded, sensing the Spiritual Energy in the mountain range and the faint dragon's might that made them tremble. They finally believed Gao He's words—this was a Dragon Vein!

"Li Sanbai, Southeast Asia's number one geomancer, failed in his Array Setting, yet Xu Lai succeeded?" Zhang Henshui, one of the Watchmen, massaged his temples as he 'looked' at Gao He.

He was blind and his gaze was vacant, yet Gao He felt an intense pressure, as if a pair of eyes were fixed upon him.

"Yes," Gao He said, daring not to hide anything. "Senior Xu Lai condensed the Dragon Vein with a single thought!"

A single thought. It was instantaneous, as brief as the blink of an eye.

A commotion rippled through the crowd. A Divine Gate Realm expert frowned and said, "Gao He, do you have any idea what you're saying?"

Even if all twelve of Hua Country's publicly known top Watchmen worked together, they couldn't create a Dragon Vein in a single thought. Could Xu Lai be even stronger than the Watchmen?

A twenty-year-old girl with freckles, Zhang Suzi, whispered, "Grandpa, is that Xu Lai the same one from the teahouse storytelling last time?"

Her question made Zhang Henshui fall silent, jogging his memory. He suddenly recalled the last storytelling session about 'The Story of Martial Ancestor Xu Yanyang.' A young Martial Ancestor there had left a deep impression on him. When the story ended and the audience was leaving, Zhang Suzi had noticed Xu Lai's extraordinary demeanor, assuming he was a Martial Ancestor, and had brazenly asked him a question. The young man had replied, "Xu Yanyang could defend a city for a hundred years. I will defend Hua Country for ten thousand!" At the time, his granddaughter, Zhang Suzi, had thought Xu Lai was just bragging, but now it seemed his words held true. A Dragon Vein... was enough to last for ten thousand years!

"There are specialists in every field," a Divine Gate Realm expert said, skeptical of Gao He's account. "Li Sanbai's Array Setting skills are beyond doubt. He probably set everything up in advance, and Xu Lai just reaped the benefits."

"I agree with that assessment."

"I don't."

The group immediately broke into arguments, with Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors and Divine Gate Realm experts fiercely debating the matter.

"Enough!" Zhang Henshui snapped.

The scene instantly fell silent, not just because of his power, but out of respect for the Zhang Family. The Zhang Family lineage boasted four experts at the peak of the Divine Gate, all of whom had dedicated their lives to Chang'an. How could such formidable individuals not command respect?

"I will pay Xu Lai a visit myself later on. Before that, any discussion of this matter is strictly forbidden," Zhang Henshui said solemnly.

The word "visit," while seemingly simple, was enough to show the great importance Zhang Henshui placed on Xu Lai.

After the crowd dispersed, only Zhang Henshui and his granddaughter remained on the summit. Zhang Suzi asked, "Grandpa, do you think Xu Lai's Boundary is Divine Gate? Or perhaps..."

"I don't know." Zhang Henshui shook his head. "It could be Divine Gate, or it could be higher."

To be able to create a Dragon Vein... regardless of whether Li Sanbai had done any preparatory work, such strength could not be underestimated.

Zhang Suzi remarked wistfully, "If a guardian this powerful were in Chang'an City, perhaps we could launch a counterattack against the Moon Clan."

"How do you know he isn't already guarding it?" Seeing the astonishment on his granddaughter's face, Zhang Henshui rephrased. "Or rather, how do you know he isn't one of Hua Country's trump cards?"

What is shown to the world is never the strongest. No one is foolish enough to reveal all their cards to the enemy; they always keep a few powerful moves hidden. And Hua Country had more secrets than most. Taking the one sect, three orders, and Nine Pavilions for example—over the past century, each of them has had one or two exceptionally talented disciples who either died young or disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Was it a coincidence, or did they join the military? No one could be sure. The same logic could apply to a prodigy of formations like Xu Lai.

Zhang Suzi gasped. "If he really is one of Hua Country's secret weapons, then by acting this time, hasn't he been exposed?"

The Moon Clan may be far away on the Moon, but Hua Country had its share of traitors—or rather, spies for the Moon Clan.

"Exactly. What we must handle now is how to completely lock down this information. If he is a trump card, it is imperative. If he isn't... it must be done all the same," Zhang Henshui said calmly.

He slowly knelt, scooping up a handful of earth. A sourness pricked his nose. "Suzi... tell me. If this Dragon Vein had existed five years ago, would your parents have had to die? Their poison could only be cured by the essence of a Dragon Vein. But back then, those three Dragon Veins were used to save too many people, and their essence was severely damaged..."

Zhang Suzi silently lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes. She fought to sound strong as she whispered, "Grandpa, it's snowing. Let's go home."

"And where is our home?"

"In Chang'an."

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