"Cough, cough."
Suddenly, a light cough sounded in his ear. In an instant, Li Xinri's face turned pale, his body trembled, and he dropped to his knees with a practiced thump.
In just a moment, he saw soldiers walking in from outside the gate, one after another.
The man walking at the very front had the appearance of a youth, his gaze sinister; just by passing Li Xinri, a thick scent of blood could already be smelled.
Beside the young man was a woman, also clad in black armor.
Her helmet had been removed, and her hair was tied in a ponytail, giving her an even more valiant and heroic air.
Even the blood-stained armor could not conceal the sense of nobility between her brows.
They were the most favored godson under the command of the Grand Tutor of the Northern Border, Li Xinghuo, and the Matriarch of the Northern Border Li Branch Family, possessor of the imperial bloodline, Zishu Wandong!
"Father, First Mother." Li Xinri lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and called out to the couple.
Every time he saw his father, he felt only a sense of oppression.
For over thirty years, his father had fought on the battlefields against the Demon Clan.
Everyone said his father was the great hero of Northguard City. Yet, the radiance of this great hero, which shone upon everyone in the entire city, had never once warmed Li Xinri.
For over thirty years, his father had never offered him guidance; there were only severe beatings whenever he caused trouble.
Sometimes, Li Xinri even harbored a twisted hope that his father would beat him, for that was when he was closest to him.
They were clearly so close... yet Li Xinghuo didn't even spare him a glance, walking silently past him.
"Father." Li Xinri gritted his teeth.
A shadow loomed over him. A trace of anticipation flashed in Li Xinri's eyes, but he was disappointed. Raising his head, what he saw was Zishu Wandong.
Seeming to catch a glimpse of the glint of tears in Li Xinri's eyes, Zishu Wandong let out a silent sigh.
She slowly crouched down to tease Li Zhijing for a moment, then smiled at Li Xinri.
"Xinri, your father just returned from the battlefield and has suffered some injuries. His hearing is likely damaged, so do not blame him."
"Yes, First Mother. This child dares not." Li Xinri gritted his teeth.
Zishu Wandong shook her head. A storage ring appeared in her hand, and she handed it to Li Xinri with a smile.
"Xinri, First Mother was away for half a year before returning; this is a gift I brought for you.
You are already thirty and have a child of your own; it is time you became sensible. Put some effort into your cultivation and stop causing trouble outside."
"Yes, First Mother." Li Xinri lowered his head again, looking at his daughter.
He knew that no matter how hard he tried, his father would not spare him another glance.
It seemed that from the moment he was born, he was destined to be disliked by his father.
His mother's clansmen claimed it was because Zishu Wandong had snatched the position of Principal Wife, making him a concubine-born son, and that was why he was so disfavored.
Heh, those people were just schemers with ulterior motives.
First Mother treated him as her own flesh and blood; he had felt it since he was a child.
It was just that the human world was complex—so complex that he couldn't understand why he was born to suffer such a fate.
It would have been better to have been born into a commoner's family.
After Zishu Wandong left, Li Xinri remained kneeling on the ground for a long, long time, as if waiting for his father to change his mind.
Only when the daughter in his arms reached out to pinch his face did Li Xinri slap himself, shake the storage ring First Mother gave him, and grin at his daughter.
"Hehe, Daddy has Spirit Stones again. We won't go to the beast arena today; let's go stone gambling instead, okay?"
"Giggle."
As the sky grew dark, the profligate scion took his daughter and the Asura Army soldiers to swagger through the market, charging recklessly through the streets.
Inside the secret underground cultivation tunnel of the family home.
"Pfft!"
Li Xinghuo, sitting cross-legged, hadn't even had time to remove his armor before he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face turning pale.
Seeing this, Zishu Wandong, who had just entered the secret chamber, rushed forward to steady Li Xinghuo. She used her spiritual power to soothe his injuries.
"Xinghuo, you... You're hurt this badly? Why did you force yourself to put on a brave front when you came back?!!"
"It's nothing. Help me remove my armor."
As the armor was removed, Li Xinghuo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing Zishu Wandong's anxious expression, he comforted her, "The Demon Clan's offensive was a bit stronger this time; I just suffered some internal injuries, that's all.
Of course, I had to hold it in; how could I let the men under my command see their Commander vomiting blood on the spot?"
As he spoke, Li Xinghuo frowned. "Did you give Xinri the Spirit Stones I told you to? Did you tell him to cultivate diligently? Did he agree or not?"
Li Xinghuo's words were calm.
Yet Zishu Wandong could sense the anxiety in his eyes; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked three questions in a row.
Zishu Wandong rolled her eyes. She took out a medicinal pill and fed it to Li Xinghuo, chiding him,
"Look at you. You're at such an age, yet you act like a fool. If you just showed the child a little more care, would he have turned out the way he is now?"
"Hmph!" Li Xinghuo let out a cold snort.
"Good-for-nothing. He hasn't learned a single bit of the Li family's character, yet he's picked up every single bad habit from his mother's side. Seeing such a rebellious son just upsets me."
Zishu Wandong rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, yes, my Great General. I didn't see you asking so many questions when you were fighting the Demon Clan."
Hearing this, Li Xinghuo's face turned dark for a moment, and he immediately used Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi to heal his injuries.
10 minutes later.
Li Xinghuo frowned, glancing at Zishu Wandong, who was tidying up his armor nearby.
"Wandong, find someone to follow that rebellious son. He has Spirit Stones now; don't let him cause a disaster."
"Look at you!"
Zishu Wandong scolded, "Your mouth is even harder than your armor. When Xinri took Zhijing out, I had already sent someone to follow them in secret. Your adopted son, Su Chen, has also returned, so just focus on healing your injuries."