At this moment, the young Dou Emperor was slowly walking over with his small, steady steps.
"Father,"Hun Xiu respectfully greeted Hun Tiandi.
Then, he stood upright — calm and proud.
Hun Xiu had always remembered what Hun Tiandi told him: as his son, no matter the situation, he must never lower his head.
He had to keep his back straight — because he was Hun Tiandi's son.
"Mm."Hun Tiandi nodded slightly, clearly pleased.
The man in the black robe standing beside Hun Tiandi, Gu Yuan, also nodded in approval. Unflinching and dignified — this child was extraordinary.
Hun Tiandi turned to Gu Yuan and chuckled, "Brother Gu, what do you think of my son?"
Gu Yuan replied with a warm smile, "Your son is remarkable. A dragon among men. He has the potential to become an Emperor."
"Hahaha…"Hun Tiandi burst into hearty laughter, unrestrained joy written all over his face.
He said modestly, "Brother Gu, you praise him too highly. The boy is decent, yes, but saying he has the potential to become an Emperor? That's still a long way off."
Although he said that, his beaming face completely betrayed his words. This old fox clearly didn't believe a word of his own modesty.
"Brother Gu?"
Hearing how his father addressed the robed man, Hun Xiu was shaken. If his guess was right, then this man was...
The Clan Leader of the Gu Clan — Gu Yuan — one of the two known Nine-Star Dou Saints on the continent.
No wonder this man could laugh and walk side-by-side with his father!
Upon realizing the man's identity, Hun Xiu turned his attention to the little child clinging to Gu Yuan's thigh.
Their identity?
He had a bold guess.
If a child dared to hold on to Gu Yuan's leg so intimately, they must be related. Could it be Gu Yuan's son?
Though Hun Xiu had read the original story and forgotten many plot points, if he remembered correctly...
Didn't Gu Yuan not have a son?
He only had one daughter — Gu Xun'er, the female lead of the original novel.
But thinking about it, if he, an outsider, could become Hun Tiandi's son, then Gu Yuan having a son wasn't that strange either.
This must be the so-called butterfly effect.
He had heard of the butterfly effect before — he just never imagined he'd become the butterfly that stirred the storm.
It was oddly exciting.
As for whether this child was Gu Xun'er?Hun Xiu never even considered it.
Not because he didn't want to — he simply didn't dare to imagine it.
This little thing was so fair and delicate — how could that possibly be a girl?
Impossible.
Such an adorable child must be a boy!
Why should beauty be exclusive to girls? Boys can be beautiful too.
So, in Hun Xiu's mind, the label "boy" was firmly attached to this child.
"Brother Hun,"Gu Yuan smiled, "Your son's talent is extraordinary. He will surely become a Dou Emperor one day. There's no need for false modesty."
His tone was filled with undeniable envy.
If only he, Gu Yuan, had such a son!
Sigh…
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, murmuring:
"Since I can't make him my son, I'll take the next best thing — a son-in-law!"
If he couldn't obtain it, he'd control it. If he couldn't destroy it, then he'd own it.
Gu Yuan looked at Hun Tiandi seriously and said, "Brother Hun, I came here today to discuss something important."
"Oh?"Hun Tiandi raised an eyebrow. "What matter do you want to discuss, Brother Gu?"
He and Gu Yuan had been rivals for many years. Though they appeared cordial on the surface, Hun Tiandi wouldn't hesitate to stab Gu Yuan in the back if the opportunity arose — and not just once, but two or three times if needed.
It was all a matter of opportunity.
Gu Yuan glanced at the child beside him and said, "The child is still here."
He then crouched down and gently picked up the little one clinging to his leg.
Rubbing the child's head, he said, "Xun'er, why don't you go play with this big brother for a while? Father has some matters to discuss with Uncle Hun."
"Oh!"The little one blinked and nodded her tiny head, looking absolutely adorable.
"Xun'er?"
Hun Xiu silently repeated the name in his heart.
That name sounded familiar…
After persuading Gu Xun'er, Gu Yuan turned to Hun Xiu with a smile:
"Little guy, would you mind taking her to play outside for a bit?"
Hun Xiu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked up at Hun Tiandi, clearly asking for permission.
"Mm."Hun Tiandi nodded. He too was curious what kind of tricks Gu Yuan was planning to play.
Receiving the green light, Hun Xiu smiled at Gu Yuan and said, "Of course."
He then turned to the little child, eyes full of affection.
"Little brother, come over here. Big brother will take you to play."
"Little brother?"
Gu Xun'er tilted her head in confusion but still trotted over with her tiny steps and threw herself into Hun Xiu's arms.
She clung to him and said in a crisp voice:
"Big… brother… play."
Her voice was so sweet that it softened Hun Xiu's heart, which had been sealed for so long.
"Smooch!"
Hun Xiu affectionately gave her a peck on the cheek and walked out of the hall with her in his arms.
Gu Yuan: "…"
He stood there dumbfounded, watching his precious cabbage get kissed by a pig.
His feelings were… complicated.
What the hell just happened?
Was he being completely ignored as a father?
"Brother Gu."
Hun Tiandi called out, noticing Gu Yuan spacing out a little.
"Mm."
"Brother Hun," Gu Yuan snapped out of it and smiled again.
"To be honest, I didn't come just to visit today. I want to propose a powerful alliance between us. What do you say?"
"A powerful alliance?"Hun Tiandi blinked, a little stunned.
He never expected those words to come from Gu Yuan — his long-time rival.
They had always been wary of each other, always scheming behind the scenes.Of course he had considered such an alliance before… but it never felt realistic.
And now those very words had come out of Gu Yuan's mouth?
It was a surprise.
Hun Tiandi quickly composed himself.
"Brother Gu, surely you're not joking?"
Gu Yuan chuckled and shook his head, "Joking? Of course not. I've already said it. Do you think I'd make a joke of this?"
"Hahahaha…"
Hun Tiandi laughed aloud and said,
"Brother Gu, it seems I didn't misjudge you after all."
"On this continent, only we two stand at the peak. If we truly join forces — the entire world will fall into our hands!"