"Waaaah waaaah waaaah…"
Seeing her beloved Brother Xiu (Hun Xiu) beaten so badly he coughed up blood, little Huan'er couldn't hold back anymore and burst into loud tears.
Her lips pouted, eyes full of grievance, and she pointed at the bloodied Hun Xiu while sobbing, "Daddy… Brother is bleeding… waaah waaaah…"
"Huan'er, be good now. Brother and your Uncle Hun are just playing." Hearing his daughter's distressed cries, Gu Yuan quickly picked her up and gently rubbed her head, trying to calm her.
She was his precious little girl—his heart and soul. Seeing her cry so miserably tore at his heart.
"No…"
Little Huan'er shook her head stubbornly, still pouting with tear-filled eyes. She sobbed, "That's not true. Uncle Hun is a bad man. He hurt Brother! Waaah waaaah…"
"Xun'er…"
Lying on the ground, pinned by Hun Tiandi's terrifying pressure, Hun Xiu couldn't even move. But hearing "Gu Xun" say those words, he felt a touch of warmth in his heart.
He thought to himself: That's a true brother… He didn't forget our bond. That horse was worth it. (referring to their earlier bond, possibly from a past life or shared childhood)
"Huan'er, be good now. Don't cry. Brother will be fine," Gu Yuan said, his expression shifting subtly.
Was Hun Tiandi a bad guy? Of course, in the eyes of many factions on the continent, the Soul Clan and the Hall of Souls were nothing short of villains.
But that was the kind of thing people only dared whisper in private. No one would dare say such a thing to Hun Tiandi's face. Just now might've been a first in the entire continent.
Gu Yuan gently imbued a touch of Dou Qi into his daughter's head as he patted her.
Soon, the crying and indignant Huan'er began to feel very sleepy. Her eyes drooped, and she nodded off in Gu Yuan's arms.
Holding his sleeping daughter, Gu Yuan gave an apologetic smile. "Brother Hun, you know how children are. She didn't mean it."
"I know."
Hun Tiandi gave a mild smile, appearing magnanimous, though a trace of bitterness surfaced within his eyes.
"Brother Gu, since your daughter's fallen asleep, why not take her to rest for now?" Hun Tiandi suggested warmly.
"Indeed. That would be best," Gu Yuan nodded.
…
Soon, under the guidance of a Soul Clan attendant, Gu Yuan carried the sleeping Huan'er out of the hall.
With Gu Yuan gone, the pressure on Hun Xiu vanished.
Hun Tiandi stood tall with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down from the high seat. He wasn't sitting—his chair had already been shattered by his own palm strike and was now just a pile of dust.
Looking at the bruised and battered Hun Xiu on the floor, Hun Tiandi felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't that he wanted to be so harsh with him… but he had no choice.
The brat didn't even recognize his own fiancée—his childhood betrothed. Worse, he had the nerve to grope her in front of both their fathers.
How could he not be taught a lesson?
How could someone not even recognize their own fiancée? If not corrected now, it would be a disaster later.
Hun Tiandi's voice turned cold: "Hun Xiu, do you know why I had to do this to you?"
Freed from the oppressive aura, Hun Xiu felt the weight on his body lighten. He struggled to his feet, stubbornly standing tall.
His face was pale, and his once-spotless white robes were now caked in dust. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said:
"I understand… Father just wanted to give me a way out of this situation."
Though he understood that his father's punishment had a purpose, he still felt a little bitter.
After all, the "way out" he was given had come at quite the steep price.
Hun Tiandi nodded approvingly at his son's resilience, but when he heard that answer, he shook his head and said, "No. This isn't about giving you an out."
He had hoped his son would take the hint, but he needed to set things straight.
"Not a way out?" Hun Xiu raised his head in surprise.
He had been sure it was all just a setup to help him save face. But now, hearing Hun Tiandi's denial, he was stunned.
Hun Tiandi didn't bother explaining further. Instead, he asked again:
"Hun Xiu, tell me—do you know who that little girl is?"
Hearing the question again, Hun Xiu hesitated. He had answered it once before—and got beaten half to death for it.
He had assumed it was just his father helping him step down gracefully, but now that explanation had been debunked.
Clearly, it wasn't just about saving face. His answer had truly been wrong.
This time, having learned from the last mistake, he didn't reply immediately. Instead, he fell into deep thought.
Hun Tiandi, seeing his silence, didn't interrupt. He trusted that his son would give him a satisfactory answer this time.
After a while, Hun Xiu finally spoke:
"Xun'er… she's Lord Gu Yuan's child. My future wife's younger brother… right?"
"…?"
Hun Tiandi's pupils contracted slightly. An invisible aura rippled out from his body, radiating majesty and fury.
Boom—!
Even a trace of pressure from a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint) was more than a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor) could handle—especially an already injured one.
Hun Xiu instantly collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure.
Did I get it wrong again?! he thought in panic.
"Hun Xiu! Younger brother? What younger brother? That's your fiancée!" Hun Tiandi growled, his expression dark.
He had thought Hun Xiu was just pretending not to know. Now he realized—his son truly didn't know!
He had actually mistaken his own fiancée for a little brother?
What kind of genius does that take? Truly worthy of the name "Xiu." His brilliance shone in the most unexpected ways.
"…Huh?"
Still kneeling, Hun Xiu's eyes widened as realization struck.
He looked up at Hun Tiandi, his voice trembling: "Father, you mean… Xun'er is my fiancée?"
"Xun'er… Huan'er…"
As the words left his mouth, something clicked in his mind. He mumbled to himself, then his pale face suddenly lit up with joy.
"So Xun'er is Huan'er… I've been misunderstanding this whole time!"
"So that's it! Hahaha!"
Hun Xiu laughed aloud, his earlier despair washing away.
He had thought his life was over—but now he realized he had worried over nothing.
Nothing had even started yet. This… this was good news.