“Daddy! Father!” Lu Yaoyao’s face was flushed with excitement as she stood opposite the chessboard, tugging at the hem of each of her fathers’ clothes. What a great day it was! Father and Daddy were getting along so well!
She looked left and right, brimming with satisfaction, feeling double the joy!
However, Yao Jiuxiao didn’t seem to share his daughter’s happiness. His gaze was indifferent as he signaled Lu Yaoyao to start her swordsmanship practice and not slack off.
Lu Qingyu’s lips curled up into a smile, “It seems Daddy hasn’t seen you practice with your whip for a long time.”
Lu Yaoyao: “…” Her moment of happiness was so fleeting.
“Father, Daddy!” The little dumpling sighed dramatically, patting her shoulders and looking up with a serious expression. “Don’t you think my tender shoulders are bearing too much? I’m so young!”
She was still just a child!
Lu Qingyu laughed out loud, his smile so beautiful that it dimmed everything else around him, leaving only his stunningly handsome face visible.
Lu Yaoyao’s eyes widened in wariness.
“Aren’t you always saying you’ve grown up?” Lu Qingyu teased.
Lu Yaoyao cautiously replied, “I can still be a little cub under special circumstances.”
Yao Jiuxiao coldly stated, “Cultivation requires relentless effort and must not be abandoned halfway.”
Lu Yaoyao protested with dissatisfaction, “Have you ever seen a child more talented than me?”
Yao Jiuxiao frowned, displeased. His daughter was becoming arrogant.
Lu Yaoyao sensed the danger and quickly climbed up, sitting on Yao Jiuxiao’s lap and smoothly changing the topic. “Father, I have something very important to ask you.” She emphasized, “Very, very important.” Looking up, she inquired, “Father, are there spies in our sect?”
Yao Jiuxiao, who was about to lift her by the neck, paused at her question. “Why do you ask?”
Lu Qingyu picked up a black chess piece and casually put it on the chessboard, chuckling softly. “The honorable Guiyuan is the top sect in the Cultivation Realm, attracting attention from all three realms. Isn’t it normal to have spies?”
Lu Yaoyao exclaimed in realization and directly asked, “Daddy, did you also plant spies here?”
Lu Qingyu smiled nonchalantly, “What do you think?”
Lu Yaoyao was worried, “Then are there also spies from the demon race?” Was it that easy to infiltrate the sect?
Yao Jiuxiao calmly stated, “The larger the sect, the more complex its members. While there are spies working within the sect, acting as the eyes and ears for various forces, they pose no threat.”
Having stood in the top position for so many years, Guiyuan Sect had naturally developed its own survival strategies. Completely blocking spies wasn’t feasible, but they could control what information was allowed to leak. While Yao Jiuxiao wasn’t involved in the sect’s day-to-day affairs, he was once trained to succeed as the sect leader, so he wasn’t ignorant of such matters.
“The demons and devils pose even less of a threat.” The sect’s most vigilant defense was against other races. There was a barrier on the boundary separating the three realms, and Guiyuan’s own entry trials were another defense. Any intruder with significant power could be easily detected and would fail to stir any trouble.
Lu Qingyu snorted. Indeed, he had wanted to place spies but was strictly guarded against. His previous attempts were thwarted by Yao Jiuxiao, who quickly disposed of any infiltrators.
When Lu Yaoyao saw the two were nonchalant about such matters, she reflected on herself. It seemed she might have overreacted. Who was her Father, anyway? As long as Father was aware, she didn’t need to worry.
Lu Yaoyao raised her hand and said, “Father, it’s your turn to move.” She looked down at the chessboard, inwardly exclaiming: what an intense battle!
Having been taught by Yao Jiuxiao personally, Lu Yaoyao was well-versed in the four arts including chess, and understood the game well. When she first learned to play, she would often have matches with her Father and Daddy, getting so soundly defeated each time to the point of doubting herself.
Lu Qingyu, seeing his daughter cozily nestled in his rival’s arms, scoffed mockingly, “You two are very close, huh?” His tone was dangerously sour.
Lu Yaoyao noticed the darkening expression on Lu Qingyu’s handsome face and quickly jumped down and ran over to him, cooing, “Daddy~” She climbed onto Lu Qingyu’s lap, looking up at him with a silly smile until he couldn’t maintain his stern facade anymore, “Little rascal.”
Yao Jiuxiao and Lu Qingyu resumed their silent game of chess.
Lu Yaoyao let out a sigh of relief, happy that her Father and Daddy seemed to have forgotten about making her practice swordsmanship and whip. She sneakily reduced her presence and remained as quiet as a mouse, hoping they wouldn’t remember.
The chessboard wasn’t very high, so Lu Yaoyao could see the game clearly from her position on the lap. Lu Qingyu played unpredictably, using many cunning tactics, much like his personality, while Yao Jiuxiao was steady and unflustered, matching Lu Qingyu’s aggressive moves without falling behind. The chess game was as intense as their cultivation levels, equally matched.
Lu Yaoyao watched for a long time, but before the winner and loser could be determined, she gave in to the call of nature and fell asleep.
When she woke up again, she was in her familiar bed. Lu Yaoyao rubbed her eyes sleepily. As she regained her clarity, her first thought was about who won the game last night. But she quickly patted her cheeks, telling herself not to be curious about the outcome. Regardless of who won, it was she who would have a hard time.
Lu Yaoyao went to her classes in high spirits. Upon arriving at the Hall of Knowledge, she saw the disciples gathered in small groups, discussing something. She approached her friends, greeting them cheerfully, “Good morning!”
“Good morning, Yaoyao,” Chao Muxue and the others greeted back.
“What are you all talking about?”
Du Qianshan replied, “The sect has found the remains of a great elder from a thousand years ago.”
Chao Muxue added, her expression solemn, “This elder was my master’s blood-related uncle.”
Wen Zixing scratched his head, “I’m not very clear about the details. The rumors are quite fragmented.”
Du Qianshan explained, “Not just us, even the peak masters don’t seem to have a full picture.”
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I never would have thought there were other races more concerning to the sect other than the demons and devils. Hopefully these other races will play a greater part in the plot.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀