Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy-Chapter 353 - 355 Conspiracy
Wu Tian and the little one were already home. Murong Yezi had gone to rest, and tonight, the little one wanted to sleep with Qin Yuhan, but she still hadn't woken up.
"Mom is really tired today, baby. You can sleep with me tonight," Wu Tian said.
The little one nodded but was still curious. "She slept for so long, a whole day! How is she still sleeping? Did Mom turn into a pig or something?"
Wu Tian pondered for a moment, unsure how to explain. He could only say, "No more questions."
He then carried the little one to his room. Before bed, he took the boy to the bathroom to wash his face with a warm towel. Cold was no good. Hot was no good either. It had to be perfectly warm. The little one's skin was so delicate it felt as if it would split at the slightest touch.
Of course, he wasn't that fragile, but it was undeniable that the boy's skin was exceptional. Even among his peers, it was in a class of its own.
"Dad, I'll sleep with you tonight, but you have to tell me a story."
"How about I tell you a story about a big black dog and an unscrupulous Taoist?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"Okay!" The little one clapped his hands joyfully.
After they finished washing up, Wu Tian carried the little one to bed and began to tell him the story of the unscrupulous Taoist and the wicked big black dog. Their story was very long, but Wu Tian abridged it, keeping only the essential parts.
However, it had to be said that these two were fated not to be main characters; their story was simply too bland. Wu Tian hadn't even finished when the little one shouted, "I don't want to hear it anymore! A person shouldn't be so wicked, and a dog shouldn't be a 'black dog'! My little dog and bird are the best."
Wu Tian nodded. The story of the unscrupulous Taoist and the big black dog came from one of the many worlds he had traveled through on his journey back from the All Heavens.
Wu Tian's Nine Dragon Ring had once held elixirs and other magical treasures, but he had given them all to his disciples and friends during his time in the All Heavens. Thus, he had returned to the modern world with nothing to his name. However, the network of connections he had built in the All Heavens was, in its entirety, powerful enough to challenge the heavens themselves.
Soon, the little one was fast asleep. Tonight, the moon was bright and the stars were few. Watching his son's peaceful sleeping form, Wu Tian couldn't help but smile. The boy was only ever this quiet when he was sleeping.
Wu Tian knew that he would have to return one day, but he would, of course, take his parents and child with him. Some people abandoned their families for the sake of the Martial Path, but Wu Tian never saw his family as a burden. Sometimes, family isn't a burden, but a source of motivation!
「The next day」
The private room at Arthur Restaurant had been cordoned off by the authorities to "protect the crime scene." Outside the restaurant, a crowd was surging. In the Dragon Country, there was never a shortage of gossipmongers and curious onlookers.
"Arthur Restaurant has been in Yang City for a long time. How could something like this happen?"
"I know, right? It's unbelievable."
The onlookers sighed, shook their heads, and chattered amongst themselves. A murder at Arthur Restaurant was truly shocking, especially considering that its true owner was no simple figure. Some said the owner came from a Jianghu sect, but no one knew which one.
Inside the private room, three men stood. The first was Xiao Tianzan, the South's Admiral of the Nine Gates and a provincial governor. The second was Zhou Weimou, the Marshal of the South. The third was the true owner of Arthur Restaurant—and it was someone no one would have ever guessed.
He was a monk.
Both Zhou Weimou and Xiao Tianzan were still reeling from the shock of this discovery. Some had speculated the owner was a foreign noble; after all, the name "Arthur" seemed to connect it to the Arthur Country. Others claimed the owner was from a Jianghu sect. No matter the theory, no one would have ever imagined a monk.
"Master Yong Wu, for you, the head of the Shaolin Inner Sect, to be running this restaurant... it's truly..." Xiao Tianzan was usually a calm man, but his voice was now laced with disbelief. How could Arthur Restaurant possibly be run by a monk? Good heavens!
Yong Wu put his palms together in a prayer gesture. "All living beings have the potential to become Buddhas, yet none have succeeded. As long as one has not achieved enlightenment, one is still troubled by the mundane needs for food and shelter. This humble monk has no other choice. So it is."
Xiao Tianzan and Zhou Weimou decided not to press Yong Wu further about the restaurant. Xiao Tianzan asked, "The killer was Wu Tian. How do you think this matter should be handled?"
A slight smile touched Yong Wu's lips. "Was there a killer? Everyone in the restaurant saw a man named Wang Min suffer a sudden medical episode. It had nothing to do with anyone else."
Xiao Tianzan and Zhou Weimou nodded. This was, indeed, the best solution. First, Wu Tian would never kill without reason; the man named Wang Min must have done something unforgivable to warrant it, in which case, he got what he deserved. Second, while it was an iron law since the time of Liu Bang that a killer must pay with their life, that law held little sway over the people of the Martial Arts World. The Jianghu had existed since ancient times. If they tried to arrest Wu Tian and he became enraged, who could possibly stop him?
After giving a few more instructions, Xiao Tianzan and Zhou Weimou departed.
Just then, a young monk entered and said respectfully, "Master, I've already spoken with the waitresses. No matter how they investigate, they won't be able to trace it back to Wu Tian."
Yong Wu nodded. Wu Tian's reputation was now akin to that of a Sword Emperor. Was there anyone in the Dragon Country's Martial Arts World who didn't know his name? Thinking of the Sword Saint of Fusang, Yong Wu's eyes filled with yearning. "It is time for us to depart," he murmured. "We shall go and meet this Sword Saint of Fusang."
"Excellent!" the young monk beamed.
If they defeated the Sword Saint of Fusang, Shaolin's prestige would soar overnight, just as Wu Tian's had. In time, Shaolin would be as famous as Wu Tian, their names known throughout the world! They would share a sacred renown, like the sun and moon sharing the sky, or like Wu Zetian and Li Zhi ruling the River and Mountains together.
Wu Tian didn't go out today. He made a call to Li Muge and Liang Qingren, asking them to manage things at the company. Qin Yuhan still hadn't woken up, so he simply stayed and kept the little one company. Wu Tian was also a little surprised by his own stamina in that regard.
"Dad, stop spacing out! Come sing with me!" the little one's voice called, pulling Wu Tian from his thoughts.
Wu Tian laughed. "Alright!"
He went over to sing with his son. The music that started playing was the theme song from *Crazy for Songs*. Listening to it, Wu Tian was struck by another wave of emotion. My childhood... never to return!
「Meanwhile, in Fusang」
A conspiracy targeting him was already in motion.
"The Sword Saint of Fusang has already left for the Central Plains. Those Jianghu sects, the Five Surnames and Seven Families... they are like ants, easily crushed. There is only one person I worry about. I am concerned our Lord Sword Saint will be defeated by him!" On the coast, the Chief Minister—Fusang's highest authority—stood silently, his tone calm.
"And who might that be?" behind him stood the man with the highest nominal status in Fusang: the Emperor of Fusang.
After the war between the Dragon Country and Fusang, the Emperor of Fusang had "fallen from the divine altar," publicly declaring that he was a man, not a god. With Fusang's defeat, the Emperor lost all real power. Now, the Chief Minister held the ultimate authority. Yet, the two men got along surprisingly well, for they shared a common goal: the Dragon Country. They refused to accept their past defeat. They were determined to stage a comeback.
