Chapter 286: Happy Birthday

In the Southern Domain, all three defensive lines established by Luo Qilin had been breached.

The enemy was only a hundred meters away from Da Xia Territory.

The Ten Thousand Ghosts had shown their fangs, and only then did the Battle Department realize that the past battle reports sent by that bastard Luo Qilin were all lies.

“Thirty-seven strongholds belonging to the Ten Thousand Ghosts have been discovered in the Southern Domain Jungle. Why didn’t Luo Qilin report this all this time?”

“We don’t even know the enemy’s true identity! We’ve been thinking they were just remnants of the Celestial Demons!”

“We have zero intelligence on the Ten Thousand Ghosts. What are we going to do?”

The staff officers were in an uproar, and the top brass of the Battle Department slammed their hands on the table in unison.

Several high-ranking officials at the Military God level were so furious they smashed their cups.

“Where is Luo Qilin? Have him brought back under guard immediately! We need to question him ourselves!”

“Reporting! Luo Qilin was defeated at the Martial Arts Arena. He’s dead!”

What?!

What now?

A high-ranking official from the Daqin Royal Family sneered. “Luo Qilin’s merits were indeed questionable, but who can go to the Southern Domain now and clean up this mess? Who is more capable than Luo Qilin?”

The man spread his hands. “No one, I’d say.”

“Don’t forget, we still have the Night Emperor!” someone in the conference room muttered.

The official from the Qin Family rolled his eyes. “The Night Emperor? I admit he did a fine job in the Northern Domain, but this is the Southern Domain Jungle, and we’re facing an enemy we’ve never seen before. You think he’ll do better than Luo Qilin?”

At this, the Qin Family official slammed his fist on the table. “This is all the Night Emperor’s fault!”

“At a critical time like this, the Night Emperor disregarded the bigger picture and killed the Southern Domain’s Defender General, Luo Qilin?”

“What kind of behavior is that? Does he have any respect for the rules?”

After this tirade, the high-ranking officials in the Imperial Capital fell silent.

Everyone knew the man from the Qin Family was spouting nonsense, shifting all the blame onto the Night Emperor.

But their family’s power was too great; their influence had already permeated the highest levels of government.

Moreover, the higher-ups from the Divine Doctor Ye Family were echoing this sentiment.

The words of these two great families carried significant weight.

The Chief of the Battle Department Council abruptly stood up. “Let me ask everyone one question: besides the Night Emperor, who else is there? The Heaven-Suppressing King? He’s already been dismissed and thrown out of his own family! So who’s left?”

An awkward silence fell over the crowd.

The Qin Family official, inwardly displeased, said, “The Night Emperor? I’m afraid he won’t do it. That guy is always clamoring to retire. Hmph. He’s just someone who can’t see the bigger picture.”

A glint appeared in the Council Chief’s eyes. “Huang Tian of Dragon Platform Phoenix Hall has strongly recommended him, and Prince Lanling is acting as his guarantor. Isn’t that enough? We’ve already decided: as long as the Night Emperor is willing to come out of retirement, both the Northern and Southern Domain Battle Departments will be handed over to him. After he defeats the enemy, he will be directly promoted to Celestial King!”

This was the absolute last thing the Qin and Ye Families wanted to see!

Starting with the Northern Domain, they had desperately tried to suppress Qin Tianxuan, and only after great difficulty had they achieved the current state of affairs.

Controlling two Battle Departments simultaneously and being promoted to Celestial King?

Even the Daqin Royal Family and the Ye Family would have to tread carefully around him then.

The Qin Family official’s face darkened. “Since it’s already decided, I have the following conditions. First, the situation is urgent, and the Northern Domain also needs to be defended. The Night Emperor cannot transfer any personnel from the Northern Domain!”

“Second, the Southern Domain is in crisis and time is of the essence. We can give him half a month at most to resolve the situation.”

“Third, we will form a Supervision Team and send them to the Southern Domain to oversee his command! This is to avoid a repeat of the Luo Qilin situation.”

Three conditions, each more demanding than the last!

However, in this high-level meeting in the Imperial Capital, the factions were obvious. The Qin and Ye Families’ representatives accounted for at least half of those present.

Even with a collective vote, the outcome would be the same. The demands of the various factions had to be balanced!

The Council Chief turned, left the room, and conferred with Huang Tian in Jin City. Upon returning, he announced that all conditions were acceptable and that the battle order would be issued immediately!

The urgent battle order traveled overnight, arriving at the Jin City Martial Arts Arena like a shooting star.

At that moment, however, Qin Tianxuan was celebrating his precious daughter’s birthday.

He hadn’t invited anyone; even his closest subordinates had left the villa.

Layers of his Personal Guard stood watch outside, but within the villa, it was a quiet space for just the family.

In the back garden, Niannian sat on a swing built by Qin Tianxuan’s own hands. On the table before her was a cake baked by Han Biwei herself.

It was simple, without anything overly lavish or fancy.

This was what Niannian had requested.

“I just want to be with Mommy and Daddy. I don’t want to go to a hotel, and I don’t want any presents!”

The child was so sensible, and she was growing more and more attached to Qin Tianxuan.

Qin Tianxuan cherished this moment.

Beneath the starlight, the family was whole and together.

Meanwhile, in the main house next to the garden, gifts for Niannian sent from all over had already piled up.

“The Jin City Commerce Association sent two hundred and seventy-three gifts. Almost every subsidiary of the association’s member companies sent something!” Cang Bingyan said, wiping sweat from her brow as she noted everything down on a tablet.

Ever since becoming Niannian’s private tutor, she had also taken on the role of majordomo, looking after Han Biwei and Niannian.

The young miss of the Canglan Family was now taking this job very seriously.

“Ding Shaoyang of the Shaoyang Commerce Association sent an extra gift specifically for Miss Ah Xue. He is quite close to our Master, so we must send a thank-you note in return.”

Cang Bingyan gave the order casually, and the Night Emperor’s female guards beside her quickly acknowledged it.

Not far away, a grim-faced Ye Xuanxuan was opening presents with Ah Xue.

“Is this really a job for me, Ye Xuanxuan? Why can’t I go to the garden?” Ye Xuanxuan was very unhappy. She was Qin Tianxuan’s sister-in-law, after all!

Cang Bingyan glanced over coldly. “Even Ah Xue didn’t go. What would you be doing there? In terms of relationship, can you compare to Ah Xue?”

Xia Xueqing smiled, pursing her lips. “We’re all family. There’s no need to say such things.”

Just then, a Personal Guard came in from outside, holding slices of cake. “The Master and Madam sent this cake for Miss Ah Xue. The second slice is for Teacher Bingyan.”

As Xia Xueqing and Cang Bingyan ate the sweet cake, Ye Xuanxuan swallowed hard, her eyes turning red.

She felt so wronged. ‘Don’t I even get a piece of cake?’

Biting her lip, she turned her head to wipe away a tear when the Personal Guard appeared again, holding an embroidered box. “Miss Ye Xuanxuan, this is a gift from our Miss Niannian. She said she’ll come find you to play later.”

Ye Xuanxuan immediately straightened up, smugly snatching the gift. “I’m Niannian’s auntie. This is a bond of blood, you know.”

Cang Bingyan and Xia Xueqing were speechless.

“Tonight is going to be busy. Another huge batch of gifts will be arriving soon. Niannian is the Matriarch of the Jinling Chu Family, and their gifts are supposedly being delivered by sixteen large trucks. Then there’s the Dongshen Financial Group from Su City, which is considered one of Miss Niannian’s own family businesses.”

Cang Bingyan tapped rapidly on her tablet. “Several Military Gods from the Battle Department, the Elders of the Celestial Hall, the Dragon Platform Phoenix Hall, and… our own Canglan Family…”

It seemed like an entire villa wouldn’t be enough to hold all these gifts.

Back in the fence-enclosed garden, Qin Tianxuan and Han Biwei watched their happy daughter, looked at each other, and smiled.

But a trace of worry still lingered on Han Biwei’s face. Qin Tianxuan sighed inwardly, knowing she still had unresolved anxieties.

He was just about to have a heart-to-heart with Weiwei when deafening music suddenly erupted from the villa next door. Intense lights illuminated half the villa complex as a boisterous crowd surged with activity.