Chapter 64: My Dad is a Sneaky Bastard!!

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: My Dad is a Sneaky Bastard!!

As soon as the clerk spoke, the expressions of everyone in the office changed drastically.

"Master..." Mr. Qi’s expression wavered with shock and uncertainty. "King Jiang’s remnants... actually dared to..." He was somewhat at a loss for words.

Zeng Anmin looked toward his father.

But Zeng Shilin’s expression didn’t change in the slightest; he remained as steady as an old hound. He even unhurriedly took Hu Zi from Ms. Lin’s arms, picked up a pastry from the table, and fed it to the child. "I understand."

A brief moment of silence enveloped the entire office. Everyone looked at his father, their eyes filled with bewilderment.

Zeng Shilin didn’t even look up. He continued to tease Hu Zi and simply shook his head. "Just wait."

After speaking, he resumed feeding the pastry to Hu Zi and said no more.

Zeng Anmin frowned slightly, wondering if his father was unsurprised by this development given his calm demeanor.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

"Your Excellency! The Prefect, Mr. Qi Xiande, has defected and opened the city gates! The rebel army has entered the city!" The clerk who burst into the room fell directly to his knees, kowtowing as he trembled violently.

In an instant, panic seized everyone. Only Zeng Anmin jolted in shock, looking at his father in absolute horror.

"Mm." Sensing Zeng Anmin’s horrified gaze, his father’s lips curled into a slight smile.

Only then did he slowly set Hu Zi on the ground. He picked up his cloak from his chair, his face perfectly peaceful, and headed for the office door. "Let’s go. The matter of King Jiang’s rebellion has come to an end."

With that, he walked out alone. Mr. Qi quickly followed behind him, looking outside with a respectful expression.

"This..." Zeng Anmin’s expression wavered as he looked up at Ms. Lin.

"Trust the master." Ms. Lin merely smiled gently. Her gaze shifted to his father’s receding figure at the door, revealing an incredibly tender sense of trust. She then took Hu Zi by the hand and led him out the door.

Meanwhile, the rebel army had entered the city facing almost no resistance, advancing smoothly through the streets.

"General Xu, it might... be a trap!" A Scholar rode closely behind the burly General, Mr. Xu Tong. Seeing the commoners on the streets scatter in all directions like startled birds, a faint sense of unease welled up in his heart.

The Liangjiang Prefect, Mr. Qi Xiande, was also following behind the two of them.

Xu Tong lightly hoisted his spear and shot a nonchalant glance at the Scholar. "Nonsense!" His expression unchanging, he continued forward.

However, after leading the troops around a corner, Xu Tong’s face shifted slightly. Seeing what lay ahead, he yanked on his reins to stop his horse. His expression darkened as he stared straight ahead.

It was the Liangjiang Assistant General, Mr. Lin Rong!

Lin Rong stood there wielding a long blade, backed by nearly five thousand armored soldiers. He gazed calmly at the rebels marching toward the Observation Department. "By Governor Zeng’s orders, I have been waiting for you here for quite some time."

Back at the Observation Department, in a courtyard separated from the main gate by only a single wall.

"The sun is quite nice today." Zeng Shilin sat in front of the courtyard hall, a relaxed look on his face. Warm sunlight pierced through the clouds, bathing the entire courtyard in a golden glow. The most pleasant thing to do in winter was to sit by the window and bask in the sun with a full stomach; it offered an unparalleled warmth.

Zeng Anmin and the rest of the group stood behind his father. None of them knew what kind of trick his father had up his sleeve.

Zeng Shilin sat in his chair with Hu Zi in his arms. Resting in the sunlight, he looked supremely comfortable. His unwavering gaze fixed on the entrance as an amiable smile spread across his face. "They’re here."

The moment his voice fell, a thunderous BANG echoed from the street!

A pair of massive, muscular, knotted legs stomped down right in front of the Observation Department’s main gate.

CRASH!!!

The nearly half-foot-thick gate of the Observation Department was kicked to splinters like tofu by that grotesquely shaped leg.

GLUB GLUB.

An eerie sound rang out. A giant monster with the head of a fish and the body of a human stepped into the Observation Department, locking eyes with everyone in the courtyard. Its towering, thirty-foot-tall frame was so massive that even Dachun would look like a mere toddler standing in front of it.

GLUB GLUB GLUB.

Immediately after, five more fish-headed figures followed the monster inside. An oppressive aura washed over the people in the courtyard like a tidal wave.

HISS.

Mr. Qi gasped sharply, staring at the colossal fish monster in shock and uncertainty. "There’s... another one?!"

Only two people in the courtyard remained unfazed: his father and Zeng Anmin.

At that moment, a cold light flashed across Zeng Anmin’s face. He narrowed his Dan Feng eyes slightly, glaring fixedly at the giant fish monster. He realized that just as he had suspected, there was indeed another fish demon within the Liangjiang Commandery!

An eerie silence permeated the courtyard.

His father’s hand patted gently on Hu Zi’s back. Completely ignoring the fish monster in front of him, he softly coaxed the child to sleep.

The fish monster paused briefly before locking its gaze onto Zeng Shilin. A flash of human-like mockery crossed its two massive, lantern-like fish eyes.

"You are not going to survive this." Its fish mouth opened slightly, revealing terrifyingly sharp fangs as it spoke in a hoarse voice. It was passing judgment on Zeng Shilin.

Zeng Shilin acted as if he hadn’t heard a word. He continued to gently pat Hu Zi’s back, his voice tender. "Sleep, sleep now. When you wake up, there will be delicious food waiting for you..."

Total disregard. It was obvious that his father didn’t consider this fish monster a threat at all.

Seeing this, a gloomy look flashed through the fish monster’s eyes. It glared at Zeng Shilin with extreme coldness and suddenly waved its materialized hand. "Attack!"

GLUB GLUB GLUB.

The five figures behind it received the command. Without any hesitation, they raised their sharp weapons and ferociously charged forward. In less than a breath’s time, the five figures had already closed the distance. As they swung their weapons, a foul, fishy stench filled the air.

GLUB GLUB!!!

A cold light glinted. The weapons were mere inches away from his father’s eyes!

Zeng Anmin could no longer hold back. The Vast Cyan Qi within his Purple Mansion suddenly surged to life.

However, the next moment, an even more urgent voice interrupted him.

"The Saint says, demons are a disaster to the people, and we scholars must eliminate disasters for the people."

As these words fell, the bodies of the five lesser demons in front of them were completely immobilized, entirely unable to move. The cold gleam of their weapons couldn’t advance a single inch further!

The voice was majestic, like a god descending from the heavens. Yet... it sounded incredibly familiar!

Zeng Anmin looked up toward the entrance.

The Headmaster of Shuidu Academy, Mr. Qin Shoucheng, strolled leisurely through the gateway. He was followed by his only daughter, Qin Wanyue.

"You old coot, why aren’t you dodging at a time like this?!" Qin Shoucheng stepped into the courtyard. Seeing the weapons hovering less than a foot from Zeng Shilin’s face, along with the undisturbed calmness on the man’s expression, he felt a surge of annoyance.

"With just that?" His father scoffed lightly, slowly raising his head to look at the giant fish monster in the courtyard. His face was filled with mockery. "Cultivate for another thousand years, and perhaps you’ll have a chance."

With that, his father gently stood up, cradled Hu Zi in his arms, and turned to walk into the hall. His indifferent voice drifted into everyone’s ears. "Don’t wake the child."

Old coot!! Staring at his father’s receding back, Qin Shoucheng’s expression in the courtyard somehow grew even more annoyed.