Cultivation Daddy-Chapter 121 - 120: I Know what I Saw

"Do you know what I’m risking by coming in here? Yet you have the time to find yourself a girlfriend?" Li Zhang scoffed,

"You think this is a game? While you’re out there flirting, I’m left to handle the fallout from your choices." His voice lowered, he acted like a parent teaching their child about life: "Every moment you waste, every distraction you let into your life pulls us closer to disaster..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Cheng interrupted him, his expression shifted from indifference to bewilderment: "Did you read a new romance novel again?"

Li Zhang smile: "Yes I did, and the lessons there are sharper than you think. Love isn’t just sunshine and rainbows, it can bring ruin if you’re not careful. You need to prioritize, Cheng, especially..."He gestured to the person standing besides Li Cheng.

Li Cheng grit his teeth: "Can you cut it out?!"

Li Zhang wave his hand: "Fine... Why are you so serious?" He paused and look at Li Cheng with admiration in his eyes: "I must admit my admiration for you. Not only were you not shaken by meeting strangers in the secret realm, you even make one of them your wife. Who would’ve thought you can play like this?"

Li Cheng felt his cheeks heat up: "This is Zhao Yun, he is a boy nor girl. Besides, we’re friends."

"Hello, Cheng’s brother. It’s since to meet you." Zhao Yun nodded politely towards Li Zhang.

"Cheng? Are we going by first name now?" Li Zhang asked with a teasing smile.

"Anyway, what happened to you?" He asked

"Nothing, I just lost my talisman and couldn’t go back. I had no way of contacting Dad. Anyway, why do you keep saying your risking something by coming here?" Li Cheng asked with a frown.

Li Zhang narrowed his eyes: "Oh, you haven’t heard? Dad is very angry today for some reason. I can’t believe you and brother Han sneak into the secret realm after he told us not to enter for the time being."

"I didn’t think he was restricting us, I thought he was suggesting." Li Cheng ponder.

"So it was your choice to do this? All along I thought brother Han had dragged you into this but I was gravely mistaken." Li Zhang sigh: "Anyways, let’s go back. The others are waiting anxiously for us."

Li Cheng frown in worry, he only came in to see how serious the situation was, he didn’t mean to upset his Dad. But knowing his dad he shouldn’t be upset over something like this.

"Are you sure Dad is angry because of this?"

"I don’t know, his mood has been unstable these few days. Do you think we’re getting another sibling?" Li Zhang leaned forward and said mysteriously: "These symptoms only match that of pregnancy."

Li Cheng slap his head without hesitation: "Stop being ridiculous!" Li Cheng replied: "Dad, is a man how can you even think about that?!"

"I see you’re not even willing to expand your world view. Isn’t thrid master Zhu of the Zhu family in South River City a man?" Li Zhang sigh as if there was no way of helping his brother broaden his horizon: "Let’s go and think about what punishment to give ourselves in once Daddy is back."

"Say goodbye to your girlfriend. I guess it’s see you never." Li Zhang laugh.

"You said you’ll see me tomorrow after school. You have to keep your words." Zhao Yun look at Li Cheng eagerly.

"Sure, I’ll try my best to be back."

"Just in case, I’ll wait here. Take this and send a signal when you come in so it’ll be easy to meet up."

Li Cheng nodded, accepting the small crystal Zhao Yun handed to him: "Ok."

Li Zhang was speechless by their interactions. Are you sure you guys only met for less than six hours? What’s with this reluctant to part and sudden intimacy?

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shake off the weird sensation: "Alright, enough of this. We don’t have time for lingering goodbyes."

Li Cheng let out a reluctant sigh: "Fine, just... stay safe, okay?"

Zhao Yun smile sweetly and replied softly: "You too, take care of yourself."

Li Zhang felt like he was going crazy. He active both talisman and put one into Li Cheng’s hand forcefully. As soon as the light shone, they both were teleported out.

Zhao Yun look at where the two brothers were a moment ago with a smile.

"Looks like I don’t need to give you back after all." He murmured to himself, holding a folded talisman.

If you closely, you’ll see that it was red with white stripes, exactly the one he and Li Cheng was looking for.

"What are you planning to do with this?" A small voice asked cautiously.

"Don’t make it sounds bad, Shadow. I just want to make sure that I’ll get to meet my good friend again." Zhao Yun bent down and pet the shadow beast on the head.

Shadow blinked it’s large dark eyes, clearly unsure about Zhao Yun’s intentions: "You wouldn’t want to expose their location, would you?"

Zhao Yun laugh softly: "Of course not. I’m merely ensuring our reunion after the secret realm trial. Besides, do you think Li Cheng is worried about their location being found out? I doubt he didn’t suspect that I took the talisman."

This was a chance, an opportunity to change the narrative and events in a unknown direction. He wasn’t going to ruin another way out for him.

🪷🪷🪷

When Li Cheng and Li Zhang appeared in the storage room, they were greeted by the cold wind that whipped through the cracks in the window.

"Where are the others you said that were waiting anxiously for us?" Li Cheng scoffed

Li Zhang shrugged: "Maybe they got tired of waiting, or they went to sleep. It’s bedtime after all."

"Anyways, welcome back and good night. Also, remember to do my homework. It’s all because of you that I didn’t get to do it." Li Zhang added and left, thinking about taking a long hot bath.

Although it was summer now, it was still a bit cold at night.

🪷🪷🪷

The next morning they woke up, they weren’t in good spirits as the tension from last night was there still there.

They walk down the stairs silently and make their way to the kitchen.

"Good morning Daddy,"

"Good morning Dad,"

"Good morning Father,"

They greeted one after another.

Li Jain was busy as usual. When he saw his buns, a sweet smile spread across his face:

"Good morning sweeties, how was your night?"

"It was good!"

"It was awful!"

"It was great!"

They all spoke in unison but their responses were different.

Li Jain raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by their disjointed chorus: "Xiao Cheng, I see that you’re back. What happened yesterday?"

"I lost my talisman and couldn’t come out when Juanxin called me for dinner, I’m sorry." Li Cheng explained

Li Jain nodded knowingly, but his eyes narrowed slightly: "So how did you make it back?"

Li Cheng felt his father intense gaze and didn’t dared look into his eyes. He peek at Li Zhang next to him.

"Don’t look at me, I’m also curious at how you make it back." Li Zhang slip to the side, avoiding Li Cheng’s gaze.

Li Cheng was speechless by his actions. What’s the situation now? He had no idea how the others mad their arrangements and didn’t know how to proceed.

"I... I just got lucky, I guess."

Li Jain examined them for a while and pretended not to see their little movements: "How so? Did you found the lost talisman?"

"No, I didn’t."

"Yes, he did."

Li Cheng shook his head but at the same time, Li Zhang nodded and they responded together with different answers.

Li Juanxin held his forehead helplessly, he might as well confess now: "Daddy, we’re sorry. After you left, I couldn’t bear the thought of going to school alone, so fourth brother offered to go to the secret that he knew we shouldn’t enter to get their brother, saying it was a noble sacrifice."

Li Zhang frown as he listened to Juanxin’s words. Why does it sound different from what they’d rehearse? He look at Li Jingsheng smiling face and quickly figured out the situation. They actually changed their plans and make him take the fall.

What noble sacrifice, Li Jingsheng, I’ll get you back!

Li Zhang clear his throat: "Ahem, father I admit my mistake for entering the secret realm. But it’s all because I was worried about Xinxin and Cheng. I searched high and low in the secret realm looking for Cheng, but you wouldn’t guess what I met him doing!"

"What happened?" Li Jain asked with interest.

The others also look on curiously. Li Cheng had a bad feelings that Li Zhang was about to speak nonsense again. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"When I found him, this guy had already gotten himself a girlfriend and they were ready to live happily ever after in the secret realm."

Li Cheng’s eyes widened, his face flushing with embarrassment: "That’s not true!" he protested, but the amused glints in his siblings’ eyes told him they were already enjoying the spectacle.

Li Zhang continued: "Oh yes! They were exchanging sweet nothings, probably planning their future."

"You better stop this nonsense right now. Zhao Yun is my friend, and he’s a boy!" Li Cheng said gritting his teeth.

"I know what I saw." Li Zhang was not convinced.