Inside the bedroom.
Andrew Han glanced at the string of password notifications on his phone, about to set it aside, when Monica Zhang's QQ message popped up—a picture of a cat clutching a blanket: "Didn't you say you'd treat me to a meal? It's been ages~"
Uh...
He froze for a moment, then handed Lucy Han to Linda Chen and hurried back to his room.
Last time, Monica Zhang invited him out for crab, but he'd left halfway and promised to make it up to her. Andrew scrolled through their chat history until he found the promise.
Ding—
He quietly nodded to himself and deleted that message.
"Mission accomplished."
"As for this one, I'll just pretend I never saw it."
Andrew Han practiced for a while, tossed his phone aside, and continued training in the Solar Pillar Stance.
His fused internal strength was still below twenty percent. Reaching fifty percent was a crucial bottleneck for First Ranks—those who surpassed it could hope to form true Internal Power.
Many First Ranks struggled to ever break past that fifty percent threshold.
Whew...
He took a deep breath, arms folded across his chest, legs slightly bent—the Solar Pillar Stance. Blood-qi and inner strength fused as he trained.
After a while, he paused. Even sect geniuses rarely started serious training before age thirteen or fourteen; too early risked stunting growth or harming the bones and tendons.
His phone vibrated twice more, but Andrew Han was absorbed in his stance training and ignored it.
...
Meanwhile, in another room, Linda Chen called out from the kitchen, prompting Andrew to finish his training and respond.
Monica Zhang hugged a big plush bear with one arm, tapping her phone with the other, cheeks puffed in annoyance. "Hey, when are you heading to Southland University? Can we go together?" she typed.
"What are you doing?"
"Are you there / spacing out?"
Her message seemed to sink into the ocean, with no reply. Monica Zhang felt a bit disappointed and couldn't help but nudge the tall plush bear beside her, pressing her delicate, pale foot against its soft paw and kicking it toward the door.
Thump.
The big bear flew straight toward the doorway.
Just then, the door opened and Roy Zhang was startled by the bear flying at him. He looked at Monica, surprised. "What's going on?"
Monica Zhang's face froze for a second, then she burst out laughing.
She hadn't expected to hit her dad right as he walked in. The whole scene felt almost cartoonish.
Covering her mouth, Monica giggled for a while, then puffed her cheeks and blinked her bright eyes: "Our class is having a get-together tomorrow. The class monitor insists we gather once more before university starts, worried we won't have another chance."
"Oh, that sounds nice," Roy Zhang smiled gently.
"Not really. There probably won't be that many people. My deskmate is dragging me along, and I don't even want to go, but I can't refuse." Monica Zhang tilted her head and pouted, clearly frustrated.
Their class did pretty well on the college entrance exam overall.
Most of them got into regular universities or better. Besides Monica Zhang, another girl was admitted to Empire Academy in the capital.
Still...
Thanks to Andrew Han's two displays of 'divine might,' even when many boys got drunk at the last gathering, none dared tease Monica anymore. It seemed Andrew had scared them all off.
But this time, Monica really didn't want to go.
Because she was in a bad mood... and honestly, it was all because of Andrew Han, the conversation killer. She hated awkward, forced small talk!
Monica rubbed her silky black hair twice, then suddenly realized her dad was still standing there. She quickly looked up and smiled: "Dad."
"Hm?" Roy Zhang replied.
Watching his daughter's mild frustration, Roy vaguely understood what was going on.
But Roy Zhang couldn't figure out why—Monica wasn't a legendary beauty, but she was certainly pretty, with bright eyes and an elegant, refined temperament shaped by family upbringing.
Why though?
Who in their right mind would turn down such a good girl?
Ahem, ahem.
Roy Zhang coughed twice, then casually said, "Your mom's flight arrives tomorrow. She insisted on taking you to Southland University herself. So after you finish the class gathering, she'll be home."
"Oh! Mom's coming back!" Monica Zhang's eyes lit up.
Her mother had been abroad for nearly half a year.
Hearing the news, Monica's cheeks flushed with excitement. She tilted her head, already daydreaming about her mom's delicious home-cooked meals. Sure, Roy Zhang could cook... but 'can cook' and 'cooks well' are two very different things.
Roy Zhang watched this little scene and couldn't help but smile.
He had to admit...
"Why are you still here...? I want to take a nap." Monica Zhang fluttered her lashes and pointed weakly at the door, clearly hinting for her dad to leave.
"Alright, alright."
Roy Zhang chuckled and left the room.
Sure, Roy Zhang could cook... but there's a big difference between 'can cook' and 'cooks well.'
Sigh.
He wandered back to his study, letting out a breath. "My temper's too bad. If I lost control and beat up that kid, it wouldn't be very dignified as an elder."
But then again...
"I... probably couldn't beat him anyway." Roy Zhang shook his head, sat at his computer, and opened a chat window, staring at it in silence.
The chat went like this:
'Want to see someone else's QQ chat logs? Is there a way?'
'Yes. Just install a program on their computer or phone. It costs fifteen hundred yuan, and you can contact me if you have any issues within a year.'
Silence.
After a long while, Roy Zhang quietly lit a cigarette.
Puff.
He took a deep drag.
The thick smoke curled around Roy Zhang's face like a thin veil, revealing his troubled eyes.
Ever since he'd borrowed Monica's iPhone last time, she'd set a password lock—something she'd never done before. That single password felt like a high wall, shutting him out.
It made Roy Zhang feel twice as lonely.
Was it really possible that, as her dad, he couldn't know what was happening on Monica's phone? But then he thought about it—if it were him, he'd hate someone snooping on his privacy too.
Even if he was Monica's father,
He had no right, and shouldn't invade her privacy. As a father, the least he could do was respect his daughter's boundaries.
Puff.
Roy Zhang clenched his teeth and shut down the computer.
Puff.
He took another drag, shook his head, and muttered to himself, "If I can't respect my own child, how can I expect anyone else to?"
Right away.
Roy Zhang pulled out his phone, hesitated for a moment, then sent a QQ message to Andrew Han: "Xiao Dong, you there? :)"
Andrew Han had no idea about any of this.
He'd been training in his room for over four hours. Only when he heard Linda Chen calling from the kitchen did he finally stop practicing.
Huh?
Andrew Han picked up his phone and saw a message from Uncle Zhang.
Even though he always felt that Andrew's smile had a hint of danger, he quickly replied: "Uncle Zhang, what's wrong? I was just training and didn't see your message."
After about two or three seconds, he saw the 'typing...' indicator pop up.
"Uncle Zhang, have you been waiting for my reply this whole time?"
He had no right to invade her privacy. As a father, respecting his daughter's boundaries was the least he could do.
He believed in repaying kindness and remembering your roots—that was his principle.
Roy Zhang clenched his teeth and shut down the computer.
"Uncle Zhang, don't worry."
Andrew Han paused for a moment, then replied.
...
Night fell.
Lucy Han stood on the bed, striking a pose like a little model in the Solar Pillar Stance. But her short legs wobbled and she kept tumbling onto the soft mattress.
"Brother."
"Hug, hug." Lucy Han whined, lying on the bed, exhausted. She'd just turned four, and though she was more flexible than most, she still couldn't manage the Solar Pillar Stance.
Andrew Han sat on the edge of the bed and smiled helplessly.
Even the most talented sect disciples had to wait until thirteen or fourteen to start serious training—starting too young could stunt growth and damage the bones.
Lucy insisted on learning from him,
But without the Solar Pillar Stance's detailed steps or emotional guidance, just copying the moves was more like a difficult exercise than real martial arts.
"Alright, don't copy me yet." Andrew Han scooped up his little sister and said seriously, "You're still too young. When you grow up, I'll teach you properly."
"Really?" Lucy Han's eyes sparkled.
"Of course." Andrew Han gently rubbed her rosy cheeks.
Ever since he realized martial arts held unimaginable power, Andrew Han had wondered: if his family could train together, wouldn't that be wonderful?
But that was just wishful thinking.
His parents were already middle-aged—they'd never reach the upper ranks of martial artists.
But his little sister Lucy Han had real potential. Even if he had to pile up resources for her in the future, he was determined to help Lucy become a true martial artist.
There were plenty of female martial artists in the world.
That way, whether Lucy faced monsters or social dangers, she could protect herself.
"Alright."
Andrew Han took the chance to teach: "Eat leafy greens—they're good for your growth. So, Lucy, no more picky eating."
Huh?
Lucy Han pouted, clearly unhappy.
Greens were the hardest thing to eat, but if it helped her grow taller than her brother and learn his cool moves... Lucy raised her little fist and declared, "Then I'll eat more veggies from now on!"
She said it.
Lucy Han tapped her fingers together and emphasized, "A little bit, just a little bit."
A smile flashed in Andrew Han's eyes, and warmth filled his heart. This was the life he'd always wanted.
But that kind of life required martial strength as its foundation.
If he hadn't been born with martial talent, he never would have uncovered what happened to Dad—Han Wenzhi—back then. He didn't know if the same thing had happened in a previous life—
Wait!
Hold on!
Suddenly, a spark flashed through Andrew Han's mind.
"Brother, brother?" Lucy Han saw her brother's serious face and tugged at his sleeve, asking softly.
She thought she'd done something wrong.
It had to be said, Ning Moli's daily lessons in virtue had worked—Lucy Han was more sensible and emotionally mature than other kids her age.
"It's okay. Go play for now—your brother will wait for you."
Andrew Han suppressed his excitement, carried Lucy Han out, handed her to their mom Linda Chen, who was watching a historical romance on the living room sofa, then returned to his room.
Right away.
He called Dongqu Han: "I want all the info you have on Wu Jie... No, everything since last year."
"Okay."
Dongqu Han didn't understand, but didn't ask.
He was only a third-rank martial artist, while Andrew Han had already killed a martial artist—their statuses were worlds apart. No matter what, he had to work hard to keep their relationship good.
...
Tap, tap.
In the quiet bedroom, only the clock was ticking.
He sat at his computer, reading the detailed files Victor Dong had sent, a hint of doubt flickering in his eyes.
He sat at his desktop, reading the detailed files Dongqu Han had sent, a hint of doubt flickering in his eyes.
"Could it be—"
"Was my guess... right?"