Zhao Mu had already reached a conclusion.
There was a very high chance that Beitang Qiushui would make a move against him.
He wasn't willing to gamble with his life.
For the foreseeable future, he absolutely could not leave Qingfeng Camp.
Even if he had no choice but to go outside, he would first need to make exhaustive safety preparations.
Mo Guanguan looked at him seriously.
"Don't worry."
"I'll talk to that guy myself."
"I won't let him lay a finger on you."
A trace of guilt flashed across her face.
Perhaps she shouldn't have gone to congratulate Zhao Mu today.
If she hadn't...
He never would have attracted the attention of that lunatic.
Zhao Mu smiled faintly.
"It's alright."
"It was only a matter of time."
His words completely confused Mo Guanguan.
"In any case..."
"Don't go looking for him."
"I'll handle this myself."
Although Mo Guanguan insisted on stepping in, Zhao Mu understood human nature far better than she did.
In Beitang Qiushui's eyes...
He was nothing more than an insignificant ant that could be crushed at any moment.
The more Mo Guanguan tried to protect him...
The more determined Beitang Qiushui would become to eliminate him.
Taking a deep breath, Mo Guanguan finally nodded.
"Alright."
"I'll gather everything I can about Beitang Qiushui and send it to you."
"If you need anything else..."
"Contact me anytime."
The call ended.
---
Zhao Mu stared silently at the screen of his electronic wristband.
After a long while...
He clasped his hands together, rested his chin upon them, and began carefully considering his next move.
"The Beitang Family has guarded the Northern Region of the Xuanfeng Empire for a thousand years."
"They're kings in all but name."
"The imperial court has tolerated them only because of external threats."
"If there weren't enemies outside the borders..."
"No emperor would willingly allow a hereditary military king to exist."
"So..."
"Even if Beitang Qiushui wants me dead..."
"He won't dare kill me openly."
"The most likely option is assassination."
"As long as I remain inside Qingfeng Camp..."
"I should be safe."
He rubbed his aching temples.
"Even the weakest guard serving the Beitang Family could kill me effortlessly."
"He won't be foolish enough to send some amateur assassin with a Combat Level barely above ten."
"I won't be given an opportunity to fight back."
For the short term...
He absolutely could not leave Qingfeng Camp.
But what about the future?
That question gave him a headache.
"Maybe I'm overthinking this."
"Perhaps Beitang Qiushui doesn't care about me at all."
"But if I'm wrong..."
"I'll die."
"I'd rather be overly cautious than gamble with my life."
"The first thing I need to know..."
"...is the level of assassins he can command."
Everything depended on the intelligence Mo Guanguan promised to collect.
---
Zhao Mu silently circulated the Turtle Breathing Technique.
This was the greatest crisis he had faced in eighteen years.
His heart refused to calm down.
Only by repeatedly adjusting his breathing could he suppress the anxiety building inside him.
Under those circumstances...
He had no mood left to continue training.
He decided to return to his dormitory and clear his mind.
However...
The moment he walked out of the training room...
He noticed a familiar figure sitting alone on a bench outside.
The man's broad shoulders and muscular frame made him appear imposing even while seated.
A baseball cap shaded most of his face.
Even so...
The overwhelming killing intent surrounding him was impossible to ignore.
Zhao Mu instinctively glanced toward him.
At the same moment...
The man looked up.
Their eyes met.
Zhao Mu's pupils shrank.
His heart skipped a beat.
It's him...
Shao Han's father.
Shao Tianyi.
The deputy commander of Lujiang City's Military Preparatory Force.
As soon as Shao Tianyi recognized Zhao Mu, he slowly rose from the bench.
Zhao Mu stood nearly 1.9 meters tall.
Yet standing before Shao Tianyi...
He still felt slightly shorter.
Perhaps it wasn't because of height.
It was the overwhelming aura emanating from the man.
"Zhao Mu."
Shao Tianyi stared directly into his eyes.
Zhao Mu instinctively took half a step backward.
Then he remembered.
This was Qingfeng Camp.
No matter what...
Shao Tianyi couldn't attack him here.
"Deputy Commander..."
"What brings you here?"
Inside, Zhao Mu couldn't help but sigh.
He had just beaten Shao Han so badly that the latter had been sent to the infirmary.
Now the father had personally come looking for him.
Beat the son...
Now the father has arrived for revenge.
It was a classic story.
Unfortunately...
The father's strength was far beyond anything Zhao Mu could resist.
As the deputy commander of Lujiang City's military forces...
Shao Tianyi ranked among the strongest experts in the entire city.
How could Zhao Mu possibly fight someone like him?
But then...
Shao Tianyi did something Zhao Mu never could have imagined.
He extended his large, calloused hand toward him.
Then calmly said,
"Become my son."
"..."
Zhao Mu froze on the spot.
His brain went completely blank.
"Huh?"
He honestly wondered if he had heard wrong.
The man hadn't come to settle scores.
He had come...
To adopt him?
What kind of development was this?
Seeing Zhao Mu standing there in complete shock, Shao Tianyi smiled slightly.
"Let's sit down."
"We'll talk."
Still dazed, Zhao Mu nodded.
As long as Shao Tianyi wasn't here to seek revenge...
Everything else could be discussed.
---
The two walked into the training hall's lounge and sat across from each other.
Without wasting any time, Shao Tianyi got straight to the point.
"Your strength is impressive."
"So are your talent and your work ethic."
"I also investigated your background."
"I learned that both of your parents died on the battlefield as martyrs."
He looked directly at Zhao Mu.
"So..."
"I want to accept you as my adopted son."
By now, Zhao Mu had finally regained his composure.
He looked straight at Shao Tianyi.
"Is this because I defeated Shao Han?"
Shao Tianyi nodded honestly.
"Yes."
Zhao Mu continued,
"But I seriously injured him."
"Don't you blame me?"
He gripped the cup of water in front of him while carefully observing every change in Shao Tianyi's expression.
To his surprise...
Shao Tianyi simply shook his head.
"That boy has had an easy life."
"He's never experienced real hardship."
"You taught him a valuable lesson."
"That's a good thing."
"If he stepped onto a real battlefield without learning it now..."
"The price would have been far greater."
Hearing those words...
Zhao Mu couldn't help but feel genuine admiration for the deputy commander.
This was someone who truly understood what it meant to be a soldier.
After thinking for a long moment, Zhao Mu finally spoke.
"Thank you for your kindness."
"But..."
"I have to decline."
Shao Tianyi raised an eyebrow.
Zhao Mu explained calmly,
"Shao Han already hates me."
"I don't want my presence to create conflict within your family."
Shao Tianyi looked slightly surprised.
Given his status in Lujiang City...
If he announced he wanted an adopted son...
Countless people would line up for the opportunity.
Yet the young man sitting before him had refused without hesitation.
Still...
He didn't insist.
Instead, he slowly nodded.
"Very well."
"But remember this."
"If you ever run into trouble..."
"You can always come to me at the Military Preparatory Force."
With that, he stood up.
Zhao Mu also rose to his feet.
Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, he asked,
"Why are you treating me this way?"
"We've never met before."
Shao Tianyi adjusted the brim of his baseball cap.
After taking a few steps, he stopped and glanced back.
His expression became unusually serious.
"I recognized the fighting style you use."
"It belongs to the person who taught you."
A trace of gratitude appeared in his eyes.
"Ten years ago..."
"She saved my life."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)