Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

The events of last night shattered Song Chi’s worldview, leaving him wide awake. With several pairs of bright eyes staring at him, Song Chi found it even harder to sleep.

”Lord Captain and Miss Xu are busy.” After that, a suspicious flush crept onto Zheng Lie’s face. He swallowed, then said to Song Chi, ”Song Chi, what did you discover beneath the Central Cave last night? Can you tell us in detail?”

”Sure.”

Song Chi spent two hours recounting their experience at the Nocturnal Palace the previous night in detail.

Zheng Qin and the others listened in astonishment, their hearts rising and falling with Song Chi’s story, as if on a roller coaster.

After hearing it all, Cheng Yue shook his head and sighed, ”It’s hard to believe that there’s really a tomb of the last emperor beneath our Divine Concealment Island. Did you see the legendary strongest weapon?”

Song Chi kept his wits about him and did not mention the existence of the meteorite. ”No, I didn’t. Maybe figuring out who our Lord Captain is and restoring the memory of the Divine Hidden Emperor is the so-called strongest weapon?”

Zheng Qin felt it made some sense.

”Our Lord Captain is actually the Divine Hidden Emperor.” He rubbed his hands together and laughed, ”Back in Ancient Xia Country, we’d be the emperor’s close favorites.”

”You mentioned earlier that there was a female host in the Nocturnal Palace, the silent beloved of the Divine Hidden Emperor.” Zheng Qin chuckled somewhat maliciously, ”When Miss Xu saw the beloved in the coffin, didn’t she get upset with our Lord Captain?”

Song Chi rolled his eyes at Zheng Qin, ”Is my boss such a petty person?”

”That might not be the case, but women, once in love, can tend to lose their heads over it...”

”My boss isn’t love-obsessed; your Lord Captain is the one who’s love-obsessed.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Qin and the others found themselves without the confidence to argue back.

Their Lord Captain truly was a hopeless romantic.

...

It wasn’t until evening that Zheng Lie received a call from Huo Wen’an, notifying him to bring clean clothes to the fifth floor.

When Zheng Lie delivered the clothes, Xu Xingguang was in the bathroom taking a shower, while Huo Wen’an, dressed in a loose bathrobe, sat upright on the sofa.

Their Lord Captain, usually one to lie down rather than sit up, was a lazy person.

Seeing Huo Wen’an sitting so straight, Zheng Lie felt as though the temperament of their Lord Captain had undergone a remarkable change.

He cautiously observed Huo Wen’an, like one would study a mascot, hoping to glimpse the majesty of the Ancient Xia Country emperor through him.

”What are you looking at?” Huo Wen’an lazily raised an eyebrow and cast a glance at Zheng Lie, which made him feel pressured.

”At the ancient... antiques, such old antiques.”

Zheng Lie almost blurted out his thoughts, but quickly changed his words, saying, ”Young Master Song Chi told us about what happened in the Nocturnal Palace, and I find it incredible.”

Huo Wen’an easily saw through what Zheng Lie was really thinking, ”In your heart, you’re calling me an old antique, aren’t you?”

Zheng Lie immediately waved his hands, ”No, no, not at all.”

”Hopeless.” Hearing the sound of water stop in the bathroom, Huo Wen’an waved to shoo Zheng Lie away, ”Let Little Tang know that we’ll have dinner before heading back to the Pilot Mansion.”

”The mayor has already prepared dinner, just waiting for the Lord Captain and Miss Xu to come down and eat.”

”Okay.”

Zheng Lie hurriedly slipped away.

Xu Xingguang, wrapped in a bath towel, came into the bedroom carrying clothes towards the dressing room and said as she walked, ”Zheng Lie is a little afraid of you; the emperor’s aura is indeed powerful and domineering.”

Huo Wen’an chuckled, ”I think you’re cursing me a turtle in your heart.”

Xu Xingguang muffled a laugh.

She changed into a clean long dress, her hair still half-wet, too lazy to dry it completely. ”I’m hungry, let’s go eat first.” After messing around for most of the day, she was indeed rather hungry.

She was not only hungry, but her lower abdomen felt a little uncomfortable as well.

”Alright.”

The two held hands as they came to the dining room, where Cheng Yue and Zheng Qin couldn’t resist stealing glances at Huo Wen’an.

As they saw Huo Wen’an coming down the spiral stairs, Zheng Qin quietly said to Cheng Yue, ”The antique has descended the mountain.”

Cheng Yue nudged Zheng Qin’s leg hard, ”Shut up!”

”Lord Captain!” Zheng Qin got up to greet Huo Wen’an, cautiously observing him. Once confirming that Huo Wen’an was still the familiar Lord Captain, he jokingly and ceremoniously bowed, saying, ”Good evening, Your Majesty!”

Huo Wen’an kicked him, causing intense pain in Zheng Qin’s ankle. ”Don’t be cheeky.”

Enduring the pain, Zheng Qin bowed to Xu Xingguang, daringly saying, ”This humble servant, Little Qinzi, greets the Empress.”

Xu Xingguang smirked and told Zheng Qin, ”There’s no eunuch in Divine Xia Country.”

”Huh?” Zheng Qin immediately asked, ”But on TV, there are always eunuchs, and historical documents say that all the men in ancient palaces were castrated.”

”That was in the ancient dynasties of the mortal world. In the era of Divine Xia Country, there were no slaves, no eunuchs. Those who could work in the palace were top graduates from the Housekeeper College.”

Zheng Qin was amazed, ”Is that so?”

Cheng Yue and Zheng Lie were also surprised, ”Then with men everywhere in the palace, wasn’t the monarch worried about his wives fooling around?”

Huo Wen’an’s face was a map of bewilderment, ”Even the monarch had only one wife.”

”A monogamous system?” Zheng Qin giggled and said, ”Well, it seems the era of Divine Xia Country is completely different from what we imagined.”

Xu Xingguang informed them, ”The history of our mortal world is only a mere two thousand years. Divine Xia Country already had a history of over ten million years before the meteorite fell. Don’t judge the historical civilization of Divine Xia Country with the history we know.”

”At that time, Divine Xia Country was quite a free land.”

Though still smiling, Zheng Qin’s expression turned more serious, ”Miss Xu is right, we have been short-sighted.”

During dinner, Xu Xingguang and Huo Wen’an shared a table alone, while Shenyin Tang ate with Zheng Lie and the others at another.

By the time they returned to the Pilot Mansion, the sky had become pitch dark.

Huo Canghai, uneasy about Huo Wen’an and the others’ situation, adamantly waited for them to return at the Pilot Mansion. Relieved to see Huo Wen’an return safe and sound, Huo Canghai let out a breath.

Standing outside the door, Huo Wen’an observed the elderly man sitting in the dark hall, wheelchair-bound.

Yet an image of Huo Canghai’s head displayed in front of the Eastern Alliance Building flashed across Huo Wen’an’s mind.

”You’re back?” Huo Canghai asked.

Huo Wen’an suddenly told Xu Xingguang, ”Xingguang, take my mother upstairs for rest. I have something to discuss with the old man.”

”Alright.”

After Xu Xingguang took Andariel upstairs, Huo Wen’an approached and crouched next to Huo Canghai.

Seeing the grown man crouched like a child beside him, Huo Canghai moved his lips and furrowed his brows, ”What’s with you? Running into a problem?”

Huo Wen’an, holding Huo Canghai’s withered hand, said, ”Dad.”

Huo Canghai was startled for a moment.

Huo Wen’an seldom called him ’Dad’ seriously.

When Huo Wen’an didn’t call him ’Dad,’ Huo Canghai dismissed him as rude. Yet when Huo Wen’an dutifully called him ’Dad,’ it made Huo Canghai worry something was wrong with Huo Wen’an’s mental state.

”What’s really going on with you?” Huo Canghai tapped his cane impatiently, ”If there’s something, say it. Don’t dawdle.”

Suddenly, Huo Wen’an embraced Huo Canghai’s waist.

”Dad.”

Huo Wen’an called again, ”Dad.”

Huo Canghai dared not move.

”You...” Huo Canghai heard the choked tone in Huo Wen’an’s voice and felt at a loss. ”Son, tell me, are you hurt?”

Shaking his head, Huo Wen’an said, ”I just want to hug you.”

He said, ”It’s so wonderful to embrace you once more.”