Chapter 51: A Matter to Discuss

Cheng Zhihai was silent for a moment, and then suddenly, as if sensing something, a faint look of grievance appeared in his dignified eyes.

“Guang’er, didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t go to the brothel anymore?”

“You’ve left the manor these past two days, gone nowhere else, just kept running to the Blossom Pavilion?”

Cheng Guang: “……”

This was truly awkward.

Everything he had done in these past two days had likely not escaped Cheng Zhihai’s notice.

When in doubt, he simply chose silence.

“Hmph!” Cheng Zhihai, seeing Cheng Guang remain quiet, merely snorted coldly. With his indulgent nature, he naturally would not speak harshly, but instead offered earnest advice:

“Guang’er, now that your mother has chosen a marriage for you, you must not continue with such conduct.”

“When all this is over, stay away from the brothels; and don’t blame me for not warning you beforehand—Qin Yanqiu, that girl… her temperament is even more domineering than your mother’s…”

As he spoke, a subtle sadness crossed Cheng Zhihai’s stern face.

It was the pain unique to those ruled by their wives.

It was plain to see.

Cheng Zhihai himself must have frequented brothels in the past; otherwise, he would not speak so.

Father and son exchanged silent glances, and after a brief pause, Cheng Guang cleared his throat and gently asked,

“Father, do you know the owner behind Blossom Pavilion, Mister Tang?”

“Mister Tang? Of course, I know of him.” Cheng Zhihai nodded slightly, then asked in confusion, “Why do you ask?”

Cheng Guang replied, “Bai Shuxuan has been hiding in the Blossom Pavilion, so I wonder if the owner behind it might also be involved.”

Before Cheng Guang finished speaking, Cheng Zhihai shook his head. “That’s unlikely. Mister Tang would never do such a thing.”

“Who is he?” Cheng Guang was puzzled. He didn’t understand why Cheng Zhihai dismissed the possibility simply upon hearing the name. Based on his father’s character, he shouldn’t rule out someone’s suspicion just by their name; at the very least, he should investigate.

Cheng Zhihai did not answer directly. Instead, he tapped the tea tray lightly with his fingers. “Don’t ask about that. If you speak carelessly and word gets out, the consequences could be troublesome.”

Cheng Guang nearly burst out laughing. “It’s just the identity of a brothel owner. What trouble could it cause? Unless Mister Tang is the emperor himself?”

As soon as Cheng Guang finished, Cheng Zhihai’s face froze, and he coughed awkwardly several times. “Watch your tongue, boy.”

Cheng Guang was stunned.

His father’s reaction was almost an admission.

He hadn’t expected it to be true.

Mister Tang…?

The Great Zhou Emperor…?

These two identities seemed impossible to reconcile.

The hidden owner behind Blossom Pavilion was actually the Emperor of Great Zhou…

It sounded absurd, but on reflection, it was not impossible.

After all, Blossom Pavilion was enormous—its name even gave rise to the “Flower” district in the city. With endless streams of visitors, it had become a huge, gold-devouring beast entrenched in the capital.

To say it made fortunes daily would be an understatement.

Such a lucrative business was coveted by countless nobles and officials, yet none could shake the pavilion’s standing or Mister Tang’s position.

There were few in the capital with such power; the Great Zhou Emperor was certainly one of them.

Cheng Guang’s expression grew strange.

Cheng Zhihai did not pursue the subject further. He paused his tapping on the tea tray and looked at Cheng Guang.

“Guang’er, I’ve arranged for Uncle Qian to stay by your side these days. When it’s time to close the net, judge for yourself and have Uncle Qian capture the fox demon.”

“As for the assassins who tried to kill you, I’ll deal with them myself and see if I can uncover some big fish behind them.”

“The internal situation in Great Zhou is unsettled; many parasites have emerged.”

Cheng Guang nodded. Without further small talk, he turned and left the Lamp Division.

From here on, there was no need for him to worry; Cheng Zhihai would arrange everything.

In the side hall’s tea room, after Cheng Guang left, Cheng Zhihai sat quietly, and after a while, murmured to himself,

“Great Zhou is far from peaceful. The plan has barely begun, and already some can’t sit still. To hinder me, they even collude with the demon clans, plotting Guang’er’s assassination.”

“If they fail this time, will they target the Lamp Division directly?”

“Who is behind all this? I wonder if there’s a mastermind among those involved in Guang’er’s attempted assassination. If so, perhaps with some severe interrogation, more information can be dug out.”

As he spoke, a cold gleam of murderous intent flashed in Cheng Zhihai’s eyes.

The enemy was hiding deep.

They had conspired with the demon clans, smuggled fox demons into Great Zhou to lure him out of the capital, and intended to use the fox demon from the Qingqiu clan to control Guang’er.

Had Guang’er not sensed it in advance, he would soon have fallen under the fox clan’s control.

Moreover, controlling Guang’er was not their only aim—their ultimate goal was to kill him.

If Guang’er hadn’t noticed, and these people continued their scheming in secret, who knows what disaster might have resulted.

Just the thought sent chills down Cheng Zhihai’s spine.

In the tea room, sandalwood incense curled through the air, and all was tranquil.

He pondered deeply, and in the end, shook his head slightly.

Though Cheng Guang had once again ignored his advice and visited the brothel, at least it hadn’t led to harm.

Where once the enemy was hidden and they were exposed, now, thanks to Cheng Guang, the situation had reversed—the enemy was exposed, and they were hidden.

Without alerting their foes, if he played along and left the capital openly, then returned in secret, perhaps he could catch a few more big fish.

With this in mind, Cheng Zhihai took out a crystal ball-like artifact from his robes.

It was a communication device, though its range was more limited than the parent-child stones, but sufficient for use within the capital.

Once activated, several voices came from within.

“Chief.”

Cheng Zhihai spoke slowly.

“Come here. There’s something to discuss.”

……

Cheng Guang left the Lamp Division, returned to the manor, and went straight to the Myriad Phenomena Garden.

Under Cheng Guang’s arrangements, all matters proceeded in an orderly fashion, and the situation remained well within control.

The only uncertainty was the identity of the person supporting Bai Shuxuan from behind. Though unclear for now, it wasn’t a major concern.

Cheng Zhihai took this matter very seriously.

It could be foreseen that no further surprises would arise.

The mission would soon be completed.

Without much pressure, Cheng Guang returned home and began his cultivation as usual.

Completing the mission was merely a means for him to obtain more resources, so he could rapidly strengthen himself.

At present, his priority was the improvement of his cultivation and power.

With strength, he would finally have the means to survive in this world.

In the courtyard, Cheng Guang practiced his martial arts with diligence.

……