Chapter 31: Today, Father Will Take You Along to Brave Stormwind City

Watching the receding backs of his eldest brother and little niece, Su Er felt a crushing, gray despair, his heart heavy with immense grief. To him, the scene before his eyes felt like a final farewell. Had he not been obligated to remain behind to care for his elderly parents, he surely would have followed them. But as it stood—he had watched with his own eyes as his brother and niece walked toward their deaths.

Once their figures vanished from sight, grief surged within him. The grown man crouched at his doorstep, burying his face in his hands, weeping uncontrollably in utter desolation.

The scene with Su Da, however, was quite different. Little Tianbao could now hold her head up; nestled in the baby carrier, she twisted her tiny head to inspect everything, her eyes filled with curiosity. In her past life, confined to a laboratory, her memories consisted of nothing but glass walls, white coats, syringes, scalpels, and various tubes and instruments. Since being born into the Su family, she had spent her time wrapped in swaddling clothes, seeing only the sky and white snow. This experience—being able to freely look in all directions at such diverse scenery—was a rare delight for the little baby.

There were mountains and slopes woven with shades of green, gray, and white; low, dilapidated thatched huts scattered about; and a touch of emerald green peeking through the gaps in the roadside gravel.

"Little treasure, if we make it back, Grandma and Grandpa are definitely going to chase me with kitchen knives," Su Da said, his face drooping.

The baby in his arms glanced at him and blew a small bubble.

Su Da was speechless. Yet, as he walked with his daughter, his mindset truly shifted. A newfound sense of courage and grit took hold. Even if he were to die, he would ensure his daughter’s safety and get her home before he fell.

"They say that when you go to battle, you don't leave your father-son team behind! Today, Daddy is taking you to storm Fengyun City!" A surge of heroic spirit rose within him, and Su Da straightened his back, his steps gaining vigor. A father must never show weakness in front of his daughter!

Su Da had never been to Fengyun City, but when he went up the mountain to gather brushwood, he could see that infamous city from the higher slopes. It was very close, barely five miles from Tubei Mountain. To avoid discovery by the rest of the family, he had set out at dawn, though he hadn't expected others to be up even earlier.

When he reached the outskirts of Fengyun City, the sky was just brightening. Large tracts of farmland lay outside the city, where thin, gaunt figures were already busy plowing for spring. Their eyes, set deep in their faces, were numb and gray, devoid of any spark of life.

Su Da remained silent, guessing these must be tenant farmers. Only those with true power and influence dared to own land outside Fengyun City.

"Treasure, we're here," Su Da whispered, pausing for a moment at the city entrance as he looked at the stone monument standing by the road. The three characters for "Fengyun City" were carved into the stone with powerful, flowing strokes, wild and imposing.

Standing there, one could already hear the clamor from within. Fengyun City had no gates or walls; at first glance, it looked like an ordinary, humble town. Yet, there seemed to be an invisible barrier between the inside and outside, a line that ordinary people dared not cross.

Sensing the gloom and complexity in his father's tone, Tianbao looked up and waved a tiny hand forward. "Ah."

*Go!*

Su Da paused, the corner of his mouth twitching. He had the distinct impression that his daughter was looking down on him. Gritting his teeth, he stepped across the threshold. "Let's go!" Could a father really be less courageous than his own child? What a joke!

Tianbao didn't understand the complex inner turmoil of her father; she simply kept her wide, dark eyes open, peering around with curiosity. Beyond the monument, after a stretch of deserted road, the noise suddenly amplified.

Entering Fengyun City, the scene within burst into view.

"Damn it, was that you glaring at me? You tired of living? I’ll send you to the grave!"

"Trying to dine and dash at my stall? Do you have any idea who Zhao the Fourth is? Brothers, grab your weapons and break his legs!"

"Move aside with that fighting! Don't block the way! These vegetables are for the Bai manor; if a single leaf is ruined, all your lives combined won't be enough to pay for it!"

"Murder and robbery, extortion on the spot—it doesn't matter what the job is, if the silver is right, I'll take it! Come on, open for business!"

"Fighting over my territory? This stall belongs to Li! Even if I wasn't here, you don't get to take it! Men, smash it!"

The father and daughter stood at the side of the road, their eyes widened to the exact same degree. "Chaos" was an understatement; it was nothing short of a bloodbath. The streets were already bustling in the early morning; shops were open, stalls were set up, but there were far more people fighting than hawking wares. Bowls, chopsticks, tables, chairs, wooden clubs, and vegetable leaves flew through the air. A passerby could be injured by accident at any moment, and there was nowhere to appeal for justice.

Su Da took a small step back, his resolve wavering. "Treasure, baby... maybe we should head back and come another time—"

Watching the people rolling around on the ground in a tangle, Tianbao clenched her tiny fists and cheered, "Ah... da! Da!"

Su Da felt a chill. He quickly pressed his daughter's tiny hands down, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his voice trembling. "Treasure! This is no place for us to join in! Don't clap! Blades and clubs don't have eyes, baby!"

Su Da regretted it instantly. Why had he brought her? If he drew any heat, he wouldn't be able to protect her with just his two fists! It was his own arrogance! If his daughter returned injured, wouldn't his mother bury him alive on the spot?

Fortunately, the various groups were too caught up in their skirmishes to notice them. Su Da tucked his daughter into his chest and scurried away, head bowed. The scene was so chaotic that no one noticed that items were mysteriously vanishing from the ground and from the stalls that had miraculously escaped destruction.

Su Da ran a long way before he dared to lift his head, his heart still racing with lingering fear.

Meanwhile, the Su family courtyard was in an uproar, nearly turned upside down. Liu Yuelan had woken to find her daughter missing. She had assumed her mother-in-law had taken the baby out for some air, but when the two women met, they were both struck dumb. They searched every corner of the house and yard, but found no sign of the granddaughter, and Su Da was nowhere to be found either.

It was only when the Old Mrs. Su noticed the strange expression on her second son's face and cornered him that the truth came out: the eldest had taken Tianbao to Fengyun City.

The entire family was stunned by the news. Liu Yuelan collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Going to Fengyun City... is that a place anyone can go? Father, Mother, what do we do? My husband, my Tianbao... oh, woe is me!"

He Daxiang grabbed a piece of firewood and beat it against the stunned Su Er, crying and cursing, "Su the Second! You're really something! You watched your big brother and Tianbao leave without saying a word! If anything happens to them—how will you face your sister-in-law, how will you face our parents! How can you live with your conscience!"

The three little ones stood at the doorway of the main room, terrified by the scene, and began to cry loudly.

Old Man Su emerged from the kitchen with some belongings. Looking at his wife, who was deathly pale with red-rimmed eyes, he said in a deep voice, "Go to the Huo family. Beg the couple there; they've been here a long time, maybe they have a way to help us get them back! If that fails, we go to Fengyun City ourselves!"

Old Mrs. Su immediately wiped her tears and rushed toward the gate. "Let's go!"

The others, seeing a flicker of hope, stopped their arguing and hurried to follow.