Chapter 34: Old Madam Su Sharpens Her Knife, Ready to Bury Her Eldest Son

Escaping death by the skin of his teeth, Su Da’s legs were still as limp as noodles; he crawled and stumbled his way out, earning only a scoff of "useless" from Madam Huo. Yet, no matter how hard he fell or how disheveled he became, he had kept the baby in his arms well-protected throughout.

Manager Bai’s gaze lingered on Tianbao’s face for a moment before he huffed, "Since Master Huo came personally to plead for them, I, Bai Yuan, cannot refuse to give him this face. They should consider themselves lucky!"

Master Huo smiled, "Their luck lies in encountering you, Manager Bai. Even if I hadn’t come, you would never have truly intended to take a life. Otherwise, it would not have been mere shop hands sent to pursue them."

The man’s words were pleasing to the ear, and Manager Bai’s expression finally softened. "Master Huo, take them and go quickly. Do not let me see them again—the slap I received still stings!"

Su Da dared not speak. Tianbao could not speak. The father and daughter’s reactions were remarkably consistent: one looked at the ground, the other gazed at the sky. Master Huo, noting their small gestures, chuckled to himself and gestured, "Let's go."

With a familiar face for company, Su Da managed to straighten his legs, following closely behind the Huo couple without daring to fall a step behind. From behind them, Manager Bai’s voice drifted over once more, "Master Huo, our master has always been waiting for you to have a change of heart. The doors of the Bai residence are wide open; you are welcome at any time!"

Hearing this, Master Huo merely turned his head to offer a polite nod, providing no answer. The three adults and one infant drifted further and further away. Only then did Manager Bai step forward to release his subordinates from the acupressure points that had held them frozen in their poses. He darkened his face and snapped, "Back to the shop!"

"Manager, are we just going to let it go?" a shop hand asked indignantly once freed.

"Huo Ziheng intervened personally; what else can we do? Our master gives him face, so we must do the same!" Manager Bai scolded. "A bunch of useless fools, you couldn't even intimidate them! You go out to track people down, and instead, I end up losing all my dignity! Get out of here!"

After dismissing his men, Manager Bai did not pause; he turned toward the Bai residence to report on Huo Ziheng’s intervention and the strange pair of father and daughter. A nursing infant of only a few months, who had nearly twisted his head off with a single slap—was that normal? Furthermore, the lands and hills outside the city were held tightly by the Twelve Wharves gang, leaving nothing behind but grass, let alone three wild rabbits that size. Most importantly, it was baffling that a man as indifferent to worldly affairs as Huo Ziheng would break his principles and re-enter Fengyun City for the sake of an exiled convict.

The whole affair was suspicious, and he had to report it to his master. He would also need to investigate the identities of that father and daughter. The alleyway was soon completely deserted. No one knew that it had nearly become a slaughterhouse. Huo Ziheng’s timely arrival had saved not only Su Da but also the entire group from the Bai family.

Tianbao tossed the pear blossom needle back to the base of the ancient pear tree, her small face expressionless. Her grandfather and grandmother always said that one should repay kindness with kindness. By that logic, one must also repay enmity with enmity. She hadn't managed to settle the score this time, but there would be other opportunities; she remembered every one of their faces.

Manager Bai, who was rushing toward the Bai residence, felt an inexplicable chill and shuddered, entirely unaware that he was being marked.

"Master Huo, thank you and Madam Huo for your intervention. I barely escaped with my life," Su Da said once they were outside Fengyun City, finally regaining his voice.

Huo Ziheng smiled, "I only learned of this because your parents and family came to find me. Su Da, you were truly too reckless this time. Fengyun City is not like other places; one must think thrice before acting here."

Su Da felt deep shame, "I thought things were too simple."

He had been so frightened by the near-miss that his soul had yet to return to his body. Not only had he been reckless, but he had also put his daughter in harm’s way. If anything had happened to her, even throwing himself to his death wouldn't have been enough to compensate. As the dangerous scene played out in his mind, he hugged his daughter tighter, feeling a lingering fear, only finding peace when he felt her safe in his arms. He looked down into her dark, clear eyes; she remained so quiet and serene, as if she were completely unaware that they had nearly lost their lives, seemingly unaffected by the terror.

Su Da’s heart lightened, and he planted a firm kiss on her forehead, "Bao, Daddy will never do something so foolish again!"

A crack appeared in Tianbao’s expressionless face, revealing a hint of disdain. If he wanted to talk, he should just talk—why did he keep kissing her? Her daddy was so annoying!

As the father and daughter interacted, a pair of eyes watched them silently from the side. When he saw the tiny infant display an expression as mature as an adult’s, Huo Ziheng’s eyebrows arched imperceptibly.

Madam Huo, oblivious, looked at Su Da with nothing but annoyance; had it not been for him, her husband would never have returned to Fengyun City. "So now you know it was a foolish thing to do? Hmph, let me tell you, your house is in an uproar. Go back and figure out how to beg for your parents' forgiveness! When I left, I heard your mother calling for a kitchen knife! She’ll chop you up and bury you the moment you get back!"

Su Da: "..."

Tianbao, imagining the scene, blinked her round eyes and her small mouth curled into a grin. Her daddy was going to be disciplined by Grandma; things were going to be lively at home again. She liked things lively!

The Su household was indeed lively.

Old Madam Su was searching the house for a suitable weapon. Not knowing who had hidden the kitchen knife, she eventually grabbed a wooden staff as long and thick as a dragon-headed cane and stood at the courtyard gate, waiting for her good-for-nothing eldest son to return. Others dared not intervene, nor did they want to; some people simply needed a sound thrashing.

The commotion was so great that many of the dozen or so households at the foot of Tubei Mountain were drawn out to watch. Su Da returned home with trembling legs under the gaze of everyone, seeing his mother guarding the door from afar. The moment their eyes met, Su Da saw the murderous intent in her gaze.

"..."

"What are you standing there for? Go in and face your end!" the woman behind him gave him a shove, kicking Su Da toward his mother and cutting off any chance of escape.

Su Da stumbled, barely managing to brake his momentum in front of the old woman. He slowly raised his head, and as he met her icy glare, he pulled a stiff, ingratiating smile, "Mother, I... I’m back. Ha, ha-ha..."

Old Madam Su’s gaze first landed on her granddaughter, and seeing she was unharmed, she gritted her teeth in a cold smile, raised the staff, and swung it at Su Da.

Su Da: "!!!"

He immediately lifted his daughter to use as a shield. He had already quietly loosened the baby carrier the moment he saw the large staff in his mother’s hand, waiting for this moment to use his daughter to save his own life.

Tianbao: "???"

She turned to look at her father, her blank little face cracking once more. Was their father-daughter bond really this shallow?

"Bao, it’s a tactical maneuver! Even on the battlefield, father and son fight side by side!" Su Da whispered as he dodged and parried.

Standing so close, how could Old Madam Su not hear this whisper? Her face turned blue with rage, yet she was at a loss; wherever her staff landed, her precious granddaughter was shifted into the path, and how could she bear to strike her?

"Su Da, you are so cunning! Using Tianbao to save your own life—that is too shameless!" Behind them, Su Er launched a surprise attack, landing a precise strike with a wooden board on Su Da’s backside, roaring, "Mother, I’ll help you!"

"Su Er, are you rebelling against me!" That blow was solid, and now it was Su Da’s turn to grit his teeth. Just as he was about to let out a string of curses, he saw a group of people pouring out from the courtyard gate, every one of them brandishing a tool, rushing straight toward him.

Su Da: "..."