Chapter 103: The Bliss of Quarreling [Please Support]

Keng Shirou had never seen Ina like this before. He also came to realize the place the boy he had long envied and resented held in his daughter’s heart was far beyond anything he had imagined.

After all, he was just a scoundrel she had known for barely over two months.

More often than not, Keng Shirou found himself muttering and grumbling, mostly cursing Tang Shen, even though he did not even know Tang Shen’s real name.

His desire to bite Tang Shen’s head off stemmed from the fact that his relationship with Ina had truly hit rock bottom, worse than ever before.

In his eyes, it was all Tang Shen’s fault.

There was nothing wrong with that way of thinking.

......

Just like seven years ago, after a day of grueling training, one would collapse from exhaustion on the ground, while the other would carry them back to the Isshin Dojo.

Only back then, it was Tang Shen carrying his precious disciple.

Today, it was Ina carrying Tang Shen.

Ina’s face still bore a faint smile—a serene, joyful expression that radiated happiness.

Throughout the entire day’s training, Ina felt pure delight.

"Ah~~ How embarrassing! Having to be carried by my own disciple," Tang Shen, completely drained, lamented.

"Ina, why don’t you let your master walk on his own? I think I’ve regained a bit of strength."

"Alright!"

Thud!

A heavy fall.

"Ina, I still can’t manage it. You’d better carry me again! I feel handsome—no one would scorn me for anything I do."

"Hehe~~ Okay, master."

These playful bickers were part of the daily happiness Ina cherished. Often, happiness was found in the smallest, most ordinary moments, as long as you had someone by your side.

The sun dipped low, golden rays spilling over the forest path beside a small village on an unknown island in the East China Sea.

A slender, gracefully curved silhouette caught the eye, her long, straight legs especially captivating. On her back lay a limp bundle.

Oh! It was a person.

Weakly grumbling and muttering something.

Yet the delicate face of that figure wore a constant smile—not a forced or impatient one, but a smile born of happiness.

Two figures intertwined, framed by towering trees, with a radiant sunset behind them—a scene frozen like a painting.

The smile on the girl’s face, like a streak of colorful clouds, became the brightest highlight of the picture, outshining even the beauty of the sunset.

------

This time, it was Tang Shen who was stripped and tossed into the bathing tub, his cheeks involuntarily flushing.

After all, his disciple was now a young woman, and he felt shy deep down!

Fortunately, his resolve was strong enough to withstand it, or else he might have fainted from embarrassment.

Ina walked out with a smile. She was no longer a child; she understood much more and was actually more sensitive about modesty, so the herbal bath had to be taken in another room.

When she helped Tang Shen undress, her face had already turned bright red, even more embarrassed than Tang Shen.

But it was dark inside, so he hadn’t noticed.

In the corner, Keng Shirou watched Ina leave with that radiant smile, sinking into deep reflection, unable to extricate himself.

His daughter’s smiles that day far outnumbered all the smiles she had shown in the past seven years combined.

Comparing people to others could truly drive one mad.

That day, Ina’s mood was exceptionally good, and her smile never faded.

It made Keng Shirou feel guilty.

He vaguely sensed that Ina’s previously stern and unsmiling demeanor might have been because she hadn’t come into contact with Tang Shen—and perhaps that was his fault.

Just as over the past seven years, he had only made his relationship with Ina more strained.

This... was rather awkward.

When it came to handling women—or relationships with his daughter—he never understood.

Otherwise, his wife wouldn’t have left him in anger back then, when Ina was still an infant.

Moreover, men’s pride was fully embodied in Keng Shirou.

During one conflict with Ina, he had backed down, already faintly aware of his mistake, which was why he ultimately showed a submissive posture.

But then... he ignored his own faults.

Yes, in the end, he just wouldn’t admit he was wrong.

Even though he had backed down, he still refused to acknowledge it.

"Eh~"

A light sigh.

Ina seemed to sense a noise, paused, and glanced toward a dark corner where nothing was visible.

She frowned slightly, then the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile as she strode happily toward her room, her steps carrying the playful spirit befitting an eighteen-year-old girl.

Undressing, herbal bath, smiling all the while, she even hummed a little tune unknown to others.

That day, Ina’s mood was truly excellent.

After the herbal bath and changing clothes, Ina was already waiting outside Tang Shen’s door.

Waiting for Tang Shen to emerge.

They would have dinner together.

Finally, as Tang Shen’s figure disappeared from view, Ina’s clear eyes held a trace of absent-mindedness, a yearning, and quietly, a mysterious seed was planted deep within.

......

At the same moment, in reality, inside the room.

Tang Shen opened his eyes, still smiling.

A rumble of hunger came from his stomach. In a flash, he entered the bathroom, rinsed off quickly, wrapped a towel around his waist, and slipped into the kitchen.

The house was bigger now, and so was the kitchen’s space. On moving day, he had stocked the fridge with plenty of food.

Vegetables, meats, nutritious meals—he avoided buying ferocious beast meat as it was too expensive.

Otherwise, with his ever-growing appetite, his bank balance wouldn’t last long if he ate ferocious beast meat regularly.

Still, the meals were far better than before.

After eating, he stood by the window, looking out over the neighborhood. Many people were still about, taking evening strolls; every home was brightly lit.

They all belonged to the same circle, sharing equal status, so there were no barriers between them.

Tang Shen glanced around lightly and said softly, “Turn on the computer.”

“Yes, master.”

A mechanical voice responded in the room.

Immediately, a luminous screen appeared out of thin air on the glass window—a projection from the intelligent assistant, casting the computer’s interface right before him. The glass was specially designed for this.

With a simple touch, Tang Shen entered the official game website.

The intelligent assistant was a basic smart program common in this era, designed to save time by obeying commands, controlling household appliances, alerting the owner immediately of intruders, and other such functions.

There were also household robots, but Tang Shen was too lazy to buy one; this intelligent assistant came built into the room.

It was indeed quite convenient.

Why hadn’t he used it before? Because... he was poor!

He simply couldn’t afford it!

These things cost a fortune!

In fact, the greatest and most basic reward for qualifying as a gene warrior was this very house.