Chapter Fifty-Five: The Family Atmosphere Is Simply Too Warm

As the elderly man vanished down the street, elegantly carrying off his driver and the luxury stretch limousine at breakneck speed, the only one left behind was Old Zhang, blood trickling from his nose, slowly crawling up from the ground. Tilting his head, he gazed with a hint of melancholy at the departing figure.

Zhang Changlin muttered, “Why is it always me who gets hurt?”

Su Nine Lives descended, wrapped in countless rose petals falling like a blizzard in the dark of night. The petals sliced through the ground, leaving a tapestry of torn scars. Su strode forward with feline grace, elegant and poised. He glanced sideways at the melancholy Old Zhang, then cast another look at the Dragon King of the Heavenly Demon Organization, who had disappeared carrying the car.

Su Nine Lives: “???”

Was it because he, Su Nine Lives, looked the sort who might bite?

Why did it feel like striking a fist against cotton?

“He ran?” Su asked, bewildered and confused.

“Yeah, hit me and fled,” Zhang Changlin replied gloomily, then added, “Romantic as hell.”

Su Nine Lives’ mouth twitched as he stared at Zhang Changlin. “You call that romantic?”

“Isn’t a man’s idea of romance just fists meeting flesh?” Zhang Changlin stood up, searching for a reason.

“Did your fist ever actually meet his?” Su rolled his eyes, stabbing with the question. As expected, Zhang was still the same prideful captain.

Zhang Changlin didn’t mind, smiling as his white teeth shone from his sooty face. His dream spirit weakened, his aura plummeting, falling straight to rock bottom.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground like an imperial concubine reclined on a couch.

“The aftermath of Lionfire Form hits—my legs are weak, my heart’s tight, and I can’t muster any strength.” Zhang looked pleadingly at Su Nine Lives.

Su dispelled his own special power, gazing at Zhang with helplessness. “Alright, you old rascal.”

“I’ve already notified Little Xi to come. Hang in there.”

Then, as if conjuring magic, Su produced another rose and tucked it between his lips, his brow furrowed in thought and analysis.

“The opponent is undoubtedly a dream demon comparable to a Dreamcaster of Crossing City level, and a Dragon King-tier powerhouse from the Heavenly Demon Organization.”

“With such strength, the only one in Jiangling who could possibly restrain him would be Chairman Tang Nai.”

“Is he wary of Chairman Tang Nai?” Su began to ponder.

Du Fang jogged over, his face full of admiration and awe as he looked at Su Nine Lives.

“Brother Su, you’re amazing! You actually scared him off with a single move!”

Du Fang offered a flattering remark.

Su Nine Lives broke into a dazzling, fluttering laugh. “Little Du, that’s the Dragon King of the Heavenly Demon Organization—we’re not talking about someone who’d flee in terror from me, carrying a car in the dead of night.”

“Then why did he run?” Du Fang asked, perplexed.

Su continued to smile, dazzling as ever. But the laughter began to falter, and soon he couldn’t keep it up.

He stared at Du Fang, then glanced at the direction the elderly man had fled, hauling the car.

And in his heart... a bold idea surfaced.

Could it be that the Dragon King was scared off by Du Fang?

Su Nine Lives was self-aware enough—if it wasn’t him, it certainly wasn’t Old Zhang. After all, everyone else was showing off, but only Zhang was getting beaten up.

The only one left at the scene was Du Fang.

Su’s gaze became strangely intense, connecting dots in his mind: the inexplicable defeat of the double dream disaster earlier, Du Fang’s formidable strength when he pummeled Old Zhang...

Perhaps Du Fang was harboring a great secret!

Unfortunately, Su had never witnessed Du Fang in action himself, and so could not unmask him. As a teammate, Su chose not to probe Du Fang’s secret—peering into privacy and secrets was not what comrades should do. After all, who doesn’t have secrets?

Even Su Nine Lives himself held bigger secrets.

The battle on the long street came to an end.

The Dragon King of the Heavenly Demon Organization’s escape with a car in the dead of night marked the conclusion.

With the wail of sirens, officers from the Jiangling City Police Department swiftly arrived, cordoning off the scene and driving away crowds of news reporters.

Chen Xi, Si Nan, and Zhao Lu hurried over as well.

“Captain Zhang, we’re here—and we brought the wheelchair!” Chen Xi said, rushing forward.

She retrieved a folding wheelchair from the heavy motorcycle, skillfully opened it, and helped Zhang Changlin into the seat.

On the wheelchair, festive lights flickered—twinkling, shimmering, accompanied by a crisp and familiar tune:

“We’ll learn to meow like cats together, meow-meow-meow-meow, act coy in front of you, oh meow-meow-meow-meow...”

Zhang Changlin’s face darkened.

“What’s with these lights?” he demanded. “And... doesn’t this children’s song make me look like a fool?”

He turned to Su Nine Lives and shouted.

Su twisted his waist. “I just didn’t want you to get lonely. I had the wheelchair specially modified, and I even sang the song myself so you could hear my voice.”

“As for the song... Little Lin, listen carefully. It’s not a children’s song; it’s a pop tune I picked out just for you!”

Su looked at Du Fang. “Little Du, do you think there’s anything wrong with the song?”

Du Fang glanced at Luo Luo, who was squatting beside the wheelchair, eyes shining, swaying to the music, and couldn’t help but smile gently.

“This children’s song is perfect.”

Su paused, turned away in mock pride, and hummed, refusing to accept the compliment.

“Little Xi, push the captain—let’s go home.”

Su Nine Lives put his hands on his hips, turned, and ignored Zhang Changlin’s protests.

Zhang’s face grew darker by the second.

In the distance, a swarm of reporters carrying cameras, like cats smelling fish, all pointed their lenses at the wheelchair-bound Zhang Changlin.

“Quick! Get a close-up of Captain Zhang!”

“According to the Dreamcaster Association, a dream demon appeared on the street just now, comparable to a Dreamcaster of Crossing City level. Captain Zhang was gravely injured—clearly in battle with the demon!”

“Captain Zhang, truly the ace of Wildfire! Has he reached Dreamcaster-level combat power?!”

“Captain Zhang forever!”

“Looks like Captain Zhang went to the Foot Bath City, then encountered the dream demon... Wait, Foot Bath City?!”

“Take the shot, quick! Get a close-up of Captain Zhang’s face—tomorrow’s headline: Wildfire Captain Zhang Changlin sheds blood at Foot Bath City!”

The reporters were as hyper as if injected with adrenaline.

Even the vigilant guards could barely stem their enthusiasm, and soon cameras were shoved into the face of Zhang Changlin, who wore a bathrobe and a blackened expression.

Zhang’s face changed dramatically, and he shrieked in a voice that cracked.

“Don’t film my face!”

...

...

Tonight’s live combat training ended perfectly.

When Du Fang, satisfied, returned home from the Dreamcaster Tower, it was already three in the morning.

Luo Luo, as always, was full of energy.

Du Fang took a hot shower, lounged on the sofa, feeling utterly refreshed.

Little Pig Qiqi sat quietly, her two trotters pounding Du Fang’s back, the force even and just right, one heavy, two light, the rhythm steady.

“Moo, moo...” Little Pig Qiqi pounded away, her voice fawning and ingratiating, as if asking,

Master, does it feel good?

The hand of his wife gently kneaded Du Fang’s shoulder.

Du Fang closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

“Daddy, Luo Luo can’t sleep, wants to watch TV,” Luo Luo squatted in front of the television, turned to Du Fang, and spoke.

Du Fang opened his eyes, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV.

He handed the remote to Luo Luo.

“Pick whatever you want to watch.”

Luo Luo nodded vigorously, then sat obediently in front of the TV, selecting shows.

Soon, she found the program she wanted.

At three in the morning, Du Fang enjoyed Little Pig Qiqi’s back massage and his wife’s shoulder rub, opened his eyes and glimpsed his six-year-old daughter, sitting before the TV, watching a movie called “Mountain Corpse” and laughing gleefully.

Du Fang closed his eyes again, feeling that in this moment, time and life were exceptionally tranquil. The warmth of family was overwhelming.

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