Xiao Hongchen was stunned—completely frozen in place.
"Uncle."
That one simple word carried far too much weight. He couldn't process it for a moment.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, the Auspicious Beast, and Meng Hongchen—who were still walking ahead, hand in hand—were all doing their best to hold back laughter as they strolled forward leisurely. After a while, Huo Yuhao turned his head with a composed expression, glancing back at the dumbstruck Xiao Hongchen with a "surprised" look.
"Senior Xiao?"
No response.
Huo Yuhao exchanged a knowing look with Meng Hongchen, and the two smiled in sync.
"Okay, maybe the joke went a bit too far."
He released the Auspicious Beast's hand and walked over to Xiao Hongchen. After calling "Senior Xiao" once more, Xiao Hongchen finally snapped out of his daze.
"Huh?"
Before Huo Yuhao could say anything, Xiao Hongchen launched into a rapid-fire string of words with a panicked expression.
"Uncle? Me? A little girl? No—wait, I get that you two are a couple now, but this kid—huh? No way, that's not possible, right?"
Huo Yuhao's head started to throb from the barrage of questions. He made a "stop" gesture and gave an apologetic smile.
"Uh, Senior Xiao, I know you're panicking, but give me a second. Let me explain first."
Then came a long explanation from Huo Yuhao, finally making the shell-shocked Xiao Hongchen understand one critical fact—Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen did not have a child together.
Of course, the confusion had all started from hearing the word "uncle." Xiao Hongchen hadn't stopped to consider how the Auspicious Beast's apparent age made it impossible for her to be their child.
He looked at the Auspicious Beast, then at Meng Hongchen, then sighed and gave a self-deprecating chuckle. 'Yeah... I really overthought that one.'
Still, he gave Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen a glare that clearly said, You two plotted this together, didn't you, you evil couple?
Soon after, the group resumed walking. Xiao Hongchen, still full of questions, turned to the Auspicious Beast.
"So, who exactly is this young lady?"
The Auspicious Beast instantly perked up.
"Hahaha! Great question! I am the one and only—mmph!"
Huo Yuhao swiftly covered her mouth and said calmly,
"She's a girl with a... special background. We picked her up along the way. She lost her home, so we brought her along."
His explanation was vague at best, leaving Xiao Hongchen completely puzzled. But he just nodded without asking further. After all, it wasn't his business.
Once Huo Yuhao let go, the Auspicious Beast shot him an annoyed glare and stuck out her tongue, but didn't argue. She knew that keeping her identity a secret from most humans was a good thing. If not for the trust she had in Huo Yuhao, she wouldn't have said anything to begin with—her usual temperament was far more cautious.
"Nice to meet you, big brother~ You can call me Xiao Rui. Sorry for the prank just now."
Xiao Hongchen glanced at her face—pure innocence and cuteness written all over it—and his previously sour mood disappeared in an instant. He put on what he thought was a charming smile and replied,
"Haha, it's fine, it's fine. Nice to meet you, Xiao Rui."
Meng Hongchen deliberately turned away and made a gagging motion. Naturally, Xiao Hongchen noticed, and just like that, the brother-sister bickering resumed—just like old times.
Huo Yuhao smiled, watching them argue lightheartedly. A warm, familial happiness bloomed in his heart as they continued walking.
By now, it was midday. The four of them, led by Xiao Hongchen, made their way to the most renowned restaurant in Shrek City for a proper meal.
Shrek City, home of the Shrek Academy, radiated the Academy's influence in every corner—especially in this famous restaurant called the "Sea God Hall." The moment they stepped in, Huo Yuhao felt a wave of nausea. As everyone knew, Shrek Academy = Sea God Tang San = Tang Sect.
Right at the entrance stood a large statue of the legendary Sea God Tang San. At the sight of it, Huo Yuhao shivered with disgust.
But Meng Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen, and the Auspicious Beast didn't share his reaction. They were all quite intrigued by the statue and the stories associated with it. With Xiao Hongchen explaining the glorified legends of Tang San he'd learned during his time at Shrek Academy, both girls listened attentively.
It made sense. Unlike Huo Yuhao, who knew the real story of Douluo Dalu, the others had no idea about Tang San's darker history. In the end, history is written by the victors—and this was Shrek City, Tang San's territory. To avoid suspicion, Huo Yuhao stayed quiet and didn't correct any of the embellished tales. Fortunately, Meng Hongchen and the Auspicious Beast weren't blind worshippers; they were just curious.
To be fair, the food at the Sea God Hall was excellent. Even Huo Yuhao's aversion to the restaurant's namesake was temporarily eased by the flavors.
Having finally reunited with two of his closest friends and family members, Xiao Hongchen was in high spirits and eager to drink. Not halfway through the meal, he had already downed several bottles of strong liquor.
If it were the Huo Yuhao from his past life, he would've probably advised Xiao Hongchen to slow down. But in this world, alcohol wasn't a big deal to soul masters. A little soul power and the alcohol would be gone in moments. So he said nothing. After being away from home for so long, Xiao Hongchen deserved to let loose.
Of course, Xiao Hongchen wasn't using soul power to dispel the alcohol, so his face had turned red, and his eyes were already a little unfocused.
"Come on, Yuhao! Let's drink!"
He opened another bottle, filled both his and Huo Yuhao's cups, and they clinked glasses before draining them in one gulp.
As for Meng Hongchen, she was banned from drinking—she'd fall asleep after one sip. Huo Yuhao knew her well, and so did Xiao Hongchen. Neither objected.
The Auspicious Beast? Technically speaking, with her Golden Dragon King bloodline, she could probably drink Huo Yuhao and Xiao Hongchen under the table. But—she was still a "kid." No alcohol allowed.
Not that she cared. She wasn't interested in drinking. What truly held her attention was the feast spread out on the table. From the moment they sat down, she had been happily devouring everything within reach.
(End of Chapter)
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