Chapter 228 - 181: Is This the Legendary "Got a Woman, Forgot Your Dad"?

Huo Shenming frowned, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.

"To be honest, Elder, I’ve only heard about that woman. I’ve never actually met her. Ah Yao is so protective of her that he won’t let anyone see her..."

’So how am I supposed to know about her background or if she has a clean record?’

’I don’t even know what she looks like.’

"This won’t do. The Young Master may be a prodigy, but he’s still young and susceptible to a beautiful face. What if that woman has ulterior motives? What will we do then?"

The Elder’s words made perfect sense, striking a chord deep within Huo Shenming.

He looked to the Elder for guidance with an earnest expression.

"Then what do you suggest, Elder?"

’Force our way in? Even with all of us combined, we couldn’t beat that boy now. That’s definitely not going to work.’

’As for the soft approach... that boy is completely smitten right now. He won’t listen to reason; his mind is completely occupied with that woman.’

Huo Shenming had been stewing over this for two whole days. He was only letting his son have his way because he was at his wit’s end.

"I don’t have any brilliant ideas either," the Elder said. "How about this, Clan Head? Find a couple of sharp girls and send them to the Young Master. Say they’re there to personally attend to the woman, to be her handmaidens."

"With someone watching her at all times, we might be able to uncover her background. Alternatively, you could use a military order to transfer the Young Master away. That would give us the opportunity to question her."

The Elder had racked his brain for half a day, and these two less-than-brilliant ideas were all he could come up with.

After listening, Huo Shenming frowned in thought for a moment before saying, "The second option... is not ideal."

’As for why... Ah Yao has finally found a woman he cares for after all this time, and he even brought her back. If I were to use a military order to send him away just to interrogate her...’

’When Ah Yao finds out, he’ll surely resent me, and it will create another rift between us.’

’After so many years, my relationship with Ah Yao has finally started to mend. He’s actually willing to acknowledge me as his father. I can’t let our hard-won bond go right back to square one over this.’

"The first idea is a good one, though. I’ll go find two sharp girls and send them to Ah Yao. I’ll be sending them specifically to wait on the woman. Ah Yao might even be pleased."

Having made his decision, Huo Shenming hastily bid the two Elders farewell and left the warship.

The first group of rescued women had already been sent back to the Empire.

But they had rescued many more in recent days, so there was no shortage of women in the legion for the time being.

The thought filled Huo Shenming with rage. There were already not enough women to go around within the Empire, yet these detestable bandits and criminals were still abducting them on such a massive scale.

’These criminals have snatched up so many,’ he thought. ’They’re so "rich" that two or three of them can share a single woman. They’re wealthier than I am.’

As soon as he stepped off the ship, a subordinate came forward to await his orders.

Huo Shenming frowned. "Go to the resettlement area and pick out two clever girls for me. Remember, the sharper the better, and the younger the better."

"Yes, sir."

The subordinate accepted the order and left.

Several hours later, Huo Shenming was leading two teenage girls toward Jun Yao’s warship, number 0002.

Along the way, his face was grim. "Have you remembered the task I gave you?" he asked, his voice stern and imposing.

The two girls kept their heads bowed, nodding quickly in response.

"Good. As long as you remember. Do this well, and I will reward you handsomely. But if you let Ah Yao see through your purpose... humph. Then I will not be lenient."

With the warning delivered, the three of them arrived outside the warship.

The soldiers on duty immediately saluted Huo Shenming.

Huo Shenming grunted in acknowledgment. "Has the Commander made an appearance today?"

The soldier on duty quickly shook his head.

"He has not, Marshal."

Huo Shenming’s frown deepened. ’That boy... just how long does he plan to stay holed up in there?’

’He hasn’t come out for two days. He’s skipped training, missed meetings... This is a military encampment, and he’s treating it like a game. If this continues, isn’t he worried his subordinates will start to gossip?’

"Go knock on the hatch."

"Yes, sir."

The warship’s hatch was knocked upon, but there was no response from within, as if no one had heard.

Huo Shenming felt a headache coming on and sighed in exasperation.

He switched on his communicator and sent a priority voice command.

"If you don’t want me to call the comms department to force this hatch, you’ll get your ass over here and open it right now! I’m giving you one minute. If this hatch isn’t open in one minute, then I’ll have no choice but to force it open myself."

’This rotten kid... It’s one thing for him to disrespect me in private; I can’t be bothered to argue with him about it.’

’But to disrespect me in front of all these soldiers on duty? How can I maintain my dignity as Marshal?’

There was no reply on the communicator, but half a minute later, with a heavy CREAK, the warship’s hatch slid open.

A tall man with snow-white hair appeared in the doorway, his expression blank as he looked at him.

"What is it?"

"’What is it?’ You have the nerve to ask?"

Huo Shenming glared, about to roar, but then he remembered the surrounding soldiers and lowered his voice a few notches.

’Whatever. The boy won’t give me any face in public, but as his father, I can’t do the same to him.’

"Move. I’m coming in. We’ll talk inside."

"It’s not a good time. Say what you need to say out here. They can’t hear us."

With a mere thought from Jun Yao, a Barrier descended, isolating them from everyone nearby.

Huo Shenming was speechless.

’Damn it, is this what they mean by ’once you have a woman, you forget your own father’?’

’Now he won’t even let me inside the warship?’

’This ship has six bedrooms and a living hall, not to mention several treasure vaults, supply rooms, a study, and storage areas... It’s thousands of square meters, and now there’s not even a place for me to set foot?’

’Whatever. I didn’t come here to get angry. I need to focus on the matter at hand.’

"I heard you brought a woman back. What, am I not even allowed to meet her? Do you plan to keep her hidden away forever?"

’Could it be that there’s really a problem with her identity?’

Huo Shenming was burning with curiosity, the itch to know more almost unbearable.

"I have this matter under control. Father, if there’s nothing else, you should head back."

Jun Yao spoke with a detached expression, his voice laced with exhaustion.

Only then did Huo Shenming notice the dark circles under his son’s eyes. They were bloodshot, and his complexion was awful. He looked completely exhausted, as if he hadn’t rested in a very long time.

’What’s going on here?’

’The boy’s Cultivation is even higher than my own. How could he possibly be this exhausted?’

’Could it be... he’s spent the last two days battling it out in bed?’

’Tsk. For that long? Even with his abundant vital essence, no one could withstand that kind of overindulgence!’

"Ahem. Ah Yao, even if you’re young and virile, you can’t be too indulgent. You need to show some restraint with... that sort of thing. Otherwise, even a body forged from iron will be drained dry."

Hearing this, Jun Yao’s handsome face darkened several shades.

"I just haven’t slept in several days. Where did your mind even go? At your age, how can you still be so improper?"

Huo Shenming’s eyes widened, and for a second, he felt his world come crashing down.

’What?’

’At my age?’

’I’m only in my early forties! With my Cultivation as a Half-step Ultimate Venerable, I’m in the prime of my life! How is that old?!’