Chapter 158: Brothers Are the Pillars! No Need to Fear!

Upon learning that his second son had also been replaced, and by none other than the young master of the Jingcheng General’s Estate, Bai Tian had only one thought in his mind.

“Do you think this General’s Estate won’t end up being too powerful and get wiped out¹?”

Jiang Dai: …

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Bai Tian, however, furrowed his brow slightly and said seriously, “Throughout the five thousand years of history, this has always been the case. Every dynasty has faced this issue. It’s a very objective problem.”

The logic was sound, and Jiang Dai gave it some thought.

“Right now, the Mu Family Army is strong and loyal, praised by all. However, with the Northern Barbarians and the Di Nation eyeing us covetously, as we’re about to go to war, they probably won’t make any sudden moves.”

Though she wasn’t a ruler or a general, as Bai Tian said, history was not learned in vain. The examples of so many dynasties were clearly laid out before them, and they had to be cautious.

Bai Tian nodded, acknowledging that her analysis wasn’t without merit.

Jiang Dai sighed, showing a hint of weariness. “But this issue is somewhat distant for now. What we should be worried about is something else!”

Bai Tian: “What is it?”

“It’s not getting killed by those Northern Barbarians’ spies!”

The blunt truth left Bai Tian silent.

Outside, the eldest and third sons, who were eavesdropping on their parents’ conversation, also fell silent.

This was a bit too realistic.

【I could take someone out, but the problem is, it’s not easy to go out now, especially with our parents being suspicious. It’s best to stay home and hope no one reckless comes along.】

Juanjuan looked up at the voice of her Eldest Brother in her mind.

She felt once again the thrill her third brother had described.

It’s wonderful to have Eldest Brother and Third Brother around; no one would dare bully their family.

From initially fearing her brothers, to gradually getting to know them, and now subtly seeing them as her support, this change had happened so naturally that even Juanjuan hadn’t noticed it, like snow melting in winter, completing itself without realizing it.

Bai Yun’an raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the little one beside him who was smiling serenely.

So small, smiling quietly, gentle and soft, like a cloud in the sky, seemingly bouncy to the touch, making one want to playfully squeeze.

【What’s this little girl smiling about? So content.】

Juanjuan, still smiling, looked up at Bai Yun’an with bright, bewildered eyes.

Bai Yun’an: …

Who could resist this? It felt no different from having his own child.

Suddenly getting her face pinched by her brother, Juanjuan was confused: ???

“Wha-what are you doing…”

The child’s speech was unclear.

Bai Yun’an’s smile deepened; playing with the little one was indeed entertaining.

【Mother did say something right not long ago, that having children is for fun!】

Juanjuan: …

That’s something you don’t need to learn from mother!!!

Being cuddled and kissed by mother every night was already enough for the child.

…

As dawn broke, the early-rising townsfolk saw new notices posted throughout the streets.

“Oh, this one’s quite handsome.”

“So what if he’s handsome? He’s still a big villain, wanted and all.”

“Twenty taels of silver, that’s a lot! Better keep an eye out today!”

The crowd grew larger. In the monotonous daily life, this sudden notice became a delightful surprise, especially with the bounty of twenty taels!

Twenty taels!

In a corner, a man leaned against the street wall, looking distantly at the notice.

The man beside him spoke up, “They’re underestimating you! How can an adult be worth only twenty taels?”

“Twenty taels, that’s flattering!”

Bei Lanfeng closed his folding fan, smiling as he explained, “They don’t dare put up a bounty of ten thousand taels for me, especially in this small Taoyuan County. Twenty taels, with this moderate crime, makes everyone dare to look for me.”

“But if it were ten thousand taels, some people wouldn’t take it seriously, some would be intimidated, and most importantly…”

Bei Lanfeng’s gaze fell on the portrait. “Can Taoyuan County’s Li Zhiyuan even afford ten thousand taels?”

With a couple of light taps of the fan in his palm, Bei Lanfeng thoughtfully looked in the direction of the Bai Family.

“This Bai Family is quite interesting, able to corner six Dark Guards² to death. Mu Hu couldn’t have done it alone. Gather the manpower and await my orders.”

“Also, have someone investigate this family’s background. It’s intriguing.”

With a snap, he opened the fan and leisurely strolled through the crowd, even stopping in front of the notice board to take a closer look.

It was a face completely different from the one on the portrait, flamboyant and striking, lacking any scholarly air. At first glance, it was stunning, but upon closer inspection, the face wasn’t truly handsome.

It made one realize how crucial demeanor and subtle expressions are.

Patrolling officers on the street passed by without noticing anything unusual.

Bei Lanfeng regretfully shook his fan as he walked away.

After just a few steps, Bei Lanfeng sidestepped, but a rushing child still bumped into his shoulder.

“Ouch!”

Accompanied by a childish yelp, Bei Lanfeng looked down at his feet.

It was a familiar-looking child; he had a good memory.

Not to mention, he had locked eyes with this child the first time he went to Zhenxiu Restaurant.

“Sorry, sorry.”

The child, flustered, knowing he had run too fast, quickly apologized, glanced at him timidly, and then dashed off.

“That seems to be a Bai Family child.”

The man beside him spoke.

Bei Lanfeng raised an eyebrow, turned to look, but the child had already disappeared.

“No wonder they call him a little rascal… he really runs fast.”

With a slight smile, Bei Lanfeng’s expression suddenly turned cold.

“Investigate quickly. Find out everything about their neighbors, relatives, and what they’ve done.”

As Bai Yun’an ran past, the panic on his face vanished, replaced by calmness.

He leisurely yawned.

Bai Yun’an glanced at his palm, then at the Favorability Points, which had frozen at 30, leaving only 40, and sighed slightly.

Recently, he had been spending a lot of Favorability Points, but fortunately, Juanjuan was doing well, and the Favorability Points were steadily increasing.

Moreover, life at home had improved. Occasionally, when he craved something, he used the snacks stored in his Spatial Storage, which didn’t consume much on a daily basis.

Now, he just hoped Eldest Brother could lend a hand.

He had already locked his aura onto Bei Lanfeng, like leaving a balloon with a supernatural wave on Bei Lanfeng. At his command, the balloon would burst.

Bei Lanfeng would then emit a strong supernatural wave, and at that moment, Eldest Brother should be able to rush out and handle him!

After all, Eldest Brother seemed very sensitive to his supernatural waves.

Watching the big yellow dog leisurely strolling past, Bai Yun’an couldn’t help but smile.

Quite similar.

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Translator’s Notes

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1. too powerful and get wiped out: This refers to the historical idiom ‘gong gao gai zhu’ (achievements surpassing the monarch). In Chinese history and literature, a general whose military success makes them more popular or powerful than the Emperor is often seen as a threat to the throne, frequently leading to the execution of their entire clan to prevent rebellion. ↩
2. Dark Guards: In the context of historical and cultivation fiction, ‘an wei’ (Dark Guards or Hidden Guards) are elite, secret warriors or assassins trained by powerful families or the state to perform covert operations, protection, and espionage. ↩