There was nothing else Baili Weisheng feared!

But sound-killing! That, even Baili Weisheng couldn’t withstand. Back on Liuxian Island, he’d hidden on a rooftop and experienced it once before — though he’d managed to endure it that time, this time was completely different!

That time, it had been just one zither played by Xuanyuan Lige alone — this time, it was thousands of zithers at once!

Never mind what melody or tune they were playing — the sheer intensity of the volume alone was enough to overwhelm every organ in their bodies!

If he’d known this would happen, he should have just kept ambushing from hiding, never showing his face at all!

“Run!”

Baili Weisheng shouted, turning and scooping Xiong Xiaobao into his arms as he fled.

Baili Xiaosheng stamped her foot furiously. “Master, what about me! What about me!”

“Idiot, meet at the usual spot!” Baili Weisheng called back as he ran.

Xiong Xiaobao, held tightly in Baili Weisheng’s arms, was protected with a fierceness that rivaled even his own parents!

Xiong Xiaobao was deeply moved, thinking to himself that aside from Daddy and Mommy, Uncle Scholar cared for him the most!

But just as he was thinking this, Baili Weisheng suddenly stopped dead in his tracks!

Startled, Xiong Xiaobao poked his little head out from Baili Weisheng’s arms to look, and immediately gasped in shock — they were surrounded on all sides by a ring of sound-killing soldiers!

Each one held an ancient zither, their faces fierce and menacing, like heavenly guardian kings wielding pipa instruments.

And Xuanyuan Lige stood right behind them, likewise holding zither strings in hand, his perpetually pale face now darkened in a way impossible to describe.

“Uncle Scholar, maybe… you should just let me go,” Xiong Xiaobao said timidly. He’d suddenly realized that fleeing alongside Baili Xiaosheng might have been the safer bet.

But Baili Weisheng said, “Let you go, and I’ll die even faster!”

Before Xiong Xiaobao could react, Baili Weisheng shouted at Xuanyuan Lige, “The child is innocent!”

“Let him go,” Xuanyuan Lige said coldly. If not for Xiong Xiaobao’s presence, he would already have trapped Baili Weisheng within a sound-killing illusion.

Huh… Xiong Xiaobao suddenly realized something — this Xuanyuan Lige really did seem to treat him differently.

Why was that?

He seemed to have some connection to his mother — but even so, given the current circumstances, whatever connection there might be surely wouldn’t count for much now!

Mommy was already furious enough to want to kill him!

Thinking this over, Xiong Xiaobao decided not to worry about it further and immediately wrapped both arms around Baili Weisheng’s neck, adopting a resolute, never-let-go stance — yet whispered quietly into Baili Weisheng’s ear, “Uncle Scholar, promise me that once you find the isolated island, you’ll let me come with you, or I’ll let go right now!”

If not now, when else would he have the leverage to make demands?

Xiong Xiaobao had always been a kind-hearted child, but he’d never been a fool either.

The thing that worried him most was the thought of growing up trapped in the palace by his daddy and mommy.

He had no interest whatsoever in being some crown prince, no interest in inheriting the throne!

He wanted to roam the martial world, defeat every rival under heaven, and collect every rare and wondrous beast in existence.

He’d already discussed this very matter privately with Baili Weisheng more than once — he knew that aside from this man, no one else could possibly help him with it.

“Who taught you to take advantage of a crisis like this?” Baili Weisheng muttered through gritted teeth.

“You did,” Xiong Xiaobao said very seriously.

“Apart from that condition, I’ll agree to anything else,” Baili Weisheng said in a low voice — he could tell without even thinking that Jun Beiyue would surely put his son on the throne one day, and abducting the heir to Da Zhou’s throne was a crime he was in no position to bear.

To his surprise, Xiong Xiaobao, having clearly inherited his parents’ straightforward ways, didn’t waste a single word and immediately let go!

“I’ll agree!” Baili Weisheng nearly shouted out loud in panic!

Only then did Xiong Xiaobao give him another great big hug. “Deal! Whoever breaks it is a dog!”

From a distance, the two of them, one grown and one small, looked just like father and son, incredibly close.

Xuanyuan Lige didn’t spare Baili Weisheng so much as a glance, his gaze fixed entirely on Xiong Xiaobao throughout.

Watching Xiong Xiaobao cling tightly to Baili Weisheng, his little head nestled against his shoulder, acting sweetly spoiled; watching Xiong Xiaobao whisper secrets close against his ear; watching Xiong Xiaobao’s shy, stifled giggles, that bright, unclouded smile so achingly similar to Ziqing’s; watching Xiong Xiaobao lift his head to look back at him, those dark, deep eyes so pure and innocent, yet resolute, as though warning him — don’t you dare harm Baili Weisheng, don’t you dare harm my family.

An inexplicable ache rose in his chest without warning, and Xuanyuan Lige instinctively avoided Xiong Xiaobao’s gaze, saying coldly, “Pass the order — continue forward.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Soon, the sound-killing army swiftly formed ranks, setting off toward Xichu’s capital.

Once they were far away, Baili Weisheng finally released his hold on Xiong Xiaobao, asking suspiciously, “Uncle Scholar, what exactly is his relationship with my mommy…”

“Why does a little kid need to know so much?” Baili Weisheng, having dropped his usual playful demeanor, glanced at the sky and murmured to himself, “Stalled for half a day — that was too close!”

“Can you really not beat him?” Xiong Xiaobao asked, suspicious.

“His sound-killing technique keeps getting more and more terrifying — even without the blood zither, he can still…” Baili Weisheng said, a flicker of complicated emotion crossing his eyes before quickly returning to his usual carefree demeanor, laughing, “I can’t kill him, and he can’t kill me either. Your daddy’s assignment is truly a difficult one to pull off.”

Xiong Xiaobao immediately rolled his eyes. “My daddy told you to lead the three Tiger Armies to block him — who told you to know everything except how to actually command troops!”

Baili Weisheng indeed had no talent for commanding armies; he was thoroughly sick of the three Tiger Generals and all their military advisors.

He could only rely on his own methods to hold Xuanyuan Lige back!

“It’s your daddy who’s ruthless enough not to let him set foot in Xichu’s capital!” Baili Weisheng shot back, rolling his eyes, hoisting Xiong Xiaobao up higher by the bottom and calling for Baili Xiaosheng to come lead the way.

He’d calculated the timing carefully — stalling for this half a day meant they could now head straight for Xichu’s capital to wait.

Jun Beiyue and Ziqing should be arriving soon too.

“Uncle Scholar, tell me about that man’s relationship with my mommy.” Xiong Xiaobao pressed, very seriously.

Baili Weisheng pretended not to hear a word. Xiong Xiaobao pouted, warning him, “If you won’t tell me, I’ll go ask my daddy myself, and I’ll tell him you told me to ask.”

Baili Weisheng’s arms went weak, nearly dropping Xiong Xiaobao!

Ask his father? That would never do!

Utterly helpless, Baili Weisheng abruptly hoisted Xiong Xiaobao up and slung him over his shoulder, head hanging down, facing Baili Xiaosheng trailing behind them. “Baili Xiaosheng, you tell him!”

Baili Xiaosheng crossed her arms calmly, walking along unbothered. “Xuanyuan Lige is in love with your mother. Your mother isn’t in love with him. That’s all there is to it.”

Xiong Xiaobao drew a sharp breath. “That’s so complicated!”

While Baili Weisheng and the others headed toward Xichu’s capital, Xuanyuan Lige was heading there too — merely by the same road.

But just as Xuanyuan Lige arrived at the outskirts of Xichu’s capital, set up camp, and prepared to lay siege, an old man appeared before the military camp.

“Who are you? Don’t you know this is a restricted military zone? Get out of here at once, or…”

Before the guard could finish, the old man said calmly, “Kindly inform the crown prince that his master has come to deliver medicine.”