That tone, uttered so naturally, was a little angry and puffed-up.
Amos’s movements paused for a brief moment.
Chu Zao also stopped for an instant, tilting his head slightly to observe Amos’s expression.
Perhaps it had something to do with his childhood environment.
He was always so cautious when interacting with others.
At the slightest change in emotion, he would watch the other’s attitude.
Because of this, the little one came across as a bit stiff and well-behaved when getting along with people—though certainly adorable, Amos didn’t really think this was a good thing.
But right now—
Amos narrowed his eyes gently, meeting the gaze of the little one who’d turned to look at him, and let out a soft laugh.
“Aren’t you getting pretty skilled at calling me that?”
Chu Zao blinked his eyes.
His wings shrank in a little self-conscious embarrassment—
But the next second, his wing was patted by Amos.
“Relax—”
Like a parent smoothing out a little one’s shyness, urging him to be more confident.
The pat made Zao Zao let out a little yelp, but his wings obediently relaxed again. He looked back at Amos with a slightly aggrieved gaze—“Dad.”
He spoke earnestly.
This time, there was an obvious softness in his voice.
“I’m not a little kid anymore—”
Chu Zao had emphasized this many times.
But this time, as Amos tidied Chu Zao’s wings, he reached out and patted Chu Zao’s head—
“In a parent’s eyes, a child is always a child—”
“In Grandpa’s eyes, is Dad also a child?”
Chu Zao asked again.
Amos was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.
He then patted Chu Zao’s head once more.
“Listen quietly to your parent’s teachings—”
No interruptions.
“Aw.”
Chu Zao hugged his head and obediently agreed.
He could feel his feathers being slowly straightened one by one by Amos, all the stubbornly tangled ones gently teased smooth with a detangling serum.
Normally in cases like this, Chu Zao would simply pull out those two feathers.
It was the same as when little curly-headed Zao Zao combed his hair and came across an intractable knot—he’d just cut it out, reaching neatness by another route.
The touch behind him was gentle and soft.
It was clear Amos wasn’t used to helping others with their feathers, making him a bit clumsy and awkward, but he must have been used to doing his own—so even handling Chu Zao’s, his work wasn’t too bad, and he only grew more adept as he went on.
When the grooming was done, Chu Zao stood up, shook his now smooth wings that gleamed like silk, and even he was somewhat amazed as he stroked them.
Amos, at last, nodded in satisfaction at his youngling’s completely renewed wings.
All right, comfortable now.
Chu Zao spun around twice, coming over at once.
Amos could distinctly sense that, after all this, Chu Zao was now much closer to him—at least, maybe he could hold his own against Feeney?
Amos wasn’t entirely sure.
After grooming his little wings, Chu Zao quickly set about other preparations, and once finished, he hurried out, glancing at the time.
“Dad, Zao Zao has to go to class.”
The little one was a bit anxious—he’d forgotten the time while having his feathers done.
Teacher Hel was probably almost at the medical center.
“No need to worry.”
Amos said.
“I’ve asked Hel to give you a few more days off. We have other things to do these days.”
What?
Chu Zao blinked.
Amos reached to pat Zao Zao’s head.
He spoke with slight hesitation.
“Your psionic weapon is like Feeney’s, isn’t it? We’ll be heading out soon, it’ll be at most ten days, half a month before we return.”
Actually, at this time, especially with Chu Zao still in a period of learning and training, Amos didn’t want the little one leaving Holy Cas Imperial Star—after all, now the entire Crown Clan possessed tremendous power, able to resolve all problems, ensuring nothing would trouble the younglings.
But since they were about to move on the Angel Realm,
Not letting Chu Zao come along—Amos found that irksome.
Not that he wanted Chu Zao fighting, necessarily.
But Amos and the rest felt—it would be good for Chu Zao to witness with his own eyes the destruction of those damnable angels.
Because there was nothing to fear, his father was truly very strong.
Chu Zao’s eyes widened a little.
Though what he focused on was another topic.
“Dad, do you want to see Zao Zao’s Cupid’s Bow?”
Cupid’s Bow?
Amos hesitated briefly, feeling something subtle about this name.
—After all, Feeney had once said Chu Zao was not strong in combat but was adept at disruption, seeming to be able to fire fairly powerful arrows—though rarely able to use them, most often just providing support for Feeney.
But that didn’t make much sense to them.
With a psionic weapon, how could he lack destructive power?
Yet, now hearing Zao Zao name his weapon,
Amos seemed to vaguely grasp some key point—
But he said nothing and led little Chu Zao downstairs.
There were many in the Dwight Palace who hadn’t slept last night.
Not just Clansis and Amos.
Frey and Anya had just returned from outside—because the Angel Realm was involved, like Amos and Clansis, they too had spent the night working in the ceremonial palace.
Feiman had gone with her grandfather Ebinino to discuss military mobilization, while Solan was arranging various affairs—though her tasks were more scattered.
The whole family had been busy all night.
Except for Zao Zao and Feeney, resting in the healing pod.
Now, with Zao Zao awake and coming downstairs, he glanced up to see the whole Dwight family gathered together.
Upon hearing his movement, they all turned instantly to stare at Chu Zao.
Chu Zao, who had been walking down the stairs at ease, was suddenly targeted by so many gazes, his back stiffened slightly, foot pausing in midair, his clear eyes shifting a little anxiously, somewhat slow—What’s happening, what’s going on?
Why are they all looking at Zao Zao like this?
Did he do something wrong?
His wings were just a little smoother and shinier than before, right?
Chu Zao turned, glanced at his little wings, and looked uncertainly back at everyone.
Clansis, seated on the sofa, gave a light cough.
Only then did all those gazes reluctantly look away.
Solan stood up at once, strode quickly over to the staircase, and suddenly opened her arms, scooping up the thoroughly bewildered Chu Zao.
“…Grandma? What’s wrong?”
Held in her arms, Chu Zao asked hesitantly.
Though he didn’t really understand, he instinctively put out his own arms to hug Solan back.
“It’s nothing.”
Solan said.
“Grandma just finds you far too adorable, I couldn’t resist wanting to hug you.”
Too, too adorable?
Chu Zao’s eyes widened, even the tips of his ears flushing red.
Feiman followed right behind—
Standing just behind Solan.
When Solan let go, Feiman reached out, too—
Compared to Solan, Feiman looked sharper and cooler.
But she smelled just as lovely.
Facing the grandmother and aunt who visited him so often, the little one was clearly relaxed, and reached out instinctively.
Originally he meant to hug Feiman, but found Feiman’s hands cupped his cheeks.
Chu Zao: ?
Feiman planted a big kiss right on Chu Zao’s cheek.
“Little one, you’re too adorable—let auntie give you a kiss!!”
The voice, after much suppression, came out a little—cracked.
A few of the Dwights at the table scrambled to their feet.
Anya banged his knee and grimaced, Frey reached out futilely.
Clansis seemed momentarily stunned, pausing.
Chu Zao, in that instant, stared wide-eyed in shock.
Behind him, Amos reached up to press the head of his out-of-line, lawless little sister.
Amos pushed Feiman away from his child.
“Feiman!”
Solan also reacted, crying out in alarm.
“I held back from giving a kiss—you dare go first ahead of your mother?! Haven’t I taught you to respect your elders and care for the young?!”
Feiman, now pushed onto the couch, sat demurely, looking nothing like the ruthless woman who’d just planted that wild kiss on her nephew.
“Mom, I just remember you telling us in war to strike first.”
Solan: …
Where did all that other knowledge go?!
Infuriating!
What had been a quiet palace instantly turned into a hubbub.
Chu Zao, after a brief hesitation, reached up to touch his cheek.
Then his ears went scarlet, and he stumbled back several steps.
He nearly lost control and turned into a little white fluffball—
But in that overwhelming shock, a golden bow appeared in his grasp, held tightly in his hands.
Anya quickly stepped forward a few paces—
“Well then—”
He wanted one too.
Uncle wanted one too.
Frey silently gave two small coughs, and also stepped forward.
“Nonsense.”
This was Clansis speaking.
Seeing the little one so anxious he actually pulled out his psionic bow and arrow, Clansis too got to his feet.
Maybe there really was some meaning to the saying about closeness between alternate generations.
Or maybe the Crown Clan just found raising such a youngling to be novel and precious.
Clansis too stepped forward.
Trying to demonstrate his authority as a grandfather before the youngling.
“Just one kiss—Brother Amos, I swear it’s only one kiss.”
Anya hastily said.
“Don’t worry, one kiss and he won’t fluff up.”
As Amos listened, looking at the little fellow red-faced and flustered, ready to take flight with his bow, he smiled, not concerned about the little one’s psionic energy at all.
“It’s all right, don’t be afraid, Dad will protect you.”
“Dad—”
Why are you joining in too?
The little curly-haired one, just kissed fiercely by aunt, quivered and looked up at Amos.
Then Amos took his hand and lifted it.
Amos thought, not too responsibly—after all, Feeney had already said as much, so there was no need to go to the training ground to test. With so many Crown Clan members, could none manage a single psionic arrow?
Just try it right here then.
“Give your uncle an arrow, let him learn a lesson—”
“Eh?”
Chu Zao stared at Amos.
He was led by Amos to draw the bow.
“It’s fine, he probably won’t even scratch.”
Amos said casually.
“Hey hey hey—Second Brother, maybe so, but don’t teach Zao Zao these bad habits—”
Anya rotated his neck, laughing.
“But actually, I haven’t really seen you use your psionic weapon—wasn’t this all going to be tested anyway?”
But on this trip, the youngling wouldn’t really have to do much.
So there was no need to worry so much about testing.
And besides, Chu Zao himself was special, his psionic power unique, and still growing—if the score didn’t look good, would the little one cry in secret?
He was heartbreaking enough when he cried. Anya remembered that pitiable little ball from last night.
He squinted slightly. Most of those present were of a similar mind.
They’d check briefly, and any further training could wait a bit.
Chu Zao took it in for a second—he hadn’t expected things to escalate from a kiss to this.
“But it really won’t hurt—”
Chu Zao considered—ah, Dad wanted to see his Cupid’s Bow.
Dad wanted to witness love and peace.
Late-coming Feeney appeared at the top of the stairs, yawning as he looked down—only to see Chu Zao readying his bow.
The golden arrow was already loosed.
Feeney’s expression changed, and then, struck by conscience, called out, “Zao Zao’s arrow is special—if you don’t want to look foolish, you’d better dodge—”
Even though Feeney felt he barely had a conscience to begin with, it had been a while since he’d seen his family.
At this moment, Feeney was genuinely fond of his family.
Feeney’s words made Anya shrink back, just as he was sensing Chu Zao’s psionic arrow—it was far too slow for a Crown Clan, the force weak, so faint, with barely any offensive power.
Its brilliance was golden, just stirring a faint breath of wind.
Anya was thinking this when, just about to reach out to catch it, Feeney’s shout made him dodge instantly—
After getting burned enough times by Feeney, one learned—anything that could rattle Feeney like this can’t be good.
Anya dodged.
Frey, hearing Feeney’s remark, dodged too.
They did so with a clear conscience—after all, there was Clansis to catch it if needed.
Solan stood beside Clansis.
She heard Clansis “tsk” softly in displeasure at being the one always left to clean up these brats’ messes—
Clansis reached out and caught the golden arrow—
The light stopped instantly, but instead of being crushed as Clansis expected, it seemed to slide straight into his fingertips, merging into his body—
Eh?
Clansis paused, not really understanding what had happened.
When his hand touched Chu Zao’s arrow, the psionic force merged incredibly fast.
And a strange sensation started to spread.
A peculiar feeling rose, and Clansis instinctively closed his eyes to resist.
Solan leaned in, asking,
“Clansis? Are you all right? Is something wrong?”
Several other Crown Clan members who’d dodged the arrow all craned their necks to look.
Feeney—watching the fun from upstairs—was also peering down—
“I told you, Zao Zao was only ever trained in love and peace—”
Well, the damage was done, and Feeney was barely hiding his schadenfreude.
But he only now realized—they’d never really paid attention to the nature of Zao Zao’s psionic power—or rather, Zao Zao’s personality had just confused them greatly.
Love and peace?
Didn’t that mean he’d been raised to be soft?
No worries—they could always re-educate him later, get him back on track.
But very clearly, that wasn’t the case.
“What do you mean?”
Feiman, draped over the back of the sofa, watched them, her confusion clear as she turned toward Feeney’s voice.
“Love and peace—literally, my dear siblings.”
Feeney smiled.
What?
Solan hadn’t made the connection, but Clansis opened his eyes—his gaze momentarily unfocused before landing on Solan’s face.
Zao Zao still gripped his little bow, his tiny wings folding nervously.
He edged uneasily behind Amos.
“Dad, Dad—”
He called.
Very seriously.
“You told Zao Zao to try it.”
It wasn’t Zao Zao’s fault, you know.
And then the Crown Clan finally understood what “love and peace” quite literally meant.
Clansis’s gaze suddenly burned, as he took Solan’s chin in hand.
Solan froze.
“Darling—”
Clansis abruptly smiled.
“You are incredibly beautiful today—I can’t help but want to drown in your gaze—are you captivated by me too?”
Solan shivered, apparently a little disgusted.
The stern, cold, demanding Emperor Clansis suddenly lowered his head, not caring where they were, and kissed her.
Solan: …
The other Crown Clan, craning to watch: …
Zao Zao, also curiously leaning in: …
Solan’s eyes flew open.
“Clansis!!”
Her words were swallowed by Clansis.
All the Crown Clan backed away in unison.
Amos and the just-descended Feeney, in perfect unison, covered the still-peeking Zao Zao’s eyes—
Not suitable for children, not suitable—
Zao Zao: ?
No, wait, I’m an adult!
What’s inappropriate about this?
Feeney just clicked his tongue and sighed.
“Father and Mother were always clingy, and with Zao Zao’s arrow, it’s just a super-multiplier now.”
Amos hesitated: “This ‘love and peace’ you mentioned—was this what you meant?”
“Yes, wasn’t I clear?” Feeney smiled, “Zao Zao always just provided support for me.”
Hearing this, the other Crown Clan—not just Amos, but also Feiman, Frey, Anya—when looking at the golden little bow in Zao Zao’s hands, all bore a hint of awe.
Obviously, this kind of psionic power wouldn’t do any bodily harm, but it seemed to inflict a heavy, crushing blow on the soul.
Look at what it had done to Emperor Clansis.
Turned him into one of those greasy domineering types—what’s going on, is he about to force-feed mother his love?
Solan struggled, whimpering, and pinched Clansis’s cheeks hard—
Though they’d been married for years, and a bit of playfulness was fine, could he not pick his moment?
The kids were all here, the little one was watching—was this any way for a grandfather to behave?
Not at all, totally improper!!!
And what did you just say?
That tone was straight out of a certain kind of novel, the type some groups absolutely love for their male leads—
What? How did Solan know?
Well, that’s not important.
Solan tried to pinch some sense into Clansis.
Tried to make him calm down.
Fortunately, Chu Zao’s psionic force was feeble, so for a Crown Clan like Clansis, the effect only lasted a few seconds—but since Clansis saw Solan, it doubled down, and he lost control, holding on longer.
Not until Solan had pinched several red marks into Clansis’s cheeks did he snap out of it, belatedly letting go of Solan, looking at her in confusion.
Solan was looking at him, too.
Her hands still squeezing his cheeks.
“Clansis!!!”
Clansis: …
Clansis wanted to protest that he hadn’t done anything.
He tried to forget what he’d just done.
But inevitably, the image replayed ever more vividly.
Clansis stood motionless for a moment.
He heard Solan whisper in his ear.
“Not in front of the children, Zao Zao is right here, don’t be so passionate!!”
Solan’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes very plainly saying—you may not care how you appear, but I do—
Clansis: …
Clansis staggered back several steps; it was rare to see the Emperor of the Holy Cas Empire wear such an expression—shocked, abashed, casting a reverent gaze at Zao Zao, whose eyes Amos and Feeney were still carefully shielding, Zao Zao meanwhile reaching up, trying to pry Dad’s and Third Uncle’s hands away.
After a moment, Clansis sat on the sofa with his head lowered, the very color of his presence dimmed.
His expression didn’t change, and he still looked calm, his aura fierce and intimidating—but he broadcast to those around him, with that mournful shade—that he really didn’t have much of a thick skin.
Solan prodded her gently bitten lip and nudged Clansis. “Hey—”
Her smile was mischievous, watching as Clansis, looking like he’d been bullied, flinched away from her like she was a raging beast—the usual stern coldness utterly shattered, not even daring to look at her.
Solan had been mad, but now she was laughing out loud.
Clansis, this was too much—
Even the gang of “bratty kids” were all peeking at him. Feeney concluded to his brother Anya, “Father looks like he’s about to crumble.”
Clansis [looking up]: …Looks to me like YOU’RE about to crumble today.