Chapter Nine: The Exceptional Father

When Lei Dong returned to the cluster of small villas in a certain General Staff unit in the western suburbs of Han Capital, it was already midnight. Yet the lights in the living room were still on. Even from outside the gate, Lei Dong could sense that his father—Major General Lei Tiangang, Deputy Director of the Intelligence Department—was sitting upright on the spacious sofa, his gaze fixed intently on the entrance.

Some things, once destined, must come to pass. Lei Dong shook his head, composed his expression, pushed open the door quietly, and strode in, saluting sharply. He declared loudly, "Major General Lei Tiangang, Lei Dong returning home on family visit, reporting to you, awaiting instructions!"

Lei Tiangang was a burly man; his short hair stood straight, his broad, dark face was defined by sharp, steel-like lines, and his large, commanding eyes radiated authority. Even at home, he sat with military posture, naturally invoking the aura of a general whose presence filled the room.

Seeing his son, already showing the bearing of a soldier, reporting to him in proper military fashion, Lei Tiangang nodded and gestured to the sofa opposite. "Sit."

Lei Dong turned and sat across from his father, feet shoulder-width apart, hands resting naturally on his thighs, his upper body straight, eyes meeting his father’s directly.

"Have you settled everyone?" Lei Tiangang’s first words didn’t surprise Lei Dong. With his father’s position, if he didn’t already know what had happened, Lei Dong would be the one surprised.

"Everyone’s settled." Lei Dong nodded.

Lei Tiangang studied Lei Dong’s calm face for a long moment before speaking. "Tell me."

Lei Dong managed a wry smile. He knew his father didn’t want an explanation of the incident’s cause, but a detailed account of the entire "battle process," followed by analysis and critique. This was the standard procedure after Lei Dong got into a fight; his father called it a "post-battle summary." As for the reason the "war" broke out, it was never the focus. In his father’s words: "Once the battle has started, do you really need a reason?"

For such an extraordinary father with such extraordinary methods, Lei Dong was usually left speechless. Didn’t his father worry about spoiling him into a lawless troublemaker? Lei Dong often worried on his father’s behalf.

Shaking his head, Lei Dong recounted every detail of what had happened that evening: how he encountered Lin Tianyi, sensed something had happened to An Jing, played the hero at the critical moment, and finally settled An Jing in the home of an old acquaintance from a "survival training camp" in the neighboring province. He laid everything out, waiting for his father’s evaluation.

Lei Tiangang’s brow grew ever more furrowed as he stared at Lei Dong, making him increasingly uneasy—he knew this was his father’s typical sign of deep dissatisfaction.

After a long silence, Lei Tiangang spoke slowly. "It sounds like your combat ability has greatly improved, but aside from that, you were nearly useless today! Oh, to be fair, settling An Jing was barely adequate."

Lei Dong nearly cried out in his heart, startled. He’d thought his "operation" had gone rather smoothly. Outwardly, though, he showed no sign of emotion, only looked at his father with an inquiring gaze.

"First," Lei Tiangang raised his index finger, "narrow vision. You took down Lin Jiangnan, the strongest opponent, which was right. But then, because of a single remark from Lin Jiangnan, you left the main battlefield to attack already neutralized opponents—classic ineffective strikes. You forgot that Lin Tianyi, whom you had merely thrown aside, still retained combat capability. This shows you have no sense of the overall situation in battle. Remember: in war, you must not only focus on tactical targets but also keep the big picture in mind. Otherwise, you’ll never be a competent commander."

Lei Dong pursed his lips. From childhood, his father had always harped on about war, about never becoming a qualified commander. But he didn’t want to be a commander—he just wanted to enjoy life at Han Capital University.

Lei Tiangang paid no heed to Lei Dong’s expression, raising his second finger. "Second, complacency. After defeating Lin Jiangnan, you rushed to comfort the girl, clearly believing Lin Tianyi posed no threat. The result? Lin Tianyi pulled a gun, nearly causing an unpredictable outcome."

Lei Tiangang glanced at Lei Dong, who had opened his mouth to speak, and waved him off. "I know, your fighting strength is extreme. According to your master, you’ve reached the so-called 'Golden Core' stage, right?" Lei Dong nodded.

"So you believed you had enough power to neutralize Lin Tianyi’s threat, correct?" Lei Dong nodded again, a hint of pride appearing on his face.

"If—and I stress if—you hadn’t reached the Golden Core stage, would you be so confident? Or what if Lin Tianyi wasn’t the weakling he appeared, but a master concealing his true strength? What would you do then?" Lei Dong opened his mouth but could find no counterargument. His father continued with the lesson he’d repeated countless times: "On the battlefield, any complacency is unacceptable. Any lapse, however small, can lead to disaster. You must remember this."

Lei Dong knew his father’s reasoning was sound, but deep down he couldn’t help feeling dismissive. As one of the planet’s rare cultivators—a person who’d succeeded in foundation establishment at ten, formed his Golden Core at thirteen, and now, not yet eighteen, was approaching the Nascent Soul stage—he could sense everything within a hundred meters, and with his spiritual sense, five kilometers. He was, in modern terms, a living immortal. What was there to fear?

True, his body still had certain limitations, preventing him from fully unleashing his power or completely ignoring bullets as weapons. But once he reached the level of shattering his core and forming his infant soul? Not just bullets, even artillery shells would be no threat. And at the stage of great attainment, would anything short of a nuclear warhead be able to stop him? Besides, in today’s Republic, would war even break out? Where would it happen? Where was the battlefield?

Lei Dong nodded as his mind wandered through these chaotic thoughts, his gaze remaining calm.

Lei Tiangang raised a third finger. "Third, impulsiveness—the timing of your action was wrong. Have you forgotten how powerful the Lin family is, how rapidly their influence is rising?" His voice grew stern, his eyes wide, staring at Lei Dong without blinking.

This time, Lei Dong did not nod. "I remember, I remember all of it. But at that moment, I had to act, or An Jing would have suffered unimaginable harm." He paused, then said firmly, "I firmly believe that a man, no matter how weak or lacking in ability, must stand up and fight when the woman he cares for is in danger. Otherwise, he might as well cut himself and become a eunuch!"

Lei Tiangang stared steadily at Lei Dong, who met his gaze head-on.

After a long silence, Lei Tiangang suddenly nodded, a hint of pride at the corner of his mouth. "Good! That’s a man’s answer." He flashed a sly, triumphant smile. "I asked you not to blame you, but to see if you still think like a man, if you know you have something in your trousers..."

Lei Dong was dumbfounded, nearly cursing aloud, but swallowed it, his face flushed red. He was truly speechless before such an extraordinary father.

"War doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes a small event can trigger sudden battle—even war..." Lei Tiangang seemed to recall something from his past, fell silent for a moment, then continued, "But remember: except for sudden encounters and emergencies, when you decide to initiate war, a major operation, or even a simple fight, you must plan thoroughly and consider everything. Even for unexpected battles, you must make plans as quickly as possible—attack plans, defense plans, retreat plans. This requires a constantly clear mind. Be brave, but not impulsive; hate, but don’t be angry. Hold thunder in your chest, but keep your face calm. Always stay cool-headed, never let anger and impulsiveness decide your actions—it concerns many lives!"

"You must remember: ‘Those who calculate thoroughly in the temple before battle win, those who calculate inadequately lose. More calculation means victory, less means defeat, and none means disaster!’"

This time, Lei Dong did not show any dismissiveness, but nodded thoughtfully.

"For example, right now," Lei Tiangang’s gaze was intense, "how do you plan to handle the aftermath?"

Lei Dong’s heart sank slightly; his first thought was that his father really wouldn’t be much help. But then, he suddenly felt a lightness—he couldn’t say why. Perhaps it was finally time to face major issues on his own?

He was silent for a moment, then looked up at his father. "I’ll handle it..."

"Handle it, my foot!" Before Lei Dong could finish, Lei Tiangang interrupted coldly, his face frosty. "What methods do you have? How will you handle it? What are your options?"

Lei Tiangang fired questions like bullets, but his face showed neither sarcasm nor anger. Lei Dong was taken aback, hesitated. "I..."

Lei Tiangang raised his hand to stop him. "No need to speak—I’ll tell you. The methods you have in mind now boil down to three." Lei Dong raised his brows but did not interrupt, listening quietly.

"First," Lei Tiangang raised his index finger, "run away with that girl, An Jing—"

"Father?"

"Let me finish. Whether she’d agree to go with you, or where you’d even go, not to mention whether it’s too cruel for such a promising young woman to flee with you, just consider your own character—would you ever run from a major event? Of course not!"

"Of course not!" Lei Dong suddenly felt a surge of emotion, touched by his father’s understanding.

"So that idea was probably dismissed as soon as it appeared. Then you have a second option," Lei Tiangang raised his middle finger, making a gesture that was both a ‘V’ for victory and perhaps a sign of calling someone foolish. "Take responsibility alone—turn yourself in to the police!"

Lei Dong frowned, but before he could speak, Lei Tiangang was already shaking his head. "You wouldn’t do that either. Not only do you not believe you were wrong, but even if you were, you would never bow your head and accept punishment. Waiting passively has never been your style! So, in reality, you only have a third choice—no half measures!"

As Lei Dong looked up sharply, shock written all over his face, Lei Tiangang raised a third finger, stating each word with slow, heavy emphasis: "Eliminate! The! Root!"

Each word struck Lei Dong’s heart like a giant hammer, making his blood boil, his entire being feeling like a lion ablaze with fire—a vast aura surged from him, so intense it seemed to scorch the air itself.

Yet, under this immense pressure, Lei Tiangang sat unmoving, his expression calm, as if the overwhelming aura from his son was nothing more than a breeze.

This was Lei Dong’s first time revealing his true strength before his father, and the outcome was far beyond his expectations. He’d always heard that his father had crawled from piles of corpses and rivers of blood, but had doubted it—after all, the Republic had been at peace for decades, when had there been war? Where could such carnage have come from? Yet, faced with his father’s unruffled demeanor in the face of his formidable aura, Lei Dong was convinced that his father had indeed experienced something extraordinary.

What shocked Lei Dong most was how precisely his father understood his mental state—as though before him, Lei Dong was transparent, with not a single secret.

As Lei Dong suppressed his surging blood and gradually withdrew his aura, Lei Tiangang spoke again, still calm, still stern and authoritative. "I admit, with your current cultivation, you have the ability to achieve your objective. If you add your elusive master, your chances of success exceed ninety percent. But even if you succeed, wiping out every key member of the Lin family, have you considered what comes next? Do you think the state will let you go after such a major event? People like you, almost uncontrollable, who commit such dangerous acts—do you imagine the state, the military, will tolerate you? Do you think you could fight the whole country? Even if you could—could An Jing?"

The final words hit Lei Dong like thunder, shaking him to his core. He shook his head mechanically, unable to speak. Yes—even if he could escape, if he didn’t fear death, what about An Jing? She was an innocent victim, so kind—how could she endure such humiliation?

"If your answer is no, then what difference is there between this and simply running for your life? As a warrior, in any war, you must win with the smallest possible cost—not recklessly sacrifice everything to fight your opponent. That’s not bravery, that’s foolishness!"

Lei Tiangang’s voice grew ever harsher, and Lei Dong let out a long sigh, lowering his head, defeated. Faced with the immense machinery of the state, he, who had always considered himself a powerful cultivator, was utterly powerless. But could he really let others bully the woman he loved, and do nothing?

I refuse!

Lei Dong’s heart bled, his eyes reddened, his once subdued spirit hardened anew, his blood boiling once more.

"If it comes to that, I ask you—please protect An Jing!" Lei Dong’s voice was filled with unwavering resolve. He stood and bowed deeply to Lei Tiangang. "She is innocent!"