Father and Son! . . .
Suddenly, Cha Eun Xiao found himself lost in thought. [A figure shrouded in mystery, an aficionado of fish, and a powerful presence... Could it be? No way... Did Erhuo manage to devour all of the fish?]
He recalled the day Erhuo first laid eyes on the fish. The creature had seemed ecstatic, and Cha Eun Xiao suspected it might be the cunning thief responsible.
The only baffling part was how Erhuo, with its diminutive frame, had managed to consume all those fish. They weighed a whopping eight thousand pounds!
With determination, Cha Eun Xiao patted Erhuo on the back and said with embarrassment, "It's not a big deal. The army is functioning smoothly. Don't take it too seriously... Go ahead and arrange for the cooking."
The quartermaster wanted to voice his concerns but thought better of it after observing Commander Cha's expression. He promptly left.
[As long as I'm not held responsible for this!]
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't wait to address the issue, so he briefly dismissed the generals after a few words.
He instructed, "You're all well-versed in military matters. You know what needs to be done. These are peaceful times, and there shouldn't be any problems. Handle things among yourselves. No need to consult me."
"You understand your roles, right? Just govern the soldiers."
"Good. Dismissed."
Song Jue and the other generals were left puzzled.
After Commander Cha's departure, they remained dumbfounded.
[What's going on? After being absent for so long, he's finally back. Our commander has returned, and we have so much to report, discuss, and resolve with him...]
[But now that we finally see him, he leaves after uttering some meaningless words.]
[We have to swallow the reports we've been eager to present.]
[What's going on?]
[We have so many issues that need to be addressed, and he's the one in charge here!]
[Can't he be more responsible?]
...
They were quite vexed about the situation, and Zhu Chenggong heaved a long sigh.
The following day marked a significant improvement.
Another Commander Ye arrived with a formidable cavalry unit, led by none other than Cha Nantian.
Song Jue was delighted to see his brother after this extended absence and rushed over to embrace Cha Nantian tightly.
"Where's Ye Xiao?" Cha Nantian looked around but couldn't find his son, so he inquired.
Usually, when a commander from another army came to offer support, Ye Xiao would personally welcome him, let alone when it was his father.
Song Jue and Zhu Chenggong were left speechless upon hearing Cha Nantian's question.
"Dear brother, our young son... We've been searching for him practically every moment these days... He's simply vanished..."
"He doesn't appear to care about anything in the camp..."
"Big or small, he simply neglects his duties..."
Song Jue and Zhu Chenggong seized this opportunity to express their frustrations.
Cha Nantian looked at them with displeasure and remarked, "Is it really so dire here? Unbelievable. Despite his intelligence, cleverness, wisdom, sensibility, bravery, and strength, this is Cha Eun Xiao's first time leading an army. How could you expect him to grasp all the intricacies of military matters? He just led us to a great victory in a massive war. It's likely he exhausted all his energy on that endeavor. Can't he take a break? Must he?"
"The two of you have been here long enough. What could possibly arise in the army that you can't handle? Is there any issue you can't resolve? And you have to bother my son? You've already won the battle. The war is over. There's no need for a commander in the army, so what's the problem? You can't manage your affairs now? Seriously? It's absurd! Look at the two of you, seasoned military men, acting like children as you complain about Cha Eun Xiao in front of his father. Grow up and stop pretending to know me. I'm ashamed!"
Cha Eun Xiao's elder brother, Song Jue, took a moment to voice his concerns about the whereabouts of Cha Eun Xiao's baby son. He had been consumed by this search, explaining to Cha Nantian, their father, and Zhu Chenggong how the child had seemingly vanished without a trace. Both Song Jue and Zhu Chenggong shared their discontentment, seizing the opportunity to vent their frustrations regarding the situation.
Cha Nantian glanced at them, expressing his displeasure. He questioned the seemingly hopeless circumstances and emphasized that Cha Eun Xiao, despite his remarkable qualities, was still relatively inexperienced in commanding an army. Cha Nantian believed that Cha Eun Xiao had exhausted himself in the previous war and deserved some rest.
He directed his frustration towards Song Jue and Zhu Chenggong, suggesting that they, as seasoned veterans, should be capable of managing the army's affairs without involving his son. He scolded them for complaining in front of him and urged them to mature. This rebuke left both men shocked, with Song Jue understanding that Cha Eun Xiao received special treatment from his brother, while Zhu Chenggong, who had waited to voice his complaints, felt humiliated by Cha Nantian's praise of his son.
Zhu Chenggong found Cha Nantian's partiality toward his son perplexing and believed he should be more humble, even though they acknowledged Cha Eun Xiao's achievements. In the end, Zhu Chenggong couldn't help but think, "He is just as weird as his son."
After Cha Nantian left to rest, Zhu Chenggong remained deep in thought. He wanted to offer some advice to Cha Nantian, suggesting that spoiling his son excessively might not be wise, despite Cha Eun Xiao's current abilities. He was concerned about the consequences of such favoritism, but he dared not voice his thoughts aloud.
Cha Nantian redirected his attention to the matter at hand, inquiring about the truth concerning a tunnel back to the Qing-Yun Realm. Song Jue assured him that it was indeed true. Cha Nantian expressed concern about the two-month deadline to return to the Qing-Yun Realm, as failure to do so would result in catastrophic consequences. However, he couldn't help but worry about Cha Eun Xiao's well-being in the process.
Song Jue reassured him that Cha Eun Xiao was exceptional, having reached a level that allowed him to leave their world and enter the Qing-Yun Realm. Cha Nantian was taken aback by this revelation, asking if Cha Eun Xiao was truly strong enough to transcend their world.