Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

Dragon Country had weathered the situation rather well, but in Fusang, it caused an uproar.

Their invincible, mighty Fusang Sword Saint had been kicked to death. Their most famous sword, the Ghost Piercer Blade—said to be able to slice through lightning—had been crushed underfoot. When these two pieces of news broke, it was like the atomic bomb that had exploded over Light Island, instantly igniting the entire nation of Fusang.

On the internet, Fusang Martial Artist forums, Karate forums, and Fusang Assassin forums were all lit up with passionate discussion. It was said that before long, the forums crashed from the sheer volume of traffic and became inaccessible.

In the streets and alleys, countless people were also discussing the matter. It had become the topic of conversation over every meal.

"Damn it, this is terrifying, simply too terrifying! Could the Martial Emperor of Dragon Country be a Heavenly God in human form? Otherwise, how could he be so powerful? If he were a mere mortal, he could never have achieved such feats."

"Incredible, truly incredible. Do you think Wu Tian could be a Roc reincarnated? Doesn’t Dragon Country have that book about Yue Fei being the reincarnation of a Roc? Hence the saying: ’Shaking a mountain is easy, but shaking the Yue Family Army is hard.’"

"Anyway, I don’t think this Wu Tian is human."

For a time, the people of Fusang all claimed that the Martial Emperor of Dragon Country was not human, but a deity descended from the Nine Heavens.

Among the populace, respect and adoration for Wu Tian rose dramatically. Some even wondered if they should construct temples for Dragon Country’s Martial Emperor.

The Fusang government, naturally, would not allow such a thing to happen. This was especially true for the Chief Minister, Abe Saburo. He worked tirelessly in his role, yet not a single citizen of Fusang had ever spoken so reverently of him or volunteered to build him a temple! By what virtue or merit did Wu Tian deserve this?

Immediately, the Chief Minister issued an order forbidding any praise of Wu Tian, whether online or in public. The government even issued a formal declaration, branding Wu Tian a demon!

However, those in power overlooked one thing: public opinion. Go with it, and you prosper; go against it, and you will be opposed. The people are water, and the ruler is a boat; water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it.

Chief Minister Abe Saburo considered himself the smartest person in all of Fusang. It was, in his mind, why he had attained his position. Yet, he forgot a saying from Dragon Country: "True masters live among the common folk."

At that very moment, on Flying Stream Island, lived a man named Sasaki Jugoro. He was a descendant of Sasaki Kojirou, who had once fought a legendary duel against Miyamoto Musashi on that very island. He did not care for the Sword Dao, preferring the game of Go. After observing the government’s actions, he immediately drew a conclusion and published it in an article.

The title was "Fusang Is Courting Its Own Destruction!"

The Chief Minister had not yet made a move against Dragon Country, but Sasaki had already exposed his ambition. He issued a stark warning that if the Chief Minister continued down this path, he would only drag Fusang down to ruin with him.

Sasaki was a brilliant Go player, having once forced a Fusang Go Master to concede mid-game. Despite his intelligence, he never took the official examinations. Yet, his prestige among the common folk was immense.

The people of Fusang were utterly horrified. They all believed Sasaki’s words; if they clashed with Dragon Country again, Fusang would surely be the one to lose.

"We already made that mistake once, which led to the tragedy on Light Island. Are we going to do it again? We implore the officials, please don’t!"

"That’s right! The Dragon Country of today is not the Dragon Country of the past. Although it’s not yet a developed nation, its military might is clearly greater than ours."

"This time, we are bound to lose!"

"Even our Fusang Sword Saint died at the hands of the Martial Emperor. Who could possibly be his match?"

The people suddenly became extremely anxious. Some ran to their local Yamen, petitioning them to write to the Chief Minister and request that he abandon any improper designs on Dragon Country. Others began calling the Chief Minister’s office directly, hoping he would heed the will of the people.

The Martial Emperor’s power had shattered the public’s morale. In their view, no matter how they fought, defeat was inevitable. When that time came, Fusang would be like meat on a chopping block, entirely at Dragon Country’s mercy.

Meanwhile, the people of Fusang had already coined another nickname for Wu Tian: "The Demon of Susa"!

What a ridiculous nickname. If Wu Tian knew, he would probably cough up blood.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister was in a foul mood.

"Those people, what do they know?" he fumed.

"Whatever plans I make, they should just obey. I am the Chief Minister, and they are the people!

"They should listen to me, not the other way around!"

The people wanted him to abandon his ambitions, lest he drag all of Fusang down with him. Chief Minister Abe Saburo didn’t believe a word of it.

I must see this grand ambition for conquest to its end. Otherwise, how can I prove I’m stronger than all the previous emperors and chief ministers? The people doubt me? They misunderstand? They reject me? So what? Any great person attempting something great will always be misunderstood by the ignorant masses. Einstein, Edison, Newton—didn’t they all prove themselves amidst skeptical gazes and questioning voices? I will be the same! When I finally have full control over Dragon Country, the people of Fusang will shut their mouths. Then they will understand my good intentions. They will see that my decisions were absolutely correct. Only I, Abe Saburo, can lead Fusang to greatness!

The Chief Minister said no more. He left his office and headed for the Devotion National Shrine to find Abe Aoiyama and discuss their next move.

***

Wu Tian had no idea what was happening in Fusang, nor did he know that its people were now calling him "The Demon of Susa"!

He and the little one left the port of Yang City and passed by a beach.

"Daddy, Daddy, I want to swim! I want to swim!" the little one suddenly shouted excitedly.

It was afternoon, and the beach was bustling with people. Bikini-clad beauties attracted the gazes of many men. On the beach stood a charming noodle shop built from bamboo.

Wu Tian first took the little one there to eat fried noodles, after which he bought a pair of beach trunks for himself and a tiny swimsuit for her. She was so small that there were no swimsuits in her size, but with enough money, Wu Tian had one custom-made in no time.

Wearing the swimsuit with a tiny swimming ring around her neck, the little one looked utterly adorable. She bounced happily toward the sea, but as soon as she touched the water, she yelped and ran back out, her little face filled with panic. "Hot, hot, hot!"

Wu Tian reminded her, "Use the Crossing Sutra!"

The little one circulated her energy and ran back into the water. This time, it didn’t feel hot at all; instead, it was cool and refreshingly pleasant.

"Daddy, take this," she said, scooping up water with her little hands and splashing Wu Tian again and again.

Not to be outdone, Wu Tian jumped into the sea and splashed her back.

The other families watched with envy, wondering if the water had cooled. However, when they tried to enter, the scalding heat made them scramble back in terror.

As Wu Tian and the little one continued to play, a marble-sized egg slipped out of the Nine Dragon Ring and plunged into the seawater. Upon contact, the egg immediately cracked open.