The Thunder Emperor Jex's location appeared on the summit of the Gu Mountain Sports Park, which was built alongside a hill. Although it was called a mountain, it wasn't very tall, and it only took about ten to twenty minutes to walk to the top.
Xia Nuo led the way, swinging a little stick at the front of the group; Fang You and Luo Xianyu followed in the second rank. Only Fang Guanghui started to pant after a few minutes of walking.
Seeing that an adult was trailing at the very back, Xia Nuo showed a quite shocked expression:
"Uncle Fang, you need to be faster. Even Ayu is walking faster than you!"
Because he always played with the strong Xia Nuo and Fang You and ended up being a drag on the team, the usually self-perceived weak Luo Xianyu finally found confidence in the comparison to Fang Guanghui.
"Look at this, Ayu is actually pretty strong..."
Just then, Fang You knocked on Ayu's fish head, criticising Luo Xianyu's complacency:
"Learning the bad instead of the good, you should learn more from your role models. It's normal for my dad to be unable to keep up due to his age."
"What do you mean 'old'? Your dad, well, I'm barely over 30, and I'm in great shape!"
[Fang Guanghui questioned how he could have raised such an impolite child, Emotional Energy +10]
"So, is Uncle Fang actually letting us win?"
Curious, Xia Nuo said, "It's okay, Uncle Fang, you can walk faster. Don't hold back just because we are children; we can keep up!"
"Alright... It's time for you to see Uncle's true power!"
The not-old-yet Fang Guanghui braced himself and joined the kids in their brave climb to the top, snagging the impressive fourth place finish!
The group finally arrived at the top of Gu Mountain Sports Park.
It was a weekend, and there were quite a few people hiking in the sports park. Children and parents rested at the top of the hill.
In the pavilion at the summit, one adult and three children sat together, commencing their epic mythical creature capture operation!
"We should be within the capture range of Thunder Emperor Jex now, right, Youyou?"
"Yes... it's fine now."
Fang You's Emperor Paru device displayed the prompt that they could form a team.
"Everyone, check your Parus for battle. I'll invite everyone to join the team once you're ready."
"Dad, can you help me check my Paru combination again?" Luo Xianyu asked as he came closer.
"Let me see..."
Xia Nuo was a bit concerned with Fang Guanghui's setup, "Uncle Fang, let me help you check your Parus' configuration."
"No need, I'm quite confident in my own tactical combination."
"But why does your Lava Ball have the Harden skill? Isn't that going to draw aggro?"
"Ah... I read it wrong!"
The four shiny Paru devices, especially Fang You's Emperor Paru, quickly attracted the attention of the children who had come to the park to hike, and they began to gather Emotional Energy in large amounts.
"Mommy, they seem to be having so much fun, I want to play with that too."
"I don't even dare to go up and look..."
"Is everyone ready? I'm about to pull you into the team."
"Yes!"
Enthusiastically, Fang Guanghui tapped to accept.
First off, he was well past the age where he could freely indulge in electronic pet games.
However, the opportunity to play with Youyou was rare.
After all, his son had been exhibiting genius behaviors far beyond his peers ever since he was born.
Except for being awestruck, boasting, and acting as a chauffeur, his role as a father was almost negligible.
He also worried that a constant lack of fatherly love might hurt his child, since Xia Anyang might have provided more support as a father figure to Fang You than he ever did as his real dad.
Yet, in playing Paru together—this kind of parent-child interaction—Fang Guanghui, too, could have his own sense of involvement.
"Alright, calm down... Everyone is looking at you, don't be so childish."
"Ah, my son, Daddy is really too happy. When Daddy played games as a kid, there were divine beasts too, but Daddy only ever watched other people have them... I could only envy them..."
Fang Guanghui poured out his childhood stories to the kids bit by bit, with Xia Nuo and Luo Xianyu listening with interest as he revealed his own embarrassing past of doing others' homework in exchange for a chance to play with their divine beasts.
"Ah, I didn't realize I'd spoken so much..."
"Actually, Uncle Fang, you don't have to be so sentimental. You've had a divine beast for a long time, and it's a super powerful one, too!"
Xia Nuo had a serious look, seemingly making a big point, and actually managed to bluff Fang Guanghui.
"Ah? When did I... Are you saying there's some secret Easter egg?"
Xia Nuo shook her head, pointed at Fang You with a smile, and said, "Isn't Youyou the most powerful divine beast you've raised?"
"Hey."
You actually think I'm not human?
Fang You immediately pulled Xia Nuo into his embrace and teased her mercilessly. At this moment, Fang Guanghui had an enlightened feeling.
"Right... right!"
His eyes shone with the clarity of someone who had discovered a new world, looking at Fang You
[Fang Guanghui thinks back on the hardships of raising you with all his might, Emotional Energy +50]
Not... Where did you suffer while raising me?
Don't add memories that don't exist, Dad!
After ending the capture event of Thunder Emperor Jex, Fang Guanghui led the troop of three little ones down the mountain. Xia Nuo expressed her wish to stay a bit longer because there's a chance to capture a rare species when Paru refreshes at four in the afternoon.
"That won't work; the mountain is dangerous. It's safe only when adults are with you." Fang Guanghui shook his sweat-soaked collar, the stifling weather was killing him with heat.
"It's okay, Uncle Fang, if you're afraid of the heat you can go back!"
Xia Nuo covered her mouth and said, "Youyou and Ayu and I have already caught many Parus on this mountain... many times!"
"Ah... were you such a naughty Nuo Nuo!"
Xia Nuo stuck out her tongue playfully at Fang Guanghui, "Hehe... Uncle Fang, don't tell my mom and dad, otherwise Youyou won't like you anymore."
"Why would Youyou not like me?" Fang Guanghui wondered.
"Because if Dad finds out I've been running around, I'll be grounded. If Dad doesn't let me go out to play with Youyou, and Youyou can't play with me, then he'll be mad at you."
Good kid... Your logic is pretty sound...
Fang Guanghui was about to comment further but then remembered his own mischievous childhood, instantly feeling a sense of agreement that children should be innocently exuberant and boldly forward.
Could Nuo Nuo be my daughter? She's just like me!
Then, he looked at his son, who seemed mature beyond his years.
Too mature and composed, Daddy doesn't like it!
Well... But because he is so mature and composed, strictly speaking, it's not like they're unsupervised, right?
Fang Guanghui closed the logical loop and then cautioned:
"Then you must come down the mountain before five o'clock, or I really will tell your parents."
"Don't worry, Uncle Fang! We know!"
Alright, today I took a rare day off, so I should head back to buy some groceries and cook. I want to cook myself, to give my wife a surprise!
As Fang Guanghui descended the mountain, he suddenly had the feeling he was forgetting to mention something important.
Forget it, I'll say it when I remember...
Not long after Fang Guanghui left the kids, the sky began to darken with dense clouds.
It looks like it's about to rain.