Master Gu continued to chuckle and said to Haoyun, "Remember, you are the envoy of the 13th district of the Dark Yin Spirit Realm. So, if you encounter any problems, you can directly seek our help. Of course, you also have the responsibility to report to us immediately. Dao Lao, make sure to keep a close eye on Haoyun! Don't forget to ask him to help me buy a few commemorative vinyl records of Sister Nazha's new album! Oh, and it seems Sister Reba's new movie is also releasing this week! Remember to show support for her and record a high-definition bootleg video for me, so I can enjoy it in advance!"

Seeing Master Gu instructing Haoyun and the others with such excitement, everyone present could only shake their heads helplessly. How did Master Gu, this cunning old orc, manage to captivate the hearts of these two mortal beings from the lower realms?

After noting down Master Gu's repeated instructions, Haoyun hurriedly said, "Alright, alright! Master Gu, rest assured! The first thing I'll do when I get back is to complete the tasks you've assigned! But before that, could you please be kind enough to teleport us directly to my hometown? It's been a while since I left Earth, so I want to visit my parents first. But don't worry, once I've seen my parents, I'll immediately go and complete the tasks you've given me!"

"No problem. Although I can only teleport you back to the location of Dao Lao's space base unless it's a mission. But considering your merits and hardships this time, occasionally bending the rules a bit won't be a problem," Master Gu readily agreed, nodding, while Judge Yan also nodded in silent approval.

"Then we'll trouble you, Master Gu! Judge Yan, Erl, we'll take our leave now! We'll come back to report to you once we're prepared to continue pursuing Elina!" Haoyun quickly expressed his gratitude to Master Gu and bid farewell to Judge Yan and Erl.

"Splurt!"

With a sudden appearance of dense fog enveloping Haoyun and the others, they disappeared in an instant. In the diamond-shaped plaza, only Judge Yan, Master Gu, and Erl remained under the canopy of Sha Ba.

"Lord Father, Master Gu, will Haoyun and the others be—?" Erl looked at the spot where Haoyun and the others disappeared, hesitating to speak.

"Let's see! I hope they make the right choices," Judge Yan sighed solemnly.

Then, collecting his thoughts, Judge Yan looked up at the canopy of Sha Ba and said, "Oh! It seems those two new shoots have grown a bit more."

"Yes, Lord Father! From the growth of these two new shoots, it can be seen that the children are growing up strong!" Erl put aside his worries and responded with joy and hope.

"Well done! Regardless, our lives must continue. Protecting everything we need to protect is our duty," Judge Yan nodded satisfactorily, casting his gaze beyond Sha Ba towards the entire realm of the Dark Yin Spirit Realm, speaking with profound meaning.

"Hey! Why didn't you tell us earlier that we needed to visit your parents first? We could have made some preparations in advance! It's embarrassing to go empty-handed now!" Dream Jia stepped out of the teleportation array and complained displeasedly.

"Oh, don't worry! My parents are open-minded and very hospitable. There's no need to go through so much trouble. Just come with me to see them and liven things up! Besides, my father lacks nothing, so you don't have to bring any gifts," Haoyun carefully patted Dream Jia's shoulder and said

"Hahaha! That's right! What your parents probably need most now is a daughter-in-law! So, bringing back a reliable girl would be the best gift!" Dao Lao, with a mischievous intent to stir trouble, teased with a smirk.

"You old dog! Watch me tear that mouth of yours apart!" Dream Jia's earlobes and beautiful face instantly turned red, as she exploded in anger and immediately reached out to grab Dao Lao.

"Oops! You two, cut it out! Shh! Keep it down! If someone finds out we all squeezed into one stall in the bathroom, it would be troublesome!" Haoyun hurriedly covered their mouths with his hands, ensured no one was in the restroom, and quickly pulled the two still slapping each other out of the public toilet.

"Master Gu is really disgusting! Why did he have to teleport us inside a public toilet? That old guy looks decent, but unexpectedly, he's a pervert with such a twisted taste!" To avoid being teased by Dao Lao, Dream Jia switched her target of curses to Master Gu while still indirectly insulting Dao Lao.

At this moment, Dao Lao no longer paid attention to Dream Jia but focused on a small park inside the exclusive wetland park. Built within the community, the park surrounded by scattered ultra-large flat residential buildings signified an extremely high-end luxury residential area where each residential unit was undoubtedly of high value. Due to the low floor area ratio and the current lunch break, coupled with the light rain, the park was deserted and appeared quite desolate. However, the advantage was that even though Dream Jia's voice was loud, no one noticed that the two men and one woman had come out of the women's restroom.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Oh! Haoyun, your parents' environment is nice! I didn't expect you, kid, to be from a wealthy family! In that case, why are you always so stingy?" Seeing such a beautiful park-style community, Dao Lao couldn't help but mock.

"We only have a little money at home; we can't be called wealthy! Besides, being frugal is not being stingy; don't you know that frugality is a virtue? Without saving a little, how can wealth accumulate?" Haoyun corrected.

Hao Yun took Dao Lao and Dream Jia around the neighborhood for a stroll, then pointed to a nearby eight-story residential building, saying, "That's my home up ahead. I wonder if my parents are home today. If they are, we can have them cook for us tonight! You don't know, my mom's sweet and sour ribs and my dad's grilled steak are absolutely superb, rivaling even Uncle Mi, the three-star chef!"

Hao Yun was excitedly salivating, not just because he could enjoy his parents' home-cooked dishes again, but also because he wanted to see how his parents would react to his sudden return with such a beautiful girl. Surely, they would be overjoyed, dance around, and probably give him a hefty allowance too!

Thinking quickly, Hao Yun pondered, "Maybe I'll have Dream Jia cooperate with me and pretend to be my girlfriend? Since she's already expecting to get a designer bag out of me this time, a little acting shouldn't be a problem. As for Dao Lao—well, giving him some money to send him off to stay in a hotel might work. He'd just end up eating and drinking for free at my place otherwise. Or maybe I could have him pretend to be Dream Jia's elder relative! I'll accompany Dream Jia and her grandfather on a trip, and they can visit my home as guests. Yeah, that logic flows smoothly; it's almost like introducing both sets of parents. That way, my parents will probably reward me generously with living expenses!"

(“Hmph! I knew you were rushing home just to make money! Hah! You're not thinking of your parents; you're eyeing their wallets!” The long-absent author couldn't resist but retort.

“You wouldn't understand! When kids bring their girlfriends home, parents give a big red envelope—a tradition full of blessings!” Hao Yun retorted angrily.

The slightly guilty Hao Yun didn't wait for the author's response and hurriedly said, “Why are you back again? It's been so long; I thought you kicked the bucket! I was even planning to burn some paper money for you by the roadside tonight, but looks like that won't be necessary now. Ah, what a pity!”

“Get lost! You're just full of nonsense! If it wasn't for certain reasons, I'd gladly watch you suffer various torments and mock you ruthlessly in your ear until you explode!” The author snapped back, irritated.

“Oh? Aren't you the author? Aren't you the one writing all this? Why couldn't you appear for some 'secret' reasons?” Hao Yun ignored the author's curses and curiously asked.

“It's a secret! Some things can't be said! Alright, alright! Stop wasting time here! Carry on with your plot!” The author seemed unwilling to answer Hao Yun's questions and urged him impatiently.

Though Hao Yun found the author's evasiveness strange, he realized the author of this novel was peculiar in his own right. Thus, he saw no point in dwelling on the odd behavior of an odd fellow. More importantly, Hao Yun didn't have time to waste with the author; he was preparing to bring his future wife home to meet his parents!

Haha! Thinking of this, Hao Yun shyly stole a glance at Dream Jia and daydreamed.)

Dream Jia and Dao Lao readily agreed to Hao Yun's plan for them to act along. Naturally, they knew that this would make them honored guests in Hao Yun's parents' eyes. Knowing how wealthy Hao Yun's parents were, they could expect to be treated to the finest hospitality—delicious food, drinks, fun activities, and even potential red envelopes just like Hao Yun. Add to that the portion of the red envelope Hao Yun promised them, and it was a surefire deal!

"Alright, let's head upstairs quickly! Remember to follow my plan. If there are any issues, private message me on the system channel. Ah, it's noon, and I suddenly crave some grilled steak! It would be perfect if Dad's home!"

Hao Yun instructed Dao Lao and Dream Jia to play their roles well, ensuring no slip-ups, then rubbed his growling stomach, exclaiming.

"Grilled steak with a tall beer, just thinking about it makes my mouth water!" Dao Lao added, mouth watering.

"Don't worry! As long as you both play your parts well, there will be plenty of steak and beer for everyone!" Hao Yun patted Dao Lao's stomach confidently.

Since Hao Yun's parents' apartment was located on the top floor of the building, the three naturally took the elevator straight to the eighth floor. However, their initial joy vanished the moment they stepped out of the elevator. As they emerged, they sensed an extremely eerie energy. This sensation was unsettling because the energy carried the aura of the spirit realm but was mixed with an unknown, malevolent force. All three were certain that this blend of energies was not benign—it was not only powerful but also dangerously volatile.

When Hao Yun pinpointed that the source of this energy emanated from the door on the left side of the elevator, leading to his own home, a sense of foreboding gripped him. With a cry of alarm, Hao Yun dashed forward, flung open the door, and rushed inside, calling out for his parents without hesitation.

It must be acknowledged that Hao Yun's training in numerous battles had honed his reaction speed to astonishing levels in the face of sudden danger. However, this also meant that Dao Lao and Dream Jia couldn't stop him in time, allowing him to charge into the room. They cursed loudly at Hao Yun for his impulsiveness but had no choice but to follow him into Hao Yun's home to ensure they weren't ambushed by whatever threat lay within.

Soon enough, Dao Lao and Dream Jia found themselves in an exceptionally spacious dining room, where Hao Yun stood frozen in place. Not far from him, seated at a table with coffee cups in hand, were a middle-aged couple who looked at Hao Yun with surprise. Dao Lao and Dream Jia quickly realized that these two were undoubtedly Hao Yun's parents. They exchanged a rapid glance, silently communicating to each other to avoid making any sudden moves and to be ready for combat at a moment's notice.