At that, Chen Xiang wiped the playful grin from his face and spoke solemnly.
"We've run into trouble—very serious trouble. So we want to ask Father to return and hold down the rear."
Faced with Chen Xiang's request, Lu Mingyu took a sip of fragrant tea, then set down his cup and said,
"When Teacher left the Chang Sheng Epoch, none of you tried to stop him."
"Yet now you've come to ask Teacher to return. Don't you find that contradictory?"
"Besides, there are countless capable people in the Chang Sheng Epoch. Even if trouble has arisen, surely they aren't lacking Teacher alone."
"So, brother Chen, what exactly did you come to see the teacher about?"
Looking into Lu Mingyu's calm eyes, Chen Xiang smacked his lips. "Father's students really are clever."
"Since we're all clever people, I won't beat around the bush."
"I came here specifically to protect Father."
"Father escaped by faking his death, which caused many people to let their thoughts die down. But now that Father has openly reappeared, many have begun entertaining other ideas again."
"Father is alone, and Desolate Heaven Emperor Wu Li is far away. If I don't protect Father, he'll be in great danger."
Hearing this answer, Lu Mingyu said softly, "The people harboring such thoughts should all be from the Chang Sheng Epoch, shouldn't they?"
"When Teacher escaped through a fake death, those familiar with him either guessed or knew that he hadn't died."
"But considering that Teacher already wished to retire from the world, they naturally had no desire to provoke him."
"Yet now, Teacher is stirring up storms in the Pill Epoch, and the people of the Chang Sheng Epoch have begun to fear."
"They fear that Teacher will build up a powerful force and strike back."
"After all,