Both caught the scent of food at the same moment. Thinking of his dear daughter cooking in Tōga's home, the Dog King could not help feeling heartache and resentment.
"Even I've only tasted Ringetsu's cooking a few times, yet this damn pup gets this treatment the moment he comes home. It's enough to make anyone jealous!"
The Dog King stared at Tōga sitting directly opposite him, sorely tempted to give that handsome face, which rivaled his own, a pair of black eyes.
"Tōga, I don't think it's safe for you and Ringetsu to go to Wind-Thunder Gorge together. It would be better if you went alone."
So it's safer if I go by myself, is it?
Tōga grumbled inwardly, secretly grinding his back teeth.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at his future father-in-law, who could barely keep his expression composed, and grew quite worried that he would receive another beating disguised as "sparring."
Once I become a great yokai, I'll be lovey-dovey with Ringetsu right in front of you. Let's see how you find fault with me then.
Tōga silently groused, even picturing the classic scene of an old man confronting his daughter's biker-punk boyfriend.
Knowing the temperaments of both father and daughter, Tōga kept his expression unchanged and offered an invitation instead.
"Your Majesty, it's already mealtime. Would you like to come over to my place for dinner?"
"Wouldn't that be imposing?"
The Dog King feigned reluctance, his brows creasing slightly, though he could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.
But afraid that Tōga would casually turn him down as he had last time, he coughed and added mildly.
"Still, I haven't visited your home in quite a while. This would be a good chance to see how you're doing. If you need anything, just tell me."
The Dog King's face was wreathed in smiles as he continued, "After all, you're a genius of our Dog Tribe. You ought to be living a happy, prosperous life."
All I need is your daughter.
Not daring to say that aloud, Tōga smiled as well and returned home with the Dog King after he rose.
Tōga's dining habits remained the same as in his previous life.
A small square table stood in the center of the room, laden with dishes Ringetsu had carefully prepared, each enticing in appearance, aroma, and flavor.
Once the Dog King sat down, however, he suddenly felt like an unwelcome extra.
The young man and woman before him were sweetness itself whenever they interacted, as though pink heart-shaped bubbles were floating around them.
Even with the formidable mental strength of a great yokai, the Dog King could barely withstand it.
"Father, you should eat more too."
Ringetsu picked up some food with her chopsticks and gently placed it in the Dog King's bowl, her voice soft and considerate.
Looking at his daughter, who was growing ever more lovely, the Dog King briefly seemed to see her as a little girl again.
She's grown up, and her features look more and more like her mother's.
Perhaps it's time I let go.
His heart had begun to soften, but then the Dog King watched his precious girl "ignore" him again and shower her affection on that brat from outside the family.
His heart instantly hardened like iron-it would be better to put off his daughter's marriage a little longer!
The dinner ended in outward harmony, and the servants naturally cleared away the bowls and chopsticks.
Turned down by Ringetsu, the Dog King returned to Tenshu Pavilion alone. His faintly lonely retreating figure made Tōga think that having a son would be better.
At least then, some outsider wouldn't steal away the precious daughter he had raised.
"What did Father say?"
After the Dog King left, Ringetsu sipped her tea in the ground-floor hall and fixed Tōga with a slightly sharp gaze.
It was as though she were saying, After all the favors I've done you, you're finished if you can't pull this off!
Her behavior at dinner had, of course, been demanded by Tōga under the "threat" of "You don't want to miss your chance to reach the front lines, do you?" For the greater good of the Dog Tribe, the girl had been forced to agree and "suffer this injustice."
His poor future father-in-law had become part of the young couple's display of affection, leaving Ringetsu both deeply embarrassed and secretly pleased.
It served her old father right for always using her as an excuse to reject the marriage proposals brought by the Great Elder and the others.
"We can't go to the fortress."
The moment those words left his mouth, Tōga shuddered. The look she gave him, as though she wanted to chop his canine head off, immediately prompted him to continue.
"Although we can't go to the fortress, His Majesty has agreed to let us lead two squads to Wind-Thunder Gorge to provide support."
"But we can only depart once the five remaining Panther Cat elders have been confirmed to have gathered at the fortress."
Ringetsu's expression shifted slightly as Tōga spoke. In the end, she understood that this was the Dog King's bottom line, nodded, and sighed softly.
"If only I could become a high-level yokai sooner."
"Don't worry. Our chance to shine will come in the near future."
Tōga took the opportunity to draw the somewhat dejected girl into his arms and said softly, "With me here, becoming a high-level yokai won't be far off."
"Mm."
As the moon climbed higher, Ringetsu accompanied Tōga in his secluded chamber for a discussion of perfectly proper cultivation, then returned to Tenshu Pavilion with some fresh insights.
As the exceptionally gifted daughter of a great yokai, with guidance from her own bloodline and Tōga's help, she would become a high-level yokai within the next few years.
Inside the secluded chamber, Tōga was also writing down his two short-term plans.
Have twenty Dog Yokai, including Red Evil Ogre and Qitian, transferred under my command.
First, to cultivate troops loyal to me, ensuring I have enough people to call on in the future.
Second, to strengthen the Dog Tribe's foundation by systematically training these twenty Dog Yokai, then using them as a starting point for broader instruction and training in the future.
Anything too advanced is beyond me, but training them into mid-level yokai with individual specialties should be no problem.
The transition from mid-level to high-level yokai still requires deeper investigation. I never expected Zi Yan to break through so smoothly back then. I need more examples, and Ringetsu will be a great help.
After laying out his short-term plans for the tribe's development, Tōga began considering his own cultivation plans.
This was even more important than the Dog Tribe's development.
In a supernatural world where tremendous powers could reside in a single individual, the strong stood at the center of everything. However numerous the weak might be, they were merely the cradle that nurtured the strong.
Having broken free of his cognitive barrier, Tōga's strength was once again growing as quickly as it had when he was a low-level yokai.
With every breath, he absorbed the spiritual energy around him, advancing the quality and quantity of his yokai power little by little.
The weak aren't necessarily incapable of swallowing something far stronger than themselves. Barriers that pool the strength of many are one way; the formation arrays of the Divine Land are another.
Deep in thought, Tōga wrote the words "Penglai Island" on the page.
This world also had the legend of the First Emperor of Qin sending Xu Fu and three thousand young boys and girls to find Penglai and seek the secret of immortality.
The Roaring Cauldron left on Penglai Island by the cultivators of old rightfully belongs to me. I absolutely cannot let those four clowns defile it.
Still considering himself one of the people of China, Tōga added Penglai Island to the matters he kept in mind.
Once he became a high-level yokai, he would naturally pay the so-called Four War Gods a visit and see just how formidable they were.
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