A Fool Worth Protecting

Everyone present was stunned by Hektor and Leon’s conversation.

The mountain winds swept through the ruined battlefield, carrying the smell of scorched earth, blood, and burning mana. Above the dark skies of the Land of Silence, the terrifying clash between the four pinnacle beasts still continued without pause. Flames painted the horizon crimson while thunder shattered the clouds every few breaths.

Yet strangely, compared to the heaven-shaking battle overhead, the conversation between the two old foxes below felt even harder to understand.

Most people simply stood there with blank expressions.

Only Fairy Fiona, Uncle Jadis, and several old cultivators who had wandered the cultivation world for centuries vaguely understood the hidden meaning beneath those casual words. Even then, they could only grasp fragments of it.

The younger generation remained utterly confused.

"What are they talking about? Isn’t it just a matter of two thousand silver coins? Why does it sound like they owe a mountain of gold..."

Harry Taylor scratched his head hard enough to mess up his black hair completely.

His green eyes narrowed seriously as if he were facing the greatest mystery in cultivation history.

He thought about it for a long time.

Then longer.

Then even longer.

In the end, his expression became increasingly painful.

Finally, he sighed helplessly in his heart.

With my intelligence... I probably won’t understand this even after another hundred years.

Beside him, Fiona nearly laughed out loud after seeing his serious expression. Her long azure hair fluttered softly in the wind as her teal eyes curved slightly.

"Young Master Harry," she said gently, unable to hide her amusement, "some things in the cultivation world cannot be understood just by listening to the words themselves."

Harry blinked.

"Then how do you understand them?"

Fiona paused for a moment before smiling faintly.

"You learn after getting tricked enough times."

"...Ah?"

Harry became even more confused.

Leon stood nearby with his hands behind his back, his midnight robes embroidered with thin amethyst patterns fluttering coldly beneath the violent winds. His long black hair swayed behind him while his purple eyes calmly watched the battlefield above.

He heard their conversation clearly but did not bother explaining.

Some things could only be understood after experiencing the cultivation world personally.

Words were easy.

Human hearts were not.

At that moment, a powerful wave of mana suddenly surged from afar.

Rustle—

Several figures rushed through the shattered forest at high speed, kicking up dust and broken leaves everywhere.

"Young Master!"

The familiar anxious shout echoed through the mountain valley.

Harry froze.

His eyes widened instantly before he hurriedly turned around.

From the distance, he saw a large group rapidly approaching them. Leading them was Elder Black, followed closely by several experts of the Taylor family.

And at the very front—

A tall, broad-shouldered man walked with a domineering aura that could not be hidden no matter how hard he tried.

Harrier Taylor.

Harry’s face immediately lit up.

"Father!"

Without hesitation, he rushed forward.

The originally tense battlefield atmosphere suddenly became strangely lively.

Harrier Taylor laughed loudly the moment he saw his son.

"Hahaha! Yi’er, I haven’t seen you for a month and you’ve become much more polite."

Before Harry could react, the giant hand already landed heavily on his shoulder.

BANG.

Harry’s entire body nearly sank into the ground.

His face instantly turned pale.

A mouthful of blood almost shot out from his throat.

"Cough—"

He forcefully swallowed it back while trembling slightly.

Should he feel happy or depressed?

If you wanted to praise someone, couldn’t you use your mouth properly?

What was the meaning of nearly slapping your son into reincarnation?

Fiona quickly turned her head away, her shoulders trembling faintly.

She was clearly trying very hard not to laugh.

Even Leon’s lips twitched slightly.

Harrier Taylor, however, remained completely unaware.

After greeting his son enthusiastically, he immediately straightened his clothes before hurrying respectfully toward Leon.

"Respected Leon!"

The rough and domineering clan leader instantly became much more restrained.

Even his voice subconsciously lowered several degrees.

On the other side, Hektor had already returned to the Soft Water Divine Sect’s group to understand the events of last night.

Leon glanced calmly at Harrier Taylor before asking with a slightly strange expression,

"Why are you here?"

"Haha, Respected One!" Harrier Taylor laughed heartily. "I just returned home this morning. The household members told me that you visited the Taylor family yesterday and brought Yi’er out of the city. The moment I heard the news, I immediately gathered all the experts in the family and rushed here."

He patted his chest proudly.

"I thought perhaps Respected One might need help. Even if my Taylor family isn’t powerful enough to shake the heavens, we still know loyalty."

The surrounding Taylor family experts straightened their backs proudly after hearing those words.

Their cultivation levels might not compare to the truly powerful forces, but none of them were cowards.

Leon quietly looked at the group.

Most were only in lower realms.

Against ordinary cultivators, they could dominate entire regions.

But before the four terrifying pinnacle beasts battling overhead...

They were little more than dust.

One shockwave alone could erase them completely.

Yet despite understanding the danger, they still came.

That sincerity alone already meant something.

Leon’s cold expression softened slightly.

See?

He had said it long ago.

Harrier Taylor was someone worth befriending.

If something truly happened, this man would genuinely stand beside you without hesitation.

Even now, after witnessing the terrifying battle shaking the entire Land of Silence, Harrier Taylor still brought every expert in his household over without fear.

Though realistically speaking...

If those four beasts descended, this entire group would probably be wiped out instantly.

Still.

Intent mattered.

At the very least, they came.

Leon nodded faintly.

"The situation here is very dangerous."

His calm voice carried unusual seriousness.

"In this battlefield, anyone below the Sage Realm is little different from ants. A stray shockwave could kill you instantly."

The surrounding atmosphere instantly quieted.

Even Harrier Taylor’s smile stiffened slightly.

Leon continued calmly while glancing toward Harry.

"I understand Patriarch Taylor’s intentions. But if something happens to the foundation of your household here..."

His eyes rested briefly on Harry.

"...who will this child rely on in the future?"

The moment those words were spoken—

Harrier Taylor’s heart shook violently.

His breathing almost stopped for a moment.

His eyes widened slightly as disbelief and excitement surged within him simultaneously.

What did those words mean?

Leon was clearly considering Harry’s future.

Didn’t that mean...

He already viewed Harry differently?

Over the past month, Harrier Taylor had secretly investigated Leon countless times.

The more he learned, the more shocked he became.

The entire Celestis Academy knew one thing clearly—

Entering the Amethyst Summit Division was harder than ascending the heavens.

Leon only had two students despite controlling an entire division by himself.

And both were monstrous geniuses.

Not only that, Leon was famously protective toward his students. Every resource, Sacred Art, and treasure was given without hesitation.

Countless disciples dreamed of entering Amethyst Summit Division.

Yet none succeeded.

Because Leon’s standards were absurdly strict.

Talent.

Character.

Will.

Heart.

All were tested.

And now...

Looking at Leon’s concern toward Harry, Harrier Taylor suddenly felt overwhelming joy rising within his chest.

Could it be...

His son had already passed Leon’s observation?

Back then, he allowed Harry to follow Leon precisely because of this hope.

And now—

That gamble finally seemed to bear fruit.

Harrier Taylor quickly suppressed his excitement before laughing loudly.

"Respected One, don’t worry! My household members may not have high cultivation, but they’ve survived in the wastelands for many years. Their combat experience is rich."

He grinned confidently.

"The situation you’re worried about definitely won’t happen. I still have this bit of confidence."

Leon nodded lightly.

He did not doubt Harrier Taylor’s battlefield instincts.

Still, he reminded calmly,

"In any case, be careful. This battlefield is becoming increasingly chaotic. Once a true chaotic war erupts..."

He lifted his gaze toward the sky where flames and lightning exploded endlessly.

"...I might not be able to protect all of you."

Harrier Taylor’s expression turned serious instantly.

"We understand."

After saying that, Leon simply turned around again and continued observing the terrifying battle overhead.

The mountain winds howled violently around him.

His robes fluttered endlessly beneath the crimson skies.

From behind, Harry stared silently at Leon’s back.

His chest felt strangely warm.

He had heard every word clearly.

Leon was thinking about his future.

For the first time in his life, someone so powerful actually considered him important.

Not because he was the Taylor family’s young master.

Not because of his background.

But because of him.

Harry clenched his fists tightly.

Back then, he was nothing more than a notorious wastrel young master who spent his days showing off.

But after following Leon...

Everything changed.

People respected him.

Feared him.

Acknowledged him.

And now—

Even someone like Leon held expectations toward him.

A burning determination slowly rose inside Harry’s chest.

Senior has such high expectations of me...

I absolutely can’t disappoint him.

His gaze became firm.

I’ll cultivate properly from now on.

I’ll become stronger.

I’ll become someone worthy of standing beside Senior.

The wind blew fiercely across the battlefield.

For three full seconds...

Harry’s determination blazed brighter than ever before.

Then suddenly—

A shameless grin slowly spread across his face.

"Hehe..."

His eyes sparkled mischievously.

"I want to become an expert too."

The more he imagined it, the more excited he became.

"When I become super strong in the future, I can brag everywhere without anyone daring to hit me."

The serious atmosphere instantly shattered completely. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Fiona, who accidentally overheard him, nearly lost control of her expression.

Even Uncle Jadis looked speechless.

As expected...

Harry Taylor’s determination never lasted longer than three breaths.