In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 161: The Ruthless Marshal Father (4)

When Qi Sheng returned to the cub training room again, the first scene he saw upon pushing the door open was three furry little balls standing in a row from left to right by height. Their front paws were held together, heads held high. Upon seeing him enter, the little white tiger in the middle even puffed out the soft fur on its chest proudly.

“Father!” Three overlapping baby voices rang out together, and Qi Sheng’s blood pressure shot up another notch.

Feeling as if he could bleed from how adorably cute they were, Qi Sheng forced himself to appear calm and stern with sheer willpower. But when he got in front of the three little ones, he couldn’t resist crouching down and rubbing each of their fluffy heads.

“No need to be nervous. I just want to see your current training progress.”

“Yes, Father,” came the three little voices again in perfect unison, making Qi Sheng’s hand itch to rub their heads once more.

He led the three furballs to the virtual battle room and looked at the biggest little tiger. “Xiao Ye, you go first.”

The virtual battle room before them was a simulated combat environment specially developed by the Federation Academy for beastman cubs. The virtual enemies inside were also young alien beasts, and their level and number could be selected based on the trainee’s strength.

Qi Junye was ten years old this year, but the virtual enemies could still provide an appropriate challenge for his tests. So Qi Sheng wasn’t too worried that his son would overwhelm his opponents.

However, this time Qi Sheng really underestimated him. He saw the previously soft and adorable little tiger’s eyes sharpen in an instant, radiating confidence and certainty of victory—Qi Sheng couldn’t help but grow curious.

Was his little tiger already that strong? Qi Junye also wanted to show off in front of his father today. He wanted to prove with his real strength that even though he hadn’t undergone his beast transformation yet, he was still the strongest among his peers.

This time, Qi Junye didn’t hold back. The virtual battle room was designed for cubs, and the strongest enemy available was a Tier 3 alien beast.

Among all the alien beasts discovered in the interstellar world, the Federation classified them by combat strength into ten tiers: Tiers 1 to 3 were low-level, 4 to 6 mid-level, and 7 to 9 high-level. Tier 10, also called Star-tier beasts, were the peak—though historical records indicated even stronger levels beyond that, with Star-tier beasts having their own nine sub-levels.

Currently, over 90% of alien beasts at the Federation frontline were mid- to high-level. Star-tier beasts made up the rest. Low-level beasts were rare on the battlefield but still quite difficult for ten-year-old cubs.

Qi Sheng thought his little tiger would start with a Tier 1 enemy, but the cub directly selected a Tier 3.

Inside the simulated jungle of the virtual room, the white tiger with black stripes moved gracefully among the dense foliage. The forest was eerily quiet, but the tiger’s seemingly casual movements showed he was ready for battle at any moment.

In the distance, a low shrub rustled. The little tiger glanced at it casually, seemingly uninterested, and kept moving forward. But when a shadow suddenly leapt at him from behind, he reacted instantly, jumping three meters away and counterattacking in a flash.

The Tier 3 beast looked like a tusked boar. The Federation had aptly named it “Tusk Beast.” It was only slightly larger than the tiger cub and, despite its pig-like appearance, was just as agile as any feline.

Both sides had speed, and the enemy had sharp tusks. Qi Sheng couldn’t help but worry that this would be a tough battle for his cub.

But his concern didn’t last long. The little tiger’s counterattack landed a solid slap that sent the Tusk Beast flying. Seizing the advantage, he didn’t give the beast any chance to recover. He followed up immediately, and the once-soft little paw pads now revealed sharp claws.

The tiger cub seemed to have tremendous strength. Qi Sheng noticed that the Tusk Beast’s upper body couldn’t move under his weight. The beast tried to use its hind legs to break free, but before it could struggle much, the little tiger slashed its throat with a single swipe.

The entire battle took less than five minutes. The cub decisively killed his opponent with overwhelming dominance.

Qi Sheng was slightly shocked by the cub’s strength. The twin cubs watching beside him displayed their usual synchronicity.

“Wow!” the two little voices exclaimed at once. The little white tiger even imitated her brother’s leap, excitedly inspecting her own little paws. She bared her tiny claws and compared them to the ones on the screen—only to feel disappointed when she realized her chubby pink claws didn’t look very threatening at all.

After the kill, the little tiger coolly glanced at the scene and kept walking, seemingly unfazed by the fight. What the others—Qi Sheng and the cubs—didn’t know was that as he walked away, the little tiger flicked his tail nervously.

He couldn’t help but wonder, Did Father notice how awesome I was just now?

The little tiger, who had just been lost in thought, quickly refocused because he had sensed the presence of another alien beast.

Outside the virtual battle room, one adult and two cubs were intently watching the fight on the screen. Qi Sheng looked approvingly at his brave little tiger, while the two cubs beside him frequently let out soft, amazed gasps.

The little tiger’s combat skills were excellent. Qi Sheng wasn’t sure if he had received special training in this area or if it was a result of his past real combat experience in the Black Domain Forest. Either way, the little tiger’s combat ability now clearly placed him at the top among his peers.

Time was approaching the half-hour mark, and the little tiger had already achieved five kills—far beyond Qi Sheng’s expectations. But he noticed that even as the test was about to end, the little tiger was still patrolling the battlefield.

At that moment, Qi Junye was anxiously watching the countdown ticking down rapidly. He was dissatisfied with the spawn rate of the virtual alien beasts—he had wanted to take down two more! Unfortunately, all he could do was watch the timer hit zero in disappointment.

Exiting the test, the little tiger seemed a bit downcast. It was obvious to him that the results didn’t reflect his full potential. He wasn’t sure if this performance would satisfy his father.

But Qi Sheng was definitely satisfied. First, he felt proud of his cub’s abilities. Then, seeing how hard the little one had worked, he felt he should give him encouragement and affirmation.

He crouched down, rubbing the head of the little tiger who had been sneaking peeks at him, and praised, “Very good—better than I expected. Next time, let’s try the simulated mech combat room.”

The simulated mech combat room? Had Father noticed that he hadn’t used his full strength?

Realizing this, a look of seriousness filled the little tiger’s deep-blue eyes. He obediently agreed, but inside he was a bit angry at his past self. If he had continued training instead of deliberately going on a hunger strike those few days, could he have already requested to move on to a tougher test environment?

No—he would definitely train hard in the coming days. In the next test, he would make Father proud!

The little tiger silently made his decision, then turned his attention back to the combat screen.

Compared to the decisive and fierce battles of the little tiger, Qi Sheng found the test screens of the other two cubs to be overflowing with cuteness.

On the split screens, the little white tiger and the little white fox had both entered shallow grassy areas in different virtual environments. Despite being in separate settings, they both displayed the same curiosity toward their surroundings.

Before they could explore further, a strange-looking alien beast cub suddenly appeared in front of them.

This alien beast cub had a pointy snout and a dog-like body with a thin, short tail. Its appearance was comical, but its strength was not so easy for the two little ones to handle.

The first to act was the little white tiger. She excelled at offense, and having just watched her brother’s thrilling battle, she was eager to also smack an alien beast cub into the air.

So on the screen, Qi Sheng saw the big-cat-like white tiger lash out with her first paw, but the enemy only tilted its head slightly. Dissatisfied with the result, the chubby fluffball immediately leapt on the alien beast and used her plump body to pin it down—then began furiously slapping it with both paws.

Qi Sheng, watching from outside the screen: “…”

He couldn’t help but feel his daughter might be a bit too violent!

The little white tiger seemed to have the upper hand, while in the other screen, the little white fox was doing just as well. Though he was a bit weaker in strength compared to his sister, perhaps due to growing up together, his combat style was surprisingly similar. His chubby paws were swinging so quickly that Qi Sheng could almost see afterimages.

As Qi Sheng closely observed the battles on the screen, he suddenly noticed something strange. Compared to the Star-tier alien beasts he had fought personally, neither his cubs nor the alien beasts in these simulations used any special abilities. It was all a contest of strength and speed.

He recalled from his original memories that mid-tier alien beasts were dozens or even hundreds of times stronger and faster than low-tier ones. High-tier beasts weren’t just faster or stronger—they sometimes displayed fantastical, supernatural abilities.

Sensing that something unusual might be going on, Qi Sheng decided to visit the Federal Central Academy the next day. It housed the most extensive library in the Federation, with materials even more complete than the highest-access permissions available on the star network.

The half-hour passed quickly. The little white tiger successfully subdued four alien beast cubs, and the little white fox managed to take down three.

Although his final score was slightly lower than his sister’s, the little white fox didn’t seem upset. He clearly understood he couldn’t match his sister in physical strength and accepted the result without much fuss.

Qi Sheng, as usual, praised the two little ones. Only after successfully making them puff up their chests with pride did he say, “That’s it for today. Let’s go have dinner.”

The original host had been away from home for two years. While Qi Junye retained a strong impression of his strict father, the two younger cubs actually had a much better impression of him.

So that evening, just after finishing their bubble baths, the two little ones naturally made their way to their parents’ bedroom.

Their favorite pre-bedtime ritual was to enjoy the gentle fur-stroking of their mother. Bu Qiongyu doted on them, and since their eldest son had grown increasingly independent in recent years—rarely allowing her to rub his tummy anymore—she took full advantage of her husband’s absence to spoil the little ones with indulgent massages.

So when Qi Sheng came out of the shower, he saw his wife sitting on their big bed, holding a fluffy cub in each arm, massaging them with practiced tenderness.

The two little fluffballs, clearly used to this pampering, were lying on their backs with limbs splayed, purring softly with their heads resting on their mother’s lap.

The scene was simply too heartwarming, and Qi Sheng tried to walk over calmly, pretending to be unaffected.

Bu Qiongyu, seeing him exit the bathroom, feared he might disapprove and quickly explained, “They’re still so little—”

Qi Sheng gave a quiet “Mm” to let her know there was no need to explain. After all, the cubs were still young and deserved to enjoy their carefree nature. Unlike the original host, who was obsessed with training and combat, Qi Sheng wanted the little ones to grow up happy and free.

He gently picked up the little white fox from his wife’s lap, his movements careful as he scratched the fine fur around the cub’s neck.

The little one had just been enjoying his massage with closed eyes. When he suddenly felt his body being moved, he opened his eyes—and upon seeing it was his beloved father, his silver eyes immediately sparkled like stars.

Qi Sheng could see the little fox’s delight and tapped his nose affectionately.

The little white fox loved this kind of intimate gesture from his father and instinctively stuck out his tongue to lick the finger that had touched his nose.

As father and son shared a warm moment, the little white tiger lying on her mother suddenly sensed something amiss—her brother was gone!

She turned her head in confusion and saw her cunning little brother nestled in their father’s arms. Inspired by the awe she’d felt during his epic battle earlier that afternoon, she couldn’t accept being left out—she wanted cuddles, kisses, and belly rubs too!

So in that moment, Bu Resident Fluffball Masseuse Qiongyu realized something shocking—ever since her husband came home, she seemed to have lost favor in the children’s eyes!

Her lap was now empty, while her husband’s arms were full of furry cubs. With slightly itchy hands, Bu Qiongyu couldn’t help but tug playfully at two pairs of fluffy ears.

These two little traitors!

After playing with the cubs for a while, Qi Sheng gently lulled them to sleep, then carried the two fluffballs back to their room to rest. On the way back, thinking of the innocence and joy in their eyes, Qi Sheng couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart for his eldest—the big furball of the family.

Being a man of action, Qi Sheng didn’t hesitate to head straight to the little tiger’s bedroom door.

At that moment, Qi Junye hadn’t gone to bed yet. He was still reflecting on the tender version of his father from earlier. Upon sensing his father outside the door, he immediately got up from his soft mat and opened it.

“Father?”

“I came to check on you.”

Qi Sheng entered his son’s room and saw that the little tiger, freshly bathed in bubbles, had extra fluffy fur around his head. Sitting down on the soft mat, he pulled the little tiger into his arms and gently rubbed his adorable furry head before saying, “Don’t worry. Your father will take care of everything for you.”

After a short moment of bonding, Qi Sheng said goodnight and left.

The little tiger, always polite and well-mannered, watched obediently as his father left. Sensing the trust in his son’s gaze, Qi Sheng couldn’t help but smile again.

This life… was perfect.