The mysterious milk group, hands on hips, is being fought over by five dads who are going crazy over

Following the maid's directions, A-Ning arrived at the front hall and immediately spotted the Imperial Preceptor sitting inside. She tilted her head curiously.

"Brother Zhou Sheng? What brings you here?"

"Insolence!" Huo Ting, seated at the head of the table, stared at her coldly with displeasure. "The Imperial Preceptor's surname is Zhou. How dare you change your surname so readily? Such rudeness and disrespect!"

This has happened countless times. Every time they meet, he yells at Aning fiercely!

Ah Ning pouted unhappily, but when she turned to look at her older brother Zhou Sheng, she broke into a sweet smile: "Did you come here specifically to see Ah Ning, big brother?"

Zhou Shengze smiled, but before he could speak, he saw Huo Ting stand up, put one hand behind his back, and look displeased.

"Huo Zhining!"

"Why aren't you bowing to the Imperial Preceptor? How did your nanny teach you manners?"

Ah Ning is so fierce again!

Ah Ning frowned, her cheeks puffed out slightly, and she said stubbornly, "Ah Ning grew up in the countryside with her grandmother and doesn't know any nannies who teach manners!"

"You! It seems I've been too lenient with you lately, daring to talk back to your own father!"

Huo Ting's face was gloomy. He was about to have someone take her away and teach her some manners when Zhou Shengze stood up and stopped him.

"Your Excellency, please calm down. It's perfectly normal for a young lady raised in the countryside to be unfamiliar with these things."

He paused, then continued, "I have come today because I have some matters I wish to discuss with your daughter. I wonder if Your Excellency would be so kind as to grant me this favor?"

Huo Ting stared at him indifferently, his eyes filled with growing doubt. He simply couldn't understand what important matter he had to "discuss" with a four-year-old child...

What could a four-year-old child, who was abandoned in the countryside to grow up since she was a child, possibly understand?

Zhou Shengze was a favorite of the emperor, and no matter what Zhou Shengze did, the emperor had to give him face.

Thinking of this, Huo Ting flicked his sleeves and said, "Alright, I still have some official business to attend to, please excuse me."

"We will host a banquet for the Imperial Advisor after he has finished dealing with the important matters."

Zhou Shengze smiled politely and bowed to greet him.

The maids who were serving in the room also withdrew in turn, and soon only Aning and Zhou Shengze remained in the large front hall.

Ah Ning looked up, blinking in confusion, "Isn't big brother surnamed Zhou? Why did he say Ah Ning was called the wrong name?"

She refers to her biological father as "he".

Sensing the subtle relationship between father and daughter, Zhou Shengze smiled faintly: "To be honest, my original surname was Zhou Sheng, but my master said that this surname was not auspicious, so he changed my surname to Zhou."

Aning was even more confused: "Then why did the older brother tell Aning that your surname is Zhou Sheng?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shengze's smile faded, and he looked at the swirling snow outside, his tone deep: "Because this is my responsibility."

responsibility?

Can a surname really be a responsibility?

That's too profound, Ah Ning didn't understand. She blinked her big eyes and asked, "Then how should Ah Ning address big brother from now on?"

"You can call me whatever you like." Zhou Shengze smiled, skipping the topic. "Miss Aning, to my shame, I have something to discuss with you today."

Important matters?

Do you need to discuss something important with Aning?

Ah Ning immediately stood up straight, looked up at him with her clear eyes, and said, "Big brother, please speak."

Zhou Shengze sighed, "At the sacrificial ceremony a few days ago, Miss Aning cast a prayer for sunshine, bringing several days of sunshine to the capital, but last night it started snowing heavily again..."

"I also tried using the Prayer for Sunshine Spell, but..." He shook his head and smiled sheepishly, "it had no effect whatsoever, far less powerful than Miss's spell that day. I am truly ashamed of my inferiority."

Upon hearing this, Ah Ning shook her head: "That's not right."

Zhou Shengze paused, his eyes filled with questions.

Ah Ning walked to the door, looked at the heavy snow outside, coughed twice, and imitated an adult, saying:

"This blizzard has been happening for years, it's truly unusual, not just a common natural disaster. If we can't find the source, it can't be resolved. This foreshadows an impending calamity for the Great Liang, and right now it's just a small blizzard..."

"Dog..." Ah Ning stammered, touching her smooth chin, her brows furrowing as she tried to recall, "What did Master say again? 'Dog panting?' 'Dog panting'?"

Zhou Shengze: "Perhaps, it's just a matter of clinging to life?"

Ah Ning blinked: "What does that mean? Ah Ning doesn't understand."

Zhou Shengze's tone became heavier, and a sorrow beyond his years was hidden in his eyes. "What I mean is, if this monstrous disaster is not resolved, one day the entire country will be destroyed, and the people will be displaced..."

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he asked again, "To be able to teach such a remarkable disciple as Miss Aning, your master must be an extremely powerful figure. May I ask where Miss Aning studied under?"

Mentioning her master, Ah Ning visibly cheered: "Master Ah Ning is amazing! She knows so many, many, many powerful spells!"

Zhou Shengze's mind raced, and he pressed on, "Is your master's surname Yu?"

A-Ning was stunned for a moment, then shook her head blankly: "A-Ning doesn't know. Master has never mentioned her name."

Zhou Shengze asked urgently, "May I ask where your master is now?"

A-Ning blinked: "Why does big brother keep asking about A-Ning's master? Could it be that you want to become A-Ning's master's disciple? Master said that A-Ning is the last disciple, and he won't be taking any more disciples."

"Miss Aning, you misunderstand. I already have a master." Zhou Shengze chuckled, then said with a hint of melancholy, "I just felt that if Miss Aning's master were here, he would surely be able to resolve this..."

"To be honest, I figured out two years ago that these continuous blizzards were man-made, but there was no way to stop them."

"For one person to single-handedly cause an entire country to be shrouded in blizzards and darkness for four consecutive years... Whether it's a curse or a formation, this requires astonishing power, something no ordinary person could accomplish, and breaking it is utterly impossible. But if this continues, the people..."

"The people will suffer a lot, and no one will be happy, right?" Ah Ning sat down on the steps, propped her chin up, and looked at the thick layer of snow on the ground with a somewhat confused look in her eyes.

It had only been snowing for a morning, and the snow was already almost up to her calves.

Grandma is alone at home, she must be worrying about the crops in the fields again, and she's probably also worried that the hens won't survive until the next morning.

I remember last year, a monster snatched a chick away at night. Grandma braved the wind and snow to chase after it for a very long time. The monster almost didn't catch up with her. When she got home, Grandma fell seriously ill and, lying in bed, told her:

"In the past, Daliang had four distinct seasons: cool spring and autumn, hot summer, and snow only in winter. Back then, everyone worked from sunrise to sunset and never worried about food, always happy. Now, every household has run out of surplus grain. If this continues, I'm afraid..."

That was the first time she had ever seen the old woman cry.

But she was too young at the time and didn't know how to help her grandmother, so she had to exchange all the things her father-in-law gave her for food.

If the Prayer for Clear Skies spell can't solve the fundamental problem, then how can we help the old woman and the people suffering from the heavy snow?

Aning is still confused...

The revered Imperial Advisor stood quietly beside four-year-old Aning, waiting without disturbing her.

As a fellow disciple of the Xuanmen sect, he understood A-Ning's condition all too well.

This is in—

To comprehend.

To reach this level at the age of only four and comprehend the Great Dao on one's own—what terrifying talent is this...?

After an unknown amount of time, the snow on the ground had reached almost up to Aning's knees, and she finally moved.

Zhou Shengze curled his fingertips and subconsciously took a step forward, wanting to ask her if she had already figured out a solution, but he held back.

Ah Ning slowly stood up, her little face contorted in pain as she kicked her legs: "It hurts, my legs are numb..."

Zhou Shengze: "???"