The July sun scorched Jiangcheng, radiating intense heat. Amidst the bustling crowd, a lean young man stood silently, gazing at the city that felt both familiar and strange.
"Fifteen years. I’ve finally returned. My seven sisters... are you all doing well?" the young man whispered.
His name was Luyun. An orphan raised in an orphanage, he had seven sisters who were not related to him by blood but treated him as their own. When they were children, their favorite game was to play house, and they would promise that when they grew up, they would all marry Luyun. Back then, five-year-old Luyun had said in his milky voice, "We aren't toddlers anymore; we have to keep our word." The sisters then hooked pinkies with him, declaring that anyone who broke the promise would be a puppy.
Little Luyun spent every day looking forward to growing up, until a fire completely consumed his life. In that blaze, the sisters could have escaped, but they chose to run back for him and ended up trapped in the sea of flames. Little Luyun was terrified, bawling his eyes out. Yet, even in that dire situation, his eldest sister pulled him into her arms, comforting him and telling him not to be afraid. As the fire roared, the eight children clung tightly to each other until they eventually passed out from the smoke.
When little Luyun opened his eyes again, he was still in that sea of fire, but an old Taoist stood before him, his clothes miraculously untouched by the flames. Luyun was stunned, thinking it was a hallucination, until the old man spoke: "I can save your sisters, but only if you agree to become my disciple."
That sentence was his lifeline, and Luyun agreed without a second thought. At the time, he did not realize his life would be completely rewritten from that moment on.
After leaving the orphanage, the old Taoist took Luyun to a Taoist temple, teaching him medicine, martial arts, spiritual arts, and even having him cultivate a nameless divine art. He spent ten years there. When Luyun turned fifteen, he thought he could finally return to Jiangcheng, but the old Taoist sent him to the border battlefields instead. He spent another five years there.
Five years of military life, blood, and slaughter led to the meteoric rise of an organization called "Heavenly Zhad." The thirty-six generals of the Heavenly Zhad sat in command of the four territories, and from then on, no one dared to invade the Dragon Country. And their king, the Divine Lord Yuntian, had now quietly returned to the place of his childhood memories: Jiangcheng.
...
Luyun reflected on the past; it felt like a dream. Truly. If he weren't experiencing it himself, he would find such a life story absurd no matter who told it.
Sunshine Orphanage was still there. However, Luyun’s mood was incredibly complex. The fire fifteen years ago had brought widespread attention to the orphanage, leading to generous donations from all walks of life and its subsequent reconstruction. The old brick-and-tile houses had been replaced by small high-rise buildings, with facilities far better than before, yet it was no longer the place Luyun once knew.
However, when Luyun saw the innocent smiles of the children, the sense of estrangement vanished instantly. He felt as if he were seeing himself and his sisters in their childhood. Everything remained unchanged; the orphanage was still a place filled with beauty.
Luyun found the staff and explained his reason for being there. Soon, a woman wearing reading glasses came before him, looking at him with suspicion.
"I am the director of Sunshine Orphanage. Who are you looking for?"
"You are the director?" Luyun paused. In his memory, the director was a kind old man named Wu, certainly not this woman.
The older woman nodded and said, "I have been the director for over a decade. Are you not here to see me?"
"I'm looking for Grandpa Wu."
"Oh, you mean the former director? He retired a long time ago!"
Hearing that Luyun was looking for the former director, the woman’s suspicion dissipated, and her tone became much warmer. But Luyun frowned. Grandpa Wu had retired? And judging by the woman's words, he had stepped down over a decade ago. Was it because of that fire?
Luyun hurriedly asked, "Could you please tell me Grandpa Wu’s address?"
"Yes, yes, wait a moment. Let me write it down for you."
The woman went inside and soon returned with a note, which she handed to Luyun.
"Thank you!"
Holding the address, Luyun arrived at a modest residential building. He saw a white-haired, stooped old man sweeping the courtyard, and Luyun recognized him instantly: it was Grandpa Wu.
Fifteen years later, he had aged so much. Luyun felt a sting of sadness and quickened his pace, but the scene that followed made his fury erupt.
While Grandpa Wu was sweeping, a young man in a floral shirt shoved him hard, cursing, "Old thing, I know those women send you money every month! Where is it? Where is the money?"
Broad daylight, and he was robbing him!
Luyun was incensed. He lunged forward, grabbed the floral-shirted youth by the collar, and roared, "Stealing from an old man? Are you even human? You animal!"
"Cough, cough..."
The youth, not having expected anyone to intervene, showed a flicker of panic before forcing a calm facade. "You... let go of me! This is my family business... what does it have to do with you?"
"Family business?"
It was Luyun’s turn to be confused. He turned to look at Grandpa Wu.
Grandpa Wu looked sorrowful and sighed, "Young man, he is not a robber. His name is Wang Gang, and he is a child I adopted."
Wang Gang? Wang Gang!
Luyun stared at the youth in the floral shirt and finally recognized him. No wonder he felt a glimmer of familiarity; this was the Wang Gang who used to bully him as a child until the sisters knocked his head full of bumps. How had he been adopted by Grandpa Wu? Luyun was momentarily dazed.
Wang Gang seized the opportunity to break free, coughing violently for a long while before catching his breath.
"Bastard, who asked you to meddle? Now that you know it’s my family business, get lost!"
Wang Gang glared viciously at Luyun before turning to roar at Wu Wende: "Old thing, since you adopted me, you should feed me, clothe me, and let me live well! If you can't provide the best, why did you adopt me?"
"Where is the money those women send you? Give it here! Why hide it? Do you plan to take it to the grave? I see you don't have many years left. Eventually, you’ll have to rely on me to bury you. If you don't give this money to me, who are you giving it to? You brainless old fool!"
Wang Gang’s words became increasingly vicious. Wu Wende’s frail body trembled violently, but he only kept his head down, enduring the verbal abuse. Seeing this, Luyun could take no more. He raised his hand and slapped him.
*Slap!*
"This slap is for your foul mouth and lack of respect for your elders!"
*Slap!*
"This slap is for your ingratitude for the kindness you’ve received!"
*Slap!*
"This slap is for your blind eyes, failing to recognize a true dragon when you see one!"