Chen Muye had no choice but to stay quiet. Grandpa Li was insistent on treating his illness, and there was nothing he could do about it.
In the plaza in front of the hospital, Li Wenrui had called over his father, Li Jiangtao, his eldest brother, Li Zhengjun, and his third brother, Li Shengxue. The group of grown men sat around a stone table. Li Wenrui recounted everything that had happened in his office.
Once he finished, he looked at his father, Li Jiangtao. "Dad, tell me, what should I do? If it were an ordinary illness, we could just pay to have this young man cured. But this is late-stage cancer—it’s not a matter of money. Don’t you think Grandpa is making an impossible demand?"
Li Jiangtao was already in his seventies. Though his hair was gray, he still appeared incredibly energetic. He furrowed his brows and questioned his sons, "Could it be that this young Chen is someone’s illegitimate child, and the old man found out?"
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Definitely not!"
The three brothers denied it instantly.
Li Jiangtao sneered, "Then why is the old man so hell-bent on curing him? There are plenty of cancer patients in this world; why must he choose to help this particular young man?"
Li Wenrui frowned. "I don’t know, Dad."
Li Jiangtao paused. "Here is what you do: run a DNA test between this young Chen and the three of you."
"Dad, I don’t think that’s necessary!" Li Zhengjun and Li Shengxue echoed.
"That's right, Dad. Don't you trust us?"
"Exactly. We grew up right under your nose; you know exactly what kind of people we are."
Li Jiangtao glanced at them. "It’s precisely because you grew up under my nose that I don't trust you."
Li Wenrui suddenly had a thought. "Dad, could it be that when you were younger..."
Li Jiangtao slapped Li Wenrui on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting? Your father has only ever had eyes for your mother."
Seeing their brother get hit, Li Zhengjun and Li Shengxue struggled to hold back their laughter. After some deliberation, Li Zhengjun suggested, "Dad, how about we first look into this young Chen’s background?"
"Fine. Have someone look into it."
"Understood."
Li Zhengjun worked at the Yongcheng Security Bureau and had a certain level of clearance. Soon, he had Chen Muye’s files sent to their phones. They reviewed the documents carefully and found that Chen Muye had a clean background. Although he was an orphan, his birth records were complete, and there was nothing suspicious.
For a moment, they were at a loss. Just then, Li Wenrui’s phone rang. He glanced at it and saw it was his grandfather, Li Tiangang. He held the phone up to show the others before answering.
The moment the call connected, Li Tiangang’s sharp, stern voice erupted from the speaker: "What kind of solution did you come up with? Leaving me hanging and trying to fool me? Do you want to be struck from the family register?"
"Grandpa, no, no! That’s not it! I’ll head back right now and explain everything to you!"
"You have two minutes to appear before me."
"Yes, yes, right away!"
After hanging up, Li Wenrui looked at his father and brothers. "I have to go back. Dad, brothers, please, think of something! Grandpa just said he’s going to strike me from the family register!" With that, he bolted toward the elevators.
A minute and a half later, Li Wenrui arrived at the office door, panting heavily. "Grandpa, I’m back. Heh heh."
Li Tiangang kept a straight face. "And? What’s the solution?"
Li Wenrui wore a forced smile, his heart sinking. "Grandpa, regarding young Chen’s illness, we have to treat it, of course, but how and where—we should discuss that properly, right?"
"Don't give me that."
"How about this, Grandpa? Dad and my brothers are all here, just downstairs in the plaza. Why don't you talk to them as well?"
"You little brat, trying to bring in reinforcements? What does it matter if they’re here?"
"No, no, not at all."
"Actually, it's good that they're here. I can make it clear to all of you. Let's go."
"Right away!" Li Wenrui felt a wave of relief. With his father, Li Jiangtao, there to shoulder the burden, he could just listen.
A few minutes later, Li Wenrui led Li Tiangang and Chen Muye to the plaza. When Li Jiangtao, Li Zhengjun, and Li Shengxue saw the old man, they immediately stepped forward with great respect.
"Father."
"Grandpa."
"Grandpa."
The three men smiled, looking eager to please.
Li Tiangang remained stern. "This is young Chen."
Chen Muye greeted them politely, "Hello, uncles."
They gave him a quick look and replied politely, "Hello."
Li Tiangang turned to Chen Muye. "Young Chen, come, show us some Xingyiquan."
"You got it!" Chen Muye didn't know why Grandpa Li suddenly wanted him to perform, but to him, one more practice session couldn't hurt. He found a clear spot a few meters away, stretched his limbs, and began.
*Whoosh!*
*Ha!*
*Hah!*
Grandpa Li watched Chen Muye and asked, "What do you all think of his Xingyiquan?"
The others watched as Chen Muye’s movements flowed with power and precision, as if he were a veteran master who had practiced for decades.
Li Jiangtao was the first to speak. "He has the makings of a martial artist." As Li Tiangang’s only son, he had practiced martial arts with his father since childhood. Though he was nowhere near one-tenth as skilled as Li Tiangang, he had enough ability to serve with distinction during his time in the military.
Li Zhengjun, Li Wenrui, and Li Shengxue followed suit.
"His Xingyiquan is very practiced."
"Indeed! Very smooth. He must have been practicing for quite some time."
"The power is quite something, too; it looks very impressive."
Li Tiangang rolled his eyes at the three of them. He had thought his eldest, Li Jiangtao, was a failure, so he had hoped for better from these three. He didn't expect them to be even worse. Back in the day, it had taken him a full year just to teach them the basic stances. He had known then that they weren't cut out for martial arts and had simply given up on them.
"Do you remember the story I told you about my old Taoist master when you were children?" Li Tiangang asked. They all nodded.
"I have only one wish in this life," Li Tiangang sighed deeply. "I hope someone can carry on my martial arts legacy. It’s a pity that none of you showed any promise. Do you know how long young Chen has been practicing this Xingyiquan?"
They shook their heads. They had only met Chen Muye today; how could they know?
Li Tiangang held up a single finger. "One day."
"One day!"
They were shocked. They all knew from experience that martial arts were far from simple. That Chen Muye could master the forms in a single day was simply unbelievable. It was no wonder the old man was so insistent on saving him—he wanted Chen Muye to inherit his legacy.
The realization dawned on them. Their grandfather had never found a suitable successor for his master's teachings—the greatest regret of his life. Now that he saw a glimmer of hope, he naturally didn't want to give up.
Li Jiangtao, understanding that this was his father's only wish, looked at his son Li Wenrui with a grave expression. "Wenrui, is there really no hope for young Chen’s illness?"
Li Wenrui and his brothers knew that Chen Muye was the key to their grandfather's heart's desire. They, too, wanted to help fulfill it if they could. But the reality remained.
Li Wenrui furrowed his brows and looked at Li Tiangang. "Grandpa, there have been cases of late-stage lung cancer being cured, but those are miracles among millions. I can’t guarantee a one-hundred-percent recovery, but I can promise to do my absolute best."
Li Zhengjun added, "Grandpa, I will invite the top experts to assist my brother in treating young Chen." With his connections, he could bring in the country’s most renowned specialists.
"I’ll cover all the medical expenses!" added Li Shengxue. As a businessman, money was the least of his concerns.
Li Tiangang felt a flicker of gratification. Perhaps his son and grandsons weren't entirely hopeless after all.
Just then, a sharp *crack* echoed through the air. A few meters away, Chen Muye had split a wrist-thick tree in half with a single palm strike.
The five men stood frozen, their mouths agape, unable to express their shock. Li Tiangang, in particular, was overcome with excitement.
*Vivid Force!* he thought. *Young Chen has actually mastered the Vivid Force!*