Ye Chen had by now concluded that the *Xuanqi Breathing Method* had been passed on to the old man by Tie Kuangyun. Although the specific reasons remained unclear, if the old man had heard the name "Ye Kunlun," the mystery would be solved.
***
**Chapter 31: Meeting the Grandmaster**
Upon hearing those three words, the old man’s body trembled. He suddenly knelt to the ground and exclaimed, "Grand-disciple Jiang Yong’an pays respects to the Grandmaster!"
Grandmaster?
Hearing this title, Ye Chen couldn’t help but knit his brows slightly.
It seemed that Tie Kuangyun had taken the old man as a disciple. However, since Tie Kuangyun wasn't exactly Ye Chen's direct student, Ye Chen had no desire to be this "bargain" Grandmaster.
"Get up first, and drop the 'Grandmaster' title," Ye Chen said with a slight wave of his hand. He then asked, "How did Tie Kuangyun come to take you as a disciple?"
One had to understand that Tie Kuangyun was only in his early forties, while the gray-haired old man before him was at least seventy. Ye Chen was quite curious as to why Tie Kuangyun would suddenly accept him.
"Two years ago, Disciple—no, I—I suffered internal injuries when I was younger, and visiting famous doctors proved useless. Later, I encountered Master by the lake. He was already severely wounded and begged me to do one thing: to bury his family before he died."
"At the time, my internal injuries were acting up, and seeing Master covered in wounds and with nowhere else to turn, I felt a sense of shared misfortune, so I agreed. I helped Master’s family find a piece of land with good feng shui and gave them a proper burial."
"When Master left, he passed on the *Xuanqi Breathing Method* to me. At the time, I had lost all hope, having seen so many doctors, so I didn't expect much. But later, when my hidden illness flared up again, I decided to treat it as a last resort. After practicing for a few months, not only did the illness vanish, but my internal energy also increased day by day!"
"But Master had already left Jinling. Before he left, he only said one sentence: the Grandmaster’s name is Ye Kunlun. Since I have mastered the *Xuanqi Breathing Method*, I am his grand-disciple..."
As Jiang Yong’an spoke, he knelt down again. "Master saved my life and mentioned the Grandmaster's name, so... please, Grandmaster, do not cast your grand-disciple out of the sect."
Beside them, the girl with the melon-seed-shaped face stood frozen in shock. She never imagined that this hateful young man before her was actually her grandfather’s Grandmaster. If that were the case, didn't that make her four generations his junior? Thinking of this, her delicate, snow-white face flushed red with shame and anger, like a ripe apple.
"This isn't the peak of Kunlun Mountain." Seeing the sincerity in the old man's eyes, Ye Chen nodded. "Since I’ve returned to Jinling City, I only want to live a quiet and peaceful life with my wife and daughter. When others are around, you should call me Mr. Ye. In private, you may call me Master."
After saying this, Ye Chen glanced at the girl. *If Jiang Yong'an calls me Master, does that make this little girl my great-great-grand-disciple? ...Is that how it works?* Ye Chen thought with a mix of boredom and amusement.
"This is my granddaughter, Jiang Wanqing. Wan’er, hurry up and pay your respects to the Grandmaster!" Jiang Yong’an commanded sternly.
"I..." Jiang Wanqing was on the verge of tears. She was drenched and miserable, and the person who had caused her state was the very man her grandfather called "Grandmaster." How could she possibly say that word?
"I... Grandfather, I... she..."
"Forget it. No need to stand on ceremony. Go back and change into dry clothes; don't catch a cold." Ye Chen had no intention of making things difficult for her. After letting her off the hook, he turned to Jiang Yong’an and asked, "The five great families of Jinling City—besides the destroyed Lin family, there are the Zhou family, the Wang family, the Jiang Clan... and the Jiang family?"
"Yes!" Jiang Yong’an bowed to explain. "Our Jiang family is indeed one of the five great families, the same as the Jiang Clan! Grandmaster, if you reside in Jinling City, you may command your disciple at any time..."
"Good, I appreciate it." Ye Chen nodded slightly. He hadn't expected to pick up a grand-disciple during a morning jog. He didn't know what to say.
With that, Ye Chen turned and left. It was getting late, and he needed to go back to have breakfast with his wife and daughter.
"Farewell, Master." Watching Ye Chen leave, Jiang Yong’an bowed low. But when he saw Ye Chen approach Youlong Villa, he was shocked. "It... it really is... All those thousands of luxury cars and powerful figures yesterday... they truly were here to attend the Grandmaster’s wedding!"
Yesterday, Jiang Yong’an had witnessed parts of the wedding from Green Water Villa. He had wondered which great figure could command such attention. Later, when those figures left, the third young master of the Jiang Clan arrived with thugs and bulldozers, threatening to flatten the villa! Jiang Yong’an had known about these events but hadn't bothered to get involved, as it wasn't his business. After all, the Jiang Clan was not to be trifled with.
"The one opposing the Grandmaster is the Jiang Clan...?" Realization dawned on Jiang Yong’an, and his brow furrowed. "Master once said the Grandmaster is an immortal whose power is beyond our comprehension... If the Jiang Clan is his enemy, aren't they doomed?"
At this thought, a flash of murderous intent appeared in Jiang Yong’an's eyes. Since he knew Ye Chen’s identity, he couldn't just sit idly by. At the very least, he had to make the Jiang Clan pay for their actions yesterday!
***
Ye Chen, however, was thinking of no such thing.
Returning to Youlong Villa, he poured the porridge he had been simmering into bowls. Then, he fried some scallion pancakes in a batter, sprinkling them with sesame seeds until they were golden brown and fragrant. With the porridge and a few side dishes, it made a rich and delicious breakfast. For Xiao Ningning, he peeled two eggs.
Once everything was on the table, Ye Chen went upstairs to wake the little one.
Xia Qingyue was already awake, combing Xiao Ningning’s hair into pigtails. Xiao Ningning, originally grumpy, saw Ye Chen and was overjoyed. "Daddy, Daddy! You're back! Where did you go? Why didn't you take Ningning with you...?"
"Daddy went to make breakfast." Ye Chen picked up his daughter. "Come on, let’s go downstairs and taste what Daddy made."
"Yay! Okay!" Xiao Ningning hugged Ye Chen’s neck, gave him a loud, moist kiss on the cheek, and said in a milky, earnest voice, "Ningning loves Daddy the most!"
"Little traitor..." Watching the intimacy between his daughter and Ye Chen, Xia Qingyue ruffled the child's soft hair with affection. She was about to say something when she suddenly noticed a long strand of hair caught on Ye Chen’s clothing.
The color and thickness were completely different from Xiao Ningning's hair... and Xia Qingyue hadn't touched Ye Chen since getting up.
*Could it be...?* Xia Qingyue’s expression turned unnatural.
***
**Chapter 32: The Old Grave on Nanshan**
Xia Qingyue quickly pushed the thought aside. Even though she didn't know how a long strand of hair had ended up on Ye Chen, she believed he would never betray her.
"What's wrong?" Seeing her pause, Ye Chen asked curiously.
"It's nothing..." Xia Qingyue quickly changed the subject. "It's getting late, let’s go downstairs for breakfast."
Just then, Xia Junjie, his wife, and Xia Qingcheng arrived. They sat down at the table with some trepidation. To be honest, the three of them still felt uneasy. Who exactly was this Ye Chen? Yesterday, he had sent Jiang Feichi flying with a single punch. If he had no backing, the Jiang Clan would crush him! But they didn't dare ask; Ye Chen looked like someone not to be trifled with.
After breakfast, Xia Junjie and his wife left for work with their bags. Xia Qingcheng hesitated for a moment. "Sister, I’m heading to school..."
"Alright, be safe," Xia Qingyue said, guiding Xiao Ningning’s hand to wave. "Say goodbye to your auntie."
"Goodbye, Auntie," Xiao Ningning said in her tiny voice.
"What a good girl. Goodbye, Xiao Ningning. Sister, I’m going now..." Picking up her bag, Xia Qingcheng hesitated for a few seconds before finally saying, "Goodbye, brother-in-law!"
After yesterday, Xia Qingcheng’s opinion of Ye Chen had kept changing—from disdain to shock, then to confusion. She still couldn't figure out who he was, but one thing was certain: he loved her sister. That was enough.
"Goodbye." Hearing her call him brother-in-law, Ye Chen smiled. "Be careful on the road."
After everyone left, Ye Chen played with Xiao Ningning in the living room for a while before saying, "Wife, I want to take a trip to Nanshan. You and Ningning stay here."
"Are you going to visit your foster father and sister?" Xia Qingyue asked. "Why don't Ningning and I come with you?"
"Ningning’s injuries have only just healed; it’s better if she doesn’t go." Ye Chen looked outside. "In January, the temperature on Nanshan is very low... some places might even be icy. I’ll go by myself. Besides, I want to see their graves."
"Alright then..." Xia Qingyue nodded obediently.
***
Half an hour later, Ye Chen arrived at Nanshan. It wasn't far from Jinling City—after exiting the outer ring and driving thirty kilometers, he reached the town of Nanshan.
Relying on his memory, Ye Chen soon reached a narrow alley. Seeing it, his emotions stirred. He walked deeper until he reached the third doorway and stopped. The wooden door of the house was severely damaged, leaning crookedly against the frame, and the iron lock was rusted through.
"Foster Father, Mumu... I'm back." Looking at the broken door and the weeds growing wildly at the entrance, Ye Chen’s eyes stung. He gritted his teeth, straightened the door, and stepped into the courtyard.
The yard was even more dilapidated, filled with withered weeds and cracked brick walls. The sight stirred a mix of emotions in Ye Chen. This was the place where he had grown up for twenty years! He remembered playing chess with his foster father, Su Tianhao, in this yard, while his sister, Su Mumu, sat nearby, cheering him on while eating a popsicle, occasionally letting him have a bite. But all of that was gone now.
"The Zhou family!" At the thought of his foster father and sister’s tragic deaths, murderous intent flared in Ye Chen’s eyes.
Five years ago, just after he graduated from university, he found a decent job. On payday, he brought Su Tianhao and Su Mumu into the city for a day out. Unfortunately, they ran into a drunken Zhou Tianyi. Seeing Su Mumu, Zhou Tianyi began harassing her. Ye Chen stood in his way, brandishing a bottle, but the arrogant Young Master Zhou didn't care. Zhou slapped Ye Chen, had his men hold him down, and moved to rip Su Mumu’s clothes.
"Beast! I'll fight you!" Ye Chen roared, eyes bloodshot, smashing the bottle. In the struggle, the broken glass sliced Zhou Tianyi’s throat. Minutes later, Zhou was dead.
The Zhou family, a powerful elite, issued a kill order. It was easy for them to crush a nobody like Ye Chen. That same day, the Su home was set on fire. Though they escaped, the foster father, Su Tianhao, was stabbed dozens, perhaps nearly a hundred times while shielding Ye Chen and Mumu. Later, Mumu succumbed to her injuries. Ye Chen was left to flee, planning to end his own life once he buried them, but he met Xia Qingyue instead.
Now that he was back, Xia Qingyue had given him a daughter, but his family was gone.
After a long sigh, Ye Chen checked the house for any remaining mementos, found none, and headed toward the Nanshan burial ground. Though he had already moved his foster father's remains to a high-end cemetery in Jinling, Hua Yuntian had told him that Su Mumu’s remains had been missing. He decided to check the old graves one more time.
Ye Chen moved quickly. Ten minutes later, he was halfway up the mountain. As he approached, he saw a young man kneeling before the empty graves, burning paper money.
"Hmm?" Ye Chen frowned. The remains were already moved; what was he praying to? *Something is wrong.*
Ye Chen approached silently.
***
**Chapter 33: A Childhood Friend**
When he saw the young man’s face, Ye Chen’s eyes trembled. He couldn't help but cry out, "Erniu!"
"Huh?" Erniu froze. He turned around, stared at Ye Chen for a few seconds, and his eyes welled up. "Ah! You... you're Ye Chen, Little Ye! Ye Chen, you're not dead! You're alive!"
Erniu jumped up, rushed over, and hugged Ye Chen tightly. "Am I dreaming? You really came back, Little Ye!"
"It’s me, you’re not dreaming." A smile finally touched Ye Chen’s lips. "I’m back. I’m not dead. Erniu, why do you look like this?"
Erniu was his childhood friend. After elementary school, Ye Chen went to middle school in Jinling, while Erniu stayed behind to farm. Despite this, whenever Ye Chen returned, they would play with Mumu—picking fruit and catching fish. Erniu, whose real name was Niu Tiebing, used to be strong and sunny, with arms thicker than Ye Chen’s calves. Now, he was gaunt, scruffy, and unrecognizable.
"It’s nothing, just got thin after a sickness." Erniu didn't want to talk about it. He gripped Ye Chen’s arms. "Little Ye, it’s good you're back. I dreamed of you just yesterday, we were competing to see who could pee farther into the river... It’s just... Su Bo and Mumu are gone. Their graves were dug up." Erniu started to sob.
"Erniu, don't cry. I had them moved to a better place." Ye Chen patted his shoulder. "I came back to look into Mumu’s situation. Do you know where her remains are?"
"Weren't her coffin and Su Bo’s side-by-side?" Erniu asked, confused. "We dug those graves together that day..."
Ye Chen fell silent. Erniu had never been very sharp; he wouldn't get any answers here.
"What’s wrong? Is Mumu’s body missing?" Erniu asked.
"It’s fine." Ye Chen shook his head.
He jumped into the pit to inspect it, but after so much time and foot traffic, there were no traces left.
"Little Ye, why are you jumping in the grave? Come out, that’s bad luck!" Erniu urged. "Come out! Since you moved them, we’ll visit them somewhere else next time. Come home with me, I’ll kill a chicken and we can have a drink, what do you say? I run a small restaurant in the village, the business isn't bad!"
"Alright!" Touched by Erniu’s loyalty in visiting the graves, Ye Chen agreed.
As they walked down the mountain, Erniu chatted about his restaurant, where he cooked and his wife handled the books.