Upon thinking of this, the melon-seeded face of the young girl, as delicate and fair as frost-bitten snow, instantly grew hot with a mix of shame and anger, turning as red as a ripe, crisp apple.
"This is not the peak of Mount Kunlun."
Seeing the sincere look in the old man's eyes, Ye Chen nodded and said, "Returning to Jinling City this time, I only want to enjoy the rest of my life peacefully with my wife and daughter. Therefore, when others are around, you should still address me as Mr. Ye! As for when we are alone, you may call me Master."
Having said this, Ye Chen glanced sideways at the young girl with the melon-seeded face.
*If Jiang Yong'an calls me Master, doesn't that make this little girl my great-great-grand-disciple? Is that how it works?*
Ye Chen thought this with a sense of utter boredom, even finding it somewhat amusing.
"This is my granddaughter, Jiang Wanqing. Wan'er, hurry up and pay respects to your Grand Master!" Jiang Yong'an said sternly.
"I..."
Jiang Wanqing was practically moved to tears of anger. She was drenched and in an utterly wretched state, and the person who had driven her to this pass was precisely the man her grandfather called Grand Master.
How could she possibly bring herself to utter the words "Grand Master"?
"I... Grandfather, I, she..."
"Forget it, there's no need to stand on ceremony with these formalities. Go back early and change into dry clothes so you don't catch a cold."
Ye Chen had no intention of making things difficult for Jiang Wanqing. After letting her off the hook, he turned to Jiang Yong'an and asked, "Among the five major families of Jinling City, aside from the Lin Family, which has already been wiped out, there are the Zhou Family, the Wang Family, the Jiang Family... and the Jiang Family?"
"Yes!" Jiang Yong'an immediately bowed and explained, "Our Jiang Family is indeed one of the five major families of Jinling City, the same Jiang Family as those homophones! Master, if you plan to reside in Jinling City for a long time in the future, you may command this disciple at any time..."
"Very well, I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
Ye Chen nodded lightly. He had gone out for his morning exercise today, never expecting to pick up a grand-disciple along the way.
Really... he hardly knew what to say.
With that, Ye Chen turned and left. It was getting late, and he needed to head back to have breakfast with his wife and daughter.
"Respectfully sending off Master."
Seeing that Ye Chen was about to leave, Jiang Yong'an hurriedly bowed and knelt. However, when he saw Ye Chen walking toward Soaring Dragon Villa, he exclaimed in shock, "It, it really is... Yesterday, thousands of luxury cars paraded through the streets, and big figures from all quarters were in motion. They really did come to attend Master's wedding!"
Yesterday, Jiang Yong'an had witnessed some of the wedding proceedings at Green Water Villa.
At the time, he had been wondering which big figure was getting married, to be able to stir up so many prominent personages...
Later, after those big figures dispersed, the Third Young Master of the Jiang Family, accompanied by a bunch of thugs and bulldozers, directly surrounded Soaring Dragon Villa and even threatened to raze the villa to the ground!
Jiang Yong'an had known about all of this, but it was none of his business, so he couldn't be bothered to meddle.
After all, the Jiang Family was not someone to be trifled with!
"The ones crossing Master are actually the Jiang Family...?"
As Jiang Yong'an came to his senses, his brow immediately furrowed. He muttered, "Master once taught us that Grand Master is an immortal, possessing strength beyond our imagination... If the Jiang Family has made an enemy of Grand Master today, aren't they dead for sure?"
At this thought, a flash of murderous intent emerged in Jiang Yong'an's eyes.
Since he now knew Ye Chen's identity, he could not simply sit back and do nothing... At the very least, he had to make the Jiang Family pay a price for yesterday's actions!
...
Meanwhile, Ye Chen had not given it that much thought.
Upon returning to Soaring Dragon Villa, he first went to the kitchen and ladled out bowls of the congee he had set to simmer earlier.
Then, using batter, he pan-fried a few scallion oil pancakes, sprinkling them with sesame seeds as they came off the pan. The golden, crispy pancakes exuded a rich aroma of scallions blended with pan-fried dough, complemented by a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Served with congee and side dishes, it made for a lavish and delicious breakfast.
For Xiao Ningning, Ye Chen even peeled two eggs.
After placing everything on the table, Ye Chen went upstairs to wake the little one for breakfast.
By this time, Xia Qingcheng had already woken up and was helping Xiao Ningning braid her hair into double horns. Xiao Ningning had initially worn a displeased expression, but upon seeing Ye Chen, she beamed with joy and cried, "Daddy, Daddy, you're back! Where did you go, why didn't you take Ningning with you...?"
"Daddy went to make breakfast."
Ye Chen walked over, scooped his daughter into his arms, and said, "Let's go, downstairs to taste Daddy's cooking."
"Yay, yay!"
Xiao Ningning wrapped her arms around Ye Chen's neck, planted a heavy "Mwah~!" right on his cheek, and said in her little milky, dead-serious voice, "Ningning loves Daddy the most~!"
"Little traitor..."
Seeing her daughter's intimate display with Ye Chen, Xia Qingcheng lovingly ruffled her daughter's soft hair. Just as she was about to speak, her gaze suddenly caught a long strand of hair clinging to Ye Chen's clothes...
The color and thickness of that strand of hair were completely different from Xiao Ningning's. And Xia Qingcheng hadn't even touched Ye Chen since getting out of bed.
*Could it be...?* Xia Qingcheng thought, her expression turning somewhat unnatural!
Chapter 32: The Old Tombs of South Mountain
*No way, I must be overthinking it!*
Xia Qingcheng quickly shook the thought from her mind. Though she didn't understand why there was a long strand of hair on Ye Chen, she believed that Ye Chen would never do anything to betray her.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Xia Qingcheng standing there in a daze, Ye Chen asked curiously.
"It's nothing..."
Xia Qingcheng quickly changed the subject. "It's getting late, let's go downstairs for breakfast."
By this time, Xia Junjie, his wife, and Xia Qingyue had also woken up. They sat down at the dining table with a degree of reserve.
To be honest, the three of them still felt somewhat uneasy... Just what was Ye Chen's identity? Yesterday, he had sent Jiang Feichi flying with a single punch. If he had no backing, the Jiang Family would have played him to death!
Yet, they didn't dare ask directly, seeing as this fellow Ye Chen looked rather formidable.
After breakfast, Xia Junjie and his wife grabbed their backpacks and headed off to work. Xia Qingcheng hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sis, I'm heading to school..."
"Alright, watch your step on the way," Xia Qingcheng said, taking Xiao Ningning's hand and waving it. "Say goodbye to Auntie."
"Bye-bye, Auntie," Xiao Ningning said in her milky voice.
"Such a good girl, bye-bye Xiao Ningning. Sis, I'm off..."
Picking up her schoolbag, Xia Qingcheng hesitated for a few seconds before finally saying, "Goodbye, Brother-in-law!"
After yesterday's events, Xia Qingcheng's view of Ye Chen had been constantly shifting... First looking down on him, then shock, followed by doubt!
Though she still couldn't figure out Ye Chen's background, one thing was certain: Ye Chen loved her sister very much.
And that was enough.
"Goodbye."
Hearing Xia Qingcheng call him brother-in-law, Ye Chen couldn't help smiling and said, "Be careful on the road."
After everyone left, Ye Chen accompanied Xiao Ningning to play in the living room for a while before saying, "Wife, I want to take a trip to South Mountain... You and Ningning stay home."
"Do you want to go visit our adoptive father and younger sister?" Xia Qingcheng asked. "How about Ningning and I go with you!"
"Ningning's injuries have only just healed, you shouldn't go."
Ye Chen glanced outside and said, "It's January, the temperature around South Mountain is too low... In some places, it might even be iced over! I'll go by myself... Besides, I also want to pay my respects at the graves of my adoptive father and younger sister."
"Alright then..."
Hearing this, Xia Qingcheng could only nod obediently.
...
Half an hour later, Ye Chen arrived at South Mountain.
South Mountain was not far from Jinling City. After exiting the outer ring road and driving another thirty-odd kilometers, they reached South Mountain.
At the foot of South Mountain were several small villages originally named Wang Village, Su Village, Liu Village... Later, after urban planning, they were merged into a single township called South Mountain Town.
Relying on his memory, Ye Chen soon arrived at the entrance of a narrow alley.
Seeing this alley, Ye Chen's emotions inevitably stirred, and he continued walking inward... until he stopped at the third doorway.
He saw that the wooden door of this household was severely damaged, leaning crookedly against the doorframe, and the smashed iron chain had long since rusted over.
"Adoptive Father, Mumu... I'm back."
Looking at the heavily damaged wooden door and the wild yellow weeds growing frantically at the entrance, Ye Chen felt a burning ache in his eyes.
He clenched his jaw, walked over to straighten the wooden door, and stepped into the courtyard step by step!
The courtyard was even more dilapidated, filled from wall to wall with withered weeds, which, paired with cracked red brick walls, filled Ye Chen's heart with a tumult of mixed emotions...
This was the place where he had grown up for twenty years!
Ye Chen still remembered how, when he was little, he would often accompany his adoptive father, Su Tianhao, in playing Chinese chess right here in the courtyard, while his younger sister, Su Mumu, sat obediently to the side, eating a popsicle and cheering Ye Chen on, occasionally offering him a bite of her treat!
Yet all of this had long since changed beyond recognition, completely vanished!
"The Zhou Family!"
At the thought of his adoptive father's and younger sister's tragic deaths, murderous intent instantly burst forth in Ye Chen's eyes.
Five years ago, having just graduated from university with stellar grades and exceptional abilities, he quickly secured a well-paying job.
On payday, Ye Chen brought Su Tianhao and Su Mumu into the city, wanting to treat them to good food and fun for a day of celebration... Unluckily, that was the day they ran into a drunken Zhou Tianyi.
Upon seeing Su Mumu, Zhou Tianyi seized upon his drunkenness to harass her. How could Ye Chen stand by and watch Su Mumu be bullied? He grabbed a beer bottle and stepped in front of her.
How could a mere beer bottle frighten the arrogant and domineering Young Master Zhou?
Thus, Zhou Tianyi backhanded Ye Chen across the face, ordered his underlings to pin him down, and lunged forward with a "rip," tearing Su Mumu's clothes.
"Beasts! You animals, I'll fight you to the death!!"
With bloodshot eyes, Ye Chen went wild, swinging the beer bottle in his hand. Disregarding the kicks and punches raining down on him, he lunged forward and shoved Zhou Tianyi away... As a result, in the struggle, the jagged shards of the broken bottle sliced open Zhou Tianyi's throat.
Within minutes, Zhou Tianyi was dead.
Following that, the Zhou Family issued a kill order against Ye Chen. As one of the five major wealthy families, crushing a penniless nobody with no background like Ye Chen was as easy as turning over a hand for them!
That very day, Su Tianhao's home was set ablaze!
Though the family of three managed to escape, they had exhausted every ounce of strength... As soon as they sat down to rest, a dozen black-clad men armed with blades charged over.
Adoptive father Su Tianyang was stabbed to death on the spot. He shielded Ye Chen and Su Mumu tightly beneath his body while sustaining dozens, nearly a hundred, stab wounds himself!
And later on, severely injured, Su Mumu could no longer hold on... Leaving Ye Chen alone to evade the endless pursuit of the Zhou Family. He had originally planned to bury his adoptive father and younger sister before committing suicide to leave this world.
That was when he met Xia Qingcheng!
And afterward, Ye Chen left Jinling City...
Now that he had returned, Xia Qingcheng had given birth to a daughter for Ye Chen, but his adoptive father and younger sister were already...
With a long sigh, Ye Chen went inside the house to take a look, confirming that there were no lingering mementos of his adoptive father and younger sister left behind, before heading toward the slopes of South Mountain.
Halfway up South Mountain lay a graveyard. Whenever someone from the nearby villages passed away, most would be buried on South Mountain.
Although his adoptive father's remains had already been transferred by Ye Chen to a high-end cemetery in Jinling City, Hua Yuntian had said that only his adoptive father's bones were in the old South Mountain graves, while younger sister Su Mumu's remains were nowhere to be found...
At this thought, Ye Chen decided to go back to the old South Mountain graves for another inspection!
Ye Chen moved at lightning speed. What would take an ordinary person an hour to climb, he scaled in less than ten minutes, reaching the midpoint of South Mountain.
Just as he was about to approach, Ye Chen suddenly spotted a young man kneeling before the empty graves of his adoptive father and younger sister, burning paper offerings.
"Huh?"
Seeing this, Ye Chen frowned slightly. His adoptive father's remains had long since been relocated; what on earth was this person worshiping?
Something was amiss!
With a cold look in his eyes, Ye Chen silently circled around toward the figure...
Chapter 33: Childhood Playmate
Ye Chen walked with extreme lightness, making not the slightest sound.
Yet the moment he clearly saw the young man's face, his pupils shrank violently, and he could no longer hold back: "Erniu!"
"Ah?"
Erniu started slightly, turning his head to stare at Ye Chen for a few seconds before his eyes suddenly welled up with tears: "Ah! You, you're Ye Chen, Little Ye! Ye Chen, you're not dead, you're not dead!!"
As he spoke, Erniu leaped to his feet, lunged forward to wrap Ye Chen in a bear hug, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm not dreaming, am I? You really came back, Little Ye!"
"It's me, you're not dreaming!"
A trace of a smile finally surfaced on Ye Chen's face as he said, "I'm back, I didn't die... Erniu, how, how did you end up like this?"
Erniu was Ye Chen's childhood playmate.
Later, after graduating from primary school, Ye Chen went to Jinling City for middle school.
Erniu had poor grades, and lacking any academic talent, he didn't continue his education, staying behind in the village to help with farming instead.
Even so, every time Ye Chen returned from Jinling, he would seek out Erniu to play, bringing along Su Mumu. The three of them would head up the mountains to pick wild fruit and down to the river to catch fish, sharing a very close bond.
Erniu's given name was Niu Tiebing. He had been built like an ox—strong and sturdy, with arms thicker than Ye Chen's calves, and a temper to match.
Yet now, Erniu was not only skin and bones, but his face was covered in a heavy stubble of whiskers. He bore no resemblance to his former strong, sunny self. If not for having grown up with him since childhood, Ye Chen would scarcely have recognized this childhood friend.
"It's nothing, nothing. I lost weight after falling ill."
Erniu didn't want to talk about his own troubles. Grabbing Ye Chen by both arms, he said, "Little Ye, it's great that you're back. Just yesterday I dreamt of you, haha... We were having a contest to see who could pee farther into the river. Never thought you'd actually show up, hahaha, what a coincidence... It's just, it's just that Uncle Su and Mumu didn't make it back... Their, their graves even got dug up by someone."
With that, Erniu actually burst into loud sobs.
This towering man, standing one hundred and ninety centimeters tall and towering even over Ye Chen, cried right there on the spot.
"Erniu, don't cry... My adoptive father's grave was dug up by my people; I reburied him in a place with good geomantic energy."
Ye Chen patted Erniu's arm and said, "Stop crying. I came this time to look into matters concerning Mumu. Erniu, do you know where Mumu's remains are?"
"Wasn't her coffin right next to Uncle Su's?"
Erniu looked puzzled and said, "We dug those graves together that day..."
"..."
Ye Chen fell silent, saying no more. Erniu's wits had never been sharp since childhood; judging by his appearance, nothing useful could be extracted from him.
"What's wrong? Is Mumu's body gone?" Erniu asked curiously.
"It's nothing..."
Ye Chen shook his head gently and said, "Since the graves are empty now, there's no need to worship them."
With that, Ye Chen leaped straight into the grave pit to inspect it... Unfortunately, because too much time had passed and people frequently walked through the area, no traces or clues could be found.
"Little Ye, why did you jump down into the grave pit?"
"Get out quickly, get out quickly, that's bad luck..."
Urging him on, Erniu said, "Come on out. Since you moved Uncle Su and Mumu away, we can worship them elsewhere next time. Little Ye, come home with me, I'll slaughter a chicken and we can have a few drinks together! I opened a small diner in the village, the business is not bad!"
"Alright!"
Grateful that Erniu had frequently come to pay respects to his adoptive father and sister, Ye Chen nodded in agreement.
Chatting along the way, the two of them descended the mountain.
An hour later, Erniu led Ye Chen into a small restaurant and said, "Little Ye, this is the diner I opened. I handle the stir-frying, and my wife manages the register... I..."
At this point, Erniu abruptly snapped his mouth shut.
Ye Chen's brow furrowed slightly as well.
For he heard a series of unspeakable noises drifting from inside the house—the voice of a woman!
"Ye Chen, have a seat here and watch TV, I'll go whip up a few dishes for you."
After his expression flickered through several changes, Erniu pulled Ye Chen to a chair by the restaurant's entrance, turned on the television, deliberately cranked up the volume, and then trudged into the kitchen with a stifled look to cook.
Ye Chen, however, wore a sullen expression.
The diner was not large; outside sat four tables and a television, sheltered beneath a makeshift canopy roof...
The indoor space also served as a dining area with four tables, flanked by the kitchen on the left and what should be the living quarters on the right!
That relentless string of unspeakable noises had come precisely from the right.
Ye Chen sat in the chair. Despite the blaring television, he could still clearly hear the woman's voice!
The voice was utterly uninhibited, vaguely carrying phrases like: "Erniu's back? I heard the sound of stir-frying!" "Never mind him, so what if he's back? Total loser!" "Let's keep going, when we're tired later we can have Erniu cook us something!" "Hahaha, you're really something else."...
Listening to these sounds, Ye Chen's expression grew steadily colder.
*No wonder there's always been a lifeless, dull look in Erniu's eyes.*
*Any man would be crushed by this sort of thing!*
Crack!
In a surge of blinding fury, Ye Chen inadvertently crushed the remote control in his grip.
"Little Ye, I've stir-fried a pork dish and brought out a plate of peanuts. Dig in while I go whip up a couple more dishes, and then we'll drink to our heart's content!"
At that moment, Erniu emerged carrying two plates of food, which he placed on the table. Never skilled at putting on a front, his expression right now was thoroughly wretched—clearly forcing down a surge of rage while desperately hoping Ye Chen hadn't heard those noises.
"Alright!"
Seeing Erniu's nearly despairing look, Ye Chen chose not to expose him.
Instead, he chose forbearance.
However, a firm resolve had already formed in Ye Chen's mind: he was going to take charge of this matter!
Another ten minutes passed, and the house had finally quieted down. Erniu came out again, carrying a plate of braised fish and a vegetable stir-fry.
Placing the plates on the table, he poured himself a glass of liquor, drained it in one gulp, and said, "It's scorching in that kitchen; I was tearing up from the fumes while making the braised fish just now. Little Ye, let's have a drink. I'm truly overjoyed from the bottom of my heart that you cheated death!"
"Alright, let's have a drink!"
Ye Chen picked up the bottle, poured a glass for Erniu, and then poured one for himself.
"Little Ye, try my cooking... Don't just drink, have a piece of meat," Erniu urged.