Ace of the Dragon Division

Chapter 331: In a Pickle

Hearing Xu Cheng’s words, Lan Ting just smiled. “Back then, your father said that too, but he’s dead. Madam said that even if I have to tie you up, I have to send you out of the country.”

“It’s useless.” Xu Cheng bitterly laughed, and he tossed his military ID onto the desk. “I became a soldier as well because I inherited my father’s will. He doesn’t want to leave his home country, and neither do I. My choice is the same as my father. However, it’s not for that woman, but for my father. I won’t let the man that killed my father get away with it!”

Lan Ting looked at Xu Cheng for a long time. She nodded. “Child, I’m very pleased to see the courage in you. Just for that, you are worthy of being called ‘Young Master’ by me. But the Ryong Family is far more complicated than you think it is.”

“It’s not simple.” Xu Cheng looked up at Lan Ting and said, “In the Ye Family, just a lower-level person like you could drive the Li Family to yield, it’s clear how powerful the middle and upper-class in the Ye Family are. Since the Ryong Family’s on par with the Ye Family, their power and influence wouldn’t be much worse. My dad’s a pretty perfect guy, but he just had one flaw, his steel balls were too big. As his son, I obviously have that in my genes too. So, if you are going to try and talk me out of it, you can save yourself some time.”

Lan Ting nodded. “Since you have already decided, I won’t say anymore. If you are ever in danger, you can give me a call. I will help you make arrangements and send you abroad. I will get going now. If you get into any trouble, you can give me a call too.”

Then, Lan Ting stood up and walked to the door.

When she opened the door, Xu Cheng’s voice sounded behind her. “That woman, can I see her?”

Lan Ting sighed. “You can’t. She can’t get out at all. Although the Old Master really cherishes her and won’t kill her, he won’t let her out to bring shame to the Ye Family’s face. Her relationship with your father has been a thorn in the eyes of both Ye and Ryong families. So, no one can let her out. If you think I’m lying to you, that’s fine. But just remember, no parent in this world would harm their own child.”

Xu Cheng immediately asked, “Then can you tell me where the Ye Family is?”

Lan Ting’s body shook slightly. “It’s best that you don’t know where it is. There are too many martial art masters, a stranger like you probably wouldn’t be able to come out alive after trespassing. Child, just let the past stay in the past, some things can’t be changed by manpower. Your mother was so loved by the Old Master, yet that didn’t change anything, so a little boy like you won’t be able to affect the outcome at all. While the Ryong Family didn’t notice you, you should keep your disguise and continue living on. In the future when you get married and have kids, you can send us photos and I will show it to Madam. This might be the best ending.”

Then, Lan Ting left.

That night, Xu Cheng was sleepless.

The next morning, when he went for a morning jog, he saw the old man at the park. In fact, last night, Bei Shan already reported to the old man about Lan Ting finding Xu Cheng.

The old man said to Bei Shan, “This is the reason the five elders were unwilling to accept Xu Cheng into the Dragon Division.”

Bei Shan frowned. “Then should we remind Junior Brother to not get involved in this grudge?”

The old man shook his head. “The arranged marriage between the Ye and Ryong Family was known by everyone in Yanjing. Ryong Xiao definitely wouldn’t forget about this event that lost him face big time. If he were to find out that those two had a son who was still alive, he would definitely kill him! This isn’t something Xu Cheng can decide, and it’s useless if you remind him.”

Bei Shan was anxious. “Then what should we do? Junior Brother is your successor, and if he’s dead, what’s going to happen to the Dragon Division? The Dragon Division also can’t get involved in the grudges between those big families.”
Old Master: “We will just let things play out and see.”

So that morning, the old man appeared in the park, and when Xu Cheng saw him, he already seemed to understand the reason he was here.

Today, Xu Cheng was in no mood to practice techniques. He sat down under the pavillon and drank the old man’s tea in a daze, thinking about things.

The old man was doing Tai Chi with his eyes closed, and he hummed with a nasally voice, “I heard that you went to Britain this time and ‘greeted’ the Queen. You are too rude.”

Xu Cheng nodded. “Old man, you know her?”

The old man stopped his moves and sighed. “She had a crush on me before. You are not afraid that I will give you a difficult time when you come back?”

Xu Cheng pouted. “At that time, the arrow was nocked and the string was already pulled, I had to shoot.”

The old man nodded. “I didn’t say you were wrong, I just wondered why didn’t you directly ‘greet’ her whole family too?”

Xu Cheng was speechless. After being in a daze for a bit, he suddenly asked, “Old Man, should I go to the Ye Family?”

The old man’s hands that were pouring more tea suddenly paused briefly before continuing. He asked, “To do what?’

Xu Cheng: “To see someone.”

The old man: “I think not seeing is what’s best for you.”

Xu Cheng sighed, “But after all she’s my mother. Dead or alive, I should at least see her, right? Otherwise, if I’ve never seen my mother in my lifetime, wouldn’t it leave me with big regrets?”

The old man: “You have to remember, the Dragon Division will never interfere in clan affairs, nor be involved in any domestic power battles. If you get involved, you will die!”

“I know.” Xu Cheng nodded. “But what’s the difference? The Dragon Division’s missions are also high-risk, any case that the Dragon Division handles are all not easy. In fact, I think it’s the same as going against those big clans, the worst outcome is just death. Right now, I just can’t let go of two things in my life. The first one is getting revenge for my dad, and the second one is my wife. If I sacrificed myself for the former, then I will feel very bad for my wife. But for my wife, if I just don’t do anything about my dad’s death, that’s also not in my blood. Now, there’s even a mom that I’ve never met before. Old Man, you lived for so long already and are probably very experienced in life. Can you tell me what to do?”The old man showed a bitter smile. He remembered back when he chose to be silent towards love, and in the end, he was left with the regret of his lifetime.

“To do or not to do, you will lose one of the two. Some things are just not meant to be, and some things must be done. Why not just let things run its course? Just be more free, and ask your heart.”

“My heart?” Xu Cheng was puzzled. 

The old man smiled. “Yes, when I’m teaching you Shadow Fist, your heart-”

Xu Cheng thought for a long time and finally realized. “Right, all things stem from and is affected by the heart, and all the miscellaneous moves will only distract the heart. Place it at ease, and do whatever the heart wants to do.”

Then, he stood up and said, “Old Man, tell me where the Ye Family is located.”

“In the Kunlun Snow Mountain area, look for it yourself,” the old man said.

Xu Cheng nodded and turned around and left.

Then, Bei Shan appeared beside the old man and said, “Division Master, he’s courting death…”

“It’s his fate. If the Ryong Family wants to go after someone, that one’s fate is already set.”

Bei Shan: “Then why did you pick him to be your successor in the first place?”

The old man said unfathomably, “Don’t you feel that, those families had became a bit tempted now that I’m old?”

Bei Shan: “I don’t understand…”

The old man: “Never mind, I have a generation gap when talking to you. I guess I will just go chat up that 90-year-old queen.”

Bei Shan: “…”