Chapter 39: Master Fang

11:00 AM, outside my brother's house.

I walked along, calculating An Mingshan’s whereabouts, even using a compass to track her. An hour later, I found her in a nearby park. She was sitting on a bench, her head buried in her arms. I sat down to her left and gently lifted her head. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were filled with resentment and anger.

"So, you’re here," I said. "You were hard to find." An Mingshan pushed my hand away and lowered her head again, saying nothing.

I kept my composure and said, "Alright, alright, stop being angry. Come back with me!" Still, she remained silent.

I lifted her head once more. "Say something, at least. Don't let yourself stew in this."

An Mingshan finally spoke. Pushing my hand away again, she said, "I want to. Is it any of your business? Besides, you’re going to be that woman’s husband anyway, so why would you care if I live or die?"

"I am not," I replied. "And when did I ever say I was going to marry her?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she retorted. "Even if you didn't say it, look—did they say it?" She pointed to our right. I saw my parents walking toward us. Upon seeing my mother, An Mingshan immediately tried to leave, but I grabbed her. To my surprise, she leaned into me, wrapping her left arm around my back and clutching my hands with her right. She rested her head on my shoulder.

I knew she was doing this intentionally to provoke my mother, so I opened my hands to cooperate. However, what I didn't expect was that her hands didn't feel like those of a woman in her twenties; they felt aged, covered in calluses and scarred. The texture of those scars against my hands made me wince. I knew only someone subjected to grueling labor could have hands like these, and it pained me to realize how cruelly she must have been tortured by those bastards. I gripped her hands tightly, a wave of heartbreak surging through me.

Seeing us like this, my mother marched over, ready to slap An Mingshan, but I stopped her.

"You two shameless things!" my mother spat. "Doing such a thing in public! It’s scandalous!" I went to release An Mingshan, but she showed no intention of letting go.

"You two... you..." my mother stammered. "Fine! You won't let go? If you don't let go, consider me as having no son!"

"Fine," I said slowly. "And consider me as having no mother."

"Both of you, stop it!" my father interjected. "Don't get worked up; it’s bad for your health. He’s not a child anymore, let him be. It’s not like we’re short on money. Besides, I’ve paid a fortune to invite Master Fang to Shuhua’s wedding, and he even said he’d introduce us to his closing disciple. He should be here by now; let’s head back!" He then pulled my mother away.

"An-an," I said, "I have to go back. Please, let go!"

"No," An Mingshan insisted. "You are staying here with me for the rest of the day. You aren't going anywhere! Tell me, whose side are you really on?"

"I side with reason, not family. Pfft! Why am I even saying that? No, seriously, what is this about?"

An Mingshan said, "What, you want to go back and marry her?"

"Rubbish!" I replied. "My mind is entirely on my work; I’m not marrying anyone, and that includes you. Er... well, at least not right now."

"Whether you marry me or not, I’m sticking with you," she said. "Don't even think about shaking me off today! Or ever!"

"When did I ever say I wanted to shake you off?" I asked. "Did you know that one of the people who hired me was named Fang Wen?"

"Are you saying that this Master Fang might be..."

"I’m only guessing," I said. "I hope it’s not him."

"A teacher for a day is a father for life," she said. "How can you not acknowledge him?"

"It’s not that I won't acknowledge him," I explained. "But if he lets it slip that I’m his disciple, my father might be okay with it, but my mother would definitely tear me to pieces!"

"Why?"

"My mother has been forcing me to study hard and get high grades since I was little, telling me to ignore everything else. I had people catering to my every need; I was no different from a bookworm."

"Then how did you end up like this?"

"Didn't the Bureau Chief already explain it?"

"That’s your experience; you know it best. Tell me!"

"Fine, if you let me go, I’ll tell you. I’m not running away, am I?" I pulled away, sat up straight, and said, "You know? After I finished my middle school exams, I was taken into a car. Two middle-aged men inside spent the whole time trying to persuade me to join the Paranormal Bureau and the Council. I’ve always been used to my freedom; I didn't want anyone bossing me around. Having one mother was already enough of a headache; I certainly didn't want to join some mysterious organization. But the conditions they offered were quite tempting."

"What conditions?"

Before I could answer, an old man about the age of the Bureau Chief approached us. "If he joined our organization, he could be free from his family's constraints, provided he followed the organization's arrangements. We offered him a path to develop his own potential; as for how he walks that path, that’s up to him."

"Exactly," I added. "The organization gave me a platform to exercise my abilities, which was far more interesting than sitting in a classroom."

The old man nodded. "Recognizing talent and utilizing it is the hallmark of our organization."

"So, you chose him?" An Mingshan asked.

"Indeed," the old man replied. "We had been watching him for a long time. We just didn't expect his talent to be so immense—he surpassed people who had been in the organization for over a decade in just a few years. He’s a rare find. As for how we found him, we’ll tell you that later."

An Mingshan asked, "And what about me? I’m just an ordinary person. Why choose me?"

"Choosing you was purely incidental," the old man said. "But through our observations, we realized you have even more potential than my apprentice, though you lack proper guidance and practical experience. That is one of the reasons the organization needs you to stay."

"'One of'?" she asked.

"Correct. You are also a witness to those events and can testify in the future. Furthermore, your family also hopes we can keep you."

I noticed An Mingshan looking unhappy. "Master," I said, "she’s still traumatized by those events. Let’s change the subject."

"Very well," my master said. "Let’s head back and discuss it later. An Mingshan, is it? Don't be angry; his mother didn't mean what she said. Don't take it to heart."

"Exactly," I said. "Don't be angry, let’s go back." With that, I led her away.

Reader Q&A:
Q: Mr. Author, what wish would you like to make?
A: I wish for eternal peace, with no more war. Only world peace can foster development. What is most beautiful? A peaceful world is the most beautiful.