Chapter 111: Understanding

After my father, Ye Tianhua, was released, he said to "A," "Order everyone to retreat immediately. Tell them not to look back and to leave at once. If what is inside that place gets out, none of us will be able to escape!"

A nodded. At that moment, he had no choice but to trust my father. I saw my father shift his weight, and in the next heartbeat, he was already in the pool. Using the momentum from his previous movement, he treaded across the surface of the water. It was then that the others truly witnessed the prowess of the "King of Henan"—his movements across the water were like a dragonfly skimming the surface, reminiscent of the legendary martial arts technique of "floating on water." In the blink of an eye, he leaped onto the dragon-headed stele. Once there, he knelt and began to kowtow repeatedly, as if in desperate prayer.

Meanwhile, A, Chen Dongfang, and Tang Renjie rushed to the side of the plump middle-aged man. A pressed his gun against the man’s head and commanded, "Order your men to pull out."

The plump man was furious. "What are you doing? Are you rebelling?"

"One more word and I’ll blow your brains out. Give the order," A snapped.

Seeing the massive boulder carved with dragon shadows descending, and knowing his soldiers were awaiting his command, the man had no choice but to order a retreat. Once the troops had cleared out, Chen Dongfang saw that the stone was nearly crushing my father’s head, yet my father remained kneeling, blood streaming from his forehead. Chen Dongfang shouted, "Brother Tianhua, pull back!"

"I'm fine! You all get out!" my father yelled back.

A and Tang Renjie tried to drag Chen Dongfang away, and eventually, he had no choice but to follow. Just as everyone thought my father would be crushed to death inside, he rolled out from beneath the stone gate at the very last second.

This was the "Plan A" that Fatty had tried to uncover, which nearly sparked a disaster. Chen Dongfang paused here, and I asked, "What happened next?"

Chen Dongfang lit a cigarette and said, "After getting out, your father was arrested. According to A, the authorities had always been hostile toward that mysterious cult, so your father, having exposed his identity, should have been a dead man. Yet, for reasons unknown, he was released after being detained for a month. Those of us who survived were made to sign countless non-disclosure agreements and were subjected to six months of investigation before being released. By then, we had lost our standing in the military. Later, I met A and joined his team. I once suggested including Tang Renjie, but A rejected him, citing his excessive obsession with fame and fortune. After that incident, A investigated your father deeply, but your father returned here and died mysteriously a few years later. The matter seemed to reach a stalemate, and the superiors decided to put it on hold. Everything changed with the appearance of your older brother and the frantic movements of Old Man Liu. No one knows what your father entrusted to Tang Renjie before he died, but this time, Old Man Liu seems to have come fully prepared."

Fatty snorted coldly and looked at Chen Dongfang. "Does this 'A' of yours know about the connection between the Chen family and the dragon-headed stele?"

Chen Dongfang nodded. "He knows. For all these years, I have been the person he trusts most, and also the one he is most guarded against. I rarely returned here; the longest I ever stayed in the village was for those two days when my father died. Even so, he still seems to distrust me. That is why I prefer not to get too involved in this matter."

"Tang Renjie used your father's affairs as his 'letter of introduction' to join, but I suspect you’ve used the Chen family's dragon-headed stele as your own," Fatty sneered. He had never trusted Chen Dongfang; to him, Chen was even more difficult to deal with than Tang Renjie.

Chen Dongfang ignored Fatty’s hostility and said, "Think what you will. In this matter, A is different from the others. Believe it or not."

With that, Chen Dongfang stood up and looked at my older brother. "Are you alright?"

My brother had regained consciousness while Chen Dongfang was speaking. He nodded. "I'm fine."

"I had long guessed the true identity of Ye's grandfather," Chen Dongfang continued. "The 'Ghost Sect' is legendary for being ruthless and contrary to the natural order, even said to be at odds with the Way of Heaven. But Brother Tianhua was also a member of the Ghost Sect, so I refuse to believe they are entirely devoid of humanity. Perhaps there were hidden motives behind what happened back then. To be honest, Brother Tianhua remained secretly involved in this affair long after that incident. The higher-ups had actually already ordered his elimination. So, even if Ye's grandfather hadn't killed him, he wouldn't have survived."

"Are you making excuses for him?" my brother sneered.

Chen Dongfang smiled at my brother. "Zhongmou, you are a clever man. There are many things I may not be at liberty to say, but I hope you understand."

My brother closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to engage further with Chen Dongfang.

Chen Dongfang turned to me. "Ye, come outside with me for a moment."

Regardless of the distrust Fatty, my brother, and I felt toward him, there was no denying that Chen Dongfang acted as an elder of our family. He handled these chaotic events with calm, methodical precision, making arrangements one by one.

After we stepped outside, I saw Han Xue waiting by the door. Having left her alone for so long, I felt a deep pang of guilt. I walked over and said, "Be good, it will be over soon. Just wait a little longer."

Han Xue nodded. She seemed to sense the deep helplessness in my heart and looked at me with a gentle, obedient expression.

I walked to the side with Chen Dongfang. He patted my shoulder. "Ye, there is something I must tell you. After we all retreated that day, your father didn't come out alone. He brought a child with him."

"What child?" I asked.

"An infant, very, very small. I didn't get a good look, so I don't know if the child was asleep or a stillborn. You won't understand what this means now, but you will soon," Chen Dongfang said.

Before I could press him for more, he continued, "Your grandfather has passed. I didn't say much to him just now, but don't feel burdened. I may not have known him well, but I know he couldn't have been a bad person. A man who possesses the skill to 'slay dragons' yet chooses to live a life of poverty cannot be evil. If he were truly a villain, he could have found a thousand ways to live a life of luxury."

"But why didn't he explain? I could have understood him, and my brother could have too! Why didn't he say anything?" I cried.

Chen Dongfang looked at me, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Ye, do you think that I, your brother, and even your grandfather enjoy keeping things from you? Do you know how much it hurts a man to kill his own son, to literally peel his skin, and then, when his two grandsons look at him with such hatred, wishing to kill him, he still cannot offer an explanation? How much pain do you think he carried in his heart?"

Regardless of my previous wariness toward Chen Dongfang, that statement alone made me decide to trust him. In my darkest moment of confusion, when I couldn't face the truth about my grandfather, his words made me pity the old man who spent his days coughing and smoking his dry tobacco pipe.

If not for Han Xue, I might not have understood this feeling. But because I was shielding her from the pressure of these events, I finally understood my brother, Chen Dongfang, and even my grandfather, who had never explained a single word.

"Arrange your time. The Young Miss wants to see you, before the night of the full moon," Chen Dongfang said. He smiled at me, patted my shoulder once more, and turned to leave.

I stood there quietly for a while before walking over to Han Xue. I hugged her gently from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder.

"Are you done?" she asked softly.

"Yes," I replied.

"Are you tired?" she asked with a small smile.

"It's okay. Right now, I just want to hold you and sleep, smelling your scent," I said.

"Then sleep," she said, reaching up to stroke my hair.