Chapter 3 - Father (2/2)

“I’ll take my leave for the day.” Ye Chen shook his head and started for the exit of the training ground.

As her eyes lingered on his lonesome figure, Ye Rou felt a pang in her chest.

At the Patriarch Residency within Ye Castle.

The Patriarch Residency stood magnificently at a distance, with sculptures and paintings of intricate craftsmanship adorning its exterior. However, it had been years since they were maintained, and as nature weathered the walls down, the residency seemed to reflect on the clan’s eventual downfall. Even the surrounding garden had fallen into a state of disrepair as weeds sprung about everywhere.

Back then, when the House of Ye was in their prime, the clan was the second most powerful within the ranks of the Eighteen Houses. Twenty to thirty or so gardeners had been hired specifically to tend to the surroundings of the Patriarch Residency. Of course, by now, none of those gardeners remained. On a larger scale, many of the Ye Family’s business ventures had long ceased operation.

With a loud crash, Ye Chen fell to his knees at the green marble step leading to the door of the Patriarch Residency as soon as he arrived. The sound of the young man’s forehead hitting incessantly onto the hard, stony step echoed all the way to the direction of Ye Zhantian’s abode, with the boy himself unaware of the stream of blood coursing down his forehead.

“Father! It is my fault that you’ve suffered so much!” his voice cracked as his heart twisted in agony once more.

Ye Chen swore quietly in his heart that one day when he found the way to regain his lost strength, he would use every ounce to repay his father and uncles’ enormous compassion!

In the main hall of the Patriarch Residency.

A middle-aged man in a grey robe drew out a long sigh.

He radiated an aura of robust bearing, so much so that even as he simply stood in a corner, he would still emit an invincible presence. Yet, despite his apparent vigor, his face was too old for his age, with a few strands of white hair decorating the middle of his head.

It was the Patriarch of the House, Ye Zhantian.

“Big Brother, aren’t you going to see him?” a man standing beside him asked. This man looked to be a few years younger than Ye Zhantian and was in fact, one of his many brothers – Ye Zhanlong.

Ye Zhantian had three biological brothers and two who he became brothers with through a brotherly pact. Then, the six of them laid out their seniority according to their age. Ye Zhantian was the eldest. Meanwhile, Ye Zhanlong was second as he took up the role of Magistrate of the House’s Tribunal, followed by Ye Zhanxiong as the third. The rest of the brothers were usually on duty outside of the castle as their tasks were mostly of external affairs.

The two men had already detected Ye Chen’s presence the moment he stood outside the Patriarch’s Residency.

“How could I summon the strength to see Chen? My poor son has suffered so much through all these years. Although I promised Xiao Ruo 1 that I’d protect and care for him, I’ve broken the promises. This son has always been his own man. I’ve never heard him call me father. Deep down, he loathed me, and this is why everything that I’ve done to this very point was just my way of making amends.”

Ye Zhantian may not have moved from his seat but he did not intend to dismiss Ye Chen. When he heard the word ‘father’ from the young man’s hoarse voice, tears welled up in his eyes as they came streaming down.

‘My son has finally called me father.’

“Chen is a smart boy with great mental fortitude, Big Brother. I don’t believe that the Gods would torment him for long. With every last ounce of resource we have, we will get him a Nexus Pill!” Ye Zhanlong said with determination. Then, as a flash of anger stormed in his eyes, he continued, “Meanwhile, that Second-rank Prince of Donglin shall prepare to pay the price for humiliating the Ye Clan. In fact, they shall pay for their foolishness many times over!”

“No, the issue with the prince is over. The emperor bestowed his royal title to the prince himself. Let us also not forget that he’s surrounded by at least seventeen Ninth-Stage powerhouses besides commanding the loyalty of an army of ten million. Worst of all, he has close connections with the imperial members too. The Ye Clan’s firepower is simply not on par with these people. The most we can do right now is to swallow whatever mockery that has been thrown in our faces quietly. In fact, my only concern right now is to restore my son’s meridian channels. Humiliation, shame – none of those matter as long as my son is healed. To that end, I’ll refrain from involving myself in any unnecessary conflict,” Ye Zhantian said as he shook his head.

‘Even if that old man had returned, the entire clan’s power would still be several leagues away from the Second-rank Prince’s force,’ he thought to himself.

“However, years of extensive investigations have brought the culprits of Chen’s suffering to light. For this particular case, I swear I’ll avenge my son until the last drop of my blood!” resolve shone in Ye Zhantian’s eyes as he added.

A gust of unforgiving wind had started howling but Ye Chen remained on his knees outside his father’s abode. He refused to settle as the Ye Family deadweight. If there was anything that could heal his broken meridian channels, he would take it no matter the cost!

Hum!

The Flying Dagger vibrated inside his mind. A thought raced through Ye Chen’s head. ‘It’s acting up again!’

The Flying Dagger had been pulsing frequently but the intensity this time was much stronger than before…