When Ye Qiu asked about the Forbidden City, the War God let out a long sigh.
“The Forbidden City is a unique entity. Their development to this point has historical reasons, as well as other factors. In short, it’s hard to explain in just a few words.”
“They may be just a faction, but they’re undoubtedly the most powerful one.”
“The Forbidden City acts arrogantly and doesn’t regard secular authority because they have the strength to back it up… Forget it, I won’t say more, lest it troubles you unnecessarily.”
The War God continued, “Aside from Long Qi and Long Ba, the others in the Forbidden City are in seclusion. It could be three to five years, or as little as one or two, but those old bastards will eventually emerge.”
“Once they do, they’ll surely seek revenge for Long Jiu’s death.”
“So, Ye Qiu, you need to do everything you can to improve your strength as quickly as possible. Aim to at least have the ability to protect yourself when those old fogeys from the Forbidden City come out.”
Ye Qiu, unfamiliar with the Forbidden City’s power, asked, “What counts as being able to protect myself?”
“At the very least, you’d need to fight me to a draw,” Ye Wudi said.
Ye Qiu’s face immediately crumpled into a bitter expression.
Ye Wudi had trained for decades to reach his current level. To match him in just three to five years—wasn’t that a pipe dream?
“War God, do you know what I want to do right now?”
“What?”
Ye Qiu said, “I just want to lie flat.”
“You punk!” Ye Wudi roared, scolding him. “Young people today must never utter the words ‘lie flat.’ You should have an upward spirit, a willingness to take responsibility.”
“Do you even know what responsibility means?”
“When danger looms, some brave fire and flood; when the nation is in peril, some serve with utmost loyalty; when entrusted with a heavy burden, some exhaust themselves for the cause; when injustice is seen, some let out a righteous shout.”
“Even if you’re just an ordinary person, you can’t just drift along, face life passively, or settle for mediocrity. You’re a man—men should hold up the sky with their own hands.”
“Not to mention, you’re no ordinary person. You still have…”
Ye Wudi stopped mid-sentence.
“Have what?” Ye Qiu looked at Ye Wudi with a playful smile.
“You—you still have a heart full of passion. As a warrior of the Underworld Palace, you should take on responsibility, strive to become an elite of the nation, a pillar of the state!”
Tch!
Ye Qiu smirked.
He knew Ye Wudi had meant to say, *You still have the blood of the Ye family flowing in you*, but at the critical moment, he held back.
“Ye Qiu, I know this puts a lot of pressure on you, but you still need to face it head-on and work hard to improve your strength. Every bit of power you gain increases your chances of survival.”
“When those old guys from the Forbidden City emerge, it’ll be a fight to the death.”
“Whether you live or die then will depend on fate.”
The War God’s aged face was etched with worry. Clearly, the Forbidden City weighed heavily on him too.
Ye Qiu wanted to ask more, but seeing the War God’s reluctance to elaborate on the Forbidden City, he decided not to bother.
“Ye Qiu, your injuries haven’t fully healed yet. Rest well. Wudi and I are heading back.”
The War God gave Ye Wudi a look.
Ye Wudi understood, pushing the War God toward the door. Just as he opened it, Ye Qiu’s voice rang out behind him.
“Third Uncle, thank you!”
Ye Wudi froze, his body stiffening.
The words “Third Uncle” pierced his heart like a needle.
In an instant, tears welled up in Ye Wudi’s eyes.
“Wudi, stay and talk with Ye Qiu. I’ll wait outside,” the War God said before wheeling himself out of the room.
Ye Wudi’s straight back slumped slightly. He wiped the tears from his eyes, then turned around with a stern face to look at Ye Qiu. “You know your origins?”
“Of course.”
Ye Wudi asked, “Who told you? The War God?”
“Not the War God. My mother.”
A trace of warmth flickered in Ye Wudi’s eyes as he sat by the bed. “How’s your mother, Jinglan, doing?”
“Mom’s doing well. Third Uncle, when did you find out about my identity?” Ye Qiu asked curiously.
“I only found out a couple of days ago,” Ye Wudi said. “The old man told me you were in trouble, so he ordered me to rush back.”
Old Man Ye?
Ye Qiu’s gaze turned cold. “The old man knew I was in Jiangzhou this whole time?”
“Yes,” Ye Wudi nodded slightly.
“Third Uncle, there’s something that’s been bothering me for a long time. When my father was surrounded and attacked back then, why didn’t the old man save him? Why didn’t any of you step in to help?”
This question had been festering in Ye Qiu’s heart for years.
“It’s not that the old man didn’t want to save your father. In fact, he and all of us were ready to stand by him and fight those people to the death. But your father stopped him and forbade us from intervening.”
“Your father said the Ye family’s current glory wasn’t easy to achieve—it was the old man’s decades of hard work. He didn’t want the family to be destroyed because of him.”
“Plus, he was worried about you and your mother’s safety.”
“He said he could die, but you two couldn’t. The last thing he asked the old man was to take care of you and your mother, to keep you safe for life.”
“After that incident, your father and you both disappeared. I’ve been secretly searching for you all these years, but I never found a single clue.”
“It was only a couple of days ago that the old man told me he’d sent people to secretly escort you when you left the capital.”
“He’s kept tabs on every detail of your life in Jiangzhou over the years.”
“He’s always cared deeply about you and your mother.”
Ye Qiu’s expression remained icy. “If he cared so much, why didn’t he help us when we were struggling back then?”
“The old man once arranged for Shadow to deliver a bank card to your mother with enough money to last a lifetime, but she refused it.”
Ye Wudi continued, “The old man’s kept your situation under wraps. If you hadn’t run into trouble this time, he wouldn’t have told me who you are.”
“He wanted you to live as an ordinary person, to have a peaceful life free of these conflicts. But things didn’t go as he hoped.”
“When he heard you were injured, he was very worried, but he couldn’t come to the hospital to see you.”
“Every move the old man makes is watched closely. If he visited, those with ulterior motives would surely guess your identity.”
“But I’m different. To outsiders, I’m first Old Tang’s bodyguard, and only then the third son of the Ye family.”
Ye Wudi added, “Back then, your father killed too many people—people from the major families in the capital. Some of them are still alive, and even if the ones he killed are gone, their families remain. If they found out you’re his blood, they wouldn’t show you any mercy.”
Hmph, they wouldn’t show me mercy? Have they ever asked if I’d spare them?
Ye Qiu snorted coldly and asked, “Third Uncle, why did they kill my father back then? Was it because I’m some ‘calamity star’?”
Ye Wudi cursed, “What bullshit calamity star? That’s just an excuse.”
“They killed your father because of a treasure map.”
“That treasure map was what brought disaster down on him!”
