Heavenly Star

“I’m willing to!” Lin Xiao walked beside him, gaze fixed on his profile. “In my heart, Hua Shuirou is the perfect woman, also because… you are stronger than me. You’ve even left a scar on me! Even if the engagement between me and Hua Shuirou has been witnessed by the Emperor, even if General Hua is known for keeping his word, your existence still makes me tremble with fear. I know my fear is not without reason, though it is very unlikely for me to lose face. You had completely defeated me in every stage of the competition that day, even when I had a hundred percent confidence with myself. After that, I realized, in front of you, I shouldn’t have confidence.”

Ye Wuchen did not answer, instead his footsteps slightly slowed.

“I, Lin Xiao, am a coward. Since I was young, I’ve been afraid of being bullied and humiliated by others, and refused to be below anyone. As a result, I have done my utmost efforts to strive hard with all my might to become the dragon among all the rest. At this point, my current achievements are no longer from luck, as I had risked my life to strive for them. I tried hard, so I’m proud of what I have become, since these are the things that I have achieved myself, not something bestowed upon me by my family. For a long time now, I thought myself good enough to look down upon Tian Long, no one could be classified as above me among my peers. After all these years, I have never been afraid of anything, but your presence has destroyed the security of my mental state. When I learned that you desired Hua Shuirou, I felt restless and uneasy even when eating or resting. Afterwards, I had come to think that during the competition, you had already used every kind of method to stir up her heartstrings. At that point, I have already fallen short.”

Ye Wuchen stopped his footsteps, turned around and said, “If that’s the case, then you should take the initiative to give up the wedding. In this way, I, Ye Wuchen, might even be grateful to you for a period of time and you don’t have to carry a burden of torment upon yourself, to everyone’s delight and satisfaction.”

Lin Xiao clenched his teeth and said firmly, “If you would give up… any condition… as long as I’m able to do it, I will agree to it!”

“Master Lin is a person with an intermediary nature, but based on your affections you are prejudiced against me. What a pity that I am the same as Master Lin for things that I want, even if it is a person or a grain of sand, I will not allow them to fall into other people’s hands. Even if I need to fight for it, I will snatch them back. I can easily tell you that Elder Hua has already agreed to the marriage between Xiao Rourou and I. You must return home to prepare to end your news spreading and engagement feast. I am done talking, farewell.”

Ye Wuchen turned around to leave, quickly disappearing into a corner, leaving behind the baffled Lin Xiao. He turned his head to look at the gates of the Hua residence, mumbling, “Since I, Lin Xiao, existed, why would there be need of a Ye Wuchen.”

He was not a coward, but the pressure that accompanied Ye Wuchen was quite heavy, so heavy that he was willing to bend his head instead of fighting him in the open. From his childhood until present he never had such an enemy before. Now there existed a man who could step on him, and would firmly hold him down under the soles of his feet. The effect he had on everyone was not as huge as his own in the competition with Ye Wuchen. When Ye Wuchen played the A Dream Remembering the Past, it had completely smashed his A Dream of Worldly Affairs tune, and his ultimate pride had been completely shattered into pieces.

Upon returning to the Ye residence, Ye Wuchen proceeded to Wang Wenshu’s room. “Today at dusk, there will be two visitors coming, prepare more food and wine… Ah, no. Wine will not be necessary.”

“Visitors?” Wang Wenshu, who was embroidering a pair of mandarin ducks onto a pillow, lifted her head, face full of doubt.

“Yes, but their identities will not be disclosed temporarily. You will learn about them when time comes.” Ye Wuchen said, laughing mysteriously.

“Then I will prepare right away.” Wang Wenshu put down the items in her hands. She suddenly remembered something, and turned around. “Oh, by the way, Chen-er, I have arranged for a room in my courtyard. You may let the mother of that child, Leng Ya, move into my place. Since your father is not always home, it’s good to have someone accompany me. This morning, I went to see her, and it seems like she has been through a lot of trials., She has been very unfortunate, but her manners are quite exceptional; simply incomparable with other women from ordinary families, she must have come from an influential family.”

“Yes!” Ye Wuchen responded with a nod.

When Ye Wuchen brought home Leng Ya, Ye Wei and Ye Nu were opposed of it. After all, Leng Ya was from the Gale Nation, whom they treated as their enemy. But luckily, their opposition was not that strong, and with the insistence of Ye Wuchen, they had eventually agreed. Wang Wenshu had agreed to let Leng Ya’s mother, Leng Qiu, stay at her courtyard which was also a suggestion from Ye Wuchen. Because this was his request, naturally as his mother, she surely agreed with it.

At this time, Leng Ya was helping his mother walk slowly around the courtyard. Leng Qiu’s complexion had obviously improved compared to the previous day. Upon seeing Ye Wuchen’s return, Leng Ya coldly called out a “young master”. Leng Qiu was so grateful that she felt like she wanted to bend her waist in greeting, yet Leng Ya kept her up. Ye Wuchen also hurriedly stepped in front to stop her, “Auntie, your body is still unwell, Leng Ya and I are friends, I really don’t deserve this.”

Leng Qiu shook her head, and thankfully glanced at him. “I’ve already heard from Xiao Feng. If it wasn’t for you, Xiao Feng might have been captured, you saved both of our lives! Now that you have healed my eyes, which have been blind for so many years…… We both have nothing, we simply don’t know how to repay your kindness!”

Ye Wuchen quickly waved his hand and said, “Auntie, please don’t feel that way. The reason I saved Leng Ya is because of my selfish motives. Besides, Leng Ya can be considered as my friend, it is right and proper to help him. Leng Ya, please help auntie to return and take some rest, I have something to tell you.”

After Leng Ya helped the deeply grateful Leng Qiu back, they dilly-dallied for a long while before he finally returned and silently followed behind Ye Wuchen. Upon hearing his approaching footsteps, Ye Wuchen asked without even turning his head, “Have you thought over the things that I have told you yesterday?”

“What do you want me to do once I return to the Gale Nation?” Leng Ya asked.

“Quite simple….. I need a share of power in the Gale Nation. A secret power that can pierce through the Royal Family of Gale Nation like a sharp blade. Can you do it?”

“I cannot.” Leng Ya answered neatly.

“If it can be done, would you agree?”

“No!”

“Very well.” Ye Wuchen turned around, his brows wrinkled. “Indeed, you don’t have the power to do it. Even if you did want to go, I would not let you go there because you simply don’t have the sufficient strength and capability. Even though I rescued you and your mother’s lives, healed your mother’s eyes, you still won’t fulfill your promise of being loyal to me. For someone who doesn’t have neither capability nor loyalty to me, who rescued you and even offered shelter to you!”

Leng Ya coldly stared at him, his voice chilly and cold, “I, Leng Ya,… don’t have to live up to anybody’s expectations!”

Ye Wuchen pulled the corners of his mouth and laughed mockingly. “You are a person of great dignity. What are you doing with it? Why was your mother in poor health? It’s because you don’t have money! For so long, she’s never had a full meal. For money, you even dared to join a competition and felt no wrong. Why were you pushed to such critical circumstances? It’s also because you lack strength that you were defeated by Lin Xiao, under the impulse you even revealed the Shattering Wind Blade, and involved your mother. Even now, if it wasn’t for my care, you would still be under the scrutiny of Tian Long’s Emperor, possibly arrested at any time. A person like you is just a joke, a useless person. You are not even worth discussing that ridiculous dignity of yours with.”

“You… shut up!” Leng Ya’s glance was cold and penetrating. He ground his teeth loudly, his vigor had caused the temperature in the surroundings to drop a few degrees in an instant.

“Did I say anything wrong?” Ye Wuchen laughed coldly, “are you planning to attack me? Too bad, I’m not scared, and you are not my match. If I wanted, I would immediately knock you down, and stamp on your head disdaining your embarrassing appearance. I have the strength, and you have none! You hated your father, but aside from the resentment, can you do anything about it? Throughout the entire Heavenly Star continent, who doesn’t know Feng Chaoyang. How about your name, Leng Ya, how many of them know of it? Even if you died on this spot, who cares about your life?”

Leng Ya’s whole body slightly trembled, every statement that Ye Wuchen made was like a blade that pierced through his heart. He was an arrogant, and extremely egotistic man, but had just been mocked as a great joke. The anger that he had emitted even contained some murderous spirit. If he were not trying hard to restrain himself, telling himself how much this person had helped himself and his mother, he might have already dashed against him recklessly, and cut through this person.

“You want to become stronger?” looking at him, Ye Wuchen’s voice had suddenly become mild, as he asked calmly.

“Yes!” he answered gritting his teeth. Every mocking word of Ye Wuchen still mercilessly replayed in his head; having no strength, he was not fit to talk about self-respect! Without strength, he could not protect himself, nor his mother.

Ye Wuchen nodded and turned to the north, in his mind a figure of a man gradually appeared as old as an ancient tree, “In that case, you don’t have to return to the Gale Nation anymore. I want you to go to the northern side of the Tian Long Nation that has long been forgotten, and look for a person named Chu Cangming, he will teach you how to become stronger.”

“Chu Cangming……” Upon hearing the name, Leng Ya’s eyes emitted a fierce ray of energy.

“Once you’re ready, you can approach me. Of course, it doesn’t matter if you don’t like it. My Ye Family will always keep you, like one keeps a dog!”

After Ye Wuchen’s cold statements, he turned around to leave. He proceeded to the courtyard of Ye Shuiyao to fetch Ning Xue. Before he left, he shot a meaningful glance at the window of the room where Leng Qiu is currently residing.

Leng Ya stood there expressionless, like an ice sculpture which had been there for a very long time. This young man who had been at a loss for more than ten years, suddenly had a path to follow. The anger and murderous spirit from just a moment ago had disappeared completely.

Translated by: Fatty_Uncle

Edited by: seriouspotato and patrick_father_of_dragons