Chapter 485

Chapter 485: Chapter 484 In fact, Elder Zhang’s thoughts were not complicated. His presence here indicated that he had already learned about Ye Tianchen’s condition. There were only three reasons he might refrain from saving Ye Tianchen or even from taking a look at him.

First, he was powerless to help; second, when it came to his granddaughter Zhang Ruotong’s issues, Elder Zhang still held some resentment towards Ye Tianchen in his heart; third, seeing Xiao Ya and Qi Ruxue here, Elder Zhang felt even more annoyed, fuming at the idea that Ye Tianchen, this young man, was flirting around while his own granddaughter, Zhang Ruotong, remained unmarried, yet here he was with two beauties by his side.

Wuxue, Wang Jie, Lin Duan, Bao Tianglong, Cang Lang, and Hei Mian were six very smart men with formidable strength, but as bachelors, they were not savvy about matters between men and women. Unlike the detail-oriented girls, Xiao Ya and Qi Ruxue, they failed to realize that Elder Zhang’s anger towards Ye Tianchen and his refusal to treat him was because of his granddaughter Zhang Ruotong.

Elder Zhang and his granddaughter Zhang Ruotong had relied solely on each other since she was very young. There was nothing in the world that could emotionally disturb Elder Zhang or force him to compromise, not even death. But his granddaughter Zhang Ruotong was his life; if she was unhappy, displeased, or ever in life-threatening danger, Elder Zhang would dare to confront even the Heavenly King himself – such was the bond between the grandfather and granddaughter.

Before Ye Tianchen entered her life, Zhang Ruotong had always stayed by her grandfather’s side, the two caring for each other and leading a content life. But since Ye Tianchen’s arrival, Zhang Ruotong’s daydreams of longing had become frequent, captivated by the young man’s charm, and as a girl experiencing the bloom of love, how could she contain her feelings of longing?

Elder Zhang saw all this clearly and was deeply concerned, uncertain about what to do, because he knew that Ye Tianchen was a young man with boundless potential and unfathomable strength, with grand ambitions. He was bound to set his sights on the Emperor Star and even sought to uncover the secrets of Eternal Life. This destined Ye Tianchen not to stay for any one person; such a man would certainly not have just one woman by his side. Thus, his granddaughter Zhang Ruotong’s wish to be with Ye Tianchen was difficult to fulfill.

While Zhang Ruotong was still at home, Elder Zhang had indirectly brought up Ye Tianchen to gauge his granddaughter’s feelings towards him. He confirmed that Zhang Ruotong had unwittingly fallen in love with Ye Tianchen when he saw her happiness and the sparkle in her eyes every time Ye Tianchen was mentioned. However, knowing Ye Tianchen’s goals and situation, Elder Zhang had also made veiled hints to his granddaughter, warning her of the difficulty in being with him.

He had thought that his granddaughter had understood his point and realized that a man like Ye Tianchen would never stay for anyone, and that harboring such feelings and thoughts would lead to no good outcome. However, following Ye Tianchen’s severe injuries from the grand battle with Sato, Zhang Ruotong, in her dedication to heal Ye Tianchen, had unexpectedly sacrificed her eighteen years of maidenhood. This revelation surprised Elder Zhang immensely, and regretfully, he could not prevent it, as his granddaughter had grown up and had her own thoughts.

Now that things had come to this, Elder Zhang, not being one to transcend worldly emotions, could only fully support his granddaughter’s love for Ye Tianchen since she had given her virginity to the young man. As a grandfather, he had to help her by all means to have a chance to be with Ye Tianchen.

Elder Zhang didn’t have a poor impression of Ye Tianchen. His only concern was that his granddaughter had sacrificed too much for the young man without apparent return, leaving on her own silently and dejectedly. This pained Elder Zhang deeply. Ye Tianchen had promised to take full responsibility for Zhang Ruotong, a claim Elder Zhang believed, knowing Ye Tianchen to be a man of his word, possessing great determination. He only hoped his granddaughter would not endure any more suffering and could be happy with Ye Tianchen – a simple wish of an old man deeply doting on his granddaughter.

"Grandpa Zhang, we understand that you want your granddaughter Zhang Ruotong to be with Ye Tianchen, and we are very supportive of this. Whether you believe us or not, we promise you that as soon as Ye Tianchen wakes up, we will leave him," said Xiao Ya sincerely to Elder Zhang.

"Yes, although we are women, our word is our bond!" Qi Ruxue also chimed in eagerly.

Elder Zhang was taken aback for a moment. The impact of the two women’s words was significant. They were not only smart but also willing to make such a sacrifice for Ye Tianchen. This surprised him; the clueless Ye Tianchen, a young man with seemingly low emotional intelligence, somehow had such good fortune with women.

At that moment, Elder Zhang stood up from the rattan chair, did not respond to Xiao Ya and Qi Ruxue, took two steps forward, and looked at the window of Ye Tianchen’s bedroom. He raised his voice and said, "You young man, with such good luck, aren’t you coming out yet?"

Hearing Elder Zhang’s words, Xiao Ya and Qi Ruxue were both stunned, and Wuxue and the other five men were confused, not understanding what Elder Zhang meant or to whom he was speaking.

Just as everyone was lost in confusion, a figure burst out of the window of Ye Tianchen’s bedroom door. With several rolls in mid-air, he landed on the ground, turned his back to Xiao Ya and Qi Ruxue, and stretched, with his bones cracking loudly. Having sat cross-legged for ten days and nights, his bones felt as if they had all snapped, and he needed to move them to recover.

"Tianchen..."

"Big brother..."

The person who had rushed out of Ye Tianchen’s bedroom after Elder Zhang spoke was none other than Ye Tianchen himself. No one had expected Ye Tianchen to suddenly appear like that, with no signs beforehand. Now seeing Ye Tianchen stretching and yawning, looking as if nothing had happened, it truly shocked everyone present.

"Brothers, beauties, Elder Zhang, your handsome guy has fully recovered!" Ye Tianchen said with a cheeky smile, looking at Zhang Yide and the others.

Wuxue, Lin Duan, Wang Jie, and Bao Tianglong, naturally excited, came forward to talk to Ye Tianchen. With Big Brother being alright, the Thirteen Heavenly Kings wouldn’t disband, which of course was a happy occasion. As for Xiao Ya and Qi Ruxue, they glanced at Ye Tianchen with disdain, then exchanged a smile and, still hand in hand, returned to the villa. Ye Tianchen had just woken up; with his brothers, Cang Lang and Hei Mian, as well as Zhang Yide there, there was bound to be something they needed to discuss.

Often, being a sensible and obedient woman is much more pleasing to men than being a strong and domineering one.

"You little rascal, still alive? That’s really an unexpected surprise!" Hei Mian stepped forward and punched Ye Tianchen, chuckling as he spoke.

"I’ve been unconscious for ten whole days and nights, and you’re still as black as coal. Strange, very strange," said Ye Tianchen, feigning confusion and shaking his head.

Hei Mian grew extremely frustrated, shot Ye Tianchen a fierce glance, but then he too started to laugh. The bond between men can sometimes be strangely deepened by fights. Hei Mian and Ye Tianchen were like that—from initial mutual disdain to brawls, they ended up having a strong appreciation for each other. This hard-earned brotherhood was truly profound.

"Good to see you’re alright. The Commander-in-chief was also very worried!" Cang Lang said to Ye Tianchen.

"How are things on the Ling family’s side?" Ye Tianchen asked after thinking for a moment.

"The outlook isn’t good. You’ve just woken up, better rest some more before discussing this. Hei Mian and I have things to do, so we’re heading out!" Cang Lang said.

After Cang Lang and Hei Mian left—they were both incredibly busy figures who had stayed here for three consecutive days and nights not only because of the Commander-in-chief’s order but more importantly due to the bond formed with Ye Tianchen over time—the camaraderie among men was unspoken.

Once Cang Lang and Hei Mian were gone, Ye Tianchen inquired about the Thirteen Heavenly Kings’ recent big battle with Beichen One-Blade Style Japanese adversaries. Learning that three of his good brothers had died, Ye Tianchen too was saddened; but he understood that warfare inherently meant bloodshed and sacrifice, which is inevitable.

"Send ten million to the families of each fallen brother. For the wounded, besides covering all their medical expenses, give them each five million. As for the rest of you, each will get three million," Ye Tianchen stated.

"Brother, following you wasn’t about the money—it was about building something," Wuxue said, after some thought.

"Yeah, Big Bro, we’re not after money. We just want to make something of ourselves following you!" Wang Jie chimed in.

Ye Tianchen shook his head. He knew Wuxue and Wang Jie’s intentions; all four of them were utterly loyal, not caring for money or personal gain. But even if they didn’t want money, they had families, relatives, and friends who were just ordinary people needing money to live. He himself had no particular attachment to money; his only intention was to ensure the families of the deceased brothers wouldn’t suffer—that was the least he could do as their leader.

"Do as I said, and also continue to recruit more masters. The Thirteen Heavenly Kings must remain thirteen members strong!" Ye Tianchen said earnestly.

"Understood, Big Brother!" Wuxue nodded in agreement.

Wuxue, Lin Duan, Bao Tianglong, and Wang Jie also left, leaving Zhang Yide and Ye Tianchen alone in the villa’s courtyard...(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it and give your monthly support. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)