Chapter 83: Surprises One After Another

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The next morning, just as the first light crept across the sky, several people were abruptly awakened by a familiar female voice shouting, “Up! Get up, all of you!”

“Huh!? My dearest!?” Liang Lingzhi sprang from his bed, eyes wide. “Nianxue! The one I’ve been longing for day and night!?” Unmindful of the fact that he wore nothing but his underwear, he dashed over to Nianxue and blurted out, “Nianxue, I’ve missed you so much!”

“Enough!” Nianxue shoved Ye Dong’s quilt into Liang Lingzhi’s arms, her tone mocking. “Young Master Liang, with beauties always by your side, how could you spare a thought for an ordinary girl like me? Don’t make fun of me!”

Ye Dong, still half-asleep, squinted at them, murmuring as if in a dream, “Idiot, I’ll give you ten seconds to return my quilt. If you don’t, I, He Wentian, promise you won’t make it out of this bedroom—alive or otherwise!”

But Liang Lingzhi had no interest in Ye Dong’s melodrama. After tossing the quilt back to Ye Dong, he grabbed Nianxue’s hands tightly. “These days, Officer Li and Master haven’t allowed me to contact you. You have no idea, I’ve missed you terribly!”

“Mind your manners!” Nianxue barked, wrenching her hands free from his grasp. “No explanations! I’m not interested!”

“Don’t be like that!” Liang Lingzhi pleaded, shamelessly grabbing her hand again. “If I, Liang Lingzhi, utter a single insincere word, then may I—hell, may I recognize Xiaobao and Dachun as my fathers!”

Nianxue struggled to keep her amusement in check, her face remaining cold. “I’m not anyone special to you. Eat whatever you want—none of my business.”

She tried to push Liang Lingzhi away, but found he was no longer as easy to deter as before.

“Oh? You’ve toughened up, haven’t you? Grown stronger!” Nianxue sank into a martial stance and thrust her palm at him. Startled, Liang Lingzhi stumbled back two steps, but his grip on her wrist remained unyielding.

Seeing his progress, Nianxue was secretly pleased. “In just a month, Liang Lingzhi’s improved so much. His talent may not rival Ye Dong’s, but he’s truly a rare prodigy in the Dao.”

“Nianxue, why won’t you let me explain? I really do miss you!” Liang Lingzhi tried to approach again, only to hear Xiaobao, still deep in sleep, mutter dreamily, “Heaven and earth, lend me your laws—empty their wallets, now! By order of the universe!”

“See? We’re really training day and night—even in our sleep—all just to catch the bad guys sooner!” Liang Lingzhi clung to Nianxue’s arm, earnest. “Nianxue, I miss you so much it hurts.”

Nianxue snorted. “Weren’t you all high and mighty at the auction?” Imitating his manner and gestures, she pointed at him from a distance. “This girl—mischievous!”

“It’s ‘naughty,’” Liang Lingzhi blurted out, correcting her slip without a second thought. “My line was, ‘This girl, naughty!’”

Seeing his utter lack of romantic sense, Nianxue flushed with embarrassment and anger, striking him squarely in the chest with a dainty fist. “Get lost!!”

Liang Lingzhi stood there, bewildered. “Isn’t that what I said? I remember it clearly—it was ‘naughty’!”

“You’re driving me mad!” Nianxue stamped her foot and delivered a resounding smack to the bare bottoms of Ye Dong and the others. “Up, all of you! No more sleeping! Special training starts now!”

“Ow! Who dares lay a hand on me, He Wentian!? Want to die?” Ye Dong was so exhausted that not even the escalating cold war between Liang Lingzhi and Nianxue could wake him.

At a mysterious training site within the police force, the four men plus Huiyan—five in all—lined up to await the Chen family’s instructions.

Chen Yao grinned broadly. “I’m the head honcho for today’s special training.”

“Ahem, Dad, it’s called chief instructor,” Nianxue corrected him quietly.

“Right, chief instructor!” Chen Yao cleared his throat. “Before you is a simulated ancient tomb, riddled with traps and full of surprises you’d never expect. There are no rewards, only plenty of punishments. Nianxue will explain the details. Applaud!”

Only Liang Lingzhi clapped and cheered; the others just exchanged blank looks, utterly expressionless.

“Passion! Effort! Strive!” Chen Yao clenched his fist for emphasis. “Come on, shout with me: Passion! Effort! Strive!”

“Passion,” “Effort,” “Strive”—apart from Huiyan, the group mumbled half-heartedly, barely squeezing out the words.

Huiyan raised her hand. “Instructor, what’s the punishment?”

Nianxue smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Huiyan—the punishment’s only for the four of them, not you.”

Liang Lingzhi grumbled, “Shouldn’t I be the one with special privileges?”

Nianxue’s glare was sharp as a knife. “Stop whining. Stand up straight.”

“The punishment is simple: no meals. We won’t starve you, don’t worry.” She and Chen Yao exchanged a subtle smile, their conspiratorial manner enough to send chills down the spines of the four men.

“If there are no questions, it’s time for the challenge!” Chen Yao looked meaningfully at the special training facility. “Whether you’re dragons or worms, it’s up to your own fate.”

With that, he turned and strode away without a backward glance.

“Master must have high hopes for us,” Ye Dong said quietly. “We can’t let him down!”

“Exactly! Master has always cared for us. We can’t bring shame to him now!” the others replied in unison.

Meanwhile, in the surveillance room, Officer Li poured Chen Yao a cup of tea, chuckling. “Brother Chen, you’re something else! Coming up with these schemes to torment your disciples—I have to admit, I’m impressed!”

Chen Yao took the tea, a sly smile on his lips. “It’s such a rare occasion to have all my dear students together. Why waste the opportunity to put on a good show?”

“Amusing, very amusing!” Chen Yao laughed, turning his gaze to the special training ground.

At the entrance to the training field, Ye Dong habitually took out his small compass to measure the area, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Dachun whispered.

Ye Dong frowned, shaking his head. “Today… is not a good day for a challenge.”

“Fortune-teller, I’m in awe!” Xiaobao mockingly gave him a thumbs-down.

“Weapons out—once we’re inside, it’s a whole different world. No room for carelessness!” Ye Dong put away his compass and drew his Inferno Blade from his belt.

“Hey, wait—when did my Inferno Blade get swapped out?” The weapon in Ye Dong’s hand was not his prized blade, but a rusty, chipped dagger!

Watching them on the monitor, Chen Yao—gripping Ye Dong’s Inferno Blade—grinned wickedly. “Let Master play with this treasure for a few days, disciple. It’s for your own good!” Stroking the blade, his delighted expression was unmistakable. “What a fine sword, truly magnificent!”

Officer Li couldn’t help but laugh. “Brother Chen, a good weapon is worth half a life. You’ve just taken half of Ye Dong’s life from him!”

“It’s nothing—I have faith in him,” Chen Yao replied, laughing heartily. “Without this blade, he’ll be forced to tap into his innate abilities. I’ve yet to see him use his Heavenly Eye, extraordinary physique, and Samadhi True Flame together in real combat.”

“Master Chen must be testing you by swapping your weapon,” Huiyan whispered to Ye Dong. “Show your usual spirit! You managed fine before you had the blade.”

Encouraged by Huiyan’s words, Ye Dong’s eyes lit up. “You’re right—Master must be testing me! I won’t let you down, Master!” He gazed skyward as if he could see Chen Yao watching over him with affection, nodding fiercely at the air.

“Quit daydreaming—you’re our captain!” Liang Lingzhi nudged him. “The door’s moving!”

With a low creak, the door swung open, revealing utter darkness within. A chill wind seeped out, raising goosebumps on everyone’s arms.

“With wind like this, the training field’s air-conditioning bill must be outrageous,” Ye Dong muttered, rubbing his arm and gripping the rusty dagger, creeping cautiously towards the entrance.

“Let’s go,” he whispered.

After a few steps, he glanced back—only Huiyan had followed. The other three stood firmly in place, not budging an inch.

“What are you doing back there? Get over here!” Ye Dong demanded in a low voice.

“No, no—you have the experience. You’re the eldest. You go first, we’ll cover the rear!” The three replied in unison, as if this was a prearranged strategy to throw Ye Dong under the bus.

“Some brothers you are—now you remember I’m the eldest?” Ye Dong glared at them, then picked up a small stone and tossed it into the darkness.

The beam of his flashlight tracked the stone as it rolled inside. Before it stopped, a withered hand suddenly reached out from the darkness and snatched the stone away.

“Did you see that!? Did you see it!?” Ye Dong scrambled back, exclaiming, “A hand just grabbed the stone!”

He found it odd that there was no sound behind him. When he turned around, he saw that Liang Lingzhi and the others had somehow retreated ten meters, staring at the doorway in terror.

“Why are you all so far back? Enjoying the view?” Ye Dong demanded, his patience fraying.

Dachun shook his head repeatedly, too frightened to speak, only pointing into the darkness. “Just look for yourself…”

Ye Dong was about to turn back when he noticed Huiyan’s voice had changed as well. “Dong, I think… someone’s looking for you.”

“What?” Playing it cool, Ye Dong gave a crooked smile. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you? Say you are, and I’ll forgive you right now—come on, be good.”

They all shook their heads, refusing to play along, which made Ye Dong feel even more uneasy.

Suddenly, a chill ran down the back of his head, as if something was gently stroking his hair…