Chapter 38: Promise

“There have been many who wished to kill me, but you are the first to admit it to my face!”

“I must say, I underestimated your courage.”

No one knew how much time had passed before Wuyazi spoke in a low, distant tone. The powerful aura he once exuded vanished into nothingness. Yun Zhonghe, who had been tense from head to toe, finally let out a long breath of relief.

Seeing this, Wuyazi was struck by the sorrow of waning heroism; he could no longer even intimidate a junior.

Having weathered the crisis, Yun Zhonghe turned his gaze toward Wang Yuyan. “Senior, I have come not only to bring the traitor of the Carefree Sect, Ding Chunqiu, but also a very special gift.”

Following his gaze, Wuyazi’s eyes landed on Wang Yuyan. Her face had turned an ashen hue; she had not expected Yun Zhonghe to be so shameless as to offer her to an aged elder in exchange for the inheritance of the Carefree Sect.

Compared to her, Wuyazi’s reaction was far more composed. A man with the boldness to face death as Yun Zhonghe had shown could hardly stoop to such base means.

But then, Yun Zhonghe calmly revealed Wang Yuyan’s parentage to Wuyazi.

“This young lady’s mother is Li Qingluo, your daughter with Li Qiushui.”

The single sentence struck Wang Yuyan like a thunderclap, echoing in her ears. Wuyazi’s gaze lingered on her, a flash of understanding in his eyes. At last, he realized why she had seemed so familiar, why an innate sense of kinship had stirred within him.

She was his granddaughter.

Before Wang Yuyan could recover from the revelation, Yun Zhonghe delivered yet another shock.

“Miss Wang’s birth father is none other than Prince Duan of Dali.”

A tremor ran through Wang Yuyan’s eyes; her mouth fell open in utter speechlessness. No one knew how long it took before she slowly regained her composure. For some reason, a quiet sense of relief crept into her heart. If she and Duan Yu were truly siblings, then he would no longer pursue her so relentlessly.

As her thoughts whirled, Yun Zhonghe’s voice sounded beside her ear. “I wonder, Senior, are you satisfied with my gift?”

Wuyazi was no ordinary man. At Yun Zhonghe’s words, he immediately understood that the latter still feared he would pass his legacy to Wang Yuyan instead.

“You need not probe further, boy. All the skills I have mastered will be passed on to you.”

With that assurance, Yun Zhonghe finally set aside the huge weight in his heart and stepped back, leaving the old man and his granddaughter space to speak.

Wuyazi turned to Wang Yuyan, his face gentle and kind, waving her forward. She obediently approached, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, but for a moment, she did not know how to begin.

So they fell into silence.

This made Yun Zhonghe as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He could see Wuyazi’s life was nearing its end, and if these words were left unsaid, it might soon be too late.

Yet before he could break the quiet, Wuyazi spoke, his voice trembling with emotion, “Heaven has not been unkind to me. To see my granddaughter before the end is enough; I have no regrets.”

Sensing the heavy aura of death emanating from Wuyazi, Wang Yuyan was deeply moved. Her lips trembled, and at last she managed to call out softly, “Grandfather.”

Wuyazi was momentarily stunned, then a radiant joy broke across his deeply lined face, his smile as brilliant as a blooming chrysanthemum.

“Aye, my good granddaughter!”

As time went on, the distance between the two began to melt, and their relationship grew closer. Watching grandfather and granddaughter talk heart-to-heart, Yun Zhonghe’s face softened with warmth, and a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.

He wondered how his own parents were faring now.

Lost in memory, Yun Zhonghe did not notice Wuyazi glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. The old man leaned toward Wang Yuyan and asked in a low voice, “Why are you entangled with Yun Zhonghe?”

The question caused Wang Yuyan’s brows to knit in worry; she hesitated, uncertain how to explain to her grandfather why she had ended up with Yun Zhonghe.

When she remained silent, Wuyazi’s eyes flashed with anger. He assumed Yun Zhonghe had bullied her and was about to confront him.

“It’s not like that, Grandfather. Yun Zhonghe hasn’t bullied me,” Wang Yuyan hurriedly grasped his arm, lowering her head in embarrassment.

Seeing the shy expression on his granddaughter’s face, and noticing the awkward smile on Yun Zhonghe standing nearby, Wuyazi believed he understood their relationship, though neither had made it explicit.

Having worked it out, Wuyazi’s opinion of Yun Zhonghe improved, and any lingering reluctance to pass on his skills vanished under his granddaughter’s tacit approval.

After all, as his future grandson-in-law, the stronger Yun Zhonghe’s martial arts, the better he could protect his own granddaughter.

With this thought, Wuyazi realized time was running short and could not afford any more delay.

“Boy, come here!”

The strength in Wuyazi’s voice startled Yun Zhonghe from his reverie. He opened his bleary eyes and wiped at his mouth, though there was nothing there. “It seems the conversation is over. It’s time for the transfer of power.”

At the mention of this, Wang Yuyan gripped Wuyazi’s sleeve tightly, her knuckles white with strain, unable to let go.

Noticing her turmoil, Wuyazi patted her hand affectionately. He had lived too long and regarded life and death with equanimity; to see his descendants at the end of his days left him with no regrets.

He raised both hands, and a surge of formidable inner energy swirled in his palms, unleashing a terrifying force of suction.

Yun Zhonghe’s eyes sharpened; the North Sea Divine Skill Wuyazi wielded was far more powerful than anything he could muster. As his body drew ever closer to Wuyazi’s hands, Yun Zhonghe showed no fear—in fact, a hint of wild joy flickered on his face.

After all his efforts, Wuyazi’s seventy years of cultivation would soon belong to him.

Wuyazi, meanwhile, paid no heed to Yun Zhonghe’s thoughts. The vast reservoir of inner power within him poured toward the young man like a floodgate released.

The process was fraught with peril; a single misstep could cost Yun Zhonghe everything—at best, the loss of all martial skill and a life as a cripple, at worst, instant death.

Fully aware of the risk, Yun Zhonghe cast aside all distractions, focusing entirely upon absorbing Wuyazi’s strength.

As time passed, the two men’s bodies floated into the air, buoyed by the flow of energy. Wuyazi’s hair and beard, already white as snow, grew even paler, and his aura dwindled to a bare whisper, as if he might pass from this world at any moment.

Wang Yuyan’s eyes brimmed with tears. She fought back her sorrow, turning away, unable to watch.

No one knew how long it took, but at last, the two slowly descended to the floor.

Wuyazi, too weak even to speak, used the last of his strength to point toward Wang Yuyan.

Yun Zhonghe opened his eyes at last, understanding plain in his expression. He vowed solemnly, “Rest assured, Senior—I will protect Miss Wang all her life.”