Chapter Eighty-Five: The Yang Family’s Stance

With a faint smile, Long Fei sidestepped, then lashed out with a kick. The tall, fierce-looking man darted away with remarkable agility, no longer pressing the attack, and instead burst into hearty laughter. “Long Fei, you really are something. I never expected that after more than a year apart, I still wouldn’t be able to get the slightest edge over you. No, no, let me put it properly: I still am no match for you at all, haha!”

This imposing man was Yang Ba Tian, the Yang of the famed Northern Sheep and Southern Tiger. In Jing City, merely hearing his voice or seeing his face would be enough for most notable people to recognize him. In Tianhai, however, few would know him, for he almost never came there. He spent most of the year in Jing City, and there was a reason for that: he had a job.

He served as a special invited instructor for the Eastern Divine Sword Special Forces in Jing City. That was only one of Yang Ba Tian’s posts; there were other, more sensitive duties that ordinary people would never learn about. In truth, Yang Ba Tian admired only two things: freedom and force. That was the real reason he was willing to hang that honorary instructor title around his neck.

As the elite guard among the seven major special forces of the nation, the Eastern Divine Sword numbered only three thousand men, yet those three thousand had been selected from hundreds of thousands in the Jing City military district and local units. They were a gathering of refined troops and formidable officers, with many true martial experts among them. Even so, the men of the Eastern Divine Sword both respected and feared Yang Ba Tian.

They respected him because he was notorious in Jing City as a hard case who would not bend to anyone, who dared to take on anyone, yet never bullied the weak by leaning on his power. They were in awe of him because his strength was simply too overwhelming; within the entire Eastern Divine Sword, not a single man could defeat him. And they feared him because, under normal circumstances, he never went to the special forces base, but whenever he did show up, he insisted on picking out a few men to fight with him. Even if sparring with him could be good training, hardly anyone truly wanted to do it. It was not a fight; it was torture. One bout with him, and unless you spent ten or fifteen days in bed, do not even think of getting up.

“Haha, it’s only been a year, and your skill seems to have grown again!” Long Fei said with a smile as he sat down. Yang Dan Ni, who had come in behind him, took a seat beside him.

Yang Ba Tian laughed broadly. “Long Fei, stop flattering me. I know my own limits. Compared with you, I’m still worlds behind. But I’m not afraid of you. Another day, no, in a little while, let’s find a place and have a proper spar. If you’ve got the skill, beat me to death. I won’t have a single complaint!”

“Brother, why must you always talk about fighting as soon as you meet?” Yang Dan Ni said in displeasure, pouting.

Yang Ba Tian pointed at her and said to Long Fei, “Tsk, tsk, Long Fei, look at this. I don’t know what kind of magic potion you fed my sister, but she’s actually turned her elbow outward and dares to say I’m in the wrong. No, I’m going back to tell Grandpa!”

Yang Dan Ni hurriedly laughed. “Brother, how could I ever be fierce with you? We’re real siblings, and you’ve always been the one who spoils me most. How could I bear to be harsh with you? Right? Hehe!”

“Don’t give me that!” Yang Ba Tian said with a sly grin. “You think I don’t know the fine work the two of you have been up to? Tell me, when am I finally going to become an uncle?”

Long Fei almost broke into a sweat. Yang Ba Tian was truly bold, asking such a thing without the slightest hesitation.

Yang Dan Ni’s face turned bright red as she rebuked him, “Brother, what are you saying? Say another word and I’ll tell Grandpa that you’re bullying me!”

“Hey, hey, don’t do that,” Yang Ba Tian said quickly, waving his hands. “Dan Ni, don’t think you can use the fact that Grandpa loves you most to press me down. If I tell him about your little affair, let’s see whether he still sides with you. Even if he can’t bear to deal with you, Long Fei will be in for it!”

“You dare?” Yang Dan Ni snapped.

“All right, all right. It’s not that I dare not, it’s just that I don’t want to. This time Grandpa allowed me to come and see what’s going on, but who knows whether he has other plans? Maybe he already knows everything about you two. You know very well that the young man from the Yan family has always liked you. With what you’ve done this time, I honestly don’t know what will happen in the future. Sigh.” For once, Yang Ba Tian was no longer laughing; his tone was tinged with worry.

Yang Dan Ni also grew serious. “Brother, you know why I came to Tianhai. The people of the Yan family may be overbearing, but they can’t trample on our Yang family, can they? Besides, I’ve always been against this political marriage. Haven’t you always supported me too? Do you really want your sister to marry a man she doesn’t love at all?”

Yang Ba Tian hurriedly said, “Of course not! No matter what, I’m on your side. But you also know Grandpa’s temper—”

“Isn’t it just because he was once saved by Grandpa Yan that he has to sacrifice me to repay the debt?” Yang Dan Ni said, a little sadly.

“You’re wrong. Do you really think Grandpa merely wants to repay a kindness? I think he’s laying the groundwork for the Yang family’s future. Sigh, perhaps in the days ahead, our family will no longer be able to keep its present position.” Yang Ba Tian sighed.

The Yang family had remained neutral for decades and had survived repeated trials without falling. All of that was due to the elder of the Yang family, Yang Dan Ni’s grandfather, whose political vision and personal charisma were extraordinary. Yet he was old now. Though his son had already become the deputy mayor of Jing City, he still had to find a protector for the Yang family while he was alive. In this day and age, it was no longer possible to weather the storms of old; instead, matters increasingly turned toward political marriages, each side strengthening its own standing and influence.

Thus, change in the Yang family was the trend of the times. Only, the Yang family had just this one girl, so while she was the family’s treasure, she also had to bear a corresponding share of duty and responsibility.

Long Fei shook his head. Such was the misfortune of being born into a great clan.

“Anyway, once I’ve decided something, I won’t change it. I can’t be bothered to think about all that anymore!” Yang Dan Ni said firmly, glancing at Long Fei.

“You—” Yang Ba Tian did not know what else to say.

At this point, Long Fei also felt it would be awkward not to speak. He smiled faintly and said, “I understand the difficulties your great family faces, but I think that even your grandfather has no right to interfere with your freedom and your choices. By the way, Brother Yang, you should know what I used to do, right?”

“Of course I know. A killer. What I don’t understand is why a man with your skills was never taken in by the government. Last time I said I’d recommend you, and you refused. Tell me, are you still doing that line of work now? Why have you been in Tianhai lately, and even taken up as someone’s little bodyguard?” Yang Ba Tian asked, puzzled.

Long Fei smiled lightly. “I may not have killed anyone, but that doesn’t mean no one is helping me kill people.”

“Who?” Yang Ba Tian truly did not know Long Fei had people under him, and he also could not understand why Long Fei would say such a thing.

“Have you heard of the name Phoenix?” Long Fei said with a sudden smile.

Yang Ba Tian’s heart shook. If he had never heard of Phoenix, that would have been strange indeed. Phoenix, one of the top assassins on the world’s killer rankings, was also among the most mysterious. Even now, no one knew the full details of Phoenix. Aside from the Xiang Yu blade she used, the public knew almost nothing about her.

“Phoenix is one of your people?” Yang Ba Tian felt his heart pounding wildly. If he could ever cross blades with Phoenix, he would die without regret.

“So you have heard of her. Then have you ever heard a certain ballad?” Long Fei continued to stir his excitement.

Yang Ba Tian really felt short of breath, yet his pulse only quickened all the more. He still managed to draw a long breath before saying, “What ballad?”

“You may not have heard this one. Hehe, it goes: Phoenix rises—”

“Azure Dragon prospers?!” Yang Ba Tian blurted out, his eyes widening to the limit. He had not expected that his trip to Tianhai would give him such a profoundly new understanding of Long Fei.

Long Fei laughed. “I didn’t expect you to know that line too. Not many people do.”

“Until now, I didn’t know it either. But Long Fei, do you know this? According to what Grandpa said recently, a child monk from Tibet—the one taken away by a monk fifteen years ago—is coming to Jing City soon. They say he is coming precisely for this Azure Dragon. How do you know that ballad?” Yang Ba Tian asked, somewhat strangely.

Long Fei was also shaken. He knew that child monk. Though they had met only once, the impression he left on Long Fei was extremely deep. He remembered it was ten years ago, when he was still a drifter. One day, while he was happily fooling around with Tie Niu, Gou Zi, and Phoenix, he suddenly encountered that old monk. The monk was accompanied by a young novice, and that novice was the child monk. When Long Fei heard the child monk speak the words “Azure Dragon,” for no reason at all he felt a surge of irritation. Very unhappy. Extremely unhappy. Then the young monk merely glanced at him once, and it was as if he had seen straight through him.

Afterward, the young monk even begged the old monk to take Long Fei as a disciple and make him a monk. The old monk was truly solemn about it, saying he would take Long Fei in and wash away his sins. Unfortunately, Long Fei had no intention whatsoever of becoming a monk. At the time, all he could think was that when he grew up and became rich, he would marry Phoenix as his wife. How could he possibly go and become a monk?

So later, the old monk left with the young novice. As they departed, they sang that very ballad, and all the while kept declaring that heaven’s will could not be defied, which made Long Fei feel utterly bored.

“Then can’t you guess who I am?” Long Fei drew in a breath. In truth, he did not want to reveal his identity, but for Yang Dan Ni’s sake, he had no choice. He hoped that this name of his would frighten the Yang family a little, or at least make them hesitate.

At first Yang Ba Tian did not understand, but after a moment he suddenly realized. He sprang up from his seat at once, pointing at Long Fei and stammering, “You are—you’re the one who—”

“All right, it’s enough that you know. There’s no need to say it aloud. I hope you can persuade your grandfather. I’m not someone who likes being constrained. Of course, I also don’t want my family to live unhappily and without freedom. You understand what I mean by that, don’t you?” Long Fei smiled, glancing at Yang Dan Ni. Clearly, the “family” he spoke of referred to Yang Dan Ni.

Yang Dan Ni still did not understand the riddle Long Fei and Yang Ba Tian were exchanging, but she knew Long Fei was helping her now, so she gave him a faint smile and nodded.

“I already said I’d stand on your side. Whatever the case, I don’t want to be your enemy, and neither does the Yang family. I’ll speak properly with Grandpa and hope he’ll listen.” Yang Ba Tian nodded, though his heart was still too unsettled to calm down. He picked up a bottle of beer on the table, gulped it down first, then slammed the empty bottle back onto the table and said, “Let’s not talk about these unhappy things. We’re brothers. Come, eat and drink!”

Long Fei nodded.