What Do I Owe Him
In a private ward at a hospital located in Beijing, the dim lights flickered over a man lying soullessly on the hospital bed. His eyes were completely void of any emotions or expressions.
Even the nurse who came in to renew the glucose transfusion avoided eye contact with him as she anxiously hung a new bag of solution onto the metal stand.
The man in the hospital gown was none other than Yang Lie—the man who had his cultivation purged from his body by Yang Chen.
The moment he woke up, he found himself lying on a hospital bed completely weak to his bones.
It was then that he realized that his meridians were completely hollow. Death was a far less cruel punishment!
His return from Kunlun to Beijing was greeted with a position as general of the garrison force by his father Yang Pojun. His future prospects were looking great, but instead all that he was now was a piece of sc.u.m!
Yang Lie was unsure of how he would face Yang Pojun or rather, Yang Gongming. He was glad the the news of his ‘punishment’ had not yet spread. But something like this couldn’t stay hidden forever. And when the time comes to reveal it, he will have to face h.e.l.l!
His hatred and agony towards Yang Chen nonetheless was the sole reason to stay alive.
At this moment the ward door was once again pushed open. There stood a ruffled, bearded man dressed in white. He held a sinister smile as he walked towards the ward bed.
“Tsk tsk. Look at how pathetic you have become without your cultivation and internal energy. At least the glucose transfusion is keeping you alive.” The visitor, to Yang Lie’s surprise, was Yan Buwen!
Yang Lie s.h.i.+fted his gaze towards him, and asked in a dull manner, “Yan Buwen, it’s amazing that you still have the guts to visit me.”
“Master Yang, what do you mean by that? We’re friends. When I caught wind of your incident, I made it a point to visit you,” Yan Buwen said with a cunning grin.
“Huh? Friends? If it was not for your dumb plan for me to interfere with Yu Lei Entertainment and arrange that idiot Mei Feng as Hui Lin’s manager for the sake of infuriating Yang Chen, why else would I end up like this?!” Yang Lie had gotten visibly emotional.
Yan Buwen shook his finger. “My plan had no flaws. From the moment that he murdered her, everything was going according to plan. The goal of my plan was to make him kill someone himself, to stir the emotions of the public and Hongmeng. Never had I once told you to infuriate Yang Chen. It was your ignorance that led him to purge your cultivation. You brought it upon yourself.”
“What?!”
Yang Lie was enraged as he lifted his fist to punch Yan Buwen. But now that he was just an ordinary person, his punch was effortlessly caught by Yan Buwen with one hand!
“Keep your punches. You’re not worthy.” Yan Buwen sneered as he pushed his subdued fist away.
Yang Lie was thrown back on the bed. The embarra.s.sment that he felt right now was worse than any injury he had ever gotten.
Yan Buwen quietly stood by and observed without any remorse.
After a long while when Yang Lie finally had no tears left to shed, Yan Buwen followed up with a suggestion. “Master Yang, do you want to be like Yang Chen?”
Confused, Yang Lie lifted his head. “Wh—what?”
“I asked if you would like to be like Yang Chen. To possess a might identical to his, or even greater!” Yang Buwen repeated his suggestion with a sly grin.
Yang Lie was stunned. He wasn’t sure if his injuries had affected his hearing.
Yan Buwen bent down close to Yang Lie’s face. With an evil smirk, he continued, “If you entrust your all to me, I can make you a G.o.d.”
In the dimly lit ward, the man’s low pitched growl sounded like the call of the devil.
… …
Meanwhile, Yang Chen was happily laughing in the car on the way to the Tang clan’s dinner. Little did he know that there were people scheming against him, waiting to cause him more misery in the future.
En route to the Tang residence, Yang Chen managed to give separate calls to Christen in America and Ron in Europe regarding Hui Lin’s managerial team. He eventually decided upon Ron’s selection of a world-cla.s.s manager along with his renowned artiste preparation team. They were ready to depart for Beijing at his request.
After a casual chat, it was obvious that Ron had missed Yang Chen’s companions.h.i.+p as he repeatedly hinted for Yang Chen to make a visitation trip back. Yang Chen, on the other hand, was trying his best to evade that topic.
Not too long after, he arrived at the Tang residence. It surpa.s.sed Yang Chen’s expectations of a vintage building, but was instead a cl.u.s.ter of modernistically designed mansions.
Right after dropping him off, Sky Dragon and Ye Zi went on their way.
Tang Tang was waiting by the gate for his arrival. Upon seeing him, she dragged him inside as she nagged along the way, “Uncle, are you finally going to make a mini-me with Mom? After you saved her life this morning, I think she can’t wait to thank you by contributing her body.”
Yang Chen was dumbfounded. What is a ‘mini-me’? The real you is already torturing enough!
He shook his hands as he replied, “No wonder your mother always calls you a troublesome kid. You always say the darndest things.”
“I was just being honest. Honesty is my biggest attribute in life!” Tang Tang was filled with joy. “Unlike you, Uncle. You’re always acting all high and n.o.ble when you’re in fact so perverted. If I were you I would’ve gotten on her bed long ago!”
Her bed? Yang Chen’s perverted mind instantaneously started imagining scenarios. With that gorgeous body of Tang Wan’s, having bed exercises with her would be as great as that seductive woman Catherine… Tang Wan may lack experience, but it would mean that she could bring different strengths to the table…
As the thoughts started floating through his mind, Yang Chen’s face went bright red!
He doubted Tang Tang’s intentions, unclear if she was just kidding or genuinely expecting himself to gift Tang Wan with a child.
Nevertheless Yang Chen did not overthink. After all, the reason he was granted special privilege to approach her mother was because he was the first guy that Tang Tang approved of.
Not to mention the fact that her mother would have died today without the miraculous deeds from Yang Chen. So everything resulted in Tang Tang being more than willing to have Yang Chen as her ‘new dad’.
As for Fang Zhongping, Tang Tang might’ve accepted his presence as the father but had barely bonded with him.
After they navigated through several exquisite mansions, Yang Chen noticed that the Tang residence was actually quite expansive. It was understandable though as it was a generational one. With each generation came a new mansion to the already existing ones.
Nonetheless many of the clan members were spread across every corner of China. There were also many of them who were living abroad, leaving most of the mansions empty and vacant.
Yang Chen and Tang Tang traveled all the way to a three-storey building in the core of the residence. In its backyard was a vintage pavilion with hints of antiquity which was well lit.
Within the pavilion was an entire banquet table filled with food, as the maids were busy getting ready for the dinner. Master Tang and Tang Wan were happily chatting with the rest of the crowd.
Once they noticed Yang Chen’s arrival, Master Tang stood up as the rest followed to welcome Yang Chen.
Amongst them were Master Tang, Tang Wan, Tang Xin, and Tang Huang whom Yang Chen was familiar with. There were a few other people present that he could only a.s.sume were the direct relatives of the Tang clan, the ones which he never met.
Tang Tang carefully whispered to Yang Chen, “Uncle, everyone invited today is close to Mom except Uncle Tang Huang.”
Yang Chen smiled. Tang Tang might be young and occasionally immature, but she knew a fair bit about the situation of the Tang clan’s inner feud.
Everyone present, excluding Tang Huang, was a core member of the Tang clan who wholeheartedly supported Tang Wan. As for Tang Huang, he might be embroiled in fierce rivalry with Tang Wan, but his effort in being a good sport couldn’t be diminished.
“Yang Chen, we were afraid that you’ll feel uncomfortable with too many people at the banquet, that’s why we kept the invitation minimal. Since you’re our valued guest, you shall sit next to me.” Master Tang giggled as he pointed to the seat between him and Tang Wan.
Yang Chen went round to greet each and every one of the people present. When it was Tang Huang’s turn, Tang Huang shook Yang Chen’s hand tight as he earnestly emphasized, “Thank you so much for saving my sister. Have a couple drinks tonight on me.”
Even when he was obviously in deep rivalry with Tang Wan, Tang Huang exhibited grat.i.tude that Yang Chen could feel that he was genuinely glad for Tang Wan’s recovery. Notably because of the courtesy he had that the rivalry persisted until today, even if Master Tang was clearly biased towards his granddaughter Tang Wan.
After everyone gathered at the table, Tang Wan’s uncles and aunts started toasting their wine to Yang Chen. Some of them did not even know who he was.
Yang Chen had a few gla.s.ses of wine in a row before he looked at the variety of dish in antic.i.p.ation. However, before he could start eating, he once again felt the presence of a familiar troublemaker…
All he heard was clamorous laughter echoing throughout the entire courtyard. A young man marched into the venue with a sack full of guava as he yelled to the crowd, “Everyone from the Tang clan, I brought fruits for you all!”
Who else could it be except Li Dun?!
Even for someone who was used to witnessing strange antics, Tang Zhechen couldn’t help himself but roll his eyes on Li Dun’s debacle.
Li Dun quickly made himself at home. He placed the sack of guavas down by the side, and started laughing. “Why did everyone start so early? Sorry for the delay, I was buying some fruits along the way. Any s.p.a.ce around for me?”
Li Dun may not have been around in Beijing much, but everyone from the Tang clan knew well and clear that he was one of the ‘Beijing King Duo’, while at the same time also the first grandson of the Li clan.
Nonetheless, this rascal came with cheap guavas in exchange for a meal! The Tang’s were left in dismay. What’s more, he wasn’t invited!
The first to react was Master Tang, as he smiled gently before saying, “Since this kid from the Li’s has decided to come for the party, our clan will welcome you with open arms. There’s no need for you to buy us any gifts as you’re not an outsider. Come, have a seat. Butler, get an extra pair of cutleries.”
A wise, experienced man like Master Tang was thick-skinned enough to call a sack of guavas ‘gifts’.
Li Dun however had truly accustomed himself as he ordered the maid around. “Just put the chair by Miss Tang Xin. We’re pretty close.”
Tang Xin nearly fell off her chair as she glared at Li Dun. What’s wrong with this person?! He’s been contradicting my every word at the hospital, and now he wants to sit by me?! What do I owe him?!