Su Daqiang

Back in the living room.

Listening to Uesugi Chigenki's account, Uesugi Akizuki was lost in thought as she stroked Uesugi Akizuki, who had cried herself to exhaustion and fallen asleep in her arms. "Su Ze, you say?"

Uesugi Akizuki looked toward Haruna Sakurako, who stood at a respectful distance awaiting orders. "Go investigate."

"Yes, Leader," Haruna Sakurako bowed and left.

"Mother, Father is missing after covering our escape. What should we do?" Uesugi Chigenki asked anxiously.

"Huaxia has promised to help us rescue him. We need to wait a bit longer."

"Because Huaxia is currently facing natural disasters, all we can do now is prepare for battle."

"And pray for your father."

Uesugi Chigenki nodded, somewhat disappointed. She had thought that after bringing her sister back, they would immediately begin their campaign against those yakuza organizations in Japan, and with Huaxia's enormous power, they could rescue their father.

"Mother," Uesugi Chigenki suddenly remembered something, "Please help me prepare and send compensation to Meng Xingyao. Without her... my sister and I would likely have died during our escape."

"Hmm." Uesugi Akizuki asked, "Didn't you say this Meng Xingyao bullied you? Do you need mother to teach her a lesson?"

Uesugi Chigenki froze for a moment. She knew her mother's domineering nature - calm, dignified, and powerful - an existence that couldn't be defied.

If her mother were to move against Meng Xingyao, the latter would certainly end up in a miserable state.

She instantly regretted complaining to her mother.

She had only meant to vent about Meng Xingyao, not expecting her mother to take it to heart.

"No, no, no!" Uesugi Chigenki hurriedly shook her head. "Although she bullied me, she also saved me. We don't need to... besides, this is Huaxia's territory. If we move against a Forerunner's person here, we..."

Uesugi Akizuki remained silent, only looking at her daughter with slight puzzlement.

This girl, why did her eyes show a hint of shyness whenever she spoke of this Meng Xingyao?

Her eldest daughter was easy to bully, but she definitely wasn't the type to feel shy after being bullied. At least... she should be angry.

The more Uesugi Akizuki observed, the more shocked she became. There was indeed some anger in her daughter's expression and eyes, but it seemed more like the embarrassed annoyance of someone being teased.

These subtle expressions only appeared when she recalled Meng Xingyao.

One had to admit, Uesugi Akizuki's observational skills were extremely powerful.

She was a master swordswoman, concealing sharp sword intent beneath her beautiful appearance, and also an expert at reading micro-expressions. She could briefly perceive the patterns of nature's movements and act accordingly.

"Go rest now. I need to help Akizuki recover her memories."

"Recover her memories!" Uesugi Chigenki was stunned. "Sister can be saved?"

Though her eldest daughter's choice of words was somewhat inappropriate and deserved criticism,

Uesugi Akizuki didn't want to waste time. "When your father rescued Akizuki, he used principles to break through the formation and retrieved her memories. But to avoid exposure, he sealed those memories deep within Akizuki's mind with principles. Those without knowledge of principles cannot detect them."

"Now we just need to remove the seal, and Akizuki will recover her memories."

So sister really can be saved! Uesugi Chigenki was shocked and quickly nodded, promptly rolling out of there.

She didn't want to disturb her sister's recovery.

Three days later, Su Ze's life gradually returned to normal, though his mind would occasionally drift to that silly girl's smile, or her adorably dazed expression while staring at the ceiling.

Su Ze had just returned from an internet café.

Although he had a computer at home, he preferred the lively atmosphere of internet cafés.

As he was walking while playing with his phone, a call suddenly appeared on the screen.

It was Meng Xingyao.

"You said you'd go with me to the Land of the Living Dead. Does that still stand?"

"Of course. I need to use the monsters there to break through my realm. Last time I went alone, I discovered something, and I plan to retrieve it this trip," Su Ze candidly stated his purpose.

"Alright, I have five people who want to come along. I wanted to get your opinion."

"What realms are they at?"

Actually, having more people had its advantages. If these people were strong enough, Su Ze didn't mind taking them to the Land of the Living Dead.

"Two at mid Candle Realm, two at late Candle Realm, and one at peak Candle Realm."

"Their..."

Su Ze suddenly stopped walking, frowning as he looked at a shabby middle-aged man leaning against his front door, completely ignoring the voice coming from his phone.

"Something came up on my end. You make the decision." He hung up immediately.

Meng Xingyao was stunned by the dial tone. "You little... I wasn't finished talking, and you hang up on me trying to act cool? Just wait until I see you - I'll beat you to death!"

Just as the middle-aged man looked over, Su Ze turned to leave.

"Son! Son!" The middle-aged man recognized Su Ze and hurriedly got up to run after him.

"Get lost!" Su Ze suddenly turned and shouted at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was startled by the shout and quickly stopped his attempt to grab his son's legs. "I... I'm your father, Su Daqiang! Don't you recognize me?"

"I don't care if you're Su Daqiang or Su Xiaoqiang. My father was executed before I was even born." Su Ze roared, losing his composure.

"You dare impersonate my father? I'm your damn father!"

Su Ze's eyebrows twitched, his expression showing disgust and hatred.

Su Daqiang was indeed his father - biologically. But morally, he didn't deserve to be called a father!

Su Daqiang was stunned and quickly said, "You're my father! You're my father!"

"Father, I just got out of prison a few days ago. I haven't eaten or had a place to stay for three days. No one came to pick me up. I finally managed to find out your... your address, father..."

"Do I owe you something?! When did I ever owe you anything?!"

"What right do you have to come asking me for things!"

Su Ze roared in fury, losing his composure. "How did you treat us back then? Su Yu and I had to scavenge garbage for food for over half a month, fighting with stray dogs for scraps. When did you ever give us anything to eat?"

"How many nights did we spend getting chased outside by you coming home drunk, attacking us with bottles, clubs, chairs, and kitchen knives? How many cold nights did we spend on the balcony after you locked us out? Have you forgotten?"

"You broke my hand and threw me from the second floor, have you forgotten that?!"

"You sold everything mother left behind to fund your crimes, have you forgotten that?!"

At this point, Su Ze suddenly raised his foot, bringing up a fierce wind, ready to kick Su Daqiang into pieces.

But he stopped when his foot was just ten centimeters from Su Daqiang.

Su Daqiang was so terrified by the sudden killing intent that he screamed, curling up on the ground with his hands over his head. A puddle of liquid and an unspeakable stench immediately spread across the street.

The scene of Su Ze's angry shouting had attracted many onlookers.

Su Ze forcefully suppressed his anger and withdrew his foot in disgust. No matter how evil this person was, he was still his father. He carried blood that couldn't be washed away, and he didn't want to bear the crime of patricide.

His father might be scum, but he couldn't become scum like him.

His father might lack conscience, but he must maintain his.

Su Ze reached into his pocket and threw down a bank card. "Three million. Enough for the rest of your life. The PIN is six sevens. Leave this place and go as far away as possible. I don't care where you die."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, father!" Hearing this, Su Daqiang ignored the stares of those around him. Though his body was still trembling from fear, he shuffled forward, pinched the bank card between his fingers and tucked it into his clothes, then curled his body into a ball, afraid someone might steal it.

Su Ze didn't even look at him, striding away back home. He pulled the curtains closed and chain-smoked until the ashtray was full of cigarette butts, only then did his mood improve somewhat.