In the early days of spring, all living things were waking up, and the scenery of Nanyang was especially enchanting. The warm sun was like a pair of giant hands, gently caressing this scarred land that had suffered so much from the ravages of war.

Inside a room of the narrow courtyard, two men were drinking and chatting merrily. The older of the two had a head full of white hair and a face weathered by time. However, his eyes were exceptionally bright, which contrasted sharply with his aging appearance, making it look as though heaven had taken someone else’s youthful eyes and set them into his face.

Raising his wine bowl, he stared at the person sitting across from him and asked softly, “Han’er, do you remember all the stories your adoptive father has told you?”

Sitting across from him was a young man whose appearance was worlds apart from the old man’s. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly upward, and his dark, bright eyes carried a gentle smile with a captivating charm. He had a high nose bridge and lips as red as willow leaves stained with blood, possessing the charm of an absolute heartbreaker right out of a painting. His hair was black and shiny, blowing softly in the breeze, exuding a gentle, elegant, and handsome look.

Charm, charisma, and good looks were all perfectly embodied in him, making him nothing short of flawless.

He possessed the grand bearing of Su Lianyun and the world-ending beauty of Zhong Yueping. The two traits blended perfectly together, making it nearly impossible to find a more handsome young man in the world, and even a breathtakingly beautiful woman would find it hard to compete with him.

“Adoptive Father, every time there is a major hit to carry out, you tell me the story of Su Lianyun. I have long known it by heart. It is just…” The handsome youth hesitated, a sudden trace of melancholy appearing on his face.

He raised his wine bowl and took a massive, frantic gulp, seemingly wanting to use the flush of the alcohol to cover up his melancholy expression. However, he happened to be someone whose face never flushed from drinking. Even if he drank himself to death, not a trace of red would appear on his skin, as if heaven had deliberately refused to let any blemish touch his handsome face.

The old man’s bright eyes suddenly grew somewhat deep, and he asked coldly, “Oh? It is just what?”

“You must first promise Han’er that you will not be angry after hearing it, and only then will I tell you.”

The old man slammed his hand heavily onto the table, making the wine bowls, chopsticks, and food plates jump in the air. He said angrily, “Su Mohan, since when did you learn to negotiate terms with your adoptive father? If I had not fought with everything I had to rescue you from the prince’s manor back then, you would probably…”

It turned out that this old man was the graceful young gentleman of the past, Ye Xuyang. Though he was only near fifty years old, he had unexpectedly withered like a frail old man in his twilight years. It was hard to imagine what kinds of hardships and upheaves he had gone through over the years.

As for this handsome youth, he was the younger son of Su Lianyun and Zhong Yueping, Su Mohan.

Su Mohan sighed and said, “Sigh, if I had known you get angry so easily, Adoptive Father, I really should have kept those words to myself.”

Hearing this, Ye Xuyang’s anger gradually faded away, and he felt a secret joy in his heart: Little guy, trying to bargain with me? Wouldn’t it have been better to just tell me honestly? You just had to make me put on a scary face to frighten you.

“Every time I go out on a mission, I always look into those stories you told me. But all those people say that Su Lianyun only had one son, who is already twenty-six years old. No one has ever heard of a younger son like me. Plus… plus they all say that Su Lianyun did not die, but simply went into hiding with his wife and child. They say he might even make a comeback in the martial world. They are all waiting for the myth of the martial world to reappear, and they do not believe he is dead.”

Ye Xuyang slammed his hand heavily onto the table once more. This time, the force was obviously much greater than before, showing he was truly enraged. He shouted loudly, “You actually do not believe your adoptive father’s words? Get out of here! Having raised you for twenty years, I have already repaid the kindness of Hero Su. You ungrateful wolf, don’t let me see you again!”

Su Mohan had long known that his adoptive father would be angry, but he had not expected him to be this furious. He quickly kicked aside his wooden stool, fell to his knees with a thud, and explained in a panic, “Please calm your anger, Adoptive Father! If Han’er really did not believe you, I would not have told you this so bluntly. It is just that Han’er wants to know the whole truth, but you refuse to tell me. Who are the people who murdered my parents? Who was that Heavenly General, and who was that Prince?”

“It is not that I do not want to tell you, but it is because you are currently no match for them. Although your martial arts are already on par with mine, we are still a long way off from the ‘Heavenly General’ of the past. I am afraid that even if you and I team up, we might not gain the slightest advantage over him.” As Ye Xuyang spoke, he had already stood up to help Su Mohan to his feet, his tone suddenly turning gentle and affectionate. “Just now, I was too worked up. Over the years, trying to find your older brother has left me distracted and anxious, and my temper has become harder and harder to control. But my outburst just now was also for your own good. You must absolutely stop looking into this matter. The only people who know the truth are your enemies. What kind of answer do you think you could possibly get from them?”

The two sat back down at the wine table, and Su Mohan asked very cautiously, “But… but if you do not want me to know who the killers are, Adoptive Father, why do you tell me these things time and time again?”

“You, oh you. Aside from inheriting your parents’ talent for martial arts and their world-ending beauty, how can your brain be just as slow as mine? Don’t tell me that after I have told you this story so many times, you have not figured out my intentions at all?”

Su Mohan shook his head without a word, staring straight at Ye Xuyang, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Instead of answering, Ye Xuyang asked a question back, “Do you know why I gave you this name?”

“Could it be that my name is also related to these matters?”

Ye Xuyang nodded and said casually, “Of course it is related. If you understand what your name means, you will understand why I tell you these past events right before every major hit.”

“Su… Mo… Han.” He muttered his own name syllable by syllable. Then, his eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, “Oh, I get it! ‘Mo’ means a strange place, and ‘Han’ means a cold winter. You want me to remember that I was born in a cold winter and brought into a strange place, right, Adoptive Father?”

“That makes absolutely no sense! Do you think your adoptive father would give you such a shallow name?”

“Then what does it mean?”

“You really are dense! It honestly makes a wave of chills run through my heart!” Ye Xuyang could not help but worry for Su Mohan, wondering if he would ever be able to avenge his parents’ deep blood feud.

Embarrassed, Su Mohan said, “Ah! So my name means that? A wave of chills…”

Then he added, “Adoptive Father, that meaning seems even more shallow!”

“That was my own sigh just now,” Ye Xuyang let out a sigh and continued, “Sigh, it looks like I still have to explain the reason behind the stories from the very beginning. I really wanted you to figure it out on your own, but why is it so hard for you?”

With that, Ye Xuyang had no choice but to thoroughly explain the purpose of the stories and the meaning behind the name to Su Mohan.

It turned out that before every major hit Su Mohan carried out, Ye Xuyang would always worry about his safety. Of course, he was not worried that Su Mohan’s martial arts were inferior to others. After all, when the Tianji Sect assigned missions, they always arranged appropriate jobs based on rank. Su Mohan was merely a sect master, yet he possessed the martial arts of a Heavenly General. For him to complete a major hit meant for a sect master was more than enough.