The so-called "end of days" was a polite turn of phrase, but its implication caused everyone present to pale. The Old Patriarch was the Chen Family's Pillar of the Sky, their Sea-Calming Divine Needle, and the very reason the Old Chen Family could rank among the Capital City's Three Great Clans of the Red Family. Now, the Old Patriarch was saying his end had come. How could they not be shaken to their core?

"Dad, are you...joking?" Even Chen Bingzhang, the current Clan Leader of the Old Chen Family, couldn't help but look shocked and disbelieving as he spoke. At his level, he was well aware that if the Old Patriarch were to pass away, the Old Chen Family would immediately be thrown into turmoil, both from within and without.

Hearing his eldest son's words, Old Master Chen paused briefly before speaking flatly. "Bingzhang, I've lived for over a hundred years. How much longer do you think I can live? Forever?"

"...Dad!" Hearing the Old Patriarch speak like this, Chen Bingzhang forced himself to calm down despite the turmoil in his heart. "Dad," he said slowly, "do you know how much longer you can hold on?"

"How much longer?" Old Master Chen stared blankly at the ceiling and said weakly, "At most, five more days."

"Five days? So soon!" Hearing this, everyone's expression changed once more as they stared at the Old Patriarch in disbelief. Five days… didn't that mean…

"Enough!" Old Master Chen's sharp reprimand cut through the air.

At once, everyone fell silent. When the Old Patriarch spoke, his authority was absolute. As juniors, they could only obey. In public, he was a hero who had made immense contributions to the Republic. In private, they were merely his juniors and were required to show him the utmost respect.

Even so, the shock and panic on each of their faces were impossible to hide. After all, they had just heard that the Chen Family's Pillar of the Sky was about to collapse. Who could possibly remain calm?

Seeing this, Old Master Chen sighed softly. He looked away from the ceiling, sat up straight, and swept a majestic gaze over everyone present. "You should all know that in my younger years, I met some extraordinary people and learned a few little tricks from them. I can feel my end is approaching… I can hold on for five more days at most, but there's no point."

The words landed like a bomb, and their minds went blank. The Old Patriarch had said it himself… so it had to be true.

"Zhenguo!" But before they could let their thoughts run wild, Old Master Chen spoke again, his turbid, aged eyes dimming slightly. "One of the greatest regrets of my life was being too overbearing and arrogant back then, looking down on that little girl you found. Now, twenty-some years later… she and her son have taught me a harsh lesson."

"Grandfather…" Chen Zhenguo's mouth hung open. He stared blankly for a long moment, but in the end, he couldn't manage to say anything more.

He still remembered the mountain of vows and promises of a lifetime he'd made to that gentle, kind woman. Yet, they all became the reason for his cold abandonment, all because of a single word from an old man: "unsuitable." Was he wrong? He didn't know, at least not twenty years ago. Back then, in the Old Chen Family, the Old Patriarch was heaven itself, and no one dared to defy his will. So, despite his reluctance, he chose to let go. He couldn't give up the position he held, nor could he forsake his identity as a member of the Old Chen Family. And now? Twenty years of day-and-night obedience, of constantly walking on thin ice… all of it had earned him was the label 'lacking in mettle.' Perhaps he really had been wrong back then, but it was too late now, wasn't it?

"You have a good son. He alone is worth more than half of the Old Chen Family. I was wrong twenty years ago, but I have no chance to make amends now. If you get the opportunity, see if you can bring that boy back—for your own sake, and for the sake of our Old Chen Family." With those words, Old Master Chen finally departed, a look of sorrow on his face.

Left alone, Chen Zhenguo stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched in silence for a long time. Finally, a helpless, bitter smile touched his lips. Bring him back? How could it be so easy to bring someone back after they've been cast away? There's no medicine for regret in this world.

…

The train from Capital City to Moscow was speeding along its route. Halfway through the journey, Chen Fei squinted, recalling the map in his mind. Looks like it's time for me to go. I should jump off the train now.

"Leave? Where are you going?" Beside him, Shadow Immortal Dance's earrings swayed gently. Wearing a knit blouse, her slightly upturned lashes fluttered as she awoke from a light sleep. She lifted her head from Chen Fei's shoulder, her voice soft and a little sleepy as she asked, her cheeks as flushed as ever.

This was the first time in her life she had been so close to a man. Whether it was him resting his head on her shoulder, or her doing the same, the novelty of it sparked a subtle and exquisite feeling in her heart. In the hours they had spent alone, they had mostly been silent, or sleeping with a tacit understanding, their heads resting on each other. She didn't dislike the feeling; in fact, she was starting to grow dependent on it.

So, when she drowsily heard Chen Fei murmur those words, she stirred from her sleep, her bright, clear-stream-like eyes gazing at him as if in silent question.

"Where else can I go? Have you forgotten what I told you before? I came out this time to kill people."

Chen Fei, on the other hand, was completely oblivious and hadn't considered the romantic angle at all. Seeing Shadow Immortal Dance lift her head from his shoulder, he simply stood up to stretch. He smiled and said, "Looks like I'd better get going, or I'll miss my chance."

The route he'd planned for this thousand-mile journey diverged from the train tracks at this point. If he waited any longer, he would be carried further and further from his path.

"I'll go with you," Shadow Immortal Dance said softly, also getting to her feet.

"You're going with me?" Chen Fei was startled, then gave a wry smile. "Why would a girl like you want to run off with me to go fighting and killing?" He didn't stop to consider why she would suddenly say such a thing. He just thought it was ridiculous for a sheltered girl like her to follow him to Italy for a bloody affair. That's just wrong.

"But…" Shadow Immortal Dance clearly hadn't expected Chen Fei to refuse her. It had taken all her courage to say those words. Now that she'd been rejected—for the first time in her life—she was at a complete loss, unsure of what to say next.

Should I keep pleading with him? The question was the first to surface in her innocent heart. I want to go with him…

But Chen Fei's next words shattered her thoughts. "Alright now, it's not often you get to travel abroad. Take this chance to look around. Don't you girls like that sort of thing? Where I'm going this time could be dangerous, so I can't take you along. How about this? I'll contact you after I've handled my business."

"Dangerous?" Hearing Chen Fei's words, Shadow Immortal Dance visibly froze. She was well aware of his strength. He had even killed Yuann Liegang, an expert at the Early Stage Peak of Innate Realm from the Blade Forge of Evil Dragon Pool. And that wasn't even mentioning that he was a legendary Qi Practitioner with unimaginable techniques.

Yet he was saying it would be dangerous. Her heart tightened. "If you know there's danger," she said slowly, "then why do you have to go?"

"Because I can't let people look down on me," Chen Fei said with a soft laugh, a glint appearing in his dark, crystalline eyes. "To be honest, before I left, many people thought I was being crazy and impulsive. They said those foreigners are so powerful that my chances are slim. But… I just want to give it a try. If they dared to send assassins after me, why can't I go and slaughter them in return?"

"The world is a fair place, isn't it?" Chen Fei added, his eyes narrowing into a smile.

"…Then where should I wait for you? Moscow, or…?" she asked softly, her bright, beautiful eyes wavering.

"Anywhere is fine." Hearing her soft voice, Chen Fei couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle her silky hair, a sensation unlike any he'd felt before. He smiled. "As long as I don't run into any trouble, it doesn't matter where you wait."

Hearing this, Shadow Immortal Dance's slender body trembled. She lifted her head, her stream-like eyes locking with his as she said slowly, "Aren't you supposed to be pretending to be my fiancé?"

Now it was Chen Fei's turn to be taken aback. He looked at her with curiosity and was about to speak, but she cut him off.

"Let's make a pinky promise," Shadow Immortal Dance said, not giving him a chance to speak as she extended a hand as fair as white jade. "Promise you'll come find me after you're done. I want to see the beaches in Cyprus. I hear the scenery is beautiful."

"A pinky promise? Alright then, let's make a pinky promise."

Chen Fei gave another wry smile, a flicker of complex emotion deep in his eyes. This girl… has she actually fallen for me?

Still, he wisely chose to play dumb. He hooked his pinky with hers, then immediately turned, opened the window of the speeding train, and leaped out into the wind. After that little delay, I must have strayed from my route a bit. Still... this feeling isn't half bad.

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