You search and search and find nothing, save for a lonely wretched thing.
Cheng Man Fan woke up and picked up the ringing phone. A loud voice blasted from the phone, “Cheng Man Fan, are you planning to get up?”
Man Fan…
Cheng Man Fan snapped back to his senses and remembered that he had an appointment with an editor. He leaped onto his feet and couldn’t help but shiver. He opened the door and saw a familiar silhouette sitting in the living room, back facing toward him. The man picked up a purple clay teapot and asked, “Kid, you have any plans tomorrow?”
“I don’t.” Cheng Man Fan stepped into the toilet, picked up his toothbrush, applied toothpaste, pulled his pants down and let warm liquid pour onto the porcelain throne. Meanwhile, he said, “You don’t have any missions tomorrow, old man?”
“Then let’s have dinner together tomorrow night,” the old man’s voice came sailing into the bathroom, but Cheng Man Fan paid him no attention. He didn’t even turn to glance at him. He simply rushed into his room, changed and left the house.
He shouted right as he passed through the door, “Remind me again later!”
“Hmph! This kid.”
Cheng Man Fan met up with Lei Si Lan when he stepped out of the elevator. He once again marvelled at how her gentle and yet sorrowful demeanor fit her perfectly. The two of them quickly walked toward the coffee shop. They met Cheung Tsz Yuen and got along, spending the rest of the afternoon chatting while drinking coffee. All three of them walked around for a bit after that to get to know each other and only left after dinner.
Cheng Man Fan was a little tired, so they said goodbye to each other at ten o’clock and left for home.
Cheng Man Fan stepped out of the elevator and took out his keys. The door creaked as he opened it. The lights in the house were on. He couldn’t help but find this strange. Didn’t the old man say that he had a mission tonight?
A strong sense of unease rose inside Cheng Man Fan. He stepped into the house and was shocked to find the old man’s eight teammates waiting for him. All eight of them were present. Only his old man was missing. Cheng Man Fan felt his heart sink. Warm tears welled up in his eyes and streaked down his face.
“Fan…” one of the middle-aged men spoke first, breaking the silence. He stared at Cheng Man Fan with guilt on his face. He tossed the watch in his hand onto the ground as he sobbed, “Your old man won’t be coming home anymore…”
“Hello?”
“Honey, where are you?” Lei Si Lan was watching the children do homework, excitedly waiting for her husband to come home. She was a happy wife. Cheng Man Fan had inherited the old man’s tremendous wealth, which allowed them to live a comfortable life. She had married the person she loved and led a fulfilling life with a caring husband and loving children. It was the perfect family.
“I’m working.” On the other hand of the phone, Cheng Man Fan was sweating profusely. He looked exhausted as he held the phone between his ear and shoulder. His tone was unenthusiastic and his breathing was erratic, as if he was hard at work.
“Hang in there, honey,” Lei Si Lan stuck her tongue out cheekily and said, “You know you always forget to eat dinner when you get too absorbed in your work. Remember to take care of yourself.”
“I know, honey,” Cheng Man Fan’s tone was starting to turn impatient, but he managed to keep his cool. Naturally, as his wife, Lei Si Lan knew what Cheng Man Fan was like. He didn’t like her nagging and hovering about when he was working.
“Alright, bye-bye,” Lei Si Lan quickly hung up and let her husband work. It was best not to bother the breadwinner of the family while he was working. She looked at the son and daughter beside her. She smiled sweetly and rubbed their heads.
Ding. The butter cakes were ready. Lei Si Lan knew her husband liked snacking on buttercakes while writing late at night. He often left a mess of crumbs that she had to clean up after. She propped her chin up with her arm, finger sliding across her phone as she looked at photos of the two of them having fun in Tokyo. She replayed the video of the two of them skydiving in Saitama and couldn’t help but giggle. It was a sweet smile.
On the other side of the phone, Cheng Man Fan tossed the phone aside after she hung up. His muscles strained as he put his back into his work. Look slightly down and you would see that he was completely naked and standing on the floor, thrusting his waist with all his strength. Moans of pleasure could be heard echoing in the hotel room.
The woman was bent over the bed, supporting herself on her elbows while wearing nothing but a small black singlet. She had a hair full of long hair dyed purple. Her breasts shook as she said seductively, “Doctor, I’m sick, I need nutrient supplements!”
Cheng Man Fan played along and replied, “Would you like that supplement applied outside, inside or orally?”
The woman parted her cherry lips…
Cheng Man Fan was old now. He had travelled the entire world alone, and enjoyed wonderful food, beautiful sights and pretty women. He was satisfied. He thought back on his life. Several decades had passed in the blink of an eye. He and his wife had divorced in their forties, his children refused to acknowledge him and he spent all the money he had, leaving only enough for him to travel around the world.
He did wrong by Si Lan. His womanizing behavior was not accepted in this world. The two of them loved each other deeply, but there was no longer passion in their relationship. He got greedy, greedy for a moment of something fresh and new and he paid for it with betrayal and disloyalty. She couldn’t forgive it, so they split up.
Lovers loved each other, but lovers were only lovers. The love does not last. Marriage was marriage and lovers were lovers. Expectations also differed from reality.
Cheung Tsz Yeun might be a few years older than him, but she was humorous and also childish at times. Cheng Man Fan was attracted by her and the two maintained a relationship for a while. However, they didn’t get along well due to their different expectations for the relationship. She couldn’t accept it, so they split up.
The one you love might not be the best; the best one might not be the one you love.
The one who walks by your side might not be your lifelong partner; even if they were, they might not always be by your side.
Cheng Man Fan’s right hand scratched away, signing a tall pile of documents. His left hand pulled out a picture of his old man. He looked at it thoughtfully and suddenly chuckled. He shook his head and muttered, “Old man, don’t get reincarnated too fast. I’m coming for you.”
He had walked to the edge of this world and now, he was walking to the edge of his life. He drank the liquid in the cup. It had a strange taste, so he quickly put a piece of chocolate in his mouth. After some time, he suddenly felt like drinking water, but someone pinned his hands down and stopped him.
Just like that, Cheng Man Fan died peacefully of euthanasia.
Green Sea Town.
The sun had come up. The night was finally over. The residents of the town didn’t seem to have been affected by the continuous thunder from last night. They went about their day as usual. Inside a room at the back of Hundred Treasures Hall, Uncle Goh and Chan Chi Yuet stared at each other.
“The Seven Lightning Dominions?” Chan Chi Yuet gasped in shock and disbelief. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to believe Uncle Goh, but that she couldn’t. To think an exotic martial soul would merge in a small town like this? One that even courted the Seven Lightning Dominions? Wasn’t it only legendary prodigies of exceptional talent that would have to face such a terrifying trial from the heavens?
Why did Wun Fan face the Seven Lightning Dominions?
Chan Chi Yuet suddenly flashed a sweet and beautiful smile. She raised and eyebrow and puffed out her chest and said, “As expected of the man I fancy. His name is Fan but he is no ordinary man at all.”
“Right, right, you always choose the best,” Chan Goh Shue praised Chan Chi Yuet half-heartedly with a superficial smile. Suddenly, his expression turned solemn, “That said, according to reports, an assassin attacked your Wun Fan. According to our classified sources, the moves used by that assassin appear to belong to Wither.”
“Wither?” Chan Chi Yuet clasped her mouth in surprise, “From the Hung Clan?”
“We can’t be sure yet, but the recent bursts of powerful auras and the Seven Lightning Dominions in the Wun Clan must have unnerved Hung Yun Zak. He has reason to send an assassin at them,” Chan Goh Shue was very frustrated at the situation as well. Disregarding the fact that Wun Fan was exceptionally talented, with immense creativity, tremendous insight and vision comparable to the mistress, he was also someone backed by an alchemist of Grade Eight or higher. That fact alone would have convinced the Chan Clan to protect him. However, on the other hand, the Chan Clan had always maintained the principle of neutrality within the Nap-Lan Empire. No one was allowed to take martial action unless it was a crisis that threatened the very existence of the Chan Clan. If they intervened in this affair, they could possibly get caught up in the power struggle between the Wun and Hung Clan of Green Sea Town. It was a troublesome affair.
Chan Chi Yuet also fell into deep thought when she heard the news. Her eyes lost focus and her mind seemed to be somewhere else entirely. She remained that way for a long time. Chan Goh Shue knew her well and waited silently, hoping to hear her opinion. After all, she was the highest authority of the Chan Clan in Green Sea Town and the rising star of the Yau Branch. It was time she learned how to make decisions.
Chan Goh Shue waited for a long while. Suddenly, Chan Chi Yuet grabbed her forehead and cried out loud, “Uncle Goh, should I visit him while he’s still recovering?”
“Lethality: Eleven Stunning Finger Strikes.”
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