C19 I Finally Met Lo Ding

Unbeknownst to him, Lo Chen had caught the fleeting smile on Lo Wushuang's face as she turned away.

He immediately touched his forehead and muttered, "Heh, hypocritical humans."

Of course, he spoke in a whisper, too quiet for Lo Wushuang to catch unless she listened intently—which she did not. Had she done so, she surely would have spun around and delivered a critical hit to Lo Chen!

What was that saying again?

Ah, yes, the thirteen consecutive strikes, each one a critical hit!

As the head of the Lo family, Lo Wushuang was, of course, adept with a sword.

"The next round will be the top eighteen facing off nine!"

With those words, Lo Chen knew the day's competition had drawn to a close.

He casually arched an eyebrow and turned to head toward his quarters.

"Young Master Chen, please wait a moment."

Upon hearing this, Lo Chen glanced at the young servant.

He recognized the lad as the servant of his fourth brother, Lo Ding.

"Did Lo Ding send you with a message for me?"

He cut straight to the chase, a touch of annoyance in his tone.

But the servant was at a loss for what to do.

After all, Lo Chen's formidable strength was well known!

He had shattered the entire No. 8 arena, and even among the top thirty-six, few dared to confront him head-on!

Such prowess left the servant's own strength looking meager in comparison.

Even if the servant's skills matched Lo Chen's, he wouldn't dare to disrespect him.

Moreover, Lo Chen had an inexplicable natural charm that drew people to him.

Lo Chen eyed the servant with a frown, "What's the matter?"

His voice boomed, startling the young man.

"Young Master, my master instructed me to inform you... to tell you..."

Lo Chen, growing impatient with the servant's stammering, raised his hand to interrupt.

"Is he planning to make things difficult for me in the arena tomorrow?"

The servant inhaled sharply and nodded in confirmation.

"Young Master Chen, please understand, these are not my words. It was all Young Master's command!"

Lo Chen gave the servant a look of exasperation, wondering why he was so timid.

Well, before he could even inquire further, the servant had already started spilling the beans.

Lo Chen flashed a smile at the servant and inquired, "Did your Young Master say anything else?"

Upon hearing this, the servant hastily bowed his head, his eyes betraying a flicker of fear.

"The Young... Young Master demanded your... your—"

Before he could finish, Lo Chen's expression turned ominously cold, and he let out a chilling laugh, "Go tell your Young Master that I'm made of stern stuff, but I'm not so sure about Lo Ding's resilience!"

With that, Lo Chen glanced at Lo Wushuang, his gaze now tinged with a trace of detachment.

His previously warm look towards Lo Wushuang had swiftly shifted to one of aloofness.

Lo Wushuang was left somewhat puzzled by the change but didn't dwell on it. Turning to Lo Gaang, she declared, "Lo Gaang, I want to set up a duel between Lo Ding and Lo Chen for tomorrow."

As she finished speaking, Lo Wushuang's expression grew grave: "They are brothers, after all. If things escalate, it will reflect poorly on the Lo family."

Lo Gaang let out a wry smile at her words, watching Lo Wushuang's retreating figure with a touch of bitterness.

This was the second time today that Lo Wushuang had given him a wake-up call.

If he continued to favor Lo Ding, he would be courting disaster.

Mulling over these thoughts, Lo Gaang glanced in Lo Ding's direction and murmured, "Young Master Ding, I hope you don't err."

Frankly, Lo Gaang was of no help to Lo Ding anymore, assuming Lo Ding had any conscience left.

If so, he should gracefully concede defeat tomorrow and preserve his dignity.

Moreover, there was still a chance that Lo Ding could be the next head of the Lo family!

But if Lo Ding remained obstinate, his chances of becoming the next patriarch would be nil.

Whether it was Lo Ding or Lo Chen, both would likely scoff at Lo Gaang's musings.

It was well-known that each had ambitious goals of their own.

One aspired to the vastness of the stars and sea, while the other sought the sanctity of the holy bone!

Both brothers were formidable in their own right, not to be underestimated.

"Mother, I've returned."

Lo Chen stood before his doorway, inhaling deeply before stepping into the courtyard and announcing his arrival.

"Child, you're back."

Startled by the voice, Lo Chen glanced at the doorway to find his mother standing there, beaming at him.

"Mother, you... why are you out here?"

As he spoke, a shadow of displeasure crossed his mother's face. "I'm not so old that I can't step outside, am I?"

Lo Chen nodded silently in response.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Come inside and eat."

Lo Chen's mother, noticing his discomfort, invited him in with a simple statement.

"Alright."

Lo Chen nodded and followed his mother into the house to wash up and have their meal.

Lo Chen's mother watched him with a wistful gaze. Her son had indeed grown wiser, but he was no longer the naive boy she once knew.

For a moment, she struggled to come to terms with the change.

"Lo Chen..."

At the sound of his name, Lo Chen looked up at his mother, curious to hear what she would say next.

"It's... it's nothing."

Lo Chen's mother forced a smile and then began to eat.

Lo Chen, slightly puzzled, watched his mother for a moment before picking up his chopsticks to eat. A wave of warmth swept over him.

"Chen, your birthday is in two days. What would you like?" she asked.

Caught off guard, Lo Chen replied, "My birthday is also the day you endured hardship."

With that, he rose from his chair and knelt on the floor with a thud.

"Mother, in my life, I kneel to no one but you."

As he spoke, Lo Chen bowed deeply several times, each gesture heavy with remorse.

"Chen, get up, please. The floor is cold."

Hearing this, Lo Chen simply smiled and said, "I'm grown now, not as frail as I was when I was younger."

Lo Chen's mother listened, then seemed to be lost in thought.

"Yes, you have grown up," she murmured, sighing softly.

"Mother, didn't you just ask what I wanted for my birthday?"

In that instant, Lo Chen seemed to understand why his mother had hesitated earlier.

Indeed, he had been somewhat neglectful of his mother recently.

"Yes, Chen, what is it that you'd like?"