C10 The Farewell

While Ling Yifei was still visiting Zhao Yuqin's home, Situ Yun, who had passed out in the hotel, came to. "Damn, where am I?"

Groggily opening his eyes, Situ Yun shook his head. As he attempted to rise, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. "What's going on? My stomach is killing me!"

His mind raced back to the events prior, and he abruptly turned to the bed. That's right, where was Jiaang Xueer? Noticing the bed was now empty, panic set in. "This is bad. Jiaang Xueer's gone. Once she gets out, she's bound to spill everything about today. Damn it, who blindsided me? When I find them, they're dead!"

With no choice but to leave the hotel, Situ Yun dragged his pained body out, the air of his former aristocratic demeanor completely vanished.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Jiaang Xueer was also coming to her senses. She could only recall having her last drink before her memory blanked. Confused, she abruptly sat up and checked her clothes. They were somewhat disheveled but still on, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.

Perhaps due to the medication, Jiaang Xueer's complexion was off, and she felt weak getting out of bed. Glancing at her wristwatch, she saw it was nearly evening. Being late home meant a scolding. With determination, she mustered the strength to head for the hotel exit.

After hailing a cab and heading home, she opened the door and announced, "Mom, I'm back!" To her surprise, two additional people were on the couch—it was Ling Zhiyu and his son, causing her face to fall.

"Xueer, you're back. Come say hello to your Uncle Zhang. He's staying for dinner today; it's been years since you've caught up!"

Internally, Jiaang Xueer scoffed, "What's there to reminisce about with these paupers?" But in front of her mother, she wouldn't dare voice her thoughts. "Xueer's back," Ling Zhiyu said with a smile, to which Jiaang Xueer responded with a forced smile.

She headed to her room, eager to wash off the lingering scent of alcohol. Ling Yifei, however, was of no concern to her. In her eyes, he was merely a pawn to test Situ Yun; beyond that, he held no significance to her.

Ling Yifei watched Jiang Xueer's retreating figure and shook his head. If it hadn't been for him, she would have been in trouble long ago. He sighed. It wasn't about gratitude; she hadn't even acknowledged him. No, that wasn't right! She didn't realize he was her savior today. He touched his nose and turned his attention back to the television.

The meal was soon prepared, and under Zhao Yuqin's insistence, Jiang Xueer reluctantly descended the stairs. She had no desire to dine with these two, but out of respect for her mother, she kept her displeasure to herself. Consequently, the dinner table was quiet, with everyone more focused on their plates than conversation.

Ling Zhiyu and Zhao Yuqin were the only ones chatting, reminiscing about their school days. The dinner concluded quickly. "Yuqin, thank you. I'm at a loss for words," Ling Zhiyu expressed, deeply appreciative of Zhao Yuqin's financial help.

"It's nothing! We're old classmates, and it's just a bit of money!" Zhao Yuqin replied generously. "I'll repay you once I'm back on my feet," Ling Zhicheng added.

Jiang Xueer pursed her lips, thinking cynically, "Yeah, right! With the factory closed, how can he repay?" Her subtle gesture went unnoticed by the others but was caught by Ling Yifei, whose heightened senses didn't miss a beat.

Ling Yifei let out a cold laugh. "If I set my mind to it, it wouldn't just be three hundred thousand. Thirty million, three hundred million—I could become the wealthiest man without issue!"

After leaving Zhao Yuqin's home, Ling Zhicheng turned to Ling Yifei and said, "Son, I'm heading back to the countryside. The workers' salaries are settled, and now I want to start over while I'm still young. I'll work hard to repay Aunt Liu's money as soon as possible."

Ling Yifei's eyes welled up at his father's words. "Rest assured, Father, I'll take good care of myself. You don't need to worry." The meal they had shared was a farewell, a poignant parting between father and son. They chatted and laughed together on the street, a heartwarming scene.

Early the next morning, Ling Yifei arrived at the train station to see his father off. "Son, you need to work hard. If you run into any trouble, go see Mrs. Zhao. Oh, and Mrs. Zhao mentioned you should give her a call!" He handed Ling Yifei a piece of paper and also gave him the remainder of the money he had left over from paying the workers.

Ling Yifei, however, didn't accept all of it. His father needed funds to start his own business, so he only took a small amount. Watching his father board the train, Ling Yifei made a vow to himself to uncover and seek vengeance against everyone who had wronged his father.

"Chen Tianxing, starting today, you'll learn the price of harming my family. I'll make your life a living hell!"

With the money he had, Ling Yifei rented a place to live. He planned to get in touch with Zhao Yuqin after a few days; he didn't want to impose on her again so soon. Sitting on his bed, he began to practice the Clear Origin Technique. He was puzzled as to why his cultivation level had plummeted to the lowest tier of the No-origin Stage. Was it because he had come back? Was there something holding him back?

Now that his father was gone, Ling Yifei had no family left. With no ties to hold him back, his quest for revenge seemed all the more clear. His immediate goal was to enhance his cultivation level and then confront Chen Tianxing to expose the true villain behind everything.

There was so much to do. He thought of his master in the Cultivation Realm and his father, the two dearest people in his life, one gone and the other departed, and a wave of melancholy washed over him.

With his cultivation level diminished, he knew he needed the aid of magical tools and medicine to advance more quickly. But where would he get the valuable materials? He couldn't keep borrowing from others; the cost was simply too prohibitive, and few would be willing to lend him such amounts.

Indeed, without money, even the strong can feel powerless. He reminisced about the past but quickly dismissed those thoughts. It was better to focus on earning money. Although Ling Yifei had some medical knowledge from his time in cultivation, he worried that practicing it on the streets might brand him a fraud. With a heavy sigh, he resolved to take things one step at a time.

For the past two days, Ling Yifei had been deeply engrossed in the world of the Clear Origin Technique. "Progress is painfully slow. Ever since my realm dropped, my cultivation speed has significantly decreased!" It suddenly dawned on him that his father had instructed him to call Mrs. Zhao before leaving, and yet he hadn't reached out to her. It was high time he did. With that thought, he picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello," came a voice, cool and detached.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Zhao? This is Yifei."

"Oh! Yifei, I've been so worried waiting for your call. You haven't reached out these past few days."

Ling Yifei felt a wave of gratitude for Zhao Yuqin's concern. She was, after all, the closest thing to family he had left.

"I apologize, Mrs. Zhao. I've been tied up with some matters these last few days!" Ling Yifei responded with a note of regret.

"It's all right. Why don't you come to Yi'an Group this afternoon to see me? Do you need me to arrange transportation for you?" Zhao Yuqin's voice was warm and soothing.

"There's no need, Mrs. Zhao, I can make my own way there. Alright then, goodbye!" After ending the call, Ling Yifei got ready to freshen up before his afternoon meeting with Zhao Yuqin.