Free Web NovelChapter 265: I Have Returned
As they arrived at one building, Brian led Jake to stop and wait for the guards. The guards then arrived, and they were surprised to see him back. With Brian’s identity and reputation still intact, he was easily recognized by the guards that led him to enter the building, which was the main building and also the gates to a wider manor.
Just as Brian and Jake entered the Wubao family’s siheyuan, which was wider than normal, having a wide inner courtyard and houses on either side, Jake was astonished to see how extravagant their life must be.
The roof was solid and well-conditioned. The bricks used for the floor of the courtyard were white, so anyone would assume that it was cleaned every day. And the plants at each corner were dazzling green. Jake couldn’t hold his breath. That could only make him face Brian in surprise.
"Brother Brian, just how was this place so clean while the capital was all dirty?" Jake asked with a slightly loud voice.
The guards then glared at Jake, but as they knew he was Brian’s company, they had no choice but to be silent and hide their reaction. Jake’s notion was an obvious insult and mockery to the family, which was why the guards’ eyes trembled and glared at him. ƒreewebɳovel.com
On the other hand, Brian sighed and scoffed after. "Who knows... In my whole existence, it was always like that."
"It must be tough living like that."
***
"Please wait here, sir." The guards intervened on Jake’s path to enter the principal’s house, which was the main house in the siheyuan and the family head’s house.
Jake then stopped, but Brian’s eyes changed, and glared at the guards.
"What are you doing?" he asked with a slight furious tone, making the guards budge and stand straight at the moment they were questioned.
"Ah, young master, we are only doing our job. No stranger or anyone not acquainted with the family shall enter the principal’s hall." The guards said without giving an eye to Brian. They were also nervous as, at the moment, their minds were rummaging for answers to their own questions being held inside their heads.
’The third young master’s aura is different. His eyes were different. What happened to him in the outside world for him to have this drastic change.’
’The weak-spirited young master is now having fierce eyes looking at us. For some reason, he couldn’t question us. But now, look at him with his fierce eyes...’
"Stranger? Yes, he might be a stranger to your eyes, but he is already acquainted with the family." Brian muttered without expression going on in his words.
The guards wondered at this point, their heads tilted. "Who is he, young master?"
"He is my trainer and also my assistant. His identity and presence are important to me as he is also my advisor."
The guards gulped and lowered their heads. Brian didn’t react, which pushed them into kowtowing in front of Jake. "Please forgive us for the inconvenience."
Brian ignored them and finally entered the room. Jake then followed, and as they got inside, Brian stood straight in front of his father, who was currently sitting at his table with a scroll spread wide, reading it.
"Father, I have returned."
Banglang stopped what he was doing and peeked from behind the scrolls. He then smiled and approached Brian and attempted to embrace him tightly. However, Brian pushed him slightly, making him pause and be silent for a few seconds. He looked carefully into Brian’s eyes, and as he assessed and discerned what was wrong, he let out a sigh.
"I see... You have changed, do you?" Banglang asked with a blank expression.
"I must say, I really changed by how it looks, Father."
"That is good. Then, why did you return?"
"I want to re-establish my position in the mercenary group."
As soon as Banglang heard it, he took a pause again and was speechless. Recalling what Brian was in the past, he couldn’t believe that the person who didn’t care about training, or even having a position in the mercenary group, was speaking with confidence and burning eyes about re-establishing his position in the group.
’What happened to him? Did something push him to do this or someone?’ He asked himself and eventually moved his eyes to the person behind Brian.
"Who is he?" he asked.
"He is my advisor and also my instructor," Brian answered with a dry tone.
"He is...? I see... But, let me further ask you, my son. Why do you want to re-establish your position in the group? Did that person behind you trick you into doing it? I am confused. Why do you want to do it?"
Jake couldn’t help but smile secretly while Brian just had the same expression on his face. It was solid. He then lifted his face and looked directly into Banglang’s eyes and said, "Nothing... I just felt becoming your successor, Father."
Banglang paused again. He was deeply confused as the matter wasn’t present in the past when Brian was still unable to have a touch with the outside world.
’So sudden...’
Banglang had no other choice but to face the predicament and confusing matter in front of him. Thus, he didn’t ask any further about the matter of becoming a successor.
"If you want to re-establish your position, are you prepared? When you left, you didn’t learn any martial arts or even cultivate Qi. How will you re-establish your position if you are still weak?"
Brian didn’t do much to convince Banglang. He just had to breathe and let out his Qi flow in his body. And at this point, Banglang’s eyes widened in surprise, and a smile came after.
"I see.... You already cultivated..."
"As what it looks like, Father. Yes, I already know how to cultivate, and I have at least an acceptable amount of energy compared to my age."
"That is good." An elated expression came over Banglang’s face. "Well then, good luck with what you are trying to achieve. But, just a piece of advice: work harder than your two brothers. You are still weak compared to them." freewёbnoνel.com
"You don’t have to worry about that, Father. I can manage. I already have plans on how to push other people and get them to be convinced that I am the best successor..." Brian then said.
Another smile formed on Banglang’s lips as he looked at how dedicated Brian was. "That’s the spirit!"
’I might be wrong in thinking that my third son is useless. Even with the effort, I put in in the past on making him learn how to cultivate and also learn martial arts, he was still stubborn. What changed his mind about practicing martial arts this time? Was it that man behind him? Was the person he was calling an advisor? Since advisors are executive partners and assistants of young masters, I cannot publicly investigate who that person is. I could only think of giving this task to Del Dai.’
Worries were all over Banglang, but how could he worry too much if his third son changed into someone he wanted in the past?
When they were finally out of the principal’s house, Jake finally asked Brian about his father.
"Your father is a large person. I was surprised when I saw his huge body. Is he normal?"
Brian couldn’t help but take a pause and stare at Jake. He then scoffed a few seconds later and slapped his forehead as he replied to his funny question.
"That kind of question is what I commonly hear about Father. Because of his huge body, sometimes people wonder if he is normal. And I am telling you, he is still normal."
"I see... I was just surprised. You don’t have to laugh like that."
"Don’t get embarrassed. I just thought that it was hilarious." Jake then hid his face after that.
As they were about to leave the doorway of the principal’s house, someone arrived and called for Brian’s name.
A person that had a slight similarity to Brian approached them. However, he had a much stronger aura and also a taller physique than Brian. And as this person approached them with a wide smile, Brian’s face changed immediately, turning into a tired one as if he had seen someone he was escaping from.
"Alfred..."
Alfred, the second young master, embraced Brian the second he got near to Brian. His tight embrace made him stop, and still, at the moment, he could feel that Alfred had become stronger than before. He was always doing this, embracing him just like his father, as if they were really fond of him. And as Alfred disconnected the embrace, he let out a quick sigh.
"Can you please stop doing that every time you see me?"
"I just missed you. Where did you go, you bastard? Why do you have to leave the house for months and return as if you haven’t been gone? Just what kind of mindset do you have."
Brian didn’t respond and just got his eyes away from looking at Alfred. He was guilty as Alfred was someone who was really fond of him and the only person who supported him. Although he didn’t share his thoughts about the tyrannic practices of their mercenary group, he was still close to Alfred.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude to you and not tell you anything about leaving the house. But, I have returned."
