"The second young master only wants to see the young master of Chang'an."
Looking at Chen Ziling, the man in the middle spoke coldly.
"Let him go."
Beside him, Chen An's voice sounded, sounding very gentle.
The three of them were unmoved, as if they hadn't heard.
"Chang'an, forget it."
Stared at coldly by the three attendants, Chen Ziling felt a bit scared and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Father called you over to discuss important matters, I'll just stay here."
He was quite self-aware.
Chen Ziling was technically a young master in the Chen State Mansion, but his situation was not much different from a servant. Those with a little power could bully him, let alone the three leaders in front of him.
For him, this scene was nothing out of the ordinary.
But soon, he was stunned.
A heavy atmosphere filled the space, mixed with a bloody scent.
Chen Ziling opened his eyes and saw one of the three men in front of him staring at his chest.
There, a piece of broken ice like a sharp blade was directly stabbed, piercing his entire chest.
Drip, drip
The strong smell of blood spread all around, enveloping the area.
Everyone's faces changed instantly.
"You you."
The man who got hit stared with wide eyes, staring at Chen An, his face showing disbelief, as if he had never expected that Chen An would dare to make a move against him.
And the move was so ruthless, just one move took him down on the spot.
After a moment, with a crisp sound, his body fell stiffly, blood splattered all over, looking everywhere.
It was not until this moment that Chen An's voice came out.
"No harm done."
Chen An stood there, still wearing the same gentle smile on his face, but with the scene at his feet, it all seemed awkward.
He smiled at Chen Ziling, indicating for him to relax, then looked at the tall man in front and asked with a smile, "Is it okay now?"
The man was sweating coldly.
At this point, how could he not understand.
The seemingly gentle and kind young man in front of him was clearly a ruthless killer who didn't blink an eye.
Just from that one move, even he couldn't see how the other side had made it.
Powerful and terrifying.
"Chang An Young Master..."
Out of warrior pride, he still spoke, wanting to say something.
"Looks like it's still not good."
Chen An sighed.
There was a sense of foreboding in the man's heart.
Indeed, the next moment that feeling came true.
A splash of blood bloomed.
Standing next to the man, another person fell straight down, his entire forehead pierced through, instantly killing him.
"It seems that the guards in the Chen State Mansion are not in good health."
Chen An sighed softly, then looked up, his gaze fixed on the man, "Don't you think so?"
"Y-yes."
The man's body was a bit stiff, he could only nod.
At this point, could he still say anything?
If he really dared to speak, he might end up in a bad way himself.
He felt that he was still young and didn't want to lie on the ground so soon.
So he turned obediently and lowered his proud head, "Yes, yes."
"Young Master Ziling is after all a young master, he can go wherever he wants in the mansion."
"But that's not what you said just now!"
"Then please."
Chen An nodded with a smile, looking very friendly and approachable, if you ignore the two bodies at his feet.
On the side, watching the whole thing, Chen Ziling was a little frightened, finally realizing that something was wrong.
He looked at Chen An in front of him, his gaze full of uncertainty.
If he remembered correctly, he and his elder brother had not seen each other for only five years.
Just five years, how could there be such a big change?
The past Chen An was gentle and scholarly, a bookish look that was well-liked by his destitute brothers like them.
But the current Chen An, while still maintaining that gentle and scholarly appearance, was completely different in his actions from the past.
His methods were ruthless and domineering, even more so than the gentlemen in the mansion.
Is this really the elder brother he remembered?
Chen Ziling began to doubt.
"Ziling."
In front of him, Chen An's voice came, making Chen Ziling shiver unexpectedly, "Brother, I'm here."
"Don't be afraid."
Seeing Chen Ziling's fearful look, Chen An couldn't help but smile gently and speak softly, "It's okay."
The familiar words were just as before, no different from the past, which made the fearful and uneasy Chen Ziling somewhat relieved.
The appearance of Chen An in front of him was exactly the same as five years ago.
Then, he suddenly realized a problem.
Could it be possible that Chen An had always been like this, but just didn't show it in the past?
Recalling the past when Chen An cared for his brothers and respected his parents, Chen Ziling couldn't help but shudder again, unable to imagine what would happen next.
He could already vaguely feel that what was about to happen next would exceed his imagination.
But he still followed closely behind Chen An, without any hesitation, just like he used to.
As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father.
For Chen Ziling, Chen An played such a role.
When he was still young and vulnerable, it was always Chen An who sheltered him and protected him within the mansion.
In the hearts of this group of brothers, Chen An's position was clearly extraordinary.
So at this moment, he had no hesitation and walked out, standing next to Chen An.
Chen An smiled on the surface, seeming indifferent, but still somewhat pleased in his heart.
It wasn't in vain that he had taken care of him in the past.
Walking to the end of the path, Chen An quickly entered the mansion.
With the buffer of the previous time, the mansion seemed to have calmed down at this moment, with a response.
"Master Chang'an, Second Master is inside, I...I won't follow you in."
Guiding Chen An to the place, the man looked at him and respectfully spoke.
Chen An's eyes fell on him, seemingly with some scrutiny.
The man immediately changed his words, "Of course, if you need it, I can accompany you in."
"No need."
Chen An smiled, "Captain Cao, I'm not a monster, why are you so afraid?"
You won't eat people, but you will kill them!
Captain Cao cursed in his heart, but his face was extremely respectful, not daring to say a word.
"Alright, you can go now."
Finally, the words he had been eagerly waiting for echoed around.
Without any hesitation, he turned around and walked away, afraid that he would die in the same spot if he stayed too long.
Um, judging by Chen An's ferocity just now, if he stayed too long, he might really die here.
Chen Ziling looked at Captain Cao, who was almost running away, with some mixed feelings.
In his impression, how dignified and majestic the other party was, there were hardly any people in the mansion who could overshadow him, even his father, when facing Captain Cao, had to be polite.
However, now, this usually domineering and majestic Captain Cao seemed to be running away, not daring to stay in this place for long.
The contrast was really great.
"Don't think too much."
Seemingly aware of what Chen Ziling was thinking, Chen An smiled and softly said, "The past is in the past."
"In the days to come, things will definitely be different."
He patted Chen Ziling's shoulder, then walked in.
Chen Ziling quickly followed.
Entering the inner courtyard, it looked particularly empty at the moment.
Several large tables were set up, and many people were already sitting there.
Two middle-aged men were sitting there, one in a black robe, his face somewhat pale, seemingly ill, looking pale and weak, giving the overall impression of gloominess, like a cunning and deep person.
The former was Chen Qi, the eldest son of the Chen State Duke.
The latter was Chen Li, the second son of the Chen State Duke.
Of course, for Chen An, he had a more special identity.
His biological father in this projection body.
In the past, these two were the main figures in the Chen State Mansion. When the Chen State Duke himself was in seclusion and not involved in affairs, these two held the power in the entire Chen State Mansion.
Now that Chen An had come, it seemed that these two were responsible for receiving him.
The area was empty, with only the two of them.
But this was just on the surface.
In reality...
At this moment on the outskirts, many people were lurking there.
It seemed that there were quite a few skilled individuals.
But it was uncertain how many there really were.
The appearance of these two in front of him didn't seem like honest people, they were playing a game of bluffing and intimidating with Chen An.
Chen An didn't mind, he just found his seat and sat down.
Chen Li and Chen Qi in front of him frowned.
"Haven't seen each other for years, and when you see your father and uncle, is this how you behave?"
Chen Li slammed the table, scolding angrily.
Chen An turned back in surprise, looking at him as if he were looking at a fool, "How else would you have me behave?"
"Should I kowtow three times and kneel when I enter?"
"Or should I shout and weep with tears in my eyes?"
"Is it not acceptable for a son to meet his father and ancestors in this way?"
Chen Li spoke coldly.
This answer caught Chen An off guard, dumbfounded and laughed, "If it were for your biological father, the kindness of giving birth, nurturing, such acts are only natural and acceptable."
"Unfortunately, you only have the name of a biological father, with no nurturing kindness, but rather the enmity of matricide."
"Hence, I am not worthy of such gestures."
"You!"
Anger flashed across Chen Li's face.
"Calm down, both of you."
Chen Qi looked at Chen An and Chen Li, and stepped in to defuse the situation, "We are family, why quarrel like this?"
"Second brother, you should also calm down."
He reprimanded Chen Li, then looked at Chen An in front of him.
"The second young master only wants to see the young master of Chang'an."
Looking at Chen Ziling, the man in the middle spoke coldly.
"Let him go."
Beside him, Chen An's voice sounded, sounding very gentle.
The three of them were unmoved, as if they hadn't heard.
"Chang'an, forget it."
Stared at coldly by the three attendants, Chen Ziling felt a bit scared and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Father called you over to discuss important matters, I'll just stay here."
He was quite self-aware.
Chen Ziling was technically a young master in the Chen State Mansion, but his situation was not much different from a servant. Those with a little power could bully him, let alone the three leaders in front of him.
For him, this scene was nothing out of the ordinary.
But soon, he was stunned.
A heavy atmosphere filled the space, mixed with a bloody scent.
Chen Ziling opened his eyes and saw one of the three men in front of him staring at his chest.
There, a piece of broken ice like a sharp blade was directly stabbed, piercing his entire chest.
Drip, drip
The strong smell of blood spread all around, enveloping the area.
Everyone's faces changed instantly.
"You you."
The man who got hit stared with wide eyes, staring at Chen An, his face showing disbelief, as if he had never expected that Chen An would dare to make a move against him.
And the move was so ruthless, just one move took him down on the spot.
After a moment, with a crisp sound, his body fell stiffly, blood splattered all over, looking everywhere.
It was not until this moment that Chen An's voice came out.
"No harm done."
Chen An stood there, still wearing the same gentle smile on his face, but with the scene at his feet, it all seemed awkward.
He smiled at Chen Ziling, indicating for him to relax, then looked at the tall man in front and asked with a smile, "Is it okay now?"
The man was sweating coldly.
At this point, how could he not understand.
The seemingly gentle and kind young man in front of him was clearly a ruthless killer who didn't blink an eye.
Just from that one move, even he couldn't see how the other side had made it.
Powerful and terrifying.
"Chang An Young Master..."
Out of warrior pride, he still spoke, wanting to say something.
"Looks like it's still not good."
Chen An sighed.
There was a sense of foreboding in the man's heart.
Indeed, the next moment that feeling came true.
A splash of blood bloomed.
Standing next to the man, another person fell straight down, his entire forehead pierced through, instantly killing him.
"It seems that the guards in the Chen State Mansion are not in good health."
Chen An sighed softly, then looked up, his gaze fixed on the man, "Don't you think so?"
"Y-yes."
The man's body was a bit stiff, he could only nod.
At this point, could he still say anything?
If he really dared to speak, he might end up in a bad way himself.
He felt that he was still young and didn't want to lie on the ground so soon.
So he turned obediently and lowered his proud head, "Yes, yes."
"Young Master Ziling is after all a young master, he can go wherever he wants in the mansion."
"But that's not what you said just now!"
"Then please."
Chen An nodded with a smile, looking very friendly and approachable, if you ignore the two bodies at his feet.
On the side, watching the whole thing, Chen Ziling was a little frightened, finally realizing that something was wrong.
He looked at Chen An in front of him, his gaze full of uncertainty.
If he remembered correctly, he and his elder brother had not seen each other for only five years.
Just five years, how could there be such a big change?
The past Chen An was gentle and scholarly, a bookish look that was well-liked by his destitute brothers like them.
But the current Chen An, while still maintaining that gentle and scholarly appearance, was completely different in his actions from the past.
His methods were ruthless and domineering, even more so than the gentlemen in the mansion.
Is this really the elder brother he remembered?
Chen Ziling began to doubt.
"Ziling."
In front of him, Chen An's voice came, making Chen Ziling shiver unexpectedly, "Brother, I'm here."
"Don't be afraid."
Seeing Chen Ziling's fearful look, Chen An couldn't help but smile gently and speak softly, "It's okay."
The familiar words were just as before, no different from the past, which made the fearful and uneasy Chen Ziling somewhat relieved.
The appearance of Chen An in front of him was exactly the same as five years ago.
Then, he suddenly realized a problem.
Could it be possible that Chen An had always been like this, but just didn't show it in the past?
Recalling the past when Chen An cared for his brothers and respected his parents, Chen Ziling couldn't help but shudder again, unable to imagine what would happen next.
He could already vaguely feel that what was about to happen next would exceed his imagination.
But he still followed closely behind Chen An, without any hesitation, just like he used to.
As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father.
For Chen Ziling, Chen An played such a role.
When he was still young and vulnerable, it was always Chen An who sheltered him and protected him within the mansion.
In the hearts of this group of brothers, Chen An's position was clearly extraordinary.
So at this moment, he had no hesitation and walked out, standing next to Chen An.
Chen An smiled on the surface, seeming indifferent, but still somewhat pleased in his heart.
It wasn't in vain that he had taken care of him in the past.
Walking to the end of the path, Chen An quickly entered the mansion.
With the buffer of the previous time, the mansion seemed to have calmed down at this moment, with a response.
"Master Chang'an, Second Master is inside, I...I won't follow you in."
Guiding Chen An to the place, the man looked at him and respectfully spoke.
Chen An's eyes fell on him, seemingly with some scrutiny.
The man immediately changed his words, "Of course, if you need it, I can accompany you in."
"No need."
Chen An smiled, "Captain Cao, I'm not a monster, why are you so afraid?"
You won't eat people, but you will kill them!
Captain Cao cursed in his heart, but his face was extremely respectful, not daring to say a word.
"Alright, you can go now."
Finally, the words he had been eagerly waiting for echoed around.
Without any hesitation, he turned around and walked away, afraid that he would die in the same spot if he stayed too long.
Um, judging by Chen An's ferocity just now, if he stayed too long, he might really die here.
Chen Ziling looked at Captain Cao, who was almost running away, with some mixed feelings.
In his impression, how dignified and majestic the other party was, there were hardly any people in the mansion who could overshadow him, even his father, when facing Captain Cao, had to be polite.
However, now, this usually domineering and majestic Captain Cao seemed to be running away, not daring to stay in this place for long.
The contrast was really great.
"Don't think too much."
Seemingly aware of what Chen Ziling was thinking, Chen An smiled and softly said, "The past is in the past."
"In the days to come, things will definitely be different."
He patted Chen Ziling's shoulder, then walked in.
Chen Ziling quickly followed.
Entering the inner courtyard, it looked particularly empty at the moment.
Several large tables were set up, and many people were already sitting there.
Two middle-aged men were sitting there, one in a black robe, his face somewhat pale, seemingly ill, looking pale and weak, giving the overall impression of gloominess, like a cunning and deep person.
The former was Chen Qi, the eldest son of the Chen State Duke.
The latter was Chen Li, the second son of the Chen State Duke.
Of course, for Chen An, he had a more special identity.
His biological father in this projection body.
In the past, these two were the main figures in the Chen State Mansion. When the Chen State Duke himself was in seclusion and not involved in affairs, these two held the power in the entire Chen State Mansion.
Now that Chen An had come, it seemed that these two were responsible for receiving him.
The area was empty, with only the two of them.
But this was just on the surface.
In reality...
At this moment on the outskirts, many people were lurking there.
It seemed that there were quite a few skilled individuals.
But it was uncertain how many there really were.
The appearance of these two in front of him didn't seem like honest people, they were playing a game of bluffing and intimidating with Chen An.
Chen An didn't mind, he just found his seat and sat down.
Chen Li and Chen Qi in front of him frowned.
"Haven't seen each other for years, and when you see your father and uncle, is this how you behave?"
Chen Li slammed the table, scolding angrily.
Chen An turned back in surprise, looking at him as if he were looking at a fool, "How else would you have me behave?"
"Should I kowtow three times and kneel when I enter?"
"Or should I shout and weep with tears in my eyes?"
"Is it not acceptable for a son to meet his father and ancestors in this way?"
Chen Li spoke coldly.
This answer caught Chen An off guard, dumbfounded and laughed, "If it were for your biological father, the kindness of giving birth, nurturing, such acts are only natural and acceptable."
"Unfortunately, you only have the name of a biological father, with no nurturing kindness, but rather the enmity of matricide."
"Hence, I am not worthy of such gestures."
"You!"
Anger flashed across Chen Li's face.
"Calm down, both of you."
Chen Qi looked at Chen An and Chen Li, and stepped in to defuse the situation, "We are family, why quarrel like this?"
"Second brother, you should also calm down."
He reprimanded Chen Li, then looked at Chen An in front of him.
