Du Rulan returned to an ordinary apartment building, her thoughts filled with recent events. She cried, cursed, and smashed things while making her way through and the living room was strewn with shards of porcelain and glassware.
“Mom! Are you done throwing a tantrum?” Yan Yan heard the commotion from his room, walked out briskly, and saw the chaotic state of the living room with annoyance.
He envied Yan Weifeng, who had become financially independent and moved out already.
Du Rulan suddenly turned around, looking at Yan Yan in shock. Her voice was furious, “What? Are you going to criticize me too? I’m your mother!”
Yan Yan couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted, “What’s the point of throwing a fit at home? If you’re so capable, confront Yin Huiru, confront the Yan Jiaqiang!”
Du Rulan’s anger surged and her body suddenly felt weak. She steadied herself by leaning against the sofa with one hand, slowly sat down and looked at Yan Yan with disbelief. “What… did you just say?”
“Isn’t it the truth?” Yan Yan walked over, kicked aside a cushion, and towered above her. “If you had any capability, things wouldn’t have escalated like this. Do you know how many people at school mock me? I don’t want to waste my breath on you. Just look at yourself.” Yan Yan furrowed his brows, turned, and started heading back to his room.
Du Rulan was trembling with anger.
“Stop right there!” She scolded loudly, but her voice was weak, which undermined her authority.
Yan Yan halted his steps, turned around, and looked at her with indifference. “What is it now?”
Du Rulan struggled to control her anger. “Yan Yan, I’m your mother. How can you talk to me like this?”
“I’d rather not have a useless mother like you.” Yan Yan said and left without even looking back.
Du Rulan felt like she was struck by lightning.
—”I’d rather not have a useless mother like you….”
—”I’d rather not have a useless mother like you…”
—”I’d rather not have a useless mother like you…”
This phrase echoed incessantly in her mind. She sat on the couch, dazed. Was this the son she had cherished since childhood? Was this the sole result of all her efforts? No, she wouldn’t accept it! She had to stand up again!
Suddenly remembering the recent series of financial transactions in her bank account, she quickly retrieved her phone. Her hands trembled, and it took her a moment to steady them. She dialed a number swiftly.
“Yan Ge.”
The voice on the other end sounded surprised. “What’s wrong?”
“You give me 10,000 yuan every month. I want you to give me all the money I’m to receive until I’m a hundred years old at once.”
Du Rulan had already calculated the figures in her mind. She was now fifty-two years old and had forty-eight years left until a hundred. With 120,000 yuan from Yan Ge each year, that would total over five million yuan. It would be enough for her to turn her life around. By then, she would see if Yan Jiaqiang and Yan Yan would dare to treat her with that attitude!
“Impossible.” Yan Ge rejected her bluntly. “I’ve already entrusted this matter to a lawyer. There’s no room for negotiation. They will transfer ten thousand yuan to your account every month. That’s it.”
The call was swiftly disconnected. Du Rulan gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. She thought about throwing her phone, but realizing she’d have to spend more money to replace it if it broke, she reluctantly placed it on the couch.
…..
After dropping Yan Jiaqiang off at the door, Yin Huiru gently kissed his cheek. “Drive safely.”
“Don’t worry.” Yan Jiaqiang pecked her lips with satisfaction. Ever since he announced his bankruptcy, he had moved in here to live with Yin Huiru. Though the home was much smaller than before, it was cozy, and the three of them lived happily. This was the life he wanted.
Yin Huiru stood by the window, watching the black car gradually move away. She smiled slightly, picked up her phone, and dialed a number with familiarity.
On the other end, a young and calm voice answered, “Ruru, how did things go?”
“He gave me his last one million yesterday. He said I would manage the household from now on,” Yin Huiru’s eyes sparkled even brighter when she smiled, radiating charm.
“That’s great! So, now we’ve managed to get over nine million from him,” the man on the other end laughed contentedly. “He probably doesn’t have much left to squeeze. Take our son and I’ll come pick you up.”
“Okay, see you later. Drive safely.” Yin Huiru lifted her child who was sleeping peacefully, grabbed a small handbag, and left quietly, not even bothering to close the door.
A gust of wind blew, leaving the door wide open…
Half a month later, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen sent the Yan family back to Great Han and then returned to Earth.
Upon their return, they heard the landline ringing in the living room.
“Who’s this?” Yan Ge reclined lazily on the sofa, answering the call with his foot. Both he and Huangfu Yuchen could sense that their realm was about to break through again and they would soon be entering seclusion. He listened to the call absentmindedly.
Huangfu Yuchen cast him an amused glance and sent his spiritual sense into his storage ring, trying to figure out what things needed to be arranged as soon as possible before he and Xiao Ge went into seclusion.
“Mr. Yan, this is Wang Zhiyuan. Sorry to disturb you. I’ve been trying to call you and Mr. Huangfu for a while.”
As soon as Yan Ge heard Wang Zhiyuan’s voice, he handed the phone to Huangfu Yuchen.
Their phones were stored in their storage rings when not in use, so they couldn’t receive signals.
“Do you need something?” Huangfu Yuchen asked in his usual calm tone.
Wang Zhiyuan replied, “Mr. Huangfu, as we discussed last time, the Holy See needs an intimidating event—”
Huangfu Yuchen interrupted him, “We’ll take action when the time comes. If you’re impatient, you can find someone else.” He then ended the call without paying attention to the other person’s reaction.
In the offices of the Shadow Operatives, Wang Zhiyuan’s face darkened. Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen hadn’t hidden their movements as they traveled with several unfamiliar people. Due to the Shadow Operatives’ special status, there was hardly anyone in the nation whose background they couldn’t uncover. But the backgrounds of those five individuals remained entirely elusive. This made him suspicious: had those five people appeared out of thin air?
Thinking of this possibility, his palms grew sweaty. What if Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen did possess the ability to tear through space and time? It would mean their cultivation had reached an unbelievable height.
This terrifying speculation left him restless. He had threatened such powerful people with the state machine—and now he found himself biting off more than he could chew. He sighed bitterly. Unfortunately, there’s no regret medicine in this world.
Across from him, Zhang Youze and Liu Xianglong sighed quietly.
*They are the two old men Huangfu Yuchen met and discussed Fengshan Farm. Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge banned them and Wang Zhiyuan from benefiting from the farm after Wang Zhiyuan threatened them.
“Should we go and meet them ourselves?” Zhang Youze asked in a low voice.
Liu Xianglong shook his head, “We’ve completely offended Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. Even if we went to beg them, we’d just be humiliating ourselves. Sigh…”
…….
Yan Ge lay on the couch with his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep.
Huangfu Yuchen patted his butt, the wonderful touch making him linger for a while. He gave it a light squeeze and said, “Baby, you rest. I’m going to talk to He Xin, Guo Jian and Guo Yi about the upcoming matters.”
“I’m going too.” Yan Ge sat up. Now wasn’t the time to relax.
Once they got out of seclusion, they could proceed with their plan to travel abroad.
They split up—Yan Ge went to find He Xin, while Huangfu Yuchen sought out Guo Jian and Guo Yi.
After arriving at He Xin’s office door, Yan Ge knocked.
“Come in.”
“Are you busy?” Yan Ge looked at the person who was writing at his desk.
On seeing him, He Xin stood up suddenly, almost knocking the office chair over. He was both pleasantly surprised and excited. “Yan Ge, you’re back! I’ve been trying to call you and Huangfu Yuchen, but couldn’t get through.”
“Did you need something?” Yan Ge took out his phone from his storage ring. He saw 24 missed calls—1 from Xu Kai and 5 from He Xin. The remaining 18 were from Wang Zhiyuan. He couldn’t help but scoff internally. Did Wang Zhiyuan fear they’d run away?
He Xin walked over a few steps, guiding Yan Ge to sit on the sofa and pouring him a cup of tea. “Brother, I really don’t know what to say.”
Yan Ge saw the reddening rims of He Xin’s eyes. He felt puzzled and patted his shoulder with concern, “What’s wrong?”
He Xin quickly calmed down and took a seat beside him. “Because Yueyue is still young, she’s always with Miaomiao, so the jade pendant you gave me is currently worn by Miaomiao. The day before yesterday, Yueyue insisted on eating chicken wings, so Miaomiao took her out to buy some. However, they were hit by a drunk driver who ran a red light… Thanks to the jade pendant you gave them, they both came out of it without a scratch.”
Yan Ge listened and sighed, “It’s fortunate that they’re both fine. Don’t overthink it. Surviving a disaster brings future blessings.”
“Yeah,” He Xin’s mood improved significantly. “Brother, thank you.”
“You call me ‘brother,’ so why be polite? Yan Ge then got to the point. “I’m here to let you know that Yuchen and I are about to enter seclusion. The affairs of the farm will be in your hands.”
He Xin nodded with a smile. “You can rest assured.”
“Why are you smiling?” Yan Ge didn’t understand.
He Xin chuckled, “I’m smiling about Xu Kai. Last time I met him, he was still clamoring for you and Huangfu Yuchen to take him flying. Once you’re in seclusion, he won’t have a chance to find you.”
Yan Ge grinned wickedly. “Taking him on a flight isn’t impossible. However, let’s make him wait a little longer.”
After briefing He Xin about the affairs of the farm, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen entered seclusion within the space.
When they emerged from seclusion, a year had passed.
After spending two months traveling around the world, they entered seclusion once more. When they emerged again, their cultivation had reached the late stage of Tribulation Crossing.
Some time later, the heavens and earth bestowed a special resonance upon them, and their Heavenly Tribulation was set to arrive in one month.
By this time, they had been on Earth for exactly four years.
As agreed, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen handed Fengshan Farm to the Shadow Operatives.
When Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen scavenged the spiritual weapons from the seabed, they had selected those they would need during their Tribulation Crossing. They gifted the rest to cultivators who had good aptitude and character.
Guo Jian and Guo Yi reaped the most rewards. Having followed Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen for a long time, they were already convinced of their capabilities. Now, knowing that the two would soon face their Tribulation, they were both happy and reluctant to part, mixed with a healthy dose of envy. However, both believed they would have their own opportunities in the future.
With the exception of Wang Zhiyuan, the entire Shadow Operatives team benefited. Moreover, they also received spiritual stones from Huangfu Yuchen.
Not long after, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen received a message from Ji Chang—Wang Zhiyuan had been expelled from the Shadow Operatives.
Before crossing the tribulation, they returned to the Great Han to visit their families. After spending almost a month with their loved ones, they arrived in Country Y and prepared for their tribulation.
They had no intention of harming innocent people, so they chose a desolate mountain area for this. Once everything was prepared, they sat cross-legged.
The clear sky gradually turned dim, as the dense clouds overhead descended closer to the ground, growing darker. Layers of dark clouds piled upon one another, resembling turbulent black waves surging over. They rolled and roiled like an avalanche from a tall mountain or like thousands of troops charging. Eventually, they hovered about five kilometers above the ground.
