Chapter 2027
Chapter 2027
“What... What... What's going on?”
Tang Xian was dumbfounded when he saw his attack suddenly get blocked.
He had been sure of emerging victorious. However, his expression darkened as the weapons rained onto the ground, and he immediately looked solemn and grim.
Just then, there was a soft yet ominous rustle in the darkness.
Everyone froze.
As countless pairs of eyes turned toward the direction the sound had come from, they saw a thin figure slowly approaching them.
His tread was light, yet there was a gentle rustle with every step he took.
The figure appeared small from afar. Even so, the surrounding trees and plants bowed and retreated as if they were courtiers in the presence of their monarch.
“Who's that?”
Gaius and the other Dragon Slayers were stunned. Despite not knowing who the figure in the dark was, they felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity they had never felt before rush toward them from not far ahead.
Suddenly, the name and silhouette of one person appeared in Gaius', Owen's, and the others' minds.
“Could... Could it really be him?”
Meanwhile, Bill Jones and Michael also started to feel overcome with emotion.
Although the former had long suspected that Ye Fan had not died, it had been nothing more than speculation, since there was no way for him to confirm whether Ye Fan was dead or alive.
Now that they were faced with the possibility that the powerful man had returned, it was only natural that they could not keep calm.
Just like them, Tang Xian was struggling to maintain his composure.
A sense of foreboding had descended over him the moment the figure appeared.
“No! It can't be him! That's impossible!”
Tang Xian frowned and clenched his fists tightly.
No matter how many times the same name surfaced in his mind, he continued dismissing it.
He did not want to admit, let alone accept, the likelihood that that man could be alive and well!
However, some things in this world were fated and could not be changed just because of an individual's personal wish and preference.
As everyone watched with nervous, excited, and trembling gazes, the figure finally emerged from the dense woods.
The moon hung high in the sky that quiet night, and the faint glow of the moonlight shone down on the man's face. It illuminated his well-defined features, deep eyes, and handsome yet thin face.
Everything looked so familiar.
He looked just like he did when he left, appearing untouched by the passage of time.
The only difference seemed to be the changes deep within his heart.
“D-Dragon Master? I-Is it really you?”
Even though Gaius and the others had guessed he was alive, they still found it difficult to suppress the emotions bubbling within them.
The older men, who were over fifty years old, cried until their faces were wet with tears when they saw the young man before them.
Trembling, they got up from the ground and fell to their knees at the man's feet in unison.
“I knew it... I knew it all along. There was no way you'd be dead... I knew you couldn't have died just like that and that you'd come for us...” Gaius said, sounding like an elderly courtier who had just seen the emperor's army at his most desperate moment after getting trapped on the frontier.
With their hands and feet still shackled in chains, the four Dragon Slayers kneeled before Ye Fan and wept bitterly.
Nobody would have ever imagined that those supreme grandmasters—powerful figures wielding great influence over the country—would cry like a child in front of a certain someone.
“It really is him! He... He's really alive...” Bill choked out, practically gasping for breath. His whole body shuddered violently.
Michael wiped the tears from his eyes and said to his father with a smile, “Yes. Chu Tianfan isn't dead. He didn't die! Hahaha! The gods didn't forsake our family! The gods want to help us avenge Angie...”
Michael had no idea why he was so emotional or why he was crying.
It makes sense for Gaius and the others to cry because they're welcoming their master. If Angie were conscious, it'd also make sense if she were to weep. That's because her wait for the hero and the man
she harbors feelings for has finally ended. But what reason do I have to cry? Ye Fan and I aren't friends. In fact, we were enemies.
Nonetheless, Michael could not control his emotions.
He was as flustered as a wife who had just seen her husband after being left to wait alone in the bedroom.
Indeed, they had made no mistake.
Ye Fan had indeed crossed the seas and returned to the Chu Sect again.
He was Chu Tianfan, the person whose very name had inspired fear within the hearts of everyone in the Chu Sect back then.
He had not gone to Mount Chumen immediately because he had been busy looking into the whereabouts of Gaius and the rest.
After several days of investigation, he finally discovered that the Jones family had the Dragon Slayers imprisoned.
But when he rushed to their residence earlier that night, he found the house in a mess. The dungeons where the Joneses had imprisoned Gaius and the others were also empty.
Upon making the distressing discovery, he tracked them and quickly found where they were.
A pang of pain shot through Ye Fan's heart as he gazed at the dead bodies and blood covering the ground, as well as the injured and shackled Dragon Slayers.
Stepping forward, he helped Gaius, Owen, and the others to their feet.
“I'm sorry for making you wait so long,” Ye Fan said, his tone laden with guilt.
These people were enjoying glory and wealth in their respective countries. But because of my command, they stormed the Chu Sect. In the end, it resulted in their suffering. It wouldn't be wrong to say that all this is my fault.
Hence, Ye Fan felt immensely guilty.
“Dragon Master, you don't have to apologize to us. As members of Dragon God Hall, we live and die together. Even if we were to get killed by the Chu Sect, we would've died willingly. It has nothing to do with you, Dragon Master. There's no need for you to feel guilty,” Gaius declared loudly.
The others nodded emphatically.
“Gaius is right. We chose to follow you of our own volition, Dragon Master. Regardless of whether we live or die, it was our own choice and has nothing to do with anyone else!”
“Agreed! Now that you've returned, we're willing to fight and take on the Chu Sect again! Today is the day we'll wield our swords and seize the Chu Sect!”
The Dragon Slayers spoke loudly, their voices rumbling like thunder.
The others could hardly believe their eyes when they saw how energized and reinvigorated the four frail-looking older men now appeared after seeing Ye Fan.
Ye Fan chuckled. “My good man, you're getting on in years and can't even lift your sword anymore, yet you're still thinking of fighting? Rest a while first. Leave the rest to me.”
He could not help feeling moved at reuniting with his old comrades.
Although they suffered much, it's fortunate that they're still alive. As long as they're alive, there's hope.
At that moment, Gaius suddenly interrupted the conversation. “Dragon Master, Ms. Jones is over there.”
Ye Fan's brows twitched involuntarily.
Instead of responding, he turned and glanced toward the Jones family.
“M-Mr. Chu...” Bill greeted politely.
Ye Fan ignored him, not bothering to spare the father-and-son duo a glance. Instead, his gaze fell upon the unconscious young lady.
Michael and the others did nothing to stop Ye Fan as he walked over.
They merely watched as Ye Fan gently caressed Angie's face with his hand.
“I've returned, you silly girl. This time, I won't spare those who hurt you back then. Not a single one of them,” Ye Fan said softly, pain and pity etched across his face.
It was as if the young lady had heard his voice. Tears leaked from the corners of the eyes of the young lady who had been unconscious for more than two years and slowly trailed down her face.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.