Ye Cang was sitting on the bed in the lotus position. With a serious expression, he said. “Buy me a bottle of my favorite beer…”
“……” Xie Yu’er was soaked in cold sweat. Is this the accepting-apprentice tea? Can you be any more old-fashioned?! With that aside, people use tea and you use beer? Okay, nevermind. But that favorite beer of yours?! That cheap brand?! “Well, can I consider it?”
“Karate…” Ye Cang slowly raised his hand and Xie Yu’er immediately said. “Okay, I’ll go now!”
Facing Ye Cang’s Karate Chop, Xie Yu’er couldn’t do anything. Luckily the baby-face demon is not here.
Xie Yu’er then went to a shop nearby to get the beer. When she returned, she handed a can to him.
“Since it is the accepting apprentice ritual, you must show sincerity and we must follow the basic rules…” Seeing Xie Yu’er standing there, Ye Cang raised his eyebrow and said.
Xie Yu’er sighed as she kneeled and handed him the beer. Even though she was not resigned, Ye Cang’s strength was undeniable. His strength might be even greater than her own teachers.
Ye Cang then received the beer and took a sip. “Okay, you’re officially a member of the Lockpicking Sect. You have two senior sisters, four martial uncles, and two senior brothers. You’ve met two of the martial uncles. If there is a chance you would meet another two. As for the rest, you would meet them eventually.”
Hmmm…there are more people ranked seniors than apprentices. Xie Yu’er did not know whether to laugh or cry.
“Human’s potential is almost unlimited but it is caged by a lot of locks. These ‘limitless’ talents that are born in you are buried deep down in your gene. It’s different from finding the limitlessness outside of you. We, the Lockpicking Sect are here to free the locks and unleash those things and treasure that belong to you. With your current strength, you can unlock the first lock and will probably be stuck at the second.”
Staring at Ye Cang’s serious expression, Xie Yu’er wondered. This fella is serious? She then gave it a thought. In order to free the locks, one must pay the price. “What’s the price?”
Ye Cang smiled. “Battle, death experience, fear, realization. There are many ways to unlock but usually, a near-death experience is the most direct and clearest. It can be counted as the first trial practice for unlocking the first lock in the Lockpicking Sect. Once you have mastered the first one, the others would be easier.”
“And the way to practice is?” Xie Yu’er gradually frowned.
“Battle with me. For 2 minutes.” Ye Cang kept his smile.
“I’ll give it a try.” Xie Yu’er hesitated for a second.
“You better think again.” Ye Cang kept his smile just for a moment. His expression then changed all of a sudden. His pink eyes looked cold as if they were coated with snow, filled with the intention to kill. “Because you would really die…I don’t have the intention to go easy on you.”
Xie Yu’er felt like she was being stared at. Her heart was beating so fast that her body became numb. That intention of his was different from any killer’s. Theirs were madness but Ye Cang’s was cold and bone-piercing. Her forehead was covered with sweat and she gasped for air. Just then, she recalled her father’s words back when he left. She ground her teeth and her eyes were instantly filled with determination. She knew how scary Ye Cang was because he could almost kill her with just his aura. She then took a deep breath. “I’ll survive…”
Ye Cang was stunned for a second and smiled. OldXie, this is indeed your daughter. He recalled a moment where a Mediterranean bald middle-age guy took out a photo of a cheerful girl and showed it to him.
“Silver Demon, this is my daughter. How does she look like? Cute right?”
“Mediterranean bald, are you sure she is your daughter? Your forehead looked green and the hair in the middle of your head was supposed to be green too right? You just skimmed it away right?”
“…… You mother*cker! I was once young and handsome please. They used to call me ‘Mediterranean Pan An’ [1].”
“When you’re young, your relationship is already bald.”
“And green…”
“You this little @$$hole! *sigh* Once this is over, I’ve planned to retire from the Dragon Group. It has been a long time since I have accompanied her. Her mother passed away after giving birth to her and I spend more of my time on work than on her. Now that I think about it…I feel sorry for her…”
“Then, go and keep her accompanied. OldXie, there is only a limited amount of time in one’s life and time is precious. Able to accompany your loved ones…”
“Oh my god, stop it. These words just sound weird when they are coming out from your mouth. Do you think we can live the life we used to?”
“I think it’s possible since there is your leader, Red Dragoness.”
With much sorrow, Ye Cang recalled the horrible battle of eliminating the Anos family. Except for Ren Long, Hunting Flame, ColdMoon, Red Dragoness, BloodHand, BurriedCorpse, PeerlessNight, and I, the others were sacrificed. At last, if it wasn’t for me going into madness, we might have failed the mission. OldXie is considered my closest friend in Dragon Group.
Staring at Xie Yu’er, it was as if Ye Cang saw the Mediterranean bald who sacrificed himself for the Chinese federation. There are not many that Ye Cang respect but Xie Zhongyong was definitely one of them. He risked his life to protect China. “Let’s start then. I emphasize one more time. Don’t lose focus. Just a slight mistake and you would be dead…”
Just when Ye Cang finished his sentence, Xie Yu’er was alert. Suddenly, there was a bone-cracking sound coming from her chest. It was as if she was being hit by a truck and she was knocked away. Xie Yu’er felt a kind of indescribable fear and extremely helpless. Laying at the corner, she saw Ye Cang walking towards her with a casual smile like a grim reaper. He is really going for the kill! Enduring the pain, she got up and started running down the stairs. As she ran, the wound at her chest made it even more torturing. Yet, she would turn around once in a while to kick a qi wave at Ye Cang’s direction, trying to block him as much as possible.
However, Ye Cang deflected it easily. With a flash, he kicked at Xie Yu’er and she blocked it with both arms. *Crack* *Crack* The bones of her arms cracked. The qi inside her that acted as a defense was completely useless. She was then knocked away like a bullet across the hallway and out of the glass window.
Seeing herself getting further and further away from her accommodation, Xie Yu’er remembered that she was staying on the 51st floor. She turned around to see the manmade pond and the concrete floor below her and also Ye Cang who was standing at the broken window and glaring at her. She slowly closed her eyes to feel the fear and excitement of falling from high grounds.
“Feel the things that belong to you. Those rules and genes which are born with you. They are locked. Try to feel their rhythm and movements of wanting to save you. Free them. Let them go. If not…you would die…” Ye Cang’s emotionless voice was heard.
Xie Yu’er suddenly opened her eyes, staring at the concrete floor which was getting nearer and nearer. Her arms were broken and so was her rib cage. Due to the pain, she was unable to use any energy. All she could do was staring at the floor getting closer and the fear and despair of dying. I can’t die yet! I don’t want to die! Father!
“Ahh!!!”
A loud scream was heard and Ye Cang saw glowing wings appearing at Xie Yu’er feet. Her body was descending slowly. Yet, the glowing wings swung like an eagle and sent her to the manmade pond.
Ye Cang smiled faintly. Sadly, it is too far and weak. With the wound inside her, she would fall eventually. She would be handicapped even if she wouldn’t die from the fall. But, she succeeded. He then turned into a white thunder and hugged Xie Yu’er. Stepping in thin air, they returned to the house swiftly. He stared at Xie Yu’er who was about to die, he said. “Even though you didn’t withstand 2 minutes, you succeeded. You’re indeed his daughter.”
After hearing ‘succeeded’, Xie Yu’er fainted. Ye Cang then reached out his hands and helped her to connect back the bones and heal her. The room was filled with awful screams.
