"What condition?" Evan Yang frowned and asked. The others also looked on with curiosity, not knowing what Raymond Yang, the Yang Clan Patriarch, was planning.
"The condition is, you have to do something for me," said Raymond Yang.
"What do you want me to do?" Evan hadn’t expected Raymond Yang to set terms before releasing his father, but he guessed it was because he wanted to take his father to find his mother, so Raymond Yang was making demands.
The Wine Beggar and Lydia Yang both looked at Raymond Yang, unsure what he wanted Evan to do. Already biased against Raymond Yang, hearing he would only release Liam if Evan helped him made them dislike him even more.
Raymond Yang, sensing the atmosphere, spoke as if used to it: "Represent the Yang Clan in the Heaven-Battling Clan Tournament. If you can win first place, then you can come back and ask me to release your father."
"What? The Heaven-Battling Clan Tournament? Are you crazy? Don’t you know all the contestants are Emperor Realm—some might even be fourth-tier Emperors!" The Wine Beggar was furious, and Lydia Yang cursed, "I can’t believe you’re still using the same trick as before—pressuring Third Brother by leveraging Second Brother!"
Evan could tell that the Wine Beggar’s downfall was mostly related to his father, but he didn’t back down. "How long until this tournament?"
"It’ll be more than nine hundred years. I believe you’ll have plenty of time to advance your cultivation," Raymond Yang said.
"Over nine hundred years? That long?" Evan was shocked at the time span.
"Long? I’m worried you won’t have enough time to grow," Raymond Yang replied, stunned for a moment, then laughed.
The Wine Beggar quickly said, "Evan, don’t listen to him. Let’s go. We’ll find another way to rescue your father."
"That’s a forbidden land. No matter what you try, you won’t be able to break the barrier. I hope you think carefully," Raymond Yang said.
"You’re still as despicable as ever," the Wine Beggar said angrily.
Lydia Yang added, "Are you only satisfied if you completely sever ties with us?"
"Steward Lewis, take Evan outside. I need to properly discipline these two unfilial children," Raymond Yang said with a cold snort.
Steward Lewis knew Raymond Yang wouldn’t really harm them, so he followed Raymond Yang’s instructions and took Evan outside. Once they were out, the door closed and everything fell silent. Evan worried about Lydia and the Wine Beggar, since they were acting for his sake, so he asked, "Steward Lewis, please help me. Ask Raymond Yang not to make things hard for them. This is all because of me."
"Young Master Evan, I can’t make that decision, but I can tell you—they’ll be fine," Steward Lewis replied.
"Isn’t the Patriarch about to discipline them? How could they be fine?" Evan asked, confused. "Just wait. You’ll find out soon enough," Steward Lewis said with a smile.
Seeing Steward Lewis’s smile, Evan felt uneasy.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Lydia Yang and the Wine Beggar stood together, staring at Raymond Yang. "Are you really going to fight?" Raymond Yang asked, seeing how guarded they were.
"You forced us into this," said the Wine Beggar.
Lydia Yang added, "That’s right. Back then, we were all fine, but now you’ve made us like this."
"I made you like this? Don’t you get it? Everything I did was for your own good! I don’t want any of you to die before me!" Raymond Yang said angrily.
"If you hadn’t stopped us from following Second Brother back then, he wouldn’t have gone mad or been suppressed today," Lydia Yang said.
The Wine Beggar said, "Exactly. And now you’re using Second Brother’s tragedy to force me to comply. Do you really think I’ll treat you kindly?"
"Looks like you still don’t understand. If it weren’t for Evan, I wouldn’t even bother talking to you today," Raymond Yang snorted.
"What does Evan have to do with this?" asked the Wine Beggar.
"I never opposed your Second Brother, Liam Yang, and your Second Sister-in-law, Evan's mother, nor did I drive them away. I didn’t keep them in the clan because keeping them would have brought disaster to the Yang Clan—maybe even annihilation. Do you understand?" Raymond Yang said.
The Wine Beggar and Lydia Yang looked at each other, thinking this couldn’t possibly be true. In this world, what could destroy an entire clan? So the Wine Beggar said, "Stop exaggerating. The Yang Clan is one of the Four Heaven-Battling Clans. Who could possibly wipe us out?"
"You’re too arrogant. Yes, the Yang Clan is one of the Four Heaven-Battling Clans, and we’re strong among them. But don’t forget—above us is the Immortal Realm Alliance, and besides that there are other realms: the Devil Realm, the Demon-Beast Realm, and even some unimaginable powerful worlds." Raymond Yang said. "Are you saying someone targeted Second Brother, Liam Yang, and Second Sister-in-law, Evan's mother?" the Wine Beggar asked, starting to believe him.
"That’s right!" Raymond Yang replied.
"Who was it?" the Wine Beggar demanded, desperate to know which force had targeted his Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law.
"Why not?" the Wine Beggar pressed. "Knowing more won’t help you," Raymond Yang replied. "As for your Second Sister-in-law, Evan's mother, after years of investigation, I found out she was taken by that force and is still missing. And your Second Brother, Liam Yang, was poisoned and driven mad—his poison still isn’t cured. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be like this."
The Wine Beggar and Lydia Yang were both stunned, as if they’d just heard something incredible.
"Then why didn’t you tell us back then?" the Wine Beggar pressed.
"Because I was afraid you’d act recklessly. Even now, I won’t tell you which force it was. As for Evan, I’m having him fight for our clan not just to make him stronger, but to send him into the Immortal Realm Alliance—so he can become even stronger. Maybe one day, he’ll be able to handle this himself. After all, they’re his parents," Raymond Yang sighed.
The Wine Beggar and Lydia Yang were shocked by Ming Yang’s words. They’d never imagined he’d treat Evan this way, all for the sake of making him stronger. If it were them, they wouldn’t have the heart to let Evan walk such a path. But if Evan didn’t, he’d never find his mother—and even if he did, he might be destroyed by the great power Ming Yang spoke of.
"You’ve always been impulsive. Of course I understand. All these years, I never told you because I didn’t want you ending up like your Second Brother, Liam Yang. If that happened, the Yang Clan would have no heirs left! But this time, the heavens have given our clan a genius—Evan, who could defeat a fifth-tier Immortal Lord as an eighth-tier Profound-Immortal, and who’s advanced eight minor realms in just over a century. There’s still over nine hundred years left. If we train him well, he’ll at least reach the Immortal Lord level. By then, in the Heaven-Battling Clan Tournament, he’ll be one of the best. I’ll use that chance to send him into the Immortal Realm Alliance. After that, his path will be his own," Raymond Yang said.
The Wine Beggar and Lydia Yang suddenly realized that the one who cared most about Evan and thought the furthest ahead was this old patriarch in front of them. Their past misunderstandings of him gradually faded, leaving them with complicated feelings.
"Alright, enough silence. I hope in the coming years you’ll do your best to help your nephew grow. As for this matter, don’t tell him—just let him keep training hard to save his parents. That’s the only way he’ll cultivate quickly," Raymond Yang said.
"Should we really not tell him?" Lydia Yang seemed almost unable to resist running out to tell Evan the truth—that the Patriarch wasn’t deliberately making things hard for him, but wanted to cultivate him.
"No need. You understand—this is the only way he’ll cultivate quickly. Only when he reaches our expected goal will it be time to tell him. By then, he’ll have the ability to protect himself and won’t end up like your Second Brother, Liam Yang," Raymond Yang said.
Lydia Yang and the Wine Beggar nodded. Seeing they understood, Raymond Yang reminded them again, "For his safety, you must not tell him any of this. Otherwise, you know what could happen to him."
The Wine Beggar and Lydia Yang agreed, their faces heavy. Raymond Yang then opened the door and let Steward Lewis and Evan come inside.
As Evan entered, he sensed something was off. The previous hatred Lydia Yang and the Wine Beggar had felt for Raymond Yang was now gone.
"Kid, do you accept what I said earlier? If you win, I’ll release your father," Raymond Yang said.
Evan didn’t know what had happened, but he knew he had to save his father. So he said, "Alright. I just hope the Patriarch won’t go back on his word."
"I won’t. And for the next nine hundred years, you must train within the Yang Clan," Raymond Yang said.
Evan shook his head. "No, I have important things to do. Staying here isn’t possible. But when the time comes, I’ll naturally return. Now that I know my father’s safe in the clan’s forbidden land, there’s no real threat to his life, so I plan to leave for a while to handle my own affairs." Raymond Yang was shocked. "Why?" Evan replied, "I have things to do, that’s all. Patriarch, you’re not going to restrict my freedom, are you?"
Raymond Yang knew keeping Evan here wouldn’t work, so he said, "Fine. Just make sure you return here in nine hundred years. I’ll take you to the tournament." "Alright, no problem. I’ll be off then," Evan said, turning to leave.
Watching Evan’s departing figure, Raymond Yang said to the Wine Beggar and Lydia Yang, "His safety is in your hands."
Lydia Yang and the Wine Beggar paused, then nodded and slipped away. Watching their figures disappear together, Raymond Yang sighed, "I hope he can break through."
"Patriarch, did you tell them everything?" Steward Lewis asked, sensing something was off.
"Yes, but only part of it. I still can’t tell them everything. I’m afraid one day they’ll lose control and tell Evan about his mother’s whereabouts. If he goes looking for her alone, it’ll be trouble." Thinking of Liam Yang’s fate, Raymond Yang sighed.
Steward Lewis nodded, understanding Raymond Yang’s meaning. At least, he was relieved that the Third Young Master, the Wine Beggar, and Fourth Miss, Lydia Yang, no longer held such strong prejudices against Raymond Yang.