ASFTB 23: Have You Forgotten Who Your Man Is 2

The next day—

That day’s global live broadcast was quickly cut short due to the unexpected “incident.” The stream might have ended, but the rumors spreading among the people never stopped.

Many felt both respect and fear for this cold, shadowy, nightmare-like general.

At the same time, word had quietly spread through nearly every household. If a family’s man was still alive, the whole family could expect good days ahead; if he had truly died on the battlefield, there was no hope left.

When Jian Chengxi took the children to school, the atmosphere was even heavier.

A-Hu’s family was beaming with joy, one of their distant cousins was coming back soon, and apparently even held a minor official post. They would make sure everyone knew, and were already starting to look down their noses at others.

After Jian Chengxi sent the two children through the school gates and was about to leave, a voice called out behind him, “Well, if it isn’t Chengxi?”

It was A-Hu’s father, who had never gotten along with him. With a smug grin, he strode over, clearly in high spirits.

“You still have the mood to walk your kids to school? I’m honestly impressed, you’ve got my admiration down to the ground!”

Jian Chengxi cursed inwardly but kept his face calm as he turned around. “What? I can’t?” he replied evenly.

“I heard your man hasn’t come back yet, what a pity.” A-Hu’s father sighed, then quickly clapped a hand over his mouth like he had said too much. “Ah, was I even supposed to say that? Look at me, my mouth just won’t stay shut.”

Jian Chengxi raised a brow. “I heard your kid is coming back though.”

A-Hu’s father beamed. “You’re really well-informed.”

“Flattered, but it’s not that I’m so well-informed. You just tell everyone you meet, and with that loud voice of yours, I can hear it whether I want to or not.” Jian Chengxi’s delicate, pretty face tilted upward as he  gave a light scoff. “Those who know, know it’s just a cousin. Those who don’t might think it’s someone a lot more important.”

A-Hu’s father’s face darkened in an instant, and he snapped angrily, “You!”

Jian Chengxi met his glare without the slightest fear. “What about me?”

A-Hu’s father had never gotten the upper hand in a war of words with him, and this time he’d apparently learned his lesson. He gave a cold little laugh. “Hmph, I’m not going to stoop to your level. You think everyone’s like you, using filthy tricks to take shortcuts and walk crooked paths. I’ve heard all about it, even Wang Zhe has fallen out with you, and now your husband’s dead, so your backing’s gone. Let’s see how smug you can be from now on. What’s next, selling your own kid just to keep living in silk and satin?”

Jian Chengxi frowned.

He didn’t actually mind sparring with A-Hu’s father, but since the man had gone so far as to bully him to his face, he saw no reason not to strike back.

“I think that even if I weren’t living in silk and satin, some people still wouldn’t have anything to be smug about,” Jian Chengxi said with a smile. “My husband was a martyr. My child’s school fees come from the proper state-issued subsistence allowance. I grow fruit trees and plants myself, sell them, and use the money to feed my child. Every cent I spend is clean and honest. We really aren’t the same. No matter how hard life gets, I’ll still find a way to live it well—unlike certain people, who can only stand here making sour remarks.”

A-Hu’s father’s face changed, his voice even shaking a little. “You! …You!”

Jian Chengxi, who had grown up in an orphanage and seen more than his share of cold looks, kept his expression unchanged and smiled. “If you want to keep advertising your cousin, go ahead. I need to get home to tend my fields and raise my child. I won’t be keeping you company.”

With that, he turned on his heel and left without the slightest hesitation.

A-Hu’s father was so furious he felt like his lungs might burst. He had always looked down on Jian Chengxi, thinking he took shortcuts and relied on lovers, and from that sense of superiority, he could sneer at him from above. But when Jian Chengxi lived well without relying on anyone, the thing that jabbed him in the ribs the hardest was that he was still no match for him. He’s no match for that so-called useless pretty face he had always scorned!

“What’s so great about that?” A-Hu’s father spat on the ground, his eyes clouded with malice. “So you can grow a few sweet fruit trees—just luck, that’s all. Let’s see what you’re so proud of when those trees die!”

In recent days, restlessness has been spreading through the underground city.

The soldiers were about to return, and with their arrival, even more changes would follow. Nearly every household was brimming with joy, while those whose loved ones weren’t coming back were left with nothing but more worries.

Jian Chengxi’s worries, however, lay elsewhere. He had already met Li Lingfeng, the man nicknamed “Little Golden Ball”, and while at first he had held onto some hope, he had now let it go. General Li Lingfeng, in both ability and cunning, was ruthless. The original Jian Chengxi had been just an ordinary person, how could such an exceptional man possibly have married him?

It must be history repeating itself.

It had to be a coincidence.

Most of Jian Chengxi’s attention was on cultivating his fruit trees. Standing beneath one of them, he counted the fruits, frowning in puzzlement. “Why does it feel like there’ve been fewer lately?”

Li Suisui and Li Chen had just gotten out of school and were sitting on a stone bench not far away.

Jian Chengxi picked two fruits and handed them to the children. “Have a little to tide you over, Daddy’s going to make you some pancakes.”

Li Suisui tilted her small face up at him, her voice soft and sweet. “Daddy, are the fruits not growing well?”

Jian Chengxi felt a pang of gratitude for the child’s thoughtfulness. He didn’t want them worrying about such things, so he smiled. “Of course not. Don’t overthink it. Go play with your gege for a while, Daddy’s going to make dinner for you.”

After comforting them, he quickly headed back to start cooking.

However, after he left, the two children sitting on the stone bench weren’t fooled.

Li Suisui bit into her fruit, her cheeks puffing out adorably. “Daddy really isn’t good at lying.”

Li Chen lifted his eyelids and glanced toward the orchard. In a low voice, he said, “The fruit count doesn’t match. The fence I assembled records whenever an adult above a certain height and weight comes in.”

Which meant this wasn’t the work of an adult.

It was children causing trouble and stealing fruit.

The air fell silent for a moment, a light breeze brushing the hems of the children’s clothes.

Li Suisui gave a small nod. “So that’s how it is!”

The children sitting on the stone bench, however, wore expressions of unusual coldness and a calm far beyond their years. They stared at the orchard in the distance for a while, then slowly turned their heads to look each other in the eye.

And then—

A brilliant smile bloomed on Li Suisui’s face. The childish grin looked utterly adorable, yet her crisp, bright voice carried the air of a little witch. “Then let’s teach them a lesson.”

…

The next day—

Today was a big day in the underground city, because over a hundred thousand soldiers were coming home!

Sky City was packed to the brim, and every underground city resident who had gotten a family ticket had gathered on the grassy field where the warships would land. Countless people were waiting for their heroes—for their husbands, their children, their loved ones to return home.

One after another, the towering warships descended slowly from the sky, lined up in neat rows and columns.

The soldiers disembarking from the warship gathered in perfect formation. After three long years, every one of them was filled with excitement that could not be calmed. Back on their homeland once again, breathing the air of their motherland, with their own kin waiting not far away—how could they not be moved! How could they not tremble!

Colorful flags fluttered and swayed proudly in the wind.

Cheers and shouts rose higher and higher in waves.

When Li Lingfeng stepped down from the main battleship, the first thing he saw was the new king in a bright yellow divine robe. The king strode toward him with enthusiasm and pulled him into an embrace. “Welcome back, all of you. General Li, I’ve been looking forward to your return for days now. I’ve heard all about what happened with Ike, he was a criminal and his death was deserved. But you, you’re our great hero. Without you, these hundreds of thousands of soldiers might never have seen the light of day again. Rest assured, I won’t hold anything against you!”

The words were spoken with such sincerity, so moving on the surface.

But Li Lingfeng’s heart was filled only with coldness and mockery.

In his previous life, he had returned in triumph just like this. The new king had been just as understanding, and he had been fooled by the same façade, tricked into handing over his military power. Not only had his wife betrayed and abandoned him, but he had also been unable to protect his own child. After being poisoned, his mental strength spiraled out of control, and he died. Now that he had been reborn in this life, he would never make the same mistake again.

A glint of icy amusement flashed in Li Lingfeng’s eyes. “Then I thank Your Majesty.”

For some reason, the new king felt a faint prickle of unease in his heart. He had made inquiries. Li Lingfeng had grown up in harsh conditions, enduring all manner of hardships in the underground city. By all rights, someone from such a background shouldn’t possess such a powerful presence, one that could even make a king like him instinctively tread carefully in his presence.

This man was anything but simple.

He might even surpass Marshal Rod.

Though wary in his heart, the new king still did his best to maintain a smile. “General Li, you’ve led the soldiers for so many years out there, it’s been hard work. I’ve already arranged a banquet tonight in your honor, to be held in the largest square in Sky City, to welcome and cleanse the dust from all the soldiers. It will also be a fine opportunity to reward you and your family.”

The moment the words left his mouth, even the king himself froze.

He glanced into the distance and asked, “Has General Li’s family not arrived yet? I clearly ordered the underground city’s office to issue tickets to the families of all soldiers!”

The air went deathly still.

Li Lingfeng turned his head to glance behind him. There, many soldiers were embracing the loved ones they hadn’t seen in years, the joy and bittersweet ache of reunion flooding the air. The vast square was filled with warmth and affection, yet among all those people, there was no sign of Jian Chengxi.

Even though in this life he had returned a full year earlier, nothing had changed.

He had earned glory and military merit, yet Jian Chengxi had actually dared not to come!

Did he really think Li Lingfeng was dead?

Or had he run off with a lover…

Heh.

So eager to get rid of him?

What a joke.

A surge of barely visible hostility flickered in Li Lingfeng’s eyes, his spiritual power swelling violently within him under the push of his emotions.

The new king’s voice rang out. “General Li, there’s no need to mind it. Stay in the palace tonight, I’d like to have a long talk with you. And in all of Sky City, there are plenty of noble ladies and divine maidens who want to meet you. They’ve all heard of your deeds and have long wished to witness your bearing. Tonight’s banquet…”

“Your Majesty.” Before the new king could finish speaking, Li Lingfeng cut him off, turning to look at him with cold eyes and a grave expression. “I need to go home.”

The new king blinked, hesitating. “You’re… going back?”

Li Lingfeng’s tall, powerfully built frame stood steady as a mountain, and on his stern face, the corner of his mouth curved into a dangerous smile. He enunciated each word clearly, “To reunite.”

Looking into his eyes, the new king felt an inexplicable flicker of fear. “…”

Was that really a reunion and not going to settle a score?

…

Underground City.

At the entrance of the village, a crowd had gathered.

A-Hu, nearly in his teens, was bawling on the ground, his face swollen like a pig’s head and the fabric on his leg torn.

The villagers had all gathered around to watch the commotion.

A-Hu’s father was cursing furiously. “Jian Chengxi, you’ve got such a vicious heart! You’re not going anywhere today—you tell me clearly, did you or did you not bully my kid?”

Jian Chengxi shielded the children behind him and let out a short, mocking laugh. “A-Hu’s father, what on earth are you talking about? This morning my kids and I were out picking wild vegetables, we weren’t even home. How could I have bullied your kid?”

A-Hu’s dad shot back immediately, “Still trying to deny it, huh? My A-Hu went over to your place, and when he came back his pants were torn and his face was swollen like this. If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”

Jian Chengxi was momentarily stunned. Looking at A-Hu’s comical appearance on the ground, he almost felt like laughing, but instead he said, “What kind of twisted logic is that? Just because he went near my place means I did it? I wasn’t even there so how could I have? Other villagers saw me up in the mountains today. If you want to pin something on someone, at least bring some evidence!”

A-Hu’s dad was livid. He hauled A-Hu up and snatched a fruit from his hand. “It’s your fruit—poisoned! It’s what did this to my kid. Are you seriously going to say this isn’t yours?”

Jian Chengxi leaned in for a look and saw that it really was one of his, but he quickly put the pieces together. “A-Hu went and stole my fruit, didn’t he?”

At those words, A-Hu began wailing even harder. With his swollen, pig-like face, he struggled to his feet.

He tried to shuffle closer, but Li Chen, full of disdain, gave him a kick.

Li Suisui covered her face and whispered, “A-Hu, you look so ugly.”

A-Hu had been calming down, but at those words he burst into even more pitiful sobs, tears streaming down along with snot.

Li Suisui blinked her big eyes. “Now you look even uglier.”

A-Hu: “…”

Waaahhh!

Sobbing loudly!!!

The other villagers fell silent, but more of them turned their faces away, trying to hide their laughter.

A-Hu’s father was so furious he was about to explode. “Jian Chengxi, are you saying a child stole something? A-Hu is still just a child! He was only passing by your house and wanted a piece of fruit. Your own stuff was poisonous, and you still won’t admit it?”

Bandit logic.

Jian Chengxi immediately picked up the fruit and said, “A-Hu’s father, not long ago I noticed that the fruit in my orchard kept going missing. You know our family’s situation isn’t good—my husband passed away, and I still have two children to care for. The whole family depends on selling these fruits to make a living. I’m not like you, with a happy, well-off household. When my fruit trees lose their fruit, of course I’m anxious.”

“My kids are handy, they rigged up a little contraption in the orchard. I thought it was some brainless animal stealing the fruit, but I didn’t expect it would accidentally hurt your A-Hu.” A smile surfaced on Jian Chengxi’s face. “Still, I don’t think you’ll mind, right? After all, my Xiao Chen and Suisui are just children. How could they possibly have any bad intentions, don’t you agree?”

A-Hu’s father choked up, trembling slightly with anger, yet unable to find a retort to Jian Chengxi’s words.

What made him even angrier was hearing the other villagers murmuring:

“Yeah, yeah, it’s not easy for them.”

“Chengxi’s family has it so hard.”

“A-Hu’s father, you should keep an eye on your own kid too.”

“They’ve already got it tough enough as it is.”

“Why fuss with children over something like this?”

A-Hu’s father had always had a decent reputation in the village, and this time he’d made a scene hoping the villagers would take his side, ideally even drive Jian Chengxi’s family out. But he hadn’t expected things to turn around on him, leaving him looking bad both inside and out!

Jian Chengxi even spoke with apparent understanding. “But since the child was injured in our orchard, I’ll go to the clinic at the hospital and buy some medicine for the wounds. Think of it as an apology, how about that?”

A-Hu’s father had originally planned to extort a big payout, but in the end, two bottles of wound medicine were all he got. He was about to refuse, but then he met the eyes of the other villagers, and the words stuck in his throat. All he could do was fume until it felt like his lungs would burst, forcing out through gritted teeth, “Then… thank you.”

Jian Chengxi smiled. “You’re welcome.”

With that, the matter was considered settled, he still needed to make a trip to the clinic.

After going up the mountain to gather wild vegetables, the two children were already worn out, and Li Chen’s leg couldn’t be overworked. So Jian Chengxi simply took the children home and asked Grandma Li from next door to help look after them before heading into town.

By the time he came out of the clinic, it was already afternoon.

He had barely pushed open the clinic’s door and walked a short distance when a street not far away erupted in noisy chaos, accompanied by loud, feral roars. The sound alone made his heart tremble—it carried a distinctly ominous feeling.

Someone had fallen to the ground, and Jian Chengxi helped them up. “Are you alright?”

The dwarf from the dwarf race had taken quite a hard fall. Gripping Jian Chengxi’s hand, he said softly, “Hurry, run! Most of the guards are gone today, an orc’s spiritual power went berserk, he broke out of prison and went into a frenzy.”

Jian Chengxi was stunned. “What?!”

The moment the words left his mouth, a roar came from nearby, loud enough to almost shatter his eardrums.

Lifting his head, Jian Chengxi’s eyes widened in disbelief. Less than ten meters away stood an enormous beast, its entire body covered in black fur. It was a werewolf, its sharp claws seeming to glint with a chill wind. With a single swipe, it overturned a market stall, its crimson eyes locking onto a passerby before hurling them against a wall.

The dwarf let out a terrified scream. “Run!!”

That single scream gave away their position, and the werewolf in the distance instantly turned its head, locking onto its target.

The dwarf wrenched free from Jian Chengxi’s grip. His sense of pain was already sharper than most people’s, and the force of that pull hit his arm hard, sending a numbing ache through his whole body, freezing him in place. He let out a muffled groan, and when he looked up, a massive beast was charging straight at him, its sharp fangs fully bared. Despair spread through his chest, and he instinctively wanted to shut his eyes—

Boom!

A sound loud enough to burst his eardrums rang out right beside him, mingled with the orc’s piercing roar.

Dust billowed over the street, racks and stalls shattered into pieces, and the enormous beast that had just been strutting so arrogantly was slammed into a wall with such force that it left a massive hole in the brick building.

Jian Chengxi slowly opened his eyes, only to see a tall figure standing in front of him. Clad in silver armor, the man’s cold, chiseled profile was barely visible in the dim light of dusk, his expression unreadable.

Then—

He slowly turned around.

“What are you crying for?” The man walked forward step by step until he stood fully before the person who had been scared out of their wits. His cold, sharp gaze fell on Jian Chengxi. On Li Lingfeng’s well-defined fingers, there still seemed to be traces of the orc’s blood. He slowly lifted the chin of his delicate, frail wife, his voice low and husky. “What’s this? After a few years apart, have you forgotten who your man is?”