"I can't believe you found this out-of-the-way place," Mu Hanqi said sarcastically as she entered.
"The outside world is in turmoil because of you. They say several elders from the royal family have arrived, demanding you pay a price, yet here you are, enjoying yourself."
Ye Longlin put down his newspaper and replied softly, "That's their business. What does it have to do with me?"
Mu Hanqi was speechless, as it was the truth. While the outside world was in an uproar, with everyone believing Ye Longlin was being investigated by the Dragon Observation Bureau, no one could have imagined he'd pulled off a masterful deception and was leisurely reading the newspaper here.
"I'll be staying here for the next two days."
The scenery and environment were excellent, perfect for a peaceful retirement.
"I heard the Qi family also lives here?" Ye Longlin suddenly asked, showing his curiosity.
"Yes, after the last International Go Tournament, Elder Qi Sheng moved back here. This is where he bought his retirement home. Elderly people prefer tranquility. If Qi Chuyao hadn't been participating in the Go tournament, Elder Qi wouldn't have gone to the city."
For the elder, the time wasted on travel was better spent accompanying his granddaughter and playing a few more games of Go.
Ye Longlin nodded. "Shall we go find Elder Qi?"
It was only four o'clock, still some time before dinner, so he suggested going out to explore. Ye Longlin always liked to get acquainted with the surrounding area when he entered a new environment. If any unexpected situations arose, he would at least be familiar with the terrain.
"I'm preparing dinner. Elder Qi is at Villa Number Seven. There's also a Go room here, you can go take a look."
Ye Longlin stood up, and Mu Hanqi followed suit.
"What are you doing?" Ye Longlin asked, feigning confusion.
Mu Hanqi rolled her eyes and retorted impatiently, "To see how you lose!"
Villa Number Seven.
Qi Sheng was carefully clearing snow in the yard. He hadn't seen such heavy snow in years. He had scattered some camellia seeds in the yard, but he hadn't expected such a large snowfall this year. Fearing the cold might prevent the camellias from growing, he had set up a frame.
"Grandma has been gone for two years, you don't need to plant them anymore," Qi Chuyao said as she came out of the villa, draping a cotton coat over her grandfather. She spoke with a hint of heartache.
Qi Sheng smiled wryly, ruffled Qi Chuyao's hair, and said with a smile, "But seeing these flowers always reminds me of your grandmother. Back then, before I had made my fortune, only your grandmother stayed with me. In our era, we didn't have enough to eat or wear. Your grandmother would go out to work, earning only fifty or sixty yuan a month, while I stayed home studying Go. Later, as the times improved, I gradually established a company and built a family. Without your grandmother, there might not be a Qi family today. Your grandmother should have been the head of the family, but I couldn't take good care of her."
He sighed, as for the elderly, it was the ones left behind who suffered the most. The love of the older generation valued loyalty; choosing one person to grow old with was vividly displayed in their generation. However, many people of their generation, who had seen better days, couldn't survive that winter.
"That's why your grandmother loved camellias the most, planting them in winter so we could see them bloom in the spring. Your grandmother also liked to say that camellias could survive the winter, and this tenacious vitality almost represents most people in the world."
Qi Chuyao fell silent. She knew her grandfather's feelings for her grandmother. Although there weren't many sweet words, their affection was genuinely strong. Even on the night Grandma passed away, she was still knitting a scarf for Grandpa. At their status, people would do anything for them, but this sentiment, from the very beginning, had never changed.
"Grandma liked to watch the snow, and you promised to bring Grandma to see the snow, but now Grandma can't see it anymore." Qi Chuyao's eyes welled up. She rubbed her eyes, and then an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.
"Tea... Teacher?"
Qi Sheng turned to look at Ye Longlin, slightly surprised, and then burst into laughter.
"Little friend Ye has come specifically to play Go with this old man?"
Ye Longlin shook his head. "I've changed my residence and heard that Elder Qi is here, so I've felt a bit antsy."
Qi Sheng stepped forward and said mysteriously, "The outside world is in an uproar. Many people say that little friend Ye won't get through this. They also say that a big shot from the capital has come to personally interrogate you. Now it seems that everything was a scheme by little friend Ye, hahahaha!"
Ye Longlin gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Elder Qi's information channels are truly formidable. I've only been here for about two hours, and currently, only a handful of people know. I didn't expect Elder Qi to be so interested in outside news."
Qi Sheng chuckled, then shook his head. "It's not that my information is extensive, but the mess you've stirred up is too big to not know. However, I'm very curious, what exactly do you intend to do, little friend?"
Ye Longlin remained silent, shaking his head slightly. He preferred fewer people to know about this matter.
"It's nothing, nothing, just the curiosity of an old man. After all, I don't have many years left, and I'm just curious about these things. Since little friend Ye has come, why not try my granddaughter's cooking? Have dinner here tonight, and we can play a couple of games."
This young man was no ordinary person. Although they hadn't interacted much, a person's character and temperament could be revealed through playing Go.
Ye Longlin chuckled. "I just want to find more war criminals to bring to justice, and incidentally, resolve some matters from my childhood, in preparation for entering the capital next year."
Qi Sheng looked puzzled. "What preparations are needed to enter the capital? As things stand, having money is all you need."
Ye Longlin smiled slightly, looked at a falling leaf, pinched it between his fingers, examined its veins, and then casually waved his hand. Instantly, a powerful gust of martial energy blew, scattering all the snow on the ground. However, the wind did not dissipate; it seemed to coalesce into small figures that arranged themselves neatly on the ground.
"Ten thousand soldiers march into the capital; next year, the sea of blood will dictate the tides."
Qi Sheng's smile instantly froze. He then gasped, looking at Ye Longlin in shock. The killing intent was palpable! From his words, Qi Sheng only sensed immense killing intent and an unparalleled dominance that regarded all heroes in the world as nothing!
"Little friend, why go to such extremes? Daxia is not the Daxia of the past. Misuse of public resources is a crime."
Ye Longlin casually threw the leaf in his hand, precisely decapitating a snowman, which then quickly melted into water.
"In this world, no one has dared to convict me. If there is, then I will kill him."