"Chen Ge, what are you thinking about?"
Xu Yaoyao couldn't help but step forward and ask, worried that Chen Jinzhao was trapped and couldn't get out.
Chen Jinzhao frankly said, "I'm thinking about two people."
"They should have been by my side at this time, but in reality, they are not."
Xu Yaoyao knew who Chen Jinzhao was referring to, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Are you going to look for them?"
Chen Jinzhao hummed.
Xu Yaoyao fell silent.
"You say, should I not look for them? That way, I can keep a hope," Chen Jinzhao's tone was bitter.
He was afraid of finding them only to receive dire news.
Xu Yaoyao quickly said, "No, I believe they are definitely still alive, just in some corner we don't know about. Moreover, I strongly support Chen Ge looking for them; perhaps they are also waiting for you to find them."
"Sister Yu and the others will understand you."
Chen Jinzhao gave a wry smile, "I no longer have the drive of my youth. I'm increasingly afraid of accidents and have become more timid. I'm truly afraid that if I don't look for them now, I'll have even less courage in the future."
The current Chen Jinzhao was no longer the solitary youth he once was.
On his shoulders rested his aging mother, his wife who constantly worried about his safety, his two young children, and the countless twinkling lights of home...
If Chen Jinzhao were to fall, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Xu Yaoyao said with firm eyes, "Chen Ge, you worry too much. Even if, hypothetically, something happened to you, I believe that with the resilience of this nation, it will still be able to overcome the storms it faces."
Chen Jinzhao was taken aback.
Then he chuckled, "Yes, you've reminded me."
"Even if I fall, there will be thousands upon thousands of me who will stand up to protect this land and journey towards our own stars and seas!"
He had now seen the light and was even more determined to find his father and Tao Qiyue.
They were still waiting for him.
For the next month, Chen Jinzhao stayed by Yu Mengzhi and the others' side, as he was about to embark on a dangerous endeavor.
The month had come.
Before setting off, Chen Jinzhao first visited the cemetery in the western suburbs of the capital and stood before Shangguan Yu'an's grave.
A sigh escaped his lips.
He did not want such regret to happen again. He swore to find his father and Tao Qiyue!
After speaking a few words to Shangguan Yu'an, Chen Jinzhao prepared to turn and leave.
He then saw an old man standing not far away, watching him. Upon seeing the old man, Chen Jinzhao was stunned, then stepped forward to greet him, "Why did you come without letting me know?"
The visitor was Shangguan Yunhe, Shangguan Yu'an's grandfather.
Since Shangguan Yu'an's sacrifice, the old man had visibly aged, making Chen Jinzhao sigh.
Shangguan Yunhe said, "I came to see her. I didn't want to disturb you."
Chen Jinzhao knew that the elder had once placed great hopes on his granddaughter, and all those hopes had vanished with Shangguan Yu'an's sacrifice. It would be difficult for anyone to accept. Chen Jinzhao could hardly imagine his own child leaving him one day.
That would surely be a sorrow that ordinary people could not bear.
"You must take care of yourself, Elder. Hua Guo still needs pillars like you to support it. I believe she wouldn't want to see you immersed in grief all day long in heaven," Chen Jinzhao said to comfort him. Shangguan Yunhe gave a wry smile, "The dead are dead. Although I wish she were still alive, we who are living must accept reality."
Shangguan Yunhe was very open-minded.
Chen Jinzhao, on the other hand, didn't know what to say.
"I heard you're setting off?" Shangguan Yunhe asked. Chen Jinzhao nodded, "Yes, I want to find two old friends."
Shangguan Yunhe said earnestly, "Then you must be careful. The Wu family is not to be trifled with. They might be the true rulers of this sky. Don't be fooled by those who have sworn allegiance to you now; in reality, these people have intricate connections with the Wu family. The Wu family once approached me, wanting me to serve them. You know the result; I refused."
"But the conditions they offered were almost impossible for me to refuse."
"To extend your lifespan, right?" Chen Jinzhao wanted to know the answer to this question.
Shangguan Yunhe looked at Chen Jinzhao in surprise.
Then he nodded, "Yes, that condition was truly hard to refuse. After all, who wouldn't want to live forever? Especially we old folks in power, we want to wield power until the end of time. Emotions are not eternal; power is."
How could the Wu family, the foremost family in Hua Guo, be easily destroyed?
Besides, Xu Han Chen had already revealed these things to him, but Xu Han Chen did not know where the Wu family had gone.
Chen Jinzhao had already formed some conjectures in his mind.
"Thank you for the reminder, Elder. I will certainly be cautious," Chen Jinzhao said.
Shangguan Yunhe said, "Mm, be careful on your journey."
Chen Jinzhao left the cemetery.
Wu Gang and Luo Feng were waiting at the entrance of the cemetery.
The two had grown through the crucible of war, their eyes shining with the unquenchable light of ideals.
"Go and make preparations," Chen Jinzhao instructed them about his plans.
Luo Feng was greatly shocked, "Chen Ge, do we really have to do this? If these people become desperate, I fear it will lead to disaster."
"This is our world, not theirs, these old fossils who should decay," Chen Jinzhao said calmly, with an irrefutable firmness. Wu Gang held back Luo Feng, who was about to speak, and nodded, "Okay, we'll arrange it now. But do you really not need us to accompany you?"
"I fear this trip might be dangerous."
"Why don't we handle the negotiations? After all, Chen Ge's identity is too special. I'm afraid something might go wrong."
Chen Jinzhao waved his hand, "No, I'll go myself."
The two became anxious, both wanting to protect Chen Jinzhao. If the situation became critical, they were even willing to sacrifice themselves to buy him a chance to escape.
Seeing that they still wanted to say something, Chen Jinzhao said coldly, "Do you dare to disobey my orders?"
"We dare not! It's just..." Wu Gang hesitated.
"It's no big deal, it's just death. If anything truly happens to me, you must step up and carry the burden! It's settled, your task is to obey the arrangement." Chen Jinzhao's tone was firm, not allowing them to object.
The two could only agree.
The next morning, Chen Jinzhao traveled alone to the far north of Hua Guo, his sights set on Xuantian Temple!
He had suspected something was amiss with Xuantian Temple from the beginning, but he lacked evidence. Only later, when he learned that the Wu family had not been exterminated, did he belatedly realize a crucial point he had overlooked.
Ding Ling, the eldest disciple of Xuantian Temple—
should correspond to Subject Zero of the Divine Kingdom's experiments.
Since the Wu family still existed, they must have a close relationship with Xuantian Temple.
Chen Jinzhao returned to the far north, his state of mind completely different from last time.
"Xuantian Temple, I'm here!"
"If my father is with you, your good days are over."