"Still holding a grudge?"
The old man said with a hint of helplessness, "What happened back then, those who deserved to pay the price have already died by your hand. The Feng family also feels there's something fishy. Feng Qianyuan's death may not have been entirely your doing, so they won't pursue it further."
"I didn't say I wouldn't pursue it," Chen Fan scoffed. "The Feng family, it's not that they won't pursue me anymore, it's that I will pursue them now."
Upon hearing this, the old man showed a wry smile and said, "Must it be this way? Let the past be carried away by the wind. Countless people are waiting for you to protect them!"
"Putting aside the Feng family, let's talk about what happened three years ago. Did all those who deserved to pay the price truly pay it?" Chen Fan asked coldly. "You know this better than I do!"
The old man looked helpless and said, "You are the God of War of the Nation, you should prioritize the bigger picture!"
"I just want to say, to hell with the bigger picture!" Chen Fan said emotionally. "Old Liang, Old Yue, Luo Zhigang, Liu Xiaolong... so many names. They faced death, survived hails of bullets, only to die in their own country."
"And Jing Yuan, his death was unclear. I just want justice!"
Hearing this, the Dragon Head's mouth twitched slightly.
"For three years, I married into the Su family, lived in seclusion, acted like a dog... What invincible War God, undefeated commander, soul of the nation. To be ordered around, isn't that laughable?"
"You still hold resentment!"
"No, I don't. I don't care about anything imposed upon me, I can disregard it all," Chen Fan continued. "But if the events of that year are not thoroughly accounted for, my heart will not be at peace. One day, those undying spirits will question me, calling me their commander and asking if their sacrifices were worth it."
"I cannot answer, I cannot reply!"
The Dragon Head sighed, speechless.
"You don't need to worry either," Chen Fan turned to leave and said. "I won't act rashly. In three years, I've learned to temper my edge, to proceed slowly. They taught me this. If I hadn't been so sharp back then, perhaps the outcome wouldn't have been like this!"
He opened the door and added, "I won't make things difficult for you. However, for now, let's keep my return a secret. Those people want to play, we can take our time. There's no war on the borders, I have plenty of time!"
The Dragon Head knew he couldn't dissuade Chen Fan. After a moment of silence, he said, "So, you'll be presenting yourself in the capital as the eldest young master of the Chen family?"
"Correct."
Chen Fan walked out the door.
Downstairs, the figures in military green were still standing rigidly at attention, saluting in unison.
As he passed familiar faces, Chen Fan paused to straighten their collars and pat their chests.
Excitement flickered across their young faces.
Chen Fan remained silent.
For their sake, there was nothing that could change what he had to do.
A few minutes later, he got into a car, driven by Qi Wu.
He didn't return to the Chen family but asked Qi Wu to take him to a siheyuan.
Qi Wu went up to knock on the door.
The door opened quickly, revealing a pale man in his late twenties, wearing pajamas.
Chen Fan walked up and said, "It's getting late, I'd like to stay the night."
Qi Wu behind him looked a bit odd.
The man, however, smiled and said, "You're back?"
Chen Fan nodded.
"Come in, I'll whip up a few dishes and we can have a drink."
Chen Fan smiled placidly and asked, "Do you have lamb kidneys?"
"Plenty!" The man, after a slight pause, chuckled. "I haven't heard from you for so long, I thought you were dead. And now you show up asking for lamb kidneys? Are you that weak?"
"Not as weak as you."
Chen Fan laughed heartily and waved to Qi Wu, "You can go back and rest!"
Qi Wu saluted and drove away.
The man invited Chen Fan into the courtyard, pointing to a set of tables and chairs under a canopy. "Sit down for a moment, I'll get the food."
As he spoke, a light turned on in one of the rooms, and a beautiful woman in her early thirties, wearing a robe, came out.
"We have a guest?" the woman said gently.
"You're up? Prepare a room, this fellow wants to stay the night."
Chen Fan looked at the woman and was slightly taken aback. "You're married?"
"Yes, it's been three years. I'm not young anymore. Isn't it normal to be married?"
The man carried a barbecue grill out into the yard and laid out some ingredients nearby.
The woman came over to help.
"Axiu, this is Chen Tianjiao," the man introduced. "You can call him Xiao Jiao."
Chen Fan looked a little dazed.
The woman smiled politely at Chen Fan but chided the man, "It's cold at night, you're not feeling well. Go put on another layer. I'll handle things here."
"Alright."
The man, with a hint of indulgence, went inside to change.
Chen Fan watched this scene silently, feeling both relieved and a little awkward.
If he had known his brother was married, he probably wouldn't have visited so late to ask for lodging.
Everything was quickly prepared, the ingredients placed on the grill, emitting a fragrant aroma.
After pouring two glasses of wine, Chen Fan said, "I apologize for disturbing you so late."
"If you and I still have to say this, then you truly shouldn't have come," the man said with a smile. "You weren't so polite when you sent me to my death back then."
Chen Fan raised his glass and drank it down in one go. "In that battle, anyone could have died, including myself. But you survived, at least Heaven didn't push me to the brink of destruction!"
The man shook his head. "You carry too much. Unlike me, who lives comfortably? I bask in the sun, spend time with my woman, and don't have to bear everything on my shoulders like you."
Chen Fan was about to say more, but the man waved him off. "Don't talk about this being your duty. I don't want to hear it. I'm just an ordinary person now. Matters of state and patriotic fervor have nothing to do with me. Let's drink."
Chen Fan's expression was somewhat lost, his mood complex.
Returning to the capital, he harbored too many emotions.
He didn't want to bring these emotions home, so he came here.
To see an old friend, this was the only place in the complicated vortex of the capital where he could truly find peace and relaxation.
The man before him had also fought enemies on the battlefield, wading through three thousand miles of blood, fighting side-by-side with him!
What was even more remarkable was that this man had once devised brilliant strategies to capture enemy cities, defended a city for fifteen days with superhuman intellect, and survived certain death.
However, after that battle, he made a swift exit, buried his great achievements, and returned to an ordinary life.
Chen Fan, on the other hand, still bore the weight of the nation.
This was the difference between the two of them.
His name was ordinary, Bai Wenting, but another name, the Versatile General, had once earned him a bounty of over ten million from enemy nations.
This man's wisdom allowed him to see through the vicissitudes of life.
Only here could Chen Fan be unrestrained and unconcerned with everything else.
"I've returned this time, and I won't be leaving for a while."
Chen Fan raised his glass and said.
"Then you should visit me less often," Bai Wenting smiled and said. "Otherwise, I'll be dragged down by you again."
Chen Fan chuckled. "Only twice, once when you arrived, and once when you leave. Never more."
"Then I'm at ease."
Glass after glass, the two of them chatted about mundane things until the night deepened, and Bai Wenting was urged by his wife to rest.
Early the next morning, leaving a dragon and phoenix jade pendant he carried with him on the table where they had been drinking, Chen Fan walked out of the small siheyuan.
A very ordinary Mercedes-Benz car was parked outside, and a man in a suit, looking like a white-collar worker, stood by the car.
Chen Fan walked over, and the man respectfully handed him the car keys, saying, "Mr. Long."
Taking the keys, Chen Fan drove away, heading straight for the Chen family.