That year, in the black of night, Chu Tianfan entered Anglandur via the west coast of the Pacific Ocean.
There was, however, no one there to receive him when that previously all-conquering overlord returned to that land once more.
An endless wildness and permeating darkness were all that greeted him.
Life had always been characterized by a sense of solitude, and so desolating the lonesomeness was that even a returning former overlord would not be spared from it.
Once the Hall Master of Dragon God Hall who had the world at his beck and call, he was on his own at that moment, flanked by those three old fellows behind him, people he could no longer rely on.
The moment Ye Fan came ashore, he paused right there and then, and what a long pause it was, so much so that it got the trio watching at a distance from the rear mystified, puzzled as to why he suddenly declined to advance.
Could it be that he's changed his mind? With the understanding that his chances of attaining victory are slim to none, could he have become apprehensive about proceeding and is thus considering turning back? That'd be marvelous if it were true.
“Come on. Let's go over and try to talk to Mr. Chu. Who knows? He might give up and agree to go back with us.”
With that in mind, Haibu and the others were about to proceed with continuing to shake up Ye Fan's resolve when King Folo stopped them. “Just leave him be.”
“Why, King Folo? He's hesitating now, which makes it the best chance for us to have his ears,” Haibu asked.
King Folo shook his head in disagreement. “Hesitating? Do you really think that this monster of a man who kills without batting an eyelid would ever hesitate? Back in the day, has this man so much as blinked when he slaughtered Grandmasters, trampled upon the Chu Sect, and took the entire martial arts world by storm? How could you not understand that, having fought by his side for as long as all of you did? He's stubborn as hell, so no one is going to be able to sway him from his path once he has his mind set on anyone or anything.”
“But he...” Haibu and the others then looked to the fore.
In the distance stood Ye Fan's solitary figure.
That emaciated frame of his seemed so isolated in the dark.
With only his own shadow for his company, it elicited a feeling of profound forlornness within others.
“I guess he must be reminiscing...” said King Folo steadily and assuredly after a moment's silence.
Indeed, no one would be able to understand what was going through Ye Fan's mind at that moment as he regarded that stretch of sand running along the coastline beneath his feet.
Ye Fan would not forget that he had been there before.
That year, he led those of Dragon God Hall back to China following their defeat by the Chu Sect, and it was there that he boarded the ship back to his country.
It was also where the woman named Tang Yun gave up on all her power and status to return to the
country and home with him.
Right there was where the usually dignified and respected head of the Chu Sect showered him with all the tenderness she had to give.
Every man was bound to encounter a few unforgettable women throughout his own lifetime.
Among them were those like Qiu Mucheng, his wife who had been through thick and thin with him, the woman he could never let down.
Then, there were others like Tang Yun, who was like a shooting star blazing across the horizon, showing up like a dazzling spark in his life.
Her presence had been so awe-inspiring and yet so fleeting as if it was all a dream.
“It has been almost three years, Yun. How have you been?”
Ye Fan was preoccupied with thoughts and complicated feelings, for he did not know Tang Yun's state in the Chu Sect at the moment.
Furthermore, he had no idea how to face her were they to meet again.
Between the interests of the sect and her own personal feelings, how would Tang Yun choose this time?
Previously, Tang Yun had chosen him in the end, but Ye Fan let her down when he could not take her with him.
“If the opportunity presents itself, I, Chu Tianfan, swear I'll never let you be on the losing end this time!”
A glimmer of resolve appeared within Ye Fan's eyes as he clenched his fists tightly.
“I've been looking forward to the arrival of this day for a long time, Chu Tianfan, and have specially staged this banquet to give you a proper send-off in the knowledge that your death is nigh.”
In the stillness of the night, a sonorous voice rang out, taking King Folo and the others by surprise.
They turned their attention to the front warily, only to see a single lit lamp rising in the distant darkness while they were none the wiser.
The light from the lamp, which swayed amidst the blackness, hinted at the presence of a shadowy figure seated there.
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