Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 437 Everyone has a father who sacrifices his own family for the greater good.

The following morning, in a private garden in the capital that was not open to the public, a very elegant teahouse was built by the water.

Fragrant tea is ready, and exquisite breakfast is ready to be served at any time.

The heads of the Zhao, Wang, Zhang, and Li families had arrived early, all dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. They appeared calm, but their eyes held a hint of barely perceptible tension and anticipation.

Not far away, four women dressed in elegant cheongsams, with beautiful faces and gentle demeanor, stood quietly waiting, holding the gifts they had prepared in advance.

Last night, Lu Mingfei, who hadn't played games with Erii but instead snuggled on the sofa watching anime, got up without bothering to dress up properly. He called Chu Zihang, who was still sleeping alone, and they went out to a banquet.

Guided by the waiter, the two walked through the winding garden paths to the waterfront teahouse.

Upon seeing four middle-aged and elderly men dressed like wealthy landlords from afar, Lu Mingfei's lips twitched involuntarily. He touched his pocket, fearing that a golden pistol might suddenly appear inside, and he would then transform into a "non-beef eater" and "bang bang bang."

When Lu Mingfei appeared at the tea room door on time, the four family heads immediately stood up, their faces beaming with warm yet measured smiles.

As the person in charge, Li Xuanheng was about to step forward to exchange pleasantries when his gaze suddenly froze, landing on the tall, stern-faced young man behind Lu Mingfei, who wore the same white shirt and black trousers he never wore before.

Chu Zihang!
Why is he here?
In an instant, the four family heads were all surprised. After all, in their opinion, if Lu Mingfei were to bring someone, he should bring his girlfriend along, or at the very least, invite the Zhou family members to accompany him.

Chu Zihang's appearance was quite unexpected.

However, considering the rumors that Chu Zihang is a descendant of the Chu family, it is not surprising.

However... Chu Zihang's identity is still somewhat sensitive.

He is not only a good friend of Lu Mingfei and a descendant of the Chu family, but also one of the most sought-after figures by Kassel College.

It is a work of mixed human and dragon heritage, and also a Sino-US co-production that excels in both arts and sports.

Li Xuanheng reacted the fastest, quickly concealing his momentary surprise and replacing it with even greater enthusiasm. He strode forward, showing not only great respect to Lu Mingfei but also sufficient courtesy to Chu Zihang.

"Young friend Mingfei, I have long admired your name. Meeting you today, I can see that you are indeed a young hero!"

It is truly an honor for us to have you grace us with your presence today. Welcome, welcome!

"This must be Chu Zihang, the one who slew the King of Earth and Mountain. He is a handsome and imposing man. Please come in."

The head of the Li family understood this very well. No matter how many connections Chu Zihang had, as long as he stood by Lu Mingfei's side, the Chu family's resurgence was only a matter of time.

The other three family heads also reacted immediately, stepping forward to express their sincere welcome and admiration for the two, without mentioning their slight surprise, as if Chu Zihang's arrival was an expected and joyous occasion.

Lu Mingfei took in their reactions, a half-smile playing on his lips.

He deliberately avoided mentioning Chu Zihang's arrival, wanting to see what these old foxes' attitude was towards the Chu family's descendants joining Kassel College, and also to indirectly verify whether they were secretly monitoring their group's movements.

Judging from the current situation, these four family heads have acted reasonably well, at least in terms of putting on a good show.

He simply waved his hand casually, his tone relaxed: "You're all too kind. Just order whatever you like. No need for all this formality. I'm a pretty easygoing person."

After speaking, he walked to the main seat surrounded by the four family heads and took a seat. He also pulled Chu Zihang to sit next to him.

Chu Zihang remained expressionless throughout, only nodding slightly to the family heads. When they introduced themselves, he said "hello" and then remained silent, sitting there with his back straight and his gaze calm and unwavering, like an emotionless bodyguard.

But, who is protecting whom when serving as a bodyguard for the strongest dragon slayer of our time?

The group sat down again, their minds already racing.

Lu Mingfei brought Chu Zihang without prior notice, which seemed somewhat impolite, but upon closer examination, they had no old grudges against each other, and even had a common potential rival right now—the Chen family.

It is said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If we round it up, they feel that they have probably gained Lu Mingfei's friendship.
As Li Xuanheng personally poured hot tea for Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang, filling the pot to about seven-tenths full, his mind raced.

He didn't try to probe or hint at anything at the beginning; he went straight to the "emotional card" mode, constantly mentioning the glory of the Lu and Chu families' ancestors and how fortunate the families present were to have connections with this heroic clan.

Although the four family heads looked to be only in their fifties or sixties, hybrids have a longer lifespan and stronger physique than normal people, so in reality they were all in their seventies or eighties.

The Zhang family patriarch was also caught up in the atmosphere, reminiscing about the past. His voice was loud and clear, carrying the straightforwardness of a soldier, as he looked at Chu Zihang, who had remained silent:
"Little Chu, your great-grandfather had this back in the day!"

He gave a thumbs up, his eyes filled with deep admiration: "With a big blade, he made those Japanese devils cry for their fathers and mothers. It is said that the Japanese devils specially invited several sword masters from the Sheqi family to carry out the assassination in order to kill him."

In modern terms, they were all A-rank hybrids, and in Japan they were revered as sword masters.

But it was all for naught; your grandfather chopped them all off one by one, and their heads were hung on the city wall.

He was a true king of soldiers, forged through countless battles!
Back then, I was just a young boy. I saw him once from afar with my elders. His aura was truly that of a dragon among men, majestic and extraordinary.

I hid so far away and so well, but he still found me. One glance at me, and good heavens, I almost peed my pants.

"Your grandfather was also a great man. I even went up north with him to fight the Americans back then, but unfortunately..."

He paused, sighed, and didn't continue, but his regret was evident.

The head of the Wang family sighed: "The Chu family has been loyal and brave for generations, protecting the region. It's just that the fighting was too fierce back then. After Old Master Chu passed away, the family became increasingly small. Your grandfather was injured and didn't go out often. Only your father liked to wander around the streets and alleys."

Chu Zihang listened silently, picked up his teacup and took a sip to suppress the dryness in his throat.

I had heard Zhou Minhao talk about the Chu family's past before, but he didn't know much. These elderly people in Beijing knew much more about it.

His great-grandfather and grandfather were too far away and had long since passed away. It was true that hearing about their glorious past stirred his heart, but what truly moved him was his good-for-nothing father, whom both the Zhang and Wang family heads described as a typical spoiled brat.

"Was my father always... rather frivolous?" Chu Zihang suppressed the turmoil in his heart and asked softly.

Li Xuanheng responded, "Your grandfather was away when your father was young, and only your great-grandfather and grandmother took care of him. He is the only descendant of the Chu family, and they cherish him very much."

He phrased it rather tactfully, but Chu Zihang still understood that his father was indeed a spoiled rich kid back then.

but……

It turns out that he didn't have a father when he was a child.

No wonder he always seemed so irresponsible when he became a father, willing to abandon his wife and children for the sake of so-called responsibility.

Lu Mingfei listened with great interest, occasionally interjecting a question or two, asking which Japanese sword masters Chu Zihang's great-grandfather had killed, and whether he would ask Genjiro and the others if they had left any legacy. If so, he would find an opportunity to take Chu Zihang to Japan again and break them up.

If not, then forget it.

However, he was also quite curious, as his grandfather had served in the army back then, and he wondered if these people had ever heard of it.

However, upon hearing this, the heads of the families shook their heads helplessly.

Lu Mingfei's grandfather's grandfather, Lu Shanyan, was a revolutionary who also collaborated with the secret party and died abroad. At that time, it was still a feudal autocratic society, and if they said they would exterminate your entire family, they really would.

If Lu Shanyan hadn't made preparations in advance and settled his family properly, there probably wouldn't be a Lu Mingfei in this world today, the peerless hero who killed the Dragon King like a chicken.

Lu Mingfei was slightly disappointed upon hearing this, but these people did know about his great-great-grandfather's generation and beyond, which was quite interesting to hear, making him feel that this trip was worthwhile.

The four family heads chatted amongst themselves, reminiscing about the glorious past. Their conversation was devoid of any artifice, consisting entirely of straightforward seniority, yet it did not cause any annoyance.

They would also complain about their descendants, saying that none of them were capable. They said that if they had even one-tenth or one-hundredth of the abilities of Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang, they could die with a smile on their faces.

Unfortunately, no.

Lu Mingfei acted as if he were really there to listen to the older generation tell stories, without any awareness of being at the center of the storm. When he heard them complaining about their descendants, he would also join in with some advice, saying that he was a poor student who was good at only one subject and should not follow his example.

We should learn from Chu Zihang; he's handsome, academically gifted, and incredibly skilled in combat.

Chu Zihang remained silent, simply drinking his tea.

With the efforts of the four family heads and the cooperation of Lu Mingfei, the atmosphere in the tea room gradually shifted from the initial restraint and politeness to a slightly nostalgic and sentimental atmosphere of everyday family life.

Having established a friendly relationship and closed the distance between them, Li Xuanheng felt that the time was right, so he gently clapped his hands.

The waiters, who had been waiting outside, filed in one after another. They were all tall, long-legged beauties in cheongsams with elegant demeanor.

Holding exquisite food boxes in their hands, they gracefully placed one delicious and colorful Beijing-style breakfast dish after another onto the table.

Good news! No fermented mung bean juice or roast chicken, so there's no need to worry about the slightly overweight and enthusiastic head of the Li family getting choked to death by chicken bones.

There was no alcohol at the table, but tea was used instead, which did not prevent us from discussing serious matters.

Seeing that Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang had both started eating and showed no dissatisfaction, with the former even praising them, the family heads felt somewhat relieved and gradually relaxed.

In addition to flattery that doesn't offend, he also began to subtly express that he had heard about and deeply resented certain behaviors of the Chen family, but could only remain silent because they were so well hidden and he didn't have concrete evidence. He also emphasized that his family had always adhered to the rules and taken maintaining stability as its responsibility.

This statement not only distanced itself from the Chen family but also clearly expressed its willingness to provide financial and human resources if needed in Lu Mingfei's subsequent actions, essentially a pledge of allegiance.

Lu Mingfei naturally accepted all offers of help.

Those who could gain the Zhou family's approval and be recommended to him could not possibly be scoundrels who colluded with the Chen family; they were trustworthy.

The teacher once said that we should make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible.

Seeing this, the four family heads felt a great weight lifted from their hearts, and genuine smiles appeared on their faces.

Now they have everything they need.

All that's left is for Lu Mingfei, Zhou Bai, and the other mixed-blood ancient clans to wreak havoc on the Chen family, and then they can just help clean up the mess from behind.

Just as they were enjoying themselves, Lu Mingfei suddenly seemed to remember something and said:
"Speaking of which, it's not just you who are treating us today; the Chen family also sent an invitation to me to come over for a chat."

Although strictly speaking, it was he who took the initiative to say he wanted to go to the Chen family, at that time only the Chen family's butler and that stupid driver who was disguised as a driver but whose bloodline strength had already given away his identity were present. Even if he said that the Chen family was kneeling on the ground begging him to give them a chance, the Chen family could at most retort that the butler had rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis and was unable to kneel down.

Upon hearing this, all four family heads showed surprise.

Is the Chen family about to kneel down?

No way! Given Mr. Chen's personality, it's impossible for him to admit defeat before even trying to resist. He won the fierce battle for the family headship that was comparable to the struggle among the nine princes.

Is it because I'm getting old and have lost the fierceness I had when I was young?

Or is it that they realized that any struggle would be futile in the face of absolute power?

Li Xuanheng couldn't figure it out for a moment, so he simply stopped thinking about it. Since he had already chosen to follow Lu Mingfei and cheer him on, he might as well just follow in his footsteps.

Whether Lu Mingfei intends to take over the Chen family without bloodshed or to replace the head of the Chen family by noon today, they have already placed their bets on him. Going all in is a kind of wisdom; just follow along!

So he directly asked Lu Mingfei what the Chen family had invited him to do.

Lu Mingfei took in the gazes of the four people, most of them surprised and curious. They weren't worried that he was about to lower his sword halfway through his execution, nor did he keep them in suspense.
"My daughter Erii's grandmother has half Chen family blood. I'm going to look up their family tree and also help a friend of mine get revenge."

Upon hearing this, the four family heads felt both disappointed and relieved.

Disappointed that he wasn't planning to directly destroy the Chen family head and instead slowly erode the Chen family by replacing him with someone else.

He breathed a sigh of relief because his visit to the Chen family was still seen as causing trouble, not as an acceptance of the Chen family's surrender.

They said it themselves: how could that domineering and scheming guy possibly admit defeat so easily?

Thankfully, Mr. Chen's public image has been stabilized.

Chu Zihang also looked up at Lu Mingfei; he really didn't know they were planning to go to the Chen family's house at noon.

As for the friend he mentioned who helped him vent his anger, we can rule out himself and Xia Mi first.

So, when did Nono's relationship with Lu Mingfei improve?
He guessed that Lu Mingfei must have helped Nuonuo and her brother reunite before, and that they had reached some kind of agreement.

Nono's profile is very strong, but Lu Mingfei is so strong that he doesn't need a profile at all, so her biggest role is... to keep Caesar tied down?
Another honey trap?
Wait, why did I say "again"?

Chu Zihang frowned, wondering if there was something wrong with his thinking.

(End of this chapter)