Due to military orders, the Eastern Domain War Zone dedicated significant manpower and resources to the thorough investigation of the Su Shirong case. However, Ye Wentao, one of the key figures in the Eastern Domain War Zone, did not participate.
This decision was made by the leader of the Eastern Domain War Zone, and more importantly, by the leader of the military, Ye Zhong!
Although Ye Wentao was not involved in the case’s work, he had been following its progress. On the day the verdict was delivered, he learned something—Su Jiaming had visited the Eastern Domain War Zone's stationed area and his own home!
On that day, he was inspecting and guiding work at a grassroots unit and did not meet Su Jiaming. However, he knew his wife and children were present. Yet, neither of them had mentioned it to him.
This… infuriated him!
The military had lost face following the words exchanged between the Battle Dragon Hall Master and Liu Xin after their life-or-death battle. To have a hero die unjustly, and then be forced to publicly participate in the Su Shirong case, was incredibly embarrassing and passive.
He knew very well that the Battle Dragon Hall Master had challenged Liu Xin to a life-or-death duel precisely to stand up for Su Jiaming!
And before this duel, Su Jiaming had personally visited. Ye Wentao could surmise with his toes that it was about the Su Shirong case!
Under such circumstances, if Wang Hong and Ye Rui, mother and son, had informed him of Su Jiaming's visit, he would have had numerous ways to handle it, preventing embarrassment for the military and the Ye family!
"Why didn't you tell me about Su Jiaming's visit?"
After work that afternoon, Ye Wentao returned home. Seeing his wife Wang Hong and son Ye Rui present, he immediately questioned them.
"Because he wanted you to come forward and seek justice for Su Shirong. We were worried this matter might have a negative impact on you, so we didn't tell you."
Wang Hong and her son Ye Rui exchanged glances, seeing surprise in each other's eyes. Ye Wentao did not yet know that Su Jiaming was the child of Jiang Zhan and Ye Jinmei, so she paused and offered an explanation.
"Because you were worried, you decided not to tell me? Do you know that because of your concealment, the military and the Ye family are being criticized by everyone, saying that heroes shed blood on the battlefield only to die unjustly after retirement!"
Ye Wentao was furious and berated them severely.
"We also didn't expect him to make such a big deal out of it," Ye Rui weakly retorted.
Hmm?
Hearing Ye Rui's words, Ye Wentao didn't get angry. Instead, he became surprisingly calm and asked, "What did Su Jiaming say to you?"
"—"
Wang Hong and Ye Rui exchanged glances again, as if asking each other whether to tell Ye Wentao the true sequence of events.
"If you're unwilling to say, I'll go find him myself," Ye Wentao said with a dark expression.
"Dad, I'll tell you."
Ye Rui couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Mom and I didn't tell you about this because he not only wants you to stand up for him, but he… he is Little Aunt's son!"
"Wh-what?!"
Ye Wentao was stunned.
He naturally knew that his deceased sister had a child. However, he didn't know that child was still alive. Like everyone else, he believed the child had died young.
This was because such news had circulated back then, and he had even used some connections to investigate, but he had found nothing.
"Tell me everything that happened after he visited, without any omissions, not a single word!"
After the shock, Ye Wentao's expression became unprecedentedly serious.
Ye Jinmei was the only female among Ye Wentao's generation. She was the Ye family's little princess, beloved by the elders, and her brothers doted on her.
Among them, Ye Wentao was the one who doted on his sister Ye Jinmei the most!
This was also why Ye Wentao had used his connections to investigate after the news of Jiang Wuming's death spread!
"Dad, it's like this…"
Ye Rui had never seen Ye Wentao's expression so serious and felt a little flustered. He quickly told the truth.
"At the time, he was unwilling to explain his intentions to your son. After I returned, I pressed him repeatedly, and only then did he tell us…"
When Ye Rui mentioned his mother Wang Hong's return, Wang Hong took over and continued.
Fearing that Ye Wentao might actually go to Jiang Wuming for verification, Wang Hong did not conceal anything and reproduced the scene almost exactly.
"Are you out of your mind? How could you respond to him like that?"
After listening to his wife Wang Hong, Ye Wentao trembled with anger and couldn't help but scold her.
"Uh…"
Although Wang Hong knew about Ye Wentao's deep brother-sister bond with Ye Jinmei, she was still stunned by Ye Wentao's reprimand.
"Dad, I don't think Mom did or said anything wrong. Even if he is Little Aunt's son, he can't idly expect you and the Ye family to…"
Ye Rui, seeing his mother Wang Hong being reprimanded, hesitated before speaking up in her defense.
However—
This time, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a sharp sound.
"Slap—"
A loud slap echoed.
Ye Wentao, furious, directly slapped Ye Rui across the face, shouting, "Shut up!"
Ye Rui nearly fell to the ground from the force of the slap, with five blood marks appearing on his face, indicative of its immense power!
"You… What are you doing?"
Wang Hong jolted awake and immediately stood up, glaring at Ye Wentao. "Is what my son said wrong? Did I do anything wrong?
You can represent the Ye family, or can you represent the military to seek justice for his adoptive father?
Moreover, we all know that the Yuan family is backed by the Gu family, and the Gu family is inevitably involved in Su Shirong's death!
And Xiao Rui is engaged to Gu Ling. Even if you have the ability to seek justice for his adoptive father, how will you help?"
"Do you know how deep my feelings for Jinmei are? Whether we help or not, you shouldn't have concealed this matter, nor should you have so coldly rejected Jinmei's son, let alone spoken such harsh words!
Jinmei is dead, Jiang Zhan is also dead, and that child has been living in anonymity until now. To stand up for his adoptive father, he came to our Ye family. Have you considered how he would feel doing this?
You are stabbing his heart with a knife!"
By the end, Ye Wentao was almost roaring the last sentence.
"I know you have deep feelings for Jinmei, but that is your sibling affection, not mine!
I don't care about the feelings of Jinmei's son, but I cannot let him affect Xiao Rui's engagement, your career, or the Ye family's status, let alone the entire Ye family!"
Wang Hong did not feel she had done anything wrong. Instead, she confronted Ye Wentao head-on. "Ye Wentao, on this matter, I do not believe I have done anything wrong! I dare say this even in front of Dad!
Moreover, from my understanding of Dad, if Jinmei's child had gone to Dad that day, Dad wouldn't have stood up for him, nor would he have let him enter the Ye family—Ye Wentao, do you believe me??"
"You…"
Ye Wentao's face turned ashen with anger, but seeing Wang Hong's resolute expression, he swallowed the reprimand he was about to utter.
Because his last shred of rationality told him that his father might indeed act that way.
With a dark expression, he turned and returned to his study. After smoking three cigarettes, he finally dialed his father, Ye Zhong. "Dad, are you free right now? I have something I want to tell you."
"What is it?" Ye Zhong asked sternly.
"Dad, I've learned that Su Jia's Wuming is Jinmei's child…"
"I know."
Ye Wentao was interrupted by Ye Zhong as soon as he began.
"You… you know?!"
Ye Wentao was shocked.
The shock was even more intense than when he first learned that Su Jiaming was the son of Jiang Zhan and Ye Jinmei!
"Yes, I've always known."
Ye Zhong's tone was devoid of any emotion. "Moreover, I also know that Jiang Wuming went to see you a while ago regarding the Su Shirong matter, but you weren't there. It's likely that Wang Hong and Xiao Rui refused him. Don't blame them; they did it for your and the Ye family's own good."
"—"
Ye Wentao fell silent.
Although he had considered that Ye Zhong might act this way when his wife Wang Hong had voiced her deduction, hearing Ye Zhong say it himself still left him feeling uneasy.
"Is that why you called me?"
Seeing Ye Wentao remain silent, Ye Zhong asked again.
"Dad, will you let him return to the Ye family?"
Ye Wentao hesitated before asking, his face filled with nervousness.
"No!"
Ye Zhong's tone was firm, and he added, "Jiang Zhan massacred the Zhao family back then and nearly attacked the God of War Hall, making him an enemy of the world. If his son returns to the Ye family, it will bring a lot of trouble to our Ye family!
Furthermore, this is also a form of protection for him—he is only an eight-star martial artist. If his identity is exposed, he will surely die!"
"—"
Ye Wentao fell silent again, the image of his sister Ye Jinmei flashing through his mind, his heart filled with apology and powerlessness.
Because he knew that since his father Ye Zhong had made his stance clear, it was equivalent to declaring that Jiang Wuming had no hope of returning to the Ye family in this lifetime!
On this day.
Jiang Wuming was completely shut out of the Ye family.
In reality, from the day he was born and Ye Jinmei died, he had been abandoned by the Ye family.
Also on this day, the Divine Network announced the latest rankings of the God of War List.
Battle Dragon Hall Master, ascended to the Two-Star God of War List!
The global martial arts world was shaken!
…
ps: The overall structure of the story is slowly unfolding, and it will be very exciting later on~.