Chapter 8: A Grand Scene of a Compassionate Father, Filial Son, Friendly Brother, and Respectful Younger Brother

The next day.

Dawn.

Weiguo Gongfu.

"Cool... icy... and a bit hard..."

"Why does it feel like someone is pressing a knife against my throat?"

Chen Cijiu lay on his own bed, half asleep and half awake, dazed.

He vaguely sensed a sharp blade radiating cold light perched on his throat, even the act of swallowing saliva felt distinctly tangible....

The dream was absurdly realistic.

"Knife?!"

"Ah, there really is a knife against my throat; this isn't a dream!"

Chen Cijiu jolted awake.

Even though dawn had not broken, he knew it was an exceptionally sharp, cold, blood‑scented dagger....

"Cijiu, you're awake?" the knife‑owner's teasing voice drifted lazily.

"Who?"

"Who are you?"

Chen Cijiu dared not move a hair, a cold bead of sweat forming on his forehead as he asked warily.

He hesitated, then feigned composure and threatened, "Sneaking into my room at night, what do you intend?"

"This is Weiguo Gongfu; I am the Duke's eldest son!"

Chen Cijiu was genuinely panicked, but recalling he was in his own mansion, he quickly steadied himself.

A thief who sneaks in at night to take hostages does it only for money.

As long as his life is spared, there will be plenty of ways to deal with him later....

"Eldest son?"

Chen Yan smiled, half‑smile, half‑mock, and asked teasingly, "My dear younger brother, you can't even recognize my voice?"

"Big... big brother?!"

Hearing that unmistakably familiar voice, Chen Cijiu froze, blurting out instinctively.

Utterly stunned.

He hesitated again, then continued, "It's you... how could it be you?!"

"You shouldn't be...?"

Chen Cijiu was dumbfounded.

He would never mistake that voice; it was Chen Yan, definitely Chen Yan!

But why is he here?!!!

"Where?"

"Waiting in Tianlao for beheading?"

Chen Yan gripped his long sword, sliding the blade lightly across Chen Cijiu's skin, and asked meaningfully.

Beside him, Zhu Yi timely lit the oil lamp in the room, revealing the two's true faces.

"Brother, let's talk calmly; put the knife down first...."

Chen Cijiu clutched his throat, hair standing on end, swallowed hard, forced a smile and said, "Your jailbreak, Father will certainly find a way to cover it up for you."

"You just returned to the mansion and haven't gone to see Father and Mother yet, have you?"

"Let the younger brother change clothes; I'll go with you...."

Between the lines, it seemed all consideration for the elder brother, spoken with sincere affection.

Only both parties knew there were several layers of truth...

After seeing Chen Yan's face, Chen Cijiu was no longer that panicked.

He knew clearly that the immediate priority was to keep Chen Yan steady until their father arrived.

This fool will surely remain as foolish as before!

"No need."

Chen Yan's mouth curved into a smile as he said, "I've already sent someone to inform Chen Tongyuan...."

"Brother, why do you address Father by name?" Chen Cijiu retorted, as usual.

At that moment, hurried footsteps and queries came from outside the room:

"Where is the Vermilion Bird Mirror Master?"

"It's all a misunderstanding!"

Chen Tongyuan, draped in his outer robe, rushed in.

A moment earlier, while cuddling his newly taken concubine and sleeping soundly, he was yanked from the bed by Vermilion Bird Deputy Envoy Song Fei.

He was told his eldest son had committed a grave crime, and the Vermilion Bird Mirror Master had personally come to arrest him....

"Chen Yan?!"

Chen Tongyuan stepped into the room, and upon seeing the knife‑wielder's face, he was filled with disbelief, "How could you be here?!"

Father and son, without any prior communication, asked the same question in perfect sync....

"Why does the person who should never have appeared show up?"

"Father, I've returned alive...."

"Are you disappointed?"

Chen Yan watched with amusement, savoring Chen Tongyuan's brilliant expression.

This is still the first time since he came to this world that he has seen his own father, who wants to kill his son.....

What a picture of a loving father and filial son!

"Rebel son, put the knife down quickly, stop fooling around here!"

"Immediately follow your father and pay respects to the Vermilion Bird Mirror Master!"

Facing Chen Yan's teasing, Chen Tongyuan has no time to attend to it.

At this moment, all he can think of is how to keep his precious son safe in the hands of that elder from the Bright Mirror Department....

He must also not let this rebel son anger that lord.

Chen Yan shrugged, twirling the knife in his hand as he moved it over Chen Cijiu's neck, and laughed, "What an unlucky coincidence, it was the son who sent someone to summon you...."

"Sir!"

Just then, Song Fei walked in, bowed to Chen Yan, solidifying his status.

"What?!"

Chen Tongyuan, as if struck by lightning, stepped back two steps, unable to accept the reality, trembling as he pointed at Chen Yan, "You are the newly appointed Vermilion Bird Mirror Master?!"

"How could this be possible?!"

Chen Tongyuan is shocked to the point of being both outerly scorched and innerly raw.

Of course, Chen Cijiu, whose mind is buzzing as well, also has a knife pressed against his throat.

The father and son's expressions are identical.

The Vermilion Bird Mirror Master is Chen Yan, and Chen Yan is the Vermilion Bird Mirror Master?!

Shouldn't he be in Tianlao, obediently awaiting death?

"Duke of Wei, sir, are you very surprised?"

"Quite unexpected?"

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow, asking with interest.

As he spoke, the blade in his hand moved forward a few inches.

The usually pampered Chen Cijiu's delicate skin was cut open.

The deep red fresh blood seeped onto the knife, standing out conspicuously.

"Dad, save me!"

"It hurts!"

Chen Cijiu panicked, hurriedly calling for help.

"Chen Yan, no, A Yan, we are all family, let's talk properly...."

Chen Tongyuan originally prepared to scold Chen Yan, but suddenly realized he was the one on the chopping block, hurriedly altered his tone and shifted his approach.

He tried to play the emotional card to persuade this rebel son, who had used some unknown means to become the Vermilion Bird Mirror Master.

"I also want to speak properly...." Chen Yan said with a calm smile.

He paused, then shifted his tone, coldly saying, "But this Mirror Master has come to summon for interrogation the treason case of the Deposed Emperor..."

"I cannot comply!"

Saying that, he set the knife down, raised his hand and patted Chen Cijiu's face.

"How could that be?"

Chen Tongyuan's complexion changed drastically, exclaiming, "When did Cijiu take part in the treason?"

"That must be false!"

Before this moment, Chen Tongyuan never imagined he would one day be pierced by a boomerang.

Moreover, retribution comes quickly....

But clearly, it was Chen Yan who was involved!

"Wrongful!"

"It's wrongful!"

Chen Cijiu also shouted his innocence at a rapid pace.

"I also believed my younger brother...."

Chen Yan blinked, saying sarcastically, "But who made it so that before Uncle Two's guilt‑driven suicide, the confession he left implicated Cijiu?"

"Second brother?"

"Kai Yuan?"

"What did you do to him?"

Even though Chen Tongyuan seemed struck by lightning, he still keenly caught the most crucial phrase....

"guilt‑driven suicide."

And he immediately linked it to Chen Yan.

It absolutely cannot be unrelated to this rebel son!

"Father, sir, how can you think of your son that way?"

Chen Yan pretended to be sorrowful, as if an unspeakable heartache weighed on him.

His hand, however, did not idle.

He grabbed Chen Cijiu's throat and hauled him straight up.

Well‑developed limbs have this advantage: Chen Yan doesn't need to spend time training his physique.

"Dad..."

"Save..."

"Save..."

"I..."

Chen Cijiu could only feel his breathing becoming difficult, his eyes bulging, clutching Chen Yan's hand tightly, but it was of no help.

"You scoundrel, why don't you release Cijiu!"

Chen Tongyuan shouted angrily.

When he tried to rush up to save him, he was promptly held down by Zhu Yi and Song Fei.

He watched his beloved son struggle helplessly, unable to act.

"Letting him go isn't impossible..." Chen Yan twirled the "toy" in his hand, half‑smiling, half‑laughing.

Chen Tongyuan caught the implied meaning and asked anxiously, "What must you do to spare him?"

"Fifty thousand taels!"

Chen Yan remained calm, extended his other hand, raised five fingers, and said, "Buy your son's life..."

"Impossible!"

Chen Tongyuan did not hesitate long and blurted out his refusal.

How could a father be threatened by a rebellious son?

If he gave in, it would only embolden the son further.

Chen Yan was unsurprised; he simply tossed Chen Cijiu onto the ground and said, "Come on, bring the thing up..."

"Please, Duke of Wei, watch a fine performance!"

Chen Tongyuan looked at Chen Yan's malicious expression, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart, and asked, "Rebellious son, what are you planning?"

"Naturally, I intend to interrogate the treasonous offender!"