<h4>Chapter 1104: Chapter 1111: Enlightenment</h4>


    Hearing the door open, Chu Huaiyang lifted his head, looking at Ling Chen approaching alone. His eyes darkened slightly before he lowered his head again.


    Ling Chen walked forward on his own and sat down beside Chu Huaiyang. Seeing the other party’s listless appearance, Ling Chen spoke, "I know you’re feeling bad. I’ve dealt with Zhu Hong quite a bit; I know exactly what kind of person he is. Back then, to deal with me, he could even abandon his own sister’s life. Comparatively, you’re even less valuable in his eyes."


    Chu Huaiyang smiled bitterly, "You’re right, I can’t me anyone but myself for being blind enough to believe in someone like him." After speaking, Chu Huaiyang lifted his head, staring directly into Ling Chen’s dark eyes, and asked, "You’vee to find me; I suppose you’ve thought of a way to deal with me. Go ahead, are you going to cripple my martial arts or kill me?"


    "Rest assured, I won’t kill you. You and I have no enmity; it’s Zhu Hong I’m after."


    "Then how do you n to deal with me? Surely you won’t let me go." At this point, Chu Huaiyang seemed to think of something and remarked, "If you’re thinking of persuading me to serve you, I advise you to dismiss that notion. No matter what, I won’t choose betrayal."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I’m not asking you to betray anyone. I’m just curious why you would follow Chen Quan and Zhu Hong?"


    "I had no choice because it was my master’s order. My master used to follow Chen Quan; they were like brothers, very close. Later, when Chen Quan was caught by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and they lost contact, my master chose to retire. Later, he took me as his disciple. Recently, my master received a letter from Chen Quan, hoping he woulde out again. However, my master is old, gued with illnesses, and no longer the master he once was. But because of his friendship with Chen Quan, he didn’t refuse and instead sent me to assist Chen Quan with all my efforts."


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded, finally understanding the rtionship between Chu Huaiyang and Chen Quan and the others.


    "If I let you go, will you still serve them?"


    "What do you think? Since they’ve abandoned me, to them, I’m already a dead man, of no value. Besides, I’m not stupid enough to cling to people who’ve discarded me. Just right, if I survive this time, I’ll return home to take good care of my master. No matter what, I’ve done quite a few things for Chen Quan; my master’s debts are paid."


    "You’ll have the chance to return to see your master. However, this might take some time."


    Upon hearing this, a trace of excitement appeared in Chu Huaiyang’s eyes. No one wants to die, and he was no exception. As long as there was a chance to survive, he was willing to cherish it. Taking a deep breath, Chu Huaiyang looked at Ling Chen and asked, "You... really n to spare me?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Why not? You’re not my enemy. Besides, I’m not the kind of person who kills indiscriminately. As long as someone doesn’t seek trouble with me, I won’t pursue them." With that, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Come with me."


    Soon, Ling Chen brought Chu Huaiyang to a room in the base.


    As they entered the room, they saw Song Mingzhe lying on the bed, eyes closed, undergoing an infusion.


    "Uncle Song?" Chu Huaiyang’s eyes lit up, and he hurried over. Looking at the medical equipment around, Chu Huaiyang couldn’t quite understand what was being disyed, "Ling Chen, how is he doing?"


    "Rest assured, he’s not in any life-threatening condition. Thanks to the doctors’ efforts, his life has been spared, though he’s unlikely to practice martial arts again."


    Perhaps hearing their conversation, Song Mingzhe slowly opened his eyes, looking at Chu Huaiyang at the bedside.


    "Uncle Song, you’re awake? Do you want some water?" Chu Huaiyang asked with concern.


    Song Mingzhe nced at Ling Chen, who was nearby, but said nothing. Seeing this, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "You two talk, I’ll wait outside." With that, Ling Chen walked out of the room.


    Once Ling Chen left, Song Mingzhe, with Chu Huaiyang’s help, sat up and leaned against the soft pillow. Because of his broken ribs, he couldn’t move too vigorously and had to be very careful. After taking a few sips of water to moisten his throat, Song Mingzhe said, "It seems our luck isn’t great; we’ve both been caught by Ling Chen."


    Chu Huaiyang opened his mouth and said, "Uncle Song, don’t worry, Ling Chen has promised he won’t harm us."


    "Don’t forget our identities. Do you really think his words can be trusted?"


    "Yes." Chu Huaiyang replied without hesitation, very confidently, "Uncle Song, I believe Ling Chen won’t deceive us. Besides, he has no reason to."


    Song Mingzhe furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice, "Remember, you can say this to me, but if Zhu Hong hears it, they..."


    "It doesn’t matter." Before Song Mingzhe could finish his sentence, Chu Huaiyang interjected, "Uncle Song, I’ve decided that even if we get out, I won’t serve Zhu Hong and them anymore."


    "Why?"


    Immediately, Chu Huaiyang recounted the events of the past, "Uncle Song, people like Chen Quan and Zhu Hong aren’t worth our sacrifices. They not only abandoned you but also me. For people like them, do you still want to side with them? I’ve figured it out; since they don’t value our lives, why should we entrust our lives to them?"


    After listening to Chu Huaiyang’s ount, Song Mingzhe fell into silence. After a moment, he sighed softly and said, "In such situations, everyone is just trying to protect themselves. Who can care for others?"


    "Uncle Song, that’s true, but Zhu Hong clearly had the opportunity to take me away, yet he didn’t. Instead, he escaped alone." Pausing, Chu Huaiyang continued, "Uncle Song, I know your wounds were caused by Ling Chen, but at the time, we were enemies with different positions. It was natural for him to attack you. If it were you, you wouldn’t hold back either. However, in the end, it wasn’t Chen Quan or Zhu Hong who saved you, but Ling Chen. Without him, you wouldn’t have made it through. Uncle Song, I know about your rtionship with Chen Quan; he was once your big brother and you were as close as brothers. But it’s been so many years, and you’ve done enough for him. Moreover, he now prioritizes Zhu Hong, not us. In his eyes, we’re just expendable henchmen."


    Hearing this, Song Mingzhe’s gaze flickered, as if Chu Huaiyang’s words resonated with him.


    Chu Huaiyang earnestly said, "Uncle Song, we owe him nothing; we’ve done all we can. Besides, it’s not that we’re unwilling to help, but they’ve abandoned us."


    "Alright, you don’t need to say any more. I understand what you mean."