Dark Moon Era

The facts proved that Tang Feng was not lying. After he disappeared for three days, he returned with two items. One of them was a bottle of those green crystal-like pills and the other was a bottle of red liquid.

“Take the pills and your son will be healthy, but it will take away his talent because this pill here will lock his pineal gland which is irreversible. Even though he has a seven-star Genetic Chain Talent, if his pineal gland is locked down, it means that he’ll lose his sixth sense. He won’t even feel the energy, so he cannot cultivate at all.”

Ro Yan’s expression went through multiple changes. He would surely pick his son’s life rather than maintain his talent. However, what if he had a choice? Was there not another bottle of red liquid? Ro Yan did not want his son to lose his talent either because his son was the eldest in the Ro family and he would have to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of the camp one day. If his son lost his talent, he would just be worse off than a normal person and live a dull life.

“Judging from your expression, your choice doesn’t lie with the pills, but you can have it first, just in case.” Tang Feng shoved the bottle of pills into Ro Yan’s hand.

Ro Yan held the pills so tightly to the point that his veins popped out on his hand. After that, he asked about the second bottle anxiously, “Then, what is this bottle of liquid?”

“This is my bone marrow.” Tang Feng smiled at Ro Yan.

“Huh?” Despite his shock, Ro Yan sized Tang Feng up carefully and noticed that his face was paler than before which indicated that he was telling the truth.

“More precisely, this is a type of potion that’s made from my bone marrow. It won’t stop nourishing your son’s body to compensate for the imbalance caused by his overpowerful talent. I’ve extracted as much as I can afford. Any more and it will damage my roots. This isn’t a good and peaceful era, and survival is fierce. Which person out there is willing to extract his own bone marrow just to save someone else?”

The era had taken a drastic change. If it was possible, everyone would want to cultivate and train and even if they could not because they longed to be stronger.

Although Tang Feng did not damage his roots, did the extraction damage him? It more or less did since the bone marrow was the essence of the blood. Tang Feng was extremely selfless.

“Hear me out first.” Tang Feng’s expression looked grave. “This bottle of bone marrow is only enough to feed your son until he’s 18, and through precise calculation, your son must have enough bone marrow potion until he is 22 before his body can stabilize.”

Ro Yan’s expression changed for the worse, and he asked out of curiosity, “What if he only takes it until he’s 18?”

“If he stops before 22, the efforts will fall short and his body will quickly wither,” Tang Feng shared solemnly.

Even so, Ro Yan felt like he was joking. Despite this hope that he was being offered not being entirely workable, he might as well take the pill. Although he felt grateful for what Tang Feng had done for him from the bottom of his heart, he was also saddened by the choice. His son had extraordinary talent!

“Don’t be sad. Your son is one of the names on the list, so he’ll eventually meet my son,” Tang Feng said as he tapped Ro Yan’s shoulder.

“What do you mean? You have a son?”

“Not now, but I will.” Tang Feng sighed. He fished out two cigarettes and passed one to Ro Yan while he lit his own up. He then continued leisurely, “Truth be told, my life is very boring. There’s someone who can see through my life, or at least, most of the time. I’m fine if my life is transparent, but that guy is always so accurate about the details, especially when it comes to the important things.

Speechless, Ro Yan lit his cigarette. It was the first time he felt Tang Feng’s mysterious presence, what Tang Feng said and done would easily confuse people and his intention was always vague.

“Don’t be bothered about that. If you believe me, my son will surely meet you and your son in the future, then it will be time for you to choose.” Tang Feng spat a cloud of smoke out and looked at Ro Yan with a faint smile.

“Choose what?” Ro Yan was not merely relaxed because of Tang Feng’s calm expression. From the bottom of his heart, he believed that every word that came out of Tang Feng’s mouth was important.

As expected, Tang Feng took the List of Seeds out again and said while waving it, “The names that are written in this book are the people who are destined to fight alongside my son. Of course, this destiny is determined by natural and manmade factors. If neither of them aligns, then it isn’t the real one.

“If that day arrives and you don’t want your son to fight alongside mine, you can also do that. All you have to do is ask my son for some bone marrow. His bone marrow should be as useful as mine. Here’s the recipe. Remember it and craft accordingly. And if you want your son to become a normal man, give him the pills. That’s all I can say.”

What? Ro Yan was stunned. Under normal circumstances, should he not just ask Tang Feng’s son for the bone marrow? Why would he not want to give his own son the pills anymore?

Deep in his heart, Ro Yan expected Ro Li to inherit Ro Drifter Camp and if his son has to go away with Tang Feng’s son, who would inherit Ro Drifter Camp?

However, Ro Yan was a man whose family creed taught him to repay debt with gratitude. If he met Tang Feng’s son one day and asked him for the bone marrow, could he simply take it for granted? Ro Yan could not do it.

He turned around to Tang Feng. The man with the unshaven beard was adjusting his buttons. He might have forgotten to button his clothes properly when he left in a hurry that morning.

Ro Yan did not find it funny at all because he could not see through Tang Feng’s thoughts. The man’s gaze was straightforward and clear. What he had done seemed pointless, but it felt like it was a stepping stone for something.

Tang Feng asked for no reward. He did things as he liked and one could not neglect what he had done. With that headstrong attitude, anyone would feel like following him into battle.

Ro Yan drew from his cigarette strongly and asked, “Is fighting alongside your son dangerous?”

“Of course, it’s even more dangerous than fighting alongside me! He’s going to fight almost the whole world, and even if he somehow defeats the world, he still has to face the unknown for a long and tough period. I sometimes wish my son is a normal person.” Tang Feng frowned, then laughed. He looked at Ro Yan with a profound gaze after that. “But it’s too bad. He’s destined to be beyond normal because he’s my son and is powerful by birth. Otherwise, he won’t able to inherit the duty I pass down to him.”

Ro Yan did not understand what kind of nonsense Tang Feng had spouted. Back then, he did not understand who the Dragon Army was or what Tang Feng had done to the world, so he was rendered speechless by the strange words and did not know how to answer the man.

“You don’t need to answer me and don’t promise me out of instinct! I said it before: it is a choice, one to make when our sons meet. I actually think the best choice would be turning your son into someone normal, but as a father, you don’t have the right to determine your son’s life, so you can try to persuade him instead.” Tang Feng patted Ro Yan’s shoulder before he stood up with his cigarette and walked back to the Dragon Army camp.

Confused, Ro Yan was left alone in the snow, but no matter how disoriented he was, his decision was already made in his heart. If his son really met Tang Feng’s in the future and had already been taking the bone marrow then, he would have to send Ro Li away to be with Tang Feng’s son.

It would be the Ros’ pride and glory, the bottom line of their family that would not be trampled by how dark and cruel the era was. If the two of them did not meet, he would have to turn his son into a normal person.

Mankind could not always fight destiny.

However, Ro Yan never told Tang Feng about his real thoughts. After that day, Tang Feng did not mention this topic anymore either.

Ro Yan selected the bone marrow potion. It was only rational for him to choose it because humans tended to grasp onto hope no matter how frail it was. Those who did not even try at all would only experience true disappointment!

The effect of the bone marrow potion was outstanding. Ro Li’s body got better and better day by day. Besides that, his body even grew extra stronger, but his talents or genetic chain did not show up. Maybe they would when Ro Li turned 22 years old.

Time flew by after the Dragon Army’s arrival. Soon, winter faded and early spring arrived.

As the snow melted, the Dragon Army left early and said they were heading to Safety Sector No. 17. Tang Feng also bade farewell to Ro Yan. It was their first and last meeting after spending the winter together.

Ro Yan admitted that Tang Feng left a huge impression on him, so huge that he could never forget about the encounter for the rest of his life. Perhaps due to the meeting with Tang Feng, he started to care about the outside world, and after one to two years, when he got to know the Dragon Army and Tang Feng, he realized how precious that meeting with Tang Feng was.

Finally, he understood how precious Tang Feng’s bone marrow was. No one in this world could replace his bone marrow donation because he was Tang Feng, a legend, a man whom the people deemed as God, the first man in this new world.

However, why did he die, and in such a mysterious way?

…

Ro Yan was saddened by his memories. Although he did not understand it, he did not need to fathom his melancholy when he recalled the memories with Tang Feng, a man whom he was acquainted with for no longer than a winter.

Was it because of the debt? It should not be.

Nevertheless, Ro Yan was no longer after the answer. He hesitated in the face of Tang Ling’s question. He never thought that fate had not provided him with such an option, which would see him getting Tang Ling’s bone marrow, Ro Li growing up, and then taking over the Ro Drifter Camp.

Sixteen years ago, neither he or Tang Feng could have foreseen the current situation with the Ro Drifter Camp.

Jim had brazenly expressed his intention of usurping the leader’s position, which also meant that the Ro family would have to go up against all four of the families combined.

The Ro family might be weak but they were not stupid. Ro Yan still had a certain influence over the camp and he knew that the Boride family had contacted the Stardust Council secretly.

If they had a fallout right now, the Stardust Council would surely join the fray and the Ro family would not even stand a chance. It would also mean that Ro Li had no more time or space to grow in the camp. On top of that, Ro Xin had been Jim’s target for a long time and she was in an even more perilous position.

The signs of the divination also mentioned that the Ros could only survive by leaving immediately. “Those who were on the list are destined to fight alongside Tang Ling,” Tang Feng had once said. If the heavens had decided it, they would have to go through the hardest choice.

“Are you hesitating?” Tang Ling thought Ro Yan would voice his request, but he failed to get a response after a while.

There were three options before him. Firstly, he could accept Tang Ling’s bone marrow but choose to walk away from Tang Ling, send Ro Li away, and let him grow up.

Secondly, he could accept Tang Ling’s bone marrow and Ro Li’s fate would forever be connected to Tang Ling’s.

Thirdly, he could turn Ro Li into a normal person.

All three options were only viable if Tang Ling agreed to donate his bone marrow.

As for the options itself…

The first one was denied by Ro Yan right away. If he chose this path, he would bring shame to the family name and let down his ancestors’ good name.

The second one was Ro Yan’s favorite.

The third one, however, was what he hesitated about. He dared not neglect what Tang Feng said about becoming a normal person as a better choice.

“I’m sorry. I cannot decide this by myself, but I don’t mean to keep it a secret either. Time is running out, and I’ve decided to call Ro Li and Ro Xin in for something that I am about to tell you, a story. The final decision is in Ro Li’s and your hands.” Ro Yan’s hesitation was driving him mad, but he had no time left to waste. He had gotten news that three most trusted men from the Boride family had moved out of camp.

How long more before the enemy arrived? It might not be a matter of days but a matter of hours.

Tang Ling nodded and said, “I respect your decision.”

Ro Li and Ro Xin were called to the mobile house and they sat beside Tang Ling. Ro Xin was in a humorous mood when she came in, but when she saw her father’s strict expression, she kept quiet.

Ro Yan skipped the chatter and was frank with his children. “Today will be the most important and the harshest day the Ros has ever faced in the past hundred years. It’s the day that an important decision will be made. This decision is yours to make for I have made mine, and it will not change.”

“Ro Li, Ro Xin, if the two of you don’t respect my decision, it will be unfilial of you.”

Unfilial? What a heavy crime! That’s the rule in the family creed that should never be broken! Why would Dad say something so complex? Ro Li frowned. Although he did not feel anything yet, the atmosphere was stifling.

As for Ro Xin, she had an urge to cry although she had no idea what caused it.

“What I’m about to say is important. It all started in winter 16 years ago. It is about me, about the camp, about Ro Li, and about a legendary man named Tang Feng.”

When the name was mentioned, Tang Ling’s heart skipped a beat. He looked away and did not want to listen to the story, but somehow, as Ro Yan narrated the story, every single word entered his ears without a miss.

Tang Feng…

Tang Ling curled his fists. The mixed feelings in his heart were indescribable. A charming man? He was almost born 16 years ago, but why had he not heard anything about his mother?