Past Events (2)

Tears burst from Lucia's eyes as she looked at Gigue lying on the bed, barely clinging to life. Crying out, "Saint Gigue!" she tried to rush over, but Garling grabbed her. He looked at Gurando and asked coldly,

"Gurando, what the hell are you doing? Didn't you say you were treating Gigue? What kind of illness takes this long to cure? You've even reduced Gigue to this state!"

Gurando placed a vial of green serum on Gigue's bed and answered calmly,

"Why aren't you training instead of meddling in this? Gigue is gravely ill. How could he possibly be cured so easily? Seeing him like this every day hurts me too. He is my biological son!"

Gurando deliberately stressed the last few words. The meaning was obvious: Garling should stop sticking his nose into matters that did not concern him.

Gigue struggled to speak from the bed, but Gurando covered his mouth and said softly,

"Poor child, don't speak. Rest properly."

Garling's gaze flickered. He did not know whether Gurando was telling the truth, so he could only stand there in silence.

Seeing Garling settle down, Gurando's lips curled into a subtle smile. Just as he was about to tell Garling to leave, Lucia, whom Garling was holding back, suddenly shouted,

"He's lying! I heard it all yesterday! These people are using Gigue for some kind of experiment!"

Gurando frowned and gripped the crescent-shaped pendant on his chest, drawing a miniature knife from it.

He swept the tiny blade through the air, sending a slash of sword energy hurtling toward Lucia.

"You're asking for death!"

At that critical moment, Garling also drew the sword at his waist and blocked the incoming sword energy.

However, because he had acted in haste, the residual shockwave from the dissipating slash still struck Lucia beside him, leaving a thin line of blood beneath her left eye.

Bright red blood flowed from the wound, but Lucia did not notice it at all. She tightly clutched the hem of Garling's clothes and pleaded,

"Please take Saint Gigue away! If this continues, he'll die!"

Lucia's cries threw Garling's thoughts into turmoil. He flung her away, but before he could say anything, Gigue saw the injured Lucia from the bed and suddenly widened his eyes. Violent electricity erupted from his body as he roared,

"Lucia!"

Gurando hurriedly withdrew his hand. Staring blankly at his palm, slightly blackened by the electricity, he suddenly slipped into a frenzy.

"Hahaha, it worked! I succeeded!"

Garling was stunned by the scene before him. He stared fixedly at Gurando and demanded,

"What is going on? You really did conduct some kind of experiment on Gigue?! You'd better explain yourself!"

Gurando stopped laughing, tilted his head toward Garling, and said,

"Garling, are you, as the younger brother, ordering me around? You haven't even become the Family Head yet!"

Garling pointed his sword at Gurando and replied stiffly,

"So what? Have you forgotten that, as Commander of the Divine Knights, I have the authority to judge Celestial Dragons? Now, I want you to tell me exactly what you have done."

Gurando froze for a moment, then covered his face and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! That's right, Commander of the Divine Knights. What imposing authority!"

As he laughed, Gurando's expression became increasingly twisted. He suddenly met Garling's eyes and said through gritted teeth,

"That position should have been mine. Stop flaunting it in front of me. Don't you want to know what I've done? Fine! I'll tell you!"

He lowered his head to look at the stunned Gigue and said in a soft, sinister voice,

"I admit that no matter how hard I train, it will be difficult for me to surpass you in strength. But I have a fine son. His talent is even greater than yours. Tell me, how could I possibly waste a body like this?"

As he spoke, Gurando gently stroked Gigue's forehead. His hand was not cold, yet Gigue still shuddered.

"Gigue's body is like an uncut jade stone. It needs meticulous cultivation. To that end, I have put in a great deal of effort."

He walked to a table, grabbed a report from it, and threw it at Garling.

"Take a look. This genius design!"

Garling caught the report. After reading only two pages, a chill rose from the depths of his heart. He hurled it to the floor and glared at Gurando as he shouted,

"You're completely insane! Gigue is only a child. How could he possibly endure this kind of experiment?!"

Gurando snorted coldly.

"My child is not for you to worry about. If you have nothing else to do, stop disturbing my research."

Garling showed no intention of leaving. He advanced on Gurando with his sword in hand, speaking one word at a time.

"Hand Gigue over to me. You are not worthy of being a father."

Faced with Garling's fury, Gurando appeared strangely calm. He folded his arms and said in a flippant tone,

"Oh? I nearly forgot. You're about to become a father too, aren't you?"

Crack!

Garling's foot shattered the floor. He abruptly stopped and looked at Gurando in disbelief.

"You... how do you..."

"How do I know? Haha, my dear little brother, all you do every day is train. How much do you know about the family's affairs, big or small? What movement could possibly escape my notice?"

Garling's face darkened as he stood frozen there, sword in hand. Gurando sneered a few times and continued,

"I advise you not to meddle any further. Otherwise, if that matter gets out, I'm afraid you won't get to be a father after all!"

"You!"

Garling's lips trembled with rage. At that moment, he truly wanted to split Gurando in two with a single slash, but Gurando's words had indeed seized his weakness completely.

Gurando slowly walked over to Garling, reached out, and patted him on the shoulder as he said softly,

"Don't be so tense. The two of us can simply stay out of each other's business. Besides, my experiment will bring Gigue enormous benefits. Why would I gamble with my own son's life?"

Garling gripped the sword hilt tightly and said through gritted teeth,

"How much longer will this damned experiment take?"

"Soon. Didn't you see the electricity Gigue unleashed just now? That proves my experimental direction is correct. Give me a little more time, and I'll forge for him the most perfect body in the world!"

At that, Gurando silently added in his heart,

And for myself as well.

Garling closed his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air. Then he turned around, grabbed Lucia, and vanished from the place in a flash.

After leaving the laboratory, Lucia was still crying and begging Garling to save Gigue. Garling turned his head away and said coldly,

"Stop crying. You are very loyal to your master, and that is good. I will arrange for you to join the guard corps. Train hard there. When Gigue returns, you can become his personal guard!"