Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

“Your words make my heart ache.” Li Chang’an pressed a hand to his chest. His expression was perfectly calibrated—just the right amount of grievance, mixed with a very real touch of anger. Zhou Ze had been in danger at the mining area, and they had risked their lives to drag him out of a pile of bugs. They hadn’t asked for gratitude, but why were they being bitten in return?

“A pile of bugs?” Zhou Yuanshan’s brows twisted into a tight knot. His gaze was like a poisoned hook, dead-set on Li Chang’an as if trying to pry a flaw from his face. “What pile of bugs?”

“The Black Obsidian Beetles,” Li Chang’an said with frank directness. “Your nephew was wrapped into a cocoon by those bugs. If we hadn’t found him in time, I’m afraid…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was glaringly obvious.

Zhou Yuanshan’s expression shifted dramatically, flushing red and then paling to white like an overturned paint palette. “You’re saying it was the Black Obsidian Beetles?” His voice sank, carrying a trace of uncertainty.

“Of course,” Li Chang’an nodded. “If you don’t believe me, ask Zhou Ze.”

“Zhou Ze…” Zhou Yuanshan shifted his gaze to the young man on the hospital bed, his eyes filled with complex, unreadable emotions. “How… how is he now?”

“He lost his memory,” Li Chang’an sighed. “He was so frightened by the monsters that his brain suffered some trauma. He can’t remember anything from before.”

“Amnesia?” Zhou Yuanshan repeated the word. A glint flickered in the depths of his eyes, as calculating as the clacking beads of an abacus.

“Yes.” Li Chang’an’s tone was full of pity. “However, he still remembers a few fragmented scenes, like being attacked by the bugs. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself.”

Zhou Yuanshan didn’t say a word. He walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at Zhou Ze from above. “Zhou Ze, do you still recognize me?” he asked, softening his voice with a probing tone.

Zhou Ze looked up blankly, his eyes hollow and unfocused. “I… don’t remember,” he shook his head, his voice weak and feeble.

“You don’t remember?” Zhou Yuanshan’s face darkened, his volume rising a few pitches. “Then what do you remember? Think carefully!”

Startled, Zhou Ze flinched, his body trembling slightly. “I… I only remember… a lot of bugs… black ones… They took me…” He spoke in disjointed fragments, fear surfacing on his face.

“Bugs? Black ones?” Zhou Yuanshan pressed, his gaze locking onto Zhou Ze’s face, refusing to miss even the slightest shift in expression.

“Yeah… so many… so terrifying…” Zhou Ze clutched his head as if plunging into a painful memory. “They wrapped me up… I couldn’t breathe…”

“What else? What else do you remember?” Zhou Yuanshan pursued relentlessly, his tone urgent.

“I don’t… I don’t remember…” Zhou Ze shook his head in agony. “My head hurts so much…”

Zhou Yuanshan stared fixedly at Zhou Ze, his expression shifting unpredictably.

“Zhou Dong, you see, I wasn’t deceiving you, was I?” Li Chang’an spoke up at the perfect moment, his tone entirely placid. “Zhou Ze was indeed attacked by bugs. It has nothing to do with our 42 Combat Group.”

Ignoring him, Zhou Yuanshan turned his head to look at Nanny Wang. “Nanny Wang, you’ve been taking care of Zhou Ze. Tell me, has he mentioned anything over the past few days?”

Nanny Wang felt a chill down her spine under Zhou Yuanshan’s intense stare. She stammered, “Young Master Zhou… he… he’s been speaking nonsense these past few days… something about bugs… monsters…”

“Bugs? Monsters?” Zhou Yuanshan’s eyes turned sharp as he rounded on Li Chang’an. “Li Chang’an, you had better not be playing tricks!”

“Zhou Dong, why would I lie to you?” Li Chang’an put on a look of complete innocence. “The facts are right in front of you. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.”

Zhou Yuanshan fell silent, his face so thunderous it looked ready to pour. He shifted his gaze back and forth between Li Chang’an and Zhou Ze, as if weighing his options.

“Fine, Li Chang’an. I’ll believe you for now,” Zhou Yuanshan finally said slowly, his tone as biting as winter frost. “But if I find out you’re lying, I guarantee you’ll regret ever being born into this world!”

“Rest assured, Zhou Dong, every word is true,” Li Chang’an replied with a calm voice and an open, honest gaze.

Zhou Yuanshan let out a cold snort and led his people out of the medical room.

“PHEW…” Li Chang’an exhaled a long breath, his taut nerves finally relaxing.

“Captain, you’re amazing!” Shen Qiuyue leaned in, completely in awe. “You played Zhou Yuanshan like a fiddle!”

“All is fair in war,” Li Chang’an smiled, a flash of smugness in his eyes. “To deal with someone like Zhou Yuanshan, you have to use some unconventional methods.”

“Still, Zhou Yuanshan won’t just let this drop.” Su Wan walked over, her expression grave. “He will definitely be back.”

“I know,” Li Chang’an nodded calmly. “But next time, he won’t get away so easily.”

“What are you planning?” Su Wan asked, her curiosity piqued.

“A plan… to ensure he never returns.” Li Chang’an’s lips curled into a cold sneer, a chilling light glinting in the depths of his eyes.

“What plan?” Shen Qiuyue pressed impatiently.

“You’ll know when the time comes.” Li Chang’an kept her in suspense, his gaze profound. “For now, we just have to wait.”

“Wait?” Shen Qiuyue was puzzled. “Wait for what?”

“Wait for the fish to take the bait,” Li Chang’an said meaningfully.

…

In the Battle Commander’s office.

Li Chang’an laid out his entire plan.

“What?!” Su Wan nearly jumped out of her chair after hearing it. “Are you crazy? That’s too risky!”

“I know it’s a risk, but this is our only chance.” Li Chang’an’s tone was firm and brooked no argument. “If we don’t take the initiative to strike, we’ll only be sitting ducks. We’ll never shake off the Galaxy Group’s entanglement.”

“But…” Su Wan still hesitated, her brows knitted together. “The risk of this plan is too high. If it fails, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

“Minister Su, trust me,” Li Chang’an said, looking her straight in the eye with an earnest tone. “I would never joke around with the future of the 42 Combat Group.

“Someone like Zhou Yuanshan will never let an opportunity slip by. Zhou Ze’s amnesia is a blow to him, but it’s also a chance. He will definitely rack his brains to find a breakthrough through Zhou Ze.

“Therefore, we must strike first and take him out before he makes his move.”

“How do we take him out?” Su Wan lowered her voice.

“Zhou Ze is the bait,” Li Chang’an said slowly, his voice as cold as ice. “We use Zhou Ze to lure Zhou Yuanshan out, and then…”