119: What seems like a misfortune may actually be a blessing in disguise.

Ling Wenbin rolled his eyes at Ling Wubai and said crossly, "He's not your son, so of course you don't feel bad for him."

"The main thing is that kid didn't give me any face at all. He attacked my son as soon as he showed up—isn't that like slapping me in the face?"

Hearing this, Ling Wubai laughed and didn't say anything more.

To be honest, the two of them had completely opposite personalities.

Ling Wenbin was a powerful figure in politics, yet he had a fiery and irritable temper.

Ling Wubai had been kept by the Old Master to practice martial arts and had gained experience in the military, yet his personality was steady and calm.

"Alright, Wenjie has already been seen by a physician. It's not a big problem, just a broken hand bone," Ling Wubai said flatly.

He didn't think a broken hand bone was a big deal at all, perhaps because he had practiced martial arts by the Old Master's side.

In the process of practicing martial arts, breaking and setting bones was perfectly normal.

"Second Brother, you?" Ling Wenbin gritted his teeth and stopped talking, sighing, "Sigh..."

He knew there was no reasoning with a guy like Ling Wubai.

"Alright, how is the matter I asked you to investigate last time?

Who exactly is the King of the East Sea?" Ling Wubai shifted the topic back to Donghai.

"Nothing, I couldn't find anything. He shouldn't be a member of our Ling Family." Ling Wenbin knew Ling Wubai's intention—he wanted to recruit the King of the East Sea.

He hoped so too; someone who could control the entire Donghai City could be a trump card in his hands, helping him take another step up at a critical moment.

"Isn't it Third Brother?" Ling Wubai asked in confusion, frowning.

According to his guess, in the whole of Donghai—never mind that there were few Grandmasters—even if there were one surnamed Ling, he couldn't think of anyone other than Third Brother, Ling Tianshi.

"No, Third Brother stays in the hospital all day. He doesn't even manage the company, leaving it to that kid Ling Xian." Ling Wenbin waved his hand in denial. If it were Ling Tianshi, he would have swallowed his pride and gone to see him for the sake of his own future.

But the problem was, it clearly wasn't him.

The King of the East Sea was a Young Grandmaster; his age alone didn't match.

Even the timing of his actions didn't match up.

"Big Brother, do you think... could it be that kid Ling Xian?" Ling Wubai guessed boldly, but then shook his head and dismissed the idea.

"Haha... Second Brother, have you gone senile? That kid is just a playboy waste. We saw him three years ago, and he was just an ordinary person." Ling Wenbin sneered.

"Even if he were a genius, without being nurtured in a great clan like the Ling Family for three years, where would he get so many resources to cultivate?"

Ling Wenbin's point was not without merit, and his words resonated deeply with Ling Wubai.

He had worked hard for decades to only become a Grandmaster. If Ling Xian had become a Grandmaster in three years, then what was he?

A waste?

"No... that's not right. What if the Old Master provided him with cultivation resources?" Ling Wubai suddenly said, his eyes filled with complexity.

"Alright, Second Brother, I think you're too tired lately. Get some rest," Ling Wenbin interrupted with a wave of his hand.

But Ling Wubai stared at him, remaining silent for a long time.

For some reason, he felt that his intuition wasn't wrong.

"Never mind, maybe I'm overthinking it." Ling Wubai shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

"By the way, Second Brother, haven't you been preparing a Special Forces lately? How's the progress?" Ling Wenbin changed the subject and asked.

"It's going well..." Ling Wubai nodded.

He knew in his heart that his elder brother was testing him. As brothers who grew up together, he knew exactly what Ling Wenbin was up to the moment he opened his mouth.

"Just say what's on your mind." Ling Wubai got straight to the point, without any nonsense.

"Haha... what do you think of Xiao Jie?" Ling Wenbin gave a forced laugh and then tried to secure an opportunity for his son.

"Hmm?" Ling Wubai's brow furrowed slightly, somewhat surprised.

"Big Brother, you know my personality. If Xiao Jie has the ability, let him take the assessment himself."

Ling Wubai slapped the table and stood up abruptly; he already had a bad temper.

This responsibility wasn't supposed to be his; it fell into his hands after a comrade-in-arms sacrificed himself.

But because of this, Ling Wubai would not allow anyone to use the back door, nor would he allow himself to trample on the rules.

"Second Brother, calm down, calm down..." Ling Wenbin didn't feel comfortable speaking up anymore, as his son really wasn't up to par.

"Even though I look down on that kid Ling Xian, my son Wenjie might not necessarily be better than him.

I just want him to get some training in the military."

"You..." Ling Wubai was choked with anger, his usual calmness completely gone. "You can use your connections to mess around elsewhere, but my Special Forces definitely won't take him!"

Just then, the sound of a cane tapping rang out.

An aged voice spoke, sounding even more majestic than the two brothers, Ling Wenbin and Ling Wubai.

The coldness deep within those eyes was heart-stopping.

"Open the door!"

As the voice fell, Ling Wubai immediately opened the door to welcome him.

Despite having a head full of white hair, he was full of energy, with eyes like torches and a natural air of authority.

This was the head of the Ling Family, Grandfather Ling Tianwu.

"Dad, why are you here?" Ling Wenbin stood up to the side, his expression respectful.

Old Master Ling was a figure whose every move could shake the entire Nine Provinces Alliance.

Even outside of Zhongzhou, many important figures throughout the Dragon Kingdom still respected him.

Based on that era when he was willing to silently dedicate himself to the Dragon Kingdom and come out to save the nation, he was worthy of respect.

Then he led the Ling Family to its peak, single-handedly turning the three great hidden families of Zhongzhou into four.

This level of achievement, courage, and ability was far beyond what ordinary people could achieve.

"Wenbin, what's this about Xiao Jie? I don't recall asking him to pick me up at the airport?" Old Master Ling's tone was somewhat joking.

But to Ling Wenbin's ears, it felt like sitting on pins and needles.

"He... he... missed his younger brother Little Xian, so he went over to see him." Ling Wenbin's mind raced, and he blurted out an excuse.

"Hmph~" Old Master Ling snorted coldly. How could he not know the trickery involved?

As he spoke, the head butler, Ling Yi, immediately brought over a Grandmaster's chair made of Phoebe zhennan wood.

This old man had been used to sitting on wooden chairs or the ground his whole life; he didn't choose to sit on the high-quality soft sofas.

"Did something happen to Xiaohei?" Old Master Ling spoke calmly, his tone unruffled.

"Dad, you know?" Ling Wubai was stunned, then nodded.

This "Xiaohei" referred to Ling Wubai's son, Ling Wuhei.

He was also a genius in the military.

He gritted his teeth and endured, not complaining to anyone, suppressing his anger and sorrow deep in his heart.

Simply because he was a soldier!

"What happened to Xiaohei? Second Brother, why didn't you tell me?" Ling Wenbin was bewildered and asked anxiously.

"Does it hurt your heart?" Grandfather Ling Tianwu shook his head and smiled. He wasn't sad; instead, he was very proud of this grandson.

"It hurts!" Ling Wubai, the second son, knew he couldn't hide it from his father and nodded in response.

"It's just a broken leg, no big deal." Grandfather Ling Tianwu didn't offer comfort; instead, he spoke bluntly.

"A blessing in disguise? Perhaps this is a good thing. You've also become the head of the Special Forces, haven't you?"

"Dad!" Ling Wubai could no longer endure it; the Old Master was rubbing salt into his wound.

"This was exchanged for the death of my comrade and my son's broken leg—I'd rather not have it!" Ling Wubai roared, his voice hoarse.

"Shut up!" Old Master Ling barked, his eyes sharp. "You are already a Lieutenant General. If you faithfully manage the Special Forces, you might not necessarily fail to be promoted to General!"

"As for the past, let it be past!"

"If you really have backbone, then faithfully train the members of the Special Forces and cultivate pillars for the country. In the future, they might even be able to help you seek revenge."