Chapter 107: A Conspiracy of Two Fathers

"Pfft—" Chen Ding'an sprayed a mouthful of tea directly onto Dong Jianguo's face. "Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

It took a good while for Chen Ding'an to catch his breath. He hurriedly used his own clothes to wipe the tea from Dong Jianguo's face, yet Dong Jianguo did not seem angry at all.

"I’m telling you... do you have to change your stance so quickly? Just yesterday you were still hesitant, so why are you in such a rush today?" Chen Ding'an looked at Dong Jianguo, feeling helpless.

"Nonsense! That kid Chen Hao can no longer be described as a martial arts genius; he is a prodigy! For someone who has never been taught a move, just by understanding the theory and watching a practitioner of the same style perform it, he could deduce the execution method himself—this is unprecedented in the martial arts world!" Dong Jianguo said with great excitement.

"Unprecedented? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?" Chen Ding'an countered. "I am certain that throughout the history of our nation's martial arts, many great masters possessed such ability!"

Dong Jianguo remained stirred. "Let’s set aside the masters of the past. At the very least, among our generation and Chen Hao's, besides him, no one else can do that, right? And you were right about one thing: if he can do what the masters of the past could, doesn't that mean he can be mentioned in the same breath as those legendary figures?"

"You..." Chen Ding'an was speechless. "That is far too hyperbolic. Chen Hao has talent, sure, but isn't it an overstatement to compare him to the masters of old? This..."

Dong Jianguo squinted at him. "What is wrong with you? Chen Hao is your own son, isn't he? Before today, it seemed like you were the one constantly telling me how incredible and outstanding he was, even pressuring me to let my girl marry him. Why is it that now that I've agreed, you're the one stirring up trouble? Are you ill? Is your childhood polio acting up, or perhaps it’s menopause? Could it be early-onset dementia? Did you take your medicine before leaving the house? Do you need me to find a psychiatrist for you?"

"Damn it!" Chen Ding'an stared at Dong Jianguo in disbelief. What had gotten into this guy today? Why was his tongue so sharp? "Do you have to roast me like that? Chen Hao is my son, remember?"

"He may be your son, but he is also my future son-in-law," Dong Jianguo declared with absolute conviction and a sense of righteous entitlement.

"Hell!" Chen Ding'an cursed. "Do you have any shame left? What 'future son-in-law'?"

"What? Are you trying to back out of your word?"

"So what if I am?" Chen Ding'an began to play the rogue.

Hearing this, Dong Jianguo suddenly adopted a sycophantic expression. "Oh, come on! A real man keeps his word, doesn't he? Especially us martial artists, rooted in a sense of chivalry—we must honor our commitments! Besides, what is our relationship? We’ve been best friends since we were kids! I’ve regretted not arranging a marriage between our children when they were in the womb, and now that they are grown, it’s the perfect age for an engagement! Look, our families know each other through and through; we are well-matched in status. Becoming in-laws would only deepen our bond. It couldn't be more perfect."

Chen Ding'an crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, watching Dong Jianguo boast endlessly. Seeing that he received no reply, Dong Jianguo promised him countless benefits.

"Oh! Why are you being so long-winded? A child's future must be decided while they are young! As the saying goes, marriage must be caught from the cradle! Tell you what—if you agree to this match, I promise to exhaust every effort to pass on my Dong family's martial arts to Chen Hao without reservation!"

"Hmph!" Chen Ding'an sneered. "Is your Dong family's martial arts so rare? The hard-style path isn't even particularly suited for Chen Hao. Even if he were to learn it, he could just as easily learn our Chen family's 'Full Moon' style. Our 'Full Moon' is also a hard-style discipline, and it’s definitely not inferior to your Dong family’s. Why would I have him go to such lengths to learn from you?"

Dong Jianguo scratched his head anxiously. "There are other benefits to being my son-in-law! Think about it: if he marries my girl, he’s basically half a son to me. You know full well that Dong Xin is my only daughter, and everything I own will be left to her. Once Chen Hao and the girl marry, he becomes part of my family. Everything I pass to her will essentially be passed to him! Look at this grand mansion! It has been passed down since the Song Dynasty. It’s a piece of material cultural heritage!"

Chen Ding'an shifted his posture, looking at Dong Jianguo with indifference. "Do you think that with the financial power of the Chen family, I would look twice at this dilapidated courtyard? You have the nerve to call it a cultural heritage—it’s more like a condemned building. In the city, this would just be a shack waiting for demolition! If I wanted a house like this, I could just fund a government project to develop a mountain area, find a spot with good scenery, and build a massive estate. I guarantee it would have all the modern amenities, far better than your place! I’d even get the reputation of a philanthropist for developing the mountains. Why wouldn't I do that?"

Dong Jianguo was so frustrated he was practically pulling his hair out. "Ugh! Then what exactly do you want? What do I have to agree to for you to consent to the marriage?"

The roles of the two had completely reversed compared to yesterday. Yesterday, Chen Ding'an had been the one lobbying Dong Jianguo; today, it was Chen Ding'an who hesitated, while Dong Jianguo was the impatient one. All of this stemmed from the results of the children's spar and the immense talent Chen Hao had displayed.

To be honest, when Chen Hao told Dong Xin he would defeat her using her own family's techniques, not only did Dong Xin and Dong Jianguo scoff, but even Chen Ding'an thought Chen Hao was just bragging to shake her confidence. But when Chen Hao actually executed the "Lean Against the Mountain" maneuver, even Chen Ding'an was shocked. He was certain he hadn't taught it to him, yet Chen Hao had observed Dong Xin's style and managed to pull it off during the heat of the fight. This filled Chen Ding'an with immense joy.

Through this, Chen Ding'an realized something: Chen Hao's talent far exceeded everyone's estimation. Because of this, Chen Ding'an suddenly wondered if Dong Xin was perhaps not good enough for Chen Hao. While she was undoubtedly outstanding—even though she had been soundly defeated by Chen Hao—she was still a girl he had watched grow up. He had seen her progress over the years. If she weren't exceptional, he wouldn't have even considered marrying her to Chen Hao.

But even so, compared to the current Chen Hao, Dong Xin seemed to be falling behind. As long as Chen Hao continued to practice diligently, the gap between them would only grow.

If Chen Hao were to find a wife who was an ordinary person with no knowledge of martial arts, it wouldn't matter. Without martial skill, there would be no competition between husband and wife; conversely, the more successful Chen Hao became, the prouder his wife might feel.

But if Chen Hao and Dong Xin were to marry, the situation would be entirely different. Both were martial artists, and even as a married couple, comparison would be inevitable. Chen Hao was fine; his nature was easygoing, and he wasn't prone to harboring resentment. Furthermore, his strength was already superior, so he wouldn't feel slighted by her.

But what about Dong Xin? Chen Ding'an knew her to be a proud and ambitious young woman. If she married Chen Hao... he could only imagine the grievances she would suffer. Chen Hao would inadvertently overshadow her at every turn. Could such a marriage be happy? If this were the case, perhaps he should just follow the wishes of Chen Hao's mother and let him marry Gu Mengyan instead...

No, no! Thinking this, Chen Ding'an shook his head. This matter required careful deliberation. He had to resolve the immediate problem first.

"To be honest," Chen Ding'an finally said, "I'm not sure if Chen Hao and Dong Xin could truly live happily if they were to marry."

"What are you playing at? Weren't you the one who proposed this marriage in the first place?" Dong Jianguo was confused.

Chen Ding'an shared his worries and thoughts with Dong Jianguo, asking him to help analyze the situation. After hearing him out, Dong Jianguo was stunned. Knowing his daughter's personality well, he quickly understood the crux of the issue.

Indeed, his daughter's attitude was a critical factor. After today's defeat, would she be able to accept Chen Hao calmly and follow their arrangement? That was up for debate.

"Damn it! Why is this so complicated?" Dong Jianguo cursed. "When we were young, our parents arranged everything. There were no such headaches! 'Parental command, matchmaker's words'—it was settled, no questions asked!"

"That's why I think," Chen Ding'an concluded, "our worrying here is useless. It depends on them. If you really want your girl to marry Chen Hao, you need to work on her mindset and create more opportunities for them to be alone together..."