Chapter Twenty-Two: The Xue Family Meeting and Xue Tian'ai's Past

In the study of the Xue family manor in the capital, a family meeting was underway. An elderly man reclined gently in a spacious office chair behind his desk, quietly watching the three people seated on the sofa before him.

The old man’s body was lean, almost gaunt, like an aged eagle. Yet his face radiated wisdom, and his short, white beard was meticulously groomed. His deeply set eyes shone brightly, concealed behind the thick lenses of his reading glasses.

Despite his frail appearance, this old man was a frequent presence on regional television and in world news. The authority he exuded was impossible to ignore; his words could sway the fate of the nation itself. He was the head of the contemporary Xue family, the country’s number two, Xue Renhai.

Xue Renhai glanced at the three silent figures on the sofa and spoke slowly, “I’m sure you’ve all heard by now—Xiao Ai has returned.”

All three shuddered slightly, their faces awash with guilt, yet none dared lift their heads or utter a word. The air was thick with a deathly silence, broken only by the heavy breathing in the room.

Sensing their state, Xue Renhai sighed softly and continued, “Do none of you uncles have anything to say?”

“Father, does Eldest Brother know?” Xue Xishuang broke the silence, raising his head.

Xue Xishuang, commander of the Southeast Military District and son-in-law to the Song family of the South, was also Xue Gangtao’s father. He was renowned for his ruthless decisiveness, but now, none of his usual iron-blooded command demeanor remained.

“Do you think he wouldn’t know his own son has returned?” Xue Renhai countered.

At this, Xue Xishuang fell silent once more.

“What’s the matter? No one has anything else to say? Xiquan, as the Wolf King of the Wolf Pack, do you have no opinion?” Xue Renhai turned his gaze to the man seated furthest left.

This man, Xue Xiquan, was Renhai’s youngest son. With gold-rimmed glasses and a pale blue suit, he appeared the epitome of cultured elegance. Of all four sons, Xue Xiquan’s identity was the most mysterious; few even knew the Xue family had a fourth son.

This secrecy stemmed from his extraordinary profession, which was essentially a state secret.

The Wolf Pack was one of two mysterious organizations in China; the other was called the Fish Gate. Members of both were elite, each possessing unique skills.

Though the modern world appeared prosperous and nations friendly, where there is light, there must also be shadow. If the balance between darkness and light tilts, chaos ensues. To address such threats, China established the Wolf Pack and the Fish Gate. While similar in composition and often in competition, their duties were distinct.

The Wolf Pack dealt primarily with foreign threats—international drug trafficking, foreign assassins, mercenaries, and overseas operations.

The Fish Gate targeted domestic transgressions—rebellious factions, high-level criminals, and internal dangers.

Both organizations were the nation's ultimate trump cards, capable of swift, decisive action. Their members were classified above top secret, and only those of the highest rank could access their files. One extraordinary privilege granted to members: the right to strike first and report later. If they deemed someone an absolute threat, they could execute without legal repercussions.

Xue Xiquan was the Wolf King, the leader of the Wolf Pack. Beneath his refined exterior lay formidable strength and a terrifying prowess.

When addressed by the old patriarch, Xue Xiquan dared not remain silent. Despite his immense power within the Wolf Pack, he was still Xue Renhai’s son.

“Father, Xiao Ai is still one of the Pack, and he holds the Pack’s token. I’d like him to return. The Sirius position has been vacant for so long—”

“Let it stay vacant!” A drunken voice suddenly interrupted him.

The study door flew open with a kick and two figures appeared. One was young and strikingly handsome, offering a wry smile to the old patriarch. The other staggered, face flushed and eyes glazed with anger, clutching a liquor bottle—a living caricature of a drunkard.

Despite his disheveled uniform, the three stars on his shoulder marked him as the highest commander.

“Grandfather, I apologize. I couldn’t stop Uncle,” the younger man said guiltily.

“Gangtao, it’s fine. No need to apologize.” Xue Renhai sighed, turning to the drunken figure. His face, usually composed, was now contorted with rage.

“Look at yourself! What a disgrace! You’re the Commander of the Northeast Military District, not some street thug!” he roared.

The drunkard was none other than Xue Tian’ai’s father, Xue Xiwen, the current commander of the Northeast Military District.

Hearing the old man’s outburst, Xue Xiwen slowly lifted his head, his own face burning with anger. “Xiao Ai is my son! All these years, I couldn’t even give him a father’s love! Why?”

“Xiao Ai is also a grandson of the Xue family! He’s not just your son!” Xue Renhai exploded, rising from his seat, his frail frame trembling.

“Yes! That’s right! Xiao Ai is the Xue family’s grandson, and the eldest at that! Was that why you took him away when he was only a year old? Was that why you never announced his existence to the world? Was that why you sent him to the Ye family? Was that why you made him the Sirius of the Wolf Pack at only eleven?” Xue Xiwen’s bloodshot eyes brimmed with pain and accusation. At this moment, he was nothing more than a grieving father.

He pressed on, his words pouring out in anguish. “Xiao Ai is twenty-five! He could have lived a life of privilege, basking in his parents’ love! But what did you do? What did you do?”

“Big brother, calm down. Speak slowly. Why are you so agitated all of a sudden?” Xue Renhai’s second son, Xue Xiwu, finally tried to intervene.

“Shut up! I will speak! I’ve held this in for years!” Xue Xiwen raged, cutting him off.

“When Xiao Ai left China with the Pack’s token ten years ago, I wanted to say it then! What did you make of my son? While other children played with building blocks, what did he have? Guns, knives, swords, cannons!”

“While others played house together, what did he do? He was studying thirteen national languages!”

“That’s enough, big brother!” Xue Xishuang could bear it no longer.

“Let him finish!” Xue Renhai remained standing, gripping the table for support, his aged body trembling with fury.

“When other children fought over childish squabbles, where was he? In the Greater Khingan Mountains, wrestling tigers and bears! In Shennongjia, battling snakes and venomous insects!”

“While others fretted over exams and recited lessons, what was he doing? In your damned Wolf Pack, fighting alongside adults!”

“And worst of all, you finally let him come home, promised him a happy childhood, swore you’d stop pushing him! But then you sent him to the Ye family for two years! Forced him to kill three people as a child! Made him a murderer!”

“After the Ye family was wiped out, you intensified his training! At just eleven, he became the fearsome Sirius of the Wolf Pack, as you wished!”

“At fifteen, you gave him so-called freedom again—sent him to Europe. And as you wished, he founded Butterfly, becoming the leader of Europe’s top assassin organization, earning the title ‘Phantom Butterfly’! Now you’re binding him back with a marriage contract!”

“You are cruel! So cruel! Did you plan every step of Xiao Ai’s life? Now that he’s back, you want him to return to the Wolf Pack immediately? Will he ever have happiness of his own? Will he ever know the Xue family’s tenderness, not just its discipline?”

By now, tears streamed down Xue Xiwen’s face—tears of a father’s regret and sorrow.

“Yes, you’re right! It’s true—the Xue family owes him!” The old patriarch’s eyes, too, reddened as he slumped back into his chair.

“We owe Xiao Ai too much—far too much! I brought him back this time because I truly want him to have some happiness. If he doesn’t return to the Pack, so be it! Let him live a good life with that girl Qin Mengxue—she’s a fine one.”

“But father, the Pack’s token—” Xue Xiquan protested, frowning.

“Let Xiao Ai keep it for now! Haven’t you been able to command the Pack without it? Let him have it—perhaps it’ll help him.”

“And don’t think I don’t know why you’re marrying into the Qin family! I don’t believe your words! But remember this: let Xiao Ai live a good life—let him have a real homecoming, not just more killing!” Xue Xiwen, his eyes still blurred with tears, staggered out of the study.

“Father, what now?” Xue Xishuang asked as Xiwen left.

“We’ll do as we said! Ah, we truly owe Xiao Ai too much. Let him live in peace. He’s suffered enough all these years.”

The old patriarch gazed quietly out the window. Bathed in sunlight, his expression was impossible to discern.

“Very well, let’s leave it at that.” Xue Xiwu nodded heavily, then asked softly, “Does Hairuo know Xiao Ai is back?”

At these words, everyone trembled, guilt gnawing at their hearts.

“She probably doesn’t know yet. But they’re both in Beiyang City—it’s only a matter of time. Let things run their course.” The old man, still gazing outside, paused before continuing, “Gangtao, you young ones—if Fish Gate has no urgent business, check in on your brother and Hairuo when you can.”

“Yes, Grandfather. I’ll go to Beiyang City soon,” Xue Gangtao replied respectfully, though inside he was reeling. Because of his uncle’s drunken outburst, he had learned so much that he’d never known before.

“Dismissed, everyone! Go back to your own affairs!”

“Then we’ll be off, Father! Take care of yourself. Don’t take Big Brother’s drunken words to heart,” Xue Xiwu said, leading Xishuang, Xiquan, and Gangtao from the study.

After they left, time passed in silence. At length, a heavy, aged sigh echoed through the room.

“Xiao Ai, Grandfather is sorry. But there truly was no other way…”