Raising Orphans, Not Assassins-Chapter 76Vol. 1 - - A Father’s Responsibility! A Midnight Raid for Leftovers!

The two of them finished washing the dishes together. Chen Ye wiped his hands and said, "Xiao Sheng, come here. I have something to talk to you about."

"Oh, okay."

Sun Sheng quickly put away the remaining dishes and utensils before following Chen Ye out of the kitchen.

Chen Ye walked into the courtyard and said casually, "Bring out two chairs."

Sun Sheng ran inside, grabbed two chairs, and brought them out.

He placed one behind Chen Ye and the other behind himself.

"Sit down," Chen Ye gestured for him to take a seat. Then, fixing his gaze on Sun Sheng, he spoke, "Xiaosheng, since you call me your Foster Father… I must take responsibility."

Hearing this, Sun Sheng obediently sat down, his expression turning serious.

Noticing his nervousness, Chen Ye smiled faintly. "We're just having a chat."

Sun Sheng grinned sheepishly, his smile as honest as the bright Ming Sun.

Chen Ye looked toward the darkening sky and asked, "Xiao Sheng, what kind of person do you want to become in the future?"

A hint of confusion flickered in Sun Sheng’s eyes.

"Or rather, do you want to be a good person or a bad one?"

Sun Sheng scratched his head and chuckled shyly. "Of course, I want to be a good person."

Chen Ye nodded lightly, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

"But sometimes, the line between good and bad isn't so clear-cut. A good person can be a bad person, and a bad person can be a good one."

Sun Sheng’s eyes showed a trace of uncertainty.

"There are too many paths in this world. You can choose to be a bad person, or you can choose to be a good one. The kind of person you become depends entirely on your own choices. But as your father, I only hope that no matter what you do, you never betray your own heart."

Chen Ye smiled faintly as he looked up at the dusky purple sky. "Because in this world, there is no absolute good or absolute evil."

Turning his gaze back to Sun Sheng, he spoke gently, "So before you act, always take a moment to think."

"Do you understand?"

Sun Sheng seemed deep in thought. The confusion in his eyes gradually faded.

He nodded solemnly, his expression respectful. "I understand."

Chen Ye smiled faintly.

The evening breeze swept through.

Leaves rustled softly.

The cool night air carried a sense of peace throughout the courtyard.

Chen Ye was not someone who enjoyed preaching.

He also didn’t believe that lectures alone could change a person.

But today, he made an exception for Sun Sheng.

Sun Sheng was different from Da Ming and Xiao Lian—he carried a lot of street smarts from growing up in the city.

Moreover, the path he had chosen in his heart… was that of a water bandit.

And that worried Chen Ye.

A bandit… was still a bandit in the end.

Chen Ye gazed at the distant, misty green mountains, his eyes growing darker and deeper.

The night stretched on.

A waning moon hung in the sky, casting its cold, silvery glow.

Deep into the night, every household had already drifted into slumber.

Occasionally, the distant barking of dogs broke the silence, making the night feel even stiller.

On a certain residential house, lying on the rooftop, Nan Yiyun suddenly yawned.

With bleary, half-opened eyes, he stretched lazily before sitting up.

A thin strand of drool clung to the corner of his mouth, and his face was still clouded with the confusion of just waking up.

Looking up at the waning moon, he murmured, "Midnight already?"

"Gurgle…"

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His stomach let out a pitiful growl.

Nan Yiyun grimaced, smacking his lips. "That brat sure enjoyed his dinner. He didn't even think to save a bite for his master!"

He yawned again.

Just the memory of seeing Sun Sheng and the others feasting at sunset had him drooling uncontrollably.

"I have no idea how they cook, but that color and aroma! Even the imperial dishes in Bianliang’s palace couldn’t compare."

Swallowing hungrily, Nan Yiyun flipped off the roof beam and darted in a particular direction, muttering under his breath, "Hope they left something behind…"

…

Yuhang Orphanage.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, controlling the innate energy within him, Chen Ye suddenly opened his eyes.

A strange look crossed his face.

"Someone is actually trying to steal from an orphanage?"

He got off the bed, gently pushed open the door, and made his way toward the kitchen.

"Creak…"

Just as Chen Ye pushed open the kitchen door, he felt several acupoints on his body being sealed.

At the same time, a low mutter reached his ears.

"Damn it, scared the hell out of me! What are you doing in the kitchen at this hour instead of sleeping?"

Nan Yiyun grumbled in annoyance.

He had just snuck into the kitchen when the orphanage director followed right behind him, giving him quite the fright.

For a moment, he thought he had been caught.

But then again… who besides a grandmaster could possibly detect his presence?

Clicking his tongue, Nan Yiyun sealed Chen Ye’s acupoints and mumbled a few complaints before turning to rummage through the kitchen.

"Weird. Where’s the leftovers?"

"No way they ate everything."

"There was so much food this afternoon. How could it all be gone?"

The more he searched, the more frustrated he became.

Just then—

A voice suddenly spoke behind him.

"Dinner’s all gone. But if you’re hungry, I can make you something."

Nan Yiyun shuddered violently on the spot.

"Who's there?!" He inhaled sharply, his voice tense.

On a silent, pitch-black night, if someone suddenly spoke right behind you, anyone would be startled.

Even Nan Yiyun wasn’t immune to it.

He was certain there had been no one else around—except for the orphanage director, whose acupoints he had sealed the moment he entered.

Then… who had just spoken?

Footsteps echoed in the kitchen.

"Snap."

A flint was struck.

In the next moment, a small flame flickered to life, pushing back the darkness.

By the light of the fire, Nan Yiyun finally saw who had spoken.

His eyes widened in shock.

Because it was none other than the orphanage director—the very man whose acupoints he had sealed upon entering.

Chen Ye held a piece of tinder, using it to light the kitchen’s oil lamp.

A wisp of blue smoke curled upward as the flame flickered to life, casting a soft, steady glow.

Under the warm lamplight, Chen Ye stood tall in his white robes, holding the lamp in one hand while smiling at Nan Yiyun.

"If you're hungry, you can wait a moment," he said.

The flickering light cast shadows over his sharp, handsome features, giving him an air of quiet mystery.

Nan Yiyun stared at him, dumbfounded.

"What the hell? Did I misjudged him?"

"Never thought a mere orphanage would have a first-rank expert…"

In his eyes, someone who could move freely after having their acupoints sealed had to be, at the very least, a first-rank martial artist.

As for a grandmaster?

Impossible.

There were only five grandmasters in the entire world, and this young man wasn’t among them.

Realizing he had been exposed, Nan Yiyun made himself comfortable, swaggering over to sit on a long wooden bench.

He propped one foot up on the bench, lazily squinting at Chen Ye.

"Kid, make me something to eat," he said, completely unfazed. "If you serve me well, I might even feel generous enough to teach you a move or two."