My Best Friends Father

In the Southern Dynasty, within the Sichuan Region, on the border with the Dali Kingdom, there was a town called Harmony Town, and within this town, there was a village known as Yang Village. The name was self-explanatory; the village was inhabited solely by the Yang clan, hence the name Yang Village.

One day, the sound of hooves echoed at the entrance of the village as a large group of mounted men, over a hundred in number and all masked, stormed into the village, surrounding it completely. Before the villagers could comprehend what was happening, a nightmare began. The strangers began a ruthless slaughter, sparing neither the elderly nor the children.

Upon hearing the news, the village head, who was also the clan leader, urgently called his only son, Ron Yang, to his side and instructed him, "Ron, our family is beset by misfortune. I hope you can escape this calamity." With that, he retrieved a package from a hidden compartment behind the ancestral tablets in the hall and handed it to Ron slowly.

Ron, who had lived in the mountains, engaging in hunting and farming, was only fifteen but possessed a calmness and a sturdy build akin to that of an adult. Compared to his peers, Ron was more mature, and his love for literature had led him to study under the knowledgeable elders of the village. He had a remarkable memory and could recall anything he read. Since everyone in the village shared the same surname, his full name was Ron Yang. His father was Richard Yang, and the worried woman by his fathers side was his mother, Monica Yang. Seeing the tense situation, Ron couldnt help but shed tears as he asked, "Father, we are a simple family, and all our clansmen are kind-hearted. Why would such a disaster befall us?"

Richard Yang and Monica Yang, both in their forties, carried the simplicity and kindness of the rural people, as well as a reserved and intelligent demeanor. Richard sighed and said, "Ron, you dont know. Our ancestors claimed to have seen a dragon, the legendary divine dragon. Our forefathers lived off hunting. Once, while returning from a hunt, an ancestor encountered a snake, bloodied and pitiful. Out of compassion, he brought it home to nurse it back to health. When he brought it home, the snake transformed, astonishingly, into the legendary dragon. Since no one had ever seen a dragon before, the ancestor was terrified and at a loss for what to do. The dragon then changed again, this time into the form of a mortal, and spoke to reassure the ancestor not to be afraid, admitting that it was indeed a dragon that had fallen to this place."

Ron quickly asked, "Father, is it true? Do dragons really exist in the world? If so, why are they so rare?" Richard continued, "Alas, who knows? The dragon lived among us, taking on a human form and living with us. It is said that during that time, our clansmen never worried about food, as the beasts of the forest would bring food to them. Over time, the dragon fell in love with a woman from our clan, and they became husband and wife, even becoming close friends with our ancestors. A strange thing happened when a human and a dragon fell in love." "What happened?" Ron asked. Richard replied, "The woman from our clan gave birth to an egg, the size of a chickens egg, yet as hard as stone."

Ron gasped. "The dragon told our ancestor to protect his child, as his enemies had追踪到这里, fearing that our clansmen would be implicated, he took the woman from our clan and left, never to be seen again. Before departing, he told our ancestor that the birth of a dragon begins with a dragon egg, which hatches into a dragon. In their realm, this process takes a year, but here it takes a millennium, so our Yang family has guarded the emergence of the dragon for generations."

Hearing this, Ron couldnt help but wonder, "Father, if this is a clan secret and our clansmen have never left, how could others know about it?" His mother, who had been silent until then, spoke up, "Ron, this is an old story weve never told you. You have an uncle, before you were born. Our ancestors left a secret about the dragon egg, that a mortal who consumes it could gain immortality and immense power, so they instructed our ancestors to guard it carefully. It was all because of your uncles greed, wanting to swallow the dragon egg, that he was discovered by your grandfather. He was meant to be executed but was banished from the clan instead, thanks to your fathers intervention. When he left, he swore to return for the dragon egg."

Richard Yang said, "So many years have passed, and hes still not giving up. Sigh, I spared him out of brotherly love. We thought by moving here, he wouldnt find us, but he did." As they spoke, the villagers had been massacred. Richard said, "Ron, you must leave. If you dont, it will be too late. You must protect the dragon egg. Although we dont know what the dragon egg will bring us, in terms of seniority, the dragon born from it could be considered our ancestor. Emotionally and logically, it must not fall into the hands of evildoers."

At this moment, Ron felt the sorrow and pain of parting for the first time and said, "Father, mother, I wont leave. I want to be with you." His father, who had never hit him before, kicked him out for the first time, saying, "If you dont leave, will you let us die with unfulfilled wishes? As long as you live well, we will be comforted." At this moment, Ron did not resent his father but hated his uncle, because he knew his fathers heart ached after hitting him. He quickly said, "Then why dont you and mother leave with me?" As his father raised his hand to strike, his mother held him back, and he said angrily, "You have read the books of sages, how can you not understand? If we all left, he would chase us to the ends of the earth, and none of us would survive." His mother also said, "Ron, hurry up and leave. The millennium is about to arrive, and the dragon egg is about to hatch. When that happens, the dragon egg will be of no use to him, and he wont bother you anymore. Your uncle doesnt know about you. Once were gone, he will stop." She led Ron to the back door as she spoke. Ron knew there was a cave behind the house that led to the back of the mountain, and once there, he would be safe. Ron still held a glimmer of hope that his uncle would show mercy and spare his parents, saying, "Father, mother, I dont know if I will live or die from here. If my uncle shows brotherly love and doesnt harm you, I will find a place to spend my life. If he doesnt remember the old feelings, then I will fight to avenge you with my life." With that, he picked up the package and ran towards the cave.