Ch. 2176..2180: The Secretly Rich Man Chapter 2176-2180

Chapter 2176

Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2176 A short while later, the man returned alone before saying, “Elder has invited you in!”

“Thank you for sending him the message,” replied Gerald as he placed his palm and fist together before entering the area with Fujiko…

After walking for about ten minutes, the duo finally arrived at the old man’s home. Since the man hadn’t guided them there, the duo had made their way here solely from memory.

Regardless, as Gerald pushed the house’s door open, he made sure to whisper, “Speaking of which, once we meet the old man, don’t say a thing. I’d like to test him first…”

“Got it,” replied Fujiko with a nod.

With that, the duo walked toward the parlor where the old man could be seen sitting on the tatami floor.

Before him, was a bottle kettle, and despite noticing Gerald and Fujiko’s presence, he didn’t move an inch. Knowing that the old man could speak in the Weston language and since there wasn’t anyone else around, Gerald didn’t bother speaking in his awkward Japanese and simply said, “I’ve come to visit you, old man.”

“So you have. Is the competition over?” asked the old man as he turned to look at Gerald.

“It just ended,” replied Gerald as he sat in front of the old man.

“I see… Are you here to ask about why I helped you back then?” asked the old man as he served some tea to both Gerald and Fujiko.

“Pretty much,” replied Gerald who saw no reason to lie.

“Truth be told, I just didn’t want you to have another conflict with that man. After all, you had already killed several of his men by that point, and I didn’t want to have to clean up more bodies. So there you have it, the reason I allowed you to sneak off,” explained the old man with a smile as he stroked his beard.

“… Is that truly all?” asked Gerald in slight disbelief.

“What other reasons could there be? After all, we had never met before at that point in time. Either way, since you’re already here, why don’t you have some tea with me?” asked the old man as he gestured at the teacup before Gerald.

Getting the old man’s hint, Gerald turned to look at Fujiko before saying, “… Could you look around outside for the moment, Fujiko? There’s something I’d like to discuss with him in private…”

“Pardon me, then,” replied Fujiko as she got to her feet and left the room…

Gerald made sure to follow her to the door before closing it behind her. With the door now shut, Gerald turned to look at the old man before calmly saying, “Now that we’re alone, you can say anything you want… I assure you that anything you say won’t leave this room.”

“Oh? You surprisingly know quite a lot, kid!” replied the old man with a chuckle.

“Well, you did help us escape Ryugu that day. What’s more, you even revealed that you were a Westoner before we left. How couldn’t I figure that there was more to why you did all that?” said Gerald.

“I see… Before that, I’d like to clarify that I had been keeping an eye out on you ever since you entered our territory… With that said, with your abilities, taking Ryugu down would’ve been a cinch for you, no?”

asked the old man as he continued stroking his beard.

“You’re not wrong,” replied Gerald.

“Hmm… Well, at the very least, the part where I didn’t want you two to get into too much trouble is true,” said the old man.

“But why even bother? After all, we had just met for the first time and as far as I know, the Yamashitas hardly have any contact with the outside world,” replied Gerald in a curious tone.

“You truly do know quite a lot…”

Chapter 2177

Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2177 “As you’ve said, the Yamashitas don’t contact other families a lot, but putting that aside… You have the Herculean Primordial Spirit within you, correct?” asked the old man after staring at Gerald for a while.

Upon hearing that, Gerald could only chuckle awkwardly. Though the old man had seen through him, he didn’t really want to admit it. After all, Gerald was well aware that talented and capable people were targeted a lot. In fact, it was exactly because of his power that resulted in his trouble with the military department as well as the three large families of Yanam!

“So it is true… Well, I’m just glad that you know how to conceal your treasure well,” added the old man with a grin.

Nodding slowly, Gerald then looked at the old man for a while before finally asking, “Who… exactly are you, old man…? I’m sure you’re not just the elder of the Yamashita family, right…?”

Gerald had a multitude of questions in his head. First off, how was a Westoner the elder of the Yamashita family? How had he gotten involved in this family rumored to have ninjas? And how did he even know about the Herculean Primordial Spirit? Not many cultivators from Weston even knew about it!

Upon hearing Gerald’s question, the old man’s tone suddenly became serious as he replied, “… Do you really wish to know?”

Watching as Gerald nodded in response, the old man then sighed as his cloudy eyes momentarily hinted that he was reminiscing… And shortly after, the old man said, “Well… For one, I knew your grandfather pretty well back then… We used to travel together in Weston many years ago, you know?

Unfortunately, we ended up parting ways due to our differing opinions… Truth be told, when I first saw you, I almost thought you were him. You’re his spitting image, from your physique,

Appearance, right down to your personality!”

“… What? You know Daryl?” replied Gerald as he instantly frowned. With how tightly he was holding onto the now quivering teacup, the old man felt that if Gerald gripped any harder, the cup would surely shatter.

…

“I did… Well, the old him, at least Also, he’s your grandfather, no? Why are you calling him by his name?” asked the old man as he raised a slight brow.

“I’d very much prefer not to have a grandfather like him,” replied Gerald with a snort.

While it was true that the grandfather he remembered as a child was a kind old man before he disappeared from his life, the revelation that Daryl was his parents’ and sister’s abductor was simply too much for Gerald to willingly overlook.

Regardless, upon hearing that, the shocked old man was prompted to ask, “Is… there some sort of misunderstanding between the two of you…?”

“I’d rather not talk about him, old man… Either way, I’m just wondering if you helped us back then due to the fact that I’m Daryl’s grandson?” replied Gerald as he raised his hand to stop the old man from asking any further.

“… No, of course not. I merely felt like talking about him since you’re his descendant. Regardless, the main reason I helped you is because you’re currently hosting the Herculean Primordial Spirit,” explained the old man as he shook his head with a smile.

Suddenly feeling much more vigilant, Gerald then asked, “…Could you elaborate?”

If this old man truly was after his Herculean Primordial Spirit, then he would have to figure out how to quickly leave this place with Fujiko. Naturally, that meant that he would have to offend yet another powerful family…

Looking at how vigilant Gerald had suddenly become, the old man couldn’t help but laugh before saying, “It’s a long story. If you’re interested in hearing the full thing, do stay for a few more days. In return, I just want you to update me on Daryl’s situation. After all, it’s been ages since I’ve last met him.”

“… Deal!” replied Gerald.

Chapter 2178

Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2178 Gerald was only agreeing since this old man seemed to know Daryl well. With that in mind, Gerald couldn’t deny that he was curious about his grandfather’s past. After all, though he had met him as a child, his memories of Daryl were vague, to say the least. Perhaps with this old man’s help, he would be able to learn why his present grandfather underwent such a drastic change…

“Excellent. Then do have some more tea as we continue chatting. I’ll get a room prepared for you two by tonight. Speaking of which, isn’t it high time you told her to come back inside? After all, there really isn’t anything to hide. Besides, you two are a couple, no?” replied the old man with a smile.

“You knew…?” said Gerald as he scratched the back of his head.

“While we don’t directly contact those from the outside world, it doesn’t mean that we’re left oblivious about what happens out there,” replied the old man with a nod.

Not knowing how to respond to that, Gerald then invited Fujiko in again, making sure to shut the door tight once she was inside. After all, he didn’t want any strangers hearing anything about Daryl’s past.

Once Gerald and Fujiko were seated at the table, the old man who was holding onto a cup of hot tea slowly began rocking back and forth as he said, “Let’s see… It was about fifty years ago when the incident between me and your grandfather occurred… “

As it turned out, Daryl and this old man were once disciples of Brecken Longman, a famous cultivator in Weston, at least at the time. Learning under Brecken atop a hill, the two were senior and junior for at least a decade before they both graduated. After graduation, Daryl returned to his family, determined to make it prosper. As for the old man, he chose to follow Daryl, wanting to help his senior.

It was when the Crawford family started rising the ranks in the cultivation world when Daryl and the old man started having differing views. For one, Daryl wanted to bring the Crawfords into the secular world. His plan was to use the family’s power in exchange for riches. However, the old man was against this. After all, Weston cultivators hardly ever got involved with the secular world, yet Daryl was proposing to start a business!

Due to their differing views, in the end, the two ended up parting ways. After leaving the Crawford family, the old man traveled the world until eventually, he ended up getting chosen to become the elder of the Yamashita family after helping the family out when they needed it most.

After hearing the old man’s side of the story, Gerald couldn’t help but feel slightly emotional.

As for the old man, he then sighed before adding, “So… Yes, that’s pretty much the summarized version of what happened… Thinking back, your grandfather’s decision was honestly the right one. After all, he genuinely was considering the future of the family…”

While it was true that the old man had considered moving back to Weston before this, he had simply grown too used to staying here by that point.

Whatever the case was, Gerald who hadn’t heard about all this from his father before simply nodded in response…

Now that he was done sharing his part of the story, the old man looked expectantly at Gerald before asking, “So… Now that I’m done, how are things with your grandfather? Is he still living with you?”

“Not really,” replied Gerald as he shook his head.

Momentarily stunned to hear that, the old man’s hands started shaking to the point where tea was starting to spill before he eventually asked, “Has… he passed away…?”

“He’s alive and well, though he’s no longer in the Crawford family… Or should I say, he’s no longer in the old Crawford family,” replied Gerald with a bitter smile. To be completely honest, he secretly still hoped that Daryl was the same grandfather he used to know as a child…

Chapter 2179

Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2179 “… Hmm? What do you mean by that…?” asked the old man, clearly feeling confused.

“Well, he’s left my family to establish a new cultivating Crawford family atop an island beyond the Yanam sea that I’ve unfortunately yet to locate…” replied Gerald with a sigh.

“He’s… established another Crawford family…? But that can’t be! The old Daryl valued his family more than his old life! With that said, why would he just abandon you and establish a new family?” exclaimed the old man as his eyes widened in disbelief.

Shrugging, Gerald simply replied, “Beats me…”

Now feeling that he was hearing something more akin to a fairy tale, the old man asked, “…Alright, so… How’s the relationship between the two families…?”

“Well, my Crawford family isn’t connected with the other one. I should also note that I’m the only one left in my family,” explained Gerald.

“… What? What about your parents? While I don’t know much about you, I clearly remember my sister- in-law giving birth to a girl before I left. That should be your sister, right? What happened to her and your parents? Don’t tell me all three of them met with misfortune…?” replied the old man with a frown.

“Negative. Currently, they’ve been abducted by Daryl…” muttered Gerald as he shook his head.

“… They were… what? You… you’re just making all this up, right…?” asked the old man in his utter shock. After all, all this was simply too bizarre! His old friend couldn’t just start a new family of his own before abducting his son and daughter-in-law’s family, right…?

“Unfortunately, it’s the truth. My parents and sister are currently being locked up somewhere on their island. I should also note that though my girlfriend’s been abducted by the Sun League, I have a feeling that my grandfather’s involved…” replied Gerald with a sigh.

Unable to handle all this information, the old man leaped to his feet, his face contorted in disbelief as he yelled, “What?!”

“I only speak the truth…” muttered Gerald who honestly wanted all this to just be fake.

“… Unbelievable… I clearly remember how cordially Daryl treated your parents and the rest of your family back then… How did all this come to be…?” said the old man as he slowly sat down again.

Gerald himself remained silent, not knowing what else to say about Daryl…

Back when he was six, he had thought that his grandfather was the kindest man alive… However, one day, he simply left… To think that when Daryl finally returned once Gerald was an adult, his first move was to abduct his parents and sister! This Daryl was nothing like the grandfather Gerald used to love!

Regardless, after pondering for a while, the old man eventually asked, “… You mentioned an island, right? What’s the island called?”

“Yearning Island!” replied Gerald without the slightest hesitation. Since the old man was extremely capable and was also the elder of the Yamashitas, Gerald secretly hoped that the old man would know something about that island.

Unfortunately, Gerald was quickly disappointed when the old man stroked his beard for a while before shaking his head and saying, “…I’m afraid I’ve never heard of that island before…”

“… Don’t worry, I just found out about it quite recently as well,” replied Gerald as he sighed. Still, he wasn’t overly disappointed since he kind of expected this answer as well.

“I see… Don’t worry, I’ll try my best to locate it for you. I should specify that I still believe that Daryl isn’t the kind of person to do all this without a good reason,” muttered the old man as he shook his head.

Chapter 2180

Gerald Crawford: The Secretly or invisible Rich Man Chapter 2180 Following that, the three avoided talking about Daryl for a while, choosing to drink their tea instead…

Sometime later, the old man turned to look at Fujiko before asking, “… The Futabas have had a long standing feud with the Hanyus, correct?”

Momentarily caught off guard, Fujiko quickly snapped out of it before replying, “… Indeed… Though, I didn’t expect you to know about this…”

“I’ll have you know that we Yamashitas are quite knowledgeable about what happens beyond our territory… Regardless, while we did know about your feud, we never expected your families to actually start attacking each other,” explained the old man who was now feeling much better after not talking about Daryl for a while.

“To be honest, the feud only began again quite recently. While I still don’t know what the Hanyu family’s motive is, they suddenly sent assassins after my head some time ago… Had Gerald not stepped in to help me back then, I could’ve died back there…” muttered Fujiko as she wondered what was going on in the Hanyu family members’ minds.

After all, in the past, the most they did was ignore each other’s presence when their families crossed paths.

“I see… Further investigation is definitely needed… Putting that aside for now, since your family’s currently in trouble, I’m Willing to lend a hand,” replied the old man.

“You… wish to help the Futabas?” asked Fujiko as she turned to look at Gerald.

“More specifically, I’m doing this for Gerald’s sake. Since he’s currently living with your family, it’s only natural that I make sure he stays safe. While I’m at it, I may as well protect the Futabas, ” explained the old man.

“Even so, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!” replied Fujiko who wasn’t about to say no to this since her family was still in danger. With the Yamashita family’s help, they now had a chance to stand against the Kanagawas and the Hanyus…!

Nodding in response, the old man then faced his window before shouting, “Alright, gather some of our men and tell them to head to the Futaba manor! Once you’ re there, tell Takuya that you’re friends of Gerald’s and have him arrange some rooms for you to stay in! After all that, make sure to keep your eyes peeled at all times! If anyone tries to look for trouble with the Futabas, get rid of them immediately!”

Almost immediately after, dozens of footsteps could suddenly be heard running off into the distance.

Raising a slight brow, Gerald curiously asked, “Say… Are there really ninjas in this family…?”

“Indeed.”

“Could you show one to me…?” asked Gerald, who had always wanted to see a real ninja.

Upon hearing that, the old man exposed his palm and all of a sudden, a flame appeared out of thin air! From what Gerald could tell, the old man wasn’t hiding anything that could’ve produced the flame. It was almost magical…

As for Fujiko, she was so shocked that her mouth was already gaping by this point. Scenes like these only happened in movies… How was any of this real…?

“The power to control elements is a ninja’s true power,” explained the old man as the flame slowly died out. Even so, the warmth of the fire remained.

“Ninjas really do exist…!” muttered Gerald, feeling slightly excited now.