Chapter 729: The Cause

Chapter 729: Chapter 80: The Cause

The moment Chen Chuan spoke, the man’s expression shifted in quick succession: first stunned, then annoyed, and finally, dejected. It was a rich display of emotion.

After a good while, as if all the strength had drained from his body, he said dejectedly, “You’re here to capture me, aren’t you? Go ahead, take me away, but please don’t hurt my child…”

He looked up at Chen Chuan. “You don’t look like a bad person…” He quickly lowered his head again, muttering as if trying to convince himself, “You wouldn’t do that, right? You wouldn’t, you wouldn’t…”

Chen Chuan looked at him. ‘How could a man in this state have stayed hidden for fifteen years?’ He took the note from his pocket, walked over, and placed it in front of the man. “Elder Tian, you left this, didn’t you?”

Tian Rui glanced at it, his expression suddenly conflicted. He stammered, “Yes… But please believe me, I didn’t want to hurt you. I just, I just wanted you to leave… You can’t beat him…”

Chen Chuan asked, “Him?” He realized the “him” Tian Rui was talking about must be the person from back then.

Just as they were speaking, Tian Wo rode up on his bicycle. He spotted Chen Chuan first. “Hey,” he said, “aren’t you that…?”

Then he saw his father sitting there, looking crestfallen, while Chen Chuan stood over him imposingly. Sensing something was wrong, he threw his bike aside, dashed to Tian Rui’s side, and asked anxiously, “Dad, what’s going on?”

He then turned to Chen Chuan, his eyes full of anger, and demanded, “Who are you, and what do you want?”

Tian Rui grabbed his arm, saying nervously, “Xiaowo, this is Dad’s business. It has nothing to do with you. Go inside.”

“Old man!” Tian Wo seemed extremely agitated. He shook off his father’s hand and said, “You say that every time, and every time it’s something big! I’d love to stay out of it, but when has it not been Mom and me cleaning up your messes? Spit it out. Who did you borrow money from this time? Or what did you promise someone?”

Tian Rui said sheepishly, “No, no…” He tried to explain, “Son, it’s really not like that this time…”

Tian Wo snorted, not believing him in the slightest. “You think I don’t know you?”

“It’s really not! Xiaowo, you have to believe me.”

“Then tell me, what’s really going on?”

“I, I…” Tian Rui started to stammer. Seeing the disdainful look in Tian Wo’s eyes, he grew flustered and couldn’t help but blurt out, “It’s about the past! It has nothing to do with you!”

‘The past…’

Tian Wo froze for a moment. Then his gaze toward Chen Chuan immediately became wary. He pulled Tian Rui back a few steps. “Dad, where is he from?”

“He is… No, he isn’t! Hey, stop!”

Just as Tian Rui said “is,” he saw Tian Wo already charging at Chen Chuan. He himself was pushed back and staggered, and he cried out in alarm for his son to stop.

In Chen Chuan’s eyes, the charging Tian Wo became a blur. He raised an eyebrow. ‘That speed… Is he at the Third Limit?’

The young man hadn’t shown this kind of performance in the fighting ring earlier. His movements didn’t look like they belonged to someone at the Third Limit at all.

He watched the fist get closer and closer, then raised a hand and blocked it with a BAM. With a casual flick, he swatted away the subsequent kick.

In an instant, Tian Wo launched dozens of ferocious punches and kicks at him, but Chen Chuan blocked them all with just one hand.

Tian Wo was a little stunned.

To be honest, he had always looked down on ordinary Fighters. Ever since he was young, he had broken through every barrier with ease. To this day, he had never met anyone who could go one-on-one with him.

He had secretly, without Tian Rui’s knowledge, sparred with some Third Limit Fighters, and none of them were his match. Because of his outstanding talent, he had always followed a method someone had taught him to conceal his true level of skill. As a result, before today, he had been absolutely confident in himself.

But now, he felt like his fists couldn’t break through Chen Chuan’s defense at all. The man just stood there, blocking all of his attacks with a single hand. It was more than he could accept.

Just then, Tian Rui rushed over and pulled him back, saying urgently, “Tian Wo, stop!”

Tian Wo was pulled back, but he just stared intently at Chen Chuan, his chest heaving slightly.

Chen Chuan looked at him and said, “It’s clear you haven’t undergone rigorous training. Your Fighting Skills aren’t finely polished. You’ve reached your current level entirely through natural talent.

“Hmm, you must have practiced a special type of Power that can conceal your movement rhythm and keep your Power output at a low level.

“The person who taught you this method probably did it so you wouldn’t stand out and attract attention. But doing this for so long has given you an unrealistic perception of both yourself and your opponents.”

“It’s not your place to judge me!”

Tian Wo was shocked and angry, because Chen Chuan had described his situation perfectly. But now, his competitive spirit was ignited. He took a deep breath, and a wisp of hot steam rose from the top of his head.

Chen Chuan glanced over. ‘Oh? The Furnace Breathing Method?’

Tian Wo’s skin became incredibly hot. After pushing Tian Rui away again, he charged forward a second time. His strength and speed had instantly jumped a level, but he had a feeling he couldn’t break through from the front. So he began to circle Chen Chuan, trying to find an opening.

Chen Chuan, however, just stood there calmly, not moving. Even when Tian Wo circled behind him, he felt like he couldn’t find a single flaw in his defense.

But the more this was the case, the more he refused to admit defeat. After circling back to the front one more time, he didn’t wait any longer and lunged forward in a fierce assault.

Chen Chuan still just calmly extended one hand to block. This time was no different from the last. No matter how Tian Wo attacked, no matter how he increased his speed, he couldn’t break through.

The Furnace Breathing Method relies heavily on stored Energy and consumes a massive amount of stamina. After attacking continuously for more than thirty seconds, Tian Wo’s body couldn’t take it anymore. He had to fall back, panting heavily. Sweat poured from his head and body, making him look as if he’d just been pulled out of the water.

He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he stared at Chen Chuan. The man looked to be about his age, yet his strength was insurmountable. It was a devastating blow to his previous confidence.

Chen Chuan then turned his head to Tian Rui. “Elder Tian, did you teach him the Furnace Breathing Method?”

Tian Rui said with a pained expression, “I didn’t teach him. The kid secretly learned it from me.”

Chen Chuan said, “It wouldn’t matter if you did. The situation isn’t clear yet. You are, at least for now, still a member of the Pure Sect. It’s not my place to manage what techniques you pass on. Now, can we talk properly?”

“‘Talk?'” Tian Rui was stunned for a moment before it registered. “Oh, right, right…” He said, “Manager… Manager Chen, why don’t we go inside?” He then added nervously, “I’ll tell you everything.”

Chen Chuan glanced at him, nodded, and followed him into the living room.

Tian Wo stood outside alone. He had realized by now that things weren’t as he’d imagined. He wiped away his sweat and walked into the living room without a word.

Tian Rui invited Chen Chuan to sit, poured him a glass of water, and sat down across from him. He asked tentatively, “Manager Chen, what should I start with…?”

Chen Chuan looked at him and said, “Let’s start with what happened back then. The Sect has always wanted to know why you suddenly disappeared, Elder Tian, and why there’s been no word from you for fifteen years.

“If you simply wanted to leave the Pure Sect, and you had a genuine reason, I don’t think the Sect would have stopped you. But since you left so silently back then, don’t you think it’s time you gave the Sect an explanation?”

Tian Rui’s shoulders slumped. “Yes, it was my fault. I didn’t want it to be this way, but…”

He clenched his fists. “I couldn’t just stand by and watch that happen. I couldn’t…”

“What was it, exactly? Can you tell me?”

Chen Chuan asked patiently, “If there was some injustice, or if someone within the Sect stood in your way, just tell me. If you were in the right, I will do my best to report it to the Sect on your behalf.”

Tian Rui shook his head.

He then said to Tian Wo, who was standing nearby, “Son, leave us for a moment. There are some things you shouldn’t hear.”

“I’m not going,” Tian Wo refused.

Tian Rui’s expression became unusually stern. “This is Sect business. You are not a member of the Pure Sect, so you cannot listen.” Seeing his father’s rare serious expression, Tian Wo was taken aback. He scoffed, then turned and left.

As soon as his son left, Tian Rui’s stern expression immediately crumbled. Then, as if he’d thought of something, he lifted himself from the soft chair and craned his neck to peek outside a few times.

Chen Chuan said, “Elder Tian, your house is well soundproofed. If you’re afraid your son will overhear, we can use the Realm Token to talk.”

“Oh, right, right…” Tian Rui awkwardly pulled his head back. He and Chen Chuan exchanged contact signals, then he took a deep breath and said with some difficulty, “Back then, the team leader did indeed violate the Sect’s rules, and it was serious. But the child was innocent. I couldn’t just stand by and watch a child get dragged into it…”

“Wait.”

Chen Chuan interrupted his disjointed narrative. “Whose child? Yours, Elder Tian? Your team leader’s? What? He had a child?”

Tian Rui’s expression was complicated. “It was the team leader’s child.”

Chen Chuan looked at him. “I don’t recall the Pure Sect making a habit of punishing relatives. Or are you saying someone went after his child? Is this related to what happened afterward?”

“Yes, it’s related…”

Tian Rui lowered his head, gripping his knees, his fingers trembling. “That child… was the team leader’s child, but…” His grip tightened, so much so that his knuckles made a cracking sound, as if they were about to be crushed. He said in a quavering voice, “That child… was born from him and… some being from the other side.”