Chapter 492: A Benevolent Father and a Filial Son; Truly of One Mind

As soon as Xu Ziyang heard that something had happened to Shi Hanwen, he rushed to Azure Flame Peak.

Shi Hanwen had since been moved to his bedroom, where his family members were crowded together.

Fortunately, it wasn’t noisy; instead, it was deathly quiet.

“How did this happen? Tell me everything,” Xu Ziyang asked in a low voice.

Shi Hanwen’s eldest son stepped forward and gave a rough account of the situation.

The story had no real beginning or end. A disciple had been on his way back to the peak when he found Shi Hanwen in his current state.

As for how or why it happened, no one had any idea.

This made Xu Ziyang’s brows furrow deeply.

He was indeed stronger than Shi Hanwen, but even he could never have reduced Shi Hanwen to this state so silently.

“Were there no signs of a fight on the road?” Xu Ziyang asked, focusing on the key point.

“That’s right. We sent people to check again. There are no traces of a battle whatsoever.”

“My father was most likely ambushed,” Shi Hanwen’s eldest son speculated.

An ambush could indeed explain it, but it would have to be carried out by someone on par with Xu Ziyang. And even in an ambush, it would be impossible to be this clean.

It was more like someone with overwhelming power had launched a sneak attack to leave Shi Hanwen in such a state.

Even he himself would have to use the Nine Fire True Yang Red Dragon Skill in a surprise attack on Shi Hanwen to have any chance of killing him instantly.

But that would only kill him, not turn him into this inhuman, ghost-like creature.

For a Peak Master to end up like this was a massive blow to the Yanghuang Sect’s strength and reputation.

The trouble he would have to deal with would likely be considerable.

“Don’t let word of this get out. The attacker is no ordinary person.” In truth, Xu Ziyang wasn’t confident he could defeat this assailant either.

If the person could successfully ambush Shi Hanwen, they could naturally do the same to him.

His strength was indeed greater than Shi Hanwen’s, but not by a transformative margin.

These words made everyone in the bedroom freeze. For Xu Ziyang, the Sect Leader of the Yanghuang Sect, to say something like this was shocking.

You must know, while the four-word title “Number One Under Heaven” had never officially landed on Xu Ziyang, the Yanghuang Sect was the greatest sect in the world, and Xu Ziyang was tacitly acknowledged as holding that distinction.

But now, for him to say such a thing, it somewhat challenged their entire worldview.

Xu Ziyang naturally understood the consequences of his words, but he had to say it to prevent this group from doing something foolish.

“The enemy is in the shadows, while we are in the light.”

“Especially since our opponent is powerful. If we startle them, catching them will become much harder.”

“I suspect Peak Master Shi was struck by some vicious Spiritual Technique. I intend to lure the snake out of its hole and capture it alive.”

“Then I’ll force them to undo the Spiritual Technique, and Peak Master Shi will surely recover!” Xu Ziyang explained, attempting to placate them.

In reality, he had no confidence in this claim. He had just examined Shi Hanwen and could tell he was completely crippled.

Even if he recovered, he would be nothing more than a cripple.

However, Shi Hanwen, paralyzed on the bed, could easily see through Xu Ziyang’s words.

Moreover, as one of the top Spirit Masters, how could he not be aware of his own condition?

What the man said was simply impossible.

In the time it took for Xu Ziyang to arrive, Shi Hanwen had actually done a lot of thinking for his own sake.

Since recovery was impossible, he had to find a way to make a clean getaway.

Even if he couldn’t save himself, he had to save his family.

As a Peak Master, it was unrealistic to say he hadn’t made any enemies.

Once Xu Ziyang finished making his arrangements, his status as Peak Master would surely be stripped away.

Retaliation might not come so quickly. After all, he had contributed much and worked hard; Xu Ziyang would protect him for a while.

But he couldn’t be sure how long that period would be.

Once that time passed, not only would his own nightmare begin, but his entire family would know no peace.

If they were lucky, they would just be driven out of Azure Flame Peak. If their luck was bad, their entire family would be wiped out.

“Hngh…” He struggled to open his mouth and make a sound.

This action naturally caught Xu Ziyang’s attention.

Although he couldn’t speak, he and Xu Ziyang had known each other for over a decade. The other man understood his meaning instantly.

“Peak Master Shi, rest assured, I will definitely get you justice for this matter.” Xu Ziyang understood what Shi Hanwen wanted to say, but he deliberately played dumb, pretending not to understand and answering based on the surface meaning.

That single sentence sent a chill straight to the bottom of Shi Hanwen’s heart.

It sounded sincere, but in reality, it meant he was being abandoned.

Right now, he still had value in maintaining stability, which was the only reason they hadn’t completely turned on him yet.

‘So harsh and ungrateful!’ At this moment, Shi Hanwen understood that Xu Ziyang probably wouldn’t protect him for long. Once the dust settled, he would be swept out the door.

Whether he lived or died then, the other man wouldn’t care at all.

This was the worst possible outcome.

The most important thing now was to escape, but he had to wait until Xu Ziyang left.

“Take good care of Peak Master Shi. Don’t let anything else happen to him.”

“Just wait for my good news.” Xu Ziyang wore an expression that said, ‘I’ve got this handled’.

After speaking, he departed in a hurry.

After the man was long gone, Shi Hanwen managed to twist his expression into a slight grimace.

This left everyone bewildered.

“Father, are you asking us to cooperate fully with the Sect Leader’s investigation?” his eldest son asked in confusion.

However, Shi Hanwen reacted to this with strong opposition.

For a moment, the others followed this line of thinking, chattering away with their guesses, but the more they guessed, the more agitated Shi Hanwen became.

In contrast, the eldest son who had asked the first question fell into deep thought. After the others had mostly finished their questioning, he finally asked, “Do you mean we should leave the Yanghuang Sect as soon as possible?”

As soon as these words were out, everyone fell silent. Then, they began to berate and mock Shi Hanwen’s eldest son with sarcasm.

In the past, such words from Shi Hanwen’s eldest son would have been considered treasonous.

So, as was their custom, having finally caught the eldest son in a perceived slip-up, they naturally had to attack him relentlessly.

After all, this touched upon the matter of inheritance.

Meanwhile, Shi Hanwen was inwardly pleased. ‘As expected of my eldest son, he’s truly clever.’

Seeing his father’s reaction, Shi Hanwen’s eldest son felt his heart settle. He had guessed correctly.

This meant that the situation was likely far more complicated and dangerous than they imagined.

They had to leave as soon as possible, or they might not be able to get away at all.

He then glanced at the others in the room, an involuntary sneer forming in his mind.

‘These idiots. They still think the Shi Family of today is the same as the Shi Family of the past.’

‘Without Shi Hanwen, the Peak Master of Azure Flame Peak, what does the Shi Family even amount to?’

‘It’s highly likely we’ll suffer the same fate as the Shen Family.’

‘Take Father with us? No, I’ll just take Mother and my younger siblings.’

‘If we bring Father, they’ll definitely hunt us down.’

‘But if it’s just a few of us missing, and we leave the rest behind as a distraction, there’s still a chance of survival.’

‘Before we leave, I need to figure out how to scrape together some funds. Otherwise, just getting by will be a problem.’

He was the eldest son of the Shi Family, raised in comfort and privilege. His expenses were naturally not small.

Even if he wasn’t some profligate heir, he still needed capital to establish a place for himself in the world.

Shi Hanwen, at this moment, had no idea that his eldest son had no intention of taking him along.

He had guessed the process but failed to predict this outcome.

“It was my mistake. I misunderstood Father’s intentions,” Shi Hanwen’s eldest son immediately admitted, using the apology to conceal his true objective.

Meanwhile, Shi Hanwen immediately perceived his eldest son’s thinking and was extremely gratified.

‘He’s grown up. He knows how to retreat in order to advance.’

‘As for those idiots, let them fend for themselves.’

‘Losing one or two of them won’t make a difference anyway.’

Besides, leaving with too large a group would easily attract trouble. It was better to leave some people behind as cover.

Thinking of this, Shi Hanwen breathed a sigh of relief. His eldest son had never been a cause for worry.

One had forsaken his father, the other his children. Truly a perfect match.

They exchanged a look, both feeling reassured. ‘I’ve got this,’ each thought, ‘nothing will go wrong.’

As for whether the other had grasped their true meaning, that was another matter entirely.

—————–

“The training is almost over.”

“With the help of the Yang Flame Spirit, I’ve successfully mastered the basics of the Pure Yang Wuji Heart Method and the Innate Li Fire Sword Technique.”

Zuo Fan couldn’t help but smile as he felt the Spiritual Power within him completely transform into the Yang Fire attribute.

Although his Yang Flame Spirit wasn’t as powerful as Sect Leader Xu Ziyang’s—it had only just been born, after all, and couldn’t provide much help in battle—

it provided him with immense assistance in his cultivation.

The two Spiritual Techniques, which he had been struggling with, were now mastered at a basic level.

After reaching this initial mastery, the two techniques were worlds apart from before, becoming unbelievably powerful.

“These two Spiritual Techniques that Uncle gave me are definitely not ordinary. Even the Yang Flame Spirit can sense their power.”

“When I get back, I have to repay Uncle properly.” Zuo Fan might be carefree, but he knew to repay kindness.

Without these two Spiritual Techniques from Qi Suian, he would have forever been a straggler, destined to die on some mission.

How could he have possibly gained his current strength and status, or even obtained a Yang Flame Spirit, something only the Sect Leader possessed?

These weren’t things he could have achieved through hard work alone.

“But after I go back, I need to find a way to deal with the Shen Family,” Zuo Fan thought, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Before, his strength was insufficient, and he had to be cautious about making a move. But now things were different. Having mastered the basics of both Spiritual Techniques, he was confident he could take on the Shen Family directly.

The Shen Family had indeed been punished because of him, but a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Their power and connections were not to be underestimated.

The punishment had, at most, broken a few of their bones; it wasn’t nearly enough to kill them.

Zuo Fan was well aware of the danger of not finishing off a snake you’ve struck.

Therefore, the moment he left the Red Flame Spirit Realm, he planned to eliminate the hidden threat of the Shen Family.

As long as they lived, they would remain a thorn in his side.