Pay Attention

"Son, you, it's good that you're alright." Unexpectedly, when Liu Tian rejoined the group ascending the mountain, the person at the front wasn't the local landlord, Second Uncle Liu Zhengde, but his own father, Liu Yun.

One could even say Liu Yun was far ahead of the rest of the group. With his good physique honed over many years and his urgent heart, even though the group had ventured deeper and was more familiar with the area, Liu Yun was still at the very front.

The price for this was that his whole body was tattered and torn, with scratches appearing in many places. "It's good that you're alright, what happened?"

Liu Yun reached out to hug his son, but suddenly crouched down and switched to patting his shoulder. Seeing his son seemingly unharmed, yet with equally tattered clothes, Liu Yun asked.

Seeing his father's barely concealed anxiety, Liu Tian fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a few setbacks."

"Are you really alright?" Liu Yun sniffed slightly, clearly smelling the undeniable scent of blood on Liu Tian, and pressed, "We're family, tell us if something's wrong, don't carry it all by yourself."

"It's really fine, look, I'm not hurt at all," Liu Tian replied. "Don't worry, Dad, it's just a few setbacks that I've already overcome."

"Speaking of which, how did you know it was me?" Liu Tian changed the subject.

"Your mother somehow felt a great unease and couldn't find you." Liu Yun looked at his familiar yet unfamiliar son, at the calm smile on his face and the undeniable scent of blood, and stopped asking further. "Coincidentally, the City Lord's son went missing, and he specifically sent people to notify the legitimate families of Pei Commandery, asking for our help in searching. I discussed it with your Second Uncle, and we decided to mobilize the family guards to search the mountain together. On the way here, we heard the commotion."

"Although Pei Commandery has a fierce populace, when it comes to Secret Martial Arts, very few are willing to dedicate themselves to practicing in recent years. At this time, the only one who could cause such a commotion nearby would be you, son. If not you, then it's definitely related to Zhang Huan's disappearance, so we brought the team over."

"Is that so." Liu Tian nodded, appearing to understand completely, and then greeted his Second Uncle Liu Zhengde, who had caught up behind Liu Yun. "Second Uncle, good afternoon! I'm alright for now, it's just that I met a pervert practicing some Kabul Giant Snake Fighting Technique here earlier, and we exchanged a few moves. I didn't win, and he didn't win either."

"Speaking of which, is the Zhang Huan you're looking for tall, fat, and fair-skinned, looking like someone who's lived a life of pampered luxury?"

"Yes, where is he now? Does he have a mole on his face?" Upon hearing Liu Tian's words, Liu Zhengde, who had a stomach full of questions, seemed to forget what he originally wanted to say and urgently asked, "Quick, take us to see him."

"I didn't notice if he had a mole, and I can't tell anymore." Liu Tian hid nothing. "I saw him in the hands of that dead pervert, but he's already dead—died during the fight between myself and that guy who called himself Snake. If you go a little to the left from here, you might see some of his remains that haven't been scavenged by beasts."

"However, I suggest it's better not to look. The scene is quite gruesome and might ruin your appetite."

"I see." Liu Zhengde looked enlightened and loudly declared in front of his subordinates, "It was my nephew who stumbled upon the bandit who murdered young Master Zhang Huan while taking a stroll here. The bandit, seeing that he was discovered by you, instinctively wanted to silence you, but unexpectedly, my nephew is powerful. After fighting for a while and realizing he couldn't defeat you quickly, and hearing our arrival, he fled the scene, right?"

"I never expected Young Master Liu Wen Tian to be so powerful; even the kidnapper who abducted Young Master Zhang Huan couldn't do anything to him." In the crowd behind, a few quick-witted individuals quickly understood Liu Zhengde's meaning and chimed in, "Young Master Liu Wen Tian is indeed the Patriarch's nephew. At such a young age, he already possesses such strength; I believe he will surely become a general in the future!"

"Young Master Liu Wen Tian is not only powerful but also possesses a chivalrous heart. To preserve Young Master Zhang Huan's body as much as possible, he battled fiercely with the wicked criminals until our arrival. I believe City Lord Zhang Ning will surely express his gratitude to our Young Master Liu Wen Tian!"

"Exactly! If it weren't for the mother and son's connection reminding us that Young Master Liu Wen Tian was in danger, we might not have arrived so promptly. Looking at the intensity of the scene, if we had arrived a moment later, Young Master Wen Tian might have met with misfortune!"

"So, Young Master Wen Tian was fighting this bandit with all his might? Truly righteous and chivalrous! Righteous and chivalrous!"

"..." Having understood Liu Zhengde's intentions, Liu Tian still said in a low voice, "Actually, I killed that guy—the Snake used him as a human shield, and I just happened to blast him to death."

"Who cares about that scum who should have died a hundred times over?" Liu Zhengde shrugged, appearing indifferent. "If he hadn't had a good father, with his behavior, he would have long ago been beaten to death in some alley while stuffed in a sack. It's good that he's dead."

"It's just that he can't have been killed by you, nephew, otherwise it would be difficult for us to ask the City Lord for compensation. So, he must have been killed by the 'Snake' you mentioned." Liu Zhengde waved his hand, signaling someone to step forward and compose themselves. "I know who the 'Snake' you mentioned is, a bandit proficient in various martial arts who enjoys tormenting people. I met him on the battlefield before. Given his personality, he's capable of causing any kind of destruction. And I heard that to pursue the limits of martial arts, he even underwent Gene Modification, making him even more abnormal. Who knows what kind of horrific things he might have done to Young Master Zhang Huan."

Having said this, Liu Zhengde paused and sighed, "I imagine Young Master Zhang Huan must have many strange wounds on his body now, right? I wonder if his body is still recognizable."

"I used the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao's Heart Severing Path to blast Zhang Huan. The wounds are very peculiar; if someone is familiar with it, they might recognize it at a glance." Knowing what his Second Uncle was asking, Liu Tian added.

"Oh! What kind of wounds? How would they be able to tell?" Liu Zhengde asked with feigned confusion. "Aren't parts of Young Master Zhang Huan's remains completely destroyed by the Snake, and other parts eaten by wild beasts? This mountain is so vast; how could we possibly find the beast that gnawed on his body? Bringing back a piece as a token gesture is enough. Nephew, you don't need to worry; your Second Uncle is not to be trifled with either. He'll have to accept this, even if he holds his nose."

"Speaking of which, in a head-on confrontation, the Snake could take on ten Second Uncles like me, even if you brought a gun." Since Liu Zhengde was prepared, Liu Tian said no more. "Also, the martial arts he practices are not from the Crimson Cloud Empire's schools. Second Uncle, you said you saw him on the battlefield; it's possible he's involved this time. Otherwise, with his strength, there's no reason for him to be in such a small place."

"Is that so? I understand." Liu Zhengde replied without denying Liu Tian's judgment. "I can roughly guess who's pulling the strings behind this—speaking of which, do you know, nephew?"

"In this world, guns and cannons rule everything, and the army far surpasses Martial Artists. And your Second Uncle happens to have some influence with the nearby military, so you don't need to worry."

"Is that so? Then I'm relieved," Liu Tian replied as if he completely believed Liu Zhengde's words. As if remembering something inadvertently, he added, "Speaking of which, Second Uncle, do you know which families in the Lost Empire's antique city and surrounding areas have collections?"

"You really do like these things," Liu Zhengde chuckled, shaking his head. "If we're talking about Pei Commandery, the City Lord has the most. However, he was originally an antique dealer and always stingy. Later, he made a lot of money and got backing from the Capital City, otherwise, it wouldn't be his turn to be City Lord. He's always been at odds with us, so even with such a great contribution, he might not allow you to look in his treasure vault. I'll think of a way later."

"But if it's nearby families, you can ask the butler later, and he'll investigate. You can say I have some influence nearby, but after the birthday banquet, I'll take you to visit them one by one."

"That won't be necessary, it would be too much trouble for Second Uncle. When I have the confidence, I'll go myself. For now, I'm just asking in advance to keep an eye out..."