Something Happened

"My parents?"

Fang Han's heart jolted.

He had been in the Inner Hall for several months. His parents had never come looking for him there so as not to interfere with his cultivation; this was the first time they had come.

A sense of foreboding rose within him.

"How did they look?"

As Fang Han strode swiftly outside, he asked in a low voice.

"Master Fang and Madam looked... rather grave."

The servant hurriedly replied.

Hearing that his parents looked grave, the ominous feeling in Fang Han's heart deepened. His steps quickened involuntarily, and he soon left the servant behind.

After passing through courtyard upon courtyard, he spotted three familiar figures standing outside the imposing vermilion-lacquered gates of the Inner Hall from afar.

With the excellent eyesight of a Tendon Refining martial artist, he could already clearly make out their expressions.

His father, Fang Zheng, and his mother, Lin Wan, had their brows tightly furrowed, their faces unable to conceal their worry.

His five-year-old little sister, Fang Ying, clutched the hem of her mother's clothes as she curiously looked over the Inner Hall.

"Father, Mother!"

Fang Han called out and hurried forward.

"Big Brother!"

The moment Fang Ying saw Fang Han, she immediately let go of her mother's clothes. Like a fledgling returning to its nest, she staggered toward him with her little arms spread wide.

Fang Han bent down and swept his soft, adorable little sister into his arms. Then he raised his head, his gaze anxiously turning to his parents as he asked,

"What happened? What's wrong?"

Fang Zheng and Lin Wan exchanged a glance, both wearing grave expressions. Fang Zheng sighed and spoke in a low voice.

"Your eldest uncle, Fang Ye, was injured... On his way back from Linshan City with the Lineage's merchant caravan, they were attacked by a band of exceptionally vicious mountain bandits at Black Cloud Ridge, thirty li outside the city."

Fang Han's pupils contracted.

He had heard of Black Cloud Ridge. The terrain there was perilous, and many bands of mountain bandits gathered nearby. It was a place where banditry ran rampant.

The authorities had attempted several campaigns to wipe them out, but the difficulty of searching the area and the treacherous terrain had caused every campaign to end in failure.

"How is Eldest Uncle...?"

A trace of tension crept into Fang Han's voice.

When he was young, his eldest uncle had given him plenty of New Year money. Fang Han had always held a very favorable impression of him.

"He was severely injured. Under the protection of the caravan's martial artists, he broke out of the encirclement and was just sent home."

Lin Wan's voice was heavy.

"We were about to go see him, and we thought... we should bring you along too."

"Let's go, right now!"

Without hesitation, Fang Han held his little sister and immediately set off with his parents, hurrying toward his eldest uncle Fang Ye's home.

His eldest uncle's home was likewise located in the side-courtyard district of Fang Mansion, though it was much more spacious than Fang Han's home.

At this moment, muffled sobbing and conversation faintly drifted out from the courtyard.

When they entered the courtyard, Fang Han's Third Uncle, Fang Ping, and his family had already arrived. He and his wife stood in the courtyard, their expressions equally grave.

Upon seeing Fang Han's family arrive, Third Uncle Fang Ping immediately came forward.

"Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, Little Han, you're here."

Fang Ping's voice was somewhat hoarse as he sighed.

"Don't worry too much. Eldest Brother's life is not in danger. The physician just examined him and said he lost too much blood and suffered trauma to his internal organs. He'll need a long period of rest, but... at least his life is no longer in danger."

Only after hearing this did the taut heartstrings of Fang Han and his parents finally loosen somewhat, and they let out long breaths.

As long as he was alive, it was already a blessing beyond measure.

Holding his little sister, Fang Han followed his parents and Third Uncle's family into the room.

A thick medicinal smell, mixed with a faint scent of blood, rushed toward them.

On the bed in the inner room, Eldest Uncle Fang Ye's face was pale as paper. His eyes were shut tight, and his chest was wrapped in thick bandages, with blood faintly seeping through. His breathing was weak, though still relatively steady.

Eldest Aunt sat beside the bed, silently shedding tears.

When she saw them enter, she hurriedly wiped away her tears and rose.

Fang Ye, lying on the bed, seemed to hear the commotion. His eyelids trembled a few times before he painfully opened them into a narrow slit.

His gaze was somewhat unfocused as it slowly swept across the crowd before finally settling on Fang Han.

His lips moved faintly, and an extremely weak voice emerged. Fang Han hurriedly stepped closer while holding his little sister and bent down to listen.

"...Little... Han..."

Fang Ye's voice was as faint as a thread, carrying indescribable gratitude.

"Th-thank... thank you..."

Fang Han was stunned, deeply puzzled. His eldest uncle had returned after being severely wounded, saved by the caravan's guards. The people he should thank were the caravan guards—why was he thanking Fang Han?

"Eldest Uncle, why are you... thanking me?"

Fang Han asked in confusion. At the same time, he carefully set his little sister down and let her lean against his leg.

Fang Ye struggled to catch his breath a few times, gathering a little strength before speaking in broken fragments.

"That band of mountain bandits... struck viciously. The caravan suffered terrible casualties."

"All the goods were lost... Even the Lineage's martial artists traveling with the caravan could only protect a few people as they broke out..."

As he spoke, a trace of lingering fear and relief appeared in his eyes.

"With my status... for those martial artist lords to protect me, fighting their way out all the way... letting me pick up this life again... it was all... all because of you, Little Han..."

Though Fang Ye's voice was weak, his words fell clearly into the ears of Fang Han and everyone around him.

The room instantly fell silent.

Fang Zheng, Lin Wan, Fang Ping, and the others were all stunned. Then realization dawned on them.

They looked at Fang Han with complicated expressions, their gazes holding shock, comfort, and relief.

Only then did they understand why, amid such a brutal attack, Fang Ye—who was not even a core member of the caravan—had been protected by the caravan's martial artists as they broke out, becoming one of the few survivors.

It had not been luck. The caravan's martial artists had valued and protected his relative because of Fang Han's current status and the astonishing potential he had displayed.

"..."

Fang Han himself was stunned as well.

He had not expected that his current standing in the Inner Hall could already benefit his family, becoming his eldest uncle's talisman of protection at a critical moment.

At the same time, he felt fortunate that his current status had become his eldest uncle's talisman of protection.

An unprecedented feeling welled up in his heart.

It was a deepening sense of belonging to the Lineage, and a weighty gratitude.

He was grateful that the Lineage valued him and had extended that regard to his loved ones.

"Eldest Uncle, rest and recover in peace. Don't overthink it."

Fang Han suppressed the turmoil in his heart and comforted him softly.

"This is all the Lineage's care, and also because fortune favored you."

Fang Han remained at his eldest uncle's home for a long time. Only after the physician returned to examine Fang Ye again and confirmed once more that his life was no longer in danger, though he would need long-term rest, did Fang Han leave with his somewhat reassured parents.

Night had fallen. Fang Han did not return to the Inner Hall, instead going back to his residence.

The moonlight outside the window was cold and clear, yet waves churned within his heart.

He felt gratitude for the Lineage's protection.

Toward the mountain bandits who had dared attack the Fang Clan's merchant caravan, he felt killing intent.

"The Lineage definitely won't let this go. There will surely be action afterward. I wonder if I'll be able to take part..."

Cold light flashed in Fang Han's eyes as he picked up the Azure Edge Sword placed beside him.