Before.
If the events involving Xue Wu had happened first, and Hu Long had only been discharged afterward, he might have thought Xue Wu had done it in secret.
But with things happening in this order, the sequence didn't seem to make sense.
He had never considered that Hu Long might have killed the other person in the past.
After hearing what Hu Chengwen said,
a flicker of confusion crossed Hu Long's face.
"Strange Specters? What do you mean, someone put a curse on me?"
As he spoke, a thought stirred in his mind.
In fact, he had already wondered about this.
Given his original self's family circumstances, even if they knew nothing about the supernatural,
there was no reason they had to send him to Morning Light Psychiatric Hospital.
They could easily have hired a private medical team to take care of him.
Now it seemed
Hu Chengwen did believe it.
He had most likely reached that conclusion through the mysterious main branch of the family.
He had simply worried that whatever was on Hu Long might affect Hu Zhao and He Yanling, so he had chosen this approach.
As for this act of effectively abandoning him, Hu Long wasn't the original owner of the body, so he had no intention of judging it.
After all, he was the one who had benefited. If the original owner hadn't died, there was no telling whether Hu Long could have taken over this body and escaped his vegetative state.
That was all secondary.
Something else was what intrigued him.
If what Hu Chengwen said was true, the main branch of the family was very likely involved with supernatural powers.
Even they couldn't solve the problem with his body?
Then the main branch was far too weak.
After all, the Xue Wu family had been almost indistinguishable from ordinary people.
With his strength, he had easily taken them out by launching a surprise attack.
"You're an adult now, and you've grown up a lot. It's time you learned about certain things."
Hu Chengwen leaned back in his chair, hands folded together.
That was why he had called Hu Long over today.
His observations over the past while, along with Hu Long's performance today, had changed his opinion of his son considerably.
It was time to tell him some things. After all, this secret couldn't be kept from him forever.
"This world isn't as simple as it appears on the surface.
"There are things in it... that can't be explained by common sense... such as Strange Specters."
Hu Chengwen paused, as if choosing his words carefully.
"As I understand it, they're similar to ghosts. But people in the main branch are more accustomed to calling them 'Strange Specters.' I don't know the exact reason."
"Besides that, there are people who wield powers beyond the ordinary person's imagination..."
"Superpowers? Magic?" Hu Long asked.
"You could understand it that way, broadly speaking, but there are differences.
"I've only heard a few fragments about this from people in the main branch, by chance.
"I only know that ordinary people are like ants in front of them, with almost no ability to fight back—unless they use firearms to surround and kill them."
Hu Chengwen shook his head.
"Some of them can even withstand bullets. People like them have another name—the Secret Martial Artists."
"Secret Martial Artists..." Hu Long repeated softly.
A trace of excitement rose within him.
At last, he had touched upon a corner of the supernatural world hidden beneath the ordinary surface.
"That's right. The Hu Family's main branch is made up of Secret Martial Artists.
"You can think of them as people with greater strength, faster speed, and better recovery. Their physical abilities are several times those of ordinary people."
"Though these people are powerful, they're still within the realm of what we can understand."
Hu Chengwen's tone grew somber.
"But according to the main branch, the problem you had before—if it really involved a Strange Specter or some kind of curse... then it would fall into the realm of the occult.
"Even Secret Martial Artists would be helpless against it."
"Don't even the people in the main branch have any way to deal with it?"
Hu Long's gaze shifted slightly.
"As far as I know, that's right. Perhaps more powerful Secret Martial Artists might have a way, but that's beyond the level I can reach."
Hu Chengwen shook his head.
He was fairly wealthy, but Secret Martial Artists had no shortage of money.
The stronger they were, the more that was true. Power and money were the easiest things for them to obtain, mere by-products.
They cared about something far rarer, something that could increase their strength.
After saying this,
thinking Hu Long was worried about himself, he added in a gentler tone,
"But you don't need to worry too much. From what we can see, your problem probably wasn't that kind. If you'd really been afflicted by a Strange Specter or cursed by someone, you couldn't have recovered and been discharged."
Hearing this, Hu Long neither agreed nor disagreed.
His gaze shifted to the window beside him.
In the reflection, a dark green shadow that only he could see stood motionless behind him. Her long hair hung loose, and an aura of deathly chill emanated from her.
Compared to before, she was still facing away from him. But, perhaps it was just his imagination, she seemed to be getting closer as time passed.
The instant their gazes met,
his body tensed. The temperature in the entire room seemed to drop in his perception.
To avoid drawing attention, he only glanced at her briefly, then quickly looked away.
Then, recalling something, he continued,
"...If I became a Secret Martial Artist, would I be immune to this kind of thing?"
Hu Chengwen shook his head.
"...I'm not sure about that, either. Those people share our surname, Hu, but in essence, they're a different kind of existence.
"They don't care whether those of us in the branch live or die. Besides... you don't have the aptitude to cultivate."
A wry smile appeared on his face.
"If I hadn't held some standing among the branches and spent a great deal of money, I wouldn't even have been able to persuade the main branch to help."
"That's how things are. I hope you won't blame me."
Hu Long fell silent for a moment as well.
Then, calmly, he spoke as the original owner would have.
"Even if I'd known beforehand, I would've made the same choice."
"You really have grown up!"
Hu Chengwen relaxed slightly, looking somewhat relieved.
"I thought that girl, Sun Yi, was a good match for you. It seems I was wrong.
"What I said to you before was too harsh. Don't take it to heart.
"If you aren't right for each other, there's no need to force it.
"Given our family's circumstances, you can find someone else easily. As long as she's over eighteen and you like her, that's all that matters."
Hu Long said nothing.
"Let's leave that for now. I'm not in a hurry, and I haven't fully recovered yet. Dating takes a toll on the body."
In Hu Chengwen's eyes, the reason he had tried to bring Hu Long and Sun Yi together was simply to make sure Hu Long had descendants.
But there was no need to say that aloud.
"Fine. I won't force you. If you meet someone you like, go after her. After all, I'm going to leave this family business to you in the end."
Hu Chengwen didn't press him further.
He had realized that his son had become more independent than before, with ideas of his own.
After that,
the two chatted for a while longer.
The atmosphere was quite cordial.
Hu Long also took the opportunity to ask about Secret Martial Artists and the Ancestral Rite.
Hu Chengwen didn't know much, but what he did know was still extremely valuable to Hu Long.
Hu Chengwen assumed Hu Long was merely curious about his questions.
That was only natural. Everyone yearned for the supernatural.
Unfortunately, not everyone was qualified to walk that path.