Lin Xiao Tian frowned, suddenly sensing a fierce killing intent erupting from the young man.
This fellow needed a scapegoat to report back, and such things were all too common in this world.
"Although Luo Hou is a bastard, he still has the blood of my Zhao family flowing through him. If he dies so obscurely, where will my Zhao family's reputation stand?"
"Since you contacted him that night, his death has something to do with you. Consider it your funeral present for him."
After speaking, the young man gestured to the old man behind Lin Xiao Tian.
The next moment, the old man appeared before Lin Xiao Tian.
A gray aura circulated in the old man's hand, and his fist landed on Lin Xiao Tian's abdomen.
*Thump.*
Lin Xiao Tian fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Hey, hey, Old Fan, what did I tell you? I said kill him, not play with him," the young man said, annoyed.
"My apologies, Young Master. It's my fault. I'll kill him immediately!"
The old man finished speaking and reappeared before Lin Xiao Tian.
Just as he was about to crush Lin Xiao Tian's head, the young man's voice rang out again.
"Forget it, you useless piece of trash. You didn't do it when I told you to kill him earlier, and you've ruined my mood. What's the point of killing him now?"
Hearing the young man's words, the old man immediately stopped his actions.
"Let him go." The young man waved his hand casually.
"Yes, Young Master."
The next moment, the old man shouted towards the entrance.
Several cultivators, all at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, entered and dragged Lin Xiao Tian out of the restaurant.
Lin Xiao Tian took a moment to recover at the entrance before leaving.
After Lin Xiao Tian had left, the young man's gaze fell into the distance.
"Young Master, it seems he wasn't the one who killed Luo Hou. He doesn't have the strength," the old man's respectful voice echoed.
It turned out the entire encounter was a charade.
How could a servant misunderstand his master's intentions?
Unless it was the master's intention all along.
"He may not have the strength, but that doesn't mean others don't," the young man shook his head.
"Young Master, you mean there are others behind him?"
"This person is from the Xu family. The entire Xu family was wiped out a few years ago. This matter is too strange."
The old man mused thoughtfully.
"Young Master, what are your orders next? Do you need me to keep an eye on him?"
Hearing the old man's question, the young man's brow furrowed.
"Are you asking me how to proceed, or are you hinting at how I should proceed?"
The old man was startled, realizing he had overstepped. He quickly knelt on the ground.
"Spare me, Young Master."
The young man glanced at him casually and motioned for him to rise.
"Old Tang, you know what I like most about you: your intelligence."
Old Tang remained silent.
After a long pause, the young man's voice echoed again.
"Just keep an eye on him. However, don't let him discover it."
"Young Master, rest assured. I've dispatched experienced scouts. Xu Hao is surrounded by people, so it will be difficult for him to notice."
...
The master and servant thought their actions were flawless, but they didn't know that their conversation had already been overheard by Lin Xiao Tian from afar.
Even the act of being beaten to the ground earlier was a deliberate deception by Lin Xiao Tian.
An ordinary person in that situation might have given up the pretense. However, Lin Xiao Tian had discovered a problem. As a servant, Old Tang should have been executing his master's orders, yet at that moment, there was no killing intent emanating from him.
Lin Xiao Tian reacted quickly and, deducing that Old Tang wouldn't strike a fatal blow, staged a performance in front of them.
Thanks to Lin Xiao Tian's endurance, he was able to uncover the young man's true intentions.
However, even though Lin Xiao Tian knew their methods, he was helpless against them.
As Old Tang had said, Lin Xiao Tian was surrounded by people daily, making it extremely difficult to identify those who were watching him.
Of course, if it were only this, Lin Xiao Tian could still endure it.
Until one day, the medical clinic received a letter.
"Wan Luo, my son, where have you gone?" Wan Hao had uttered these words repeatedly since seeing the letter.
Wan Luo was Wan Hao's only son, whom he doted on. He was four years old and was being looked after by Wan Hao's wife and parents. For the past few years, everything had been fine, but a day or two ago, he had inexplicably disappeared.
The authorities and some private hunting parties had been dispatched to search for him, but without any success.
It was said that Wan Luo had disappeared near the forest. However, Wan Hao's house was quite far from the forest, and a four-year-old child like Wan Luo would never go to a place like the forest.
Wan Hao had lost his usual demeanor, becoming dejected, and Lin Xiao Tian witnessed it all.
He knew that this matter was most likely the work of that person from the Zhao family.
Since receiving the letter, Lin Xiao Tian had intensified his surveillance of the Zhao family master and servant.
Indeed, the next day, Lin Xiao Tian discovered Wan Luo's whereabouts.
Wan Luo was confined in a small room, and because a restriction formation had been set up around it, the underground magic array could not detect his whereabouts.
In the small room, Wan Luo was curled up in a corner. Lin Xiao Tian could sense his physical condition; he was clearly starving.
A four-year-old child... Lin Xiao Tian clenched his fists involuntarily.
They had no enmity with Wan Hao, so doing these things was clearly aimed at Lin Xiao Tian. Unfortunately, Wan Luo had become a scapegoat.
Lin Xiao Tian absolutely could not stand by and do nothing. If little Wan Luo continued to starve like this, his life would be in danger.
There was no other way now, only one path remained.
Lin Xiao Tian hadn't wanted to do this, but the Zhao family had forced his hand. Since they were courting death, they couldn't blame Lin Xiao Tian. As for after, he could always flee back to the mountains, and in a few years, no one would be able to find him.
Having made up his mind, Lin Xiao Tian prepared to set off.
Just then, Zhu Kai rushed out.
"What's wrong?" Lin Xiao Tian asked casually.
"I'm going to the academy."
Lin Xiao Tian shook his head. Zhu Kai was truly diligent, rain or shine.
As if sensing Lin Xiao Tian's thoughts, Zhu Kai clapped him firmly on the shoulder.
"What are you thinking? Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes. I'll definitely prioritize my brother at a time like this. Don't worry, I will find Little Luo."
Lin Xiao Tian looked at Zhu Kai's determined gaze and understood that Zhu Kai was not joking. He quickly asked,
"Do you have a way?"
Zhu Kai nodded seriously. "Do you know? Beneath our feet, there are actually imperial magic arrays spread out everywhere. These arrays are constantly monitoring our every move. As long as we can mobilize the arrays, we can find Little Luo's whereabouts."
Lin Xiao Tian frowned. He knew that, of course, but he also knew it would be futile. The Zhao family had been very meticulous. Even if the magic arrays were used, there would be no results.
"Mobilizing the magic arrays is no small matter. Only the three major powers have the authority. I know someone at the academy. I'll ask her, and perhaps there's a way. Moreover, she's a professional and can help us," Zhu Kai continued.
Zhu Kai left without looking back, leaving Lin Xiao Tian standing in place.
Lin Xiao Tian sighed. He knew it would be useless, but he didn't stop Zhu Kai.
He took a few steps forward.
Then he stopped abruptly.
Useless?
Not necessarily.