Chapter 356: The Hong Family Grows Suspicious! Investigating Ziyan!
Chapter 356: The Hong Family Grows Suspicious! Investigating Ziyan!
After Ziyan and Han Yue returned to the Han family estate, nothing significant occurred throughout the day. Despite the commotion that had taken place in the bustling market earlier, the Hong family did not send anyone to the Han family to demand an explanation.
In the evening, Han Yue’s father, Han Chi, summoned her alone into his study.
"Yue'er, you've been back for a few days, but we haven’t had a proper conversation. Now, can you share with your father some of the experiences you've had over the years while you were away?" Han Chi asked kindly in the study.
"Father, I've already told you about becoming a disciple at Jia Nan Academy. However, there are still many things about my master that I can’t yet disclose..." Seeing the expectant look on Han Chi's face, Han Yue spoke cautiously.
Upon hearing her response, Han Chi was clearly displeased, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he sighed and said, "Yue'er, we've analyzed the strength of your senior sister, and it seems her combat power might not be inferior to mine. For your master to be able to produce such a disciple, their power must be terrifying!"
"Indeed, my master's strength is terrifying!" Han Yue nodded in agreement.
"Yue'er, there's no one else here right now, so I'll ask you just one thing. What level has your master's cultivation reached? How does it compare to the Grand Elder?" Han Chi asked gravely.
"As for my master's exact strength... I’m not too sure. But based on my intuition and some of the techniques I’ve seen, I can say with certainty that even great-grandfather wouldn’t be a match for my master!"
Though Han Yue’s words were vague, they provided the exact answer Han Chi had been hoping for.
After hearing this, Han Chi’s expression suddenly relaxed, and he said joyfully, "Yue'er, it seems sending you all the way to Jia Nan Academy was a very wise decision!"
Although Han Yue could have stayed with the Han family to receive nearly the same cultivation resources, she had been sent thousands of miles away to Jia Nan Academy at a young age. This decision had puzzled many people.
What they didn’t know was that while the Han family might be considered prominent in Tianbei City, in the grand scheme of the Northern Region or even Zhongzhou, it was rather insignificant.
Han Chi’s decision was in line with the thinking of many families from Zhongzhou. Sending their people to a place like Jia Nan Academy had two purposes: first, to temper and improve their abilities, and second, to make connections with talented individuals. Additionally, they hoped to establish some relationship with the semi-saint dean of Jia Nan Academy, who was as elusive as a dragon, in hopes of gaining his protection.
Clearly, the results of Han Yue's journey had greatly satisfied Han Chi, both as a father and as the head of the family.
"Yue'er, that's all I wanted to ask. You can go rest now," Han Chi said with satisfaction.
"Then I’ll take my leave," Han Yue said, maintaining a calm expression as she bowed and prepared to leave the study. Just as she turned to go, Han Chi spoke again, "Yue'er, don't worry about what happened earlier today. Hong Tao provoked first, and your senior sister merely taught him a lesson without taking his life. Even if the Hong family comes looking for trouble, your father won't back down an inch!"
…
At the same time, in Tianbei City, in a manor even larger than the Han family estate, several high-ranking members of the Hong family were gathered in a grand hall.
In the hall, Hong Tao, who had been severely injured by Ziyan earlier, was lying on a soft stretcher carried by four servants.
Next to Hong Tao stood a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious robes, his face filled with sorrow as he complained to another middle-aged man sitting at the head of the hall.
"Family head, how could the Han family dare to act so violently on our Hong family’s territory? If we let this go, won’t the other families laugh at us?"
The man sitting at the head of the hall was Hong Li, the head of the Hong family. His cultivation had long reached the peak of the Dou Huang stage, and he was only one step away from entering the Dou Zong realm.
"Hong Liang, do you realize that the young lady from the Han family is the one Chen'er has taken a liking to? Yet Hong Tao dared to harass her. Is he disregarding the direct line of the family head?"
At this moment, rather than saying anything about seeking justice for Hong Tao, Hong Li harshly reprimanded the middle-aged man in front of him without any trace of sympathy.
"Hong Li!"
Hearing Hong Li show such indifference toward his son's life and death, Hong Liang’s face turned ashen with anger. Grinding his teeth, he retorted, "Enough of this! If you're not going to step in, don't blame me for taking matters into my own hands!"
"Fourth Brother, how can you speak to Big Brother like that?"
Another elder from the Hong family, who had been sitting in the hall, glanced at Hong Li’s expression and quickly tried to mediate. "We all feel deeply for what happened to nephew Hong Tao, but you don’t need to react so harshly."
"Hmph, it's not your son who's been beaten like this. Of course, you're not upset!" Hong Liang, consumed by rage, ignored the elder's attempt to calm him down.
"Very well, I’d like to see how you handle this, Hong Liang!"
Originally, Hong Li intended to warn Hong Liang before discussing how to resolve the situation, but Hong Liang's attitude only further displeased him. He immediately ordered, "Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, none of you are allowed to interfere in this matter!"
"We're leaving!"
Furious and having completely fallen out with Hong Li, Hong Liang angrily waved his sleeve and commanded his servants to carry the severely injured Hong Tao out of the hall.
"Big Brother, are we really going to ignore this?"
After Hong Liang left, the other elders hesitated before voicing their concerns to Hong Li.
After a moment of contemplation, Hong Li suddenly said in a deep voice, "Let him stir up a little trouble for now... I’ve heard that the eldest daughter of the Han family has changed significantly since her return. Not only has her strength improved dramatically, but she’s also acquired a fifth-rank peak flying magical beast. Most importantly, the young girl who accompanied her is said to be her senior sister and possesses the combat power of a Dou Emperor."
"A Dou Emperor!"
Everyone in the hall was shocked upon hearing Hong Li's words.
"Yes, someone who can instantly defeat a peak Dou King expert and control their power so precisely that they can injure without killing must be at least a three-star Dou Emperor," Hong Li confidently concluded, having examined the injuries of the elder who had protected Hong Tao.
"She and Han Yue share the same master. It seems we need to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
"Han Yue came from Jia Nan Academy. Perhaps we should send someone to the Black-Corner Region!"
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