After a good cry, the siblings felt some relief.
“Sister, did Mom, Dad, and Second Brother really not escape?”
His elder sister was asked about a painful memory, and she kept wiping away tears.
“None of them escaped. Thirteen households in the neighborhood, forty-two people, all gone…”
Chen Yunhao went up the mountain when he was young, and this was his first time descending. Although he had no experience traveling the Jianghu, he understood basic common sense.
The fire definitely didn't start all at once; thirteen households, forty-two people, it was impossible for not a single person to escape. There had to be a hidden reason.
But when he asked his elder sister more closely, she shook her head repeatedly.
“Xiao Hao, your brother-in-law also heard some news about this matter in the market back then, but he was always unwilling to tell me the details. Wait until your brother-in-law comes back from work, then you can ask him.”
“Alright…”
The siblings returned to the room and chatted about their past.
His elder sister knew that Chen Yunhao had been taken away by an Immortal to learn skills. She heard from her younger brother that he had been Cultivating on the mountain for the past few years, and this return was for his father’s birthday.
It was fortunate that Chen Yunhao was taken away by the Drunken Taoist; otherwise, Chen Yunhao would probably have already undergone Reincarnation by now.
As for his elder sister’s family, there hadn't been much change in the past eight years. His elder sister had a gentle personality, and her family of three, with her husband and son, lived a very happy life.
The only regret was that their parents and brother’s family had died inexplicably, and coupled with her younger brother’s disappearance, it caused his elder sister to feel depressed year-round, making her appear much older.
As dusk approached, Chen Yunhao’s brother-in-law returned.
Chen Yunhao’s brother-in-law’s surname was Wang, and he was the eldest in his family. Outsiders all called him Wang Dalang.
When Wang Dalang returned home and saw an unfamiliar young man, he was first stunned, but then he exclaimed in surprise.
“Is that Xiao Hao? I didn't expect him to grow so big!”
Chen Yunhao’s appearance was extremely similar to his father’s, so Wang Dalang recognized his long-lost brother-in-law at a glance.
“Brother-in-law…”
With her younger brother home, his elder sister lovingly prepared a table of dishes, asking Wang Dalang to have a few drinks with Chen Yunhao.
In fact, Chen Yunhao had long since entered the Bigudan state. While on the mountain, he would take Bigudan every now and then, having not eaten Mortal food for several years.
But today was a special occasion, so he had a few drinks with his brother-in-law.
After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, Chen Yunhao finally couldn't hold back his impatience and asked.
“Brother-in-law, what exactly happened to my parents and Second Brother? You must tell me clearly.”
Wang Dalang shook his head and sighed upon hearing this.
“Xiao Hao, it’s not that brother-in-law doesn’t want to say, but we can’t afford to offend them…”
Chen Yunhao snorted coldly, slapped his Storage Pouch at his waist, and a bright light shot up into the sky.
This was his Flying Sword. Since he went up the mountain to Cultivate, his master had bestowed upon him this Medium Grade Magical Artifact Flying Sword.
Although this was the most basic Magical Artifact in the Cultivation World, it could be said to have just entered the Medium Grade.
Even this was already an Immortal treasure in the eyes of Mortals.
The Flying Sword flashed with a cold light, darting through the room, then floated above Chen Yunhao’s head.
Wang Dalang, who was already stunned by the sight before him, watched the cold light emanating from the Flying Sword, his chopsticks falling to the ground unnoticed.
“My younger brother truly went to learn Immortal Spells. Amazing, amazing…”
Wang Dalang took a deep breath, and soon his face was filled with excitement.
Chen Yunhao waved his hand, and the Flying Sword flashed in the air, shrinking to the size of a palm and landing in his hand.
“Brother-in-law, with my abilities, do you think there’s anything left to be concerned about?”
“Good! This matter has been cooped up in my stomach for two years, and it’s time to avenge our parents…”
Wang Dalang slapped the table excitedly. With this Immortal method, what was there to fear from a few mere Mortals!
The Taihua Prefecture Governor had no sons, only two daughters, so he treated his elder brother’s son as his own.
The Governor’s nephew, relying on his uncle’s favoritism, committed evil deeds, oppressed the good, and could be said to have done all sorts of bad things within Taihua Prefecture.
Within Taihua Prefecture, everyone called him Little Tai Sui.
This Little Tai Sui had a Gang of thugs and ruffians under him, forming a Gang called the Brotherhood, specifically doing some unspeakable deeds for Little Tai Sui.
It was unknown where Little Tai Sui heard that a family in Ping An Alley had a rare treasure, so he ordered his Brotherhood subordinates to come and seize it.
Unexpectedly, that family reacted violently. Although the Brotherhood obtained the treasure, they also accidentally killed the family of three.
To prevent the matter from being exposed, the Brotherhood, going all out, simply started a fire, preparing to destroy the bodies and traces.
After the fire started, some neighbors saw the fire and wanted to come out to help extinguish it, but they didn't expect the entrance to be tightly guarded by the Brotherhood, and not a single person was let go.
When the thirteen households in Ping An Alley were mostly burned down, the city’s imperial guards arrived belatedly, indicating that someone had already made arrangements.
Afterward, the Taihua Prefecture’s explanation was simply that a fire had occurred, nothing more.
A few days later, news spread in the market from who knows where, saying that the Brotherhood had committed this major incident.
Even though the rumors circulating in the market were detailed and credible, no one dared to question them, and even fewer dared to confront them.
The Brotherhood was the largest underground Gang in Taihua Prefecture, backed by the Governor, so this matter could only be left unresolved.
The scope of this news was not wide, and Wang Dalang happened to be working in a restaurant.
Restaurants were places where all sorts of people mingled, and by chance, Wang Dalang inadvertently overheard this news.
Although Wang Dalang was also shocked and enraged, he dared not tell his family casually, lest he invite further disaster.
Now, seeing his younger brother return after completing his studies, the secret he had kept for two years could finally be revealed.
Chen Yunhao listened, his eyes flashing with cold light, his teeth grinding, and the chopsticks in his hand had long been crushed into powder, showing how furious he was!
“Brother-in-law, do you know the whereabouts of that Brotherhood and Little Tai Sui?”
Chen Yunhao uttered this sentence through gritted teeth, word by word.
Chen Yunhao was seething with rage at this moment, and he couldn't help but reveal some of his Refining Qi (Middle Stage) Aura.
Wang Dalang, sitting opposite him, was after all a Mortal. Under the Cultivator’s pressure, he broke out in a cold sweat, which was more terrifying than facing a fierce tiger.
The wooden stool under Wang Dalang’s buttocks finally couldn’t withstand the pressure and collapsed, bringing Wang Dalang down to the ground with a thud.
This made Chen Yunhao sober up, and he quickly reined in his Aura.
Wang Dalang scrambled to his feet, and at this moment, his face became even more excited.
He found a piece of paper and a pen, writing and drawing while explaining to Chen Yunhao.
Soon, a simple map appeared on the paper.
Chen Yunhao was, after all, born and raised in Taihua Prefecture. Although he had been away from home for eight years, he still had a general understanding of the Taihua Prefecture’s road layout.