Pov : Lu Xiaoran
She cried as she spoke, looking like a girl who had been bullied and was now coming to her father in tears. Roman patted her back and said, "Don't cry, silly girl. Your father is back, stronger than before. Now tell me everything. Who bullied you?" He said this with a furious look in his eyes. I could see that the pain from his past was about to be unleashed on those who had put my mother in jail.
After a few minutes of crying, my mother calmed down. A smile appeared on her face when she saw me looking well. She said, "Lu Xiaoran, you have grown in just one month, and you've become even more handsome. The same goes for you, Father Roman. You look younger. Did you both dye your hair, or did it change naturally?"
Roman laughed at her comment, while I smiled and said, "No, Mother. We both made progress in the realm and awakened some powerful physiques. That's why our bodies are changing."
She looked at me first, then with surprise, she said, "Lu Xiaoran, you're not crippled anymore. Did you get some medicine for your injuries?"
I replied, "No, Mother. More than any medicine, I had a master who taught me about my mistakes and showed me the right path to take."
I then explained what happened after I left the city. My maternal uncle came to pick me up. I briefly told her about the attack I faced during the journey, describing Lin Chen's ambush and Lu Zhang's betrayal. Her anger flared when she heard about Lu Zhang's involvement. She said, "I knew Lu Zhang and his father were unreliable, but I didn't expect them to be traitors. Don't worry, my son. Once I return to the family, I will make sure to punish them."
She had a scary smile when she said this, but I focused on explaining how we accidentally got teleported to that forbidden forest and met my master. As I shared our journey so far, I noticed a look of concern on her face. She asked, "Son, I'm not doubting, but I just want to know if your master, Vik, is really reliable. From what I hear, he seems a bit clumsy."
I laughed and replied, "You're overthinking, Mom. He is very reliable. He just acts a bit strangely, maybe because he is some unknown being. I don't know much about him, but I can say he is a kind-hearted man, or should I say, a kind snake."
My mother still had some doubts, but I assured her that she could clear them up after meeting him. For now, I wanted to hear her story, so I asked, "Mother, what happened after I left? Why are you in jail, and where did Father go?"
At my question, Roman listened carefully and asked, "Yes, Layla, who did this to you?"
My mother hesitated a bit but said, "Lu Xiaoran, it all started when Lin Chen injured you. When I found out, I was furious and wanted revenge against him. But your father stopped me. He explained that Lin Chen had powerful allies and that seeking revenge would be pointless. He told me there was a conspiracy against our family, and Lin Chen was involved. We needed to ensure your safety first. He said he had a way to heal your injuries, but he had to go to the ancestor's home of the Lu Family."
"When you left for another city, he secretly left the family and put me in charge. Just a day later, I heard from the guards escorting you that you were ambushed and had died at Lin Chen's hands. I was so angry and grief-stricken that I didn't see any conspiracy in the guard's words. I gathered family forces and attacked Lin Chen, but no elder joined me. I suspect they are involved in this conspiracy. I took some Golden Core guards and my personal guard who was in the Soul Forming realm, thinking I could defeat Lin Chen. I was wrong. Everything I did was anticipated by Lin Chen. Or maybe it was part of his plan all along. He had a companion who was at the Nascent Soul realm. She was a recruiter from the Storm Horizon Academy. She supported Lin Chen during the competition when he crippled you. I suspect Lin Chen was invited by the academy for advanced study and cultivation. He had direct support from them. Against such an expert, I couldn't do anything. She defeated all my guards and captured me. There were also people from the city police department who recorded my attack on Lin Chen, which is why I ended up here."
After hearing her story, I nearly clenched my fists in anger. Roman was feeling the same. His fists weren't clenched as tightly as mine, but his eyes were filled with rage. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Mother, is the place Father mentioned the Azure Mountain Range?"
Layla replied, "Yes, but how did you know that? Only a few in the family are aware that the Azure Mountains are our ancestor's home."
I clarified, "Mother, I learned about it while investigating Lu Zhang and Lin Chen. They are trying to forcefully acquire the lands of the Azure Mountain Village in search of some treasure. Do you know anything about it?"
Layla said, "I don't know much, but I heard your father mention that the mountains hold a priceless treasure and secrets from a past era. The Lu Family acts as protectors of those mountains. As for what the treasure or secret is, only the head of the family can know. Your father heard it from your grandfather. You are the next in line to learn about it. Perhaps the medicine he mentioned is also related to that secret."
I kept thinking about Father, but this wasn't the time to dwell on it. I glanced at the system watch. It was 4 AM. Soon, it would be time for Lin Chen's party. I looked at my mother and sent a message to my master, asking if we could take her with us, but he declined. He said we must first clear the charges against her, ensuring the court releases her with the respect she deserves. I agreed with him, so with a heavy heart, I decided to leave her behind. Before going, we cast an illusion spell on her prison cell and provided her with some new clothes, supplies, and rations to cook. Now she had a luxurious room instead of a prison cell, but anyone looking from outside would see a normal jail. After that, I hugged her tightly and reluctantly left, as Roman prepared the teleportation spell. Just as we were about to leave, Roman asked, "Oh Layla, I forgot to ask, who was that lady who captured you? What is her name?" He asked with a smile, and once he got the name, he teleported us away.