Mainland Martial Arts

Chapter 124 Xu Tian was arrested

Ma Ziyan watched him walk away, tears blurring her eyes again. She knew that Xu Tian's journey would be a dangerous journey of revenge, but she also knew that she couldn't stop him.

Xu Tian left Ma Ziyan's home with heavy steps. His heart was in a tangle, tears welling in his eyes, gleaming in the afterglow of the setting sun like shattered stars. His mind was filled with memories of his past with Ma Ziyan, the sweetness and laughter they had once shared, now like sharp blades, piercing his heart again and again.

He walked on, step by step, as if he were the only lonely figure left in the world. The trees beside the road rustled in the breeze, as if whispering his sorrow. The chirping of birds returning to their nests only added to his loneliness.

Unconsciously, Xu Tian reached his front door. He raised his trembling hand and slowly pushed open the familiar door. The door hinges creaked, a sound that was particularly clear in the silence. The house was dim and eerily quiet. Apart from the sound of the door opening, echoing in the empty room, there was no other sound.

Xu Tian's gaze wandered around the room, finally settling on the chair his father had often sat in. Unable to contain his grief, he fell to his knees with a thump, tears pouring out like a flood.

"Dad..." His voice was hoarse and desperate, like the howl of a wounded animal in the middle of the night. The memories of Ma Ziyan that had once filled his mind were gradually replaced by his father's kind face. He remembered his father's warm smile, his rough yet powerful hands, and his father's love and expectations for him.

Just then, a chaotic sound of footsteps approached from afar. A moment later, Xu Tian's uncle walked into the house with a group of people. Upon entering, the uncle saw Xu Tian kneeling on the ground and crying loudly, and his face immediately revealed an expression of heartache and worry.

"Xiaotian, don't cry, child." The uncle quickly walked to Xu Tian's side, squatted down, and patted his shoulder gently. "I know you are sad, but your father in heaven will not be at peace if you are like this."

When Xu Tian heard his uncle's voice, his body trembled slightly, as if he had woken up from a long nightmare. He slowly raised his head, wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, and tried to calm himself down.

"Uncle, I..." Xu Tian's voice was still nasal.

My uncle sighed and said, "Xiaotian, we came here today because it's customary to come back after ten days to pay our respects and bid farewell to your father. It was originally supposed to be the seventh day, but a fortune teller told us it wasn't a good day, so we've decided to hold it today."

After hearing what his uncle said, Xu Tian's eyes flashed with realization, and then he nodded silently.

"Uncle, I understand." Xu Tian stood up and took a deep breath. "Let's start preparing."

Everyone got busy. Xu Tian went to the kitchen to boil water, while his uncle helped add more. Xu Tian picked up a bundle of firewood from the corner, skillfully placed it in the stove, and then lit the fire with a flint.

As the flames began to burn, Xu Tian stood up to get more firewood. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, as if the entire world were collapsing. A massive force erupted from the stove, instantly sending Xu Tian flying.

"Ah!" Xu Tian screamed, his body arcing through the air before falling heavily to the ground. Blood spurted out of his mouth, dotting the ground.

Xu Tian tried hard to open his eyes, but found that everything in front of him had become blurry. His ears were buzzing and his head was in a mess.

"How could this happen..." Xu Tian's heart was filled with confusion and fear, but before he could figure it out, a strong dizziness hit him, his consciousness gradually became blurred, and his eyes fell into darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Tian slowly awoke. He felt as if his entire body was being cut by countless knives, every inch of his skin and every bone groaning in pain. With great effort, he opened his eyes and found himself in a dark, damp dungeon.

Faint light filtered through the narrow window high up, and the air was filled with a pungent stench of decay and blood. Xu Tian tried to move, but found his hands and feet were tightly bound with heavy iron chains. The friction between the chains and his skin had already worn away, and the surrounding skin was stained red with blood.

"Where is this..." Xu Tian's voice was weak and hoarse, and his eyes were full of confusion and fear.

He tried hard to recall what had happened before, the loud noise, the force of the explosion, and the moment he was blown away.

"Why did it explode? What exactly happened?" Xu Tian's mind was filled with countless questions, but he couldn't find the answers.

At this moment, the dungeon door suddenly opened, and a strong light shone in. Xu Tianxia subconsciously squinted his eyes. Several figures appeared at the door, and their footsteps were particularly clear in the silent dungeon.

"Hmph, boy, you're awake." A cold voice came.

Xu Tian raised his head with difficulty, trying to see the face of the person who came, but the strong light allowed him to only see a few blurry outlines.

"Who are you? Why are you locking me up here?" Xu Tian roared angrily.

Xu Tian raised his head with difficulty, his gaze fixed on the approaching figure. In the dim light, he spotted two people. The one in front was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe. His posture was upright, yet he exuded a sense of authority and coolness. His face was chiseled, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, and his brows were etched with the arrogance of a long-time high official. Behind him was an elderly man with graying hair and a wrinkled face. He was slightly hunched, but his eyes still shone with shrewdness and alertness.

Xu Tian endured the severe pain in his body and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you? Why are you locking me up here?"

The middle-aged man in his forties or fifties snorted coldly, with a scornful smile on his lips: "Hmph, boy, I am Chu Hong, the head of the Chu family. You, an ignorant thing, actually dared to secretly inquire about the news of my Chu family. Now that you are in my hands, let's see how long you can be arrogant!" Chu Hong's heart was full of anger and disdain. He was a man who could call the wind and rain in Xihai City, but he was secretly investigated by a young boy. This made his dignity suffer a great provocation.

A hint of surprise flashed across Xu Tian's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by stubbornness: "I'm really surprised. I didn't expect to meet the head of the Chu family in such an embarrassing way."

Chu Hong frowned, a trace of anger emerging on his face: "You ignorant kid, you are not afraid even in such a situation? Don't you know why we captured you?" Chu Hong was thinking at this moment that this kid would be intimidated by his majesty and confess everything obediently.