"So, you approached Mengran simply because you fell in love with her at first sight?" Liu Shanhe's expression was strange, but his voice was filled with obvious suspicion.
Han Feng straightened his back, meeting the sharp gaze: "At first, yes. Later, I discovered her amazing talent in financial analysis, so I invited her to be the general manager of my company." He paused, "Until that time in Qiqihar..." Then, Han Feng roughly recounted their journey from their time alone in Zurich to Qiqihar to investigate what happened after Liu Mengran was kidnapped.
The more Liu Shanhe listened, the more alarmed he became. Han Feng, of course, didn't tell Liu Shanhe about the bond between himself and Liu Mengran.
"To this day, I have never regretted rushing in to save Mengran." Han Feng said, looking at Liu Shanhe with a very firm gaze.
Liu Shanhe's knuckles froze in mid-air. Regarding his granddaughter's kidnapping, Liu Xiaoran had only casually mentioned that "it has been resolved," but now, listening to Han Feng's description of the details—the knight's berserk state and the bizarre effects of the gene serum—a cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Liu Xiaoran!" Liu Shanhe suddenly shouted.
Liu Xiaoran walked over quickly, looking at Liu Shanhe with great surprise: "Grandpa, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Your sister was in such a dangerous situation in Qiqihar, why did you keep it from me?" Liu Shanhe slammed his hand on the coffee table, the purple clay teaware clattering. "If anything had happened to Mengran..."
Liu Xiaoran glanced at Han Feng, clearly having already told Liu Shanhe what had happened, and his heart sank as he said, "The matter was resolved at the time, and I didn't want you to worry."
"You bastard!" Veins bulged on Liu Shanhe's forehead, and the wisp of black aura that had always lingered between his brows suddenly intensified. "That's your own sister!"
Han Feng observed Liu Shanhe angrily rebuking his grandson without showing any emotion. Liu Xiaoran stood ramrod straight, letting his grandfather scold him. He was well aware that if it hadn't been for Han Feng, he himself would have almost died there.
"Grandpa Liu," Han Feng interjected at the opportune moment, "it was thanks to Liu Xiaoran that we were able to deal with some of the gene warriors in the warehouse, which bought us precious time, allowing me to find an opportunity to rescue Mengran."
Liu Shanhe took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger. When he turned to Han Feng, his expression was much more complex: "Regardless... thank you for saving Mengran."
Han Feng knew the time had come.
"Old Master Liu, I would like to ask you some questions about the Liu family." He spoke softly, but each word was clear.
Liu Shanhe narrowed his eyes slightly: "Did Lin Zhengguo send you?"
"No." Han Feng shook his head. "It's purely out of personal curiosity."
Liu Shanhe didn't respond immediately, but instead picked up the teapot and poured a cup for each of the three. The sound of tea being poured into the cups was particularly crisp in the quiet courtyard. Han Feng noticed that Liu Shanhe's hand was as steady as a rock when pouring tea, but the surface of the water was strangely undisturbed, a sign that his internal energy cultivation had reached an extremely high level.
After Ling's reminder, Han Feng roughly knew that these so-called hermit families, which were also ancient martial arts families, all practiced techniques similar to those in novels, and it was normal for them to have internal energy.
"What do you want to know?" Liu Shanhe pushed the teacup in front of Han Feng.
Han Feng didn't touch the tea: "Meng Ran's past. Especially... why she ended up in Jiang City." He looked directly into Liu Shanhe's eyes, "And the fact that the Liu family was once a reclusive family."
With a "click," a fine crack appeared on the teacup in Liu Xiaoran's hand.
Liu Shanhe smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Since you're sitting here, you must have already found out quite a bit." He gently turned the rim of his teacup. "Indeed, the Liu family was once one of the thirty-six hidden clans, ranking in the upper-middle range."
"My father, Mengran's great-grandfather, was the previous head of the Liu family," Liu Shanhe's voice deepened. "Back then, our family's 'Azure Nether Technique' was highly renowned among reclusive families, complementing the Nangong family's 'Crimson Sun Technique.' The two families even had a marriage alliance."
Han Feng keenly noticed that when the name "Nangong" was mentioned, the dark aura between Liu Shanhe's eyebrows suddenly surged.
"Unfortunately..." Liu Shanhe sneered, "My generation has only mediocre talent. After my father passed away, the Liu family's status plummeted." His fingers unconsciously scratched five white marks on the table. "That old bastard Nangong Wang seized the opportunity to join forces with the Ling family to force us to hand over the Azure Nether Technique."
The temperature in the study seemed to drop suddenly. Han Feng noticed a thin layer of frost forming on the surface of his teacup.
"We resisted for three months," Liu Shanhe's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "Seven clan elders died, and more than half of the young disciples were crippled... In the end, we had no choice but to hand over the cultivation technique." He suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "But those beasts! They took the technique and still wanted to exterminate us!"
With a loud "bang," the rosewood tea table in front of Liu Shanhe shattered, sending wood chips flying everywhere. Liu Xiaoran immediately stepped forward, but was stopped by Liu Shanhe's wave.
"I had Mengran's parents send their children away overnight, preparing to fight Nangong Wang to the death..." Liu Shanhe's breathing became heavy. "Just then, the three hidden families suddenly intervened and suppressed the Nangong and Ling families."
Han Feng frowned: "That Liu family's Azure Nether Technique..."
"We didn't get it back." Liu Shanhe suddenly calmed down, a calmness more chilling than his previous rage. "The three major families said that since we can't protect our own cultivation techniques, we might as well think about how to save our lives." He let out a bitter laugh. "And so, the Liu family was expelled from the reclusive families and forced to wander the secular world."
At this point, Liu Shanhe's eyes turned bloodshot, the black aura between his brows almost solidified, and his hands clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms without him even noticing. Han Feng could feel the overwhelming hatred permeating the air, an obsession that had remained unresolved for over a decade.
"Mengran got separated during their exile. Her parents searched for her frantically, eventually finding her in Jiang City. However, they discovered that she was quite settled in this peaceful life. At that time, the Liu family was still in a turbulent period, not only having just entered the secular world but also constantly on guard against the Nangong family's revenge. Therefore, they didn't bring her back until three years ago, when the Liu family finally stabilized." Liu Shanhe's eyes were filled with heartache, thinking about how his granddaughter had been living away from home for so long, a constant worry in his heart.
Looking at the old man before him, Han Feng felt a pang of sadness. The family's dramatic rise and fall, coupled with the constant need to guard against enemies, had been a difficult experience. He was worried about his younger relative and wondered if she was doing well. With that thought, Han Feng cleared his throat and said to Liu Shanhe, "Grandpa Liu, don't worry, I will definitely protect Mengran."
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