Chapter 73: The Ordeal of My Parents

Liu Feng saw that the house was covered in dust, as if it hadn't been cleaned for months.

"It seems that after I left, my parents moved away. But where could they have gone?" Liu Feng pondered quietly.

He searched through everything in the house but found no clue.

"I should go ask Old Master Zhang next door. He always got along well with my father; perhaps my father left something with him," Liu Feng thought, heading straight to Old Master Zhang's house.

The courtyard of Old Master Zhang's home was built with blue bricks. At this moment, smoke was rising from the kitchen, suggesting that dinner was being prepared.

Liu Feng pushed open the main gate and walked in, finding Old Master Zhang sitting in the courtyard with his youngest daughter beside him.

Hearing the gate, Old Master Zhang looked up and, upon seeing Liu Feng, his face brightened with joy. "Xiaofeng, how are your studies at the academy? What brings you back all of a sudden?"

Liu Feng, anxious, asked, "Uncle Zhang, I came back because I miss my parents. Do you know where they went?"

"So that's what this is about. It seems your mother's family came and took them away, said they were going to stay with relatives," Old Master Zhang replied leisurely.

"Did my father leave anything behind?" Liu Feng pressed.

Slapping his forehead, Old Master Zhang said, "Ah, my memory! I had almost forgotten. Your father did leave a letter with me, asking me to give it to you." With that, he went inside and brought out a letter.

Liu Feng opened the letter, and a wave of relief washed over him. The letter confirmed that his parents had indeed been invited by his mother's family.

But then Liu Feng's thoughts shifted; he found something odd about the situation. He realized that since he could remember, he'd never met his mother's family. Why did they come for his parents only after he left for the academy?

Old Master Zhang, seeing Liu Feng finish reading, asked, "What did your father say in the letter? Nothing wrong, is there?"

Liu Feng forced a smile. "Nothing's wrong. They just said they went to stay with relatives."

"That's good to hear," Old Master Zhang sighed in relief. "Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you stay and eat before heading home?"

"No, Uncle Zhang, I've already eaten outside," Liu Feng declined, his mind still preoccupied with his parents' whereabouts, leaving no appetite for food.

After bidding farewell to Old Master Zhang, Liu Feng left Qingfeng Town, heading toward Nanzhou City, the place where his mother's family lived.

Two days later, Liu Feng arrived at a village near Nanzhou City.

It was midday, and the sun blazed mercilessly, scorching the earth. The air shimmered with heat, and most of the villagers had already returned home; the fields outside the village were deserted.

At the entrance of the village, Liu Feng found a small restaurant and sat down. The place was already crowded, as it was on the main road to Nanzhou City.

Seeing Liu Feng sit, a waiter came over and asked, "What would you like to order, sir?"

"I'm not particular about food, just something filling," Liu Feng replied.

The waiter nodded and went inside, likely to prepare the meal.

As Liu Feng sipped his tea, his mind kept turning over the matter of his parents. The more he thought, the more uneasy he became.

At that moment, the conversation of two diners nearby caught Liu Feng's attention.

One man said, "Did you hear? The young master of the Zhao family wiped out a small sect."

"How could I not know? It's all over Nanzhou City," the other replied. "They say that sect had a beautiful female disciple who caught the eye of Young Master Zhao. She refused his outrageous demands, so Zhao found some trumped-up excuse and destroyed the entire sect."

"Keep your voice down, sir," the waiter cautioned as he brought Liu Feng's food. "If the Zhao family's lackeys hear you, you'll be in trouble."

Hearing this, the two men quickly fell silent, their faces betraying their anxiety—they clearly knew the Zhao family's fearsome reputation.

Liu Feng, intrigued, asked the waiter, "Which Zhao family are they talking about? Why are they so overbearing?"

"You're not from around here, are you?" The waiter gave Liu Feng a surprised look.

Liu Feng smiled. "Just passing through."

Lowering his voice, the waiter said, "There's only one Zhao family in Nanzhou City—the one headed by Master Zhao Xu."

Liu Feng's heart skipped a beat. Zhao Xu—that was his maternal grandfather. He had already learned from his parents' letter about his grandfather and four uncles.

"Is everyone in the Zhao family like Young Master Zhao? Are they all so arrogant and unreasonable?" Liu Feng asked again.

The waiter sighed. "It wasn't like this before. Ever since Old Master Zhao Xu was injured a year ago and his eldest son Zhao Tu took charge, the Zhao family has been running rampant."

After listening, Liu Feng waved the waiter off, who then returned to his work.

After finishing his meal, Liu Feng set out for Nanzhou City.

Two hours later, Liu Feng arrived outside the city gates. The gates were massive and wide, easily allowing ten men to walk abreast without crowding.

After observing for a while, Liu Feng made his way to the gate. Two guards stopped and searched him, found nothing suspicious, and let him through.

Inside Nanzhou City, he saw broad avenues, orderly streets, and rows of various shops lining both sides.

He asked passersby for the address of the Zhao family, followed their directions, and after half an hour, arrived at his destination.

It was an estate of enormous size; the main gate stood over ten meters tall, made from precious redwood. The plaque above the gate bore a large, imposing "Zhao" character.

Sixteen guards stood outside, all tall and robust, their faces ruddy, each equipped with a long saber—clearly men of skill and strength.

Seeing Liu Feng linger, one of the guards swaggered over and demanded, "Who are you? What are you doing in front of the Zhao family estate?"

"I'm here to find my parents. Please inform them that Liu Feng has come to visit," Liu Feng replied.

"Liu Feng, looking for your parents? What are their names?" one of the guards asked.

"My father's name is Liu Yuming, my mother's name is Zhao Jing," Liu Feng answered calmly.

"Alright, wait here. I'll go report it," one guard said before heading into the depths of the estate.

Liu Feng waited half an hour before the guard returned, his expression dark. "Kid, I spoke to Steward Zhao, and he checked the household records—there's no one by those names. You made me waste my time for nothing."

A slight frown creased Liu Feng's brow; something was clearly amiss. But he said nothing, simply turning away.

He found an inn in the city and checked in, planning to investigate the Zhao family under cover of night and uncover what scheme they were playing.