Zhennan staggered from the interrogation like a man who had been ground between two millstones. His head throbbed; a pressure behind his eyes made every breath a small effort. For a long moment he only sat there, feeling the aftershocks of whatever Yuru had done—an invisible hammer to his thoughts. He should have been furious that the Truth Seeker had pushed him so hard, but when he tried to trace the edges of the technique he realized something else: Lieyan's wards had not failed. They had been doing exactly what they were meant to do.
The protection wasn't a shield that spared him pain; it was a mask that made him believable. If he emerged untouched from Yuru's probing, the Truth Seeker would have detected an obvious block. Better that his head ache and his mind burn than have the lie-detecting net find obvious interference. The thought was cold comfort, but it steadied him: the magic had not been overturned—it had been calibrated.
Yuru finally let him go. Outside the tribunal room, the night air bit at his face and felt, absurdly, like truth. But relief curdled into dread the moment he walked back through the clan gates. The Han coffers were empty. The vaults—everything of value, even land titles and rolling assets—had been seized by imperial writ. The estate that had fed and sheltered generations was reduced, on paper, to a name with no weight.
There were worse fates: entire houses wiped out because a leader fell, families purged to send a message. Zhennan told himself, dangerously, that he had been lucky. The Empire had taken everything, but they had not dragged every last soul from their homes to be questioned and executed. Maybe, in the calculus of imperial politics, sparing the people while breaking the house served some bureaucratic purpose. Maybe it was mercy. He did not believe in mercy. He believed in consequences and in plans.
He also knew he would be watched. The mark of being questioned by a Truth Seeker did not vanish with freedom; it attached like a scent. He could not risk going after Han Lei now—if he did, the Empire would detect him and the child would be seized or killed. The thought of Han Lei in imperial chains or worse made his stomach fall out from under him. He pictured hiding the boy, raising him as a disciple under a new name, making the child invisible to those who would exploit him. But first he needed time—and a new cover.
He hatched a cold, pragmatic plan. If he joined the imperial ranks—if he became, on paper and in service, one of the Empire's arms against demonic cultivators—he could prove his loyalty publicly, burnish his reputation, and pull suspicion away from his true purpose. He could use the Empire's appetite for purging enemies to wash his name clean. Then, years from now, with the weight of a soldier's honors behind him and fewer eyes on his past, he could move to find his son and make good on what had been stolen.
For now, all he could do was wait. Hope that Han Lei survived. Hope that Lieyan's wards were enough to hold whatever storms still hunted the child. Hope, most dangerous of all, that the years he had bought himself were enough.
Zhennan was soon notified by Lu Zhenhai—who was currently at his Lu clan estate—to come immediately.
Zhennan rushed there without hesitation.
The moment he entered the courtyard he saw Xue Lian holding Han Yu tightly, her eyes red, and Lu Zhenhai standing on the side like a stone pillar trying to stay composed.
The instant Xue Lian saw him she ran to him in tears and slammed into his chest, hugging him like she was afraid he would vanish if she loosened her grip even a little. Zhennan hugged her back, his heart trembling, tears welling in his eyes. This was his wife. This was his family.
She raised her head, cupping his cheeks with shaking hands, relief pouring out of her voice:
"Zhennan… I almost died from worry! Why do you always end up in situations like this? Your father… he won't always be there to save you!"
Zhennan's face instantly twisted with murderous hatred the second she said "father."
Xue Lian froze, shocked at his expression. She gently placed her hand on his face:
"What's wrong…? Wait—where is He Ruying… and where is Han Lei? We tried to find her and the child but we couldn't. Do you know where they are, Zhennan?"
Lu Zhenhai then spoke in a grim tone:
"After I was notified the Empire was coming, I had a very, very bad feeling. And you were nowhere to be found. So I immediately took Xue Lian and He Ruying and their sons away. But I was only able to find Xue Lian and Han Yu. I tried searching for He Ruying but your father told me you had taken her away."
Zhennan bit down until he tasted blood.
"That filthy scum!"
Both Xue Lian and Lu Zhenhai froze—never in their lives did they think Zhennan would speak like that about his own father.
"Zhennan," Xue Lian whispered, voice trembling, "please… tell us what happened. And you haven't answered me—where are He Ruying and Han Lei?"
Zhennan looked at them… then slowly began to speak.
He told them everything.
Step by step.
Detail by detail.
The more he spoke—the more terrified, horrified, broken their faces became. Xue Lian cried openly when she heard of the death of her closest sister, He Ruying… and she cried again when she heard of Han Lei, a boy she had treated like her own flesh and blood.
Lu Zhenhai tried to endure but even he felt his heart shatter—He Ruying's death hit him like a hammer and seeing his sworn brother like this made him feel helpless and furious. He slammed his fist into the wall so hard it cracked, cursing Zhenwu's name.
Zhennan bit his lip until it bled and made three silent oaths:
To Xue Lian.
To He Ruying.
And to himself.
He would find Zhenwu.
And make him experience a pain no mortal, no cultivator, no beast had ever suffered before.
That night was a night of tears and pain, spent with Zhennan and Xue Lian holding each other and trying to lessen the other's grief.
Days passed.
Zhennan moved what little remained that the Empire did not seize from the Han clan estate. All Han clan banners, insignias, lineage marks—everything—were removed. The Han clan was officially erased.
He stayed in the Lu clan for a while, but eventually Lu Zhenhai's father pressured Lu Zhenhai to tell Zhennan that he could not stay here forever—his presence could bring danger to the Lu clan as well.
But Zhenhai, loyal as always, secretly gave Zhennan multiple locations—safe houses—places where he could stay, all close enough that Zhenhai could always reach him.
Zhennan thanked him deeply.
Then he left.
These memories flooded Lu Zhenhai's mind as they returned to the present.
Lu Zhenhai was sitting in front of Han Lei.
Han Lei's eyes were wide, his face frozen in shock as he listened. Lu Zhenhai swallowed hard. It took him a moment before he could continue speaking.
"Years passed," he finally said quietly, "and Zhennan and Xue Lian slowly healed. Zhennan took many jobs—mercenary, teacher, escort—anything. Until after three years… he did something I never expected. He joined the Imperial Army under a new identity."
Han Lei blinked.
Lu Zhenhai continued:
"He changed his name to the outside world and began fighting as a soldier for the Empire. He did this after completing many feats, proving his hatred for demonic cultivators. That caught General Tianhun's attention. The general personally offered him a chance. Zhennan took it immediately. He used it to wipe his name off the Empire's blacklist."
Lu Zhenhai let out a long breath.
"And it worked. He was no longer being watched. He purposely took the deadliest missions just to prove his loyalty. And only after he reached a position of safety… after many, many years… only then did he decide it was time to search for you."
He leaned forward slightly.
"He told me everything he had been hiding. And I understood. I helped him before he even asked. We searched the entire region for you. And if you remember— we found you in that village. You were in torn rags. Your bones were visible. You were eating from trash."
Lu Zhenhai's voice cracked.
"In that moment… Zhennan wanted to tear his eyes out. He wanted to take his own life. He said he failed you as a father. I knocked him out that day because his grief was overwhelming. And I took both you and him away."
He exhaled.
"And everything after that—you already know he took you as his disciple saying that it was to protect your identity but part of him knew he was too shameful to face you since he couldn't left you wondering for years something he promised your mother he ruying to never do."
Han Lei sat there, hands shaking.
"Why… why didn't he ever tell me?" Han Lei whispered.
Lu Zhenhai smiled a painful, bitter smile.
"He told me he didn't want anyone to know, so he didn't tell you for your safety. But I knew the real reason. He was ashamed. He couldn't face telling you the truth. He was terrified of how you might react."
Zhenhai looked down.
"And honestly… that wasn't the only reason. Zhennan was not in the best mental state after losing you, losing He Ruying, and losing his entire clan because of his father's greed it was simply too much and the proof of thag is something you know after all remember the treatment between you and your deceased brother han yu that treatment wasn't just because your talent was better no it was as if zhennan was trying to make up the years he lost with you by giving you everything."lu Zhenhai then continued All his life he was told he must rebuild the clan. Maybe he realized his father never actually wanted that. So maybe he chose to do the opposite—maybe that was his rebellion against his father all these things led to his instability."
Han Lei couldn't speak. His mind felt like it was drowning.
Lu Zhenhai saw this and stood up. He gently patted Han Lei's head.
"Take your time, Lei. You can come ask me anything later. But remember this one thing clearly—your father loved you more than himself. You are his son. You are his blood. You are his heir and his disciple. No one can ever take that away from you. No one."
Lu Zhenhai walked out, closing the door behind him.
Han Lei sat there alone.
Tears poured down his face like a river.