Pov: Vik
Before the fourth or fifth man could say anything bad about me, I switched off the TV. Everyone watching turned to look at me. Lu Xiaoran tried to ask something, but I stopped him and told them to follow me; there was no time to waste.
I created a portal straight to Great Fire Forest for my disciples, Sherry, and Lu Xiaoran's parents.
As I did this, I kept thinking about the people I saw on TV. This was really getting out of hand. I didn't know any of them, yet they kept accusing me.
Sensing my anger, the system said, "Keep your mind calm, host."
Vik: "You don't understand, system. I'm not angry because I got framed. I'm angry because those people out there are making jokes about me. I'm sure I'll end up as meme material after this."
The system went silent after my response, but I ignored it. First, I needed to evacuate my disciples. Only after they all entered the portal did I follow. Soon, we all arrived at Great Fire Forest. My disciples, familiar with the Anonymous Hall, guided Lu Xiaoran's parents and Sherry inside, where I asked the system to create a separate living space for them.
After that, I went to the main hall of the Anonymous Hall, where I found my disciples had already gathered following my summon.
Sitting in the main seat, I said solemnly, "Disciples, as you've heard by now, I am wanted by the authorities in this city and the federation for crimes I never committed. This is clearly a case of framing, but that's not the most important thing. As my disciples, you and your families are also under the authorities' radar. So, I have decided to leave this city—and this entire continent."
Hearing my words, Lu Xiaoran raised his hand and asked, "Master, why don't we face them and prove our innocence? Are those after you too strong for us to handle?"
His question was genuine, but his thinking was too simple. He wasn't considering the consequences. So I explained, "Lu Xiaoran, that's a good question. Let's say we face all the authorities in this city and federation and win. Suppose we manage to suppress everyone who came to arrest us. What do you think those authorities would do about a threat they can't handle with strength?"
Lu Xiaoran fell deep in thought after my words, but Roman, who had clenched his fists, spoke with a cold look, as if recalling bad memories. He took a deep breath and said, "They will go after your loved ones."
The hall fell silent. Both Lu Xiaoran and Lina got goosebumps hearing this. Roman continued, "The world always works this way. They look for everyone's weaknesses, even if it's their friends. Everyone has weaknesses. Even if they aren't internal, they could be external. Think about what could be more precious to a son than his parents? What could be more precious to a husband than his wife? What could be more precious to a father than his children?"
Lu Xiaoran and Lina finally understood the weight of his words. Lu Xiaoran, in particular, started to think about his parents. He didn't have strong ties with the Lu family, but his parents were his life. He didn't want to lose them. He had already experienced how it felt to be away from family, and he didn't want to go through that again.
Lina remembered her father, which brought her to tears for a moment, but then she calmed herself and set her face in determination.
Seeing their reactions, I reiterated, "Disciples, I believe you understand Roman's words, so I don't need to explain further. I'll say this once again: 'We are going into hiding, leaving this place with our loved ones until we are strong enough to fight the real culprit hiding behind the federation and authorities.' If you have any other loved ones outside the city, please tell me so I can bring them here."
I made that last remark especially for Lu Xiaoran, as he had a lover named Jessica who was now at Azure Mountain Forest with the other villagers. As I expected, he raised his hand and said, "Master, I want to see Jessica one last time. Can you allow me this?"
Vik: "Sigh! Lu Xiaoran, I already guessed your answer. I planned to go there with you, so don't waste any time. Let's go."
With that, I opened another portal, this time toward the villages in the Azure Mountain Range. It's still tough to create any portal in the Azure Mountains, especially since my cultivation had regressed, but those villages are on the outskirts, so I could manage.
Soon, we exited the portal and reached Jessica's village. Without wasting any time, Lu Xiaoran and I rushed to Jessica's house, with Roman and Lina insisting on coming along as well; they might have wanted to witness the love drama between Lu Xiaoran and Jessica.
As we reached the entrance of her old two-story wooden and brick house, I sensed something was wrong. There was a lingering spiritual energy in the air, as if someone had opened a large portal nearby.
Concerned, I entered the house without knocking. Inside, we found an empty space with no sign of Jessica or old man Zhou. Lu Xiaoran looked scared; he was pale with worry about what could have happened to Jessica. I, on the other hand, tried to think rationally and look for clues about the whereabouts of both Jessica and old Zhou. Lu Xiaoran became furious, and Roman and Lina tried to calm him down.
Soon, I found a letter and a video recording. I tried to open the letter, but the envelope had a large heart sticker on it with "By Jessica for Lu Xiaoran" written on it, so I left it and started playing the video footage on my system.
A hologram began playing in front of us, showing Jessica looking at the camera. As the footage played, Lu Xiaoran calmed down, now focused entirely on what he saw.
Jessica: "Lu Xiaoran, if you're seeing this, I may have already left this place. But don't worry, my real parents, who left me in the care of Grandpa Zhou, have come to take me."
Jessica: "I wanted to meet you, but my parents got angry when they found out I wanted to meet a man. I understand their anger, so I didn't resist. They wanted to get me out quickly because of some danger."
Jessica: "I don't know much about it, but my background might be complicated, and I don't want you or anyone in the village to be in danger. So I'll go with them, but don't worry. As soon as I'm strong enough, I will come for you. The rest is in the letter, so please read it. It also gives a way to find me."
The footage ended with her last note. Lu Xiaoran kept staring at Jessica's hologram. Once he regained his composure, he took out the letter and put it in his pocket, intending to read it alone later. With our task finished, I immediately left to return to the safety of the Anonymous Hall.