"My parents?"
A chill ran down Fang Han's spine.
He had been in the Inner Hall for several months now. To avoid disturbing his cultivation, his parents had never come to see him. This was their first visit.
A bad feeling welled up inside him.
"What were their expressions like?"
Fang Han asked in a low voice as he strode quickly toward the entrance.
"Master Fang and his wife looked... quite grave."
The servant replied hurriedly.
Hearing that his parents looked grave, the ominous feeling in Fang Han's heart grew stronger. He couldn't help but quicken his pace, leaving the servant far behind.
After passing through several courtyards, he saw three familiar figures standing outside the imposing, vermilion-lacquered main gate of the Inner Hall.
With his excellent vision as a Muscle Refiner Martial Artist, he could already see their expressions clearly.
His father, Fang Zheng, and his mother, Lin Wan, had their brows tightly knitted, their faces etched with unconcealable worry.
His five-year-old sister, Fang Ying, was holding onto the corner of their mother's clothes, curiously sizing up the Inner Hall.
"Father, Mother!"
Fang Han called out, hurrying forward.
"Brother!"
The moment she saw Fang Han, Fang Ying let go of her mother's clothes and, like a fledgling returning to its nest, stumbled toward him with her short arms wide open.
Fang Han bent down and swept his soft, cuddly little sister into his arms. Looking up at his parents with an urgent gaze, he asked,
"What is it? What happened?"
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan exchanged a glance, both wearing grave expressions. Fang Zheng sighed and said in a low voice,
"Your Uncle Fang Ye is in trouble... He was with the family's merchant caravan, returning from Lishan City, when they were attacked by a band of extremely vicious bandits thirty li outside the city, in the Black Cloud Ridge area."
Fang Han's pupils contracted.
He had heard of Black Cloud Ridge. The terrain there was treacherous, and many bandit gangs gathered in the surrounding area, making it a hotbed for raids.
The Government Office had attempted to encircle and annihilate them several times, but each attempt failed due to the difficulty of searching the treacherous terrain.
"Uncle... how is he?"
A hint of tension crept into Fang Han's voice.
When he was young, his uncle had often given him money for the new year. He had a very good impression of the man.
"He was gravely injured but managed to break out under the protection of the caravan's Martial Artists. He was just brought home."
Lin Wan's voice was heavy.
"We were just about to go see him and thought... we should get you to come with us."
"Let's go. We'll go right now!"
Without hesitation, Fang Han held his little sister and set off at once with his parents, hurrying toward his Uncle Fang Ye's home.
His uncle's home was also located in the side courtyards of the Fang Mansion, but it was much more spacious than Fang Han's.
At this moment, the faint sounds of suppressed sobs and conversation could be heard from within the courtyard.
When they entered the courtyard, his Third Uncle Fang Ping and his family were already there. He and his wife stood in the yard, also wearing grave expressions.
Seeing Fang Han's family arrive, Third Uncle Fang Ping immediately came forward to greet them.
"Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, Xiaohan, you're here."
Fang Ping's voice was a little hoarse as he sighed.
"Don't worry too much. Eldest Brother's life isn't in danger. The physician just came to see him. He said there was too much blood loss and his internal organs were shaken up. He'll need a long period of rest, but... at least his life is not at risk."
Hearing this, the tension that had gripped Fang Han and his parents finally eased a little, and they let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as he was alive, that was all that mattered.
Carrying his little sister, Fang Han followed his parents and his third uncle's family into the house.
A thick medicinal smell mixed with the faint scent of blood assaulted their senses as they entered.
On the bed in the inner room, Uncle Fang Ye's face was ashen. His eyes were shut tight, his chest was wrapped in thick bandages from which blood still faintly seeped, and his breathing was weak but steady.
His aunt was sitting by the bed, silently shedding tears.
When she saw them enter, his aunt quickly wiped her tears and stood up.
Fang Ye seemed to hear the commotion from the bed. His eyelids trembled a few times, and he struggled to open them a crack.
His gaze was unfocused as it slowly swept over everyone before finally landing on Fang Han.
His lips quivered, and he made an extremely faint sound. Fang Han quickly took a step forward, still holding his little sister, and leaned down to listen.
"...Xiao...han..."
Fang Ye's voice was as faint as a thread, filled with an indescribable gratitude.
"Th... thank you..."
Fang Han was stunned. He was utterly bewildered. 'My uncle was gravely injured and rescued by the caravan guards. He should be thanking them, not me. Why is he thanking me?'
"Uncle, why... are you thanking me?"
Fang Han asked, confused, as he gently set his little sister down to lean against his leg.
Fang Ye gasped for breath a few times, mustering a bit of strength to speak intermittently:
"Those bandits... they were ruthless. The caravan suffered heavy casualties."
"All the goods were lost... Even the family's Martial Artists escorting the caravan could only protect a few people while breaking out..."
As he spoke, a trace of lingering fear and relief appeared in his eyes.
"With my status... to be protected by the Martial Artists, to have them fight a way out for me... to have survived... it's all... it's all because of you, Xiaohan..."
Though Fang Ye's voice was weak, his words fell clearly on the ears of Fang Han and everyone else present.
The room instantly fell silent.
Fang Zheng, Lin Wan, Fang Ping, and the others were all startled for a moment before realization dawned on them.
They looked at Fang Han with complicated expressions, a mixture of shock, gratification, and relief.
They finally understood why, in such a brutal attack, Fang Ye—who was by no means a core member of the caravan—had been protected by the Martial Artists during the breakout and ended up one of the few survivors.
It wasn't a stroke of luck. It was because the caravan's Martial Artists valued and protected his relative due to Fang Han's current status and the astonishing potential he had shown.
"..."
Fang Han himself was stunned.
He had never imagined that his current position in the Inner Hall could already benefit his family, becoming his uncle's Protective Talisman at such a critical moment.
At the same time, he felt a wave of relief, thankful that his status had become a Protective Talisman for his uncle.
An unprecedented feeling welled up in his heart.
It was a deepening sense of belonging to the family, a heavy, profound gratitude.
He was grateful that the family valued him and had extended that same consideration to his relatives.
"Uncle, please rest and recover. Don't overthink things."
Fang Han suppressed the turmoil in his heart and comforted him softly.
"This is all thanks to the family's care, and your own good fortune."
Fang Han stayed at his uncle's house for a long time. The physician came again to examine him, confirming once more that his life was not in danger but that he would require a long period of quiet rest. Only then did Fang Han leave with his parents, who were now slightly more at ease.
Night had fallen. Instead of heading to the Inner Hall, Fang Han returned to his own quarters.
The moonlight outside the window was cold and clear, but his heart was a sea of turbulent waves.
He felt grateful for the family's protection.
And for the bandits who dared to attack the Fang Family's caravan, he felt a surge of killing intent.
'The family definitely won't let this go. There will certainly be a response. I wonder if I'll be able to take part...'
A cold glint flashed in Fang Han's eyes as he picked up the Cyan Blade Sword that lay to the side.