The two of them stood quietly behind the middle-aged man, coldly watching Lin Zishan and Zheng Dandan like two thugs.
âUnfortunately, you canât stay out of this even if you want to âŠâ The middle-aged man glanced at the two women and lightly ordered, âCatch them.â
âYes.â
The two thugs in suits nodded indifferently and took a step forward.
Bang!
A crisp sound exploded in the secluded mountain forest. The two thugs in suits left two clear footprints where they were standing. Their figures disappeared in an instant.
Lin Zishanâs pupils shrank violently. She instinctively shouted, âRun!â
But the two thugs in suits were already in front of them.
Like a rabbit and a falcon.
In a few breaths, the two thugs in suits had returned to their original positions. Their hands tightly gripping the struggling Lin Zishan and Zheng Dandan.
âSir, what should we do with these two?â The thug in suits asked in a low voice.
The middle-aged man glanced in a direction and lightly said, âSomeoneâs coming. Take them first. When we find Tang Maolin, weâll kill them together. When the time comes, we can shift the blame on to Tang Maolin âŠâ
The middle-aged man looked down at the terrified Lin Zishan and Zheng Dandan and smiled. âI didnât want to kill anyone else. Unfortunately, youâre unlucky. You found Tang Maolinâs tracks. And the key is that theyâre not ordinary people. One is a Level 2 Martial Artist, and the other is a Level 1 Martial Artist ⊠tsk tsk âŠâ
The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed. âJust in case.â
After that, he quickly led the two thugs in suits to the place where Lin Zishan had found the red plastic ball. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the mountain forest.
Not long after they left, a series of noisy footsteps emerged from the mountain path.
The young tour guide hurriedly ran down with a group of aunties. Her young face was filled with sweat and anxieity.
âWhy are there two people missing? Didnât I tell you to stay put and not run around? Sigh âŠâ
âOkay, okay, donât cry. Mom will buy you a new one later. Oh no, Iâll buy a bigger and more beautiful ball for Nannan.â The beautiful woman held the little girl and gently comforted her.
The little girlâs face was still tear-stained and her eyes were red. It was obvious that she had just cried.
âMom, when are we going back? Nannan wants to find big brother to play âŠâ The little girl sniffled and said pitifully.
The beautiful woman was thinking about how to answer the little girlâs question when she heard her husbandâs voice.
âWeâve arrived at the village.â
The beautiful womanâs eyes lit up, and she quickly looked up. She saw the dense forest in front of them split into two and a small village near a mountain and a river appeared in front of them.
âNannan is going to see Grandpa soon! Nannan, do you miss Grandpa?â
The little girlâs eyes lit up, and she instantly forgot about the broken red ball and the big brother. She clapped her hands and shouted happily.
âGrandpa! Nannan misses Grandpa!â
âOkay, Iâll take Nannan to see Grandpa now.â The elegant man took the little girl from the beautiful womanâs hands with a smile.
The family walked out of the forest and the hidden village completely appeared in front of them.
Looking from afar, they could see a few women wearing clothes different from the outside world. Their hair was tied up, and they were squatting by the stream washing clothes.
The women washing clothes also noticed them.
One of them quickly ran into the village.
Not long after, four or five men quickly walked out of the village and walked in the direction of the little girlâs family.
When the two sides got closer, the young man who was the leader of the four or five men was suddenly stunned. His face immediately showed excitement and joy as he turned around and shouted.
âBig sister is back! Big sisterâs family is back!â
The little girl in the elegant manâs arms heard this voice and also clapped her hands and cheered.
âOh, oh.â The two sides suddenly laughed and quickly gathered together.
âBig sister, big brother-in-law, little Nannan âŠâ
The young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes and bronze skin greeted the three people one by one. The beautiful womanâs expression was also a little excited as she responded.
They exchanged a few words and Tang Maolin said, âLetâs go in first.â
âOkay!â
The young man led the three of them into the village. Along the way, he called out to the surrounding villagers, âHurry up and hunt some wild animals. I want big ones. Tonight, weâll have a good time.â
The beautiful woman next to him smiled and said, âLittle Brother, the law protecting wildlife is very strict these days. Be careful not to get caught.â
âHey!â The young man waved his hand and said indifferently, âWho cares about us in the mountains? Besides, itâs not like weâre completely isolated. We have to go out a few times a month. Hunting a few deer, roe deer is not a big deal âŠâ
The little girl suddenly shouted, âNannan wants to eat the bird soup, the same as last time!â
âOkay, okay, tonight Iâll make some sparrowhawk soup for Nannan.â The young man touched the little girlâs face lovingly.
The beautiful woman looked at the two of them with a smile and asked, âWhereâs Father? How are you?â
Hearing this, the smile on the young manâs face slowly disappeared.
âFather is resting in his room. His body is fine âŠâ
The young man laughed bitterly. âHe just doesnât seem to be in good spirits.â
âWhat do you mean?â The beautiful woman was somewhat anxious.
Beside her, Tang Maolin said in a low voice, âIs it because heâs trying to break through to Level 3?â
The young man nodded, his expression complicated. âHalf a year ago, Father wanted to break through to Level 3, but he failed. His mental state has been unstable ever since. Originally I wanted to tell you, but Father didnât let me.â
âIâll go have a look.â The beautiful woman could no longer hold back the worry in her heart. Carrying Nannan, she hurriedly ran forward.
Tang Maolin looked at the back of his wife and daughter and said to the young man, âLooks like Father has completely handed over the village to you. Youâve also officially broken through to Level 1.â
The young man embarrassedly scratched his head and said with a silly smile, âItâs all because Father taught me well, he-he.â
âYour talent isnât bad either.â Tang Maolin praised, but his smile was somewhat forced.
The group quickly arrived in front of an old mud hut.
The beautiful woman and Nannan had already arrived. They were sitting next to a skinny old man with a face full of wrinkles and a hunched back, softly talking to each other.
The little girlâs voice was crisp and clear, making the old man laugh non-stop. The tobacco pipe in his hand shook continuously.
Tang Maolin and the young man walked in front of the old man. The old man raised his head and squinted his eyes to size up the two.
âYouâre here.â The old man tapped his tobacco pipe on the stone steps.
âFather.â Tang Maolin called out, his expression somewhat complicated.
The last time he saw his wifeâs father, his eyes were shining brightly, sitting like a sleeping lion or tiger. But now, his eyes were turbid, as if he had aged ten years.
It seems that Fatherâs situation was even worse than he had imagined.
âWhat are you here for this time, speak.â The old man waved the others away, leaving only Tang Maolinâs family and the young man. He held Nannan.
Tang Maolin briefly explained the situation. The young man immediately jumped up.
âLevel 3! Brother-in-law, how did you provoke a Level 3 Spiritual Master?â
The old man coldly laughed and said, âI already knew that nothing good would come from you. When you broke into the village and took away Minghua, I already anticipated a day like this âŠâ