Chapter 45: Lost

Even An Luo was startled.

Who is this old man?

How does he know Yu'an?!

"Who are you? Don't get so close to us!"

Yi Jiang stood in front of Yu'an, glaring, putting on an expression he thought looked fierce, and watched the old man warily.

The old man still wore a cheerful smile as he looked at them.

"Hurry back, it's very dangerous outside."

"Run!"

Yi Jiang gripped Yu'an's hand tightly, picked a direction at random, and dragged him off at full sprint.

The old man watched the direction they had gone, a look of worry crossing his face.

The two little ones ran down a street, peeked around the mouth of an alley for a while, and only when they saw the strange old man hadn't followed did they finally relax, crouching in a corner by the wall, gasping for breath in great gulps.

Yu'an looked around, uneasy, and scooted a little closer to Yi Jiang.

"Yi Jiang, where is this? I'm a little scared, let's go back."

The people here are all so weird, so scary.

Yi Jiang glanced around, scratched the back of his head, and gave an awkward chuckle.

"Um, I, I've never been here either."

On normal days when he left the manor, he either had guards with him to play outside the city, or he just wandered around the area near the City Lord's Manor — always the same route back and forth — and he really had never been anywhere else in the city.

"Huh?"

Yu'an was even more frightened now, his little face going a little pale.

"But don't worry, I'll definitely be able to find the way back for you."

"Heh! Lucky day, ran into two little lost two-legged sheep!"

A sinister, grating voice rang out behind the two of them.

The two little ones quickly stood up, watching the newcomer warily.

Standing opposite them was a burly man with a face full of pockmarks and a scar that ran across the bridge of his nose, taking up half his face.

At this moment, the way he looked at the two of them was as though he were sizing up goods.

Seeing his gaze, An Luo hurriedly called out.

"Zaituan, run!"

Yu'an pulled Yi Jiang and ran in the opposite direction, frantic and frightened, almost crying from fear.

Wuwuwu, so scary!

That man's eyes on them looked exactly the same as when he saw something delicious!

But they had only run a few steps when another man leaped out from the other end of the alley — a lean, wiry fellow with a black cloth covering his left eye, leaving only one eye visible.

"Hahaha! You can't escape!"

The two men laughed as they closed in on Yu'an and the other step by step.

"Stop! Do you, do you know who I am?!"

Even though he was scared to death inside, Yi Jiang still stood in front of Yu'an, looked at the two men, and threatened them in a trembling voice.

"I'm the son of the garrison commander of Beihuang City! If you dare lay a finger on me, my father will never let you get away with it!"

"You're from the Chen Family?"

The two men stopped, exchanged a look, then burst into laughter, laughing even more wildly.

"Was even planning to give you a quick end! Never would've guessed you were Chen Ying's son!"

A vicious glint appeared in both men's eyes.

"Hahahaha!"

"Falling into our hands — that's gonna be real rough for you!"

"First drain every drop of blood from your bodies, then slice you up piece by piece, take our time torturing you, and finally deliver your heads to the City Lord's Manor so you can be reunited with your father — how's that sound?"

Hearing this, the two little ones instantly turned deathly pale with fright. Yu'an clutched his little wooden sword, his small body trembling nonstop, but he still glared at them stubbornly.

"You, you stay back! I, I'm really powerful, you know!"

He's learned martial arts, and he still has the Divine Artifact Fairy Sister gave him — he's, he's not afraid of bad guys!

An Luo gritted her teeth, glaring at the two men.

"You two beasts!"

She couldn't be bothered anymore with whether letting Yu'an use his abilities would expose something abnormal and arouse suspicion — worst case, she'd have the Cheng Family come silence them later.

"Yu'an, quick, take out the—"

The Peace Talisman with the protective shield, and the Chainsaw!

She had only just begun to speak when she heard an aged voice.

"Stop!"

The newcomer was none other than the old man Yu'an and the others had run into earlier.

Seeing the direction those two little ones had run off in earlier, he had been uneasy, so he followed to check — and sure enough, they'd run into trouble.

This area was the most chaotic district in Beihuang City. Everyone gathered here was a vicious, blood-stained sort, and people died here almost every day.

"You can't touch them!"

"You old fossil, get lost and die somewhere else!"

The scarred big man impatiently stretched out a huge palm and shoved him aside with one slap. The old man staggered and fell to one side, his forehead crashing into the wall.

"Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Shifu)))))))))!"

A burly man in short work clothes rushed over, hurrying to help the old man up.

"Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Master (Shifu))))))))), are you all right?"

The old man shook his head.

"I'm fine."

The burly man helped the old man to sit against a wall corner, then looked at the scarred-face man and the one-eyed man, his fists clenched tight, the muscles on his arms bulging.

"Was it you two who hurt my master?"

Seeing how tall and burry he was, looking like a trained fighter, the two men began to show signs of retreat, backing away repeatedly and waving their hands.

"Brother, it's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

But the burly man clearly had no interest in listening to their nonsense. He rushed forward and gave each of them a punch.

An Luo also took the chance to reach out and trip the two men, causing their figures—which would have steadied after just a few steps back—to stumble backward a good several meters.

In the end, the backs of both men's heads slammed into the wall in unison, and they immediately passed out cold.

Seeing this scene, the old man's eyes flickered.

He hurriedly stood up and respectfully performed a Daoist salute toward mid-air.

The burly man turned and walked to his side, supporting him as he prepared to head home.

"Master, let me take you back."

The old man shook his head, looking in Yu'an and the others' direction.

"Hurry and send them back to the City Lord's Manor."

Just then, shouts came from the distance.

"Young Master!"

"Yu'an!"

Hearing the voices, the two little ones' eyes lit up in an instant.

Yi Jiang stood on tiptoe, cupping both hands around his mouth like a trumpet, and shouted loudly.

"We're over here!"

Soon, Tian Qin arrived with the City Lord's Manor guards.

"Yu'an!"

Yu'an pouted, eyes brimming with tears, and ran over.

"Mo—"

Seeing his mother dressed in men's clothes, the little one immediately recalled the Ancestors' instructions and hurriedly corrected himself.

"Daddy!"

Tian Qin squatted on the ground, carefully examining the little one in her arms several times over.

Seeing that aside from somewhat messy hair and a forehead covered in sweat, there were no signs of injury, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing the little one looking so aggrieved, like a frightened little thing, she hugged him to her chest with heartache and softly comforted him.

"It's alright, it's alright."

Then she looked at the old man and the burly man beside them.

"Thank you both for your help."

The old man smiled faintly and shook his head.

"It was but a small effort."

Seeing the wound on his forehead, Tian Qin took out a bottle of Jinchuang Medicine and offered it. As she drew closer and looked at the old man's face, she grew slightly lost in thought.

Why does he seem somewhat familiar?

The next moment, she let out a gasp.

"National Preceptor?!"

Hearing those two words, Yu'an instantly became alert and looked around, surveying the area.

The bad-guy National Preceptor clearly isn't here—why would Mother shout that?

The old man shook his head.

"This poor Daoist has long ceased to be any National Preceptor."

That's right—the old man before them was the previous National Preceptor, Yuanchen Daozhang.

Schemed against by that villain Qin Shou, he had lost the Emperor's trust.

Tian Qin had only known that Yuanchen Daozhang had been exiled; she hadn't expected he had also come to this Beihuang City.

Suddenly, a thought welled up in Tian Qin's heart.

Yuanchen Daozhang was well-versed in the art of divination.

Could she then ask the Daoist Priest to help divine the whereabouts of her husband and the others?