Chapter 5 - Intruder

"So you two are the kids with the Tranquil Harmony physique! Good, good, good! You both will serve as excellent cultivation cauldrons for me!" The man's voice somehow echoed throughout the dining hall where the Zi family was. His voice drew all their attention upward, past the roof that had been obliterated.Zi Zun, the master of the house and someone who was at the peak of the Energy Gathering realm, narrowed his eyes at the small dot hovering high above them."We're under attack! Everyone gather around!""Stop running around aimlessly! Where's the enemy?"Voices could be heard all over the manor as the guard scrambled around in search of the invisible enemy. At this point, only Zi Zun and the children around him knew they were in a much graver situation than any of the guards had thought.Their enemy was floating high above them, which meant they were at least in the Foundation Establishment realm. Zi Zun gritted his teeth as he had enough life experiences to know there had to be at least ten of him to stand a chance against someone in that rank of cultivation.He stepped forward and greeted with a fist wrapped in his other hand, bowing slightly toward the distant figure."Greetings Senior, to what do we owe the honor of being graced with your presence?"Li Lang squinted his eyes in search of the newcomer, only to flinch back when a man with long and messy hair abruptly closed the distance in the blink of an eye as if he had teleported. He was now hovering just slightly above where the roof once was.Did he teleport…? Or is he too fast for my eyes to see?"Ha, no need to waste your words. I am not like the bunch from their so-called righteous path and care for pleasantries. I will be taking those two kids today, no matter what you say."With those words, the man with the disheveled hair pointed the palm of his hand toward Zi Xi.The young boy could only stare with wide eyes as he began to feel a force pulling him up from the ground. Just as his feet were lifted into the air, Zi Zun swiftly fetched a talisman from out of thin air and threw it toward the intruder. The talisman sailed with incredible speed and almost instantly landed on the man, causing a loud explosion high above the manor.Zi Xi crumpled to the ground, falling flat on his back while his father's figure swiftly rose into the air, riding on an exquisite-looking sword. It had a golden hilt, while the blade itself let off a bright sheen as it sailed into the skies above the manor."Xi Er, Xiao Mei, Lang Er, run! I won't be able to hold him off for long!" Zi Zun's voice rang out from above, thawing the three children from their shocked state.The sibling's flight instincts were activated, and they tried to drag Li Lang with them in their escape, but Li Lang surprisingly refused to budge."What are you doing, Li Lang? Let's go!" Xi Zi screamed out at the top of his lungs."Brother is right, come on Li Lang.""...You two, do you really think we can outrun someone who can fly?"As someone who had an adult's mind, Li Lang was calm enough to have a much better grasp of their situation. They weren't even cultivators yet. Li Lang could not think of any way they could outrun the madman. They would be caught sooner or later and may even accidentally get others caught up in it too.It would be a different story if Zi Zun could hold him off for hours, but that didn't seem likely either."Haha, interesting. A peak Energy Gathering cultivator thinks he is worthy to stand up against me? Your expensive tools are only good against others in your realm. Allow me to show you the vast gulf between the Energy Gathering realm and the Foundation Establishment realm!"The cultivator with messy hair watched Zi Zun dart around him on his sword with an amused expression for a brief moment before he yelled out fiercely. A sudden gush of smoke came out of his mouth, with a fierce momentum that pushed out in all directions.The siblings beside Li Lang let out a sharp cry. Their worried expression didn't last for long, as the figure of their dad stood strong within the smoke. He was glowing with a resplendent light."Heh, an Earth-grade defense talisman. Not bad, but how long could it last? Earth-grade talismans may match the power of Foundation Establishment cultivators, but that is only for an instant! Borrowed power will never overcome the real deal!"In response to the man's words, Zi Zun materialized another sword from thin air and slashed out toward him. A pale yellow light shot out from the blade, slashing toward the enemy at high speeds.The man laughed at the attack and swatted the blades of Qi as it neared him. The attacks were easily redirected toward the ground, causing loud explosions in the surroundings. Cries of pain were heard as the servants and guards became collateral damage."Not bad power. You better keep them coming if you want to flatten your own home. Ha ha ha!"Zi Zun was unprovoked, pausing his ineffective attacks. He scanned the area below and made eye contact with his son. They exchanged meaningful glances that needed no words, prompting Zi Xi to take action. He turned around and grasped both his sister's and his friend's wrists before dragging them with all his might toward the exit.As he ran ahead, he refused to turn around or even open his eyes. He ran with tightly shut eyes that had two thin streams running down his cheeks.Not wanting to be dragged around, Li Lang was forced to keep up with his childhood friend, but he never took his eyes off the battle taking place behind them in the skies.Smoke filled the area and obscured his vision, but the bright flashes of light occasionally pushed the smoke away."Brother…Is father going to be—""Shut up and focus on moving your legs!"Zi Xiao Mei sniffled her cry and obediently listened to her brother.Just as the trio made it to the gates of their manor, a blurry figure came crashing down from above directly into the gates. The wooden gate easily splintered and a large dust cloud was kicked up in the aftermath.Zi Xi continued undaunted and ran straight through the dust. It was only when he got closer to the crash site that he stilled for a brief moment before running toward the man lying on the ground."Father!" Zi Xi cried, followed by Zi Xiao Mei, after a short delay."Father!"The siblings came rushing to Zi Zun's side and inspected his condition. His limbs were mangled and bent in unnatural directions, but the man himself was still conscious, albeit struggling to keep his eyes open."...Run…Go to…Fok Tong Town…and find Ou…yang Xi.""No Father! You come with us too!" Zi Xiao Mei buried face in her father's chest and cried."How touching! Don't worry about me, kid. I'll let them have their moment first before I finish off their father right before their eyes!" The cultivator with messy hair declared as he smiled sardonically at Li Lang.Li Lang had kept his eyes on the man the entire time and had watched him slowly approach. Various questions welled up in his mind now that he had come face to face with a cultivation expert, but he also knew he was in mortal danger.The academic in him urged him to call security, but he didn't have that luxury. He could only stand there and wait."What? Why are you all so quiet all of a sudden? Are you done with your goodbyes?"Having noticed the man, the siblings were now staring daggers at the powerful cultivator. Streams of tears came gushing out of their eyes until the tears turned red."Blood tears? Haha, wonderful! They're beautiful indeed. If you guys are done with your goodbyes, then let us be off!"The man had a crazed look in his eyes as he approached the collapsed Zi Zun. He smiled as he readied a palm to unleash a final blow."No!"The man acted as if he didn't hear anything and smashed his palm down without hesitation. A powerful pressure descended and a cry of pain echoed throughout the area.The dust was kicked up from the powerful strike, making the three children shield their eyes. When it settled, they stared down at the figure on the ground. However, there were two of them, one being Zi Zun, and the other being the attacker who was lying in a pool of his own blood.Yet what shocked them the most was the middle-aged man standing right beside them in pristine clothing. His black hair was tainted with numerous strands of white hair, and he held a fan in one hand while his other hand stroked his goatee.He proceeded to kneel down beside Zi Zun and placed two fingers on his neck.After a few seconds, he got up and turned to the two siblings with a serious look in his eyes.