Xia Tian turned on the light, then walked directly into the next room and switched on the light there as well. The room was empty.
"Come out. Do you really want me to drag you out myself?"
"Who are you?"
A man in black stepped out from behind the curtain. Since he had been discovered, there was no point in hiding anymore.
"My name is Xia Tian."
"Xia Tian? You're Xia Tian?"
The man in black stared at him carefully.
"You know me?"
"Of course. There's no one in all of Liusha who doesn't know you. You're Xia Tianlong's son."
"You know my father. Tell me what you know about him, and I'll spare your life."
"You? Kill me?" The man in black sneered. "Don't overestimate yourself. Your information is all over Liusha, model student. They say like father, like son—but you're far inferior to Xia Tianlong. At twenty, your father's name was already known across half of China."
"What else do you know?"
"That's enough for you. If you hand over the Tongtian Fragment, I might be inclined to tell you more."
Xia Tian crushed the bead hanging from the center of his necklace. A wooden slip appeared in his hand. "Tell me what I want to know, and it's yours."
"It seems my luck has finally turned." The man in black's eyes lit up. "You want to know about Xia Tianlong, right? That's simple. Anyone with a name in the martial arts world knows of him."
"But I don't."
"There are four great masters in China—Dong Weng of the East, Xi Yin of the West, Nan Sha of the South, and Bei Jun of the North. Xia Tianlong is Xi Yin."
"Then why did he die?"
"I don't know. I've already told you enough. Now hand over the fragment."
"I have one last question."
"Are you kidding me?" The man in black's tone turned icy.
"Here you go." Xia Tian tossed the Tongtian Fragment toward him. "Tell me—what's the use of this thing?"
"The Tongtian Treasure is something the whole world covets." The man in black's eyes gleamed coldly. "Now that I have the fragment, I don't need to kill you. But that woman must die."
"I'll give you one chance—a chance to live," Xia Tian said, raising his head to meet the man's gaze.
"Did I hear that right? You're giving me a chance?" The man in black sneered. "I shouldn't have disobeyed orders and let you live earlier."
In the next instant, Xia Tian vanished. When he reappeared, his right hand was clamped around the man's neck, and his left hand was pointing at the man's wrist. The Tongtian Fragment was already back in Xia Tian's hand.
"I'll give you three sentences to save your life."
"You… how is this possible?"
"That's one."
"I can tell you more about your father!"
"That's two."
"There are eight Tongtian Fragments in total!"
"I'm sorry, that's not what I wanted to hear."
Xia Tian's hand moved in a blur. The man in black's limbs went limp as he collapsed, unconscious.
What Xia Tian truly wanted to hear was that the man would stop going after Zeng Rou—but he hadn't said it. Xia Tian knew he would eventually learn everything about his father, and he had no real interest in the Tongtian Fragments themselves. He only protected them because they were his father's legacy.
What he had learned tonight was enough. What pleased him most was knowing that his father had indeed been an extraordinary man.
In ancient times, there were the Four Legends: East Evil, West Poison, South Emperor, and North Beggar. Today, China had its own four masters—Dong Weng, Xi Yin, Nan Sha, and Bei Jun. Though the titles sounded awkward, they represented great status.
Xi Yin—Xia Tianlong.
"Brother Xu, I need your help with something. Bring Gao Fei with you," Xia Tian said over the phone to Xu Dechuan.
Hearing his voice, Zeng Rou came out of the room.
"Are you all right?" she asked, worried.
"Of course. If I can't protect myself, how could I protect you?" Xia Tian sat down on the sofa. "Got any wine?"
"Yes. Did something happen to upset you?"
"No. I actually learned something that made me happy."
Before leaving the room earlier, Xia Tian had crushed the Tongtian Fragment into a bead and strung it back onto his necklace.
"Then I'll have a drink with you."
"You'd better wait. Some friends will be coming soon."
Zeng Rou put on a bathrobe and sat beside him.
"Will you always protect me?" she whispered, leaning into his arms.
"Yes," Xia Tian replied, nodding.
He no longer felt drunk when drinking, though the sharpness of the alcohol still lingered on his tongue.
Half an hour later, Old Xu arrived with Gao Fei. Xia Tian opened the door for them. Gao Fei had changed into a fresh set of clothes—clearly bought by Old Xu. A closer look revealed that Gao Fei's outfit was far more expensive than Xia Tian's.
"What's wrong, Brother Xia?" Old Xu asked as he sat down.
"Two things. First, about Gao Fei. He's got potential, and I want you to help train him properly." Xia Tian patted Gao Fei's shoulder. "Second, there's a man immobilized in that room. Dump him at the entrance of the police station with a sign that says 'Liusha Killer.'"
"Understood," Old Xu nodded. Xia Tian was his benefactor now. The Green Forest Villa competition was approaching, and once he defeated Ah San, he would no longer have to live in fear.
He didn't know what connection Xia Tian had with Liusha, and he didn't intend to ask.
After Old Xu and Gao Fei left, Xia Tian leaned back on the sofa. Zeng Rou rested against him.
"Let's go rest," he said when he saw her getting sleepy.
"Let's go to that room." Zeng Rou pointed to another one.
Xia Tian was momentarily confused, but followed her. Instead of returning to their previous room, they entered a different one. For a moment, his mind wandered toward thoughts of Fei Fei.
"Don't misunderstand," Zeng Rou said softly. "I just want you to hold me while I sleep. The bed in the middle room is too small for both of us."
Xia Tian nodded, and they entered the other room together. As soon as they lay down, Zeng Rou nestled into his arms.
"Hold me."
She was still frightened—any woman would be. Two attacks in a row, and this time the intruder had entered her home.
"It seems everyone is determined to kill the one who hired the assassin," Xia Tian said coldly.