"Officer Yang, do you have a thing for me?"
Ye Luoâs eyes sparkled as he gazed at Yang Bingning, his lips curved into a wicked smile.
"You... youâre talking nonsense. Iâd have to be blind to fall for you," she retorted.
Yang Bingningâs delicate face flushed slightly, she huffed coldly and then spat out, "Alright, get out of my way. I have a case to deal with."
After uttering these words, Yang Bingningâs gaze shifted to Mr. Lin Tianhai and his wife, as she asked, "Mr. Lin, could you tell me what happened here at your house?"
"Nothing serious, just ran into a few thieves. We just went chasing after the thieves, but we didnât catch them," Ye Luo said casually, curling his lips.
"Be quiet, I wasnât asking you."
Yang Bingning shot a glare at Ye Luo and turned her attention back to Lin Tianhai, "Mr. Lin, please be honest. Weâve already examined the scene, and a fierce battle has clearly taken place here before."
"Moreover, it appears to have been a battle among martial artists. Weâve also asked your daughter, and according to her statement, four strangely dressed men and women came to your house and engaged in a fight with you and your wife. I need to know the details of the incident."
After finishing, Yang Bingningâs eyes were fixed on Lin Tianhai, waiting for him to speak.
"Officer Yang, itâs not that I donât want to tell you, but this matter really is beyond the scope of police work. Even if you knew, it wouldnât be of any use," Lin Tianhai said, shaking his head.
"Mr. Lin..."
Before Yang Bingning could say more, Ye Luo stepped in front of her, pulling out his identification from the Special Security Bureau.
"What do you mean by this?" Yang Bingning asked, her gaze locked on Ye Luo.
"Officer Yang, indeed, this matter is not something the police can handle, so now, as a Major of the Special Security Bureauâs Mysterious Section, I order you to abandon this investigation. The Special Security Bureau will handle the rest," Ye Luo said, looking directly at Yang Bingning, then he put away the credentials.
"You..."
Yang Bingningâs eyes widened at Ye Luo, her face filled with anger, and then with a huff, she commanded, "Fall back."
After that, Yang Bingning led a group of police officers out of the area.
"Little Luo, thank you," Lin Tianhai said to Ye Luo.
"Uncle, no need to be so formal. But you probably shouldnât stay here now; let me find you another place," Ye Luo offered.
Ye Luo spoke up.
"Youâve already saved our lives, so we wonât trouble you further. We will handle the relocation issue ourselves. And Ye Luo, I hope you never speak of this incident. It could bring you a great deal of trouble."
Lin Tianhai advised Ye Luo with concern.
"Dad, what is actually going on? Who were those four people? Why did they want to capture you? And how did you and mom suddenly learn martial arts? All of this..."
Lin Xiaoyanâs eyes were filled with confusion and incomprehension as she looked at her parents. At that moment, she felt as if she couldnât see through the parents she had lived with for over twenty years.
"Sigh... I wanted to live a quiet and peaceful life, but it seems that fate cannot be avoided."
Lin Tianhai sighed deeply, his face filled with dejection.
"Tianhai, now that it has come to this, Xiaoyan has the right to know. We shouldnât hide it from her any longer."
Du Huixian said, looking into Lin Tianhaiâs eyes.
"Alright. Although those people are already dead, itâs clear they will send others. Itâs better for Xiaoyan to know everything sooner so that she can handle future situations," Lin Tianhai nodded in agreement.
"Mom, Dad, what is all this about?" Lin Xiaoyan was utterly perplexed, while Ye Luo had some guesses.
"Xiaoyan, Ye Luo, Iâm going to tell you everything now. The things Iâm about to say may sound too mysterious and fantastical, so I hope youâre not too shocked."
Lin Tianhai looked at Lin Xiaoyan as he spoke, focusing on her since she had no prior exposure to martial arts, unlike Ye Luo.
"Actually, Huixian and I are from the Hidden Sect. I am one of the three Chief Disciples of the Qingyun Sectâs Sect Master in the Hidden Sect, and Huixian is a disciple of the Ruthless Valleyâs Valley Master, which is part of the Hidden Sect. We met during a martial contest within the Hidden Sect and fell in love at first sight."
Lin Tianhai began to narrate slowly: "Given our status and backgrounds, we were well-matched. However, Ruthless Valley is a unique sect consisting solely of female disciples, having an edict that its disciples must not fall in love. They are required to renounce all desires and emotions, forbidden to develop any romantic feelings for men."
At that moment, Du Huixian interjected: "Ever since I joined Ruthless Valley, I never thought Iâd have feelings for any man. However, when I met Tianhai, thatâs when I understood what love at first sight was. Itâs an emotion beyond my control, and I couldnât resist it."
Lin Tianhai sighed: "Due to this rule, Huixian and I had to meet in secret, not daring to let our respective sects find out. Eventually, due to Huixianâs pregnancy with Xiaoyan, it became hard to conceal, and her master, the Valley Master of Ruthless Valley, found out. Enraged, she stormed the Qingyun Sect, demanding that my master hand me over."
"At that time, my master didnât surrender me to Ruthless Valley; instead, he promised the Valley Master he would handle my punishment personally. Later, when I learned that Ruthless Valley intended to terminate Huixianâs pregnancy, in a fit of rage, I fled the Qingyun Sect. Subsequently, I sneaked into Ruthless Valley and rescued Huixian."
"Uncle Lin, since you both escaped, what happened to your leg?" Ye Luo couldnât help but ask.
"Sigh..." Lin Tianhai lamented, "Although we did escape, we were discovered by the two Great Sects. They sent numerous experts to pursue us. I fought ferociously to carve out a path of survival for Huixian and myself, but in the end, a fellow disciple whom I trusted attacked and crippled my legs, and he tried to kill me. Fortunately, a mysterious person rescued us, and thatâs how Huixian and I managed to survive."
As Lin Tianhai spoke, he firmly held Du Huixianâs hand and continued, "After that, Huixian and I came to the city and eventually settled down in Zhonghai. From Xiaoyanâs birth until now, I thought we could live a peaceful life, but they still found us."
After hearing Lin Tianhaiâs story, Ye Luo understood completely, whereas Xiaoyan was even more puzzled and said, "Dad, what is this Hidden Sect? Are you, mom, and Big Brother Ye all martial artists?"
Lin Tianhai, patting Lin Xiaoyanâs head, explained, "Yes, there are many martial artists hidden in this world. They form the Hidden Sect, concealed in various secret locations throughout the country, unknown to the outside world. Your mother and I are both part of the Hidden Sect."