A Stern Warning

"Chu Yuyao, how long has it been since you last saw the Chief?"

Chu Yuyao shook her head and answered; "I haven't seen him since I was three years old. My little brother has never seen him even once."

Min Hong nodded, and after a bit of hesitation, he decided not to ask her certain questions. His friendship with her had only just started afterall, so he couldn't suddenly start asking some sensitive questions.

However, he really did want to know what the situation was within the Chief's Estate; who was actually targeting his Min family and why?

The chief had reportedly been in seclusion five years before summons were sent out to his father, requesting his return; however, for some mysterious reasons, Min Tian had actually refuse the order.

Just what had happened during that period? Moreover, his father hadn't sent any messages back in over five years either. Why? Had he really abandoned his wife and son?

Although memories of his father were somewhat vague now, Min Tian's steadfast image was still deeply imprinted in his heart. His father was definitely not such a person.

But that only begs the question; what the hell is going on?

Min Hong was stuck in a huge puzzle, he knew he couldn't rush to solve; after all, the closer he came to the truth, the more dangerous things would become. Before he had the proper strength, Min Hong knew he needed to continue lying low.

Min Hong then proceeded to ask a few roundabout questions, like; what was going on with the other bearers, and so on.

Chu Yuyao was obviously oblivious to Min Hong's intentions and thought he was simply interested in her, so she continued to answer them.

Min Hong felt a bit ashamed to trick such a young lady, so he also stopped asking any more questions to avoid piling more guilt on himself.

Since he was getting closer and closer to the truth, the most important thing was for him to quickly raise his strength.

Now that he was done with the preparatory phase of the Jade Primal Dragon Body, and could now absorb and divert Qi, the rate of his efficiency and quality in alchemy could now help him with all he would need to begin tempering his body. 

Once he reached the Peak of Skin Refining Stage, he would further cultivate the Blood Condensing Stage just to ensure he had enough strength to weather the storm brewing around his family. 

His greatest support was the three martial techniques he had mastered, but his new martial skill however, was simply too mysterious, all he knew was still the illustrations of the three moves, and nothing more. 

Chu Yuyao continued to chatter for four full hours before she began to feel embarrassed, and then ask questions about Min Hong, trying to get to know him more.

Min Hong chuckled at her antics, before he then proceeded to tell her a couple of interesting things about himself; however, he he said nothing about his bitter suffering.

Apparently, Min Hong had an exceptionally talented eloquence and mouth, as Chu Yuyao would occasionally erupt with peals of laughter. That rough and willful bearer psyche was now gone, and all that was left was a yearning young maiden.

The two of them didn't realize how much time they had spent together until they noticed the sun setting over the horizon.

"Min Hong, can I come to find you in the sometimes to hang out?"

Min Hong hesitated slightly; he still wasn't comfortable with being too close to anyone from the chief's estate, but seeing the unrestrained level of hope in the lady's eyes, he couldn't help agreeing:

"Of course. But it'll have to be a secret between us."

Hearing this, Chu Yuyao seemingly read a different meaning of her own into his words, causing her face to turn rosy, as she hurriedly hid it from Min Hong,

"Then I have to go." She finally spoke up after calming her thoughts.

"You go back first. I'll walk home."

Min Hong knew that if the female bearer was to be seen or thought to have a male companion with her on her mount, then it would definitely bring great trouble.

Chu Yuyao seemed to also understand and whispered a goodbye into his ears before flying away on her Stone Crest Vulture.

Seeing her figure gradually fade away, an uncomfortable feeling couldn't help but surge within Min Hong's heart; he was now alone again. It took him a while to gather himself together, and after heaving a deep sigh, he started heading home.

However, upon arriving at the gate of his family's estate, Min Hong saw an elite troop of warriors completely surrounding his home. Instantly his face darkened as killing intent began to slowly leak out of his body.

'Since you've all come seeking your deaths, then I won't hold back.'

With an irrepressible rage, Min Hong charged straight at the troop of elite warriors.

Amidst the tight encirclement around the Min Family Estate; an armored middle-aged man on top of a horse was arrogantly looking down on Mrs. Min.

Mrs. Min was pale as she as a sheet of paper as she frightfully stuttered. Qing and the other members of the family we equally terrified as they cowered in the face of the elite warriors.

When Min Hong appeared, that armored warrior's eyes instantly brightened as he coldly shouted:

"Min Hong, you needlessly injured the West Grand Family heir; Shen Li, extremely heavily. We've received orders to capture you. Will you go willingly?"

These troops were all elites that had heavy bloody auras, causing Mrs. Min to blanche in trepidation when she heard the armored warrior's words. She had simply never seen such a display of killing intent? She would have really collapsed if Qing hadn't been subtly supporting her.

Min Hong on the other hand, simply ignored the entire wall of troops and hurried over to his mother. Seeing her sickly appearance, which was due to fear, Min Hong couldn't help but feel a pang of pain beat against his heart.

"Mom, don't worry. It's fine; just rest for a bit; by the time you are awake, all of this will be gone." Min Hong softly reassured as he pressed a certain pressure point on his mother's neck.

Mrs. Min's body instantly went limp as she safely passed out.

"Qing, Ma Jong, can you help me bring my mother in?"

Min Hong had to knock his mother out as he wasn't sure her frail heart would be able endure any more of the oppression. 

Qing and Ma Jong carried Mrs. Min back to her abode, while Min Hong ordered everyone else to go inside, ensuring to lock the estate gate right behind them.

Looking at the person seated on the horse and sensing the red hue struggling to glow through the metal sheen on his skin; Min Hong instantly knew how strong he was, prompting him to reveal a ridiculing smile.

"So it's just Metal Blood Condensing Expert." He taunted.

Seeing Min Hong act high and mighty without the slightest intention of quietly leaving with them, the man rolled his eyes.

"Min Hong, you've committed a grave crime, a crime so severe that no one can protect you. Are you waiting for me to personally come and capture you?" He growled coldly.

"Huh? Aren't you just a mere sergeant? Hehe, a dog like you wants to lay his filthy paws on this young master? Please, I'm not in the mood for jokes." Min Hong ridiculed in response.

Sergeant was the lowest commanding rank within the Desert Flame Tribe; anyone at such level as this had no past accomplishments or true power whatsoever; they were nothing more than a mere leader of a bunch of warriors.

However, from what he could infer, this particular fellow had become so excited about reaching such a rank that he was basically the only one riding on a horse. He seemed like the kind of person that made sure everyone around him never had enough of hearing him brag about his new rank.

Thus, the moment Min Hong's words appeared, they shot straight into his heart like the arrow of a poison god; filling him with nothing but a mess of negative emotions. 

The armored man's face became so unsightly that almost everyone could tell how he was feeling despite being covered in armor.

The armored guy had actually come from humble origins and had suffered ten years of grueling training and cultivation before an opportunity finally came for him to break through to the Blood Condensing realm; and after some further ass kissing, he was finally promoted to sergeant.

He didn't like what he did to get to where he was, but he did it regardless, and after all that shameful deeds that left him with a well full of guilt, he was now being viciously insulted.

Not only had this brat whose tongue was still white from his mother's milk insulted someone four times his age, he had also insulted all the insults, he, had endured to reach his current rank. Then to top it all off, the tiny worm actually insinuated him to be a clown?

It was extremely abrupt, but Min Hong's words had barely landed when the armored man's killing intent to pierced straight into the heavens.

"You this tiny brat. I can see you're truly trying your best to die today." The man growled through gritted teeth, before reaching for the sword hung on his hips.

"I give you my word; should you draw that sword, I will let your head roll and bathe my gate with your blood." Min Hong sternly warned with his hands clasped behind his back.

His tone was extremely serious; it wasn't loud and neither did it carry any hint of fury, instead, it was an endless confidence in his ability to do exactly what he had said that oozed from his words.

"You're asking for death!" The man roared and leapt off his horse.

Stomping on the ground the moment he landed, he shot towards Min Hong at breakneck speed. Vital Qi surged throughout his body, as the red hue that had been struggling to glow out finally pierced through and made its presence evident.

With a stifling bloodthirsty aura pouring out of his body, the man threw a heavy fist toward Min Hong, looking to obliterate him on the spot. 

Perhaps, because he was right in front of his own house; Min Hong for some reasons desired to stamp his will on the proceedings, and instantly, his body straightened up like a rod.

At that moment, it was as if he had become a massive tree whose canopy reached the heavens and its roots, the deepest reaches of the earth. With a single step forward, he unleashed his own punch at the incoming sergeant.

Bam!

Beneath the power of their collision, the air around their fists exploded as gale winds tore through the area, buffeting the faces of the onlooking elite warriors.

Both parties were sent several staggering backwards from the resultant force of their attacks.

"You're actually so insolent with just this miniscule level of ability?" Min Hong mocked in cold anger.

Hearing this, the sergeant's expression warped intensely; his face darkened as his heart boiled over in fury. To be ridiculed by a brat who was still a crippled trash a few months ago, he really didn't know where to put his fury and shame. Hence, he overlapped both and poured them at Min Hong.

"Go die!"

He bellowed as he unsheathed his sword and sent it slashing at Min Hong's jugular.

The air fiercely shrieked in the face of the vicious attack, piercing into everyone's ears as if it was announcing the herald of an unfortunate event. 

With an impeccable timing of the slash, and a perfect prediction of its path, Min Hong's foot tapped the ground and in the blink of an eye, he had retreated several feet away, utterly evading the attack. That single step however, brought him right before one of the onlooking elite warriors.

The warrior was so frightened by Min Hong's ghostly emergence that he blindly slashed out his blade at him out of sheer reflex. However, before he could even blink his eye, his hand shook briefly before his blade utterly vanished from his grasp.

However, by the time he completely blinked, Min Hong was already slashing his blade at the sergeant.

Min Hong's move had been so fluid and swift that the sergeant had yet to steady himself from his failed swing, before he was faced with a counterattack. Instantly, he placed his blade before his body in defense.

Clang!

Upon making contact, the sergeant felt a level of force he couldn't contend with slam straight into his blade, smacking him several meters away.

However, the moment he stabilized his body, his spine suddenly shuddered as he unconsciously raised his blade once again.