The Poor Grandpa

Nero could see Xun Lan talking as she gestured wildly to a middle-aged man who must be the Master that his new friend spoke.

That friend was Zhu Tai. Who eagerly ran to his master, screaming. "Master master! Had a problem..." He breathed hard. It looks like he ran beyond his limits. After all, fear is an excellent exempt.

"Hum?" Xiong Zhelan turned when he heard the familiar voice of his assistant. "Does he know about the beast too?" After hearing Xun Lan talk so much about the beast, Xiong Zhelan already figured that was why Zhu Tai left the forest before finishing the little competition.

"Did you saw it with your own eyes?" Xiong Zhelan asked quickly, wanting to know all he could think about someone other than a fantasy girl and an angry boy who didn't speak clearly.

"Won't you ask if I'm fine?" Zhu Tai, who was already less than ten meters away, started walking slowly towards his master while sadly talking about his master not being worried about his health.

"Aren't you there alive and kicking? I wouldn't be so insensitive if you were hurt or something like that." Xiong Zhelan scowled at Zhu Tai as he scolded him but soon noticed the white-haired stranger coming after his assistant.

"And who are you, child?" Xiong Zhelan asked Nero, and at that moment, the Xun Siblings, who was looking curiously at Zhu Tai, noticed the well-known white-haired boy as well.

"Oh! I still don't know his na-" Zhu Tai could barely finish speaking when Xun Lan jumped at Nero and hugged him with all her might.

"Nero! His name is Nero, and he is under the protection of my Xun family." Xiong Zhelan and his assistant made a confused face just like everyone who heard around because Xun Lan didn't speak quietly.

Xun Feng rolled his eyes as he expected something like that from his impulsive sister and now in love too. Sarah was in the red world, doing all the expressions of anger she could because the jealousy has reached heights that it has not yet arrived.

And Nero? He wanted to cry until he died. He hated being hugged like so by a stinky human, but there wasn't much he could do because Sarah had already warned that the middle-aged man was a Martial Warrior realm cultivator.

Nero had an explosive force and even more incredible speed that could beat up Qi Refinement late-stage cultivators, but against someone from Qi Refinement peak would not be easy. Even an early-stage Martial Warrior would be practically impossible.

"Calm down, little Lan. I'm fine." Nero patted Xun Lan's head and spoke kind words after thinking of the strength of the middle-aged man.

"Little Lan to hell, you fucking playboy!" Nero practiced his acting skills wanting to avoid problems, but he forgot his jealous spirit-wife who respected nothing about acting and always complained to him mentally.

Nero was tired of arguing with Sarah about these things and just ignored her and tried to get rid of that sticky mass called Xun Lan.

"I was worried the beast would catch you! Waaah!" Xun Lan looked pretty pitiful now. She even started sniffing at Nero's shoulder. "Forgive me, please, Nero. I wanted to go back to meet you, but I was so scared."

"It's all right. It was my fault for asking you to help me find such a dangerous beast." The more Nero pushed Xun Lan away, but she hugged him like a koala who didn't want to leave her mother. Nero wanted to be able to rip her little throat right now.

He would start by squeezing her face with both of his strong hands. Then he would knee her stomach, making her spit her guts. Then he would show his fangs getting bigger and bigger until he bit and suck her blood before tearing and splitting her throat, separating her head from her body.

"Mm..." "Ahem ahem..." Nero woke up from his bloody fantasies when Xun Lan began to moan as he was hugging her too tightly back, and the other people coughed to warn them that this is not the place for that kind of thing.

"Come to my house. I will introduce you to my father, and he will take care of the beast." Xun Lan was like a cute little girl taking her first love to meet her family. She no longer cared about anyone around.

"Ahem... Please wait." Xiong Zhelan had to get in the conversation because Xun Lan wanted to take the boy before he could know anything.

"Please let me go..." Nero begged with a slight blush. He didn't know how he would act to get the 'koala' Xun Lan out of him.

"Ah, Nero! Sorry! I was so out of my mind that I didn't realize I was squeezing you so hard." Xun Lan knew very well what she was doing and was very happy when she saw the flush on Nero's face.

"He is so naive and insecure. It will be easy to make him fall in love with me!" Xun Lan thought as she planned to do everything to make clear her points to Nero, which was: Be mine, and I will treat you very well!

"It's all right. You don't have to apologize. I understand you were worried about my safety, and I thank you for that." Nero spoke with smiles and even bowed slightly to Xun Lan when he thanked her for taking care of him.

But only Sarah knew how he really felt because Nero spoke to her in his mind because he needed to let off steam with someone, or he would be so crazy to be 'nice.' "Damn, humans! Dumb primate donkeys!!! I will kill you all and drink your blood in front of your family!"

"Calm down you, 'evil vampire'... You need to find out if that is the Elder of the Black Sword Sect." Sarah figured that one would be the Elder that Nero discovered in the memories of the cultivators he killed in the woods.

"Hello, sir, my name is Nero. Sorry for my manner, but I'm not used to being around so many people." Nero, who was now free of the koala Xun Lan, turned and bowed slightly to Xiong Zhelan, showing much respect for the elders, which was well regarded by everyone there.

"Oh, what a good child... You can talk to me normally." Xiong Zhelan liked Nero and how polite he was. Xiong Zhelan thought that if Nero were talented as Xun Lan and Dai, Zhi would be an excellent disciple.

"I lived in the forest with my grandfather ever since. I was born in that forest..." Nero acted as well as ever focusing on the small details he took a deep breath with regret before telling his sad story.

"My mother died when I was born ... My grandfather always said it wasn't my fault, but it was just to make me feel better. I don't know about my father because my grandfather never told me. We always live well in a safe place in the woods. Then one day, everything changed..."

Nero paused and looked up at the almost dark sky, but the stars could already be seen. He sniffed and shook hands as if he had taken the courage to finish his story.

"Three days ago, a beast appeared while I was training with my grandfather and killed him as he tried to defend me. I ran away while the beast devoured him..." Nero bowed his head in shame, and they could even see a tear slowly descending.

"Poor grandpa..." Sarah spoke in Nero's mind, and he didn't take half a second to say 'shut up.'

"Alright, Nero, doesn't be sad like that. If not, I can't contain myself, and I'll cry." Xun Lan couldn't bear to see the man she loved so sad. She came over and took his hand lightly, not wanting to be too abrupt but also wanting to express that she was there for him.

"Yes, I have to be strong to avenge his death." Nero shook Xun Lan's hand tightly and raised his head to Xiong Zhelan with a determined smile on his face.

"So only you and your grandfather lived in the woods? Did the beast come and kill him? What was the beast like? What was your grandfather's strength?" Xiong Zhelan wanted to believe in such a nice boy. But he would not believe so easily without proof and constructive details in any story.

"I lived with my grandfather, but we also had a fox-girl slave as a maid."

"The beast appeared when my grandfather tried to teach me a martial technique that needed concentration, so we were both with eyes closed and in the lotus position. Then the beast caught my grandfather from behind unawares."

"The beast looked humanoid over six feet tall with a hairy upper body and its head resembling a bat."

"My grandfather was at Qi Refinement fourth layer since I can remember," Nero answered all of Elder Xiong's questions quickly, making everyone believe that there was no way to be a lie because he was severe and did not stutter or stop looking into Xiong Zhelan's eyes.

"Really a born actor. He acted divine and impeccable." That's what Sarah thought in the Red World.

I understand. Hum. Sorry for so many questions, but where is that slave now, and what is your and her strength? Elder Xiong was quite pleased with Nero's answers, and now he completely believed the story but still wanted to know more details to understand how to proceed.

"She also ran away when my grandfather was attacked. That worthless fox didn't even care about me and just thought of running without looking back. She is no big deal just in the Qi Refinement first layer because forest life is not safe for non-cultivators, so my grandfather helped her a little." Nero spoke in a slightly louder tone as if angry but holding back.

"Little fox..." Nero thought in his mind that speaking badly of Marie, her ear should turn red. But when he thought of those fluffy fox ears, he soon started to get excited.

He didn't forget to think all about Mary so Sarah wouldn't hear. There was a distinct difference in talking to Sarah mentally and just thinking to himself.

"Where is your slave now? Did she run away again?" Xun Lan, who paid close attention to Nero's story, remembered that they found the slave along with Dai Zhi's group, and they left her with Nero.

"Yes... She ran away when the beast found us and killed the two guys who were helping me." Nero started speaking typically and then lowered his voice and even lowered his head when he talked about the death of two of Dai Zhi's henchmen.

They always believed their words completely because they thought Nero couldn't lie as though he did not control his emotions well, and his body was always sincere with his movements and actions.

Xiong Zhelan and Xun Lan were already tired of the way Nero regretted and was saddened by things that were clearly not his fault. Xiong Zhelan meant for Nero to be stronger and not to be shaken by an unfair life. Xun Lan just wanted to hug him, saying that everything will be all right so he wouldn't feel so sad.

"Don't be sad about the henchmen. They knew one day they would die working for that Cow Zhi." Xun Lan comforted Nero but did not miss the chance to insult Dai Zhi by calling her a cow.

"Let's keep due respect, Miss Xun. Please." Xiong Zhelan didn't think it was wrong for competitiveness between Xun Lan and Dai Zhi because he even wanted to use the desire to beat each other to make them want to improve. But he wanted them to respect each other still.

"Talking about Dai Zhi... Hasn't she left the forest yet? It's almost night, and the 'beast' can eat her." Elder Xiong said already worried, knowing that the beast could kill a cultivator like Nero's grandfather. He didn't bother to defeat it easily, but in the case of young cultivators like Dai Zhi, he didn't think they could have any chance of winning.

"I don't think the 'beast' will eat her..." Nero thought with the classic dead fish look of Xun Lan.