Chapter 154 The Old Man in the Woods
"I hope my parents' death has nothing to do with you."
Ximen Tianyu was unwilling to doubt his relatives, especially his uncle Ximen Tingyu who had always cared for him. But reason told him that he had to follow this clue.
Ximen Tianyu took a deep breath and decided not to delve into the truth that might make him sad, but to focus on how to collect evidence more effectively. He knew that he could not seek justice for his parents based on speculation and conjecture alone, and he needed solid evidence.
The next morning, Ximen Tianyu changed into casual clothes and stepped into the bustling world of the human world again. The purpose of his trip was to find those who might know the details of his parents' murder. These people may not have revealed any information to the Ximen family for various reasons, but they may be the key to solving the mystery.
Ximen Tianyu first came to the place where his parents were killed. It was a desolate mountainous area with few people. Relying on his memory, he walked along the mountain path step by step, trying to find clues from the surrounding environment. However, too much time had passed and there was no trace of any value at the scene.
Just when Ximen Tianyu was about to give up, he noticed a dilapidated house not far away, with the door half-closed, as if someone lived there. He decided to go forward and check. When he walked into the house, a musty smell hit him in the face, but in the corner there was a clean-looking table with a few yellowed books and some simple daily necessities on it.
Obviously, there are people living here, and they are not just temporary refuges. Ximen Tianyu gently flipped through the books and found that some of them were ancient books on herbal medicine and folk medicine. There were some dried plant specimens between the pages, which were obviously carefully preserved by the owner.
These things looked exquisite, but they had nothing to do with Ximen Tianyu's investigation. Just as he was about to leave, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the house.
Ximen Tianyu quickly hid behind the door, watching the movement vigilantly. The door was gently pushed open, and a ragged old man slowly walked into the room. His face was old and haggard, but his eyes revealed a wisdom that could not be ignored.
The old man didn't seem to notice that there were other people in the room. He walked straight to the table and began to sort out the books and plant specimens. Seeing this, Ximen Tianyu's heart moved, and he immediately used the power of the heart mirror to search the old man's heart.
The old man was just a hunter in the mountains. He had wandered in the mountains when he was young and knew every plant and tree here. But what surprised Ximen Tianyu was that the old man had a vague memory of the day his parents were killed.
It was a stormy night, and he accidentally entered the area while hunting a rare beast. Just as he was about to return, he heard fighting and screaming not far away. Out of curiosity and worry, he quietly approached and witnessed a thrilling fight. Although he did not see the murderer's face directly, the figure and dress of those people were deeply imprinted in his mind.
Ximen Tianyu's heart suddenly tightened, and he increased the intensity of his heart mirror's exploration, trying to extract more useful information from the old man's memory. Those vague figures gradually became clear in the old man's memory, and their clothing, movements, and even some subtle habits were captured one by one.
Ximen Tianyu's heartbeat quickened, and he realized that this might be a key step to uncovering the truth. He tried to remain calm and continued to use the power of the heart mirror to carefully sort out every detail in the old man's memory.
At this moment, the old man's gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep across the door. Although his eyes were not really focused, Ximen Tianyu still felt an inexplicable sense of alertness.
He thought for a moment, and finally came out from behind the door, smiling and saying to the old man: "Old man, I accidentally got lost and came here. I saw someone in this house, so I dared to come in and ask for a drink of water. I wonder if it would be convenient for you?"
The old man raised his head, his eyes lingered on Ximen Tianyu for a moment, and he said calmly: "It's okay, it's lonely in the mountains, and it's rare to have guests visit. Please sit down, I'll pour you some water."
Ximen Tianyu thanked him and sat down, but his eyes could not help but sweep over the books and plant specimens on the table. He was secretly thinking about how to get more information from the old man. The old man seemed to see through his thoughts, and while pouring water, he slowly said: "Young man, you look extraordinary, you must be from a famous family. I wonder why you came to this remote place, are you looking for something?"
Ximen Tianyu took the water cup calmly, took a sip and said, "To be honest, I am indeed looking for some clues about an accident my parents had many years ago. Old man, you have lived here for many years, maybe you have heard something about it?"
"Are you talking about the accident eight years ago?"
Upon hearing this, the old man paused slightly, a complex emotion flashed across his eyes, and then he regained his calm.
"Oh? Could it be that the old man knows something?"
Ximen Tianyu leaned forward, his eyes full of anticipation and urgency.
"To be honest, over the years, no less than three or four groups of people have come to ask me about this matter. But since you want to know so much, I will tell you again."
Thinking of this, the old man paused for a moment, as if he was considering his words, and continued, "It was a stormy day, and it was difficult to travel in the mountains. I was just returning home from hunting when I overheard a dispute in the distance. The voice... sounded familiar, but it also made me feel cold. I approached quietly, and saw a group of men in black surrounding your parents. They were agile and clearly not ordinary people. I wanted to help, but I knew there was a huge gap in strength, so I could only hide in the dark and observe."
Ximen Tianyu listened attentively, his fingers unconsciously clenched the water glass on the table. He tried hard to control his emotions for fear of interrupting the old man's narration.
“Those people seemed to be interrogating your parents about the whereabouts of a treasure, but your parents firmly denied it, saying that they had never seen any treasure. And then... then..." The old man's voice trembled a little, and it was obvious that the memory was not pleasant for him.
"And then they killed him?" Ximen Tianyu's voice was low and firm, his eyes flashing with anger and determination.
The old man nodded and continued, "Yes, they were ruthless and left no one alive. I saw with my own eyes that they searched through your parents' belongings, but it seemed that they found nothing, and finally they had to leave in anger. And I, because I was afraid of being implicated, did not dare to come out to check until they left."
My grandma has been in the hospital due to heart failure these days, and I need to take care of her when my dad is at work, so the updates are a bit unstable.
I finally got home from the hospital yesterday, and just when I was about to start typing, I ended up falling asleep after typing a few hundred words…
My grandma has been discharged from the hospital today. If nothing unexpected happens, the updates will stabilize and I will have more time to polish my writing.
(End of this chapter)