Mainland Martial Arts

Chapter 106 Xu Tian's Father Passes Away

However, Uncle Li just glanced at him, moved his lips, but didn't say anything. A look of regret appeared on his face, and then he walked away silently. Xu Tian felt a little confused, but he didn't care too much and continued to move forward.

Then, he met a woman holding a child. Xu Tian smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, this child has grown beautiful again!"

The woman's eyes flickered, she just shook her head slightly, and left quickly. Xu Tian felt more and more puzzled, and turned to look at Lin Feng, who also had a bewildered look on his face.

At this moment, a kind-looking aunt walked quickly to Xu Tian. Her eyes were full of worry, and she said anxiously, "Xiaotian, please go home and take a look."

Xu Tian and Lin Feng looked at each other, and the strange feeling in their hearts became stronger. Lin Feng frowned and asked, "Aunt, what's wrong?"

My aunt hesitated to speak, and finally just sighed and said, "You'll know when you go back."

Xu Tian, ​​who already felt something was amiss, suddenly thought of his father as soon as he heard his aunt say this, and a sense of foreboding gripped his heart. Without giving it any time to think, he immediately ran towards home, with Lin Feng following closely behind.

Xu Tian's home is an ordinary house on the edge of the village. The yard is enclosed by a simple fence. Though somewhat dated, it reveals the tranquility of time. In the yard stands a crooked jujube tree, where Xu Tian often played as a child. The house, built of blue bricks and black tiles, is simple, yet it carries countless memories for Xu Tian.

When they ran to the door, they found that many people were gathered at the door. They were all Xu Tian's relatives. When they saw Xu Tian, ​​they all lowered their heads and shook their heads gently. Xu Tian's heartbeat accelerated instantly, and he rushed into the house desperately.

The dim room was filled with the faint scent of herbs. Xu Tian saw his father lying quietly on the bed, his skin as white as paper, his eyes tightly closed, as if he were just sleeping peacefully. But Xu Tian knew clearly that this was not sleep; his father had left him forever.

Xu Tian's body froze in place, his mind blank, as if the entire world had stopped turning at that moment. Lin Feng followed closely behind him, and upon seeing this scene, he couldn't help but cover his mouth, his eyes filled with shock and grief.

After a long moment, Xu Tiancai seemed to come to his senses. He walked slowly to the bedside on trembling legs. He knelt down, reached out and gently stroked his father's cold face, tears silently falling.

"Dad... Dad... How could this happen..." Xu Tian choked, his voice full of pain and despair.

Lin Feng stood silently by, his eyes already red. He wanted to comfort Xu Tian, ​​but didn't know where to start.

Xu Tian stared blankly at his father, memories flooding back. He remembered his father's childhood, always coming home after a hard day's work with a tired but warm smile, telling him all sorts of stories. He remembered his father saving every penny just to buy him a new dress. He remembered them sitting in the yard together, enjoying the cool air and counting the stars in the sky...

"Dad, I'm back. I'm back to see you... Wake up..." Xu Tian's voice had become hoarse, and every word seemed to have exhausted all his strength.

Relatives were wiping their tears silently, and the whole room was filled with sadness.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Tian remained kneeling there, motionless, as if he had turned into a statue. Lin Feng gently walked over to him, squatted down, and whispered, "Xu Tian, ​​don't be too sad. Your uncle in heaven wouldn't want to see you like this..."

Xu Tian didn't respond, but just hugged his father tightly and cried bitterly. The cry was so heartbreaking that it broke anyone's heart.

Xu Tian sat blankly beside his father's bed for a long time. His eyes were filled with grief and confusion, as if the whole world had lost its color.

After a long time, Xu Tian's stiff body slowly began to move. He slowly stood up, turned his head, and looked straight at his uncle. His lips trembled slightly, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Uncle, what is going on?"

My uncle's eyes were evasive. He hesitated for a moment before he slowly spoke, "Xiaotian, this is what happened. Your father went into the city alone to buy things that day. He wanted to add some daily expenses to the family. But who would have thought that he would be robbed by horse bandits on the way. You also know that your father has always been honest and decent. He didn't have much money on him. When those horse bandits saw that he couldn't pay, they beat him seriously and made him fall to the ground. As for me, I just came back from the city at that time and saw your father lying on the ground, spitting blood. I will never forget that scene in my life. I hurriedly pulled him back and immediately asked a doctor to come and see him, but the doctor said that your father's injuries were too serious and he would not live for a few days. It has been like this since then. He just died this morning..." When my uncle said this, his voice was choked.

Xu Tian's brow furrowed upon hearing this, his face filled with anger and confusion. He said excitedly, "Horse bandits? The village is only four or five miles from the city. If there were horse bandits along this stretch of road, how could the government just sit there and do nothing?" He clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly.

His uncle looked at him in a panic and mumbled, "I...I don't know either."

Xu Tian took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He continued, "The terrain along this section of the road is relatively flat, which is not suitable for horse bandits to rob here. Moreover, this place is too close to the city. Unless they are looking for death, the guards on the city wall can barely see the village entrance. How could they not see the horse bandits on the road! Uncle, tell me, what is going on?" Xu Tian stared at his uncle, as if he wanted to see the answer from his eyes.

A trace of panic flashed across my uncle's face. He quickly shook his head and said, "I don't know, I don't know, Xiaotian. I really don't know."

Xu Tian, ​​seeing this, had many questions in his mind, but he also knew that his uncle might not be clear about the situation, so he didn't bother him any further. He slowly turned around, sighed silently, and said in a heavy voice, "Uncle, I know you may not be clear about the specifics, but I must get to the bottom of this matter. Father can't just die in such an unclear way."

My uncle nodded quickly, his face filled with sorrow as he said, "Xiaotian, I understand how you feel, but you must also be mindful of your own safety. Those bandits are ruthless and brutal. If anything were to happen to you, how would I explain this to your deceased parents?"

Xu Tian gritted his teeth, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "Uncle, I'm not afraid. My father has been kind and hardworking all his life, but he has suffered such a tragedy. If I don't seek justice for him, I would be unworthy of being his son."