My Ares Son-in-Law

Chapter 7243: The Infinite World, Thousands of Miles of Pursuit

Several corpses had their chests pierced, leaving fist-sized bloody holes. Limbs and torsos were scattered in the corners, with flies buzzing around them. The stench of blood was so strong it was suffocating, and even the air seemed to be stained red.

Xiao Chen walked slowly into the courtyard, his steps heavy as if filled with lead. He had witnessed countless horrific scenes, but he had never seen such a ruthless massacre. Martial artists of such strength were mercilessly killing unarmed ordinary people; they were simply unworthy of being called human!
Is the martial arts world of the Dragon Kingdom so incompetent that it allows such villains who treat human life like dirt to run rampant?
Xiao Chen's fingertips traced the charred beams and pillars of the He family compound, his gaze sweeping over each corpse before finally settling on the child's body in the corner. The child's small hand still clutched half a piece of candy, blood seeping from under his fingernails. He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging anger, and carefully searched the area three times, but still couldn't find He Haiyue or the head of the He family.

Thankfully... there's still a glimmer of hope. They were either kidnapped or managed to escape when the killer massacred the family.

"Mr. Xiao!" The martial arts team member rushed into the courtyard, his boots making a sticky sound as they stepped on the blood and ashes. Upon seeing the horrific scene inside, the team member's face instantly darkened, his brows furrowing, and his voice filled with undisguised gravity, "The He family is quite influential in the martial arts world of the ancient city. To wipe them out without leaving any survivors, the other party's background is probably not just that of an ordinary martial arts force."

Xiao Chen turned around, his knuckles white from the force: "Any results from the investigation?"

The team member shook his head, his tone apologetic: "There's no new information yet. The emergency response team is still searching the surrounding area, focusing on identifying escape routes."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xiao Chen's phone rang urgently, the screen displaying the name "Martial Arts Army Captain Li". He swiped to answer, and Captain Li's urgent voice immediately came through the receiver: "Mr. Xiao! We have preliminary results! We found a male corpse by the Bibo Pool in the west of the city. After identification by the He family's servants, it is confirmed to be the head of the He family!"

Team Leader Li paused, a hint of reluctance in his voice: "The signs of a fierce fight were obvious. Although the He family patriarch was at the Celestial Realm, he was completely overwhelmed. His ribs were caved in at an unnatural angle, as if they had been crushed. His left arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, with bone piercing through his flesh. Judging from the injuries, he was probably deliberately stalling for time to create an escape opportunity for the others..."

With a sharp "crack," Xiao Chen's knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone so tightly that a thin crack appeared at the edge of the screen. Could they really be so cruel for a piece of copper? Did those people see human life as nothing more than insignificant specks of dust?
"Where is He Haiyue? Have you found her?" Xiao Chen's voice was colder than a pool of water, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Judging from the footprints by the pool, the head of the He family fought desperately to hold off the murderer, and He Haiyue must have run downstream." Captain Li's voice softened slightly, tinged with relief. "But her footprints suddenly disappeared at the rocks by the pool. We are expanding the search area and will report back to you immediately if we have any news!"

"Thank you for your hard work." Xiao Chen hung up the phone, looked up at the west side of the city, and the coldness in his eyes was almost tangible.

He hadn't wanted to get involved in the He family's affairs, but the spiritual energy of that bronze piece had been completely absorbed by the Soul Tower, and it wasn't even worth a piece of ordinary bronze anymore. He truly owed her a favor. Moreover, He Haiyue had helped him at the auction and defended him at the martial arts tournament; he couldn't ignore that kindness.

No matter who the mastermind is, he must protect He Haiyue's life!

Xiao Chen turned to the martial arts team members and said, "Drive back to the team. Contact me anytime if there are any new updates."

The team member was taken aback and quickly asked, "Then Mr. Xiao, you..."

"Don't worry about me, just do as I say." Xiao Chen's tone left no room for argument. The team members dared not ask any questions and could only quickly walk towards the car parked at the door, the engine sound gradually fading into the distance. Only Xiao Chen remained in the vast He family mansion. The wind blew in through the broken window frames, stirring up ashes from the ground and settling them on the corpses scattered across the courtyard. He slowly closed his eyes, his voice low but firm: "I, Xiao Chen, accept the He family's debt. Those I want to protect, even if the King of Hell comes, he can't take them away!"

After speaking, he turned and walked into He Haiyue's boudoir. The room still held a faint scent of gardenias. On the dressing table sat a silver hairpin, and the mirror was covered with a thin layer of dust. It was an intimate accessory that He Haiyue often wore. Xiao Chen picked up the silver hairpin and traced a pale golden rune in the air with his fingertip. The rune floated in mid-air, emitting a faint yet resilient light. It was the "Tai Xu Seeking Technique" that he rarely used.

This technique is extremely taxing on one's spiritual sense; the slightest mistake can lead to a backlash, causing anything from stagnation in cultivation to damage one's very foundation. He had only used it out of necessity before, but now, for He Haiyue's sake, he had no more hesitation. Fortunately, his cultivation had now reached the pinnacle, allowing him to almost completely suppress the technique's side effects.

Xiao Chen formed hand seals and chanted incantations: "Boundless Heaven and Earth, tracking for ten thousand miles. Qi pierces the rainbow, divine sense breaks through the void..."

As the incantation quickened, the pale golden runes suddenly lit up, and the silver hairpin floated from his palm, pressing tightly against the runes. The next second, the two spontaneously combusted without fire, the blue flames leaping and casting flickering light on Xiao Chen's face.

"It's now!"

Xiao Chen bit his fingertip hard, and a drop of blood shot out, landing precisely in the azure flames. With a deafening roar, the flames surged, illuminating the entire room as if it were daytime. His consciousness followed the flames, and a clear image instantly appeared in his mind.

On the rocks downstream of Bibo Pool, a young girl lay soaking wet. Her off-white dress was stained dark red with blood, her lips were as white as paper, and there were still traces of blood at the corners of her mouth. Having been immersed in cold water for a long time, her limbs were slightly swollen, and her chest was rising and falling weakly, clearly indicating that she was at her last gasp.

Not far away, a man in black was slowly approaching, his black cloak fluttering in the wind. He looked down at the girl on the reef, a cruel smirk playing on his lips, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing together, as if he were sizing up prey that was about to be captured.

"court death!"

Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes, his inner energy surging violently. The tables and chairs trembled and slid backward, and the window frames creaked under the strain. A boundless killing intent swept out like a tangible force, even causing the sycamore trees outside the window to rustle and their leaves to fall.

Downstream from Bibo Pool, a cold wind, carrying the dampness of the pool water, blew against He Haiyue's face.

The man in black grabbed her by the neck, his knuckles turning blue. The force was so great that He Haiyue's face instantly turned red, and she struggled to breathe. "Where is the copper piece? If you don't tell me, I'll snap your neck right now!"

He Haiyue's consciousness was already blurred, but the excruciating pain instantly brought her back to her senses. The smiling faces of Yun Yuyan and Zhou Keying in Xiao Chen's villa flashed through her mind. If she spoke up, those two innocent girls would definitely suffer, and Xiao Chen would also be targeted by this terrible murderer.

(End of this chapter)