Chapter 52: The Beast Tide Has Yet to Appear

Inside the magnificent and imposing Liu residence, the night was already deep, yet the estate remained brightly lit and picturesque. Every single lamp emitted a warm and gentle glow, illuminating the entire mansion as bright as day.

At this moment, a dense wave of warmth permeated the air, seemingly capable of making one forget all troubles and exhaustion.

Right at this moment, Liu An's father walked slowly into the spacious and luxurious hall, wearing a kind smile and taking steady, powerful strides.

Closely following his footsteps were Liu An's three fellow sect apprentices. Their group gradually approached the Liu family estate.

At this time, Liu An's home was exceptionally lively.

His elder sister and mother had prepared a lavish banquet early on, waiting with overjoyed hearts for Liu An's return.

Upon this banquet table were arrayed all sorts of exquisite and delicious delicacies and fine wines, their aromas overflowing and making one's mouth water.

Finally, Liu An stepped through the threshold of his home.

Upon seeing the son she had thought of day and night, tears of emotion instantly welled up in Zhang Qiao's eyes. She walked briskly forward, pulled Liu An directly into her embrace, and murmured repeatedly, "My son, you've finally come back!"

Standing nearby, his elder sister Liu Lingling also wore a full face of smiles, her eyes sparkling with the light of joy.

随后, everyone gathered around the dining table.

Liu An briefly introduced his fellow apprentices to his family.

"Father, Mother, Elder Sister, these three are Fang Yuan, Ming Liang, and Xu Jing. We are all second-realm cultivators now."

Liu An's father, Liu Xiong_an, was immensely happy, continuously drinking the wine in his cup.

Fang Yuan, Ming Liang, and Xu Jing also behaved very warmly, without putting on any arrogant airs.

Laughter filled the air as everyone toasted one another and chatted about everyday family matters. For a time, the sound of clinking wine cups rose and fell one after another, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively. Everyone was immersed in the joy of this reunion, forgetting all their worries and sorrows.

When the meal had reached its satisfaction, respectful servants stepped forward to guide Liu An and his three fellow apprentices to the guest quarters to rest. Along the way, the servants attended to them with thoughtful care, making the guests feel the warm hospitality of the Liu family.

Over the next few days, the group of six led by Liu An began an in-depth investigation of the surrounding area of Zhou City, aiming to track the activity traces of the ferocious beasts lurking in this region.

However, to their astonishment, two whole days and nights passed without them discovering even the slightest clue regarding the ferocious beasts.

Whether amidst the mountain forests, beside river valleys, or inside deep caves, not a single footprint or other trace left by the ferocious beasts could be found.

This bizarre situation planted a cloud of doubt in everyone's hearts. Could it be that all these ferocious beasts had suddenly vanished without a trace? Or had they sensed that someone was tracking their whereabouts and thus deliberately concealed themselves to avoid pursuit? Various guesses circulated among the team members, but no one could provide a definitive answer.

At this moment, several of them sat together, discussing the traces of the fearsome beasts with solemn expressions.

Each of their brows was tightly furrowed, and the atmosphere was unusually tense.

Liu An was the first to break the silence. After taking a deep breath, he said, "As far as I know, this news regarding the appearance of ferocious beasts was reported by the Azure Mist Sect, an affiliated sect of the Azure Cloud Sect.

"They claimed to have discovered signs of a beast tide appearing in North Han City. However, after investigation, it now appears that this was merely a false report!"

Sitting to one side, Fatty Xu immediately took up the conversation, his chubby face filled with confusion: "His Royal Highness the Heir is entirely right! What's even more baffling is that not a single disciple of the Azure Mist Sect can be found in this city.

"Logically speaking, since they reported such important intelligence, they ought to have left some disciples behind to assist with the investigation here.

"Yet the situation is as it is now—it is simply too bizarre! Could there be some unknown conspiracy hidden within?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd nodded in agreement, and the doubts in their hearts grew even heavier.

Lin Luomei's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she parted her lips to say, "In my view, we might as well wait patiently for a few more days.

"During this time, we can first try to get in touch with the Azure Mist Sect.

"To improve efficiency, I think it would be best for us to split into several groups and act separately.

"Let Xu Jing and me form a group, the Heir can partner with Fatty Xu, and Fang Yuan and Ming Liang can form their own group. How does everyone feel about this arrangement?"

After exchanging glances, the others nodded in recognition, evidently having no objections to the plan proposed by Lin Luomei.

However, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

Over the following days, Liu An suddenly discovered that the vital sect communication jade talismans in their hands had inexplicably failed!

No matter how he tried to send messages to the sect, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, receiving not the slightest response.

This sudden change caused Liu An's heart to tighten, and an ominous premonition gradually welled up in his mind...

Liu An stood there with a worried expression, secretly dreading what had happened, yet none of these subtle facial changes escaped the notice of his observant father.

Liu's father stepped forward, gently patted Liu An's shoulder, and asked with concern, "My son, seeing you look so worried, have you run into some trouble? Tell your father and see if there's anything I can do to help."

Hearing his father's inquiry, Liu An raised his head, looked directly into his father's eyes, and asked without hesitation, "Father, I want to know whether the news of our arrival here was truly told to you by the disciples of the Azure Mist Sect?"

Liu's father was slightly startled, but he quickly recovered and answered without hesitation, "That's right, my son. It was indeed disciples of the Azure Mist Sect who came running to inform me of your impending arrival.

"The strange thing is, ever since then, the soldiers under my command haven't laid eyes on even a single disciple of the Azure Mist Sect. I have no idea where these people went; it's as if they evaporated into thin air. It's truly baffling and completely incomprehensible!" Liu Xiong'an said with furrowed brows and a worried expression.

Liu An wore an equally solemn look as he slowly began, "Father, I have an ominous premonition. The atmosphere within North Han City has been unusually strange lately, as if a massive storm is brewing.

"According to the mission schedule, the beast tide should have surged here by now, yet we haven't even seen a single hair of a beast.

"Not only that, but those numerous disciples of the Azure Mist Sect have also suddenly vanished, as if completely wiped from the world. One after another, these bizarre occurrences truly carry a strange and elusive quality, making it difficult to fathom the reasons behind them."