In the blink of an eye, Lin Qian was engulfed in a scarlet aura, the intense crimson seemingly trying to pierce into his body.
Seeing the horrifying blood-red energy surrounding Lin Qian, Zhang Juncheng's expression darkened. "If I had recovered to my peak state, this kind of curse wouldn't be a problem. But right now, I'm powerless."
"Why would someone place a curse on Xiao Qian?" Ye Xin asked anxiously, her face filled with worry as she looked at the ominous red light enveloping him.
"Boss!" Lei Qian clenched his fists tightly, staring at Lin Qian with deep concern.
Lin Qian glanced down at the blood-red energy covering his body, his brow furrowing. "This again? Persistent as ever."
With those words, Lin Qian disappeared from their sight.
In the next instant, Lin Qian reappeared in the Tactical Hall of the Huaxia Empire, swiftly making his way to the central platform.
Not long after Lin Qian arrived, Zhuge Ming appeared beside him, rushing over in alarm.
"How dare they! Those people dare to use a curse to harm His Majesty again! They deserve death!" Zhuge Ming trembled with fury as he saw the blood-red aura surrounding Lin Qian. "And from the power of this curse, it seems they're trying to kill you outright."
"Prepare the counterattack. Let's see if we can gather more information through the reversal," Lin Qian ordered coldly, showing little concern for the curse on him.
He trusted Zhuge Ming and the capabilities of the Heavenly Works Department. The idea that such a simple curse could harm him was laughable.
"Tactical Mirror enhancements are complete," a scholar reported as they manipulated various Tactical Mirrors, transmitting data and relaying information to Zhuge Ming.
As the scholar spoke, formation patterns materialized in the Tactical Hall, merging into a Tactical Mirror and forming a beam of light that shot directly at Lin Qian.
"Disruption and tracking skills activated. Successfully disrupted the enemy's tracking and redirected the signal."
"Analysis skill activated. Commencing curse deconstruction."
"Reverse tracking successful. Target's location identified."
"Anti-interference activated. Ready to begin counterattack."
"Counterattack in progress. Chaos effect successfully applied. Curse backlash initiated!"
The scholars worked in a well-organized manner, and as beams of light from the Tactical Mirrors struck Lin Qian, the blood-red aura around him began to dissipate and be purged.
Shua! Shua! Shua!
As the crimson light was drawn out of Lin Qian's body, it was eroded by the power of the Tactical Mirrors, revealing over thirty images.
Carefully studying the scenes depicted, Lin Qian finally understood what had happened.
From the images, Lin Qian saw that his parents had escaped, accompanied by a man in green robes and an elderly man with a weathered face.
The elderly man seemed to be protecting his parents and the man in green robes. Given their resemblance to his mother, Lin Qian surmised that they were likely close relatives.
"My mother once mentioned that I have an uncle. It seems the man in green is him, and the old man is probably my grandfather," Lin Qian mused as he observed the images.
Then, Lin Qian reached out, thrusting his hand into the blood-red light being eroded by the Tactical Mirrors. His voice was cold as he spoke, "It seems my previous warning didn't get through. Let me advise you again—curses don't work on me. All you're doing is ensuring more of your people die."
With that, Lin Qian withdrew his hand and turned to Zhuge Ming. "Use the countercurse to eliminate the ones who cast it."
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Anyone who dares to harm you with such vile means deserves to die a miserable death," Zhuge Ming replied, bowing to Lin Qian. "I will make sure they don't escape so easily this time."
"I trust you, Chancellor." Lin Qian nodded at Zhuge Ming before his body was enveloped in white light, and he vanished from the Huaxia Empire.
After Lin Qian's departure, Zhuge Ming turned to the blood-red light that had been trapped and narrowed his eyes. "To think they would dare attack His Majesty... Unforgivable! They won't be tolerated!"
Half a month later, in a remote region far from Linhai Prefecture, there was a hidden mountain ravine with a cave dwelling.
Inside the cave, which resembled a refined courtyard rather than a typical cave, a pair of strikingly beautiful individuals sat anxiously, watching an elderly man in meditation.
"Ugh!" The elderly man suddenly groaned, spitting out a mouthful of dark blood before slowly opening his eyes.
Seeing this, the couple rushed forward to support the old man, and the woman asked with deep concern, "Father, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. The old wounds are healed. Once I've fully recovered, I'll make sure we can fight our way back," the old man replied, waving his hand dismissively before turning to the couple. "It's my fault. If I hadn't opposed you back then, we wouldn't be in this situation."
"Father, it's not your fault. As long as we're together, that's all that matters. But Xiao Qian..." The woman trailed off, her face filled with sorrow.
"We can't act rashly now. If we try to find him, it could attract attention and bring disaster upon him," the man beside her sighed, his eyes filled with longing.
"Father, brother-in-law, sister, I've received news from Uncle Fu," a voice suddenly called out as a man in green robes hurried into the room, his face a mix of shock and joy.
"Why are you in such a rush? What news did Uncle Fu bring?" The elderly man frowned as he looked at the green-robed man.
The man swallowed hard before speaking. "Uncle... he hired five formation masters and used brother-in-law's blood essence to cast a curse to locate Lin Qian."
"He's not your uncle!" the elderly man roared, slamming his fist down in anger.
The green-robed man shrank back, his courage dwindling under his father's fury.
"What? Five formation masters... Does that mean Xiao Qian is..." The woman's face went pale, her eyes welling up with tears.
The man beside her embraced his wife, sighing deeply, his heart heavy with worry.
"That bastard! He must be trying to capture my grandson and force us to reveal ourselves," the elderly man fumed, his breath heavy with anger.
Seeing the reaction of the three before him, the green-robed man hesitated before speaking in a strange tone. "Actually, things aren't as bad as you think."
"Hmm?" The elderly man raised an eyebrow and knocked on the man's head in frustration. "Stop beating around the bush and get to the point!"
"You'll see. Once you hear what happened, you won't be worried about my dear nephew anymore," the green-robed man said with a smile, half laughing and half crying.