Chapter 24

As the Hua family's helicopter flew back to their hillside villa, a person appeared on a hilltop in this cluster of mountain villas. She was riding a fiery red war steed and smiled wryly as she watched the hero step out of the helicopter. Her hatred for the hero was as endless as the Yangtze River.

A special frequency communicator embedded in her earring received a call request, and Scorpion immediately answered. A hoarse male voice said, "Scorpion, Shadow Seven has transmitted a special message. We have already decoded it."

Scorpion responded via brainwave feedback, "Shadow Ten, what did Seven say?"

After ending the call with Shadow Seven, Scorpion pondered for a moment and thought to herself, "That kid is indeed strange. Dragon Emperor has always been suspicious of how you managed to survive the battle in the Force Realm. Since you have successfully infiltrated, you will obediently serve as cannon fodder for me."

Thinking this, the war steed Scorpion was riding transformed into a lacy-framed glasses under a pattern of light, and her battle armor also transformed into a school uniform under the same pattern of light. On her chest was the emblem of Tianzhen Academy, and on her collar was another identity marker: Flame!

She was originally a student of the 11th Reserve Combat Team of Tianzhen Inner Academy.

After putting on the lacy-framed glasses, Scorpion perfectly transformed into a cold and beautiful female student. A black luxury car drove up from a distance and picked up Scorpion.

When the hero arrived at the Hua family's residence, there was no grand welcome, but he received many strange looks. After all, his identity was clear, and now it seemed like a peasant had risen to become the master. His poor mother had already been labeled as a shameless slut, and the hero could do nothing to change others' opinions. He didn't plan to stay there for life; he would leave the Hua family once his mission was complete.

After returning to the Hua family, Grandfather Hua asked the hero to go to the ancestral hall to offer incense and acknowledge his lineage. This was a significant event, but due to the poor man's identity, everything had to be kept simple. The hero's name could be written in the ancestral hall, but his mother was not even allowed to enter the Hua family's gate. This was the condition that Long Zhaorong had finally agreed to with Grandfather Hua.

Long Zhaorong would never allow this woman to live under the same roof as her. Only by doing so could she deal with this woman properly in the future without incurring Grandfather Hua's blame.

To blame a family member for an outsider? If that were said, the old dog would be laughed at by people in the circle.

The Hua family's ancestral hall was built on the eastern side of the Hua family's compound, a feng shui treasure spot where purple qi rises from the east.

In the ancestral hall, the hero met the biological father of the poor man, Hua Zhilong. Grandfather Hua had already verified his identity, so it was reasonable for him not to call him father.

Why should he call him?

Hua Zhilong was a tall and robust man. Looking at the frail child before him, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow. Seeing that the child wouldn't even look at him, he felt even more distressed and thought to himself, "Child, you must understand my difficulties. I have to bear the responsibility of such a large family; it's not easy for me."

Glancing at Hua Zhilong, the hero thought with disdain, "You have no courage to take responsibility for your actions. You can't control your urges, so you should have the courage to face the consequences. I despise you."

Hua Zhilong felt angry when he saw the disdain in the child's eyes: "Damn, you dare to look down on your father. If I had known, I would have shot the bottle and nothing would have happened."

The two of them, with their complicated relationship, stared at each other. The hero couldn't bring himself to call him father, and if he didn't, he wouldn't be allowed into the Hua family. Intelligence indicated that the Hua family had many strict rules.

Long Zhaorong, standing to the side, was already impatient and said coldly, "Oh, Young Master Hua has quite a temper. Being able to enter the Hua family is a blessing you have earned in three lifetimes. Yet you still act up in the ancestral hall. Do you ignore the ancestors or despise the Hua family?"

Hearing this, the hero felt intense hatred. This venomous woman's words were truly poisonous! She was trying to put him on the fire, and he would be cooked whether he liked it or not.

At that moment, Grandfather Hua's voice came from the door of the ancestral hall: "I allow you to skip calling him father, as he indeed did not fulfill his fatherly duties. However, in front of the ancestors, you must kneel down!"

As soon as he said this, without giving the hero a chance to think, Grandfather Hua's gaze alone forced the hero to kneel, and the sound of his kneecaps cracking was clearly audible.

The floor tiles, made of natural diamond, were incredibly hard! Even a superhuman with enhanced abilities would have their kneecaps shattered, but they wouldn't break the floor.

Faced with Grandfather Hua's overwhelming aura, the hero couldn't resist at all. It was like when he first joined the organization and felt the natural aura of Dragon Emperor from a distance, which could suppress him with just a glance. Grandfather Hua's realm was on par with Dragon Emperor, but his aura was on a different level.

Grandfather Hua was a local warlord, while Dragon Emperor was a supreme commander of a vast army!

When a superhuman reached the peak of their power, their anger could burn mountains and boil seas without lifting a finger!

Others in the ancestral hall couldn't help but kneel as well.

After a moment of silence, Grandfather Hua's aura naturally subsided, and he seemed like a strict elder. There were few people who could make the hero submit, and he respected such a level of strength. Being suppressed by Grandfather Hua, he felt no resentment, as he was there to complete a mission, not to seek revenge.

Grandfather Hua came to the hero and handed him a family register, saying, "Read the oath on the first page of the register and swear it in front of the ancestors. If you violate the oath, it will haunt you for the rest of your life. After swearing, write your name after your third brother's."

The hero opened the first page of the register and was stunned. He had made many oaths for missions before, but breaking them was one thing. This time, the oath was written within a crest!

This was a crest of an oath. When the oath within the crest was read, the crest would be activated. If the oath was broken, the curse within the crest would follow the oath-taker for life.

He was there to complete a mission, and the moment he completed it would be the moment he broke the oath. If he took this oath, he would be risking his life for success.

Since he had taken on this mission, he should have the professional spirit to see it through. To save the old bandit, the hero decided to go all in.

"Just a curse, once I stand at the peak of power, a mere curse will be nothing to me," the hero thought and began to swear the oath on the first page of the register in front of the Hua family's ancestors.

As he swore, the crest on the first page of the register activated, and the oath within it transformed into a series of 'patterns' that entered the hero's soul, ready to be imprinted. Just as the patterns were about to be imprinted, the hero sensed a change. The natural patterns in his soul had a strong urge to devour these patterns.