"What?"
"Brother Biao, did I hear that right?"
"The hundred thousand you owe me, that kid paid it off for me?"
Chen Yicheng's eyes widened, finding it hard to imagine Chu Fan being so kind as to help him pay off a hundred thousand.
Had he, in fact, been too quick to judge?
Was it true that you couldn't judge a book by its cover?
"Do I look like I'm joking with you?"
"If he hadn't paid it for you, one of your legs would have been taken off by now!"
Wang Dabiao snapped.
Chen Yicheng's eyes narrowed, then lit up.
He leaned closer to Wang Dabiao and whispered, "Brother Biao, I have an idea to get rich..."
Upstairs.
With no one to disturb him, Chu Fan began to inquire with Chen Tao and his wife about the specific circumstances of his mother's recovery three years ago.
According to Du Haixia, his mother's injuries had been severe at the time, and the wound had also become infected.
After being discovered by the couple, as they were preparing to take her to the hospital, his mother had firmly refused, stating that she could treat herself and only needed a quiet place.
The kind-hearted couple, without much thought, had immediately brought his mother back to their home.
"Xiao Fan, your mother is truly an extraordinary person."
Even recalling the situation from back then, Du Haixia still found it hard to believe.
"After we brought your mother back, she gave us a prescription, all for some herbal medicines."
"After the herbs were bought, she directed me in boiling them."
"After drinking the medicine for two days, her complexion improved significantly, and after five days, she was able to get out of bed!"
"She stayed with us for half a month, and she recovered as if she were a normal person, with a rosy complexion, and the wounds on her body had healed, leaving only minor scars."
"In all my years, I've never seen anyone recover so quickly from such injuries."
"At that time, your mother said that her rapid recovery was because she had eaten a certain herb when she was young."
Chu Fan's heart was deeply shaken by these words.
He knew his earlier suspicions were correct.
His mother was indeed different from ordinary people.
Thinking back carefully, if his mother wasn't extraordinary, just an ordinary woman, how could she have conceived him, evaded numerous attempts at pursuit and schemes, and ended up in Shan Hai City?
When their hiding place was discovered, and his mother was fleeing with him, he remembered encountering pursuers several times.
Each time, his mother would tell him to hide somewhere and not move, and then she would disappear.
When his mother reappeared, the pursuers were gone.
Thinking about these events, Chu Fan realized how foolish he had been.
Such obvious clues, and he hadn't noticed them all these years.
When his mother hid him then, she was clearly facing the pursuers alone, not wanting him to witness her strength.
Reflecting further.
Chu Fan, as the Demon God, felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Having grown up in the Eternal Hall, he knew very well how difficult it was for ordinary people to enter.
And back then, his mother had taken him to an uninhabited forbidden zone.
Facing encirclement, he remembered her face showing not a trace of panic, as if she knew his master would appear.
When his master dealt with the assassins, his mother, while seemingly pleading for him to be taken into the Eternal Hall, was not truly doing so.
At this very moment, carefully recalling the past events.
Chu Fan was one hundred percent certain that his mother and master had known each other long before and their meeting was not a mere coincidence.
The plea was likely staged for his benefit.
Secondly, in his memory, his master, as the Hall Master of the Eternal Hall, had left the hall only once in decades, and that was to encounter him and his mother.
What was described as a chance encounter, now seemed anything but.
His mother must have contacted his master long in advance, which led to their meeting.
For years, having been around his master, Chu Fan understood him very well.
Cold-blooded, ruthless, and viewing all lives as ants before him.
In the years Chu Fan had been in the Eternal Hall, over ten thousand people had starved to death for failing to pay their dues, and even with their foreheads bleeding and bones exposed before the Eternal Hall, he had never granted them entry.
If his mother had no prior connection with him, it was unlikely he would have taken him into the Eternal Hall after her pleading.
Furthermore, his mother, severely injured and near death, not going to a hospital, and recovering within half a month from eating some herbs.
From this, it could also be confirmed that his mother was definitely not an ordinary person.
"Mom, what exactly have you been hiding?"
Chu Fan's breathing became uncontrollably rapid.
He simply couldn't fathom it – his mother and aunt were sisters, yet his mother was so different, while his aunt was so ordinary that she could only endure the bullying from the Nan family.
Seeing Chu Fan deep in thought, Chen Tao and Du Haixia wisely chose to remain silent.
Synthesizing all the information.
Chu Fan was very certain that his mother must have a deep connection with ancient and mysterious families.
Only such families could bestow extraordinary strength upon a person.
Therefore, he concluded that despite mobilizing all his forces and nearly turning the Dragon God Kingdom upside down, the reason his mother couldn't be found was that she had gone to an ancient family hidden somewhere unknown.
As long as he could find this ancient family, he could find his mother.
Finally having a direction in his search for his mother, Chu Fan was genuinely happy.
Returning to his senses, he stood up and bowed deeply to Chen Tao and his wife.
"Uncle Chen, Aunt Du, thank you!"
Chu Fan's actions left the couple flustered and unsure of themselves.
Seeing Chu Fan's eyes redden, Du Haixia quickly comforted him, "Xiao Fan, your mother is blessed with good fortune, don't be too anxious. She must be alive and well!"
Unbeknownst to her, Chu Fan wasn't anxious, but rather overcome with excitement, joy, and happiness.
The most terrifying aspect of searching was the lack of any clues.
The information provided by Chen Tao and his wife had propelled his path to finding his mother forward like a rocket, saving him a lot of wasted effort, and simultaneously alleviating his worries.
A living person disappearing without a trace could only have two explanations.
One, they were hiding in an unknown place.
The other, they were dead.
Despite his reluctance to consider it, Chu Fan had to admit that mobilizing all the available forces of the Eternal Hall without finding his mother in the Dragon God Kingdom forced him to wonder if his mother had perhaps already...
But now, he knew his worries were unfounded.
Since his mother was extraordinary and possessed unparalleled strength, she could not be dead.
Given this, how could he not be happy and delighted?
Seeing that it was getting late, Chu Fan immediately proposed to take his leave, stating he would bring things tomorrow to treat Chen Tao.
As for the villa he had bought, Chu Fan decided to wait until Chen Tao was treated before moving in.
In any case, since he had come, he would ensure everything was arranged properly.
Below, amidst the flower bushes.
Wang Dabiao and his men were waiting anxiously.
"Boss, he's here!"
Seeing Chu Fan finally emerge, Wang Dabiao raised his hand, and several of his subordinates immediately put on makeshift balaclavas to cover their faces, brandishing knives and rushing out to surround Chu Fan.
"Stop right there, this is a robbery!"
Wang Dabiao deliberately lowered his voice, lest Chu Fan recognize it.
Chu Fan, snapping out of his thoughts, recognized their identities at a glance.
He calmly said, "I'm in a good mood today and don't want to kill anyone. Get lost!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Dabiao and the others couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Kid, please clarify the current situation!"
"Hand over a million, and we'll spare your life!"
"Otherwise, tomorrow we'll make your corpse float in the Shan Hai River!"
Chu Fan sneered dismissively.
"Are you tired of living?"
The temperature around them began to drop.
Wang Dabiao and his men shivered instinctively, a sense of unease creeping into their hearts.