Unsealing Emptiness

Ozul was ‘escorted’ inside the city as the group swiftly marched forward.

Since it was still very early in the morning, there were hardly any people on the roads, so it didn’t take long for them to reach the Han residence.

He noted that it was quite big, although not comparable to the size of the manor his uncles had built back in the Broken World.

As he was brought in, he didn’t forget to note down how many cultivators were there.

The moment they had entered, someone hurriedly ran inside and brought a wave of concerned people all rushing in to confirm that their precious ‘Young Master Han’ was alright. They were all seemingly aware of the assassination attempt by now.

He also couldn’t ignore the fiery glances thrown at him.

.....

Most of them didn’t mean it and only did so to make known their stance on the matter.

‘Seems like they suspect someone from the inside to be behind this...’ Ozul concluded. It wasn’t hard for him now that he was able to feel other people’s emotions again.

What reassured him was that none of the people that came to check up were stronger than the teenager, much less their commander Lin.

In front of him, the teenager was brought so he could ‘recover from the emotional trauma’ while Lin brought him straight towards the big hall.

The bloodstains on his clothes were already dried, but Lin didn’t care about those and entered the hall full of elders of the Han family.

“Family head...” he slightly nodded towards the middle-aged man sitting in the middle.

Rows of seats were lined up to his left and right, with most of them occupied by men and only a handful by women. Guards were stationed behind the chairs.

Ozul quickly glanced around and he was surprised to find that the strength of these people was only subpar.

Only the man that stood behind the supposed ‘Family head’ like a statue of stone was somewhat stronger than this Lin person beside him. That man and this Lin had only glanced at each other, seemingly acknowledging each other’s existence, but not going any further than this.

The radiance of that man’s internal Spiritual Essence was noticeably different from Lin’s.

On the other hand, those present in the hall were only somewhat stronger than the teenager Han. With the strongest being the man sitting in the middle, the family head. Still, he couldn’t compare to Lin and the man standing behind him.

This Han family was supposedly one of the ruling groups of the Howling Province, yet their family head wasn’t the strongest. Ozul couldn’t imagine how this man managed to preserve order in such a situation.

After all, it was rare for the strongest person to not be the one leading everyone.

‘It wouldn’t have mattered if others were only slightly stronger, but the disparity between these two and him is too much,’ Ozul thought silently.

If it was for riches, no one was stopping them from taking those forcefully.

Just as he was wondering, he was brought out of his unimportant thoughts when the family head spoke, “Who sent you?”

“Not only did Commander Lin find you at the scene, but we have also investigated on our own in this little time. You are not from that town, are you?”

The family head spoke with a forceful momentum as if everything would have to go according to his wishes.

Just then, the hall doors were pushed open.

A youth similar to the age of that other teenager, but slightly older strode in with big long.

The first thing Ozul noticed wasn’t their similar appearances, but the overflowing nervousness emitting from him despite the poker face that he was struggling to maintain.

Although the youth walked directly to his father, the family head’s side, he kept glancing in Ozul’s direction from time to time. His gaze was filled with anxiousness as if he was almost caught stealing something.

Others wouldn’t notice, but with Ozul’s ability, he could even tell in his sleep who the real culprit behind that assassination attempt was now.

‘Does he not even know which people he hired?’

That could be the only reason that he was so anxious. He must also think that he was the culprit and got caught instead. And now he feared that Ozul would tell them everything.

The head of the family was about to speak again when the door opened again, and the young master Han walked through.

He also slowly approached his father, the family head, and stood beside him.

“Little Han, you should be resting,” spoke the family head, in a milder tone.

“I’m fine, father. Also, I have already applied necessary medicine to my body.”

Han wanted to be present to know just who wanted to kill him.

“Hmm,” the family head nodded in understanding and turned back to Ozul before speaking, “Speak!”

“You’re not from this town, and you were found on the scene when my son was ambushed! Do you think this is a mere coincidence?!” His voice got colder and louder with each word.

“It is...” Ozul replied, unfazed by his shoutings.

The only three people calm in the hall were him, Lin, and the man who stood behind the family head.

“And how do you prove it?” one of the elders mockingly shouted.

“It’s because I was there throughout the ambush.”

“That only proves your involvement in all of this!” the family head looked at him with anger mixed in with confusion, did this kid not know what he was saying?

The other people began to chatter to themselves as if they had finally been convinced that he was one of the culprits.

“... How?” Ozul stared back with his own confused face, which remained blank, but somehow everyone understood his expression. He motioned toward Han and said, “Wouldn’t I have helped the assassins while they were fighting him if I was one of them?”

“... But you could have helped or at least called for help since you were there!” the family head seemed taken aback.

Ozul shook his head, saying, “That only proves my cowardice, not that I’m guilty.” It was as if an elderly man was scolding a child and instructing him in the ways of life.

Although his words made sense to everyone, there was just something off. How could someone who was talking so fearlessly to the family head of the Han Family be a coward when even they didn’t dare to disrespect him!?

Before the family head spoke again, he was stopped by Han, “Father, it’s true! If he was involved with those people, he would have at least tried to help them.”

‘Not everyone is an idiot it seems,’ Ozul sighed in his heart.

His only crime was spectating an assassination.

That shouldn’t warrant punishment as severe as this right? He was forced to try and make sense to a group of power-drunk fools desperately in search of someone they could shift all the blame to.

He then looked towards the kid on the other side of that family head and found that there was a sense of relief in his heart.

The visible drops of sweat his forehead had accumulated were already dried off.

Just from the way he behaved, anyone with a right mind would get suspicious much less him who could read other people’s emotions.

That brought even more questions to Ozul’s mind.

How could such an inexperienced kid plan an ambush on his brother?

Judging from his still fiery emotions towards him, he had already guessed that this family head didn’t plan to let him go as of yet.

And now feeling interested in this whole situation that seemed somehow off, he decided to stay for a bit longer.

“Although I’m not the culprit, I might know who was behind the ambush,” he said casually just before purposely giving that other kid a meaningful glance.

As expected, the person in question immediately felt alarms ringing in his head as the sweat drops which had already dried off started forming again.

His statement led the hall to erupt in a commotion once more.

“What did you say!? If you know who ordered the ambush, why didn’t you tell us sooner!?” one of the people angrily asked.

“I can’t remember now...”

“What are you trying to say!?” the family head couldn’t endure it any longer. The fact that Ozul was so nonchalant was getting on his nerves.

“I said that I’m tired. I will have to rest my body and only then I might remember everything. Mhm... I shall tell you tomorrow who the mastermind is,” Ozul nodded to himself and then glanced once again at the kid drenched in sweat.

Anyone with some wits would have at least tried to silence him using whatever means that he could right now. ‘He wasn’t even able to utter a single word, does he have some backing? Did that person order the assassination?’ Ozul guessed in his heart and then decided to strike when the iron was hot.

He noted the kid’s short black hair and spoke, “I do remember that the person is a male with short black hair though... Any more than this, you will have to ask me tomorrow~”

Ozul then proceeded to yawn lazily.

He lost the night he had planned to spend sleeping only, despite the fact that it was his own fault for putting his nose where it didn’t belong.

Although irritated by his attitude, the Family head managed to calm his burning heart as Han placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him an approving nod. He would have dealt with this matter differently, but since his son had given his opinion, he couldn’t ignore it.

Sighing in defeat, he motioned towards Lin who understood immediately.

“You will sleep in the dungeons until you tell us whatever you know.”

With that, he escorted Ozul out the hall, not missing the provocative glance he threw towards the older young master of the Han Family...