The master and disciple stood back to back, with Tiger raising his greatsword in a defensive stance.
"I thought our reunion after three years would be touching and warm. I didn't expect so many spectators," Tiger remarked.
"Master, now is not the time for complaints when we are surrounded," Leon said, his voice grave.
Hearing his disciple's tone, Tiger was startled. "What's wrong, kid? Have you been slacking in your training these past three years? Dealing with these few Dangerous Types might be a bit difficult for this old man, but it should be as easy as drinking water for you, right?"
Leon swallowed nervously and opened his palm. The remaining sparks of electricity flickered twice before dying out completely.
This was embarrassing.
He had returned in too much of a hurry and had not had time to gather much mana. That last wave of clearing techniques had completely drained Leon's mana reserves.
"A lot has happened in three years, it's complicated. I will explain everything in detail after we break out, Master."
"Is it just having two daughters? How complicated can it be?" Tiger said casually.
Leon was stunned. "Master… how did you know that?"
"Your wife told me."
After a pause, Tiger asked again, "So, the Silver Dragon Queen is your wife, right? Or was it a shotgun wedding?"
"Theoretically… she is indeed my wife. And we have more than two daughters now…"
Tiger was the one stunned now. "Alright, kid, now I understand why you're nervous. It seems you haven't been doing anything productive these past three years except helping the Silver Dragon clan expand their population, have you?"
"I said we'll talk after we break out, Master!"
"Hmph, fine then. Don't fall behind this old man," Tiger said.
Leon nodded. The two of them spread out, and the situation briefly descended into chaos.
Although Leon had no mana left, he relied solely on his physical skills and strength to repeatedly push back the three attacking Dangerous Types.
Tiger also realized that this kid's strength had improved significantly compared to three years ago. It seemed he hadn't just been idle enjoying family life with his wife and children in the Silver Dragon clan. He had not neglected his training.
The master and disciple cooperated seamlessly, maneuvering while retreating toward the side of the street.
However, two fists are no match for four hands, and their opponents were numerous, continuously releasing various ferocious A-level Dangerous Types.
"These people are completely reckless. If these Dangerous Types suddenly go out of control on the Empire's streets, many innocent civilians will be hurt," Leon said.
"The Empire is not what it used to be, kid," Tiger replied.
With that, Tiger raised his greatsword high. A blue light suddenly gathered along the blade.
Whoosh—
Tiger swung the greatsword down. A crescent-shaped blast of lightning shot out, exploding on the street ahead and blowing open a gap in the encirclement.
"Quick, let's go!"
Master and disciple rushed toward the opening, but over a hundred law enforcers and a dozen Dangerous Types were still in hot pursuit.
"Don't tell me you just rushed here to help me without any preparation," Tiger said as they ran.
"Of course I prepared," Leon replied.
"What preparation?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the urgent sound of horse hooves came from ahead. The master and disciple looked up and saw a carriage speeding toward them. On the carriage, a petite girl with two pistols on her back looked panicked. She gripped the reins tightly, shouting, "This horse won't listen to me at all!"
When the carriage was less than ten meters away from the master and disciple, Rebecca leaned back, using all her strength to pull the reins. After a clear whinny, the tall horse reared up its front hooves and stopped.
Rebecca let out a sigh of relief. "Driving a carriage is much harder than shooting."
Leon and Tiger exchanged a glance, then simultaneously climbed onto the carriage.
Leon took the reins from Rebecca's hands. "I'll drive. You go to the back and help Master hold off the pursuing Dangerous Types."
"Yes, Captain!" Rebecca smiled, her eyes sparkling. She had finally reached the part she was good at!
She went to the back of the carriage and saw Tiger. "Long time no see, Dad!"
"Let's save the catching up for later. Hold them off for a while. I'll prepare something big for them," Tiger said.
"Okay!"
Rebecca pulled out her pistols, released the safeties, and stepped onto the edge of the carriage compartment. The blue in her eyes shimmered with a long-lost fervor.
"It's been a while since I killed you monsters. Don't disappoint me!" With that, she pulled the trigger.
Instantly, gunfire erupted. The two heavy-duty pistols in Rebecca's hands unleashed a torrent of bullets from their magazines, the muzzle flashes illuminating her face.
The face that should have been described as "adorable" was now filled with an excited smile. She laughed, her ears filled with the cries and screams of the Dangerous Types.
Leon, driving the carriage at the front, listened to the constant gunfire. It suddenly occurred to him that his gunnery expert was euphemistically called a "nervous beauty," but less politely referred to as a "crazy loli"!
It was probably because the carriage was too confined. Otherwise, Leon was sure Rebecca would have brought that massive fire elemental cannon from her backyard.
Shaking off the thought, Leon focused on controlling the carriage forward. The chase continued. Dangerous Types kept rushing out from the side streets, and Rebecca's bullets were almost depleted.
While shooting, she looked back toward the carriage compartment. "Dad, how much longer? I'm almost out of ammo here!"
Tiger poked his head out of the compartment. "Keep shooting, I'll think of something."
With that, he ducked back inside.
"Ugh! Teaming up with that annoying old man and that clueless straight guy is so annoying!"
Rebecca grumbled in frustration while increasing her firepower output.
Just as Rebecca completely ran out of bullets, Tiger finally emerged from the carriage compartment. In his hand was a bundle of black thread.
Rebecca threw her overheated pistols aside. "Dad, what is that?"
"Watch closely, little girl," Tiger said, then threw the thread into the air.
The thread expanded in the air, revealing itself to be a finely woven giant net.
The giant net slowly drifted to the ground. The dim-witted Dangerous Types didn't even notice and stepped directly onto it.
Tiger seized the moment and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the giant net on the ground lit up with arcs of electricity and sparks. The monsters on it cried out in agony. The high-intensity lightning immediately paralyzed them, blocking the street and preventing the law enforcers behind from advancing.
"You're amazing, Dad!" Rebecca's eyes shone.
"Hmph, girl, you still have a lot to learn," Tiger replied.
The carriage raced away, leaving the chaos behind.
.
.
.
The three of them escaped to a slum. Leon pushed the carriage into a stinking swamp, then found some fodder to feed the horse. After the horse had eaten its fill, Leon set it free.
After handling all this, Leon entered a dilapidated house. Rebecca was busy maintaining her weapons, while Tiger had started a bonfire nearby for warmth.
Leon sat down by the fire, crossing his legs. Tiger used his greatsword to pry open a can of beef and handed it to Leon.
"I was planning to welcome you with a roasted beef feast, but conditions are limited. Let's make do with canned beef for now."
Leon smiled and took the can. "Master, I never imagined our reunion would be like this."
"Hmph, being able to meet is good enough. I thought the Silver Dragon clan had taken you away for good," Tiger said.
Tiger opened another can and handed it to Rebecca, then turned to Leon. "So, you came with Rebecca to find me. That means you saw the message I left for you at the farm, right?"
Leon nodded. "Yes, I saw it."
"What message?" Rebecca, who had quickly finished half her can, blinked her beautiful eyes and asked.
"Oh, it's about the mole. Master said you are trustworthy," Leon explained.
"Oh, I see. So it seems Dad has a good impression of me," Rebecca said.
"The impression is good, but trustworthiness isn't determined by impression alone," Tiger said.
"I left that message in the barn because I calculated it would be about a year until you returned, Leon. During this year, I have been secretly tracking and investigating the three of you."
Rebecca was slightly surprised. "You've been tracking us all this time… and I didn't notice at all."
As a former top member of the Imperial Dragon Slayer Army, Rebecca had high counter-surveillance abilities (forgetting to lock the back door didn't count). The fact that Tiger had been able to track and investigate her for a year without her noticing was truly impressive.
Tiger waved his hand dismissively. "Just simple tracking, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning~"
Rebecca smirked knowingly. She finally saw where Leon learned his boasting from. These two were really alike when they started showing off.
After some casual chat and catching up, Leon finally brought the conversation to the main topic.
The first thing he was most concerned about. "Master, is Mistress not with you?"
"Well, because the situation in the Empire turned out to be more complicated than I initially thought, I temporarily moved your Mistress to an absolutely safe place where someone is taking care of her," Tiger explained. After a pause, he added, "The donkey is there too."
"Oh… as long as Mistress is safe," Leon said.
Then, Leon asked another question. "Master, when you say the situation in the Empire is complicated, what exactly do you mean?"
Tiger sighed and began to explain slowly. "Three years ago, you disappeared during the Battle of the Silver Dragon. After the Dragon Slayer Army returned defeated, the Empire blamed you for the failure and labeled you a 'traitor.'"
"I didn't know what exactly happened on the battlefield back then, but I believe my disciple would never betray his comrades or his country."
"At that time, everyone thought you were dead, and I had no desire to stay in this corrupt Empire consumed by internal power struggles. So, I took your Mistress and left, hoping to live out the rest of our lives in peace."
"Until one day, I discovered a Silver Dragon seemed to be tracking my whereabouts. Through her, I contacted the Silver Dragon Queen, and she told me you were still alive."
"After getting a rough idea of the situation, I decided to return to the Empire to investigate this matter thoroughly and clear your name."
"I found an old friend who holds a position in the Empire's upper echelons. I didn't tell him you were alive, but I asked him to contact the people responsible for the Battle of the Silver Dragon and demand your exoneration. However, they completely ignored my requests and even tried to silence me."
"Two Imperial Guards intercepted me, and I knocked them out with the flat of my sword."
"But the next day, their bodies were found hanging on the palace walls, and I was framed as a wanted criminal," Tiger continued.
"From that moment on, I fully understood that the Empire had completely decayed, and your situation was not just a simple scapegoating. Someone deliberately framed you."
"The only way to negotiate with those dogs in the Empire is through 'violence.'"
"Over this past year, I've killed the leader of the Female Branch, the casino boss, and even a major drug lord. The Empire felt the pressure and didn't hesitate to deploy their Dangerous Types to intercept me."
"I estimate they will resort to even more outrageous methods next time."
After listening silently to his master's account, Leon spoke after a long pause. "You've been through a lot, Master."
"It's nothing. It's been a year, and I still haven't cleared your name of the traitor label. In the end, I still need you to come back and help me," Tiger said.
Leon reached out and patted Tiger's shoulder. "Don't say that, Master. You've already done enough for me."
Tiger let out a heavy sigh. After composing himself, he asked, "What are your plans next?"
"Well… first, we need to expose the mole who framed me. He should have deep connections with the Imperial Family," Leon replied.
Tiger narrowed his eyes slightly. "As I thought, you were framed."
The master and disciple began to exchange the clues and intelligence they had gathered.
Meanwhile, Rebecca quietly stole the can of beef that Leon hadn't finished.
.
.
.
In the palace, on top of the high walls, two figures stood looking down at the Empire.
"Leon is still alive."
One of the men spoke slowly, his voice deep and authoritative. "You failed. You didn't kill him back then."
The other man knelt down, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry, my lord… But I swear I pierced his heart back then. There's no way he could have survived…"
"Heh… Useless."
The "lord" lowered his gaze to look at the kneeling man.
"Tonight, he and your former teammate Rebecca took Tiger from the church. They will probably come looking for you soon. This is your mistake, and you need to fix it."
"Yes… My lord…"
"Furthermore, you know a lot of secrets. The only reason you're still alive is because those above have turned a blind eye. So, if you fail again this time, Leon won't need to deal with you. Your life will be forfeit anyway. Understand?"
"Yes, my lord. I will definitely succeed this time!"
The "lord" flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
"Within five days, I want to see the corpse of Leon Cosmodeous."