At that moment, he couldn't help but glance at Feng Baobao with a look of faint pity.
This girl had her right to choose taken from her the moment she was born—created by human hands from the very start.
"Even your soul... was meticulously constructed," Hikaru sighed softly.
"But the only fortunate thing," he added, "is that none of these abilities left any side effects on you."
At those words, Xu Xiang could no longer contain himself.
He roared with rage:
"Impossible! No one can possibly create an entire human being from scratch!"
"You're lying, aren't you?!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Xiang choked, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the bed.
Xu San and Xu Si panicked and rushed to call the doctor, hurrying over to check on their father.
After a round of frantic activity, Xu Xiang slowly came to his senses.
By now, he'd calmed down—he had to, after brushing past death just moments ago.
Panting heavily, he asked hoarsely, "What proof do you have that Baobao is an artificial human?"
Hikaru shrugged.
"I'm just telling you what I know. If you're looking for proof, go find it yourself."
With that, he stood and prepared to leave.
He'd already gotten what he came for—there was no need to linger.
Feng Baobao, meanwhile, fell silent.
She didn't fully understand what Hikaru meant, but judging by Xu Xiang's reaction, it didn't seem like a good thing.
So, she grabbed the hem of Hikaru's clothes and asked innocently:
"Don't go. I still have questions. Do you know who I am? Who my family is?"
Hikaru looked down at the confused girl, fell into thought, then replied:
"Though you were created, the one who likely led the ritual… was Wugen Sheng. His goal may have been to resurrect his wife or child."
He paused, then continued, "So, in that sense, Wugen Sheng might be your family."
Feng Baobao's eyes lit up.
She muttered happily, "Wugen Sheng is my family. I have family..."
But the Xu family trio turned pale the moment she said that.
They knew who Wugen Sheng was. Back in the day, the 36 Bandits were hunted down—almost none met a peaceful end.
And at the center of that chaos was Wugen Sheng. He was a walking catastrophe—anyone who got close ended up dead.
If Feng Baobao really clung to him as family, even they wouldn't be able to protect her.
They immediately looked to Hikaru, hoping he'd take back what he just said.
But by that point, Hikaru had already walked nearly out of sight.
In desperation, Xu San activated his innate ability—telekinesis—to try and stop him from leaving.
But the moment he did, blood burst from his nose and mouth.
At the same time, a cold, blood-soaked aura descended on the room.
It was like the stench of corpses and battlefield gore, laced with murderous intent.
Everyone present found themselves unable to breathe, as if an invisible hand were wrapped around their throats.
Even Feng Baobao felt it. On instinct, she pulled out her trusty Okamoto kitchen knife.
But when she saw it was Hikaru releasing the aura, she laughed awkwardly and sheepishly put the knife away.
Hikaru couldn't help but crack a small smile at her antics, the iciness on his face melting slightly.
With a flick of his wrist, the dreadful aura vanished as if it had never existed.
The Xu family was now thoroughly shaken by Hikaru's power. They knew better than to act rashly again.
Otherwise, they might not walk out alive.
Just then, Hikaru seemed to remember something and walked up to Zhang Chulan.
Before Zhang Chulan could even react, Hikaru tapped two fingers to his forehead.
Zhang Chulan nearly jumped out of his skin, thinking he was about to die—but then information flowed into his mind, and he realized…
Hikaru was passing him the Old Farmer's Technique.
Zhang Chulan looked at Hikaru with a complex expression.
The overwhelming strength and aloofness Hikaru had shown earlier stirred both reverence and curiosity in him.
Clenching his jaw, he finally mustered the courage to ask, "Big bro, would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh? What do you want to ask? But I don't answer for free—you'll have to offer something in return."
Zhang Chulan thought hard, hesitated, then said:
"I can offer the Golden Light Curse in exchange!"
But Hikaru didn't even blink. "Not enough."
Zhang Chulan was stunned. He hadn't expected such a blunt rejection.
He gritted his teeth. "Then also the Thunder Techniques!"
Those were among Dragon Tiger Mountain's top techniques—powerful and shrouded in mystery.
But it still didn't interest Hikaru. "Still not enough."
Zhang Chulan was at a loss. He had nothing else worth offering.
Seeing that Hikaru was about to lose patience and leave, Zhang Chulan panicked.
He threw himself at Hikaru, skidding on his knees and shouting:
"My whole life has been like walking on thin ice! I don't know if I'll ever reach the other shore! If you don't cast me aside, I—"
Before he could finish, Hikaru's expression darkened.
Did this kid think he'd never seen Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
Even if he feared no challenge, this kind of ominous pledge was too much.
He immediately shouted at Feng Baobao, "Stop him! Don't let him finish!"
Feng Baobao still held a good impression of Hikaru—after all, he'd helped her find her family.
So, without hesitation, she leapt over and covered Zhang Chulan's mouth.
Their ridiculous antics dispersed the heavy atmosphere entirely.
Xu Xiang and his sons looked at the scene with complicated expressions. Finally, Xu Xiang sighed and said to them:
"Let's leave it at that for now. I have no other solution."
Then he glanced meaningfully at Hikaru.
According to his sons, Hikaru had returned with them from the Tianxia Association.
But Xu Xiang knew the Association inside out—and there was no one like Hikaru in their ranks.
With that thought, Xu Xiang's eyes lit up. He turned to Hikaru and asked tentatively:
"Young friend, are you new in town? Do you have a place to stay?"
"You've done so much for us—why not let us repay you with some hospitality?"
Hikaru looked at him in surprise.
As expected of a regional leader—sharp as a blade.
With just a few clues, he'd already deduced part of Hikaru's background.
And despite the fact that Hikaru had just threatened them, he could still speak so calmly.
A true player in this game.