Are you Lin Fan?" The old man walked up to Lin Fan quickly, looking him up and down with trembling hands, his face flushed with excitement.
"It's so similar!" he thought to himself. Even after all these years, he could still vaguely see the shadow of Lin Fan's childhood in him.
"You are the Third Master?" Lin Fan asked suspiciously, studying the old man before him. There was a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Yes, I am Lin Zhengtian." The old man nodded repeatedly, his expression a mix of excitement and complexity. He hadn't expected Lin Fan to appear after being missing for eight years. If only he had come back a day earlier, he might have been able to see his father one last time.
"My father... he..." After confirming Lin Zhengtian's identity, Lin Fan didn't have time to dwell on the joy of recognition. He took a deep breath, his voice laced with uncertainty and nervousness. Though he knew his father's death was a fact, a part of him kept deceiving himself, hoping against hope for a different answer.
"Your father is indeed dead..." Lin Zhengtian sighed heavily.
"How did he die?" Lin Fan asked, struggling to suppress the grief welling up inside him.
"Died of a heart attack."
"Stop standing here. Let's go inside and talk." Lin Zhengtian led Lin Fan into the Lin Family Manor. This time, the security guards at the gate did not stop them. Instead, they exchanged bewildered glances, struggling to process the reality—this man was truly the young master of the Lin family who had disappeared eight years ago.
Upon entering the villa's grand hall, Lin Fan's eyes were immediately drawn to the coffin placed in the center of the room. In that moment, all the fantasies he had clung to shattered. He finally accepted the painful truth—his father was gone.
His heart twisted with unbearable sorrow. Tears welled in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks uncontrollably. The pain in his chest was suffocating, and regret consumed him. If only he had returned earlier, perhaps he could have seen his father one last time.
"Father!" Lin Fan fell to his knees, bowing deeply before the black-and-white photo of Lin Tiannan on the coffin.
The rest of the Lin family in the hall stared at him in confusion, unsure of who he was or why he was acting this way.
"Third Uncle, who is this?" Lin Tianlei frowned as he approached Lin Zhengtian.
"What? You can't even recognize your own nephew?" Lin Zhengtian snorted coldly, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.
"My own nephew?" Lin Tianlei was stunned. He only had one nephew—Lin Fan—but Lin Fan had been cast out of the family eight years ago. Could it be...
"Third Uncle, do you mean that he is Lin Fan?" Lin Tianlei's voice trembled with disbelief. For a moment, even the grief over his elder brother's passing faded in the shock of this revelation.
"Yes, he is Lin Fan."
"Xiao Fan? Is it really you?" Lin Tian frowned, suspicion creeping into his mind.
Why did he choose to return at this exact moment? With his naturally doubtful nature, Lin Tian couldn't help but feel wary. Why now, after eight years?
"Now is not the time for such thoughts. Let's discuss everything after the funeral," Lin Zhengtian said with a sigh, shaking his head at Lin Tianlei's skepticism. He had always known his nephew to be overly suspicious, but doubting Lin Fan's intentions at a time like this?
No matter how rebellious Lin Fan had been, it was impossible that he had anything to do with his father's death.
Meanwhile, Liu Qiyue had also noticed Lin Fan. Though surprised by his appearance, she remained calm. She took out her phone and quickly sent a message to Jiang Che.
Jiang Che's reply came swiftly, reassuring her not to worry.
From the moment Lin Fan had arrived at the Lin Family Manor, Jiang Che had noticed him. Most of the guests present were ordinary people with no combat ability, but Lin Fan's aura was different—unrestrained and powerful. It was impossible to ignore.
What's more, the system had given Jiang Che an alert, warning him of Lin Fan's presence. He had expected this.
Perfect. Now he could humiliate him face-to-face.
After reaching the rank of master, Jiang Che no longer feared anything—not even missiles. Lin Fan, whose cultivation level was far lower, was nothing more than an insect in his eyes.
"Uncle, did my father really die suddenly from a heart attack?" Lin Fan asked Lin Tianlei, his bloodshot eyes filled with doubt.
"I know it's hard to accept, but yes, your father did pass away from a heart attack. The Lin family's personal doctor confirmed it." Lin Tianlei placed a comforting hand on Lin Fan's shoulder. He had never expected the little boy he once knew to return as the man standing before him now.
"Are you sure it wasn't murder?" Lin Fan's voice was laced with sarcasm as his gaze locked onto Liu Qiyue.
His instincts screamed at him—his father's death was linked to this woman!
The hall fell into a dead silence. The air was thick with tension.
"Nonsense! Do you realize what you're accusing her of?!" Lin Tianlei snapped angrily.
He understood Lin Fan's implications. Was he really pointing fingers at Liu Qiyue?
He himself had harbored doubts in the beginning, but Jiang Che had already proven Liu Qiyue's innocence. Moreover, she had taken care of Lin Tiannan for years—something he had witnessed firsthand.
If she were like other women, she would have long since left and lived a life of luxury elsewhere.
"I know you have misunderstandings about me, but I am still your stepmother. Do you really think it's right to slander me without evidence?" Liu Qiyue stood up, her gaze meeting Lin Fan's without fear. Though inwardly anxious, she took comfort in the fact that Jiang Che was present. As long as he was here, there was nothing to worry about.
"Oh, now you remember that you're my stepmother?" Lin Fan sneered mockingly.
He held no good opinions of Liu Qiyue. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a femme fatale.
"Do you really think I don't remember how you slandered me back then?"
"Slandered you? About what?" Liu Qiyue asked, feigning calmness.
Lin Fan ignored her. Instead, he turned to his uncle.
"Uncle, I want to open the coffin and examine my father's body."
"Open the coffin?! Absolutely not!" Lin Tianlei refused instantly.
His elder brother was already gone, laid to rest in his coffin. To disturb him now would be a grave offense!
But before anyone could react, Lin Fan strode toward the coffin and lifted the lid.
"Lin Fan! Stop this at once!" Lin Tianlei's face darkened.
The entire Lin family erupted in protests, scolding Lin Fan for his disrespect. But Lin Fan ignored them all.
Many elders wanted to stop him, but Lin Zhengtian held them back.
He had a feeling Lin Fan wasn't acting on impulse.
If Lin Fan dared to do this, he must have noticed something.
He carried Lin Tiannan's body out of the coffin and placed it back onto the examination table. His sharp eyes carefully scrutinized every detail.
Then, he found it.
Lin Fan's hands trembled slightly as he pulled out a silver needle from his bag. He inserted it into an acupoint on the lower abdomen of the corpse.
A moment later, dark blood seeped from the wound.
Lin Fan's pupils shrank.
His fists clenched.
This isn't a heart attack.
His father had been poisoned.
He clenched his fists, his heart burning with rage.
Seeing the black blood, Lin Fan's pupils shrank, and his heart filled with extreme anger. With this bloodstain as proof, he could basically conclude that his father had been poisoned and murdered.
"What's going on?" Lin Tian's sharp eyes also noticed the black blood. Frowning, he looked at Lin Fan and asked. As far as he knew, the blood in the body would not turn black after just one day. Over time, the blood would dry up slowly until the corpse rotted.
"Someone poisoned my father. He was poisoned to death," Lin Fan took a deep breath and said, unconsciously glancing at Liu Qiyue standing nearby. He felt she was the most suspicious person, and the one who had the easiest access to his father.
"Poisoned? Could it be that you made a mistake? Eldest Brother had been suffering from a strange disease before, and he was seriously ill," Lin Tianlei said uncertainly. It wasn't that he didn't believe Lin Fan's words, but the claim seemed far-fetched. If Lin Tiannan had been poisoned, how could the Lin family's private doctors fail to notice? The doctors employed by the Lin family were all highly paid medical experts with profound knowledge in medicine.
"Suffering from a strange disease? What kind of strange disease? When did he get it?" Lin Fan asked quickly, feeling that he had uncovered a clue.
"It started the year you disappeared. After you were kicked out, your father deeply regretted it. He was depressed all day long, and not long after, he developed this strange illness."
"What did the doctors say? Couldn't they cure it?"
"The doctors said they had never seen such an illness before and had no way to treat it," Lin Tianlei explained. "Every time your father fell ill, he became groggy, his limbs weak and sore, and his breath listless. The doctors suspected it was a mental illness. Later, we even consulted a psychiatrist, who suggested that your disappearance had caused him severe emotional distress. Since there was no news of you for years, his condition never improved."
Lin Tianlei sighed, his expression complex. If Lin Fan had returned a few years earlier, perhaps his father's condition could have improved. Unfortunately, it was too late now.
"Mental illness?" Lin Fan frowned, contemplating for a moment before shaking his head. Even if it were a mental illness, the blood wouldn't turn black. This situation clearly indicated that his father had been poisoned and assassinated!
Now, the most pressing matter was to find the murderer. Thinking of this, Lin Fan's gaze landed on Liu Qiyue again. He already harbored deep prejudice against her, and she remained the most suspicious.
"Liu Qiyue, did you poison my father?" Lin Fan's voice was cold, his tone accusatory.
"First, you should call me 'Little Mom.' Second, if you slander me again, I will report you for defamation," Liu Qiyue replied calmly, without a trace of fear.
"I will find the evidence. Just wait!" Lin Fan said coldly. He knew this woman was no simple character, and he wouldn't catch her slipping so easily.
"Sister-in-law loved Eldest Brother dearly. Stop suspecting her for no reason," Lin Tianlei said, dissatisfied with Lin Fan's accusations. He knew Lin Fan disliked Liu Qiyue, but he was puzzled by Lin Fan's baseless claims.
Over the years, while Lin Fan was away, Liu Qiyue had personally taken care of Lin Tiannan without complaint. Lin Tianlei had seen it all. Even after Lin Tiannan's death, he continued to treat Liu Qiyue with respect.
"That's right, Xiao Fan, you need proof before making accusations. Claiming that Qiyue poisoned the Patriarch without evidence is outrageous," Lin Tianzheng also stepped forward, reprimanding Lin Fan.
"Exactly, Xiao Fan. Even if you don't trust others, you should trust your uncle. This matter has nothing to do with my sister-in-law," Lin Hao added.
Although Lin Hao was a whole generation above Lin Fan, he was younger in age, and the two had often played together as children. Over the years, Liu Qiyue had earned the Lin family's trust. None of them had ever doubted her.
Just moments ago, she had wept bitterly, her grief appearing genuine. No one believed she could be involved in Lin Tiannan's death.
Seeing family members stand up to defend Liu Qiyue one after another, Lin Fan frowned. A bad premonition arose in his heart…