Chapter 1017 - 1013: I Am the Hunter!
Mizuno Pengyu sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of regret that he couldn’t shake off. If Xiao Tian didn’t have so many unresolved suspicious points, this person would definitely be an excellent candidate. His temperament and intelligence were top-notch, along with his extraordinary medical skills, promising great achievements in the future.
But Mizuno Pengyu understood that the Mizuno Clan he currently led, though appearing to rival the royal family, lacked such deep foundations. As the saying goes, even a skinny camel is bigger than a horse, which illustrates this point.
Perhaps ten years or even five years ago, Mizuno Pengyu wouldn’t have been so cautious and careful. He would rather take some risks and definitely try to draw Xiao Tian in. But times have changed.
Now that he had built the Mizuno Clan to this point, he dared not take risks anymore because he couldn’t afford to lose. Every decision had to be well thought out because a mistake could lead to lifelong regret.
Slowly regaining his composure, Mizuno Pengyu seriously watched Xiao Tian and replied, "I do find you suspicious. It’s even possible you are the Hunter, but I’m not sure if I’m right about that."
Xiao Tian was speechless. This situation was almost exactly as he initially anticipated. Having had many conflicts with the Mizuno Clan, he knew that being exposed to those people’s scrutiny for too long would inevitably show some flaws. So his initial plan was to lie low in secret and act when the opportunity arose.
However, the incident with Ozawa Miwa consuming the Heart-Breaking Fruit disrupted his plans, forcing him to reveal himself. The royal family, blinded by themselves, failed to notice much, but who could have expected Mizuno Pengyu to come along halfway?
One must admit that sometimes fate plays tricks, and plans can’t keep up with changes.
Acknowledging this, Xiao Tian knew he couldn’t just sit and wait for fate to decide. Although he had ways to mitigate the situation, solving the problem at its root required meeting two conditions.
First, possessing absolute power above everyone else. But with the presence of a Super Top Expert like the middle-aged man here, even being at his peak wouldn’t make much difference.
Second, proving he wasn’t the Hunter. But that posed another problem: being at the other’s mercy, like a clown. As for how to prove it, who could say?
It certainly wouldn’t be simple.
Although Xiao Tian didn’t know much about Mizuno Pengyu, from their conversation, it seemed the latter was the type to fully plan before taking real action. In short, he wouldn’t fight unprepared battles.
If that’s the case, Mizuno Pengyu must be prepared for this, so it’s just a matter of time before exposure. So it doesn’t matter if it’s sooner or later.
"Congratulations, you guessed it right, I am the Hunter!"
As he spoke, Xiao Tian wiped his face, and his once somewhat dark skin instantly turned fair. His previously unnoticeable features became distinct and handsome, with an instantly recognizable countenance!
"..."
At this moment, the whole room plunged into dead silence. Everyone stared at that all-too-familiar face, feeling as if they’d seen a ghost. Some whose mental fortitude was weaker even fainted, rolling their eyes and falling to the ground.
After the silence came a sudden outbreak of panic. No matter what Xiao Tian’s true nature was, in everyone’s minds, he had been marked with deeply ingrained labels: cold-blooded, murderous, hateful, and all sorts of terrifying descriptors...
All at once, chaos erupted uncontrollably, and Xiao Tian’s face seemed as demonic as ever, much more shocking than the previous Celestial Demon Vine incident!
Meanwhile, the experts from the Mizuno Clan and the royal family, responsible for maintaining order, were too preoccupied to manage this, showing signs of vigilance as they gathered together, forming a protective stance around their elders and leaders.
Although Mizuno Pengyu had anticipated this somewhat, seeing Xiao Tian truly unveil his disguise brought genuine relief. At least, this way, he didn’t have to worry about him being used by the royal family!
As for whether Ozawa Miwa could influence Xiao Tian to turn towards the royal family, though, the possibility was slim, if not null. Besides, the public sentiment could not be suppressed.
The problem now wasn’t the royal family trying to sway Xiao Tian, or the Divine Doctor role he played, but rather how to break away from association with him.
In this regard, Mizuno Pengyu was somewhat confident!
Everything happened more or less as he predicted. The moment Xiao Tian dropped his disguise, the middle-aged man did consider such thoughts. Regardless of their hidden machinations, at least on the surface, they had to make a show of it, without any shortfall.
Witnessing this, Ozawa Miwa couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding for Xiao Tian, immediately stepping forward resolutely to block the middle-aged man, saying, "Father, if you’re going to kill Brother Tian, then kill me first."
The middle-aged man was taken aback, having forgotten about his daughter’s unexpected stance!
Irritated and anxious, he could only glare at Xiao Tian and harshly say, "What boldness, to still dare appear on our soil."
However, alongside this stern rebuke that reached Xiao Tian’s ears was a quick, anxious inquiry: "What now?"
Honestly, the middle-aged man hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, nor could he fathom Xiao Tian’s bold and perplexing reaction. In his view, if Xiao Tian just denied it outright, even if Mizuno Pengyu persisted, he’d only be frustrated with no solution.
Yet Xiao Tian simply stepped forward, without even waiting for Mizuno Pengyu to press him or use any tactics, leaving others baffled.
But now that it had happened, no matter how furious, he could only suppress it and get through this hurdle first. Since Xiao Tian dared to appear so openly, he must have some plan...
"So what if I appear? You forced a young girl into this situation, and you wouldn’t let me stand for justice?" Xiao Tian mocked with a smile, "On the contrary, I saved your daughter, and you should be grateful to me!"
"Courting death!"
The middle-aged man shouted in a commanding voice, immediately releasing all his imposing presence without reservation. Ozawa Miwa, caught in the brunt of it, instantly went limp, fainting from the overwhelming and irresistible pressure.
Though he inevitably felt some heartache, in such a moment, who knew what earth-shattering act his daughter might commit? Letting her faint was the best course of action.
Xiao Tian agreed with this stance. Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs, so he wasn’t worried about Ozawa Miwa suffering much harm. He merely observed the middle-aged man charging like lightning, assuming a well-prepared battle stance.
It seemed he intended to clash with the middle-aged man...