Chapter 6: Where's My Mom?

Alberto Quinny's puzzled stare fell on him. Reid Quinny turned to his sister and said evenly, "Destiny, tell him. Tell him what the Looske family did to you." "Okay." "Dad, you and Mom got taken here because the Looske family told me where you were!" Destiny Quinny recounted everything she had endured over the past year, from beginning to end. By the time she finished, Alberto's honest, weathered face had flushed a furious red. "Outrageous. Absolutely outrageous!" he roared, voice shaking. "You're his own granddaughter. How could he be that inhuman?" He grabbed Destiny's hands as if afraid she might vanish. "Thank God you're all right. If anything had happened to you… your mother and I wouldn't have had any reason to keep living." Watching the man in front of him, pain and rage tangled together in every breath, Reid's chest tightened with a sudden, unfamiliar guilt. He had always blamed Alberto for being too busy with work, for never paying enough attention to him. Only then did he understand how heavy his father's burden had been. Alberto had shouldered the Looske family's pressure alone, held the whole family together for him, and never once complained. A father's love was like a mountain. Silent. Unmoving. "Dad," Reid said softly, "I'm back. Leave the rest to me." He turned and strode toward the front gate. "Reid, don't do anything stupid!" Alberto shouted, hurrying after him. He was too late. Reid kicked the Looske family's gate open and stepped inside. At the noise, several security guards rushed out with batons, blocking his path. "Who the hell dares break into the Looske family!" Reid clasped his hands behind his back and looked down at them, expression calm. "Tell Edison Looske to come out." The guards' faces changed. "How dare you speak the family head's name!" "What's going on?" A frivolous voice drifted over. A young man in designer clothes sauntered out. One guard pointed. "Young Mr. Looske, these people kicked the gate in and barged in. They even called the family head by name. Please decide what to do!" Tony Looske swept a contemptuous glance over the three of them and sneered. "Alberto Quinny, these are the two little bastards you had with my Fourth Aunt, that cheap whore?" He laughed coldly. "Didn't I hear one of them fell off a cliff three years ago and died? How are you still alive?" "What, didn't the fall kill you, so you came here to die properly?" He snapped his head toward the guards. "What are you waiting for? Get him!" A flicker of killing intent flashed through Reid's eyes. "You're asking to die." Alberto hurriedly pulled Reid and Destiny behind him. "Young Mr. Looske, if you want something, come at me. Don't bully the kids!" Tony's smile turned cruel. "Relax. Anyone who breaks into my Looske family won't be walking away. Including you." "Move!" The guards charged with raised batons. Destiny's face went pale. "Brother… I'm scared." Reid patted her shoulder, his smile gentle. "Don't be. I'm here. No one's going to hurt you." Alberto's eyes reddened. He lunged at the guards with a hoarse shout. "Don't you touch my children!" Reid stepped forward first. One punch per man. The guards crashed to the ground in a heap. He stopped about three feet from Tony and stared at him without a word. Tony blinked, surprised, then chuckled. "Oh? Not bad. So you've got some training." He curled his lip. "But with that little bit of skill, you think you can come to the Looske family and act wild? You're nowhere close." "Today, I'll show you what a real expert looks like!" Tony clenched his fists. Crack, crack, crack-his bones popped as he tensed. Reid's gaze sharpened. He sensed a faint spiritual fluctuation on Tony's body. *Tony Looske… is he a cultivator?* No. He carried spiritual fluctuation, but compared to a cultivator, it was weaker by tens of thousands of times. Tony drove a fist forward, straight at Reid's face. "Little bastard, I'm crippling you today!" The punch was fast, precise, and vicious, cutting the air with a low whoosh. Even an ordinary person could tell how much force sat behind it. Alberto screamed, terrified. "Reid, get back!" Reid did not move an inch. He simply watched the fist coming. Tony sneered to himself. *Country kid. Learned a couple cheap tricks and thinks he can storm my home.* *He's seen real Martial Path and got scared stupid.* When Tony's fist was only inches from Reid's face, Reid lifted two fingers and pinched Tony's wrist. "What!" Tony's eyes widened. "How is that possible?" He gritted his teeth. "Hmph. You think two fingers can stop me? Dream on!" He poured all his strength into the punch, trying to force through. It did nothing. No matter how hard he strained, he could not move even a hair. Reid's two fingers felt like iron tongs, locking his arm in place. "Let go of me if you've got the guts!" Tony roared. Reid's face stayed blank. He lifted his leg and kicked Tony straight in the Core Vessel. "Stop!" A shout erupted from the villa's main hall as someone rushed out. Too late. Bang! Tony flew backward, face bloodless. He hit the ground hard and spat a mouthful of blood. "Y-you… you crippled my cultivation base!" Tony shrieked, features twisted. "Little bastard, I'll kill you!" Reid remained calm, hands still behind his back. "That's the price of running your mouth." "Xiao Hao!" A frantic cry rang out. A middle-aged man in a black Tang suit sprinted over, hauled Tony up, and stared at him with naked worry. "Son, how bad is it?" It was Tony's father, Zeke Looske… and Reid's second uncle. Tony howled, veins bulging. "Dad! That little bastard destroyed my Core Vessel! Get revenge! Tear him to pieces!" "What?" Zeke's face darkened like storm clouds. He whirled on Reid, fury blazing. "You animal! No matter what, he's your cousin. How could you strike so viciously?" Alberto frowned and stepped forward, about to speak, but Reid stopped him with a hand. Reid looked at Zeke and did not waste words. "Where's my mom?" Zeke glared at him, saying nothing. He turned and barked at the guards, "Go. Bring Attendant Looske here. Have him treat the young master's injuries!" Reid took one step closer, his tone heavier. "Where's my mom?" Zeke seemed to feel the killing intent rolling off him. Panic flickered through his heart, yet he forced his voice hard. "Is that how you speak to your elders?" Even Alberto was shaken by the pressure coming from his own son. He stared, stunned. *What did Reid go through these past three years? He's like a different person.* "Reid," Alberto urged, "watch your attitude. He's still your second uncle." Reid ignored him. Expressionless, he stepped forward again. His voice stayed flat, but it carried a force that pressed on the air itself. "I'm asking you. Where's my mom?" Zeke felt as if a prehistoric beast had surged up in front of him, swallowing his breath. His chest tightened, and for the first time, he had no choice but to answer. "I don't know. Fourth Sister was locked up by Father personally. Only Father knows." "Then go bring him here," Reid said calmly. "No need." An aged, authoritative voice cut through the air.