That beast-like gaze—it even startled the head of Zoro's clan. Such raw intensity… enough to rattle a fourth-rank swordmaster. In that instant, he felt as though the person before him wasn't his son at all.
Now he understood why Zhuo Distant had said what he did. Clearly, there were many secrets yet to be uncovered—especially the ones surrounding Zoro. Heaven only knew what he had gone through to develop such a feral, predatory look in his eyes. It was deeply unsettling—like facing something that might devour you whole.
He felt like he was looking at a stranger. Were it not for the faint resemblance, he would have doubted that this was his son. Something was undeniably different. He needed answers. What had happened to him during that missing month?
"You, take the young master and check him over. Make sure he's not injured. When he's recovered, report back to me."
The head of Zoro's clan issued his orders, then departed. There was much to handle—especially matters concerning the Jian Sect. The pressure they exerted was suffocating. Were it not for that formidable individual whose power far surpassed the local factions, things would've already turned bloody. The only reason they hadn't taken action was because they feared him.
Unfortunately, the strongest swordmaster on their side was only at rank four. There was no way to compete with a tenth-rank opponent. Even united, they were no match—that much was painfully clear. Otherwise, he wouldn't be carrying a sword at his waist instead of wielding it in war.
Back in his quarters, Zoro's dislocated arm had been set, but he couldn't understand a word of what anyone was saying. The body he inhabited was pitifully weak, giving him no room to act. So he simply lay down and drifted into sleep.
Later that night, Zhuo Distant finally returned. Judging by the look on him, it had taken great effort to silence the enemy. No one had seen Zoro's brilliant technique—and that was exactly how it had to stay, at least until they uncovered the full truth. His abilities couldn't be exposed—not yet.
The regime had been suppressing the next generation's potential under the guise of "nurturing" talent. Everyone knew it was a lie. They weren't fostering growth—they were strangling it. The ruling powers feared one thing above all: rebellion. Even if no one currently had that intention, who could guarantee it would never arise? This world was full of accidents—but every accident had a cause.
To secure the throne, every potential threat had to be eliminated. Only then could they ensure a stable reign. It was brutal—but it worked.
Just a month ago, someone from their clan had shown the potential to become a tenth-rank swordmaster—possibly even beyond. The authorities found out and took him away. There was no resistance. The man vanished. No one could stop it. It was a bitter end.
"Zhuo Distant, what became of that man?"
"He's dead, sir. I made sure of it. No one else will know. With him gone, the young master is safe."
Zhuo Distant was visibly stirred. He couldn't help it—because during their fight, the enemy had let something slip: Zoro had released a wave of sword energy. A real burst. That alone was earth-shattering. No one could unleash sword energy without first cultivating Qi. It defied every known rule of swordsmanship.
Or at least, it defied modern rules. In ancient times, there had been such people. But now? For it to happen again—it was simply beyond belief.
"Sir, the young master may be one of this world's rarest prodigies. It's been confirmed—he can release sword energy. And we both know he has no Qi at all. For him to do this without any energy guiding him… I truly believe he's a genius."
Zhuo Distant was nearly breathless. In today's world, only those who had cultivated Qi could wield sword energy. It was impossible otherwise. And yet—here stood an exception.
"What did you say? Zoro really unleashed sword energy? That's… that's not possible. Are you certain?"
Even the head of Zoro's clan lost his composure. This wasn't something just anyone could do. He hadn't heard of anything like it in years. It was terrifying—and thrilling.
"I'm sure, sir. When I arrived on the scene, I forced the enemy back. Then I noticed the young master's axe had been shattered—clearly from internal force. There were strange marks on the ground, too—clean cuts from sword energy. But the cuts came from two opposing directions, meaning there were two sources. And since only the young master was present, I hunted down the enemy to confirm. That man said something I'll never forget: that Zoro is the first person without Qi to ever release sword energy. That's all the proof I need."
Zhuo Distant might seem blunt, but in moments like these, he was entirely reliable—and his report was airtight.
"If all this is true… just what happened to Zoro during that missing month? How did he become this powerful? We cannot let this secret get out—or it'll cost him his life."
The clan leader was truly shaken. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined his son held such strength. But strength like this… was dangerous.
"I understand, sir. I won't let this information leak. The only problem is—we don't know if anyone else saw it. If someone did… it could be a disaster."
"Let's pray they didn't. Whatever Zoro went through… this secret must never leave our clan. This is a secret we'll take to our graves. It concerns the very future of the Zoro clan."