Chapter 19: The Xenos Family of Sparrow Capital

The Sparrow Capital, the heart of the Sparrow Kingdom, is its most prosperous city. The royal family of the Sparrow Kingdom is not fixed. Since the establishment of the Sparrow Kingdom, the royal lineage has changed over eight times. Currently, it is ruled by House of Windsor, the most powerful clan in the kingdom. A cloud boat slowly descended at the Sparrow Capital's port. Among the many disembarking, a figure in a black martial robe and a cloak stepped down. His head was bowed, partially concealed by the cloak, making his face indiscernible. The most eye-catching aspect was the six-foot-eight long, fine iron Horse Beheading Blade on his back. Passersby merely glanced and moved on. Though martial cultivators wielding Horse Beheading Blades were rare, they were not unheard of. Titus slowly lifted a corner of his cloak, gazing at the familiar Sparrow Capital port with complex emotions. It had been three years since he left this place for the Skynet Sect. Now, finally, he was back home. The surroundings hadn't changed much in three years. To get to this cloud boat returning to Sparrow Capital, Titus had journeyed through three small cities, a month-long travel. During that month on the cloud boat, he immersed himself in cultivation within the Ancient Wilderness, practicing both his Blade Cultivation and the Meteor martial technique, sleeping only four hours each day. Talent alone wasn't enough; hard work was essential. Suddenly, a group of armored soldiers approached, holding up wanted posters and inspecting passersby. "Look here, see if you've encountered this man," the lead soldier announced loudly. "A thousand gold coins reward from the House of Windsor for information, and ten thousand for his capture. This is Titus, the direct heir of the Xenos Family." "What did this Titus Xenos do?" someone curiously asked. "I don't know, but orders from the House of Windsor dictate that anyone who encounters him and reports it gets a reward. Concealing his whereabouts is punishable as complicity," the leading soldier barked. Titus was about to turn away when another soldier shouted, "You there, in the cloak, yes, you! Take off that cloak!" Titus stopped. "I said take off your cloak, didn't you hear?" the soldier grew suspicious. The other armored soldiers also focused their attention on Titus. Seeing him remain silent, they began to slowly disperse and encircle him. Titus took a deep breath. Suddenly, a young woman in crimson battle armor rushed over, grabbing at Titus. He was about to dodge but froze upon seeing her face. "Elsie Xenos..." "Shut up and come with me!" Elsie glared at Titus, and without waiting for him to say a word, she grabbed his collar and turned to walk away. Then she waved a command token in her hand. Seeing the command token, the armored soldiers immediately stopped and saluted. Elsie was the eldest daughter of Jasper Xenos, who was Titus's uncle, making her Titus's cousin and three years older than him. They had grown up together, and Elsie treated Titus like a younger brother. However, Elsie had average talent and couldn't join the ranks of martial arts masters. Instead, she had joined the military and fought on the battlefield for years. She not only earned numerous military merits, but also held the position of commander-in-chief in the Sparrow Kingdom. Elsie pulled Titus into a secluded corner, grabbed his collar, and glared at him in anger. "How dare you come back here? Don't you know the meaning of the word 'life and death'?" Despite her angry tone, Titus saw worry in her eyes. "I wanted to see if you were all safe," Titus explained. Elsie blinked, her initial anger dissipating, replaced by a more softened expression. She even felt a strange sense of emotion. "You little rascal, tell me, what happened at Skynet Sect? Why is there a wanted notice from Skynet Sect for you issued by the House of Windsor?" Elsie huffed. "I can't tell you the specifics. All I can say is that I encountered injustice at Skynet Sect," Titus replied without revealing too much, as he knew Elsie would be even more worried if she knew everything. In any case, his return to Sparrow Capital this time was mainly to check on his family's situation. After seeing that Elsie and the others were fine, Titus felt relieved. "Elsie, please pass on my regards to Uncle Jasper for me. I need to leave now," Titus said, giving Elsie a deep look before turning to leave. Suddenly, a large group of armored soldiers approached from a distance, organizing themselves into teams and spreading out to conduct a thorough search at various street corners. "The House of Windsor is sending people to capture you. If you go out now, they'll catch you. Come with me first, back to our home," Elsie said without waiting for Titus to refuse, grabbing him and leading the way. Titus could only helplessly smile. He knew Elsie's personality, and she wouldn't let him leave on his own. He had no choice but to follow her back to the Xenos Family. Moreover, he hadn't seen his uncle, Jasper, in three years, and Titus missed him greatly. ... Inside the Xenos Family residence. Upon hearing of Titus's return, Jasper, the head of the Xenos Family, rushed to the hall. "Titus, are you alright?" Jasper anxiously inspected him, worried he might have been harmed. "I'm fine, Uncle," Titus reassured him, warmed by his family's care. Facing the harsh realities of the world outside, it was only when Titus returned home that he could truly feel the warmth and care of his loved ones. At least, he knew that he still had family who cared for him. When Titus was young, his parents had ventured out and never returned. His uncle, Jasper, who was also his guardian, had raised him with great love and care. In fact, Jasper's affection for Titus often exceeded that of his own two biological daughters. In Titus's heart, although Jasper was his uncle by blood, in reality, he was like a father figure to him. "What exactly happened? Why is Skynet Sect putting a bounty on you?" Jasper inquired. "I was framed. After joining the Inner Sect, I was sabotaged, my Sea of Qi was destroyed, and my Martial Spirit seed taken," Titus revealed. "Who did this?" Jasper's anger flared. "They are so ruthless. Tell me who it is, and I will make sure they regret ever coming into this world," Elsie declared with determination. Elsie's fury rose too, her years of battle-hardening adding a deadly edge to her concern. "Don't worry about it, Uncle, Elsie. I'll handle it," Titus dismissed their concerns. "How can you seek revenge with a broken Sea of Qi?" Elsie retorted, her directness not meant as mockery but born of frustration at his reticence. "Revenge? You're already ruined, how can you even think of that?" Another voice echoed from the entrance of the hall, and a stunning young woman dressed in deep blue martial attire swept into the room. Her appearance exuded an icy coldness, and her expression was full of contempt. Seeing the exquisite young woman, Titus was taken aback. This was Jasper's younger daughter, Anya Xenos, who was only one year younger than him. Among all the descendants of the Xenos family, Anya Xenos had the most outstanding talent. Not only had she already joined the Icy Heart Sect, but she had also become a disciple of the Inner Sect a year ago. Three years had passed, and the girl from back then had grown into a graceful young woman. She had become even more beautiful than before and exuded an extraordinary charm. "Anya, why are you back?" Elsie asked Xenos in surprise. "I was just passing by and thought I'd drop by," Anya replied with a cold tone. Passing by? Elsie frowned. The Icy Heart Sect was far to the north, several thousand miles away. It was impossible for them to just pass by Sparrow Capital without a specific reason. Obviously, Anya had come back on purpose. She cared about Titus, but she refused to show it openly. Elsie shook her head slightly, understanding her sister's personality well. At that moment, Anya fixed her beautiful gaze on Titus and coldly said, "Since you're already crippled, you'd better stay at home and stop dreaming of revenge. If you insist, you'll only bring more trouble to our Xenos family." "Anya, he's your brother, how can you speak to him like that?" Jasper scolded. "Father, you've always coddled him. Do you realize the trouble he's brought upon us?" Anya countered. Before Jasper could respond, the sound of a fight and screams came from outside.