"At a time like this, you're still in the mood for chess," Li Xueqin said, frustrated.
"Stay calm. I've seen our son, and he'll be fine. The Daoist priest has taught him so much, and our son is already more powerful than his father. What is there to fear?" Zhang Yufei replied calmly.
Having run an antique shop for so many years and seen so much, coupled with his earlier experiences in Old Changsha with his father, Zhang Yufei was naturally accustomed to many things. It was not unusual for him to know some martial arts, a fact he had kept from Zhang Tian all along. Even Li Xueqin knew martial arts; only Zhang Tian, the unsuspecting fool, was unaware.
"Alas, while that may be true, our son's ambitions are growing. I originally thought we'd just live a simple life, with our family bickering, and Xiao Tian having a healthy baby. Who knew this kid would insist on forming some kind of group, and now all sorts of factions are keeping an eye on us?" Li Xueqin sighed, feeling dejected.
Ever since he started working at the Nine Gates, numerous prominent families had their sights set on it. After all, rumors were rife throughout Beili City about an old Daoist priest who always carried an umbrella, serving as the Minister of the Exorcism Department at the Nine Gates. He reputedly exorcised spirits and collected hefty fees daily, so it was no wonder they were being closely watched.
"Alright, Xueqin, that Daoist priest has some real abilities. You shouldn't worry so much. It's much nicer to play chess with our dear granddaughter," Zhang Yufei said, glancing outside. He was waiting for news from his informant, and it was impossible not to worry. After all, that was his only "heir," so how could he not care?
Zhang Tian, of course, was unaware of his parents' concern behind his back. If he knew, he might, no, he definitely would have been moved by his parents' sudden change of heart.
A few hours later, Zhang Yufei rose from the chessboard.
"Grandpa, are you not playing anymore?" Tuan Tuan asked adorably, looking at the nearly won game. Unfortunately, her accent contrasted with her cute appearance.
"No more playing. Xiao Tuan Tuan, you play here by yourself. Remember to speak loudly, okay? Grandpa has to go out for something," Zhang Yufei said, quietly leaving the antique shop.
The little fox's big eyes darted around, and with a flick of her little finger, the chess pieces on the board began to move on their own. "Hmph, naughty grandpa, running off by himself and leaving Tuan Tuan. Tuan Tuan wants to see what you're going to do." Pouting, Tuan Tuan quietly followed him.
"How is it?" Zhang Yufei asked a man in black standing before him, his voice serious. This was a stark contrast to his demeanor at Zhang Tian's home. He was cold and extremely serious. Zhang Tian had never seen his father look so serious in his life.
"Why has Grandpa suddenly changed so much?" Tuan Tuan whispered fearfully from atop a nearby roof.
"To the family head, the investigation is complete. The young master drove a car and reportedly went to the desert. We gathered information in the desert, and it seems they went under the guise of a Chinese archaeological expedition team," the man in black reported. It was easy to inquire, as any village head would know about Zhang Tian and his companions, and a simple question would reveal their whereabouts.
"Good heavens, his father doesn't even rob graves, and this kid dares to go? He must be tired of living!" Zhang Yufei was stunned. No wonder Zhang Tian's strength had improved so quickly; he had been out tomb robbing. He assumed this because Zhang Yufei knew his son too well. Why would Zhang Tian bother with archaeology when he had his own family's antiques to study? He was definitely using archaeology as a cover for grave robbing.
Zhang Yufei swallowed. His family had "gone clean" starting with his generation, and by Zhang Tian's generation, they were completely legitimate. This was one generation earlier than the Wu Tianzhen family. It was a shame that Zhang Tian had managed to shock his father for an entire year.
"It's said that the desert is full of ancient tombs and is extremely dangerous. Could that Zhang Qilin also be an expert?" Zhang Yufei thought of Zhang Qilin. He had always felt Zhang Qilin was unusual, giving him a strange feeling. Now, he realized, his son had somehow found so many prodigies.
However, Zhang Yufei then considered. "If my son becomes stronger and obtains treasures, it's equivalent to me becoming stronger. If I become stronger, it's equivalent to my grandson becoming stronger. If my grandson becomes stronger, he won't lack a wife in the future."
"I understand. Xiao Tian is planning ahead for my grandson." Zhang Yufei engaged in a bout of self-deception. After fooling himself, Zhang Yufei accepted the reality. "Let him rob, as long as he doesn't rob his own family's graves. Ah, why does he always do such foolish things?" Zhang Yufei waved his hand, no longer bothering with Zhang Tian. Zhang Yufei knew his son too well; Zhang Tian had always been more mature than others since childhood. He was calm, and if he dared to go, it meant he had full confidence. Thus, Zhang Yufei felt a bit relieved.
"Alright, you may go," Zhang Yufei said, waving his hand. The man in black vanished from the spot. Afterward, Zhang Yufei hurried towards his family's ancestral hall.
Soon, inside the ancestral hall.
"Ancestors, our family is disgraced! Your great-great-grandson is going tomb robbing again!" Zhang Yufei cried out mournfully.
"Bang bang bang." The next moment, after he finished speaking, dozens of ancestral tablets enshrined in the Zhang family shattered.
"Holy crap, returning to our old ways. Great-grandfather, you don't have to be *that* happy, do you?" Zhang Yufei swallowed and quickly grabbed some glue to mend the tablets. Tuan Tuan watched this scene and giggled in secret. "Great-grandfather must be so shocked, haha." Tuan Tuan thought, a smile on her little face.
After tidying up the ancestral tablets, Zhang Yufei decided not to tell Li Xueqin about this. He planned to keep it a secret from his son. If Li Xueqin found out, she would likely ground Zhang Tian.
Soon, days passed. Zhang Tian's camel team arrived at the edge of the ancient city of Loulan. Looking at the familiar ancient city, Zhang Tian sighed. "Alas, the prosperity of the past will eventually turn to dust." He sighed, unaware that his father had already discovered he was going tomb robbing.
"Whoosh." For some reason, as they approached the outskirts of the ancient city of Loulan, a strange, eerie wind began to blow. It felt very peculiar.
"Boss, has the King discovered us?" Fatty asked from the side.
"This is within his domain, so naturally, he would be discovered." At this moment, the Princess of Loulan had appeared at some point. She was even wearing armor and wielding a weapon, looking like a female general preparing to attack a city.
"Holy crap, Princess, you're holding a weapon. Fatty almost didn't recognize you." Previously, the Princess of Loulan had not brandished her spear. Now, upon reaching the ancient city of Loulan, she had actually taken out her spear. It was clear she was prepared for a fight.
"Wait, I feel like we can talk our way out of this. There's no need to fight." Zhang Tian quickly interjected. His principle was: if you can persuade someone with virtue, then persuade them. Why exert unnecessary effort?
"You don't understand," the Princess of Loulan said, then flew straight inside. Zhang Tian and the others exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"Ah, we can't do anything about her. Fatty goes first," Fatty said, hurrying ahead. Hu Bayi and the others followed, but Zhang Tian was not in a hurry. Instead, he prepared some food for the camels, telling them to wait obediently. Looking at the scene before him, Zhang Tian shook his head slightly, as if he had seen through everything.
"Let's go too," Zhang Tian said softly, then slowly walked into the city with Zhang Qilin.