Chen Xi felt a sense of unfamiliarity as she looked at the young figure before her.
The so-called son of Professor Chen wore glasses and had a scholarly demeanor, giving off the impression of a bookworm.
He seemed rather dispirited.
Chen Xi straightened her body, her gaze fixed on the man in the image.
"This is wrong. My father, how could he look like this? And how did he get together with my mother?"
"And how did I come into existence?"
Chen Xi was filled with a million questions, her mind teeming with doubts.
She was curious about her own origin and also wanted to understand what happened with her father, her grandfather, and her mother.
All of this troubled Chen Xi.
Judging by the timeline,
Professor Chen was now elderly.
But Professor Chen's son was in his youth. This suggested that Professor Chen's son must have been adopted.
After all, Professor Chen was so old, he couldn't possibly still be vigorous.
And Chen Dongping was barely twenty years old. It was impossible for him to have Chen Xi at that age.
The ages didn't match either.
Therefore, Chen Xi had always been curious about her own background.
At this moment, Chen Xi realized her own overly strong reaction and quickly retracted her leg.
She then plopped down onto a chair, her mind in a daze.
[Is this Goddess Chen Xi's father? To be upfront, I'm not targeting anyone, but I'm just curious why Chen Xi's father looks so... well.]
[Yeah, it's nothing like Goddess Chen's personality. And Goddess Chen is so intelligent, she probably didn't inherit that from her father.]
[I think there must be something wrong here.]
On the scene, countless people began to discuss.
Chen Xi naturally heard them but did not respond, merely watching the image before her.
She was very curious about her own origins.
At this moment, the scene continued.
As Chen Dongping stood up, the surrounding experts turned their attention to him.
There were looks of doubt, suspicion, and even disbelief.
"Is this Professor Chen's beloved son? I've never heard of him having a son."
"I haven't either. I only heard that Professor Chen had no children his entire life. How could he have a beloved son?"
"He must have been adopted."
"Someone like him, so young, going into such a tomb, would surely be cannon fodder."
In an instant, the surrounding people began to chatter.
Chen Dongping's expression turned a little awkward.
He lowered his head, appearing somewhat shy.
With his demeanor, he certainly didn't look like an explorer or an archaeologist.
This caused a wave of sighs from those around him.
"He is my adopted son, and he also studied archaeology. I wanted him to accompany me into the tomb to learn, so please bear with us."
Professor Chen said softly, doing his best to defend Chen Dongping.
After he finished speaking, Chen Dongping also raised his head.
"Hello, esteemed uncles. I am Chen Dongping. You can call me Xiao Dong. I am twenty-three years old and have a master's degree."
"I want to broaden my horizons and also learn alongside everyone."
Chen Dongping's voice was relatively gentle.
After he finished speaking, the crowd applauded.
This was not for his sake, but to show respect to Professor Chen.
"He's the youngest master this year, and he even studied abroad. You should all cherish this opportunity."
"By the way, Xiao Dong, I also heard that you're getting married?"
Professor Li chimed in, skillfully diverting the topic with a smile.
It was clear that Professor Li was not only an archaeology professor but also possessed great emotional intelligence.
"Yes, my fiancée and I have agreed. We will get married after we return from the Jingjue Ancient City."
"We will have a daughter of our own. I like daughters."
Chen Dongping said with a smile.
His face now showed a hint of confidence.
Everyone nodded in satisfaction, and then began to discuss their plans.
Soon, Professor Li had selected the team. Not too many people were needed for the trip to the Jingjue Ancient City.
More people meant more supplies, which was often disadvantageous.
Therefore, four or five people were already quite a lot for tomb exploration.
This time, Professor Li chose two relatively capable experts, and Professor Chen's side also selected about three people.
This brought the total to eight people.
Eight people was already considered quite a substantial group.
"Old Li, should we invite some young people this time? They are stronger than us."
Professor Chen was referring to Zhang Tian and the others.
Shirley Yang and Hu Bayi were acquainted with them, and Professor Chen wanted them to join as well.
This would provide additional strength, as Hu Bayi's capabilities were well-known.
Professor Li hesitated for a moment.
"Alright, let's go and find them."
After Professor Li spoke, the group of experts began heading towards Zhang Tian's residence.
They wanted to invite Zhang Tian, or more accurately, Hu Bayi, to join them.
However, their plan was clearly going to fail this time.
Zhang Tian and the others had just returned; why would they go out again? Thus, when they arrived at the room, Zhang Tian ruthlessly turned them away.
Even though Professor Li clearly stated the purpose of their visit and even mentioned the meeting they had just held,
Zhang Tian and Hu Bayi flatly refused.
This left the expert team at a loss.
"Alright, Old Li, I think we should forget it. We'll go by ourselves. If the children don't want to, then so be it."
Professor Chen advised earnestly.
"Okay."
Professor Li nodded. He looked at the team members beside him.
"Why are you holding a weasel? And why is this weasel getting bigger and bigger?"
Professor Li frowned slightly.
This weasel was the one found in Huang Shuliang's tomb.
After being brought back by a female archaeologist, it had been kept.
To their surprise, it was still here, and it had grown to the size of a dog.
This was quite unbelievable.
It had only been palm-sized before. Professor Li suspected the weasel had been given hormones to grow.
"Professor Li, this little Huang eats well, so it grows fast. And Xiao Huang is very smart and doesn't cause trouble."
The female team member said softly, her tone a little flustered, as if she was worried they would chase Xiao Huang away.
"This weasel seems to be the one I asked to bring back. You can keep it, just don't cause any trouble."
Professor Li didn't say much more and waved his hand, and the group left.
After they departed, behind the gate of the courtyard,
A figure in black stood rigidly.
The figure in black wore a hooded garment, and their fair face was devoid of any emotion.
Only the corners of his lips trembled slightly.
A low murmuring sound could faintly be heard.
"There is a demonic aura."
His voice was very cold, but his sharp eyebrows flickered with an acute glint.
Just now, among that group, there was a demon!
Zhang Qilin felt a sense of confusion, but his gaze shifted outside. After they left, Zhang Qilin paid them no mind.
After all, it was none of his business. Zhang Qilin was not a saint who would help everyone he met; that would make him a do-gooder.
Zhang Qilin slowly departed, and the expert team embarked on their journey to the Jingjue Ancient City.