"To find my father, and to know who has been watching me from behind the scenes," Li Chonglou answered truthfully.
Ever since Lu Yunxu was hit by a car and he received that phone call, he had felt that he was being monitored by a mysterious force. His every move, even every word, might be under someone else's control. This feeling made his heart stir with a subtle restlessness and a touch of madness. Fortunately, his mental cultivation allowed him to suppress it.
However, the situation changed drastically when he encountered Lu Weishen, as people from the Wu family came to support him. By what right? Who was this Wu Zhengjiang, and who did he obey? Was it his father, or his father after being possessed by Wu Zetian? These questions were like a dense fog, enveloping him completely. If he couldn't unravel these mysteries, he would be like a puppet, manipulated at will.
Now, with no news from Wu Hao and Fan Lei still investigating, he couldn't just wait passively. Therefore, taking over the Antique Association became a desperate gamble, something he had to do despite the difficulty. He wasn't a fool; he knew that under Lu Weishen's rule, the Antique Association was already filled with vested interests, and his entry would be met with great resistance. But he had no choice, because only by stirring up trouble and making a big scene could he possibly lure the hidden manipulator into the open.
After Li Chonglou shared these concerns with the two, Lin Ying's pretty face was filled with astonishment, while Lin Zhendong's expression was solemn, his eyes flashing with sharp insight. He said in a deep voice, "You are right. I have also always found it strange, as if an invisible hand is manipulating everything from the shadows."
"From the moment I saw you in prison, I had this feeling," he continued. "How can past and present lives be connected? It seems like a divine arrangement, a predestined fate. But the more I think about it, the more terrifying it becomes..."
He had had much more time to ponder than Li Chonglou after his rebirth. The moment he saw Li Chonglou, he felt a sense of closeness, took him as a disciple, and gave him a prophecy. Everything seemed reasonable, like fate, but it also made him uneasy. What if all of this was orchestrated and controlled by someone? But who could achieve such a feat? To control even past and present lives—what kind of ability was that? It was no exaggeration to call it godlike.
Originally, he had only guessed, not dared to be certain, as he wasn't Li Chonglou. But after hearing his disciple's words, his suspicion grew firmer: this invisible hand that controlled their lives or destinies definitely existed. However, in what form it existed, and who its master was, remained obscure and unknown to anyone. Li Chonglou's move to take over the association might have been anticipated by others, or it might be a surprise strategy to win amidst chaos. Regardless, it was better than being passive all the time.
"Dad, Junior Disciple, what you're saying is too profound. Even I find it hard to believe..." Lin Ying's perception was far less than that of the two involved; she was half-believing.
Li Chonglou and Lin Zhendong exchanged a glance and said no more. This profound feeling was beyond words; even to his closest senior sister, she couldn't truly empathize. They could only take things one step at a time, until they broke through the situation or met their end.
The three chatted for a while on another topic. Lin Ying received a message and looked up, saying, "Junior Disciple, Professor Song and Zhang Chen will arrive in Qin Province tomorrow. They want to talk to you about the Xihai Qiang King's tomb."
Upon hearing this, Li Chonglou chuckled mysteriously, "That kid Zhang Chen, he's probably coming specifically to see Senior Sister, right?"
"He calls me Uncle-Master now!" Lin Ying deliberately put on a stern face. "As his master, you should manage him properly."
The word "master" brought a flicker of melancholy to Li Chonglou's eyes. He suddenly remembered Zhang Dongxu, who was still in prison in Yong'an. Both were named Zhang; one had already become his disciple, while the other constantly wished to be his disciple and had even avenged him by killing his great enemy Li Hanlong, only to end up in prison. Fate was indeed mysterious, always making coincidences feel opportune. It truly was said that nothing happens without a reason.
Seeing Li Chonglou's mood dim slightly, Lin Zhendong didn't brew more tea. After finishing the current brew, he escorted him out. Before leaving, he took out the pedestal of Shi Boqiong and handed it to Li Chonglou: "Returning it to its rightful owner, perhaps it will still have some use in your hands."
Li Chonglou didn't understand what his master meant and didn't ask further, accepting it.
Upon returning home, Jiang Yuxin had already returned from the hospital, her face filled with sadness and self-blame: "Yunxu was injured so badly... and I was helpless..." Since the Jiang family's bankruptcy, she had lost contact with many of her former friends. Conversely, her relationship with Lu Yunxu had progressed rapidly. Coupled with the subsequent tripartite cooperation of their companies, they had become intimately close. Now, seeing Lu Yunxu's life in peril, how could she not feel distressed?
"Don't worry, Wu Hao is investigating. It won't be long before the truth comes out and the culprit is brought to justice," Li Chonglou said softly, gently putting his arm around his wife's shoulders to comfort her.
There were things he couldn't tell Jiang Yuxin now; what he least wanted was to drag his wife and mother into this matter. Who was the tomb-robbing tycoon who had called him and deliberately targeted him? And who was behind Wu Zhengjiang? He was utterly confused. With no clues himself, he didn't want Jiang Yuxin to worry about it either. In comparison, his preferred opponents were people like Huang Dongcheng; at least they were clear and easy to guard against. If necessary, he could even punch himself or kick him, and it would be fine.
Being hidden in the dark was the most troublesome. As the saying goes, you don't fear a thief who steals, but one who covets. Li Chonglou was currently in such a predicament. Jiang Yuxin was still simple and didn't overthink things. Moreover, she still had company financial matters to oversee, leaving her little time for grief. Wiping away her tears, and without lingering for affection, she returned to her company, which was very close to home.
Li Chonglou then went back to his study, sat in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and quietly contemplated his next move. Finding his father was not something that could be achieved in a short period; whether he was still alive or if the manipulator behind the scenes was him, these were mere speculations, unprovable, and he couldn't rush.
The most important things now were: first, to subdue the Antique Association, using Qin Province as a base to radiate throughout Huizhou Province. The antique circle in Yong'an was insignificant, not worth mentioning; the cultural heritage of such a new commercial city was too low, far inferior to a small place like Qin Province. Once Qin Province was handled, it would be close to handling the entire province. However, Yong'an could not be neglected either; preparations were being made to have Wu Hao move the company there. After all, the market and resources of the provincial capital were incomparable to a small city like Qin Province. Only, as long as Lu Yunxu didn't wake up, this matter could not be realized; for now, they could only wait for news from the hospital.
The second matter was the return of the 'Eagle' unit. Bai Jing was still recovering from her injuries there and should be able to return to the unit within a month at most. This meant he only had one month left. Once he joined the 'Eagle' unit, whether he would still have freedom was another matter; he would completely transform from an expert in the cultural and museum circle into a formal soldier. The pressure was immense.
Li Chonglou's mind was in turmoil, and he didn't want to dwell on it further. He took out the pedestal of Shi Boqiong, which his master had returned to him, and played with it for a while. After his mind calmed down, a thought flashed through. Previously, when he activated the pedestal with his blood, a seal script character "水" (water) would appear. He had already been to Xihai; he wondered what it looked like now. Out of curiosity, Li Chonglou endured the pain, bit his fingertip, and smeared a drop of blood onto the pedestal.
*Whoosh!*
Instantly, just like the blood glow on the large stone in Kunling, the pedestal, which had been emitting a blue light, turned crimson. Then, the blood-red light converged in the recessed area of the pedestal. It shot out a crimson beam, which penetrated Li Chonglou's brow between his eyes. A cold aura circulated in his mind, making Li Chonglou shiver uncontrollably. Although his body had been recovering during this time, and the fat consumed by his photophobia had begun to reaccumulate, he still had little resistance to the cold. However, this cold aura soon subsided and retreated to the position of his brow.
Li Chonglou felt as if he had grown an extra eye, and the sense of rejection made him involuntarily panic. He rushed out of the study and into the bathroom to look in the mirror. On the surface, there was no visible change, except for a faint, almost imperceptible thunder pattern on his brow, much like the lines that appear when an ordinary person frowns. It didn't look conspicuous. A strange sensation emanated from this pattern. Li Chonglou couldn't help but touch it with his hand, and his body immediately trembled as if he had touched his eyeball, so sensitive it was.
*Swish...*
In the next second, the mirror in front of him disappeared, followed by the solid wall. Everything in the guest room behind the wall was clearly displayed in his mind.
"Is this... X-ray vision? Heavenly Eye ability?" Li Chonglou, with his vast knowledge, was still stunned. The wall in front of him was like nothing, utterly failing to obstruct his vision. What else could this be but the X-ray vision from science fiction movies? Why did this happen so suddenly? Could it be that after he activated that large stone in the Kunling tomb, the Shi Boqiong pedestal of the same material had undergone subtle changes or energy? Radiating him, thus causing him to mutate and gain the heavenly eye ability from myths?
Li Chonglou's mind raced with speculations. After the initial confusion, the scene before him disappeared, returning to its original state. This completely exhilarated and shocked Li Chonglou. As a renowned figure in the cultural and museum circle, he certainly knew what x-ray vision implied. Without mentioning anything else, just in terms of gambling on jade, it meant invincibility. As for archaeology, there was no need to say; being able to see through everything without damaging the tomb structure was incredibly heaven-defying. Even with his composure, he was ecstatic at this moment.
However, this ability currently seemed limited to seeing through one wall. And it failed if his mind became chaotic. Li Chonglou, to verify his conjecture, forced himself to calm down and returned to that state of emptiness. Indeed, the wall became transparent again. As his gaze shifted elsewhere, even the floor disappeared. Fortunately, Li Chonglou did not suffer from acrophobia, otherwise, he would have been startled.
Downstairs, his mother was sitting in a rocking chair, sorting vegetables with his mother-in-law, chatting as they worked. Every move and expression was clear to him.
"Who would have thought that a trip to Xihai and Chang'an would bring such an unexpected surprise," Li Chonglou said after watching for a while, feeling a bit dizzy, and retracted his vision. At this moment, he already had an idea of how to subdue those stubborn heads in the Antique Association.