"Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao, come here..."
The voice was ethereal, as if from a distant place.
But Chen Xiao was certain that the voice came from within that black and white building.
And he was very familiar with this voice, feeling a connection as if it were tied to his bloodline.
Yet, he was also absolutely sure he had never heard this voice before.
He stared blankly at the black and white building.
"Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao, come here, I've been waiting for you for a long time, for three thousand years..."
The voice sounded again, and Chen Xiao walked towards the black and white building involuntarily.
At this moment, it felt as if a fog had cleared before his eyes; the black and white building was a colossal palace.
The palace was incredibly vast. From Chen Xiao's perspective, he couldn't see any signs of people inside.
"Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao, I miss you so much, do you know? Three thousand years, do you know how much I've missed you?"
Under the allure of the voice, Chen Xiao stepped towards the black and white palace.
He walked for an unknown duration. Ripples spread outwards from beneath his feet, forming a straight line.
Yet, the distance between Chen Xiao and the black and white palace did not shorten by even an inch.
However, Chen Xiao continued to walk as if he were oblivious to this bizarre event.
Suddenly, a hurried voice rang out.
"Chen Xiao! Chen Xiao!"
This voice was entirely different from the previous one. Chen Xiao jolted, looking up at the sky.
This voice seemed to be coming from the heavens.
Following that, there was a series of booming sounds, like a cascade of thunder.
But the sky was a clear blue, without a single cloud. How could there be thunder?
Chen Xiao was utterly perplexed. At that moment, the voice from the sky sounded again.
"Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao, wake up quickly, stop sleeping, someone is here to see you!"
Hearing this, Chen Xiao immediately woke up, because the voice from the sky was his mother's.
He abruptly opened his eyes, his consciousness returning to his body. It was pitch black outside the window, and his mother's urgent knocking echoed from the door.
"Chen Xiao? Why are you sleeping so soundly today, you rascal!"
Chen Xiao quickly replied, "I'm awake, I'll be out in a moment, stop knocking!"
Chen Xiao rubbed his eyes, still feeling a bit dazed, as if he had just woken from a deep dream.
But he was certain it was not a dream.
That voice, that palace, and that azure sky... they must have all existed.
And they existed within the Yin-Yang Jade he wore on his chest.
This Yin-Yang Jade must hold some profound secrets.
However, now was not the time to investigate it. After all, his mother had said someone was looking for him.
Chen Xiao glanced at the time. It was past midnight, and four or five hours had passed since he had 'fallen asleep'.
He wondered who would come looking for him at such a late hour.
Chen Xiao opened the door. His mother stood at the threshold, looking at him with a very peculiar expression.
Chen Xiao was taken aback. It was only when he had done something wrong that his mother would look at him like that.
Just as he was filled with suspicion, he heard his mother lower her voice and say, "Chen Xiao, a young lady has come to see you. It's so late, I don't know what it's about?"
"I'm warning you, no playing around with multiple people, understand?"
Hearing his mother's warning, Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. What was all this about?
What young lady? What playing around?
At that moment, a voice from outside the door called out, "Master!" Chen Xiao immediately knew who had arrived.
Besides Qi Qingfei, no one else called him that.
Upon hearing the word 'Master', his mother's eyes widened.
She glared at Chen Xiao, her expression clearly conveying: "You brat, you're playing quite the game, calling someone Master? Let's see how you explain this one."
Chen Xiao had no way to explain anything to his mother. And Qi Qingfei coming to see him so late must mean something had happened.
"So it's Qingfei. Why are you looking for me so late? You could have just called me!"
Chen Xiao said as he walked out of his room.
Qi Qingfei replied with a hint of embarrassment, "Actually, I did call, but you didn't answer. Perhaps you were sleeping too soundly..."
Chen Xiao opened his phone and indeed saw several missed calls. He felt a flush of shame. "Ah, I might have been a bit tired these past couple of days. By the way, you still haven't told me what you need me for?"
As soon as Chen Xiao finished speaking, Qi Qingfei knelt down before him with a thud.
Liu Zhen, witnessing this, immediately felt displeased. She thought, what kind of act is this?
She strode over angrily, about to drive Qi Qingfei out of the house. However, what Qi Qingfei said next made her stop.
"Master, I beg you, save my father! He's dying!"
Liu Zhen was stunned. So she had come to ask Chen Xiao for medical help. It seemed she had misunderstood.
Chen Xiao quickly helped Qi Qingfei up and asked, "What happened to your father? What's his condition now?"
It was better that he didn't ask. The moment he did, Qi Qingfei burst into tears.
"My, my father's poison has flared up, he's about to die. When I left, he was already on his last breath..."
Chen Xiao's brow furrowed. "That's not right. After I treated your father last time, he should have had at least another three months. It's only been a month, how could the poison have flared up now?"
Yu Qingfei shook her head, appearing utterly exhausted.
And Chen Xiao didn't expect Yu Qingfei to have any answers.
Chen Xiao immediately said, "Don't worry, we'll leave right away. Don't worry, with me here, your father won't die!"
Chen Xiao's words calmed Yu Qingfei considerably. At this moment, Chen Xiao was her anchor, her steadfast support.
"Mom, I have to go out."
Chen Xiao told his mother.
Once Liu Zhen understood the reason, she naturally wouldn't make things difficult for Chen Xiao. She even urged them, "Hurry up and go. The patient's condition is so critical, don't delay!"
Chen Xiao and Qi Qingfei set off immediately. Qi Qingfei drove like the wind, running countless red lights. About ten minutes later, they arrived at the Qi family's villa.
It was one in the morning, and the Qi family villa was brightly lit.
The villa and its surroundings were crowded with people.
Most of them were influential figures from Jiangcheng, including magnates and merchants.
Even the major figures of Jiangcheng's underworld were present, gathered in small groups, smoking, discussing matters, their faces etched with grief.
Upon seeing these people, Qi Qingfei's face instantly turned pale.
Because before she had left, her home hadn't been this crowded.
The presence of so many people could only mean one thing: her father had already...
Qi Qingfei stumbled out of the car. A crowd approached her, their eyes clearly marked with tear stains.
"Qingfei, Master Hu, he has... passed away..."