Chapter 1212: Chapter 627: Night Stroll?
At this moment, Ning Xiaoxian glared at Changtian. If this guy had a bit more patience, the ghost would have been crushed into nothingness by the Divine Power of the golden snake once it got within half a mile. Since you’re helping, why not help all the way? Seriously.
Changtian ignored her, opened the door, and walked out with a slight curve at the corner of his mouth.
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On a cold winter morning, it’s naturally very chilly outside.
Old Man Zeng, however, had a good habit; every morning, he would go to the valley to practice a set of Five-step Fist. This was a Health Care Boxing passed on to him by an expert over thirty years ago, which could ensure health and physical fitness, but it had to be practiced outdoors. The old man lived to sixty years, still strong and sturdy like a young man, thanks to this daily accumulation of kung fu.
However, today someone appeared in the valley earlier than him.
He recognized the silhouette at a glance; it belonged to the young man staying at his house. Although they had only met twice, the aura of grandeur and dignity about this man was unforgettable and couldn’t be ignored by anyone. In Old Man Zeng’s view, this aura even far surpassed that of typical dignitaries. He once saw the City Lord during a market gathering in the nearest big city, thought him to be an immensely noble Heavenly Person, but compared to this man, it felt like not even worth shining his shoes.
Old Man Zeng thought for a moment and mustered the courage to speak: "Young Master, you’re up really early." It wasn’t even the time before awakening (5 a.m. to 7 a.m.); the sky hadn’t brightened, and the roosters at home hadn’t left their nests to crow.
Upon hearing this, Changtian turned around, slightly surprised. Not to mention others, many Great Demons in the Hidden Stream didn’t dare make a sound upon seeing him. Although he suppressed his aura, this aging mortal surprisingly had the courage to talk to him. This courage alone was enough to make someone look at him in a new light.
He responded with a faint "Hmm." Unlike that lazy and greedy girl, he didn’t need sleep; after returning to his room, his inner fire burned brightly all night, alas.
Old Man Zeng knew nobles often had quirky tempers, and seeing his indifferent attitude, he didn’t get upset, just happily began his pose and started the routine.
Changtian spread his Divine Thought, aware of what Old Man Zeng was doing without turning around. This crude boxing style only had yang-nourishing abilities, far inferior to the Guiding Technique Ning Xiaoxian practiced in the past, and naturally couldn’t meet his standards. He walked back and forth at the edge of the valley, then pointed at an old pagoda tree: "Is this tree yours too?"
Old Man Zeng quickly stepped forward to take a look: "Ah, yes. This small patch of fruit woods is also mine."
Changtian slightly frowned: "In the past twenty years, have any blood relatives passed away?"
Old Man Zeng’s smile vanished immediately; he asked in shock: "Young Master, how do you know?" Could it be that this nobleman in front of him also had the abilities of immortals or a Heavenly Master?
Changtian nodded towards the base of the old pagoda tree: "There’s something buried under the roots of this tree. Dig it up, and you’ll understand."
Having lived so long, Old Man Zeng knew something was out of the ordinary, so with a solemn expression, he returned to the shack, quickly fetched a shovel, and began digging under the frozen earth beneath the pagoda tree.
Upon digging, he realized something was wrong. The soil that had been frozen from autumn to early spring should have been as hard and cold as steel, but when he thrust the shovel down forcefully, it went deeply into the earth.
Old Man Zeng’s expression changed: "This soil is loose; someone has disturbed it in the past two days at most!" Having spent his life farming, his understanding of the land surpassed even that of Changtian.
Since it was loose soil, it didn’t take long to reach the bottom. He threw down the shovel and pulled out a small linen bag from the pit.
"What is this?"
This question echoed Old Man Zeng’s thoughts, yet it was clear and crisp. Changtian’s lips curled slightly: "You actually got up this early?"
Ning Xiaoxian automatically ignored the slight sarcasm in his words, focusing solely on the bag: "Open it and see." She too hadn’t slept well the night before; caught in a state between sleep and awake, she heard noises from the valley and came to watch the commotion. She knew Changtian too well; without something peculiar, he wouldn’t have come to the valley.
Old Man Zeng’s heart pounded inexplicably as he squatted down, holding the bottom of the bag, and emptied its contents onto the ground.
The bag contained few items: two pale, broken bones, a fragrance bag emitting a strange smell, and a longevity lock. With Ning Xiaoxian’s eyesight, she could tell these two slender broken bones likely belonged to a child under eight years old, judging from their shape, probably a finger bone and a short leg bone, especially with deep scratches on the leg bone, as if caused by the fangs of a wild beast.
Upon seeing these items, Old Man Zeng was stunned, staying motionless for a long time before shakily reaching to pick up the longevity lock from the ground, calling out: "A...Axia, come out quickly!" His voice was hoarse, barely able to speak, trying several times to get this call out.
Upon hearing his loud, raucous shout, Granny Liu hurriedly came out from the house and said: "You’re getting more and more outrageous; yelling so early in the morning, what if you disturb the guest..." Before finishing, she caught sight of the items in Old Man Zeng’s hand, drawing a sharp breath.
She hastily rushed over, snatched the longevity lock from Old Man Zeng’s hand, and held it close to her chest, caressing it for a long while. Fearing she’d faint from excitement, Old Man Zeng hurriedly said: "Put it down, put it down, let the Young Master take a good look!"
Granny Liu couldn’t hold back her tears: "Isn’t this our Qiu’er’s belonging? It was buried with him at the time, so how is it here now!"
The longevity lock in her hand was coarse in workmanship and old-fashioned in style. With Old Man Zeng’s family never being affluent, they could only afford to have a craftsman make this longevity lock with Brass. It wasn’t clear how long it had been buried underground, but now it was covered in verdigris, and the necklace had already broken. Yet Granny Liu held onto this longevity lock as though it were the world’s greatest treasure.
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