Tomb Raiding: My Family's Last Clan Chief is Little Brother

Chapter 307 Take Me Home
"That's all." The fat man carefully placed the small piece of paper into Zhang Wuxun's palm.

"This is just a tiny bit we found in the ashes of the brazier," the fat man explained. "The archives room was a complete mess, like it had been broken into by thieves. I reckon the most important documents were taken away by them before they left, or maybe they just threw them in the brazier and burned them, then poured water on them. With all that smoke and moisture, the writing is long gone."

Zhang Wuxun looked at the small piece of paper in his palm. Just as the fat man had said, there were scorched yellow marks on the edges.

The reason this spot was preserved is probably because those people were in a hurry to evacuate, and when they saw that the fire was almost out of control, they poured water on it to put out the flames.

On that yellowish-green piece of paper, which was no bigger than a cigarette pack, there was indeed a badge about the size of a thumb, the color of which had faded so much that it was almost impossible to see.

If it weren't for the two fat men being careful, anyone else might have just glanced at it and overlooked it.

Zhang Wuxun guessed that this must be a special type of paper that those people made for that plan, with the badge logo printed in the corner, just like page numbers in a book.

Whether the facts are as he guessed is currently impossible to ascertain.

The fat man continued, "That information was only deduced by me and Tianzhen sneaking in at night and turning the archives upside down. It turned out that there was indeed a special unit that went to Banna with Chen Wenjin's expedition team."

Pan Ma did indeed say that those people were dressed as soldiers and carried many guns.

Zhang Wuxun narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

If his earlier speculation was correct, then this "special force" was a part of the Zhang family under Zhang Qishan's command.

Regardless, the game has already been set up. Who is the fishing net and who is the fish being caught? It all comes down to who has the better skills.

A short while later, the two men who had finished talking in the side room came out.

Wu Xiaoxie said to Huo Xiangu, "My three friends also know about that matter, and they know some of the details better than I do."

Huo Xiangu waved her hand, looking somewhat tired, "Then let's follow."

Wu Xiaoxie whistled at Zhang Wuxun and the other two, signaling them to follow him.

After sitting down in the living room, Wu Xiaoxie briefly recounted what he knew.

When he talked about going to Golmud, he paused slightly, feeling reluctant to tell Old Mrs. Huo that her daughter had become that inhuman, ghostly state.

Huo Xiangu's face, which had been expressionless at first, gradually turned gloomy.

Before Wu Xiaoxie could finish speaking, Huo Xiangu had already guessed what was going on. She slowly stroked the ebony box with one hand, her voice filled with coldness. She looked at Zhang Wuxun and asked, "So, this hand was also found by you in that sanatorium?"

Zhang Wuxun nodded. "Based on Chen Wenjin's words and the analysis of those old videotapes, we deduced that the real Huo Ling did indeed stay at the Golmud Sanatorium in the end, and because she had become that special person, she was locked in the basement."

Huo Xiangu's expression sent chills down one's spine. In a calm and even tone, she asked Zhang Wuxun, "What does that forbidden woman you're talking about look like?"

Zhang Wuxun and the others were speechless for a moment, finding it hard to describe; wasn't this like stabbing the old lady in the heart?

"Never mind." Huo Xiangu lowered her eyelids. "So many years have passed, and we finally know Xiaoling's fate."

Zhang Wuxun said softly, "This is a battle between two forces. Your daughter and Chen Wenjin infiltrated another team, but they were ambushed at the bottom of the Xisha Islands. The purpose of the first team that lingered in Guangxi for so long is the answer we are looking for now."

Huo Xiangu pondered for a long time, then remained silent.

Huo Xiuxiu stepped in through the threshold carrying a pot of tea. After filling the cups of the group, she waited beside Huo Xiangu.

At this moment, Huo Xiangu suddenly raised her head and asked Wu Xiaoxie with a strange expression, "Throughout the whole process you just described, there was a person with a Qilin tattoo following you. Where is this person now?"

Wu Xiaoxie was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Weren't we talking about your daughter? How did it get onto the topic of the Qilin tattoo?"

Before he could react, the fat man next to him exclaimed, "Such a precious thing should of course be carried with you at all times."

As she spoke, she pointed at Xiao Ge and Zhang Wuxun respectively, and said with a grin, "Look, these two are undeniably good-looking, handsome and well-proportioned, and they are also very capable. They are experts in everything from guarding the house to tomb raiding. Grandma, which one would you like to choose as your grandson-in-law?"

Zhang Wuxun kicked the fat man's chair and glared at him with a frown.

The fat man could tell at a glance that Zhang Wuxun was genuinely unhappy, so he immediately suppressed his sly grin and slapped himself in the face. "I was just talking nonsense, everyone please don't mind me. Um, ma'am, what brings you to the Qilin tattoo shop?"

Huo Xiangu completely ignored him, her gaze shifting back and forth between the young man and Zhang Wuxun, and she said with some disbelief, "Both of you have Qilin tattoos on your bodies?"

Zhang Wuxun said directly, "No need to guess, the person you're looking for is him."

Huo Xiangu stood up abruptly, her whole body trembling slightly. Unable to hide her excitement, she walked up to the young man and said, "Let me see your hands."

As she spoke, she grabbed the young man's right hand. After just one glance, her expression changed drastically, and she took several steps back as if she had suffered a heavy blow.

Then, she lifted her clothes and knelt straight down in front of the young man, her knees hitting the floor without any cushioning.

Wu Xiaoxie, Fatty, and Huo Xiuxiu, who were unaware of the situation, were taken aback by her sudden action and were completely stunned. They quickly stood up from their chairs.

Huo Xiuxiu was terrified. Although she didn't understand what was going on, she quickly knelt down behind Huo Xiangu, not daring to breathe.

The solemnity on Huo Xiangu's face, and the heaviness and determination in her kneeling, were so real that it couldn't be more so, as if only this action could express her piety.

Suddenly, the fat man blurted out, "Oh no, this old lady is a rice dumpling!"

Wu Xiaoxie finally snapped out of his shock and realized something was wrong. This old lady was a powerful and influential figure in the capital. For her to suddenly kneel here at such an advanced age was surely a way to shorten someone's lifespan.

"Grandma Huo, what are you doing? Get up quickly." Wu Xiaoxie hurriedly stepped forward to help her up.

But Huo Xiangu remained kneeling on the ground, her expression dignified and solemn.

The fat man was clearly bewildered as well, muttering to himself that the old woman couldn't possibly be a zongzi (a type of Chinese rice dumpling), so was she perhaps having a fit of hysteria?
Huo Xiuxiu was terrified and didn't know what to do. Since Huo Xiangu wouldn't get up, she could only kneel down as well.

The young man simply sat in the chair, quietly watching the scene before him, without any reaction, like a statue.

Zhang Wuxun stopped Wu Xiaoxie and Fatty from helping the old lady up, a mocking smile on his lips. "Tianzhen, you and Fatty, don't interfere. Let her kneel. If the old lady thinks that this will lessen your guilt and make you forget what happened back then, then go ahead and do it. None of us will stop you."

Huo Xiangu's lips moved, but in the end, it turned into a sigh.

Huo Xiuxiu quickly helped her stand up, and this time she didn't insist.

Sitting back down in her chair, Huo Xiangu took a sip of tea to calm herself, looked at the young man, and asked softly, "Do you remember me?"

Zhang Wuxun scoffed, "If you still remembered, you would never have come to see me."

Huo Xiangu sighed sadly, "Indeed, we have wronged you."

Wu Xiaoxie looked at Xiao Ge, then at Zhang Wuxun, and finally turned to look at Huo Xiangu. "Grandma Huo, do you know Xiao Ge?" Huo Xiangu smiled bitterly. "It's more than just knowing him. We swore to keep quiet about what happened back then. Now it seems that all of this is retribution."

"The fate of the Nine Gates will probably be over once we old bones who are still barely clinging to life are gone."

Huo Xiuxiu quickly comforted her, "The Nine Gates have been passed down to this day, and their descendants have multiplied greatly. Some coincidences are probably accidents. You don't need to believe in fate too much."

Huo Xiangu remained silent and did not answer her.

For a moment, everyone looked at each other in silence.

After a long pause, Huo Xiangu looked at Zhang Wuxun, her eyes regaining their resolve from their sorrow. "Since this young friend says his surname is exceptionally noble and he also possesses a Qilin, then you must have some connection with him, right?"

Zhang Wuxun raised his left hand with an indifferent expression.

Huo Xiuxiu gasped in surprise, then looked at the young man's right hand, "Are you fraternal twins?"

The fat man burst out laughing, "This little girl has quite the imagination."

Huo Xiuxiu was somewhat dejected, but genuinely curious, "Then tell me, what is their relationship?"

The fat man chuckled and started being cheeky again, "A grandfather."

He then pointed to Zhang Wuxun, "A grandson."

Huo Xiuxiu was shocked and blurted out, "How is this possible? He looks so young."

Huo Xiangu nodded knowingly, "I see, no wonder you know so much."

Zhang Wuxun rolled his eyes, too lazy to explain.

Seeing that he didn't deny it, Huo Xiangu's expression became slightly subtle. She then turned to look at the young man and said, "I still remember clearly what happened back then. Do you want to know?"

Wu Xiaoxie quickly gave Xiao Ge a wink, urging him to agree quickly, as this was a golden opportunity to find out about Xiao Ge's background.

To everyone's surprise, the young man shook his head.

Huo Xiangu was somewhat surprised, "Don't you want to know?"

The young man's eyes were indifferent and calm. "I don't believe you."

Huo Xiangu's expression changed several times, and she couldn't help but ask him, "Why?"

Zhang Wuxun chuckled, stood up from his chair, and said with a hostile look, "Naturally, it's because your credibility is zero, old lady. At a time like this, playing tricks is not a wise move."

Even at this point, this heartless old woman still wants to take advantage of the young man. It seems her so-called guilt is worthless.

The young man didn't want to stay there any longer. He stood up, looked at Wu Xiaoxie and the other two, and said, "Take me home."

After saying that, he walked straight out of the living room.

Zhang Wuxun and the other two remained silent, not even exchanging glances, and followed the young man out.

They hadn't gone far when they heard Huo Xiuxiu calling them from behind, "Wait a minute, wait a bit."

The four of them stopped and turned to look at her.

Huo Xiuxiu caught up with him, looking at the young man with a strange expression, and said, "My grandma said that since the rats in the shadows have already set their sights on Guixi, they will definitely not let it go. Since we are old friends, she will help you find a safe place to stay temporarily to avoid the storm. She also has many things to discuss with you so that we can stay in touch."

The fat man became alert and questioned, "Your grandma wouldn't be eyeing the Ghost Seal too, would she?"

Huo Xiuxiu was a little annoyed. "My grandma always keeps her word. Since you've won the bid, the item is naturally yours. But from what my grandma said, someone did try to steal it. You can ask him if you don't believe me."

She pointed at Zhang Wuxun, "I overheard him talking to my grandma earlier."

Zhang Wuxun had never planned to leave the capital. Since the opportunity had been offered, there was no reason not to take it. So he readily agreed, "Alright, then I'll trouble you."

Huo Xiuxiu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately called the driver, Xiao Li, who was the same one as before.

"Let's go, I'll take you there." Huo Xiuxiu got into the passenger seat first.

The fat man looked the car the driver had brought up and down, his expression indescribable. "Are you sure this fat man can fit into this car?"

Xiao Li drove up in a very understated silver-gray Passat, which was obviously not in line with the Huo family's style. I wonder where he got it from.

Huo Xiuxiu said helplessly, "Let's just make do. We can't just drive my family's car around like that, wouldn't that tell everyone that there are all of you in this car?"

There was no other way, so the four grown men squeezed into the back row, almost stacking on top of each other, and the fat man's face was pressed against the window and distorted by the crowd.

Fortunately, the car windows were tinted, so you couldn't see inside from the outside.

The car quickly left the compound, taking a long, winding road of more than ten minutes before finally arriving at a very grand old house, with even the stone walls made of white marble.

As soon as the fat man got out of the car, he exclaimed, "Damn, whose mansion is this? I've lived in the capital for so long, how come I've never heard of this place before?"

But as soon as he entered the gate, his wide grin immediately closed. "Fatty, take back what you said before."

The fat man drooped his eyebrows and looked at the weeds all over the yard and the green ivy covering the walls with disdain. He said, "Little sister, it's not that I'm being picky, but this place doesn't look like a place for people to live. It looks more like a place to film fox spirits from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio."

Pointing to a clearly abandoned two-story building not far away, he said, "I think there should be a grandmother living there."

Huo Xiuxiu couldn't help but burst out laughing, wrinkling her nose as she said, "Although this place is a bit remote, it's safe. The truly great hermit lives in the city, and the lesser hermit lives in the town, after all."

"Impressive." The fat man gave a thumbs up. "You've convinced me, Fatty. So, what are we going to eat? There seem to be a lot of wild vegetables here, but I wonder if there's any wild rice."

Xiao Li took an oversized woven snakeskin bag out of the trunk of the car and followed Huo Xiuxiu into a renovated two-story building.

"This used to be where people from government offices lived. We've already brought you toiletries and bedding," Huo Xiuxiu said, pointing to the burlap sack. "I'll bring over some self-heating food supplies later. Let me know in advance if you need anything."

“There’s running water in the yard, and the electricity was connected a few days ago, so you won’t have to light candles at night,” Huo Xiuxiu continued rambling on.

Wu Xiaoxie wasn't sure if he was overthinking it, but he always felt that this little girl gave off the impression that she was afraid they would run away.

Goodnight ()
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(End of this chapter)