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

Chapter 380 Wu Xie's Final Chapter
In the very end, Wu Xie, wearing the Third Master's mask and holding the white wooden box, returned to Changsha.

He discovered a basement in his third uncle's room and learned of his third uncle's plan—a plan to free the Nine Gates from "it"'s control, to disintegrate and completely destroy that seemingly invincible "it".

The Wu family sacrificed almost three generations for this plan, with the third generation member committing suicide. Uncle San would never allow the plan to stop at 90%, so he became the last 10% of the plan. He had to ensure the plan was 100% completed and prevent any possibility of it being revived.

And this "it" is precisely the ultimate reason for the death of the wooden fish.

His scheme was not over yet.

The level of caution among those involved in this scheme is unimaginable. The calculations, scheming, control, courage, and endurance of the predecessors, and their actions in orchestrating all of this are chilling.

The area around Uncle San's house is a ghostly realm, where an immense secret is buried—a remnant of a huge power struggle.

Based on the wooden fish's hint, he had already guessed what was buried inside.

That was a trump card, a trump card that could not be used lightly. If this thing were to appear in the world, it would destroy everything that depended on it.

Not long ago, that organization finally and completely disappeared, and that huge and absurd secret was also completely burned away in a fire. All of this will forever become a speck of historical dust that cannot be revealed, and no one will know that it ever existed.

However, "it" still exists; "it" is even more hidden than the organization, and it is larger and more dangerous than the organization.

He still hasn't dared to open the letter Muyu left him, but he already knows that Muyu's plan and his third uncle's plan are connected and overlap.

There must have been some communication between Uncle Three and Muyu in the Snake Swamp. Even if they never contacted each other again, they were perfectly clear about how far the plan had progressed. It was a tacit understanding that transcended the constraints of time and space.

Muyu completed a crucial part of his plan, breaking the deadly trap set by "it". So, where is Uncle San now?

The man said, "Our journey is still long," what a load of rubbish! He almost got trapped and died down there.

Wu Xie silently grumbled to himself, unconsciously touching his face and then looking at himself in the mirror.

There was a sudden knock on the door. Wu Xie turned his head instinctively and his cold gaze met that of Pan Zi, who was carrying food in.

Pan Zi was stunned for a moment, and it wasn't until he saw Wu Xie turn around to tidy up the documents on the table that he came back to his senses.

That one glance just now really, really looked just like Third Master.

"What are you standing there for? Let's eat." Wu Xie piled the documents aside. "I'm starving."

"Alright, Third Master, today I'm bringing your favorite Longjing shrimp and Dongpo pork."

"Not bad." Wu Xie smiled slightly and tapped the end of his chopsticks on the table.

Pan Zi pulled out another bottle of Moutai. "Third Master, would you like some?"

Wu Xie shoveled rice into his mouth with a fierce shovel and mumbled, "Fill it up."

﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉

A lot happened in the following months.

After dealing with the initial turmoil, Wu Xie's life gradually returned to normal. He used his identity as the Third Uncle to tell his subordinates that Third Master Wu was going to other places to investigate for a period of time, and the business of the shop would be handed over to his nephew to manage. Pan Zi's current task was to assist the Third Master.

Xie Yuchen's men secretly came from the capital and removed his mask in the secluded hut that Xiao Hua had built for him.

He transformed back into Wu Xie, the innocent and naive Third Master.

But he had no time for sentimentality. Even after removing his mask, he was no longer fragile. Under Pan Zi's guidance and the pressure of reality, he learned the necessary strength, courage, decisiveness, responsibility, and bloody cruelty.

On the day he removed his mask, he set up a large table of wine in the courtyard to toast the heavens, the earth, his elders, his brothers, and everything else.

In the end, he threw a tantrum and made Wang Mengmeng so that she drove him back to Zai Shui Yi Fang in her big Jinbei van.

Sitting on the railing of the pavilion, he swung his legs, his mind wandering aimlessly, recalling everything he could remember.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a white ray, like moonlight, passing through the pool of his eyes.

He immediately became interested, staring at the fast-moving white fish. He discovered that it was a very rare white goldfish, its entire body silvery-white. Under the cool moonlight, the ripples on the water made the whole fish sparkle and look very beautiful.

He stared at the fish intently, as if training his keen eyesight, until the fish got tired, surfaced, and hid under a lotus leaf. Its round, large eyes stared at Wu Xie without flinching or avoiding his gaze, remaining remarkably calm.

"You'll be watching me, won't you?" he muttered to himself, looking at the fish.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting quietly when he suddenly felt a cool, damp sensation on his face. He looked up at the lotus pond and saw that it was foggy. This pond, surrounded by artificial hills and pavilions, had been foggy every morning since the beginning of winter.

It was already December, and the temperature in Hangzhou had plummeted. Frost had settled on the grass and trees, and the snow was about to fall. Several fruit trees in the courtyard were already covered with a layer of rustling frost.

"It's getting foggy, boss, let's go back." Wang Mengmeng shivered, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, her eyes barely open from sleep.

"not going back."

Wu Xie jumped down from the railing, stomped his cold feet on the spot, and only after feeling the warmth brought by the return of blood flow did he lift his foot and walk out of the pavilion.

"Where to go?"

Wang Mengmeng quickly followed him.

"sleep."

"Not going back to Wushan Residence?"

"I came back after waking up from my afternoon nap."

﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉

After he removed his mask, the old guys from various gangs initially took advantage of Wu Xie's unfamiliar face and caused some minor troubles to test him.

However, Wu Xie, who had already figured out their background, naturally had a way to deal with them. He was no longer afraid. After losing everything he could lose, he no longer hesitated or wavered. He would act when the time was right.

After his second uncle learned that he had taken over his third uncle's business, he called him and told him that he had the reins in his hands and should be decisive. He should decide what to keep and what to discard. He should clear away the excess weeds, because everyone would want to step on an untidy lawn.

Wu Xie felt the same way; the warning signs on the lawn would only be effective if they were firmly in people's minds.

So they sharpened their knives and prepared to slaughter any troublemakers, no matter what. Xiao Hua assigned him ten bodyguards.

After a group of unsuitable men were weeded out and replaced with men more suited to Wu Xie's pace, some of the old fogies who were temporarily unable to move discovered, to their dismay, that this newly appointed Third Master was not someone to be trifled with. As expected of the successor trained by Third Master, he was even more adept at using both kindness and severity than Third Master himself.

Wu Xie dealt with these matters in three stages. The first stage was when he was playing the role of Uncle Three. With Pan Zi's help, he figured out the pattern and sorted everything out smoothly. He already had a clear plan in his mind on how to proceed.

The second stage is accumulation and development, and how to manage the business. There are tricks to this. Pan Zi has been by Uncle San's side for a long time, and he can definitely be Wu Xie's teacher in this regard. Wu Xie himself has gradually figured out some of the old fox's tricks.

When you've done something very well, especially after you've skipped the initial accumulation stage and developed to a certain level, things become increasingly simple and easy, because you have the opportunity to make mistakes and the opportunity to turn around. As long as the overall gains outweigh the losses, your system can survive.

In the third stage, he employed a combination of kindness and severity, which he implemented remarkably well. Even Pan Zi sometimes marveled that Third Master was a very competent leader. Watching Third Master wave his hand to make arrangements gave one the feeling of an ancient strategist deploying troops.

Pan Zi is a seasoned veteran, and Wu Xie was quite pleased to receive such high praise from such an old hand.

Overall, Uncle Three's schemes operated smoothly, and Wu Xie gradually gained some influence in the south, which gave him more authority to do what he wanted and should do.

Although it wasn't as flamboyant and successful as when Uncle San was around, sometimes the profits at the end of the month were actually 10% or 20% higher than when Uncle San was around.

Wu Xie is a very easily satisfied person; this is enough for him.

Even though he sometimes dreamed of that terrifying scene at night, he slowly accepted it, tried to listen and look, and gradually, the thick fog in his dream began to dissipate.

He also saw clearly what the wooden fish was saying.

“Naive, you have to move forward. When the time comes, running away is the most foolish and terrible solution. Pain can only be relieved by being released.”

"Let it spread out, let it spread out..."

Wu Xie woke up from his sleep, wanted to drink water, and found that the cup on the bedside table was empty, so he put on his slippers and went to get a cup of water.

As I passed by the window, I noticed that the moon was huge tonight, shining brightly like jade. The center of the courtyard was illuminated very brightly, like a stage with spotlight.

He suddenly felt an impulse, so he gulped down the rest of his water, rushed out the door, stood in the moonlight, raised his hands high, making a gesture of shining with the sun and moon, then closed his eyes, raised his arms and legs, and performed a set of Tai Chi.

When Wang Mengmeng came out to relieve herself with a yawn, she found her boss standing in the middle of the yard, dressed in pajamas, breathing out cold air, looking like a frozen dog.

﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉

After Xiuxiu disappeared with the urn and the ring, Xie Yuchen completely severed his cooperation with the Huo family.

Whoever takes over that mess will only get themselves into trouble. Let Huo Youxue, Huo Daofu, and all sorts of shady characters fight it out. If they can't grasp the core secrets, their fighting will only make things worse for them.

It has to be said that Mrs. Huo's move was truly far-sighted.

Wu Xie, representing the Wu family in Hangzhou and Changsha, also expressed his stance.

He knew that with Xiao Hua and Huo Zhongling left behind by the old lady, Xiu Xiu would definitely come back in the future and take back the Huo family.

Let's talk about the fat guy's side.

While Wu Xie was busy to the point of exhaustion every day, this guy was staying in Banna sightseeing, developing the local tourism industry, and making a great splash. He even brought Yun Cai's family back to Banna for their wedding.

Fortunately, the date was set for six months later, otherwise Wu Xie would have had a hard time attending because of his uncle's stern face.

After Fatty's invitation arrived, Wu Xie retrieved the wooden fish as a wedding gift from Zai Shui Yi Fang, along with Xiao Hua's large red envelope, and rushed to Banna with Pan Zi. The wedding was incredibly lively, and Fatty, that good-for-nothing, almost cried with joy.

After the banquet ended, Wu Xie took the wooden fish gift from the car and handed it to Fatty.

The fat man was stunned for a moment before opening the white jade box.

A letter was folded at the top. When opened, it revealed familiar handwriting: a wedding blessing written in small seal script by Muyu.

A light chill melts into the jade-like twilight; from now on, let us sing praises to IKEA.

All my wishes have been fulfilled, and my path has become smooth.

Much joy, lasting peace

May you live a carefree and long life of peace and health.

May you always be happy and successful.

And everything goes smoothly, bringing joy to all.

……

The fat man's eyes were a little red, especially after seeing the fiery red Tibetan Sherab bead in the box; he almost burst into tears.

"This brat..."

Wu Xie silently handed him a bowl of fruit wine.

The two sat by the well, facing the moon and their two shadows on the ground, drinking jar after jar of fruit wine. In the end, they didn't even know when A-Gui and Yun-Cai, who were worried about them, had replaced the wine with sweet water.

The next afternoon, Wu Xie woke up, called Pan Zi, said hello to Yun Cai, and left Banna before Fatty woke up.

As Panzi drove, the verdant Ten Thousand Mountains outside the window seemed to be chasing after them, their colors as lush and vibrant as a tapestry.

Wu Xie looked at the sika deer on the dashboard and asked, "I didn't have time to ask before, how are you and Sister Lu doing now?"

Pan Zi remained silent for a long time before smiling bitterly and saying, "Let it be. I'm not the right person for her. She's too pure, while I'm covered in mud. She should stand in the light and be in the spotlight. I can't drag her into the mud. That wouldn't be fair to her."

Wu Xie moved his lips, wanting to say something, but he really didn't know what to say.

He knew this was the result of Pan Zi's careful consideration.

He patted his pocket and found that he had finished chewing gum, so he took out two cigarettes, handed one to Panzi, lit it, and silently said to himself, "I remember, this is the first one today, a maximum of three a day."

"What if you regret it later?" he finally asked.

Panzi didn't say anything, but quickly finished the cigarette.

Just then, Wu Xie's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, clicked his tongue, and didn't bother to answer.

Panzi caught a glimpse of the name and tacitly slowed down the car. Let those old bastards in the gang wait. They're always causing so much trouble. They really think Young Master San is Bao Zheng, the judge who solves cases.

﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉

Not long after returning from Banna, Xie Yuchen personally came to see Wu Xie and offered his own ideas.

"Do you remember what Muyu said at the beginning of the video?"

At that moment, Wu Xie was overwhelmed by the tedious files, his dark circles almost reaching his nose. His mind was still immersed in the documents in his hands, and he was a little stunned when he heard this. "What?"

Xie Yuchen clicked his tongue, "The video was automatically deleted, but was your brain automatically deleted too?"

"Perhaps it's death, perhaps it's being taken somewhere, or perhaps it's complete disappearance," Wu Xie murmured, repeating the sentence.

“That’s right.” Xie Yuchen snapped his fingers, turned around to find a seat, but found that the chairs were piled with various documents, so he had no choice but to continue standing.

"After thinking about it carefully, I realized that since we didn't find his body, it means that either the body was really buried somewhere we couldn't find it, or..."

"He's been taken away!"

Wu Xie suddenly stood up, and the thin blanket on his knees fell to the ground, almost causing the chair to tip over.

His eyes lit up again, and he paced back and forth, muttering to himself as if possessed, "Muyu must still be alive. He's so smart, he wouldn't leave himself no way out."

Who will take him away?

Is it "it"? Has Muyu been locked up? Like Chen Wenjin and the others back then!
“We have to save him!” Wu Xie stared intently at Xie Yuchen, his tone firm and unwavering. “He’s waiting for us.”

Xie Yuchen clapped perfunctorily, "Congratulations on finally figuring things out. Go wash your face first. It's time for you to open what he left you."

﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉

That day, Wu Xie had just finished dealing with a bunch of messy things. He was holding a big bowl under the eaves, eating noodles while lost in thought.

Suddenly, a dark figure slipped in through the arcade entrance, sat down at the table, and took away another bowl of oil-splashed noodles that had been cooling.

Wu Xie was furious. "You blind bastard, put down that bowl right now!"

Black Bear ignored him, leisurely ate a bite of noodles, glanced at a plate of cold tomato salad on the table, and said, "It would be nice if there was a dish of stir-fried green peppers and pork."

"Go cook it yourself if you want to eat." Wu Xie put down the bowl and tried to snatch it back. "Give me back my rice. I'm not full yet."

Hei Xiazi dodged with a slight movement, but Wu Xie relentlessly pursued him, only to have him leap onto the wall.

Wu Xie gritted his teeth in anger, "How come your skin is as thick as if it were reinforced with cement? Do you think we're that close that you're here to freeload?"

"My good disciple, come here, call me master." Black Bear's smile was extremely irritating.

Wu Xie sneered, "Call me your mother a rotten winter melon."

He then stepped back and clapped his hands lightly with a flourish.

Suddenly, from some unknown corner of the house, ten cold-faced men dressed in white short-sleeved shirts appeared, staring menacingly at the black bear on the wall. They stood there in a row, their surging aura almost lifting the roof off.

Wu Xie sat back down smugly. "Do you know why they're all wearing white?"

Black Bear readily answered, "Why?"

"Of course, it's to keep myself from getting dusty when we're fighting."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ten men in white began to use their parkour skills and attacked Black Bear together.

Wu Xie continued eating his noodles with relish, and to avoid dust flying into his bowl, he moved a little further away. But after only three bites, he was grabbed by the back of the neck and lifted up.

Black Glasses' chuckling voice came from behind him, "Young Master, when Boss Xie gave you these ten men, didn't he casually mention that their instructors were all trained by me?"

"?" Wu Xie looked closely and saw that the ten white-clad heroes were all lying on the ground, convulsing, with an empty noodle bowl still on one of their heads.

What a shame! What a shame!
"This is not scientific!" he shouted.

Black Bear held a stun gun up to his face and waved it. "Very scientific."

A wise man knows when to yield, so Wu Xie softened his tone and asked, "What brings you here today, sir?"

Before letting go of him, Hei Xiazi pinched and tugged at his joints, saying, "Although the bones are old, there are ways to speed things up."

Wu Xie recalled his earlier statement about wanting to take him as his apprentice, and asked with doubt and confusion, "Are you serious?"

"Of course." Hei Xiazi strolled into the hall, picked up the teapot on the table to test the temperature, then poured a cup, walked back and placed it in front of Wu Xie, "Come, offer this bowl of tea, from now on I am your master."

Wu Xie had already figured out the key to the matter, and looked at him coldly, "Who sent you?"

"Entrusted by an old friend."

Hei Xiazi looked at him and said calmly, "Whether you accept it or not is up to you, but the deposit is non-refundable."

Wu Xie's eyelids twitched, and a name seemed to be on the tip of his tongue. He whispered, "Is it him?"

Hei Xiazi neither admitted nor denied it, saying, "Whoever you're thinking of is who you are."

"What are you going to teach me?" Wu Xie picked up the cup of tea.

“I’ll teach you whatever you want to learn,” Black Bear urged him. “Hurry up and think it over, the tea’s getting cold.”

﹉﹉﹉﹉﹉

When everything falls asleep, only the fragrance of Tibetan sea flowers scatters and weaves through the heavy snow, quiet, peaceful, and serene.

Thank you to [傲天犼], [晨风无言], [不念] and other big shots for the generous donations, sending you lots of love.

The main story of Daomu Biji has ended. Tomorrow, the prequel to Qiling – Canghaihua – will begin.

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(End of this chapter)