Revelation of the Way of Heaven

"So, according to you, those blood witches in the 'Dark Night' base are very likely the ones who oppose the Golden Priest?" After understanding the current situation of the blood witch clan, Qin Xiaochuan immediately understood what Han Kexin had just said—that there were people in Crescent City colluding with the base.

"That's right, it's very possible." Han Kexin nodded. "That's why we need to investigate thoroughly so we can find out what kind of conspiracy the Golden Priest is plotting."

"But Dr. Chang is dead now, our only lead has been cut off, how can we investigate?"

"No, Dr. Chang is not the only clue." Han Kexin's expression turned cold again, indicating that what she was about to say was very important.

"What do you mean?" He didn't understand her words at all. Besides Dr. Chang, where else could he start? Now even the "Dark Night" base had been razed to the ground.

"That means there's another clue, and that's Kawamoto Taro."

"What does he have to do with this?" Qin Xiaochuan asked as he picked up the milk on the table and drank it.

"Have you forgotten about the time he entered the secret chamber of the Church of St. Teresa?"

"I remember him? But what's his connection to the 'Dark Night' base?" He was even more puzzled.

"But he definitely has some connection with Dr. Chang, and perhaps we can find out something from him. Besides, his purpose in coming to China this time is also suspicious."

Upon hearing this, he knew there must have been a major discovery, so he quickly asked, "What? What did you discover?"

"After I saved you last time, I felt that his purpose was not simple, so I had Zhou Bin secretly keep an eye on him." She frowned as she spoke, "But three days ago, Kawamoto Taro and his Conqueror team suddenly disappeared."

"Gone? What do you mean by gone?"

"That means they evaded Zhou Bin's surveillance and suddenly disappeared from the tavern where they were staying."

"Have you returned to China?"

"No, I can be sure of that."

This is indeed puzzling, and it also shows that the other party's purpose is not simple.

"Does that mean that this lead for Kawamoto has also been cut off?" he said speechlessly.

"But I have a way to find him, no matter where he hides," Han Kexin said coldly.

"What method?" Qin Xiaochuan was quite curious about this.

"You'll come with me in a bit," she said, deliberately keeping him in suspense.

While the two were discussing these matters, Zhou Bin prepared dinner for them. Just then, Xiao Ying got up and came downstairs. After they ate dinner together, Han Kexin drove him away from the villa.

After driving for about five or six minutes, they arrived at a secluded alley. Qin Xiaochuan looked around; the place was completely unfamiliar, and he had no idea what it was.

The alley was only two meters wide and about ten meters long. There were only three streetlights hanging from the eaves, the last of which was broken. The light was an incandescent bulb with a bluish-green, pot-lid-like shade. The bulb was not very wattage and had obviously been there for a long time; the originally transparent glass shade had turned grayish-white and was covered with too much grime.

Under the dim yellow light, the walls on both sides were so mottled that they were unrecognizable, revealing the blue bricks underneath. On the other side of the courtyard wall was a small courtyard. The residents in this alley all had a small courtyard, which usually contained fruit trees or vegetables.

Because it was already winter, no one was out at this time. The alley was deserted, with only gusts of icy wind blowing by. In the echoing wind, he seemed to hear some low voices coming from the houses on both sides, but it was too far away, as unreal as a dream.

A cat sat motionless on a courtyard wall at the entrance of the alley. It was a black and white kitten. In the dim light, its two blue eyes looked like two sapphires, clear and beautiful, yet full of mystery, quietly watching them.

"Anan, did Granny Ding send you to pick us up?" He saw Han Kexin asking the cat.

"Meow~" The kitten meowed softly in response. Then it stood up and slowly walked forward along the courtyard wall. The two followed behind it. When they had walked two-thirds of the way through the alley, the kitten named Anan meowed at them again, then jumped onto a ginkgo tree in the courtyard and climbed down the tree into the courtyard.

As they approached the entrance to the courtyard, the wooden gate opened automatically. It was a very old gate with a threshold about 30 centimeters high. Only a small part of the couplets on both sides of the gate remained, and their color had turned pale yellow. Above the gate hung two round wooden plaques with the characters "丁" (Ding) and "宅" (Zhai) written in regular script, each about the size of a fist.

Qin Xiaochuan followed Han Kexin into the yard. The yard was small. Besides the ginkgo tree, there was a grape trellis, some vegetables were planted on the other side, and several pots of nearly withered chrysanthemums were placed under the eaves.

The house in the courtyard is also a traditional old house with two floors. The roof is covered with gray bricks and tiles. A street lamp with a glass lampshade and an old wind chime hang from the eaves, making a series of crisp metallic clanging sounds when the wind blows.

The door to the hall was half-open, revealing the yellow light inside. Han Kexin pushed the door open, and the two of them went in together. The furnishings in the hall were also traditional: a central hall, a shrine, an offering table, a square table in the middle, and a row of chairs on both sides.

To the left of the main room is a thick curtain. Behind the curtain, the room is furnished like a study. There is a row of wooden cabinets along the wall, and further inside is a bookshelf filled with all sorts of strange things: books, talismans, feathers, peach wood swords, divination buckets, crystal balls, and so on. In front of the bookshelf is a long table with various odd items on it, and behind the table sits an old woman with a wrinkled face.

The old woman looked to be in her sixties or seventies, with gray hair, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, and a thick gray coat. There was an electric heater next to her, warming her up.

She was looking at a book on the table when the two lifted the curtain and went in. She looked up, her wrinkled eyes almost narrowed to slits, and the kitten named Anan lying in her arms was also looking at them with half-closed eyes.

"You've finally arrived, girl," the old man said kindly to Han Kexin, revealing a silver tooth as he spoke.

"I'm so sorry to bother you so late, Mother-in-law," Han Kexin replied politely, rarely showing such humility.

The old woman, Granny Ding, extended her withered right hand to them, gesturing for them to sit down. Then, while stroking the head of the kitten in her arms, she said, "If you had come any later, I would have gone to sleep. Alas, old people are afraid of the cold. Even though this electric heater is warming me, I still feel cold all over. So I would prefer to lie in bed, since there is an electric blanket on the bed. But that would be too impolite."

Although Grandma Ding's words seemed rambling, they were not meant to complain. Han Kexin and Qin Xiaochuan sat quietly in their chairs listening, while the little cat, Anan, slowly closed its eyes as the old woman's gentle voice rang out.

"Sigh, old people tend to be talkative," Grandma Ding said finally. "Then tell me, my dear, what can I still do for you with this frail body?"