Cao Guixi looked at the visitor. The man was not truly an elder—at most in his forties or fifties—and had likely altered his facial features with implants.
"Zhanshan" was not actually a given name. Originally, it referred to the fan-bearers who followed royal kin and curried favor; over time, the term had come to denote those who ran errands exclusively for the imperial household. In giving this name, the man had subtly disclosed his background.
Cao Guixi's expression was indifferent as he spoke. "I have seen your badge and know where you come from. You should also understand that I have no wish to deal with you people any longer."
Hu Zhanshan bowed low to him, his attitude deferent. "My master understands your difficulties, Young Master Cao, which is why we have refrained from troubling you all these years like those other factions.
"However, there is a single matter we must ask you about. I can assure you that if you could enlighten us on this, we will never disturb you again in the future, and will even find a way to rein in the others."
Cao Guixi's demeanor softened slightly. "What do you wish to know?"
Hu Zhanshan lifted his head, his gaze burning as he looked at Cao Guixi. "Back when the imperial court withdrew to the Melded Lands, the retreat was carried out in haste. As a result, the various secret repositories that could not be evacuated in time were apportioned and disclosed among the different branches of imperial relatives and nobility. Yet to guard against unauthorized plundering, the exact locations of these repositories and the keys that opened them were entrusted to dedicated custodians.
"My master knows that you hold one of these keys in your hands, Young Master Cao. Thus, we have come to request it from you. In exchange, my master is willing to offer a portion of Yang-Engendering Water."
Cao Guixi said nothing, but Uncle Ding suddenly looked up, a faint look of agitation flickering across his face.
Hu Zhanshan waited a moment. Seeing that Cao Guixi remained silent, he added sincerely, "Young Master Cao, we know you have no desire to be entangled in these affairs. Since that is the case, why hold on to such a hot potato? Wouldn't it be better to hand it directly to us? That way, you can free yourself from these annoyances once and for all. What is there to lose?"
Cao Guixi merely shook his head. "You have asked the wrong person this time. My Cao clan are not royal kin—merely out-of-favor maternal relatives. How could we possess such things? I know nothing of the repositories you speak of, nor the whereabouts of any keys. If that is what you came to ask, I cannot give you an answer. You may see yourself out."
"Is that so?"
Hu Zhanshan pondered for a moment. He did not insist, but said instead, "If so, then I must apologize for my presumption, Young Master Cao. However, might we trouble you to make a few discreet inquiries? Even if you can only uncover the whereabouts of the keys without producing the physical object, we will gladly present you with the Yang-Engendering Water all the same."
Cao Guixi shook his head. "Uncle Ding, see our guest out on my behalf."
Uncle Ding stepped forward and made an inviting gesture with his hand. "Zhanshan, this way, please."
Hu Zhanshan retrieved a small boundary credential and handed it to Uncle Ding. "I am stationed here in Jibei Dao. Should the young master recall anything, he may contact me anytime through this." Having said that, he bowed toward the raised platform and followed Uncle Ding out.
Before long, Uncle Ding returned. "Young Master, he has been seen off."
Cao Guixi picked up a book from the desk at random, thumbing through it. "Uncle Ding, what do you make of this?"
Uncle Ding thought about it. "Young Master, if you ask me, they might not be after the repository itself. That vault has been sitting here for so many years. They must already have a good idea of where it is, and getting inside wouldn't strictly require the key. Yet now they suddenly come asking you for it. Could it be..."
Hearing this, Cao Guixi abruptly closed the book. "Uncle Ding, you're quite right to point that out."
He looked up toward the courtyard outside. "Though the repository holds many things, most of genuine value were likely carried away long ago. What remains isn't worth mobilizing so aggressively or taking the risk of approaching me. But there is one thing they would never give up—and that might be their real reason for demanding the key."
He sighed softly. "A fissure..."
Within that secret repository lay a fissure. With a fissure, all manner of schemes became possible. When the imperial household left those vaults behind back then, it was likely to make a future return easier, rather than merely to hide valuables.
For these people to be so desperate to secure a fissure at this juncture—one hardly needed to guess that nothing good could come of it.
Uncle Ding asked, "Young Master, what should we do?"
Cao Guixi asked, "Is my junior brother back yet?"
Uncle Ding answered, "He probably isn't back yet." In the past, Chen Chuan had kept in touch every month by telegram or telephone, but for the past half-year there had been no contact at all. Uncle Ding had also made discreet inquiries and learned that Chen Chuan had not shown his face in a long time; he was likely away from the city, quite possibly in the Melded Lands.
Uncle Ding considered this and said, "Young Master, it might be precisely because Section Chief Chen hasn't appeared for so long that they dared to make a move. Otherwise, they wouldn't have the nerve."
Cao Guixi pondered for a moment. "Let's do this, Uncle Ding. Get in touch with Mr. Gao and inform him of the situation. Whatever follows isn't something we can handle."
When Chen Chuan departed, he had sent a telegram telling them that if anything arose, they should go directly to Gao Ming. Once word reached him, someone would see to resolving it.
Uncle Ding said, "Very well, Young Master. I'll contact Mr. Gao right away." He went off immediately to make the arrangements, returning half an hour later once the matter was handled.
He found Cao Guixi still admiring the Painting of a Thousand Birds over a Calm Lake, though his earlier good mood seemed to have vanished. Uncle Ding stepped up and took the initiative to speak. "Young Master, was that final bird on the painting ever completed?"
Cao Guixi slowly unrolled the scroll further. After a moment, he said, "Master Haizhai had no sons, so the painting passed to his maternal grandson, Master Zhu Biliang. That gentleman lived in modest poverty with unfulfilled ambitions. Though rich in learning, he was never willing to fawn upon the powerful. At the time, a grand secretary who had just entered the cabinet heard of the painting and attempted to force a purchase.
"Master Zhu refused to part with it, but the other man held immense power. So one day, Zhu took the painting before the government office and, in full view of everyone, painted a rooster missing its comb right onto the canvas."
Uncle Ding was taken aback. "That..."
Cao Guixi said, "After that, the grand secretary never mentioned the matter again."
Uncle Ding felt a twinge of regret. The significance of the painting lay in the thousand birds; an incomplete thousand birds possessed an aesthetic beauty of imperfection and lingering depth. Adding a rooster without a comb would ruin the overarching mood and aesthetic—and for an official, a missing comb was hardly an auspicious omen.
His eyes darted across the scroll. "Young Master, where is this final bird?"
Cao Guixi did not answer, merely rolling the scroll open further. At the very end, along the far left edge, the rooster was finally revealed.
Uncle Ding froze, his eyes widening slightly. It was indeed a rooster missing its comb, yet it stood with its head held high, crowing boldly toward the sun. Though lacking its crown, its wings were spread wide and its presence was fierce and commanding. The moment this rooster emerged, it felt as though its solitary call had jolted the vast lake, startling the thousand birds into flight. The protagonist had abruptly shifted, and the painting's style had transformed overnight from delicate subtlety to towering, spirited grandeur. One could not help but marvel in silent admiration. He praised, "What a painting of a thousand birds!"
Cao Guixi's eyes fell upon an inscription left by a former collector, and he read it aloud unawares:
"A calm lake is no calm lake,
Holding waves awaiting sunrise.
With one crow dawn breaks across the world—
How could our sort ever speak of loneliness?"
Seeing Cao Guixi's gaze linger on the words for a long time, Uncle Ding sighed inwardly. *What a pity. If the young master had agreed, perhaps...* But then he shook his head. In the past, he might have urged the young master to accept; now, he would only advise him to stay as far away from those people as possible.
***
Meanwhile, having finished his meal with Xu Chan, Chen Chuan was riding back to the villa district in a dedicated vehicle.
During their meal, as they chatted casually, Xu Chan had mentioned that shortly after reporting his breakthrough as a martial artist to the Martial Arts Council, representatives from Wansong Company had approached him.
Chen Chuan knew the company possessed considerable influence, was likely connected to the Martial Artists Council, and quite possibly maintained ties to high-ranking figures. It was hardly surprising that they had reached out to Xu Chan.
Regarding the resources offered by their platform, Chen Chuan had advised that if Xu Chan had no alternative channels, he could try obtaining what he needed through them, treating it as an ordinary client contract without becoming too deeply entangled.
In his own recent breakthrough to the Longevity View realm, setting aside the technique imparted by the Mystic, Wansong Company's cultivation method had also proven immensely valuable. He had originally intended to use their technique as a reference for his breakthrough.
He had also considered whether he could have reached his current stage without the Mystic's guidance. The answer was: perhaps. His foundation was solid enough, after all, and so long as one's body could endure the strain and recognized when something felt wrong, the Longevity View realm permitted repeated attempts. However, that route would have consumed far more resources and risked damaging his potential. Even if he ultimately succeeded, it would have squandered an enormous amount of time.
And once a person fell a step behind, subsequent cultivation would inevitably slow down with it, altering the course of many things.
Upon returning to the villa, he found that Nian Fuli was still out on city patrol, while the two little ones were in the middle of final exams at school. Only Yu Wan was at home. Having not seen him in six months, she asked with concern, "Chan'er, you were away for so long this time?"
Chen Chuan smiled. "Aunt, it was my fault for worrying you. Next time something like this happens, I'll find a way to send word home."
Yu Wan shook her head and looked him over. Chen Chuan had clearly tidied up before returning, yet his spirits seemed even more vibrant than before. She said, "I have your uncle to keep me company at home, so it doesn't matter if you don't send word. But Chan'er, you're out there on your own—you must take good care of yourself."
A wave of warmth rose in Chen Chuan's chest. "Aunt, I'll remember that."
Yu Wan knew he was engaged in major affairs now, so she did not press for details. After a few more words of care, she asked, "Chan'er, your uncle mentioned that Yangzhi will connect to the field signal next month. Is that true?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "Yes, Aunt, it's true."
Once the Skyline network connected here, it would naturally expand outward, and the surrounding counties and cities would be the first to benefit. As the largest perimeter city in Jibei Dao, Yangzhi was naturally included in the first phase. After these past six months, the connection was indeed nearly complete.
As they were speaking, a chime suddenly sounded from his boundary credential. Seeing that it was Gao Ming, he answered immediately.
"Gao Ming, I've just arrived. Is something the matter?"
Gao Ming replied, "Cousin, regarding the Cao family estate you asked us to keep an eye on—word just came in from over there."
Chapter 1015