Chapter 8: The Son of the Wind Master

"A sword?" Cheng Xiangru shook his head. "No, I didn't see one. Uncle Zhou, what kind of sword?"

Boss Zhou did not answer. He knitted his brows and continued searching. After scouring almost every corner of the secret chamber, he let out a soft sigh and sat down dejectedly on the edge of a chime bell, lost in thought.

Cheng Xiangru dared not disturb him, standing quietly to the side.

After quite a while, Boss Zhou slowly stood up, his expression one of profound disappointment. "Child, let's head out."

Cheng Xiangru asked in disbelief, "Uncle Zhou, aren't we taking anything with us?"

Large items were hard to move, but there were plenty of smaller ones, all of which appeared to be incredibly valuable.

Boss Zhou smiled wearily. "These are national treasures. If we were to take even one of them, it would send shockwaves through the archaeological community and invite a national-level investigation. No one involved would end up well. It is better that we leave them untouched and let them continue to sleep here."

Cheng Xiangru nodded, half-understanding, and took one last look at the national treasures in the chamber with a heavy heart before following Boss Zhou out.

Once they returned to the surface, under Boss Zhou's direction, the group of men in black suits—undeterred by the dirt and labor—piled all the scattered debris over the dry well, effectively sealing the opening for the time being.

Once everything was finished, the siblings loaded the bags they had packed the previous night into the cars. The group then departed, kicking up clouds of dust as they drove toward a brand-new future.

Boss Zhou rented a two-bedroom apartment in a residential area near Xianren Bridge. It was fully furnished with all necessary appliances; they could move in immediately, and the environment was excellent.

Furthermore, Boss Zhou arranged for a woman to help them, specifically to handle the cooking and cleaning. In the evenings, she would take the siblings for walks to help them quickly familiarize themselves with the surroundings, and he even sent people to provide them with plenty of new clothes.

Cheng Xiangru’s injuries were mostly superficial. Though they looked serious, they were actually minor and hindered nothing. After a few days of recovery, he was essentially back to normal.

During those days of recuperation, he remained shut inside his room, rarely coming out. He locked the door and obsessively studied the five volumes of manuscripts, reading them over and over again.

Most of the content was obscure and difficult for him to grasp, yet he read with intense focus, eventually reaching the point where he could recite them from memory.

Perhaps, in his subconscious, Cheng Xiangru felt that if he could only thoroughly master these five volumes, he would be able to find his father and unravel the many questions that haunted him.

As for his young sister, Cheng Yimo, she seemed to harbor a sense of inferiority upon first arriving in the city. She was both expectant and nervous about the world outside, spending every day peering out from the window, her large eyes blinking and her long eyelashes fluttering. Occasionally, when they went for evening walks, she would stay tucked behind her brother, not daring to respond even when kind neighbors greeted her.

Seeing his sister like this, Cheng Xiangru felt a surge of heartache and guilt, which only strengthened his resolve to send her to school and help her become independent.

***

In addition to the occasional walk, Cheng Xiangru spent most of his time cooped up in his room studying the five manuscripts. He strove to commit every word to memory, hoping it would assist him in finding his father.

His resentment toward his father, Cheng Zhifeng, had faded significantly, replaced by confusion and a lack of understanding.

Countless questions had woven themselves into a giant net that bound him layer by layer, and there was only one way to unravel them: to find his father and ask him face-to-face.

Boss Zhou was indeed well-connected. In less than half a month, he had finalized the residency and school enrollment procedures for Cheng Yimo.

The young girl did not want to go to school, but faced with her brother’s serious expression and firm tone, she carried her little backpack to school with tear-filled eyes.

Having experienced countless hardships and grievances, the young girl was finally able to grow up like a normal child.

Standing at the school gate, watching his sister turn back to look at him every few steps as she entered the building, the anxiety that had been clutching at Cheng Xiangru’s heart finally subsided.

"Uncle Zhou, we cannot keep living off you and spending your money. Since Momo is in school, I have no more worries. Please, let me do something for you," Cheng Xiangru said with sincerity and firm resolve.

Boss Zhou smiled. "Rest a little longer. When I return in a while, I will take you under my wing and teach you a few skills myself."

"Where are you going?" Cheng Xiangru asked urgently.

Boss Zhou’s gaze flickered, as if he were hiding something or had some unspeakable difficulty.

Cheng Xiangru said sensibly, "Uncle Zhou, I understand. I won't ask what I shouldn't. I will follow your arrangements."

"Sigh!" Boss Zhou sighed. "I didn't want to tell you, but it isn't right to keep hiding it from you. It’s like this..."

As it turned out, according to reliable intelligence, someone in the circle had seen Cheng Zhifeng in the Northeast not long ago. Upon receiving this news, Boss Zhou became frantic with worry, waiting only to settle Cheng Yimo into school before gathering a team to head to the Northeast to find his old friend.

Now that Cheng Yimo was successfully enrolled, he could depart immediately.

Cheng Xiangru never expected to hear news about his father.

"Uncle Zhou, can you take me with you?" Since arriving in Rongcheng, Cheng Xiangru had seen his father in his dreams countless times, only to wake up in a cold sweat. The sheer volume of questions often left him breathless at night.

The sudden disappearance years ago, the empty grave, the secret chamber beneath the well, the girl in black, the relationship with Boss Zhou...

Cheng Xiangru wanted to ask Cheng Zhifeng for the answers to all of these things in person.

***

Boss Zhou’s expression was complex. "I understand how you feel, and I could take you, but what about your sister?"

Upon hearing that it was possible, Cheng Xiangru quickly said, "Auntie Liu is a very kind person; she will definitely be able to take care of Momo. Besides, Momo is in school now and needs to learn to be independent; she cannot always hide behind me."

Boss Zhou hesitated for a long moment before nodding. "Fine, then you shall come along. Later, I will introduce you to a few friends who will be joining us on this trip to the Northeast."

Cheng Xiangru found it strange—he didn't understand why so many people were needed just to find his father. But he didn't ask further and simply nodded.

That afternoon, Boss Zhou brought Cheng Xiangru to a teahouse near Xianren Bridge.

Boss Zhou must have been a regular; as soon as they entered, they were enthusiastically ushered into a private room. They didn't even need to order; the server immediately began arranging tea and pastries.

The room was large and elegantly decorated with greenery, calligraphy, redwood tables, hanging lanterns, floor cushions, and floor-to-ceiling screens. Every corner exuded a faint scent of tea.

They hadn't been seated for long before a server knocked and led in a man in his thirties.

The man wore his hair slicked back, fiddling with prayer beads in his hand. He walked with a steady, measured gait, sat down across from Boss Zhou, and began chatting in a thick Northeastern accent, not even glancing at Cheng Xiangru.

Afterward, three more people arrived. One seemed to be a former soldier—he was burly, with a straight posture and a purposeful stride. The other two were a married couple, likely in their thirties, who were more affectionate than young lovers; they held hands with their fingers interlaced and didn't let go from the moment they walked in.

Boss Zhou signaled for the server to close the door. After a brief pause, he stood up and said with a smile, "Brothers, I believe you all know the purpose of today's meeting, so I won't repeat it. Before we discuss business, I would like to introduce someone to you all. He will be joining us on our trip to the Northeast."

With that, he gave Cheng Xiangru a look.

Cheng Xiangru understood and walked over to Boss Zhou’s side. He looked at the four confused faces, feeling nervous and unsure of where to put his hands.

Boss Zhou paused for a moment, as if intentionally building suspense. He scanned the room and said with a smile, "This is Cheng Zhifeng’s son, Cheng Xiangru."

"Master Feng’s son?" The group exclaimed in shock, all of them standing up at once.

Cheng Xiangru noticed that the man with the slicked-back hair dropped his prayer beads, the burly man leaned forward until his back was slightly hunched, and even the couple let go of their tightly clasped hands.

All four of them stared at Cheng Xiangru with wide, disbelieving eyes, their mouths slightly agape.