Chapter 53: Visiting Luo Xia

“Enemies?” Cheng Xiangru was startled by the word. “No way?”

Though he immediately denied it, Cheng wasn’t entirely sure. After all, he and Leng Ying had faced life-and-death trials together; comparatively, he trusted Leng Ying more.

Reflecting on all that Boss Zhou had done for him, if Boss Zhou and his father were truly enemies, then how terrifying a man must Boss Zhou be?

“Let’s not discuss that for now,” Leng Ying waved her hand. “What do you think about Yangtou Hu and the others going on another expedition? Any thoughts?”

Cheng Xiangru steadied his feelings slightly. “I don’t know, but if everything is as you analyzed, many things don’t add up. If it’s as he said, then everything fits.”

Assuming Boss Zhou had designs on Cheng Zhifeng’s Golden Sword, and that Boss Zhou and Cheng Zhifeng were mortal enemies, then knowing Cheng Zhifeng was no longer around, Boss Zhou wouldn’t risk his life going on another expedition.

But was everything really as Boss Zhou claimed?

This time, Leng Ying didn’t contradict Cheng. She lowered her head, frowning in thought, clearly troubled by many unanswered questions.

Suddenly, Cheng clenched his fist and struck his palm. “I think I must go with Uncle Zhou and the others on their next expedition.”

Leng Ying looked up. “I think the same. By the way, there should be others in Yangtou Hu’s group, right? Aren’t you going to visit them?”

Cheng shook his head slightly. “I’m not familiar with those two.”

Leng Ying said, “Out of courtesy, you should visit. Besides, you might overhear some useful information. If Yangtou Hu has problems, surely the others do too. Not everyone can be as cunning as Yangtou Hu.”

Cheng suddenly understood. “Makes sense.”

If, as Leng Ying said, Cheng Zhifeng had no friends beyond his four protectors, then why did Zhu Luofu and Lin Xiaqí express such admiration for him at their first meeting?

Cheng and Leng had already stepped out of the hospital ward’s main entrance. After talking for a while, they turned back inside to ask Tan Cheng about the room numbers for Zhu Luofu and Lin Xiaqí.

Neither noticed the pair of eyes watching them from behind a frosted window on an upper floor of the hospital building.

Zhu Luofu and Lin Xiaqí shared a room. When Cheng knocked and entered, Zhu Luofu was sitting by Lin Xiaqí’s bedside, peeling an apple; Lin Xiaqí sat propped against pillows, gazing tenderly at her husband.

“Little Cheng’s here!” Zhu Luofu set down the half-peeled apple and rose to greet him.

Cheng closed the door, nodded at Leng Ying standing outside behind the glass, then walked to Lin Xiaqí’s bedside. “Uncle Zhu, Aunt Lin, how are you two? Are the injuries serious?”

Lin Xiaqí waved her hand. “It’s nothing, nothing serious. Just a few days’ rest and we’ll be fine. Little Cheng, you came from Boss Zhou’s side, right? How is he?”

Cheng accepted a chair Zhu Luofu offered and explained Boss Zhou’s condition briefly.

Zhu Luofu clenched his teeth in rage. “That brute Gao Zhuang, so treacherous! We nearly lost everything. We’ve been on so many expeditions, always guarding against traps and danger, but this time we almost fell to a living man — and worst of all, someone we thought was one of us.”

Cheng’s face showed concern. “What exactly happened?”

“Ah, don’t mention it…” Zhu Luofu hesitated, then stopped as Lin Xiaqí lightly coughed. He paused before continuing, “I get angry just thinking about it, so better not say.”

Cheng saw the couple exchange wary, forced smiles, realizing pushing further was pointless. He sighed softly. “Let’s not talk about it then.”

Lin Xiaqí comforted him, “Little Cheng, none of us expected this trouble. So much time lost, your father and the others likely have already left. Don’t be too disappointed; there’s still a long way ahead. We will find him.”

Cheng looked at Lin Xiaqí, hope shining in his eyes. “Aunt Lin, can you tell me about my father?”

Lin Xiaqí coughed twice, her voice hoarse. “Luobao, you tell him.”

Zhu Luofu nodded, respect showing on his face as he recalled, “Actually, the two of us went on an expedition with your father once. It was in the northwest, a Qin dynasty general’s tomb. Xiabao and I were arrogant, looking down on the others as tender-skinned, thinking if trouble came, we’d handle it.”

Lin Xiaqí chuckled, “You even fought with that guy named Huang, nearly came to blows.”

Zhu laughed too, “Yeah, if not for their numbers, I’d have hit him. But luckily I didn’t. Later, I found out even one-on-one, I couldn’t beat Huang.”

Cheng anxiously wanted to hear more but didn’t interrupt, patiently waiting.

Zhu continued, “After we entered the tomb, we really opened our eyes. Little Cheng, you know us locals only use simple tools — entrenching shovels, miner’s lamps, things like that. But your father and the others were amazing: insecticide, impact drills, night vision goggles, even drones.”

Cheng nodded slightly, thinking he’d already experienced that firsthand from Leng Ying.

Zhu smiled, “What tools they carried was secondary. The real skill was their ability to anticipate all the tomb’s traps and easily disable them, even opening the dragon-breaking stone sealing the tomb door. I still don’t understand how they did it. What impressed me most was the general’s burial pit held a blood corpse. Ordinary locals would have soiled themselves, but your father’s group killed it. Though slightly injured, it was remarkable.”

Lin Xiaqí added, “Logically, your father’s team did most of the work that time and taught us many skills, broadening our horizons. They should have gotten a bigger share, but your father insisted on equal division, not only that, he gave us a bit extra.”

At this, Lin and Zhu began praising Cheng Zhifeng and the others back and forth, with no substantial details left.

Cheng tried asking more but gained nothing further.

After chatting a while, seeing no more could be gleaned, Cheng politely excused himself.

Outside the room, he recounted everything he’d learned to Leng Ying.

Leng pondered, “That must have been before I came along, a very long time ago.”

Cheng frowned. “You said my father wasn’t a grave robber. So why did he go on expeditions with grave robbers and share loot afterward?”

Leng shook her head. “I don’t know. But I believe your father had his reasons for everything. Let’s not dwell on that. Most of the information you got from them is useless. What I really want to know is, since they were buried underground, why were they rescued so quickly afterward?”

Cheng waved his hand. “No use. They just don’t want to talk about it.”

Leng said, “Looks like we’ll have to find out ourselves. By the way, don’t tell Yangtou Hu we plan to go with them next time. Let’s just visit him daily. When they set off, then mention it, so they won’t deliberately avoid us.”

Cheng frowned. “What if they insist on leaving us behind?”

Leng smiled. “Then you’ll have to be the ‘blue fatty’ again.”

Cheng blinked in surprise, then laughed. “Got it!”