Chapter One Hundred and One: The Two Old Fans

Zhang Qinglin’s sallow face lacked any luster, his eyes fixed ahead in hesitant contemplation.

Just then, Wu Cheng’an walked in from outside. His expression was grave, his lips drained of color. He gave a nod to Fanni, and a man followed closely behind him.

The man walked with a steady, decisive gait, exuding an aura of integrity from the moment he stepped through the door. His appearance bore a striking resemblance to Fanni, who sat opposite, though he wore no glasses, his temples were dusted with grey, and he had a dark mole on his left forehead. His gaze shifted toward Zhang Qinglin.

Upon seeing him, Fanni immediately stood up from his chair and took a step forward, asking, "Director, how is the situation outside?"

Hearing the word "Director," Zhang Qinglin’s eyes filled with pleasant surprise.

"Everyone has largely stabilized. The snow has mostly stopped, so we should make arrangements shortly to transport everyone to the nearest hospital for check-ups. Furthermore, we must identify the person responsible for the poisoning to give everyone an answer," Director Fan said, his voice deep and resonant.

Fanni listened intently. Now, everyone’s health was the priority. He walked up to the Director and whispered, "They came looking for you. I don't know who they are, so be careful."

He then spoke in a normal tone, "You don't need to worry about the people at the institute; leave the rest to me." With that, he departed.

Wu Cheng’an brought a glass of water to Zhang Qinglin, who was sitting by the kang, and lowered his voice. "He is the real Director Fanni."

"Then, is he Master Ma?" Zhang Qinglin asked softly as he took the glass.

Wu Cheng’an shook his head. "It is not yet certain."

Director Fan turned to face Zhang Qinglin, scrutinizing him carefully before asking, "I heard you came looking for me and have something important to say, but I do not recognize you. What is it you need?"

"Director Fan, are you Master Ma? We have come from Beijing. Do you know Zhang Chuyang and Chen Feng? I am Zhang Chuyang’s son. I want to know my father’s whereabouts; can you tell me?"

Director Fan’s gaze flickered toward the doorway. Wu Cheng’an, standing by the door, noticed the look, swiftly turned to close it, and walked toward the right side of the room.

Director Fan’s expression shifted. "Who told you the name 'Master Ma,' and how did you find this place?"

"Chen Feng’s sister, Chen Shengxiao, told me. Someone deliberately made me find this," Zhang Qinglin said, reaching into his pocket to produce the Pixiu.

Upon seeing the Pixiu in Zhang Qinglin’s hand, Director Fan’s face turned to one of shock. He walked over, staring at it intently. "How did you come to have this? Where did you find it?"

"Qingshan..."

Director Fan took the Pixiu in his hands, his face filled with agitation, his eyes glistening. Yet, in an instant, he composed himself. "Do you know what this is?"

"An obsidian Pixiu," Zhang Qinglin replied without hesitation.

"Wrong. This is a Qilin, excavated from a tomb of the Ming Dynasty imperial family. It was meant to be brought back to the research institute, but my student, who was stationed in Tianhe for field research, was cruelly murdered on the very first day. It is a profound tragedy."

Zhang Qinglin was stunned. He had examined it carefully before. Based on what he had gathered from the miscellaneous collections he had read, legend held that the Pixiu’s head resembled a dragon, its body a tiger or leopard, with Qilin feet and wings on its ribs. While a Qilin’s head could also resemble a dragon's and its tail could be dragon-like, it had the body of a horse, and usually, one could distinguish them by their build.

The black stone in Director Fan’s hand had a corroded surface, but based on its general silhouette, it was clearly a Pixiu. Why, then, did the Director insist it was a Qilin?

Zhang Qinglin looked at the Director, expecting him to reveal the truth about his father. Instead, the man told him to rest and recover his strength, promising to talk later. Director Fan then glanced at Cheng Che and Chi Tan on the kang before leaving the room.

After Director Fan left, Wu Cheng’an seemed to have realized something, though he said nothing. He sat in a chair by the window and fell asleep. Zhang Qinglin watched him, thinking he likely hadn't rested since the night before. His gaze then shifted to the window. Now that he had found Master Ma, he would eventually discover his father’s whereabouts. His eyelids grew heavy, and he fell asleep on the kang.

He woke once in the middle of the night, drifting in and out of consciousness, vaguely hearing Wanqing and Cheng Che whispering in the corner. Having vomited repeatedly, he felt exhausted and weak.

After falling back asleep, he felt his body alternating between cold and hot, sensing a bone-chilling wind brushing past his ears.

He did not know how much time had passed when a piercing noise suddenly startled him awake. He opened his eyes to see his head tilted against the car window. The vehicle was moving slowly. Wu Cheng’an sat beside him; he did not recognize the driver, and someone sat in the passenger seat. Too weak to move, he didn't care to look at who it was.

Just then, Zhang Qinglin glanced outside and saw a black donkey pulling a cart moving alongside the car. The old man on the cart held a whip, lashing out as the animal raised its head and brayed.

Their car was traveling downhill. Because of the snow and the cold, the road was slick. The car picked up speed and nearly collided with the donkey cart. The driver swerved to avoid it, causing the vehicle to veer off course and crash into a large tree by the roadside. The hood began to smoke; the car was disabled.

The driver got out to check the damage, and the person in the passenger seat turned to ask if they were all right. Zhang Qinglin realized it was Director Fan. He saw the Director push open the door, run onto the road, and flag down the donkey cart.

Soon, Director Fan hurried back. "Xiao Guang, you stay here to fix the car, or find help in the nearby village if you must. I will take them ahead."

With that, Director Fan opened the door and, with Wu Cheng’an, helped Zhang Qinglin onto the donkey cart. And so, the three of them set off for Hualong County Hospital in an "open-top vehicle."