Chapter 92: The Warning Talisman

“I said...”

“Brother Fan, I’ll tell you everything... just please, don’t hit me...”

Zhou Xiaohu was truly terrified. Trembling all over, he stammered, “Someone... someone hired us to dig up an ancient tomb over here in your mountains...”

“They said there were all kinds of gold, silver, jewels, and antiques inside, and once we dug them out, we’d get rich overnight!”

At that, Zeng Xiaofan’s sharp brows lifted slightly.

“I knew it!”

“You’re stealing state cultural relics!”

“That’s illegal! A serious crime!” Zeng Xiaofan snapped.

The moment he said it, the others dropped to their knees as well.

If an ordinary man had dared to interfere in their business, they would have long since buried him in the mountains.

But they were no match for Zeng Xiaofan before them. With no other choice, they could only kneel and beg for mercy.

“Big brother! Please, have mercy on us this once...”

“We won’t dare do it again. We’ll give you everything!”

“Look... these antiques, they’re all yours...”

Several burly men hurriedly took out the antiques they had secretly hidden on their bodies and handed them over to Zeng Xiaofan.

One ancient bronze coin drew his attention. He picked it up at once and studied it carefully.

“This bronze coin was dug up from the grave too?”

Zeng Xiaofan’s expression turned grave. Zhou Xiaohu dared not hide anything and could only nod.

“Y-yes...”

“If Brother Fan likes it, just take it!”

“As long as Brother Fan doesn’t spread this around, we’re willing to split everything fifty-fifty with you.”

Seeing how excited Zeng Xiaofan looked, Zhou Xiaohu immediately had an idea and wanted to cooperate with him.

However, Zeng Xiaofan was not interested in the artifact itself. He only felt the coin looked strangely familiar.

After thinking hard, he finally remembered that when he was young, he seemed to have seen an identical bronze coin in his grandfather’s drawer.

And now his grandfather, Li Zhongshi, who had painstakingly raised him, along with his foster father and foster mother, had already been missing for years.

At that thought, Zeng Xiaofan felt a wave of sorrow.

He could not help silently thinking, Grandpa, Dad, Mom, if only you were still here...

Your child has grown up now. I can already give you a life of comfort and wealth...

It’s just a pity that you are no longer here.

A child wishing to support his parents while they are gone—what a helpless regret that is in life.

Thinking of this, Zeng Xiaofan’s eyes grew a little hot, though he also knew now was not the time to be sentimental.

Since this bronze coin had been obtained by Zhou Xiaohu and the others from a tomb, and his grandfather had one too, then it was quite possible that his grandfather had some connection to tomb raiders as well...

In Zeng Xiaofan’s memory, his grandfather had always been an incomparably upright man.

No matter what, he could not believe his grandfather was a tomb raider, but feelings aside, Zeng Xiaofan still could not completely rule out that possibility.

If his grandfather might have had some connection to tomb raiding, then his disappearance might also be related to it.

In that case, if he could trace the people behind this gang of tomb raiders, perhaps he might uncover clues about his grandfather and his foster parents’ disappearances.

With that thought, Zeng Xiaofan no longer cared that Li Bixian in the room was still bare and warming herself by the fire.

His expression turned cold as he said in a deep voice, “Where is the tomb?”

“Take me there!”

“Uh... uh... all right...”

Zhou Xiaohu did not dare disobey. With great reluctance, he could only lead the way up the mountain.

Zeng Xiaofan glanced back at the hut and said sternly, “You all go ahead. I’ll follow behind. If anyone dares run off early, the thing I pierce will not be his foot, but his throat!”

At that, everyone was once again filled with dread. Any who had planned to flee midway could only follow Zhou Xiaohu sullenly.

Zeng Xiaofan turned and went back into the dilapidated tile house. In his momentary carelessness, he caught an unguarded glimpse of Li Bixian by the fire, seeing everything at a glance.

“Ah~” Li Bixian had noticed Zeng Xiaofan coming back and had been seen completely naked. Her face instantly flushed crimson, and she let out a soft, embarrassed gasp. “You little brat... y-you’re peeking again!”

“I told you not to turn around...”

Zeng Xiaofan scratched his head. “Sorry... I forgot for a moment...”

“I knew you were doing it on purpose...”

Li Bixian pouted coquettishly, wrinkling her nose as she hurriedly reached out to cover herself.

Little did she know that this only made her look even more alluring, like someone half-hiding a lute behind her face.

Zeng Xiaofan stared even more fixedly.

“You...”

“Stop looking... your eyes are about to fall out onto the ground!~”

“Annoying...”

Li Bixian bit her rosy lip in shy embarrassment, though beneath that shyness there was also a touch of pride.

“How is it? Have the people outside left?”

“There were so many of them. How did you drive them away?”

“I just heard someone shouting. Did you beat them up?”

“You’re too impulsive! With so many of them, if you rushed in, you could easily have suffered for it!”

As she spoke, her face was again full of worry.

Zeng Xiaofan smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. Didn’t you hear them? They were all begging me to let them go.”

“Mm, I heard that too, which is why I found it even stranger...”

“How could you make so many of them surrender all by yourself?”

Zeng Xiaofan smiled lightly. “It’s nothing. Mainly because of chance—the one leading them used to be taught a lesson by me before.”

“He’s afraid of me when he sees me!”

“By the way, Sister Xian, you stay here and warm yourself by the fire for now. Once your clothes are dry, help me take the medicinal seedlings back to the village.”

“I’ve got something to take care of with them. I’ll come find you after I’m back.”

“Huh?” Li Bixian immediately looked panicked. “What happened? Are they forcing you to go with them?”

“I knew it—how could you handle so many of them alone?”

“You must be afraid of being humiliated, so you deliberately found a way to lead them away, right?”

Zeng Xiaofan’s expression hardened as he said in a deep voice, “Stop overthinking it. I’ve already decided.”

“Don’t interrupt me again.”

“If you keep interrupting, I might just...” As he spoke, Zeng Xiaofan looked at Li Bixian’s body with a wicked smile.

Frightened, Li Bixian quickly turned her back to him, presenting only her beautiful back and rounded curves.

“Y-you better not mess around~”

“Fine... I’ll listen to you, okay?”

“You’re really domineering... hmph!”

Only then did Zeng Xiaofan nod, pull the ragged door shut, and head out after Zhou Xiaohu and the others.

Once outside the courtyard gate, he still felt uneasy. After all, the moment he left, Li Bixian would be alone in that broken little house, naked and warming herself by the fire.

If someone suddenly came by at that moment, wouldn’t the whole house be stolen from right under her nose...

Thinking of this, Zeng Xiaofan’s mind stirred, and the outline of a talisman appeared in his consciousness.

“This vigilance talisman is just right for the situation.”

Muttering under his breath, Zeng Xiaofan’s lips curved slightly upward. Once again, he formed a sword mudra with two fingers and traced the air.

Then he let out a sharp cry and struck the ground with his palm. In an instant, a glowing talisman pattern flashed down, and a thin veil of golden light spread to envelop the entire valley.

This would do. Anyone entering the valley would now be detected by him.

Zeng Xiaofan looked at the courtyard with satisfaction, and another wave of emotion rose in his heart. This mysterious inheritance was truly far too useful.