Keeper | The Lost Tomb Fanfiction

Familiar (2)

Chapter 65: Familiar (2)

"Xiu Jingchen?"

"Liu Yi?"

Those who are familiar with the two shouted in surprise. Never would they think Hei Xiazi would bring such familiar fellows just after leaving for a few days. One would think of what the man was planning with the sudden addition. 

If someone is familiar with the man and if Xie Yuchen was there, he would have known that Hei Xiazi was brewing a plan of mischief with the way his eyes held mirth and a smile of excitement of what's about to happen in this expedition.

Too bad the only person who knows Hei Xiazi well inside the room is distracted, If not someone would have known the meaning of the smile on the man's face.

Liu Yi walked near the window, leaning to the wall while watching the crowd silently. She was never the type to sit down near strangers, even though they are what people called 'familiar strangers'. Besides, she picked a place she can easily escape with due to the hot gaze aimed at her the moment she entered the room. She looked calm at the surface but she was actually ready to escape.

"It seems like we're welcome." Xiu Jingchen smiled gently at the crowd's reaction, not knowing Liu Yi's predicament. "We heard from Second Uncle, err... Hei Ye, that they'll be party here in the next few days?" He said while sitting down at an empty chair. 

The others were taken aback by his words.

"Were fighting called 'party' in your place? We heard Master say that a couple of times." Su Wan was surprised. He never though a person who look as gentle and elegant as Xie Jinchen could be so... barbaric in words.

"Well, yes..."

The others followed along to talk with Xiu Jingchen while Pangzi and Xiaoge were watching the hooded figure at the window for a while now.

Remembering they never met, Pangzi asked Yang Hao to introduce her to them. "That's Ms. Liu Yi, a friend of Hei Ye. We met at the train going to Guangzhou when looking for PangYe, who helped us after we we're ambushed." He leans closer to Pangzi so that Xiaoge won't hear. "To tell you, she's like a female version of Xiaoge. Silent but deadly."

"Oh." Pangzi rubbed his chin thoughtfully after hearing this. He looks at Xiaoge who's still stuck looking at the girl before looking at Liu Yi with narrowed eyes, who was looking outside the window.

---

The others finished talking with pleasantries before they started talking with the plan. They look at Zhang Rishan (since they can't make Xiaoge talk duh) to get him started.

"First of all, before the plan, we should all know who we are facing at this time. Have you guys heard of Noble Clans?"

Most people in the room shown a confused face. Afterall, it's the first time they heard about that title.

"Noble Clans? What's that?" Su Wan looked at Liu Sang beside him, who shakes his head.

"Never heard of it." 

Su Wan then face his other side. "I think I know, but it's a vague introduction." Xiao Tang said with confidence while holding his chin trying to remember the information. He looked around and almost fall from his seat after feeling Hei Xiazi and Liu Yi's stare at him. He pretends to be calm and smiled cutely at his Big Sis and Second Uncle.

Xiu Jingchen at the side was laughing secretly at Xiao Tang. Who told him to always slack off reading information to the point that he doesn't even fully remember their group's info. Now, I don't know what type of punishment he would face once they came back from this trip.

"So, what is the origin of this 'Noble Clans?'" After finding no such information in his memories, Wu Sanxing finally asked Zhang Rishan.

"Actually, not much is known. But from what I heard from FoYe before, 'Noble Clans' consist of four old clans with thousands of years in history. They've been thriving since old dynasties and still standing up to the present time."

Pangzi looks up in fake shock, "So, old monsters?!"

"Maybe they are, maybe they are not." He glanced at Pangzi before continuing, "There were rumors that those clans have also served an immortal being in Immortality Island, and accepted wealth and power that leads them to their current standing as a hidden clan."

Liu Sang frowned. "Immortal being again. What do you know about this person?"

Zhang Rishan was also clueless. "No one really knows that much. Only he lived on a remote and hidden Island called Immortality Island, and he was found by a prince of a fallen dynasty. In recent rumors, this island is also called---"

"Enchanted Island, so we heard." Pangzi cut Zhang Rishan off causing the latter to glance. The cheeky man just gave (our) President Zhang a piece sign.

"I just don't understand. What does some old clan got to do with us and why did they kidnap Wu Xie and the rest in the end?"

The room was silent for a while before Xiu Jingchen suddenly speak. "They target Wu Xie because he's the perfect bait."

His words cause the entire room of people to focus on him. Even Xiaoge open his eyes, previously close while not participating in the conversation, to wait for him to explain.

"Why is he a perfect bait?" Wu Sanxing asked, his frown deepening.

"There are three possibilities of why Wu Xie along with the rest would be the perfect baits."

"First, their target is the Wu and Xie family. By taking the Wu sole heir and Head of Xie, they can control these families, maybe they even want to control the rest of the Nine Gates."

"Second, the sole target of kidnapping is Wu Xie, and the others are just additional, which means their main target might be the Wu family, Wu Xie himself, or Zhang Qiling."

Liu Sang glanced at his idol whose eyes are hidden under his bangs before facing Xiu Jingchen. "Why is it Xiaoge?"

Zhang Rishan saw their confusion and answer on the behalf of the doctor. "You see, the Zhang's, especially men of our family in general have a prominent characteristic. All of us are predators and extremely territorial. Everything that we recognized as ours, cannot belong to others. Especially... our lovers. As you know, it is an open secret in our circle."

Hei Xiazi suddenly chuckled. "As for what they want from Xiaoge, maybe it is still about Immortality? Or something else.?" He said the last three words slowly as if insinuating something, his eyes hidden behind the sunglasses stares playfully at the hooded figure at the window, whose eyes hidden in the dark stares back at him.

Under the secret stare competition of the two, the conversation of the rest continues. 

Pangzi remembered three possible reason and ask for the last one. "What about the third one then?"

Zhang Rishan answered this one. "Remember the people protecting you in the dark? If the third possibility is right, the mastermind wanted those people, especially the leader behind them. Since those secret protectors are bent on protecting Wu Xie, kidnapping him will make their leader possibly show up."

The rest are suddenly confused. "So, it's not Xiaoge they are after?" 

Zhang Rishan paused for a second. "Yes and No. Xiaoge once told me after he came back that people are coming to catch him. Maybe if the third reason is right, they still need Xiaoge after all."

Liu Sang's frown deepened. "If one of those possibility is right, then aren't you afraid there's more to this trap?"

"It doesn't matter. Our enemies chose such elaborative trap then, which shows that they know us quite well. But who can trap who can't be decided 'till the end." Zhang Rishan suddenly shown his first smile since the kidnapping. It was clearly a smile, but people can't help feeling cold after seeing it. Those youngsters in the room can't help but flinch in surprise whilst the rest of the crowd gave a knowing smile. They lit a candle for their enemies and hope their mothers can still recognize their bodies after death. After all, not only did they provoke Zhang Qiling but also Zhang Rishan.