**Chapter 12: Liu Banxian’s Past**
As Lu Xianbei emerged from the restroom, he inwardly cursed, thinking this wave was about to end.
Unexpectedly, Hu Yue really had major problems!
Just moments earlier in the restroom, he had sensed a spirit energy fluctuation that was filthy and eerie, making one feel nauseous, comparable to the Witch’s Egg.
If the spirit energy fluctuation of the Witch’s Egg was that of a bl**d-soaked girl, this current one was akin to a cunning and venomous woman.
In short, neither was anything good!
Earlier on the plane, Lu Xianbei had already exposed himself to the gaze of a person holding a bone flute.
He had uncovered Hu Yue’s tricks, transitioning from a situation where the enemy was hidden while he was in the light, to one where both sides were now visible.
As long as he could obfuscate his intentions and not show hostility towards him, perhaps they could continue to coexist peacefully.
However…
The depth and complexity of the Z language and culture, combined with body language, made things more complicated.
Saying the same thing while wiping his hands on Hu Yue’s shoulder, the meanings conveyed by the frosty or unfrosty water stains were vastly different.
What Lu Xianbei intended to express was, “Professor, I have no idea what you are doing, you can continue with confidence.”
Now, however, it was likely to be understood as, “Hey, little guy, I’ve got my eyes on you, you’d better behave!”
Lu Xianbei glanced at the layer of white frost forming on his right palm, feeling conflicted.
What the heck is going on?! Did I ever have this ability before?
Why suddenly have an epiphany at such a strange time?
He hoped this visiting professor in literature wasn’t very good at physics and wouldn’t react quickly to the fact that freezing at minus five degrees doesn’t happen that fast… Lu Xianbei thought anxiously.
Crossing the corridor and returning to Professor Ma’s side, Lu Xianbei was just about to sit down when he was pulled up by him.
“Don’t sit! Didn’t you say the car to pick us up has already arrived? Why aren’t you hurrying outside?”
“Uh…” Lu Xianbei paused, turned to glance at the restroom, then looked back at Professor Ma, puzzled, “Professor, aren’t we waiting for Professor Hu?”
Professor Ma waved his hand, “No need to wait. He just sent me a message saying he won’t be returning to the hotel with us, he wants to visit some old friends in Tangcheng first, and will meet us at the hotel later.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xianbei was stunned.
So he just left like that?
That’s better! Having him around made him feel quite uneasy; God knows if the plane crash didn’t happen, and then he caused a car accident instead.
However, he’d have to keep a close eye on him later; if he was still up to some tricks…
Just as Lu Xianbei was lost in thought, Professor Ma’s voice suddenly floated into his ears.
“Lu Xianbei, time is tight, we must take the initiative!”
Lu Xianbei, “Huh?”
“Professor, what are you saying?”
You also noticed something was off with Professor Hu and are preparing to get rid of him? Lu Xianbei thought.
Noticing the strange look in Lu Xianbei’s eyes, Professor Ma patted his shoulder and explained, “I also have an old friend in Tangcheng who specializes in dealing with antiques. After we drop our things off at the hotel, we’ll go meet him and see if we can gather any information about that batch of cultural relics.”
I knew it, we don’t have to get rid of Hu Yue just yet… Lu Xianbei thought to himself and nodded, following Professor Ma toward the exit.
——————
Ten minutes later.
Outside Tangcheng Airport, near the parking area.
Professor Ma tightened his coat, tucking his hands into his sleeves, shivering in the biting cold wind.
Though the temperature announced on the plane was minus five degrees, standing in the parking area, the cold wind carrying the dampness of melting snowflakes produced “damage” far exceeding the designated minus five degrees; ordinary clothes could hardly fend it off.
Professor Ma glanced sideways at the absent-minded Lu Xianbei and said in an eerie tone, “Lu Xianbei, didn’t you say the car had already come? Why are we still waiting so long without seeing anyone? By the way, do you have the contact number of the project team staff?”
Isn’t that to prevent you two from developing into an elder wrestling match? Lu Xianbei felt a bit uneasy, avoiding Professor Ma’s gaze and sidestepped, “Professor, speaking of this heavy task, where should we start?”
As he spoke, he also tucked his hands into his sleeves like Professor Ma.
Whether it was due to some bodily change he was unaware of or the harsh parking area wind really was bothersome, he barely stood there for a moment, and his hands felt as if they were about to freeze, all ten fingers icy.
“Stinky kid!” Professor Ma saw through Lu Xianbei’s little scheme but didn’t expose him. After a low curse, he continued, “We can’t start the research until we retrieve those cultural relics.”
“Later, we’ll be responsible for the appraisal of some cultural relics recovered by the relevant departments. I know you’re not good at this sort of thing, but this job will be handled by me and Professor Hu.”
“When the time comes, just follow those young people from the project to visit the trading markets. The vendors in those places are familiar with the relevant department personnel and won’t easily produce real items. You young outsiders may have some impact.”
Visiting the trading market? Lu Xianbei nodded thoughtfully, looking at Professor Ma, parting his lips as if to say something when a sudden commotion from behind interrupted him.
Not far away, a man wearing sunglasses and a mask, escorted by several burly men in black, walked toward them, followed by a group of fans holding posters and LED boards, cheering and screaming in excitement.
Seeing those fans trying to approach the man only to be intercepted by the burly guards, Lu Xianbei nonchalantly sneered, “So it’s a celebrity? I thought there was a terrorist attack at the airport!”
Professor Ma shot Lu Xianbei a glare, scolding him, “Stinky kid, stop talking nonsense. How could there be terrorists attacking the airport during a good day?”
How could it be impossible? You were just leaning on what looked like a terrorist and sleeping! Lu Xianbei thought sarcastically when suddenly a scream came from the direction of the unknown celebrity.
Looking towards the sound, Lu Xianbei noticed a man unexpectedly among the fans, desperately pushing his way forward.
The man was tall and robust, standing close to two meters, wearing only a thin black hoodie in the freezing cold, his hands large as fans as he strode through the crowd of fans, fierce and imposing, like a lion shaking the heavens or a fierce beast coming down from its perch.
As he made his way through, it was as if he was a bowling ball knocking down pins, completely unstoppable.
Even the burly men trying to stop him next to the celebrity couldn’t succeed.
Just when the male celebrity thought he was under attack and was terrified to the point of paleness, the man pulled out three autograph boards from his hoodie pocket, lifted his hoodie to reveal his face, grinned widely, and said in a deep voice, “Hey, mind signing? Thanks!”
Faced with the man’s aggressive request for signatures, the male celebrity didn’t dare refuse, trembling as he took the pen and quickly signed his name on the three boards before rushing back to his van.
Before long, the van departed, and the previously enthusiastic expressions on the faces of the “fans” surrounding the male celebrity quickly dropped to freezing points with the chill of the wind.
Among them, two or three came out, approached the robust man, and displayed looks of disdain, cursing, “Hey! Who brought you here to look for a job? Do you know the rules?”
At that moment, the man was squatting on the ground, scribbling on a piece of cardboard with an oily pen, seemingly ignoring their insults and barely lifting his head.
Seeing he was silent, those people persisted, “We’re here to welcome, mainly for the show, do you understand?”
“You’re supposed to create the illusion that the celebrity is popular while also keeping real fans at bay.”
“We cannot approach those stars, don’t you know? Do you want to lose your pay or what?”
At this time, the man finished writing on the cardboard, abruptly lifted his head, and his keen gaze shot out like cold light.
Without saying a word or making any gestures, just one displeased look made those so-called “fans” step back in fright.
Seeing those people back off, the man picked up the cardboard and walked into a more open view, raising the cardboard he held high. It was covered with messy scribbles, leaving only one line clear at the end.
【Professor and His Student】
So it was him? Did he… forget our names? Lu Xianbei facepalmed and patted Professor Ma’s shoulder, “Professor, the car that’s picking us up has arrived.”
Professor Ma, “…”
“Professor?”
Professor Ma, who was shivering slightly and dazed, blinked and murmured, “Hmm? Oh… finally here?”
Lu Xianbei, “…”
————
Three minutes later.
An old, swaying van was driving towards Tangcheng Four Seasons Hotel.
Lu Xianbei and Professor Ma were still basking in the warmth of the van’s heater, when the tall man glanced at the note on the car and began to speak on his own.
“You two must be Professor Ma Zhen and Junior Lu Xianbei, right? Hello, I’m Mao Sanyou, a graduate student in Cultural Relics and Museum Studies at Tangcheng University. My teacher, Hou Jun, asked me to come pick you up…”
Before Mao Sanyou could finish, Lu Xianbei heard Professor Ma mutter a curse under his breath.
“So it was that old b*stard? Hmph, scoundrel!”
Lu Xianbei was taken aback, turning to look and realizing that just moments ago, Professor Ma had appeared to be deflated like a frostbitten eggplant, yet now he seemed energized, sitting upright like he had been injected with adrenaline.
He resembled someone in class, holding a roll call sheet, ready to flunk someone.
Noticing Lu Xianbei’s puzzled gaze, Professor Ma slightly turned and whispered in his ear, “Hou Jun was my college classmate. When he was younger, he had his eyes on your teacher’s wife for a long time but never succeeded.”
Lu Xianbei nodded, thinking he could understand.
Though Professor Ma had a strange temperament, he was handsome!
In his fifties, he hadn’t aged badly, rather he had become what could be called a rare kind of charming old man. One could imagine he had caused quite a stir when he was young.
Handsome with knowledge, surely he attracted the attention of girls, and coupled with a unique personality…
Professor Ma must have been hated by many during his youth! Just like me… Lu Xianbei mused.
“Anyway, that guy has been targeting me ever since he graduated and started working, whether in life or academics. Even things I’ve said, he always has to oppose. This time I suspect he’s joined the research project to stir things up against me.”
Hearing this, Lu Xianbei frowned and interjected, “A contrarian?”
“…” Professor Ma thought for a moment and replied seriously, “Hmm, only a contrarian towards me.”
Saying this, he turned to Mao Sanyou in the driver’s seat and asked earnestly, “Kid, let me ask you, what is your teacher doing now?”
“He…” Mao Sanyou awkwardly smiled, “He’s out with two junior students, strolling through Antique Street on Taohua Road, trying his luck to see if he can find the lost cultural relics.”
Upon hearing this, Professor Ma pondered for a few seconds, then patted Lu Xianbei on the shoulder, “Lu Xianbei, you should go too. Make sure to find the relics before that old b*stard Hou Jun does.”
Lu Xianbei was momentarily stunned, saying, “Wait, Professor, I’m going alone?”
Professor Ma glanced out at the snowflakes swirling in the wind and the already frozen surrounding river, squinted his eyes, and murmured, “That was the winter of ’99. I went with several colleagues to the countryside to search for a set of ancient jade tablets and got caught in a blizzard. I accidentally fell off a cliff and broke my foot. Ever since then, every cloudy day…”
So you old man being disliked isn’t without reason… Lu Xianbei sighed, interrupting, “Alright, alright, I’ll go. Isn’t that okay?”
After all, he had planned to sneak away alone anyway, to look for the Stinky Sister and check in with the Siye Society in Tangcheng. Lu Xianbei thought.
————
Tangcheng East Train Station.
In the stillness, the cold wind wrapped around fine snowflakes swirling in the air as they slowly fell onto the half-dismantled ruins of the train station.
Since the new train station was built and the high-speed rail was operational, this place had been abandoned for several years, originally scheduled for demolition early this year. However, due to several incidents of urban legends arising during the demolition process, progress had been temporarily stalled.
Liu Banxian stood on the opposite side of the road from the train station, holding two train tickets and a yellowing family photo, gazing at the partially torn-down station, memories surfacing from over forty years ago, a pang of sadness hitting him.
More than forty years ago, a twenty-eight-year-old Liu Banxian was just a factory worker. Days before that year’s Spring Festival, he took his wife and daughter back home for the holiday and arrived at Tangcheng East Train Station.
His three-year-old daughter got lost at that very moment.
It was just for a brief moment when the couple kindly helped others carry luggage onto the train, turning around to find only a noisy street filled with countless heads surging.
His mind went blank and he panicked, then began to envision all sorts of tragic outcomes, ultimately picking up that faint hope after his emotions completely collapsed.
Since then, Liu Banxian and his wife settled in Tangcheng, doing odd jobs while searching for their daughter, staying for as long as three years.
In five years, the couple exhausted their savings in search of their child, yet she remained missing, and his wife urged him to have another child while still young. But Liu Banxian would only smoke, tears streaming down his face as he shook his head.
Before long, unable to bear that kind of life any longer, his wife also left.
That night, Liu Banxian got himself incredibly drunk, stumbling into a nearby dilapidated temple close to where he lived.
At that time, because of financial difficulties, Liu Banxian could only live in a run-down rental house in a remote suburb; he was aware of the existence of that empty temple but had never entered, not knowing which deity it housed.
Before entering the temple, Liu Banxian still comforted himself while intoxicated, but the collapse of an adult often happens in an instant. Upon seeing the indistinct clay idol inside, recalling the previous day’s events, he suddenly broke down.
Crying and cursing—cursing the heavens, the earth, people, and even the deities—
Then…
Emerald light seemed to grow branches in the darkness, and the deity truly appeared before him, beating him badly before showing him a clear path.
Though that clear path ultimately couldn’t guide Liu Banxian to find his daughter, at least it equipped him with the means to continue his search—spirit patterns and the art of divination.
Now, having learned of the deity’s troubles, he knew it was time to repay the favor…
————
When Liu Banxian withdrew his thoughts, the bus had already stopped near Arrow Tower Ancient Street. It had been many years since his last visit to Tangcheng, and he had to detour a lot to get there.
Fortunately, apart from the two commercial streets, the old houses and alleyways around Arrow Tower Ancient Street hadn’t changed much; Liu Banxian navigated through the area based on memory and quickly found that old pawnshop.
As soon as Liu Banxian stepped into the pawnshop, the shopkeeper, the always drowsy Tan Caizhu, suddenly sat up straight, wide-eyed, and exclaimed, “Goodness, look who’s here!”
“Have you found your daughter yet?”
Liu Banxian smiled bitterly and shook his head, “After all this effort, I only know she’s still alive, but I haven’t found her yet.”
“Oh…” Tan Caizhu nodded, muttering, “As long as she’s alive, there’s hope of finding her.”
Liu Banxian cupped his hands in thanks, “Thank you for your good wishes.”
“By the way, you should wait a bit! She’s taking a nap.” Tan Caizhu reminded him, “You know her temperament. If you disturb her sweet dreams, you might get into trouble.”
Liu Banxian glanced upstairs and nodded, then took a stool and sat beside Tan Caizhu, warming his hands by the furnace while chatting.
“Speaking of which, Tan brother, it’s been a long time since we last met. Would you like me to do a divination for you? Let’s see how your fortune is this year?”
Tan Caizhu cast a glance at Liu Banxian and shook his head rapidly like a rattle drum, “No need, no need! When you helped me divine in the past, I ended up with only this smallest of my three shops left. If you do another divination, I might end up sleeping on the street tonight.”
Tan Caizhu’s comment was meant to be a joke between old friends, but he didn’t expect it to come true.
…
As Liu Banxian conversed with Tan Caizhu, across the old street, a pair of gloomy eyes pulled back their gaze, slowly slipping a white porcelain plate into his pocket.
Though the support for Jumeng was not intercepted, an idea struck him, and he located Jumeng’s hiding spot!
