Observing Zheng Zhiyuan's confused gaze, Mr. Sun smiled gently, "There's no need to be so flustered, Old Zheng. You've spent your life in the antique trade, so you probably don't know much about tomb keepers. When you truly understand this name, you'll definitely look upon Young Ye with newfound respect."
Seeing Mr. Sun's serious expression, devoid of any jest, Zheng Zhiyuan could only offer a wry smile.
In his opinion, regardless of whether Ye Fan was a descendant of a tomb keeper or not, since he was his partner now, there was no distinction of high or low status.
The three of them chatted in the tea lounge for quite some time before returning to the hotel together.
"Tomorrow morning, we'll set off for the Heavenly King River and must find the treasure in the shortest possible time," Zheng Zhiyuan stated gravely, setting the tone for the endeavor.
Ye Fan nodded and returned to his room.
As Shen Bao hadn't returned yet from investigating the treasure, Ye Fan washed up and went to bed to rest.
In the dead of night, the window was slowly opened. Since Ye Fan was staying on the second floor, an agile individual could climb up using the drainpipe from the first floor.
"You trespass into my room in the dead of night. I doubt it's for convenience, is it?"
Just as he landed from the window, Ye Fan's indifferent voice was heard.
The intruder paused for a moment, then chuckled. His entire body was clad in a black night suit.
"As expected of the master's friend, you are indeed sharp."
Saying that, he slowly walked forward and turned on the room's light.
Upon hearing the intruder's words, Ye Fan was slightly taken aback, "Who are you, sir? And who is your master?"
The man was slender but agile, clearly indicating he was a trained martial artist.
He then removed the mask covering his face and smiled faintly, "My master's identity cannot be revealed at this time. However, he sent me to find you, Mr. Ye." As he spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket.
Ye Fan took the letter. It carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. Ye Fan seemed to have smelled this fragrance somewhere before, but couldn't recall where for the moment.
He took out the letter inside. It contained only a short line of text: Tianping Town, find Ye Fan.
The handwriting was delicate and graceful, clearly written by a woman.
This made Ye Fan even more confused. Who was this person? And why were they looking for him?
Returning the letter to the man, Ye Fan frowned and asked, "May I ask what business you have with me, sir?"
Although he didn't know the man's identity, since he sent his subordinate to find him, there must be a reason. Moreover, judging by his words, the person behind this seemed very familiar with him.
Therefore, Ye Fan felt less guarded towards the man before him.
"My name is Chen Fei. I've come to find you, Brother Ye, regarding the Heavenly Kingdom's treasure."
It was as he suspected, Ye Fan smiled faintly.
It seemed the Heavenly Kingdom's treasure was not only on his radar, but many others were also paying attention to it.
Smiling faintly, Ye Fan sat down and scrutinized Chen Fei.
"Tell me, what is your plan?"
Seeing that Ye Fan had relaxed his guard, Chen Fei also felt much more at ease. He had been under Ye Fan's intimidating presence the entire time and felt a deep sense of unease.
Furthermore, he was greatly surprised that Ye Fan, at such a young age, possessed such strength. He was truly not to be underestimated.
If his master hadn't instructed him, he might have met a grim fate if they had fought.
Sitting opposite Ye Fan, Chen Fei spoke earnestly, "Actually, my master has always been interested in the treasure here in Tianping Town and has secretly sent people to investigate. Upon hearing that you, Brother Ye, were coming here, my master specifically arranged for me to receive you. If you are not interested in the treasure, then let's pretend nothing happened. If you wish to seek out the treasure, I will be responsible for protecting your safety. This Tianping Town is not as simple as it appears on the surface, especially after so many years of turmoil, with all sorts of people from various walks of life. Many individuals, in pursuit of this treasure, have deliberately disguised themselves as prominent families. Such occurrences are commonplace. Therefore, Brother Ye, you must be extremely cautious and must not fall prey to others."
Chen Fei spoke fluently, his words carrying an air of maturity, as if he were fifty or sixty years old.
However, Ye Fan felt nothing unusual about this. Living in such a desolate place for so long, he would have gone mad from boredom himself.
For Chen Fei to have persevered until now was quite remarkable.
"Thank you for your offer. However, I would like to know more about the treasure. Could you inform me, Brother Chen?"
At this moment, Ye Fan could not completely let down his guard against Chen Fei, so questions were naturally inevitable.
"Please ask, Brother Ye. I will tell you everything I know without reservation."
Chen Fei's face was full of sincerity.
Seeing Chen Fei's expression, Ye Fan was quite satisfied.
"Where exactly is the treasure hidden? And why has no one been able to find it for so many years?"
Staring at Chen Fei's face, Ye Fan asked in a deep voice.
Chen Fei then sighed.
"The treasure of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom would naturally not be placed in plain sight. Although there is a saying circulating here, it has been passed down for over a hundred years and has little credibility. I have been searching here for several years. Not long ago, I found a personal journal from a general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which detailed the process of transporting and hiding the treasure. According to his journal, the treasure should be located on the cliffs by the river in Fushan. The exact location is no longer reliable, as geological features and watercourses have changed over hundreds of years, making it impossible to find."
Ye Fan's expression was solemn as he quietly listened to Chen Fei's account.
If what he said was true, then the location where the treasure was hidden corresponded with what Chairman Zheng had provided.
In that case, the treasure should indeed be in Fushan.
Chairman Zheng had not lied to him about this matter.
"Did the journal record any details about the interior of the treasure's hiding place?"
Ye Fan inquired again.
Chen Fei nodded heavily, "Yes."
This piqued Ye Fan's interest. If the entrance to the treasure couldn't be found from the outside, then it might be possible to deduce the exact location by examining the interior.
Looking at Chen Fei, Ye Fan waited quietly for his description.
"According to the journal, the Heavenly King once ordered a palace to be built within Fushan. If they failed, it would serve as their final refuge. As it was meant for refuge, the palace was constructed within Fushan. The exact method of construction was not recorded, only that it consumed a large amount of manpower and took several years to complete. Later, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reached its peak, sweeping across half of China. Therefore, apart from a small number of guards residing there, no one else came to this place. It wasn't until the kingdom declined that the Young King, along with a large amount of treasure, came here and hid the treasure in the palace. He then returned to rally his subordinates in preparation for a comeback. However, he never returned, was captured by the Qing army, and was executed by slow slicing. The treasure thus disappeared without a trace."