“Nan Tian Men?”
While eating breakfast, Su Huamei eagerly asked about Nan Tian Men.
“Nan Tian Men is one of the Four Guardian Gates. Besides that, there are also Bei Tian Men, Dong Tian Men, and Xi Tian Men.”
“Four Guardians?” Su Huamei showed confusion.
“Yes, the Four Guardian Gates. Back then, when fierce beasts ravaged the Great Wilderness, countless lives were lost. To preserve the flame of life, four places of refuge were established in the four corners of the Great Wilderness. Nan Tian Men is the gateway from the Great Wilderness to Chi Zhou.”
“Chi Zhou?” Su Jinxiu pondered upon hearing this.
She was no ignorant woman; having read extensively in history, she quickly recalled mentions of Chi Zhou.
However, the records were not of Chi Zhou, but of Chi Xian Shen Zhou. It first appeared in "Records of the Grand Historian - Biography of Mencius and Xunzi," where it mentioned Zou Yan of the State of Qi during the Warring States period, who said: "The central land is called Chi Xian Shen Zhou." Later, people referred to China as "Chi Xian Shen Zhou."
But more often, they were used separately, either as Chi Xian or Shen Zhou.
“So, the Great Wilderness might be the later Heavenly Palace, and Chi Zhou is the later Great Xia?”
“Yes, it’s very possible. But the majority of people who migrated to Chi Zhou were human tribes, the largest of which was Xia.”
“Xia?”
This basically confirmed it. Chi Zhou should indeed be the current Great Xia.
“Alas…” Just then, Su Jinxiu suddenly sighed deeply.
“What’s wrong? Is it because I haven’t restored Feng Zhirun’s memories?”
“No, no…” Su Jinxiu quickly waved her hands, afraid that Liu Nanfeng would misunderstand.
“I’m worried about how to explain this to the Old Dragon King,” Su Jinxiu said.
“Isn’t that simple?” Liu Nanfeng said with a smile.
“Do you have a way? What way?” Su Jinxiu asked with surprise and joy.
Although she wasn’t afraid of the Old Dragon King, she preferred to avoid a confrontation if possible. She still wanted to live a peaceful life.
“I have a way, but it’s hard to explain right now. Let me meet the Old Dragon King first.”
“Alright, then you’ll come with us to the coffee shop today,” Su Jinxiu said.
But as she spoke, she noticed Liu Nanfeng wasn’t answering and was instead looking towards the balcony.
She asked with some confusion, “What are you looking at?”
She also looked in that direction, but naturally saw nothing.
“Nothing,” Liu Nanfeng turned back with a smile.
“After breakfast, we’ll go to the coffee shop together, and I’ll meet the Old Dragon King. I’ll speak to him in person.”
Su Jinxiu didn’t ask further.
After breakfast, they tidied up and the three of them went to the coffee shop together.
Song Haitang had already arrived and was tending to the flower beds. Seeing them, she immediately looked up and called out, “Good morning, Boss’s wife, good morning, Boss, good morning, Sister Huamei.”
“Morning.”
Liu Nanfeng also nodded and greeted her. It seemed she always arrived the earliest every day.
Perhaps because she was single with no boyfriend, and also a true flower lover, work wasn’t a burden for her; rather, it was an enjoyment.
The three entered the shop. Su Jinxiu and Su Huamei began preparing today’s coffee beans, while Liu Nanfeng found an empty seat and opened his laptop to busy himself with his own matters.
As the others arrived one after another, Su Jinxiu also brought Liu Nanfeng the first cup of coffee for the day.
Whenever Liu Nanfeng was at the shop, this had become her habit.
“The Boss and Boss’s wife have such a good relationship,” Xu Xinyi whispered to Su Huamei, standing beside her.
Su Huamei nodded in agreement, but out of Xu Xinyi’s sight, she quietly pouted.
Before, she was the one who served coffee to her husband; now that her sister was back, she had snatched it away.
This scene was exactly what Song Haitang, who was arranging flower branches nearby, saw. She looked with some surprise at Liu Nanfeng and Su Jinxiu, who were chatting and laughing.
“Did you arrange to meet the Dragon King today? Or did you notify him?”
Su Jinxiu was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t actually mentioned this that day.
“But it’s okay, if necessary, I’ll have Huamei run an errand later.”
“I think it might not be necessary. Aren’t they here?” Liu Nanfeng looked out the window.
Outside the coffee shop, the Old Dragon King was leading the siblings Ao Haiping and Ao Jiangyue towards them.
Su Huamei wasn’t surprised, but the Old Dragon King’s news was truly swift.
Nonetheless, she stood up to welcome them.
“Madam Liu, we’ve come uninvited. Apologies for the intrusion,” the Old Dragon King said with a chuckle as he entered the coffee shop.
Though his words were polite, his gaze fell upon Liu Nanfeng, who was sitting by the window. He scrutinized him curiously, likely wanting to see if his memory had been restored.
Ao Haiping and Ao Jiangyue, standing behind him, did the same. Their faces held both anticipation and apprehension. It could only be said that Feng Zhirun had left quite a psychological scar on them both from years past.
If it weren’t for the whereabouts of the Dragon Gate, they genuinely wouldn’t have wished for Feng Zhirun to awaken his memories.
However, Liu Nanfeng didn’t look at them at all. Instead, his gaze drifted towards the rolling river opposite.
“You are too kind. The three of you, please follow me,” Su Jinxiu guided them to Liu Nanfeng’s table.
“Master Feng, we meet again,” the Old Dragon King greeted with a smile, like a kind elder from next door, his face beaming with amiability.
Liu Nanfeng smiled and nodded at him, then a flash of golden light appeared in his eyes.
The Old Dragon King and his family of three instinctively became alert. Their hair moved as if in a breeze. This was only their human form; in their dragon forms, all their scales would likely have sprung open one by one. However, this sensation came and went quickly.
But the Old Dragon King not only wasn’t angered but looked overjoyed.
“Congratulations, Master Feng, on your triumphant return,” the Old Dragon King said, cupping his hands.
Beside him, Ao Haiping, apart from looking pleasantly surprised, also had a trace of complex emotion on his face.
After all, Feng Zhirun had been both friend and foe to him, a relationship spanning many years. He was genuinely happy for Feng Zhirun’s return.
Ao Jiangyue’s expression was much simpler; her face was full of indignation, giving the impression she might draw her sword at any moment.
“Have you found a part of the Dragon Gate fragments?” Liu Nanfeng asked directly, without further pleasantries.
“Yes, and we hope Master Feng can inform us of the remaining parts,” the Old Dragon King said very politely.
Feng Zhirun had taken the Dragon Gate over three hundred years ago. Although three hundred years was a short period for the long lives of dragons, such an act was quite a humiliation, as the Dragon Gate could be considered the foundation of the dragon race. Therefore, the Old Dragon King couldn’t help but be angry.
Yet, now he appeared full of amiability and composure, showing no trace of anger, making him seem all the more calculating and not someone to be trifled with.
“Bring me that piece, and I will help you find the rest,” Liu Nanfeng said.
The Old Dragon King paused upon hearing this, his expression slowly fading. He stared at Liu Nanfeng with a blank face.
Ao Haiping and Ao Jiangyue, seeing this, immediately assumed a ready-to-act stance.
Su Jinxiu and Su Huamei also entered a state of vigilance. For a moment, the atmosphere in the coffee shop became incredibly oppressive, giving one a suffocating feeling.
This was particularly hard on the ordinary shop assistants. They suddenly felt a palpitation, dizziness, and as if they were suffocating, forcing them to gasp for air with wide-open mouths.
Only Song Haitang fared slightly better, as the guardian spirit behind her opened its eyes and held her in its embrace, shielding her from the oppressive aura.
However, Liu Nanfeng, sitting opposite the Dragon King, seemed completely unfazed. A small halo suddenly appeared in the center of his pupils, followed by countless halos, appearing in expanding circles like complex concentric rings.
As the halos rotated, Liu Nanfeng picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip.
At this instant, the Old Dragon King felt his aura surge upwards, as if he had choked, blocking his chest and making him extremely uncomfortable. This was the first time he had encountered such a bizarre situation, so he quickly suppressed it by force. Even so, his cheeks couldn’t help but flush slightly.
The Old Dragon King then smiled amiably again.
“In that case, we will trouble Master Feng. Haiping, make a trip and fetch that Dragon Gate stone tablet.”
Ao Haiping cast a deep look at Liu Nanfeng upon hearing this, then turned and walked towards the door.