Chapter 515 - 453: Probing
Chapter 515: Chapter 453: Probing
When the two of them finally returned to the Tang Mansion, it was already ten o’clock. The living room light was on, and hearing the sound of a car, Tang Qingyun walked out.
He walked all the way down the steps to the car, opened the door, and helped Xiao Man out. He glanced at Gu Shaojun in the driver’s seat and said, "Xiao Man is still young. When she goes out, she should come home earlier. This is a bit too late. You should head back, too. Don’t make your elders worry."
Gu Shaojun: "..."
’Uncle Tang was blaming me, and to be fair... Sigh. Go ahead and lecture me. I can just keep my mouth shut. But does he have to kick me out so soon? At least let me walk Xiao Man inside. A few more minutes would be nice.’
Xiao Man didn’t go straight inside. Instead, she asked Tang Qingyun, "Where are Grandma and Grandpa?" Although the Tang Family was health-conscious, they didn’t have a habit of going to bed early, usually turning in around eleven. If one of the younger generation, like Xiao Man or Hao Hao, was out late, her grandparents would wait up for them. Since she didn’t see them waiting for her tonight, Xiao Man felt she had to ask.
Tang Qingyun sounded a little helpless. "This afternoon, our neighbor Grandpa Xiao dropped by with his cousin. Turns out his cousin and your grandpa were classmates back in the day, so he stayed for dinner. Grandpa Xiao loves to drink, and his cousin can really hold his liquor. Your grandpa started drinking with them, and I don’t know what happy memories they were discussing, but they were laughing nonstop. Your grandpa is usually so self-controlled, but this time, he actually got drunk. Grandma made some sobering-up soup, and I had them go rest. I’m the one waiting up for you."
Xiao Man breathed a sigh of relief. ’Grandma has such sharp eyes. If she were here, she’d definitely notice the subtle changes on my face. Thank goodness.’
’Tang Qingyun, on the other hand, is completely oblivious. If my face were flushed, he’d probably just think it was makeup. Besides, there’s no reason to be wary of him. He might try to run the whole world, but he can’t run me.’
Xiao Man turned to Gu Shaojun and smiled. "Lu Jianling’s stew was delicious. I was stuffed at the Lu Family’s place, but I’m hungry again now. I’m going to make a late-night snack. Want to have some with me?"
Gu Shaojun beamed. "Okay, I’m hungry too!"
A bitter feeling welled up in Tang Qingyun’s heart. ’It’s true what they say—a daughter is raised for another family. Here I am, trying my best to send Gu Shaojun home, and what does this little girl do? She invites him to stay!’
After finishing their late-night snack a little past eleven, Gu Shaojun took his leave. Before going, he and Xiao Man arranged for him to pick her up from De Ren Hospital at noon the next day.
Driving through the quiet streets at midnight, Gu Shaojun replayed the day’s events in his mind. As his thoughts churned, he suddenly turned the steering wheel, and the car veered onto another street, speeding away.
About twenty minutes later, Gu Shaojun’s car turned onto a small street. He pulled over, parking close to a high wall in the shadows. He let out a soft breath and leaned his head back against the seat, appearing to be resting with his eyes closed. In reality, he had sent out a wisp of his Divine Sense, which traveled about thirty meters down the street and entered a grand, stately mansion with high, thick walls.
This was the Bai Mansion.
When the Bai Family had fallen on hard times, the mansion was once divided up and given to families without housing. Later, Bai Qingyue had only managed to reclaim half of the property. But after Mr. Bai recovered, he personally stepped in to demand their property back. In less than a month, he had reclaimed everything—the main house, the side courtyards, the rear garden—no matter how many small residences or rooms they had been split into, he took back every last one. He then spent a year renovating and restoring it, returning the mansion to its former appearance.
And the officials from the local subdistrict office, who had previously dragged their feet and obstructed the evictions by claiming they couldn’t rehouse the occupants, had for some reason changed their tune completely overnight. Without exception, they all became incredibly enthusiastic in assisting with the Bai Family’s renovation project.
In the eyes of the local residents, the Bai Family had once again restored its awe-inspiring image as a powerful and influential clan. No one dared to cross them.
The Gu Mansion and the Bai Mansion weren’t very far from each other, only about one or two kilometers apart. They were in the same district, one to the east and the other to the west, so their usual paths didn’t cross. Just now, Gu Shaojun had deliberately followed the route that the Bai family members often used.
At that moment, his Divine Sense entered the Bai Mansion’s main courtyard, sweeping systematically from front to back and left to right.
Extending his Divine Sense consumed Spiritual Power. And even though it was late, this was still a public street. The ward he’d placed around the car couldn’t be maintained for too long. If someone getting off a late shift or some teenagers out like a "Night Patrol Deity" happened to pass by, they might find their way blocked and cause a scene. He only planned to stay for fifteen minutes, get a general sense of things, and leave.
’He could have asked Xiao Man to come along, but he knew that because of the business with Wu Xiaowen and Bai Lihua, Xiao Man hated the Bai Mansion just as much as Tang Qingyun did. She didn’t even like to mention the place, let alone come here to investigate. He didn’t want to upset his little darling.’
’The main reason he was investigating the Bai Mansion up close was because of that mysterious Cultivator. He was sure the person was a Cultivator—someone who could move that quickly and then vanish without a trace. Yang Liu’er had also told Xiao Man that the Bai family had a powerful "relative" who could "fly."’
’He really is powerful, to be able to hide his cultivation and conceal his aura. Even as a Foundation Establishment Middle Cultivator, I can’t detect him from a distance. Since he’s in Beijing, I’m not worried about him disappearing for good. It’s just that I have to leave Beijing in a few days to return to my unit. Before I go, I want to get a clear look at just who this person is!’
Gu Shaojun wasn’t doing this out of boredom. Cultivators were exceedingly rare in this world, and his family’s Guardian Array couldn’t have been destroyed for no reason. He had to investigate every Cultivator he encountered. ’If they’re unrelated, fine. But if there is a connection, I need an explanation. What kind of grudge could it be? Sooner or later, this has to be settled!’