Chapter 44 - 42: Xiteng Town, Yizhuang Mage
According to Ren Facai’s halting, fragmented account...
About three days ago, his father—who had been dead for more than a decade and was Lu Yun’s older cousin—had apparently "returned."
The signs first appeared in Ren Facai’s daughter, Ren Xiaoting, who had just returned from studying abroad in the Southern Ocean.
The girl, who was normally so lively and cheerful, had been plagued by terrible nightmares for three consecutive nights.
In her dreams, she always saw her deceased grandfather.
However, this grandfather was not the kind and gentle man he had been in life. Instead, in a bone-chilling manner, he constantly whispered and pleaded from the depths of her consciousness.
"Tingting... Grandpa is so hungry... Can you please help Grandpa...? Just let me have a bite of flesh..."
And so, in just three short days, Ren Xiaoting was tormented by these ceaseless nightmares until she was nothing but skin and bones, her spirit teetering on the verge of collapse.
Before leaving today, Ren Facai had been forced to order his somewhat frantic daughter to be temporarily restrained with cloth strips, and he had assigned several reliable maids to watch her twenty-four hours a day, without leaving her side for a moment.
Of course, he hadn’t just been sitting back and waiting for the worst to happen.
Just yesterday, Ren Facai had urgently contacted someone in a place called Xiteng Town, located just outside the suburbs of Yun Port City.
It was said that a highly skilled "reclusive expert" lived there in seclusion. Calculating the time, the car sent to pick up this expert should be just about arriving at the Ren Family’s villa in the city center.
This was the real reason Ren Facai had been so restless and worried all day.
If it weren’t for the birthday celebration of his most respected grand-uncle, Lu Yun, he would not have left his daughter’s side for a second.
After listening, Lu Yun pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "Facai, since the Master you’ve invited is already on his way, I’ll go with you to take a look."
"Dad, I want to go check on my cousin’s daughter, too!" Lu Jingteng immediately said.
Having personally experienced the feeling of being plagued by evil spirits at Ghost Wail Ridge, he was especially sensitive to such matters and understood the dangers involved all too well.
Lu Yun waved his hand. "There’s no need. The banquet at home has just ended, and someone needs to stay and manage things."
Lu Jingteng glanced at the indeed rather chaotic courtyard, knew that saying more would be useless, and could only nod. "...Alright."
Lu Yun intended to go alone. He stood up and his gaze fell upon Ren Facai. "Let’s go, Facai. I’ll ride with you to see Xiaoting and also meet this expert you’ve invited."
Ren Facai scrambled to his feet, his back instinctively bowing slightly. "Yes, Grand-uncle! The car is right outside. Please, follow me."
A few moments later, Ren Facai was personally driving a black sedan, chauffeuring Lu Yun toward his villa in the city center.
The journey wasn’t long, only about half an hour.
Through the car windows, the bustling streetscape of the old district gradually gave way to the orderly layout of the new district.
Their destination was a standalone villa within an upscale community.
It featured high walls, a closed, ornate iron gate, and four well-built security guards stationed at the entrance.
This was the home Ren Facai had spent a fortune on, buying the land and building it from the ground up.
However, compared to the Lu Family’s ancestral home—a sprawling estate that resembled a manor—this villa’s layout was ultimately limited, occupying just over a thousand square meters.
The car slowly approached the iron gate. Upon recognizing Ren Facai in the driver’s seat, the guards hurried forward to push the heavy gates open.
The sedan drove into the courtyard, its tires slowly crunching over the meticulously laid gravel driveway.
Finally, the car came to a steady stop under the impressive portico of the front hall.
The moment the engine was off, Ren Facai quickly pushed his door open, jogged around to the back, and respectfully pulled the rear door open.
Lu Yun emerged from the car. Once he was standing, his eyes swept over the three-story, Western-style villa before him.
White marble exterior walls, and the bright light of crystal chandeliers shining through arched windows.
As soon as they stepped into the high-ceilinged grand foyer, Ren Facai raised his voice, urgently calling for the butler, "Quick! Bring out that canister of Da Hong Pao I’ve been saving! Use the best water to brew it!"
After speaking, he turned sideways to lead the way, ushering Lu Yun with extreme reverence to the main seat on the large, white leather sofa in the center of the living room.
Ren Facai himself carefully sat in a secondary seat slightly to the side, leaning his body forward slightly. He adopted a very deferential posture, his face plastered with an eager smile.
"Grand-uncle, look at this humble shack of mine... It must have been over a decade since you last graced us with your presence, hasn’t it? Your visit truly makes this shabby place shine!"
He wasn’t wrong.
The last time—and the only time—Lu Yun had been here was indeed over a decade ago.
When Ren Facai’s father passed away.
Lu Yun showed no sign of distance. With a warm smile, he waved his hand. "You rascal. That silver tongue of yours is much smoother than your father’s ever was."
The playful jab made Ren Facai’s smile blossom. He grinned so wide his eyes narrowed, completely losing the imposing air of the business tycoon who commanded the commercial world. Instead, he looked like a child overjoyed by a compliment from an elder.
"Grand-uncle, you flatter me... How would I dare try to sweet-talk you? Every word is the honest truth!"
"These days, who in all of Yun Port City doesn’t know your great name? The fourth Grandmaster of Huajin! That’s..."
Ren Facai paused, as if realizing some things shouldn’t be said so openly, and quickly added, "Of course, you will always be the grand-uncle I, Ren Facai, respect the most! That’s more important than anything else!"
The sky had completely darkened. On the wall, the hands of an exquisite Western grandfather clock slid toward seven o’clock sharp.
Ren Facai’s heart was already burning with anxiety, making it impossible for him to sit still. Yet, in front of Lu Yun, he forced himself to remain composed, even thinking he should be the one to comfort his grand-uncle first.
"Grand-uncle, please don’t worry. Uncle Nine... he should be arriving soon."
"Mm," Lu Yun replied softly. Seated in the main chair, his expression was perfectly calm as he continued to savor the fragrant, top-grade Da Hong Pao in his cup.
After a few more minutes, Ren Facai truly couldn’t contain his impatience any longer. He hastily stood up as he spoke.
"Grand-uncle, please, you stay seated. I’ll go to the door and check. He might have arrived."
Fortunately, at that moment, the sound of an approaching car could be heard from the driveway outside the living room’s main door.
Ren Facai’s eyes lit up, and a smile of immense relief instantly bloomed on his face. "Grand-uncle, listen! That must be the expert! He comes highly recommended by a very close friend of mine."
"He’s a Mage who watches over the Yizhuang in Xiteng Town. He’s very powerful, and people call him Uncle Nine!"
Lu Yun’s normally placid expression flickered slightly upon hearing the words "Uncle Nine" and "Yizhuang."
He set down his teacup and repeated quietly, a flicker of some inscrutable light passing through his eyes.
"A Mage who watches over an Yizhuang?"
At that, Lu Yun also rose calmly to his feet. He said to Ren Facai, "Let’s go. I’ll go with you to welcome this reclusive expert... Uncle Nine!"