Chapter 30

"Come in, it's just me, the old man, living in this house."

Old Han invited the three of them in, then walked straight through the courtyard, leading them into the house. He personally went to brew tea. Old Han walked steadily, with a vigorous and spirited gait, like an old pine tree.

Despite its appearance as an ordinary residence, the house was truly a place of hidden wonders. From the outside, it looked like nothing special, but once inside, one could see that the furnishings and decorations were very elegant, exuding an ancient and refined atmosphere. This feeling was not something that could be created by a nouveau riche buying a bunch of books to fill a study. Every item and every detail in the room reflected the owner's attitude towards life and their understanding of it.

Old Han soon brought the tea over and handed it to each of them. When he finally handed it to Zhao Zhu, he asked with a hint of concern:

"Doctor Zhao, has something happened to you recently?" Old Han had mentioned earlier that Zhao Zhu had a bloody smell about him, which could only come from killing. And it wasn't just one person.

"Indeed, I've run into some trouble," Zhao Zhu didn't intend to hide it too much, as he was here to seek help. However, he naturally couldn't mention the horror literature group.

"Oh, so what brings you to see me, old man? Do you need money?" Old Han was straightforward, clearly having a good impression of the doctor who had pulled him back from the brink of madness. This also showed that he still retained a sense of chivalry, as he had once been the leader of a group of ruthless tomb raiders. Without a bit of chivalry and authority, he couldn't have led that group.

"I have money, but I have something I need to do, and I must go to a tomb. I hope you can lend me a set of equipment. It's hard to find such things on the market."

Upon hearing this, Han Jiangxue was not surprised at all. He sighed, "Doctor Zhao, I had a feeling you were coming for this. Your family has money and power."

"Will you help me, Old Han?" Zhao Zhu asked.

"Just a set of equipment, no problem. I've long let go of those things and retired. They're of no use to me. If you want them, take them. They're in the duffel bag under the bed in the next room. The equipment is well-maintained, but you'll have to get it yourself," Han Jiangxue emphasized.

Zhao Zhu looked at Zhu Jianping, who nodded slightly, indicating that the next room was safe.

With that, Zhao Zhu got up and went to the next room.

The next room had only one bed, making it seem quite empty. However, as Zhao Zhu turned, he noticed a small altar by the entrance with two photographs. Both were of sweet young girls, one about thirteen or fourteen years old, the other about seven or eight. Their smiles were charming, but the photos were in black and white, which made it all the more tragic.

Zhao Zhu already knew who these girls were. They were Han Jiangxue's granddaughters, left behind by his son who had died in a car accident. These two girls, who should have been blooming, were now separated by the veil of death.

Han Jiangxue had suffered a severe mental breakdown due to this tragedy. As a leader, he had been ruthless, having dug up many graves and killed many people, making his heart as hard as stone. But the sudden death of his son and the subsequent deaths of his two beloved granddaughters plunged him into deep guilt. He believed that his tomb raiding had brought bad karma, which had fallen upon his descendants, leading to his madness.

Zhao Zhu understood why Han Jiangxue wanted him to get the equipment himself. Because Zhao Zhu had saved him, Han Jiangxue was not stingy with the equipment he no longer used. However, he also wanted to remind Zhao Zhu that tomb raiding was a serious sin, and it was best to avoid it if possible. Han Jiangxue was a perfect example of the consequences.

But Zhao Zhu had no choice. Moreover, this time he was going to dig up the Qing Dynasty's dragon vein. Who knew what he might encounter? If he had other options, he wouldn't go there, but that was just wishful thinking.

However, the Qing Dynasty had been gone for a hundred years. Digging up the dragon vein now probably wouldn't bring too much bad karma, right?

...

Xiong Zhiqi sat in a chair, sipping tea. Seeing Han Jiangxue look at him, he smiled.

Han Jiangxue pointed at Xiong Zhiqi and said, "You look chubby, but you're the type who likes to pretend to be weak. If I had someone like you under me in the past, I would have made sure you died unnoticed in a tomb."

"Spit."

Xiong Zhiqi spat out his tea and his face turned sour. Was there anyone who talked like that?

"Old man, that's a bit too much of a joke."

"Ha ha." Han Jiangxue laughed, then saw Zhao Zhu come out with the duffel bag. He got up and said, "Doctor Zhao, take care."

"You take care too, Old Han. I'll return the equipment if I don't lose it."

"No need, I won't be using it anyway."

They exchanged a few polite words, and then Zhao Zhu and the others left.

Han Jiangxue walked back to the inner room, looked at the two photographs, sighed, and lit three incense sticks.

...

Returning home with the equipment, Zhao Zhu, under Xiong Zhiqi's guidance, exchanged some items, including a pathfinder incense, talisman paper, a heart-protecting mirror, holy water, and a high-efficiency hemostatic spray. According to Xiong Zhiqi, these items, though not expensive, could be very useful in a pinch.

These items almost depleted Zhao Zhu's 1,000 points.

Next, he had to wait. There was still a week before he would be transported into the mission world. He didn't need to rush. During this time, Zhao Zhu intensified his training and familiarized himself with the equipment from Han Jiangxue, such as the Luoyang shovel and the diamond umbrella. These tools were not easy to handle, so more practice now would make him more prepared when he entered the mission world.

Time passed in this rhythm, and finally, the moment to enter the "Qing Dynasty Dragon Vein" mission world arrived.