Chapter 43

At around four in the morning, Yang Fan and Grandma Snake finally arrived in Chengdu and went directly from the airport to the Chen family villa to meet Li Mang.

"How did you end up like this?" This was Grandma Snake's first reaction upon seeing Li Mang. Yang Fan, standing beside her, opened his mouth in shock, almost knocking off his glasses. Li Mang had only reported to him about the matter with the witch doctor, but had not mentioned the masked man from the Wu family or the members of Team Eight.

Li Mang's face was full of frustration, and he had no choice but to recount in detail what had happened.

"Liu Junchun!" Unlike Li Mang, Yang Fan knew all the members of Team Eight. Upon hearing Li Mang's description, he immediately guessed who the masked man was, his eyes flashing with a fierce look.

"It's definitely that guy. When Li Mang left the compound, he took a leave right after, apparently to come and cause trouble for Li Mang." Grandma Snake had seen Liu Junchun leave that day, and now, recalling it, she knew what had happened.

"If it was just to cause trouble, I could understand, but now they want to kill me, which is incomprehensible!" Li Mang expressed his doubts. The discipline of the Yanhuang organization was extremely strict, and such a situation was not allowed. No matter how great the hatred, Team Eight should not have the audacity to do this.

Yang Fan's brows furrowed instantly, deep in thought.

Grandma Snake was more direct, saying bluntly, "What's so hard to understand? That guy wants to take the treasure for himself!"

"…That must be it!" Li Mang suddenly realized. The value of a treasure that could predict the future was immeasurable. If he hadn't already possessed the Shanhaijing, Li Mang might not have had the idea of keeping it for himself. Human nature was like that.

"Once we return, I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation!" Yang Fan habitually adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, his eyes flashing with a murderous intent. This time, he was truly angry. What Team Eight had done was a challenge to his底线 (底线 means 'bottom line' or 'limits').

"Thank you, Manager Yang." Li Mang politely responded, but he wasn't too concerned. Whether the man with the broken eye would survive was a question, and now he wasn't too angry. He would just be more vigilant about Team Eight's every move in the future.

After a brief exchange, Yang Fan called Chen Hui to the study for a private talk. Chen Hui, who had just escaped death, was still in a state of shock, pale and bloodless. He entered the study without his usual ease, nervously greeting the three of them. Perhaps Chen Hui understood his situation: he was the fish on the chopping block, and the Chen family had no cards left to play.

"Chen Hui, I'll be straightforward. That treasure is beyond your family's ability to control. Keeping it will only bring you disaster. If you voluntarily hand it over to me, we can ensure the prosperity of your family for a hundred years." Yang Fan spoke slowly, his words carrying a hidden meaning. Voluntary surrender was a transaction, but if not, he would resort to force.

For the Chen family, Yang Fan's words were very impolite, but Chen Hui had no way to argue. He knew the man in glasses was telling the truth. Such a treasure, once leaked, would only lead to the Chen family's destruction. Chen Hui's eyes flashed with a sense of despair, but he didn't rush to agree. Instead, he cautiously said, "I have no idea who you really are. To be honest, I have no confidence in your promises."

Yang Fan glanced at him, adjusted his glasses, and said, "You don't need to guess who we are; that's not something you should know. As for my promise, if we wanted to deceive you, we could just take it by force like other forces. There would be no need for this extra step."

Yanhuang was not a dark force. They had always followed a policy of first trying persuasion and then force, only resorting to coercion if absolutely necessary.

"…Alright, we are willing to hand over the item. Please follow me." Chen Hui didn't dare to question further. Despite his reluctance, he had to comply.

To Li Mang's surprise, the item was hidden by Chen Ziyi, and the Chen family led them to the guest room where Li Mang had previously stayed. This made him feel incredulous; the Chen family had actually placed such an important item here.

The most dangerous place is the safest place. Chen Ziyi had her reasons for hiding it here. First, no one would think to look here, and it would surprise everyone. Second, it would be safer with Li Mang guarding it.

"So, I was used by you!" Li Mang said, feeling frustrated.

Chen Ziyi glanced at him, then bent down to lift a hidden compartment under the bed, retrieving a stainless steel safe. The safe was small, about the size of a regular gift box, roughly the size of a dinner plate. When it was opened, Li Mang and the others couldn't help but lean forward, clearly curious about what this treasure was.

Inside the safe lay an object, a pitch-black Bagua disk, ancient and simple, with a distant aura. It was clear that it was no ordinary item. Unfortunately, the disk was already damaged, with spots of wear and tear.

"This was picked up by my daughter five years ago from the lakeside. It changed the fate of our Chen family, so we call it the Destiny Disk. Place your hands on the disk, calm your mind, and you can sense some future scenes in your mind, mostly related to yourself." Chen Hui introduced it to everyone, but he added, "However, after using it, the body will be weakened for some time. One person can only use it once a month."

Hearing this, Li Mang finally understood why Chen Ziyi had looked so pale and weak the night before. It was due to using the Destiny Disk. A damaged Bagua disk that could predict the future was truly incredible.

"Can anyone use it?" Yang Fan asked carefully.

"All four of us in the Chen family can." Chen Hui didn't give a full answer. The Destiny Disk had always been a closely guarded secret in their family, and they wouldn't let others test it.

"Li Mang, try it out." Yang Fan gestured to Li Mang, who was looking amazed, to test the authenticity of the Destiny Disk.

"Okay!" Li Mang understood and walked to the Destiny Disk, placing his hands on it gently. Under Chen Ziyi's guidance, he closed his eyes and focused his mind.

At first, Li Mang had no clue, but gradually, his thoughts entered a mysterious state. Scenes flowed through his mind, fragmented but connected, capturing their meaning. It was truly amazing. However, Li Mang was too engrossed in the scenes to marvel at them. He was drawn in by the images, his face showing shock, fear, and various emotions.

The people around him didn't know what Li Mang was seeing, but they noticed that he soon broke out in a cold sweat, his brows furrowed, and his expression slightly distorted.

"Phew!"

Li Mang took two steps back, instinctively distancing himself from the disk, as if he was very wary of it. His face was pale and bloodless, and he seemed to have been drained of all strength. If not for Yang Fan's support, he might have had trouble standing. He exhaled a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and nodded to Yang Fan, indicating that there was no problem.