Chapter 2

Standing at the entrance of the manor, Dan Fei looked up at the sky, feeling that it was a bit too early to be dreaming. He certainly didn’t think that he had such a domineering aura that the young lady would fall in love with him at first sight. But why would the young lady look for him?

From the tone of the young lady, it seemed she didn’t even know whether Dan Fei was a cat or a dog, or she wouldn’t have asked such a question just now. Was it the Third Master Cao in the sedan chair who wanted to see him?

After some deliberation, Dan Fei stepped out of the line of servants, stopping three steps in front of Young Lady Cao, and respectfully said, "I don’t know what the young lady needs from me."

In his time, there weren’t many people who could make him lower his head like this. He believed in the principle of equality among all people. However, he adapted to the local customs. Since he had the identity of a servant, he couldn’t act like a master. Dan Fei understood this and didn’t want to cause trouble for himself. He felt he had a natural talent for acting.

However, when Young Lady Cao saw his appearance, there was a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes. Indeed, as Dan Fei had guessed, if it weren’t for his uncle’s mention, she wouldn’t have known there was a servant named Dan Fei in the manor. But usually, servants would rush forward to please her even before she called them. Why did Dan Fei seem indifferent when she called him?

The surprise quickly passed, and Young Lady Cao said indifferently, "Follow me."

Amid the envious gazes of the other servants, Dan Fei followed behind the young lady and the sedan chair, passing through the courtyard and the winding corridors. After crossing a rockery, they stopped in front of an independent pavilion in the rear garden.

"Wait here," Young Lady Cao glanced back at Dan Fei, noticing that he had been silently following her, and slightly frowned.

Dan Fei just nodded. He saw the sedan chair being carried into the pavilion, and throughout the process, he only saw one hand of Third Master Cao, nothing else.

This Third Master Cao was even more mysterious than a woman.

Dan Fei thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile, habitually observing the surroundings.

Although Xuchang later became a famous ancient capital, it was only expanded by Cao Cao a few years after Emperor Xian of Han moved the capital here. Now it was a new capital. Because of the Cao family, Cao Hong’s manor must have taken up a large piece of land in Xuchang for expansion. The layout of the manor was similar to what he imagined for this era, with a main structure and secondary buildings, a grand hall in the front and living quarters in the back, and the style of a wealthy family with pavilions and terraces. However, this pavilion stood out, seeming a bit strange.

Dan Fei looked at the pavilion and was momentarily lost in thought. He suddenly realized an interesting question: how many floors did this pavilion have?

If others heard this, they would probably think he had a problem, but he knew it wasn’t like that.

He was an archaeologist by profession. Unlike real tomb raiders, people in his field mostly learned from books and then practiced digging holes with a shovel, sweeping up broken porcelain, and calling it the preservation of cultural heritage, using it as a topic for tea-time chats.

In fact, after thousands of years of tomb raiders and archaeologists' efforts to "preserve" cultural heritage, most of it was on the brink of extinction. Think about it, the artifacts were fine in the tombs, but once you dug them out and exposed them to the air, even the most durable items couldn’t withstand such treatment. Nowadays, finding a tomb with some broken porcelain was a cause for celebration among archaeologists.

However, he wasn’t an ordinary person. He was well-versed in antiques and the structures of tombs from various dynasties, and he also studied above-ground architecture.

Ancient people had the custom of treating death as they treated life, so tombs not only reflected the characteristics of their dynasties but were also closely related to the architectural styles of the same period.

Dan Fei knew this and had studied ancient architecture extensively. At first glance, the pavilion seemed out of place. He looked at the height of the nearby buildings and immediately understood. From the height, the pavilion should have three floors, but why were there only two floors of windows?

Was there a hidden, enclosed floor in the middle? A duplex? Dan Fei found the idea amusing. Before he could think more, he heard footsteps. A maid approached him, curiously looking him over, and then said, "The young lady wants you to come in."

The young man before her was slightly thin but had a weathered look. She wondered about his background. Dan Fei was new to the manor and not familiar with the rules, but the maid knew that this was a restricted area of the Cao family—where Third Master Cao resided. Even Cao Hong would need to announce his arrival. Why could this servant come in?

Dan Fei slowly walked into the pavilion, following the maid up to the second floor. When the maid lifted the curtain at the top of the stairs, Dan Fei felt a sudden darkness. If he hadn’t been prepared, he might have tumbled down the stairs. Fortunately, he had anticipated this and only narrowed his eyes. Then, he saw a light from an oil lamp.

The maid handed the oil lamp to Dan Fei and whispered, "Walk three steps forward."

The oil lamp was dim, illuminating only a few feet around him, but it couldn’t light up the tomb-like room. Dan Fei followed the instructions, walking three steps forward. He saw a stone table ahead and placed the oil lamp on it, feeling a bit uneasy.

This situation made him uneasy.

After the light came on, he saw Young Lady Cao standing nearby, her figure blurry. At the end of the room, there seemed to be a person sitting—was that Third Master Cao?

What’s going on? What’s wrong with this Third Master Cao? I have a low starting point and a weak foundation. After coming to this game, I’m not a VIP. I just wanted to make a little money and be satisfied. Do you have to put me in Middle Eastern mode and make me game over right away?

Dan Fei was on guard, but having been in many tombs, he could remain calm in this eerie place. He stood silently, knowing that the situation was similar to a police interrogation in a crime movie. He was in the light, and the other person was in the dark. He couldn’t see the other person, but his every expression was clearly visible.

He was prepared to remain calm and see what happened, but the first words from Third Master Cao almost made him jump. "I know you sold yourself to the Cao family to seek revenge."

Dan Fei didn’t jump, but his heart pounded.

Young Lady Cao’s face also changed. She was unhappy today because when she met her uncle, she knew he hadn’t achieved his goal.

Her uncle was a tomb raider. Without him, the Cao family wouldn’t have the glory it has today. Since childhood, her father had followed Cao Cao on military campaigns, and her uncle, though strange to others, was the closest person to her. After her uncle returned today, he suddenly asked her to bring Dan Fei over.

She knew her uncle’s keen eye and that he must have found Dan Fei different from other servants. She also felt this way.

Although she had entered this sealed pavilion many times, she always felt uncomfortable. But this was Dan Fei’s first time, and he was so calm.

This young man seemed to have a maturity and calmness far beyond his age.

But what did he mean by seeking revenge? Young Lady Cao didn’t understand her uncle’s intentions but stepped in front of him.

At that moment, Dan Fei’s mouth was full of bitterness. He wondered why he had to do a servant’s job and think like the Count of Monte Cristo. What revenge did this servant want to take? Was it related to the Cao family?

"With your abilities, seeking revenge is as difficult as climbing to the sky," Third Master Cao said indifferently. "You’re not a fool, so you wouldn’t expect the Cao family to help you."

Dan Fei breathed a sigh of relief—couldn’t you finish your sentence in one go? As long as you’re not seeking revenge against me, I can leave here alive.

"But I must give you a chance," Third Master Cao murmured. "After all, you found me."

Dan Fei’s head felt as big as a watermelon. He wondered how this servant was connected to Third Master Cao. He knew nothing about the servant’s past but felt that the servant’s background might be mysterious.

"Ning’er," Third Master Cao suddenly said, "Come here."

Young Lady Cao slowly walked to her uncle, puzzled. "Uncle?"

"Pour the contents of this bag onto the table," Third Master Cao raised his hand and handed her a cloth bag.

This young lady was called Cao Ning’er. He remembered that Cao Hong had a daughter and a son, but in ancient times, men were respected and women were not, so few women were mentioned in history books.

Dan Fei saw Cao Ning’er hesitate for a moment, then say in a surprised voice, "Uncle, this... have you decided? Why don’t you let me try?"

"You’re a girl, how can you do this?" Third Master Cao seemed to smile. "Go ahead."

Ning’er seemed hesitant, biting her lip as she walked over, picked up the bag, and poured its contents onto the stone table. There was a clatter of sounds.

Dan Fei looked over and saw seven items of various sizes on the table: a small tripod, a piece of gold, a jade pendant, a lacquer jar, a pearl, a small ball the size of a thumb, and a needle-like stone.

Under the dim light, the gold shone brightly, the jade pendant had a faint blue glow, the pearl emitted a soft light, and even the lacquer jar had a luster.

But these seven items seemed unrelated. Why did Third Master Cao have Ning’er pour them out?

Dan Fei didn’t ask. He just watched the seven items on the table with interest and then heard Third Master Cao say, "Find the most precious item among these seven, and I will take you as my disciple."

Cao Ning’er was shocked and exclaimed, "Uncle, shouldn’t you think about it more?"

Dan Fei heard the tension in Cao Ning’er’s voice but didn’t know why she was nervous. He didn’t expect that in this era, there would be an exam like a doctoral defense.

Take me as a disciple?

This Third Master Cao had quite a big mouth.

Does he know how many people wanted to be my disciple in my time?

Dan Fei smiled, showing his white teeth. He wanted to say that he had a procrastination problem, that revenge could wait ten years, and that he didn’t care about the servant’s past grievances. He wasn’t interested in learning any skills, but suddenly his eyes lit up. He reached out and, when he pulled back, he was holding the small ball the size of a thumb!

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