Fortunately, the geographic location of Jiuyou Town is in the north of Huaxia, so there's no worry about the miasma that usually appears in the southern primal forests.

However, the morning fog right now isn't poisonous, but it's enough to give people a headache.

The fog is growing denser, and visibility is decreasing, reaching a point where you can't see anything five meters away.

This is different from being in a cave; although it's pitch black in a cave, you can use a flashlight, so moving around isn't a problem.

But the thick fog in front of us renders even the flashlight useless; it can't penetrate at all.

After a moment, Xiao Feng gritted his teeth: "Stay close, I'll lead the way by feeling."

After saying that, he started a stopwatch to keep track of time and took the lead.

This is the only solution, we can't wait for the fog to clear before heading to the bamboo house.

If Sun Zhong, during this time, has some crazy thoughts and thinks I'm going to get reinforcements, by the time we find him, he might be gone.

It's clear now that the treasure of Sun Shijie's ancestors is likely in Sun Zhong's hands. If Sun Zhong's gone, this trip will be for nothing.

So, we must act quickly!

Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Feng stopped and said solemnly, "It should be around here."

As Lin Zhiyan mentioned, without reference points, a person's sense of direction diminishes drastically, even more so now when there's nothing at all visible.

Under such circumstances, expecting Xiao Feng to find the bamboo house would be quite demanding.

"Let me think, let me think, there must be a way."

Sun Shijie appeared anxious, smoking his pipe, pacing around like a headless chicken, losing all the composure expected of his age.

"Why don't you shout a few times?" Zhao Guo'an suggested.

Sun Shijie shook his head: "Voices change, and we haven't seen each other for decades. If he mistakes us for enemies, it'll only make things worse."

He didn't mention that living alone for decades means one's mind can't be judged by normal standards. Better to do nothing than make a mistake!

After a while, Su Yuzhuo suddenly said, "I have an idea. Sun Uncle, you mentioned earlier that he was your Scholar's Assistant when you were young. Do you have any textbooks you studied together? If you shout them out, he might remember."

"Great idea!" Sun Shijie's eyes lit up.

In truth, "Scholar's Assistant" is just a nicer term.

It essentially means a servant who, if fortunate to serve a scholarly family, might learn a bit of reading; most are illiterate laborers.

Fortunately, Sun Shijie's family had been doctors for generations, and they weren't as profit-driven as merchants, so during his schooling, Sun Zhong picked up bits and pieces of knowledge.

...

In the bamboo house courtyard, Sun Zhong sat on a bamboo chair.

On the table was a teacup, but the liquid inside wasn't the color of tea, rather a deep black like ink.

Looking at the teacup before him, an expression of uncertainty appeared in Sun Zhong's eyes, something unseen for many years.

Xiao Feng's "escape" made him worry if the family's treasure had been exposed.

If it was exposed, would a large group soon arrive to force information from him?

Thinking this, Sun Zhong reached for the teacup, but stopped halfway.

It wasn't the fear of death.

But if he died, the treasure would become ownerless and might take endless years to resurface.

Whether Xiao Feng's words were true, Sun Zhong didn't even consider.

Decades of solitary life had fostered an obsession; unless seeing descendants of the Sun Family, he wouldn't believe anyone.

The only Sun Family descendant left is Sun Shijie…

While hesitating and undecided, a distant aged voice reached his ears.

"The world is cold and human affections bitter, sending flowers to fall at dusk in the rain…"

Sun Zhong jumped up, staring dazedly at the source of the sound: "M-Master?"

"Slap!"

He slapped himself, doubting his own ears.

Yet in the next moment, the aged voice came again.

"The dawn breeze is dry, the tear stains remain.

Wishing to pen my feelings, I speak alone leaning by the side.

Hard, hard, hard!"

"Boom!"

Like an atomic bomb exploding in his heart, Sun Zhong's old tears flowed unchecked, as if he was a child sitting on the ground, crying loudly.

It wasn't in vain!

These decades of waiting, of bitter endurance, ultimately weren't pointless!

After crying for a long time, Sun Zhong entered the kitchen, took two sections of bamboo from beside the stove, and using all his strength, repeatedly struck them together.

Though he had lived alone for decades, he still retained basic logical thinking.

In Sun Zhong's view, only Sun Shijie would choose this verse as a code; no one else in the world would know.

...

"Thud, thud, thud!"

The sound of bamboo striking echoed.

Midway through the recitation of "The Phoenix Hairpin: The world is cold", he finally got a response.

Sun Shijie was overjoyed, continuing to shout: "People part, today isn't like yesterday, the sick soul always seems like a swing rope.

The horn sound is cold, the night is deep.

Afraid of inquiry, swallowing tears pretending to be happy.

Hide, hide, hide!"

Finishing the verse, tears glistened in Sun Shijie's eyes, and he shouted with all his might: "Sun Zhong, I am Sun Shijie!"

"Alright, alright, stop shouting, calm down, we'll follow the sound to find him," Xiao Feng said, frowning.

"Yes, yes, yes, let's hurry and find him quickly." Sun Shijie took deep breaths, calming his excited emotions.

About ten minutes later, the familiar fence came into view.

Sun Zhong, holding the two sections of bamboo, stopped his actions and stared intently at Sun Shijie.

Seeing the state of the other, Sun Shijie felt an indescribable sorrow, quickly approaching, wanting to speak but unable to find the words.

Everyone sighed, somewhat understanding the seemingly awkward scene between the two.

Imagine a Scholar's Assistant with no blood relation to the family, guarding a tremendous fortune alone.

From a lively youth to an old age wasted, waiting for the master's family descendants to claim it.

Countless days and nights, countless springs, summers, autumns, and winters, waiting decade after decade… against such bitterness, words seemed pale.

"You… have suffered!" Sun Shijie patted Sun Zhong's shoulder, tears flowing freely.

Sun Zhong's eyes were also filled with tears, looking at the aged face before him, with past memories flooding back.

Those bygone days seemed as if they happened just yesterday.

And with a blink of an eye, with time passing, the days of youthful innocence have gone forever…

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