Chapter 128: Spirit-Suppressing Stone

Xia Shihan was wearing her pajamas. When her fair, delicate arms brushed against Zhang Xiaofan, he immediately felt how smooth they were; this young lady certainly had lovely skin.

Observing Xia Shihan’s "wolf-like" ravenous appetite, Zhang Xiaofan simply gave her the remaining half bowl of noodles he had been eating.

Xia Shihan hadn't eaten instant noodles that tasted this good in years. Without a second thought, she grabbed Zhang Xiaofan’s chopsticks and devoured the meal—even finishing the broth—with a look of pure satisfaction.

"Wow, who would have thought? You actually make instant noodles really well," Xia Shihan said, setting the bowl down and offering praise.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaofan just stared at her blankly before saying, "Listen here, Miss Beauty, you might not mind, but I do. You used my chopsticks? Do you realize this is considered an indirect kiss?"

"Ah?..." Xia Shihan looked at the chopsticks, finally realizing. It seemed there really had been a faint trace of a masculine scent while she was eating.

Good heavens... I actually...

Xia Shihan’s face turned crimson instantly. How embarrassing!

"That..." Xia Shihan said, her face still red, whispering, "I didn't do it on purpose. Besides, I’m the one on the losing end here, aren't I? You're a grown man, what are you afraid of?"

"But I feel like I'm the one losing out. How about you let me kiss you, and we'll call it even?" Zhang Xiaofan suggested.

"Hmph, in your dreams. It’s just a pair of chopsticks, what’s the big deal? If it bothers you so much, I’ll let you use my chopsticks next time," Xia Shihan retorted.

"Don't. I don't have that kind of peculiar fetish..." Zhang Xiaofan was left speechless.

"Alright, I'm heading out today. You can arrange your own schedule. And, wash the bowl," Zhang Xiaofan said as he walked into the room to put on a vest.

Xia Shihan took the bowl to the kitchen and washed it clean, only to realize... she had actually washed the dishes...

"Where are you going?" Seeing Zhang Xiaofan walk out holding his keys, Xia Shihan immediately asked, "Why are you so unprofessional? You’re supposed to be my bodyguard, and you’re just leaving?"

"I told you, I'm just staying here for convenience and protecting you along the way. I never said I was your full-time bodyguard," Zhang Xiaofan replied.

"Then I’m coming with you," Xia Shihan said immediately. She was genuinely curious about Zhang Xiaofan, and something in her heart was inexplicably driving her to understand him better.

"You should just go do whatever you need to do," Zhang Xiaofan said. He intended to visit the Ye family in the capital to talk face-to-face and find some clues; it would be highly inconvenient to have this young lady tagging along.

"Oh..." Seeing the slight hint of annoyance on Zhang Xiaofan’s face, Xia Shihan whispered, feeling deeply disappointed.

"If anything comes up, just call me," Zhang Xiaofan said. "Give me your phone."

"Here." Xia Shihan handed over her phone, and Zhang Xiaofan took it to input his number.

"Alright, I'm off."

Zhang Xiaofan walked out, his flip-flops slapping against the ground. Looking at his sloppy attire, Xia Shihan was once again left speechless.

...

After getting into the Hummer, Zhang Xiaofan began driving while searching the car for the business card belonging to Ye Nan. He dialed the number, and it was answered quickly.

"Hello, who is this?" Ye Nan’s voice came through immediately on the other end.

"It’s Zhang Xiaofan from Jinghai Hospital," he said.

"Oh, it's the miracle doctor, Zhang! I haven't had a chance to thank you for saving my father yet," Ye Nan said very politely.

"It was just a small favor, Miss Ye, please don't take it to heart," Zhang Xiaofan replied.

"Miracle Doctor Zhang, why did you call?" Ye Nan asked.

"I wanted to ask if you had returned to the capital yet. I’d like to meet with you and have a chat in person," Zhang Xiaofan stated his purpose directly.

"You’ve come to the capital? I actually just arrived as well. Come on over; the address is on the business card... Oh, no, just come directly to my home. I’ll send you the address." Ye Nan was evidently surprised that Zhang Xiaofan was now in the capital, and she was also eager to properly repay him.

"Alright, see you in a bit." Zhang Xiaofan hung up the phone. A few dozen seconds later, he received the text message from Ye Nan.

He didn't know the streets of the capital well, so he opened the car’s navigation system and headed toward the address in the city center.

The city center was filled with high-rise buildings, but many traditional courtyard houses remained, with that traditional architectural culture well-preserved. Of course, every one of these courtyards was worth at least tens of millions.

He soon reached the destination. The road was lined with tall, thick camphor trees that were clearly quite old.

He knocked on the heavy wooden door, and before long, a woman who looked like a domestic helper came to open it.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm here to see Miss Ye," Zhang Xiaofan said politely.

"You must be Mr. Zhang. The young lady has already given word. Please, come in," the woman said, opening the door wide and gesturing for him to enter.

Zhang Xiaofan smiled and followed her inside.

"Miracle Doctor Zhang, please have a seat inside." Before long, Ye Nan walked out of the main house in the center of the courtyard with a smile.

Zhang Xiaofan nodded and followed her into the living room.

"Wu Ma, you may leave," Ye Nan instructed the housekeeper. The woman nodded, exited the room, and closed the door behind her.

"Miss Ye, I’ll be direct. My purpose in coming is to ask for more information regarding the Yin-Yang Fish. I assume you were holding back something last time, right?" Zhang Xiaofan asked.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you." Ye Nan’s expression turned serious. "Actually, I didn't want to tell you for your own good. Since you're asking about this, I assume the other half of the Yin-Yang Fish stone is in your possession, isn't it?"

Zhang Xiaofan nodded, not denying it.

"I do indeed know who has the stolen Yin-Yang Fish stone. The reason I didn't tell you was that I didn't want you to put yourself in danger," Ye Nan said.

"Please, speak freely, Miss Ye," Zhang Xiaofan said. "This is very important to me, and I will be careful."

"Very well. Since you’ve come all this way, I will tell you: that half of the Yin-Yang Fish stone was seized by the Feng family of the North District, but the true mastermind behind it is the Qin family. You might not know the Qin family..."

"I know them," Zhang Xiaofan said seriously. "One of the few ancient martial arts families in the capital, with a status above that of the Tang and Xia families."

Qin Tianyu—the very man who had brought such immense humiliation upon him—was from the Qin family!

Zhang Xiaofan was genuinely surprised. He truly hadn't expected that the half of the Yin-Yang Fish stone would have any connection to the Qin family. If one had to describe the power of the Qin family, it was like a massive mountain; such an existence could only be deterred by the Dragon Soul Hall.

It seemed that everything was fated. But this did not make Zhang Xiaofan retreat; instead, it only fueled his fighting spirit. So what if it was a massive mountain? One day, he would level it to the ground!

"Thank you, Miss Ye. I won't take up any more of your time," Zhang Xiaofan said, standing up.

"Take care of yourself. Rest assured, I will keep your secret. This Yin-Yang Fish stone is indeed linked to an ancient sect ruin. There are already many people in the capital eyeing it. It looks calm on the surface, but underneath, the currents are already swirling... An ancient ruin carries enormous influence," Ye Nan said with profound meaning.

Zhang Xiaofan nodded. "However, who is to say who can actually enter an ancient ruin... I suspect that in the end, it won't be something that a single person or a single family can swallow whole."

"Alright, Miss Ye, I’ll take my leave," Zhang Xiaofan said, raising his hand in farewell.

"Very well, let me see you out," Ye Nan said, gesturing with her hand.

After Zhang Xiaofan left, Ye Nan pondered his words. This young man gave her a feeling of being too deep—so deep that she couldn't see through him.

Once outside the courtyard and back in his car, Zhang Xiaofan pulled out his phone and dialed Du Yuefeng’s number directly. "Has Dragon Soul also noticed the Yin-Yang Fish stone?"

On the other end, Du Yuefeng paused before saying, "I knew you’d figure that out. When you called me last time, I was actually already investigating. In fact, I knew it was in your possession, but I deliberately withheld that from you..."

"I will hand over the half of the Yin-Yang Fish stone, but I have only one condition: that I must be granted a spot to enter those ruins," Zhang Xiaofan said.

"I cannot guarantee that. I need to discuss it with the elders of the Dragon Soul Hall," Du Yuefeng said, his tone serious.

"Fine. I’ll await your news," Zhang Xiaofan said.