Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 149 Liu Mang's Family Fortune

That's a man.

He sat hunched over on a low stool, his back to them.

His hair was gray and his clothes were dusty; judging from these two things alone, he must have been an elderly man.

In the dim light, the scene looked somewhat strange.

Beside him was a long, thin object, but it was half-buried in dust, making it impossible to tell what it was.

Jiang Liuyun and Lin Zhiqing exchanged a glance, neither of them making any rash moves.

It's rather startling that someone would suddenly appear in such a place.

The two stood there motionless for a long time. Seeing that the person hadn't moved at all, Lin Zhiqing narrowed her eyes, wanting to go forward and check.

But Jiang Liuyun stopped her as soon as she took a step.

He gestured to Lin Zhiqing, indicating that Lin Zhiqing should wait for him there while he went to check on the situation.

Lin Zhiqing's beautiful eyes flickered, and she nodded obediently.

Jiang Liuyun smiled at her, then placed his hand on his waist.

If Lin Zhiqing remembered correctly, Jiang Liuyun should have a short sword at his waist.

He's on the defensive.

As Jiang Liuyun drew closer to the white-haired man, his steps grew lighter and lighter.

The dust in this enclosed room was even thicker than above; thankfully, he was wearing a mask.

Soon, he and the man were only a few steps apart.

The man might not make a sound at all, as if... he were dead.

Jiang Liuyun remained vigilant. He lowered his body, drew the short sword from his waist with his right hand, and prepared to touch the man in white with his left.

Lin Zhiqing watched Jiang Liuyun's actions from the side, and she couldn't help but take a few steps closer.

The unknown is always the most terrifying, yet it also possesses a fatal attraction.

At this moment, Jiang Liuyun held his breath, slowly moved his left hand, and gently patted the white-haired man's shoulder.

The moment his palm landed, dust flew up from the man's body.

Jiang Liuyun quickly retreated to a safe position.

Surprisingly, apart from the dust, the man didn't make a sound at all.

Jiang Liuyun frowned, waited a little while longer, and seeing that there was indeed no movement, he slowly stepped forward and patted the man's shoulder twice.

Still no response.

After confirming that the man wouldn't make a move, he sheathed the short sword in his hand.

Upon seeing this action, Lin Zhiqing knew that the white-haired man was unable to move.

She stepped forward.

As the tinderbox drew closer, the light grew brighter, and Lin Zhiqing was finally able to see the scene on the man's left and right sides.

There were dozens of wooden boxes on either side of him.

However, the wooden box was covered with a thick layer of dust, making its original color impossible to see.

Jiang Liuyun chose the box closest to him and opened it with almost no effort.

Lin Zhiqing leaned closer to take a look, and her eyes lit up when they fell on the golden ingot.

"This Liu Mang is just a mere councilor, yet his family is so wealthy." Jiang Liuyun didn't touch the silver; instead, he opened several boxes next to him.

"This isn't just substantial, it's incredibly substantial." Lin Zhiqing looked at each item and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Those boxes contained gold and silver jewelry, cash, and some house deeds and land deeds.

Jiang Liuyun's eyes remained unmoved as he saw all this.

He came from the powerful and influential Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion, so he was used to seeing such things and wasn't surprised. Lin Zhiqing, however, was different. She had lived two lives, and this was the first time she had ever seen so much gold and silver.

In one word, rich!

That's incredibly extravagant.

She had previously been running around trying to make money in order to control the Lin family. Although the income from Jianxintang was enough to support the Lin family, it was still far less than Liu Mang's gold and silver treasures.

After expressing her genuine envy, Lin Zhiqing closed the box with tears in her eyes.

It wasn't that she didn't want to take it, but the situation was special. She didn't know where the money came from, and taking it might cause a lot of trouble.

Secondly, when it comes to money, it's more reliable to earn it yourself.

After shifting her gaze away from the boxes, Lin Zhiqing felt quite pleased.

Now that Liu Mang's family background has been discovered, it proves that her judgment was correct.

The storeroom appears dilapidated, unlike the study and main house, but it contains genuinely important items.

Will the evidence she's looking for be here?

Thinking of this, Lin Zhiqing moved the treasure chest piled to the left of the white-haired man.

She noticed that there were many boxes of various sizes in front of the white-haired man, and she couldn't see his face unless she cleared away the things on the sides.

Sensing Lin Zhiqing's intention, Jiang Liuyun started lifting the box.

The two quickly cleared the side.

Lin Zhiqing stepped forward, intending to take the boxes directly, but when she caught a glimpse of the white-haired man's face, she was momentarily stunned.

It was the face of a young man, but his face was thin, as if it were just a layer of skin clinging to his bones.

She's even thinner than Lin Zhiqing.

Seeing that Lin Zhiqing was not moving, Jiang Liuyun also went forward to take a look.

Upon seeing the white-haired man's face, his eyes narrowed, and he immediately took a small step back.

Lin Zhiqing turned around and saw Jiang Liuyun patting his chest repeatedly: "This... he's too thin, it's really a bit scary."

"Qing'er, step back a bit. Anyone who doesn't know better would think this is a dead person."

Hmm... now that you mention it, the white-haired man does indeed look like a corpse at first glance. His eyes are closed, and his whole body is covered in dust.

If he weren't still breathing, he would be practically indistinguishable from a corpse.

"Don't be afraid, he's still alive." Lin Zhiqing gestured for Jiang Liuyun to look at the left side of the white-clad man's chest.

The slight throbbing there proved that the man was alive.

"But why isn't he moving?" Jiang Liuyun was puzzled.

Lin Zhiqing guessed that the man had been hypnotized, because the white-haired man was thin and covered in dust, as if he hadn't moved around in a long time.

But she wasn't sure, so she didn't say it rashly: "I should be scared if he starts moving."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Jiang Liuyun raised his chin. "With me here, I'll protect you no matter what happens."

He had clearly forgotten that he had been so frightened that he had taken a half-step back.

"Okay." Lin Zhiqing chuckled softly, not revealing Jiang Liuyun's shortcomings.

Then she bent down, intending to check if there was anything else unusual about the man.

But as the tinderbox in her hand drew closer, her vision became clearer, and she then noticed something beneath the white-haired man's crossed arms.

Lin Zhiqing quickly handed the tinder to Jiang Liuyun, and then reached out to pull open the white-haired man's sleeve.

At the same time, he brushed the dust off his arm.

As she moved, Jiang Liuyun saw it clearly: "Qing'er, he seems to have another box under his hand."

Yes, it's a box.

Lin Zhiqing's gaze was fixed on the medium-sized box.