Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 158 Sun Zhong
Lin Jiang boarded the carriage with the constables in black robes; he was the only one going on this trip.

The constable was clearly too lazy to talk to him, yawning incessantly along the way, showing his utter boredom.

Lin Jiang had no intention of speaking and sat quietly in the carriage waiting.

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Justice office next to the Dali Temple, the bailiffs jumped off the carriage:
"Young master, it's just ahead. Please proceed on your own."

After saying that, he leaned against the carriage and sat askew, as if he had already finished his task.

Lin Jiang saw a vivid illustration of the word "lying flat" in this person.

Knowing that asking around was hopeless, they could only inquire along the way until they found a certain mansion.

This place is different from the Ministry of Justice's office area; it's more like a private residence. There are servants guarding the entrance, and when they see Lin Jiang arrive, they step forward to ask him what he wants to do.

After learning Lin Jiang's identity, they naturally didn't stop him and directly led him towards the inner room.

Although Sun Zhong's residence was spacious, it was much simpler than the residence of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. There were no artificial hills or ponds in sight, only an empty courtyard, with a few camellia bushes blooming forlornly in the corner.

Lin Jiang noticed that tender green scallions were planted in the flower bed in the southeast corner. He wondered whether they were planted by the Minister of Justice or by the cook.

Upon entering the inner room, Lin Jiang immediately spotted an elderly man working at his desk.

His hair and beard were completely white, making him look several years older than his grandfather. His brows and eyes exuded an air of authority, making him appear serious and unapproachable.

Lin Jiang used his newly learned skills to observe the other person for a while longer and noticed that the corners of the other person's eyes were slightly crooked upwards, making them seem like a shrewd and calculating person.

At this moment, he was wearing a loose-fitting undergarment with the collar slightly open, revealing his sharp collarbones beneath his pale face. His thin chest looked as if it were wrapped in a layer of rice paper, as if a draft of wind could sweep it away.

As footsteps sounded from outside the door, Sun Zhong looked up at Lin Jiang as he stepped into the hall.

Just as Lin Jiang was about to exchange pleasantries, his gaze suddenly fixed on the top of the other person's head.

The orange exuberance and blue contemplation intertwine and reflect each other, and what is even more striking is the streaks of scarlet mixed in.

red……

It represents hostility.

But that wrinkled face remained as calm as an ancient pool, even its voice was completely still.

"You're Zhu Da?" Sun Zhong asked calmly. "The Zhu Da who bought the Ministry of Justice's property at a low price?"

"It's me." Lin Jiang suppressed his surprise and kept his expression calm: "Is there a problem with buying this house?"

The art of observation has never been wrong.

Lin Jiang became somewhat wary.

“This house is complicated, and you bought it at a low price just before this Ministry of Justice official was about to leave office. The Ministry of Justice suspects that you two colluded.” Sun Zhong said, then covered his mouth with his hand and coughed uncontrollably, clearly in poor condition.

Is the hostility due to this?
Lin Jiang was about to explain when he noticed Sun Zhong looking at his face again.

“Your eyebrows and eyes… look really familiar.” Sun Zhong frowned. “They remind me of an old friend.”

"Your old friend is quite handsome."

"Don't try to fool me." Sun Zhong leaned on the table to get up, staggering slightly as he walked towards Lin Jiang. Several of his men hurriedly rushed to help him, but he glared at them and dismissed them.

"I'm fine! I look like I'm crippled!"

He steadied himself and walked up to Lin Jiang, his gaze sweeping over him like a hook, before suddenly lowering his voice:

"Your surname is really Zhu?"

"Why do you say that?"

“I feel you should have the surname Lin,” Sun Zhong said with great certainty. “You must have had a grandfather who looked like a grumpy old man, right?”

Lin Jiang stared intently at Sun Zhong, focusing on the still-present red mark on his head.

His mind raced for a moment.

Is this really Sun Zhong?

If so, where does the hostility come from?

If not...

Where is the real Sun Zhong?
After much deliberation, Lin Jiang finally made up his mind.

He gave a clean smile:
"The old man was right, Grandpa Sun is indeed someone you can entrust your life to."

Upon hearing Lin Jiang's words, Sun Zhong's face lit up with joy, and he clapped his hands, bursting into laughter.
"Ha! It really is Lin Shengfeng's son! His eyebrows and eyes are exactly like that old man's when he was young!"

Lin Jiang also maintained a polite smile.

"That sounds like my grandfather was quite a handsome man when he was young."

"No."

Upon learning Lin Jiang's identity, Sun Zhong's attitude changed drastically. He tugged at Lin Jiang's sleeve, demanding a seat, while he himself sat down right next to him. His enthusiasm was as if he were seeing his own nephew, leaving the surrounding servants running around in circles.

Lin Jiang glanced again at the light above Sun Zhong's head.

The red light remained unchanged, still steadily pointing towards him.

“That old fellow once wrote to me, mentioning in it that he had a grandson whose given name was Jiang. That must be you.”

"exactly"

"How is your grandfather now? Is the old man still as energetic as before?"

"Thanks to you, you do look quite energetic."

"That old guy used to brag to me that he studied medicine and would definitely outlive me, but it's a pity I haven't seen him in a long time."

Sun Zhong was particularly moved. Lin Jiang sized up his opponent, but couldn't detect the slightest flaw on the surface.

The more normal things seemed, the more alarm bells rang in his mind.

"Why did you suddenly come to the capital?"

“Grandpa said there is an old friend here, but he has difficulty walking, so I came to visit him on his behalf.”

"You old fox," Sun Zhong frowned. "How did you end up buying this house? Did someone gossip about it?"

"It's cheap and good quality, so we can't lose money in the end."

“Don’t talk about not losing out.” Sun Zhong snorted: “If the mansion recorded in the Ministry of Justice’s files is thoroughly investigated today, it can be sealed off on the spot, and you will lose everything.”

"I really didn't know there was such a thing."

"The capital is full of traps; if you're not careful, you'll be tricked by scoundrels."

Sun Zhong suddenly stroked his beard and smiled, a hint of smugness radiating from his wrinkles:

"But even if I'm here, these kinds of troubles won't happen. You can stay in that mansion without worry; no one will bother you."

"Thank you, Grandpa Sun."

"Don't call me 'Grandpa' just once, it's too formal. Call me 'Grandpa' twice."

"Let's call him Grandpa Sun for now. Calling him by two characters just doesn't feel quite right."

"You're quite shy, aren't you?"

Although Lin Jiang rejected Sun Zhong, the latter didn't seem to care, his face full of wrinkles as he smiled, clearly very happy.

Lin Jiang continued to stare at Sun Zhong's forehead.

That bright red, representing hostility, was still dazzling.

"Instruct the kitchen to prepare two more main dishes; we must entertain our distinguished guest."

The servants withdrew, leaving only the two people in the hall.

Seeing that no one else was around, Sun Zhong lowered his voice and said to Lin Jiang:

"Xiao Lin, since your grandfather sent you to find me... did you really not bring anything with you?"

"object?"

Lin Jiang pretended to be puzzled.

“Yes.” Sun Zhong said, “We haven’t been in contact for so many years, there’s probably only one possibility for him to send you to find me.”

At this point, Sun Zhong lowered his voice:
Did he tell you that he had a box with him?

Lin Jiang's face showed an even more obvious "doubt":
"What box?"

"Your grandfather didn't mention this before we came?"

"No." Lin Jiang shook his head sincerely: "They only said that Grandpa Sun was someone you could entrust your life to. I don't know what you and Grandpa went through back then."

"When I was young, I worked as a contracted clerk at the Dali Temple. The world was chaotic and cases were dangerous, so we saved each other's lives several times."

Sun Zhong seemed to have given up on asking about the box and instead sighed, "Where is that old man now?"

Lin Jiang thought for a moment: "Continue northeast, there's a place called Qingniwa, over there."

“It’s not far, why don’t you come find me?” Sun Zhong shook his head.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Sun, what exactly was that box you mentioned before?" Lin Jiang suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhong waved his hand:
“Your grandfather told me that the box contained the secret to ascending to immortality.”

Lin Jiang thought for a moment and decided to be a little shocked, so he was a little shocked.

Sun Zhong was clearly quite satisfied with Lin Jiang's reaction, and smiled as he recounted old stories:

“Years ago, your grandfather and I went on an adventure overseas,” Sun Zhong told Lin Jiang slowly, recounting the events of that year: “A fleet dispatched by the capital sailed south along the coast to search for rare treasures to demonstrate the power of the nation and to seek out esoteric arts. Your grandfather and I were on that ship.”

"Grandpa never mentioned such an important matter."

“He always boasts in front of me, but he’s very cautious with outsiders.” Sun Zhong shook his head, as if recalling the past: “We’ve traveled through the seas of various countries, seen cities built of coral, and witnessed islands supported by giant whales.”

"And we both gained a lot of experience on this journey. We learned many special methods. My talent is not as good as your grandfather's, so my cultivation is a bit behind his."

"Then where did this box come from?"

Lin Jiang finally couldn't help but ask further.

Even though he noticed something unusual about Sun Zhong's words and actions, Lin Jiang's curiosity was still piqued.

A ripple of time settled in Sun Zhong's eyes.

The deep red on his head gradually turned into a deep blue of reminiscence, as he truly recalled what had happened back then:
They had been on a long voyage for years without encountering land, their supplies were running low, and they were surrounded by treacherous fish. Just as they were about to turn back, they suddenly saw a fog at sea.

"The fleet didn't have time to turn and plunged straight into the fog, losing its way. We traveled for a long time, and eventually ran out of food. A riot broke out on the ships, and many people fought over the last bite of food. Your grandfather and I were together, and we used some means to get a small boat ahead of time, intending to leave by ourselves."

"After we disembarked, we wandered aimlessly on the sea, and then..."

As Sun Zhong spoke, his eyes subtly changed:

“We saw a towering wall, almost blocking out the sky,” Sun Zhong said. “It was incredibly red, towering into the sky. Looking up, we couldn’t even see what its dome looked like. We don’t know who built this strange phenomenon at sea.”

wall……

Lin Jiang immediately remembered the coffin he had seen on the overhead map.

According to Sun Zhong, the two of them must have been at the edge of the coffin at that time!
(End of this chapter)