Chapter 505: Finding Some Clues

When Su Qing returned to Beijing, there was only one day left before school started. That very night, she was summoned to the study by Mr. Li and the other two men.

After learning that Su Qing had found Su Shengjun’s remains and laid them to rest, Mr. Li sighed wistfully before bringing up the matter of Tian Qiu.

With conclusive evidence in hand, Li Fenghuo had already dispatched men to secretly arrest Tian Qiu. Several of her subordinates were also apprehended one by one. The case even served as a lead that exposed a few corrupt officials in Hai City, helping to clean up some hidden problems there.

The only thing still in progress was tracking down and arresting the teams that Tian Qiu had sent out to rob tombs and search for valuable herbs.

"Has there been any reaction from the Qiutian Clan in Japan?" Su Qing asked.

"Not yet," said Li Fenghuo. "Tian Qiu’s arrest was covert, so the Qiutian Clan in Japan hasn’t heard the news. As far as they’re concerned, her operation is still proceeding smoothly."

Mr. Li added, "Although the Qiutian Clan hasn’t made a move, we’ll have to negotiate this with them sooner or later. The problem is that they’ve stolen so many of Hua Country’s antiques and cultural relics. They even used various means to obtain legal ownership of many precious items. I’m afraid that when the time comes, we won’t be able to reclaim a lot of them."

"Those thieves are absolutely despicable," Gu Xinsheng said angrily.

So many of Hua Country’s cultural relics had been lost overseas in the past, never to be reclaimed. Now, with Japan having stolen so many more, they might be facing the same outcome.

Hearing this, Su Qing pressed her lips together. ’I’ve already made my decision,’ she thought, but she didn’t plan on telling Mr. Li and the others. Instead, she just said softly, "There will be a way."

"Let’s hope so," Mr. Li sighed. "I hope that one day, Hua Country will become truly powerful, and those treasures lost overseas can finally return to our homeland."

The four of them were silent for a moment before Li Fenghuo asked, "Qingqing, do you have any leads on that Master Zhang? Has he returned to Beijing recently? You need to be extra careful. If he does come back, you must be on your guard."

"I know. He probably hasn’t returned to Beijing recently. According to my sources, he went to A Tai," Su Qing said.

"He went to A Tai!" Mr. Li and the others frowned. "Is this Master Zhang from A Tai?" Mr. Li asked.

"It’s not clear yet." Su Qing shook her head. An Zhihan hadn’t sent any further news. As for why this Master Zhang was targeting her, Su Qing was still completely in the dark. ’I have a feeling it’s not related to the An Family,’ she thought. ’But if not them, who else wants to come after me?’

"School starts the day after tomorrow. You need to be extra careful on campus," Mr. Li said.

As long as Master Zhang was on the loose, Mr. Li saw him as a hidden threat who could appear at any moment. Even though he knew Su Qing had special abilities, he couldn’t help but worry.

"Don’t worry, Grandpa, I’ll be careful," Su Qing said. "You all at home, on the other hand, must be extremely cautious. Don’t let strangers wander around the house. If any repairs are needed, like for the wiring, just tell me and I’ll come home to check. Also, if anyone sends something like a potted plant, you should inspect it carefully."

In truth, Su Qing was also worried about Mr. Li and the others, which was why she gave these extra warnings.

"Don’t worry, I’ll pay attention," Li Fenghuo said.

Su Qing nodded. ’Now that we’re on guard,’ she thought, ’it won’t be so easy for them to make a move.’

The next day, Su Qing went to Mr. Gong’s residence and told An Zhihan about the An Family treasure.

A Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master, no wonder the First and Second Masters sent so many men into Baihua Mountain! The Old Master really did hide something there."

Fang Lutian added, "Otherwise, the First and Second Masters wouldn’t have been so persistent."

Then, Fang Lutian turned to Su Qing and said, "Miss Su Qing, we have you to thank for this discovery. We’re truly grateful."

Su Qing smiled. "I only discovered it by chance."

An Zhihan looked at Su Qing, his eyes full of gratitude. "You’ve helped me so much, I don’t know how I can ever thank you. I’ll send my men to retrieve everything. When they return, half of it will be yours as a small token of my appreciation."

"You don’t have to—"

But before Su Qing could finish, An Zhihan cut in, "Su Qing, please don’t refuse. Without you, I would never have gotten my hands on any of this. What’s more, you risked your life going into the mountains to find that herb for me. Even though my grand-uncle had a prescription, it would have been useless without the medicine. Frankly, half of the treasure isn’t nearly enough to express my gratitude, so please, don’t say no. Otherwise, I would feel truly ashamed to accept it all."

An Zhihan was grateful to Su Qing from the bottom of his heart. Forget the treasure and the Purple Danshen—if it hadn’t been for the ginseng she’d given him in the beginning, his body might not have held out and would have only continued to deteriorate.

Come to think of it, his health had started improving right after he began taking Su Qing’s ginseng. An Zhihan truly felt she was his lucky star. It was because of her that Mr. Gong had been willing to treat him. Without Su Qing, the An Zhihan of today wouldn’t exist.

An Zhihan subconsciously touched his leg. He could now walk on his own for ten minutes without a cane—something he wouldn’t have dared to imagine before. He had once thought he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

"Alright." Su Qing could sense his sincerity, so she smiled and said, "In that case, it would be rude of me to refuse."

An Zhihan smiled. "It’s what you deserve."

Then, An Zhihan said to Su Qing, "By the way, I found a few more clues about that Master Zhang you asked me to investigate."

"Oh? What did you find?" Su Qing asked immediately.

An Zhihan replied, "This Master Zhang seems to have a connection to Master Wen from Xiangcheng."

"Master Wen?" Su Qing asked in surprise. "You mean *the* Master Wen, one of the three most famous masters in Xiangcheng?"

Now it was An Zhihan’s turn to be surprised. "You’ve heard of Master Wen?"

Su Qing nodded. "I’ve heard a little. They say he’s very famous in Xiangcheng, and all the prominent families there are vying for his favor."

"That’s true," An Zhihan confirmed with a nod.

"What is Master Zhang’s relationship with Master Wen?" Su Qing asked after a moment of thought. She suddenly recalled something Xiang had said—that Master Wen’s disciple lived in A Tai.

’Could it be? Is Master Zhang connected to Master Wen’s disciple? But I’ve never had any dealings with Master Wen or his people!’

’Why would they be after me?’