Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 348 Heading to the Northeast

In the more remote parts of the city, there are steel networks connecting all directions. On these steel networks, not only are supplies from all over the country running, but also travelers heading to all corners of the world.

These veins extend and meander along the contours of mountains and rivers, but converge at specific stations within cities. These stations, like hubs, are scattered across the land, organizing those seemingly scattered veins.

Among these hub-like stations, the train station, located on the outskirts of this southern city, stands with its slightly dilapidated platform blending into the surrounding old buildings, as if separated from the rest of the city by two different eras.

Inside the train station, on the spacious platforms, many travelers, carrying luggage of varying sizes, stood together with different expressions and postures, yet they seemed to get along very well.

But in this seemingly harmonious group of people, the two figures appeared somewhat out of place.

"You're going to take this old man on the train, kid?"

Lu Ci stood with his hands behind his back, his aged body ramrod straight. Even though he was dressed in casual clothes, he exuded an aura that commanded respect, making him seem out of place on this platform.

"So what? I don't have any money either. It's true that the older I get, the harder I am to take care of."

Meeting Lü Ci's scrutinizing gaze, Lü Qian calmly spread his hands and shrugged. He also took off his Taoist robe and changed into casual clothes, wearing a pair of very trendy sneakers, looking like a junior taking his elderly family member out for a trip.

He smoothed his hair, which was being blown about by the wind, and simply combed it into a high ponytail, leaving only two long, thin, black sideburns hanging down beside him, dancing in the wind.

"Then how come you have money to buy clothes for yourself, but only bought me a floral cotton-padded jacket?"

Lu Ci looked at Lu Qian, his eyes reflecting the other's simple yet stylish clothes. He patted the thick cotton-padded coat on his chest, gritted his teeth, and squeezed out the question through his teeth.

"Furthermore, I remember that even though you've been on Wudang Mountain all these years, your family has still been sending you money—six figures every year. Where have you been spending it all? Do you have some kind of private club on the mountain?"

Lu Qian pretended to do some calculations with his fingers, straightened his expression, cleared his throat, and the moment he opened his mouth, Lu Ci's blood pressure, which he couldn't control, instantly soared.

"The Dao says, Heaven's secrets must not be revealed."

Seeing Lü Ci's gritted teeth but forced to endure in the crowd, Lü Qian felt a surge of secret pleasure. Although he had some savings and was willing to spend money, he didn't want to hold a lavish celebration for Lü Ci.

In his view, the old man was simply asking for trouble, having reverted to the temperament of the "Two Jewels of the Lü Family" from decades ago, becoming the "Lü Ci" of yesteryear, or in short, the landlord's foolish son.

This transformation is indeed quite good, but even after the recovery is complete, he's become a bit "silly".

Lu Qian had already observed Lu Ci's secretive and attention-seeking behavior and had guessed most of it.

After his temper flared up again, the old man lost his temper and wanted to kill someone!

He's going to the Northeast again, so who is he going to kill? Lü Qian naturally knows the answer, and is even happy to see it happen. After all, the "husky" at home always needs to be taken out for a walk from time to time, otherwise it will destroy his house.

Rather than tearing down his own home, let him vent the hatred and energy he's accumulated over the decades and wipe those people out completely.

Lu Ci had no idea that the carefree image he had cultivated was seen by Lu Qian as nothing more than an impatient fool.

He was wearing a Northeastern-style suit that Lü Qian had specially bought for him. In this southern train station, he stood out like a crane among chickens. The invisible gazes and the faint flashes of light made his old face turn even redder.

This is exactly the result Lü Qian wanted. Before taking action, he would first stack several layers of rage on Lü Ci so that his ultimate move could be unleashed smoothly and deal high damage.

As for settling personal scores, could Lü Qian, who represents the character "Qian," do something so disobedient to his elders?

"Ha! Well done, you truly are a fine lad from the Lü family, showing no humility whatsoever."

However, before Lü Ci could react, the announcements on the platform suddenly rang out, and the sound of a train slowing down and entering the station could be heard from the distant railway tracks.

"Dear passengers, the train is about to arrive at the station. Please disembark in an orderly manner through the doors at both ends of the carriage after the train has come to a complete stop. Please watch your step and avoid crowding. Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish you a pleasant journey!"

"Let's go, one stop to Shanhaiguan, then we'll have to change buses."

The moment the train door opened, Lü Qian strode forward, his figure swaying. His presence and the memories of everyone seemed to blur for a moment. In the blink of an eye, he boarded the train, while Lü Ci, dressed in a unique outfit, remained alone, receiving curious stares from the passengers.

"Damn it, that little brat."

When he was "young," Lü Ci was still very concerned about his image. He tucked the lower half of his face into the collar of his cotton-padded jacket, put his hands in his sleeves, and pretended that he didn't know anyone or see anyone. He then followed the crowd onto the train.

"Never mind, let's just consider it a nostalgic memory of the past."

Like burying their heads in the sand, Lü Ci and Lü Qian boarded the train. The platform camera clearly captured the scene just now, but the moment Lü Qian changed his posture seemed to have been erased invisibly.

At the headquarters of NaDuTong, Zhao Fangxu sat in his seat with a mobile phone in front of him and the computer on the table turned on normally, as if waiting for someone to connect.

However, Zhao Fangxu's attention was not on this at the moment. He was recalling his conversation with Liao Zhong, and the things he had kept hidden were still burning in his heart.

"No one expected that what was originally just one person's matter, although it was anticipated that it might involve many people, would have such a wide-ranging impact."

"Did they deliberately conceal these things, or did they simply lose the records and forget their impact over time?"

As someone in a superior position who has been playing chess for many years, Zhao Fangxu is used to thinking about the past, the future, the future, and the various possibilities behind the current situation. Even with his sharp mind, these complex assumptions can still give him headaches and make his head spin.

Zhao Fangxu rubbed his temples. Just as he paused to think, his phone chimed with a notification sound, followed by an electronic smiley face suddenly appearing on the screen.

This scene, resembling an electronic virus, did not cause Zhao Fangxu to lose his composure, because he knew that his helpers had arrived.

"Erzhuang, you've arrived."

"Chairman Zhao, Patriarch Lü and Lü Qian have already boarded the train. According to their itinerary, they will arrive in the Northeast in two days. What action should we take?"

The electronic smiley face on the phone screen changed expressions. The next moment, the smile on the electronic face disappeared, a pair of glasses appeared, and the electronically synthesized voice became serious.

During the report by the temporary worker from the Northeast region named "Erzhuang," Zhao Fangxu's computer screen flickered twice, and then a video was played.

The scene on the screen was exactly what had happened a moment ago: on the train platform thousands of miles away, Lü Ci had boarded the train discreetly, while Lü Qian's figure had become blurry in that instant.

Gao Erzhuang's report continued through the phone, "I've used methods to confirm that this isn't electronic technology or a machine malfunction; it's some unknown change..."

"Alright, that's enough."

Zhao Fangxu stared at the computer screen, watched the video in its entirety, and then waved his hand to stop Gao Erzhuang from continuing his report.

"Erzhuang, what is your father Gao Lian's attitude towards Lü Qian, the person who might cure you, going to the Northeast?"

"Or rather, what is the Gao family's attitude towards the Lü family going to the Northeast?"