Chapter 814: A Million Times for You (176)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Fan Shixin nodded and packed some necessary items into his bag before leaving the motel together with An Xiaoning, leaving Xiao Bai behind to tend to the luggage.
As soon as they stepped foot out of the door, they were greeted with the sight of a large crowd of people.
There were various hawkers touting along the streets and advertising their own products.
An Xiaoning and Fan Shixin walked side by side toward the bus stop.
It was the only place in the town where one could board a bus.
The citizens were not affluent and could barely afford the bus fare, which cost an average of tens of dollars. The prices could go up to a few hundreds, depending on the distance required to travel. Hence, the locals would usually only opt to travel by bus if they were traveling to a faraway place.
It was market day today and the crowds were larger than usual. The car was already full by the time they got inside. Thus, there were no longer any seats available and they had no choice but to hold onto the handles while standing.
Fortunately, they arrived at their destination shortly after.
After alighting from the bus, they scanned their surroundings to see that they were on a road along the mountains with trees and jungles all around. The place felt rather eerie, and there was not a single soul in sight apart from the bus.
After verifying that they had come to the correct place, An Xiaoning pointed at the entrance and said, “It should be there.”
“That’s right.”
The pair walked forward and knocked on the door. However, there was no response at all.
“Hello, is anyone in?” Fan Shixin asked loudly.
There was still no response.
They looked at each other in dismay. Instead of climbing over the wall, they decided to wait quietly for another few minutes.
They were given a huge fright when the door opened all of a sudden, with no sounds of footsteps prior to it at all.
They turned to look at the elderly man standing by the door.
“Hello, Uncle, my wife and I heard that this is a very popular spot and we’d like to come and take a look. Could you allow us to enter?” Fan Shixin greeted fluently in the native language of V Nation.
The hunchbacked elderly man had a deadpan expression on his face, and his eyes were glassed over. He smiled and said, “Don’t make it so high-sounding. You’re just here for the legendary treasure map, aren’t you? Come in.”
Before they could even respond, he returned inside the house. Fan Shixin and An Xiaoning entered slowly; shortly after, the door closed by itself.
They looked at each other in bewilderment before taking another glance at the automatic door.
They both found it exceptionally bizarre.
An Xiaoning noticed that the elderly man was skilled in walking, such that his footsteps made no noise at all.
The two of them followed him while An Xiaoning asked, “Uncle, are you the butler?”
The elderly man answered, “I’m only here to tend to and upkeep the house. I can provide your meals and lodging, but you’ll have to pay me. It’s up to you to decide how long you’d like to stay here. I’m a blind old man and I can’t see anything. I get to have someone to chat with whenever there’s a visitor.”
“Uncle, why don’t you use a walking stick since you can’t see?”
“It’s not a huge place and I’ve been here for decades. I’ve gotten used to it and I can walk around even without seeing.”
“I heard that there had been lots of people who came by here. Why are you living here alone, Uncle?” Fan Shixin asked.
“It has been years since rumors about the treasure map were sparked. There were too many visitors who had come and gone. It seems this place has become a tourist attraction. I do stand to gain from this, though. I get to earn some money even without having to step out of the house.”
Will you even get to spend the money you’ve earned? Aren’t you afraid that they’d give you counterfeit cash? An Xiaoning thought to herself.
“Uncle, how much will my wife and I have to pay to stay here?” Fan Shixin asked.
“One thousand dollars each per day.”
Prior to their visit, they were not aware that they would be allowed to stay in the house. Now that they knew, they obviously couldn’t leave Xiao Bai alone in the motel.
“No problem. My younger brother is still in the motel alone. Could he move in with us?” An Xiaoning asked.
The elderly man answered, “It’s up to you, so long as you pay the correct amount.”
“Alright then, Hubby, send Xiao Bai a text message and instruct him to come here with our luggage.”
Fan Shixin nodded and informed Xiao Bai.
They immediately paid the elderly man a total of three thousand dollars for the first day of their stay.
While paying, An Xiaoning asked, “Uncle, aren’t you afraid that we would give you counterfeit cash?”
“I have a bill scanner that is audio-enabled. I’m not worried about that at all.”
“…”
“Uncle, is it safe for you to live here alone?”
An Xiaoning noticed that a smile had formed on his face as he answered, “I’m just an old man, who’d think of harming me? There used to be robbers and burglars in the past when there were more visitors. However, there’s only one visitor that comes by every couple of months. I don’t have much money anyway. Who’d want to harm me?”
An Xiaoning was rather apprehensive and did not quite believe his words. She felt iffy about his statement even before her brain could process it.
He’s just a blind old man. How could there be no one who’d try and take over this territory? An Xiaoning thought to herself.
Barbarians were rampant in V Nation and they ought not to stay too long here.
She kept her questions to herself and did not probe further.
The elderly man brought them to the door of a wooden house and said, “I usually live here and the guests who visit usually live upstairs. Come with me, I’ll assign you to a guest room.”
“Alright.”
The wooden stairs creaked with every step they took. They followed the elderly man to the second floor where there were several rooms side by side. Holding the keys in his hand, the elderly man explained, “There used to be lots of visitors, and there weren’t enough rooms. There’s no one here at all now. I initially thought that the treasure map had been found. But it seems like it hasn’t.”
“Does that map really exist?”
“It does. It belongs to the master of this ancient mansion. I know this based on hearsay too.”
“Uncle, are you a relative of the owner of this mansion?” An Xiaoning asked.
“No, their relatives had all died long ago. I only came here to seek refuge and to have a roof over my head. At the same time, I’ll look after the visitors who come here. I don’t have a wife or any children. It’s a blessing from Heaven to be able to live here.”
“There are so many homeless people around this town. Why didn’t they dare to stay here?” asked a puzzled An Xiaoning.
“It only takes one person to look after the mansion. Too many would be redundant.”
“You don’t own this place anyway, why did you say that it’s redundant? Those people probably think the same way as you do. Do they not try to chase you out and encroach on this territory?” An Xiaoning retorted.
The elderly man was at a loss for words after being bombarded with her questions. He said coldly, “You’ve got so many questions, young lady. Just search for whatever you’re after. My affairs are not important.”
He then left as soon as he finished speaking.
Fan Shixin closed the door and scanned the room.
There were a table and a large bed. It was the spacious master’s bedroom of the house.
They sat down together, after which An Xiaoning asked softly, “Do you find this elderly man to be a little strange? The more he answers my questions, the more absurd and confusing his words get.”
“You’re right. I don’t think he’s to be taken lightly. Besides…” Fan Shixin whispered into her ear, “I noticed that he’s been keeping his eyes fixed in front while walking ever since we entered through the door. However, he subconsciously looked down at his feet when we were going up the stairs just now.”