Prologue
Wushan Residence, Hangzhou
A few days before setting out for Changbai Mountain to bring Little Brother back, Wu Xie found a yellowed group photo tucked into a hidden compartment in his grandfather's bookcase.
The photo looked quite old, with some damage along the edges, but thankfully the image itself was unharmed.
Wu Xie immediately recognized the familiar yet far younger face in the center of the photo. It was his grandfather.
And the man in a military uniform, seated in the place of honor, was Zhang Dafoye?
The Hong family, the Qi family, the Xie family, the Huo family... Was this a group photo of the Old Nine Gates?
Perhaps because this was his first time seeing Zhang Dafoye and his grandfather as young men, Wu Xie felt a little excited.
Zhang Qishan's features did indeed bear some resemblance to those of the Zhang family. Between the brows, he had a soldier's hard-edged bearing that was absent from Poker-Face.
At the thought of this, Third Master Wu pictured Poker-Face's expressionless face and nearly burst out laughing.
His phone suddenly rang.
"I'm at the tavern next to your shop. Come meet me."
Seeing Xie Yuchen's trademark businesslike smile, Wu Xie swirled the wine in his glass and said, "Xiaohua, you never show up without a reason. So, what is it?"
Xie Yuchen drained his glass and said leisurely,
"Second Master left this for you. Since you've made it this far, I have to deliver it to you as he instructed."
Xie Yuchen handed him an old photograph. There were only three people in it. Zhang Qishan and Er Yuehong sat side by side, while the adjutant behind them looked remarkably like Poker-Face.
Looking closely at the face, Wu Xie could tell the man was a little younger than Poker-Face, but his expression was completely different.
His eyes were as clear as a spring, his smile as warm as sunshine, and there was even a hint of shyness about him.
7
"Who is he?"
Wu Xie pointed at the person in the photo, his eyes full of confusion. Xie Yuchen continued eating at his leisure. This man had undergone Second Master's rigorous training from childhood, and Wu Xie could not read anything from his expression.
"I've handed it over to you, so I've fulfilled my duty to Second Master. Rather than asking me about everything else, you should look for the answers yourself."
After seeing Xie Yuchen off, Wu Xie took the photo back to the shop, lay down in the rocking chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
When the Nine Gates took that group photo, his grandfather had still been young, just like Wu Xie was now. By this point, nearly all the old-timers of the Nine Gates had passed away...
Who was the man standing behind Dafoye?
Perhaps even Little Brother himself couldn't answer that.
Theme:
Hero, a once-in-a-lifetime talent
I haven't read it yet, but looking at the table of contents, I feel that the author is quite diligent. I would like to ask who the cp is...? Or no cp?