Next, Dane recounted to Zhang Xiaoman the events that had occurred in his family’s past, finally giving him a rough understanding of the seemingly recommended younger brother’s background.
Originally, when Dane was young, his mother had died in a house fire. After an investigation by the police, the conclusion was that it was a case of self-immolation, and no other culprit was involved.
Of course, Dane and his father were unwilling to believe this. They were convinced that someone had committed the murder, because his mother (the wife) was known for her sunny and optimistic personality, a happy life, and had no reason whatsoever to commit suicide.
Therefore, Old Wencheen embarked on a mission to find the real murderer, a quest that lasted for twenty years.
However, over those twenty years, Old Wencheen never managed to identify the murderer, and the direction of the investigation seemed to become more and more bizarre...
His target had shockingly shifted from a regular killer to a supernatural, eerie monster!
Dane had also been influenced by his father, starting to suspect that these real culprits were the demons people talked about in legends.
On the other hand, Sam, who had never seen his mother since he was little, didn’t seem to have much of an opinion on this and had always opposed the two’s unrealistic thoughts.
Finally, a month ago, Old Wencheen seemed to have found some important leads, and the target was right within this estate.
Tragically, a fire swept through the grain storehouse, killing him and once again severing all leads. Now, Dane could only rely on the diary left by his father to track the investigation’s findings.
And the abandoned building they were currently in was precisely that burned-down grain storehouse.
"So that’s what happened..."
Zhang Xiaoman nodded thoughtfully, his gaze inadvertently turning in the direction of the grain storehouse. In his perception, there seemed to be something different beneath the ground there.
"You’re saying your father was burned to death here?"
Dane was startled before quickly nodding, "Yes, when we found him, he was already gone forever..."
"Then, I think I understand. Your father might have indeed discovered something..."
Zhang Xiaoman now had a rough understanding of the matters of the Wencheen family.
He wasn’t in a position to comment on the incident involving their mother twenty years ago, but the death of Old Wencheen a month ago might indeed have been suspicious.
To the side, Sam looked at them with a puzzled expression, their conversation making him feel very conflicted.
On one hand, there was Dane, who was again elaborating on his theories of the supernatural and transcendent; and on the other hand, there was the long-robed man in front of him, exuding an air of mystery.
Reason told him that the man must be a charlatan, but in reality, he couldn’t find any reason to refute what was being said.
The peculiar attributes on display were something Sam felt he couldn’t explain away as mere trickery.
Lin Sisi stood quietly beside Zhang Xiaoman throughout, remaining silent and, in her pristine Daring Clothes, she looked very much like a taciturn Guardian.
Hearing him say his father might have really discovered something, Dane’s previously downcast face unconsciously lifted, his eyes involuntarily widened as he stared at him, his lips quivering as if trying to express the surprise in his heart.
Zhang Xiaoman didn’t wait for him to speak, but said first:
"I can see that there is a foreboding aura there. Perhaps, it is the truth behind your father’s death..."
As he spoke, he extended his finger, pointing to a spot beneath the grain storehouse.
The others all looked in that direction, Lin Sisi could see what was below, but the Wencheen brothers seemed a bit confused.
"Sir, are you saying... there’s something unusual underneath the grain storehouse?" Dane suddenly caught on.
"Could it be a cellar?" Sam also interjected.
"Let’s go take a look," Zhang Xiaoman said.
The two brothers hurriedly stepped forward to lead the way, although Sam had always been reluctant to believe the strange theories of his family, now it seemed there was truly hope in finding the murderer of their parents, which filled him with anticipation.
The Wencheen family’s granary was huge, and even though it had been burned down, the remaining space was still enough for the group to pass through and enter the cellar.
When they arrived in the cellar, its electrical system had already been damaged, but to Zhang Xiaoman’s surprise, the walls were still adorned with numerous torches for illumination.
Dane took out his cell phone, turned on the flashlight for light, and then seeing where Zhang Xiaoman’s gaze fell, he couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly and said,
"These torches are inherited artifacts, always kept here as decoration. I’m not sure if they can still be used... oh right, I’ve recently quit smoking, so I don’t have a lighter on me, but if you have one..."
He stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, the sight before him causing his following words to lodge in his throat.
With a flip of his hand, Zhang Xiaoman produced a bright red Little Flame, then with a flick of his finger, the Little Flame shot towards the wall torch as if guided, and hit it directly.
A sound of intense fire burning arose, and the cellar was instantly brightened.
Zhang Xiaoman had used the Flames Formula he had just learned today to light the torches. Like his Burst Spirit Skill, under the guidance of his Dark Energy Talent, he could easily hit the targeted object.
Seeing this, Dane and Sam could not help but gape in astonishment at such a feat.
Especially Dane, the older brother, although he had prepared himself mentally, the actual sight of it shook him to the core.
But Zhang Xiaoman ignored their reactions, his hands moved swiftly, shooting more Flames from his hands, lighting up the surrounding torches one by one.
"Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~"
With several sounds of blazing fires in succession, the cellar was fully illuminated.
The Wencheen brothers now looked at him with increased reverence; at this moment, they both held a strong expectation for uncovering the real culprit behind the family’s mystery.
Even Sam, who had always opposed such theories, began to change his stance subconsciously, slowly accepting the statements of his father and brother.
The cellar was sizeable, originally intended for storing food, but after the fire a month ago, it had been completely abandoned.
After walking some distance inside, Dane looked around and felt that there seemed to be nothing unusual, and couldn’t help but ask in confusion,
"Sir, may I ask where the clues you mentioned are? Did my father find something here?"
Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and said, "Don’t rush, the truth isn’t here, it’s down below."
"But, our cellar only has one level..."
Zhang Xiaoman gave a faint smile and then, using a Skill stored in his Magic Memory, he applied Constitution Enhancement to himself before moving towards a collapsed area in the cellar.
The others quickly followed.
Sam gently nudged Dane and asked in a low voice, "What is going on? Why does he say the truth is still down below? And what about father’s diary? Did you find any clues up there?"
At that, Dane took out a small notebook that he always carried in his pocket, which was the diary left by Old Wencheen.
"Let me have a look..."