Short, Light, Free Chapter 198

"Grandfather didn't really share much with me," Li Xia told us .

"We have the leader's address so we can work from there . "

"So we'll find him with the pretense of visiting my grandfather's battle mates?" Li Xia asked .

"Yeah, not appropriate for you to do the visitation, eh?" Dahai noted .

"Granny's probably already done that . It should be fine," Li Xia answered .

"How do you know?" I questioned .

"You said that the spirit wanted a tuft of hair or something? My Granny got it, didn't she?" Li Xia rationalized .

"Let's go then," Dahai said .

I cut in . "Wait . Don't we need a plan?"

"My grandfather died at age 84 . How much time do you think the leader has left?" Li Xia said .

"Let's hurry, then," I replied without hesitation this time .

When we arrived at Han Dong's residence, Li Xia immediately knocked on the door .

A middle-aged man greeted us and asked for the purpose of our visit .

"Is Grandfather Han Dong around? I'm Li Bai's grandson . They were once battle mates and even gathered at a reunion a year back," Li Xia informed .

"An old lady came to look for my dad, too . If you'd like to talk to him, you can find him in the nursing home . He's been in there for a long time," he informed us .

"Nursing home?" Li Xia repeated .

The middle-aged man nodded . "He's been suffering from dementia and I can't take proper care of him . "

"But he was fine just last year," Li Xia commented .

"Old age . He was fine last year but he had a fall half a year ago and deteriorated," Han Dong's son explained .

The three of us left Han Dong's house and headed down to the nearest nursing home .

"He's not lying, is he?" Dahai asked .

"Unlikely . Didn't Granny get his hair?"

"Could he have gotten the illness from the curse instead of death," Dahai suggested .

"Possibly," I agreed .

"Or perhaps this watch requires a conscious soul for it to work? Dementia patients aren't completely conscious, are they?" Li Xia proposed .

"Maybe," I hedged .

We reached the simple-looking nursing home, where the walls were covered in vines . It must've been established for a long time . We entered and the security had us register our ID and contact number before letting us in .

We asked about Han Dong and the nurses brought us to him immediately .

We were led to a small garden corner where an old man in a wheelchair was sitting motionlessly .

"That's Han Dong," a nurse introduced .

We approached him slowly, with Li Xia standing in front .

"Hi," Li Xia started but gained no response from the old man .

"Hello?"

"Hello, sir?" Li Xia greeted insistently but to no avail .

"A fool?" he asked .

I walked over and looked at him straight in the eye .

He was really old and his face was covered with wrinkles .

He had on a padded wool sweater . I followed his gaze, discovering only a small tree and nothing else .

Dahai sighed dejectedly . "There goes our lead . Look at him . " 

"This is probably why his son sent him here in the first place . He wanted the house for himself since his old man is none the wiser . "

"True . Probably how your granny had managed to get a lock of his hair, too," Dahai said, reaching out for the old man's hair but evoking no response .

Li Xia shook his head . "Definitely a fool . " 

"Your granny could've easily smashed him with a brick . Should I do it now to avenge your grandparents?" Dahai joked .

"Stop playing around," Li Xia admonished with a roll of his eyes .

I pointed at the necklace the old man was wearing . "Don't you guys find this odd?"

"What are you pointing at?" Dahai asked .

"Why is a man that's over 80 years old wears a jade necklace?" I said .

"Old people do whatever they like . Let me take this down . This will fetch a good price at the market . " Dahai extended his hand toward the old man's neck .

"That's not too kind, is it?" Li Xia commented .

"He won't even know . Plus, I'm just looking . My mouth is dirty but not my character . "

The next thing we knew, the old man had Dahai's hand in a death grip .

"F*ck! Let go, Dahai!" I shouted automatically .

"He's so strong," Dahai exclaimed .

After a round of tugging, it looked as though Dahai's hand was going to be ripped off .

I pulled Dahai back, thinking that the old man's strength was impossibly extraordinary .

"Help," I called out for Li Xia, who immediately joined in the tug of war .

"3, 2, 1, pull!" Dahai shouted from the front .

With a final tug, the three of us fell to the ground while the old man remained unfazed .

Thankfully, no one was around to witness the event .

A fish-shaped jade pendant that was vibrantly green suddenly appeared on the old man's neck .

"This guy is unbelievably strong," Dahai panted .

"Strong? You gotta be kidding, he's a monster," Li Xia cried out .

"Dahai!" I shouted .

"What is it?

"Can you identify the purity of the jade?"

"That's gonna be hard, but it looks valuable," he answered .

"That jade has an evil aura . Could it have been snatched from the Japanese, too?"

"Like the watch?"

I took out the watch and compared it with the jade .

Upon seeing the watch in my hand, the old man opened his mouth wide .

"Why… why's it in… in your hands?" he stammered .

The three of us exchanged shocked glances .

"It's mine," I answered .

"Yours? It's the nation's," the old man replied .

He spoke perfectly fine this time, much to our amazement .

"The nation's?" I repeated .

"Who is Li Bai to you?" he asked me before Li Xia interrupted," I'm his grandson . "

"He scraped it open and told you about Lop Nor?" he asked before getting up from his wheelchair .

Grandfather didn 39 t really share much with me, Li Xia told us . We have the leader 39 s address so we can work from there . So we 39 ll find him with the pretense of visiting my grandfather 39 s battle mates Li Xia asked . Yeah, not appropriate for you to do the visitation, eh Dahai noted . Granny 39 s probably already done that . It should be fine, Li Xia answered . How do you know I questioned . You said that the spirit wanted a tuft of hair or something My Granny got it, didn 39 t she Li Xia rationalized . Let 39 s go then, Dahai said . I cut in . Wait . Don 39 t we need a plan My grandfather died at age 84 . How much time do you think the leader has left Li Xia said . Let 39 s hurry, then, I replied without hesitation this time . When we arrived at Han Dong 39 s residence, Li Xia immediately knocked on the door . A middle aged man greeted us and asked for the purpose of our visit . Is Grandfather Han Dong around I 39 m Li Bai 39 s grandson . They were once battle mates and even gathered at a reunion a year back, Li Xia informed . An old lady came to look for my dad, too . If you 39 d like to talk to him, you can find him in the nursing home . He 39 s been in there for a long time, he informed us . Nursing home Li Xia repeated . The middle aged man nodded . He 39 s been suffering from dementia and I can 39 t take proper care of him . But he was fine just last year, Li Xia commented . Old age . He was fine last year but he had a fall half a year ago and deteriorated, Han Dong 39 s son explained . The three of us left Han Dong 39 s house and headed down to the nearest nursing home . He 39 s not lying, is he Dahai asked . Unlikely . Didn 39 t Granny get his hair Could he have gotten the illness from the curse instead of death, Dahai suggested . Possibly, I agreed . Or perhaps this watch requires a conscious soul for it to work Dementia patients aren 39 t completely conscious, are they Li Xia proposed . Maybe, I hedged . We reached the simple looking nursing home, where the walls were covered in vines . It must 39 ve been established for a long time . We entered and the security had us register our ID and contact number before letting us in . We asked about Han Dong and the nurses brought us to him immediately . We were led to a small garden corner where an old man in a wheelchair was sitting motionlessly . That 39 s Han Dong, a nurse introduced . We approached him slowly, with Li Xia standing in front . Hi, Li Xia started but gained no response from the old man . Hello Hello, sir Li Xia greeted insistently but to no avail . A fool he asked . I walked over and looked at him straight in the eye . He was really old and his face was covered with wrinkles . He had on a padded wool sweater . I followed his gaze, discovering only a small tree and nothing else . Dahai sighed dejectedly . There goes our lead . Look at him . This is probably why his son sent him here in the first place . He wanted the house for himself since his old man is none the wiser . True . Probably how your granny had managed to get a lock of his hair, too, Dahai said, reaching out for the old man 39 s hair but evoking no response . Li Xia shook his head . Definitely a fool . Your granny could 39 ve easily smashed him with a brick . Should I do it now to avenge your grandparents Dahai joked . Stop playing around, Li Xia admonished with a roll of his eyes . I pointed at the necklace the old man was wearing . Don 39 t you guys find this odd What are you pointing at Dahai asked . Why is a man that 39 s over 80 years old wears a jade necklace I said . Old people do whatever they like . Let me take this down . This will fetch a good price at the market . Dahai extended his hand toward the old man 39 s neck . That 39 s not too kind, is it Li Xia commented . He won 39 t even know . Plus, I 39 m just looking . My mouth is dirty but not my character . The next thing we knew, the old man had Dahai 39 s hand in a death grip . F ck Let go, Dahai I shouted automatically . He 39 s so strong, Dahai exclaimed . After a round of tugging, it looked as though Dahai 39 s hand was going to be ripped off . I pulled Dahai back, thinking that the old man 39 s strength was impossibly extraordinary . Help, I called out for Li Xia, who immediately joined in the tug of war . 3, 2, 1, pull Dahai shouted from the front . With a final tug, the three of us fell to the ground while the old man remained unfazed . Thankfully, no one was around to witness the event . A fish shaped jade pendant that was vibrantly green suddenly appeared on the old man 39 s neck . This guy is unbelievably strong, Dahai panted . Strong You gotta be kidding, he 39 s a monster, Li Xia cried out . Dahai I shouted . What is it Can you identify the purity of the jade That 39 s gonna be hard, but it looks valuable, he answered . That jade has an evil aura . Could it have been snatched from the Japanese, too Like the watch I took out the watch and compared it with the jade . Upon seeing the watch in my hand, the old man opened his mouth wide . Why why 39 s it in in your hands he stammered . The three of us exchanged shocked glances . It 39 s mine, I answered . Yours It 39 s the nation 39 s, the old man replied . He spoke perfectly fine this time, much to our amazement . The nation 39 s I repeated . Who is Li Bai to you he asked me before Li Xia interrupted, I 39 m his grandson . He scraped it open and told you about Lop Nor he asked before getting up from his wheelchair .

Chapter end