Chapter Thirty-Six: Sudden Change

  Old Liu also looked at Liu Ya Qian and said word by word: "Yes, don't you want to?"

  Liu Ya Qian: "Why!"

  Unexpectedly, Old Liu head actually understood and replied: "The reason is very simple. You are a genius in this area. You have the talent for it, and only one like you appears every 500 years."

  Liu Ya Qian: "In five hundred years, someone like me who likes to pry into others' private affairs and can't stop talking has finally appeared?"

  At this time, Liu Ya Qian turned sorrow into joy, and her mood was difficult to change suddenly. However, in terms of tone, she had completely let go. Liu Ya Qian's intuition told herself that she was safe, completely safe. In fact, without thinking too much, it is clear that if the old man wanted to take action, he would have taken care of her long ago. Now he can still chat with her?

  Old Liu seemed somewhat impatient: "Are you going to learn it or not?"

  "Study! Why don't you study? Only a fool wouldn't study!"

  Such a dialogue also shows that Liu Ya Qian still has an innocent heart, and Liu Ya Qian is also quite pure in spirit.

  Especially after experiencing the "Jiang Hao incident", Liu Ya Qian's nature has not changed, her temperament has not changed, it can be said that she is quite firm and principled.

  "Do you really want to learn?"

  "Hmm! That's right, I was just talking about cultivating the mind. So what do cultivation, virtue and mindfulness mean?" Liu Ya Qian asked with great interest.

  Old Liu: "Actually, it's very simple. Cultivation is just practice; cultivating virtue means doing good deeds and being kind to others. If you learn something but then do evil, that would be... inviting heavenly punishment."

  Liu Ya Qian: "I won't do anything bad."

  Old Liu: "Finally, cultivation is the most difficult. The key point is that people without talent can't learn no matter how hard they try. You are a talented person. Because your bloodline is correct!"

  Liu Ya Qian: "What a discerning eye! I'm of noble birth."

  After finishing speaking, both of them burst out laughing.

  Liu Ya Qian also knew that these reasons were all nonsense spouted by Old Liu, but she didn't care about that. This old man was willing to teach, and she was unwilling to learn? What a great opportunity, one that comes along only once in 500 years!

  "Master, can I now become your apprentice and learn from you?" Liu Ya Qian had already assumed the posture of bowing her head.

  "We don't need to be master and apprentice, just agree to one condition from me." Old Liu said.

  Liu Ya Qian: "Just say it and listen."

  Old Liu: "A hundred years later, you'll wear mourning clothes and hold a funeral for me. On holidays, you'll go to my grave to pay your respects and mourn me. Treat me as if I were your father."

  One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father, this is an old saying. Liu Ya Qian didn't even think about it and immediately agreed.

  Below, Old Liu suddenly became dazed and his eyes became distant. He opened his mouth and said: "More than 300 years ago, the ancient city of Guizhou on the banks of the Huai River, which was once prosperous and bustling with 'water and land', suffered a devastating disaster overnight. A great flood caused this noisy and prosperous city to sink into the bottom of the Huai River on the west bank of Hongze Lake, and it never reappeared again."

  Is this going to be a story? Liu Ya Qian was puzzled.

  Old Liu continued: "All along, later generations have never stopped searching for the footprints of this 'Oriental underwater Pompeii'. In the second half of 2012, the excavation of the ancient city made a crucial breakthrough."

  Wow! This old man is quite something! Liu Ya Qian couldn't help but look at him in a whole new light.

  Old Liu took out a dry smoke and lit it: "Compared to the ancient city of Pompeii, which was swallowed up by volcanic lava in an instant, the ancient city of Guzhou was submerged in water and buried in mud and sand, avoiding weathering and human destruction. Its integrity may far surpass that of Pompeii, making it the only disaster-stricken ancient city site in the country."

  Suizhou City was once a lucky city blessed by God - this is what Liu Ya Qian's father had said.

  Liu Ya Qian's father was an archaeologist, twenty years ago, he left home inexplicably and never returned, at that time Liu Ya Qian was only two years old. Although she was only two years old, many of her father's words and actions still remain vivid in her memory.

  At this moment, inexplicably, Liu Ya Qian suddenly became fully attentive and listened with utmost seriousness.

  Spitting out a mouthful of thick smoke, Old Liu continued: "In the first year of Sui Da Ye, Emperor Yang of Sui built the Grand Canal, which happened to pass through Xuzhou City, which was newly built 25 years ago. After the Grand Canal was opened, Xuzhou became the center of Huanghuai water transportation and inland river transportation hub, and thus prospered."

  Liu Ya Qian was enchanted by what she heard.

  "In 1385, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, built a grand 'Ming Sanzu Mausoleum' here. As a result, the ancient city of Guizhou not only became a thriving commercial and transportation hub but also one of the political and cultural centers of the Ming Dynasty."

  Liu Ya Qian suddenly interjected: "In fact, due to the low terrain, the ancient city has been plagued by water woes since its construction."

  Old Liu suddenly stared, looking at Liu Ya Qian, his eyes fixed on her...Liu Ya Qian smiled: "I once heard my father say that. But I was only two years old then, it seemed like a dream...How about this, I could remember things when I was two years old, isn't that impressive?"

  Tears had already welled up in Liu Ya Qian's eyes.

  Old Liu hastily shifted his gaze elsewhere and continued: "In the first year of the Jingkang era, the Jin army invaded the south. Du Chong, the defender of the Eastern Capital, breached the Yellow River's great dike in Henan. Unexpectedly, the waters of the Yellow River did not flow north to block the Jin army's advance but instead turned south and seized the Huai River waterway, entering the Yellow Sea from Jiangsu."

  Liu Ya Qian continued: "In the years that followed, the Yellow River burst its banks hundreds of times, and the sand and silt it carried constantly flowed into the Grand Canal, which is connected to Hongze Lake, causing the riverbed to rise and bringing constant flooding to Xuzhou City."

  "After finishing speaking, Liu Ya Qian hehe said: 'My father is an archaeologist.'"

  Old Liu continued: "In October 1680, heavy rains caused the Huai and Yellow rivers to overflow, with a momentum that seemed to shake the sky. After more than 70 days of continuous rain, a devastating flood finally occurred. In the more than 300 years since then, the mud and sand brought by the Yellow River have buried the city of Xuzhou, leaving no trace."

  Liu Ya Qian: "However, Gu Shizhou City has never been forgotten."

  Old Liu: "Right, in 2011, when the archaeological team first arrived at the site, nothing was visible, everything was buried underground. However, by February 2012, archaeologists had excavated 2,000 square meters in the southwest corner of ancient Sicheng City: two house sites, three roads, as well as tiles, eaves, and ridge beasts on the roof."

  Liu Ya Qian knew, the key point was coming.

  Old Liu: "The more important discovery is the 'Ancient Suzhou City Landmark' Lingrui Pagoda and Puzhao Temple. With the discovery of these two Tang Dynasty ancient temples, the location of Ancient Suzhou City was also confirmed without a doubt. And then it attracted the visit of tomb raiders."

  Liu Ya Qian worried: "What happened later?"

  Old Liu: "Years ago, someone... just like your father, was an archaeologist. He also joined the ranks of tomb raiders and stole a book on Gu sorcery from the Lingrui Pagoda. At that time, all the tomb raiders looked down on it, but this archaeologist knew that the book was the real treasure!"

  Liu Ya Qian: "Is that book of Gu technique the 'Arbitrary Heart Method' you were talking about?"

  Old Liu: "Yes. That archaeologist, no, he's actually a tomb raider, after getting that book of Gu sorcery, found an underground empty grave, devoted himself to practicing... In the end, became almost invincible half-human half-god."

  "Is that person you?" Liu Ya Qian's sharp intuition said.

  "...However, the price paid was enormous! If he could choose again... He..."

  Liu Ya Qian's tears fell down.

  "He won't abandon his daughter! Absolutely not!" Old Liu finally bellowed out.

  Liu Ya Qian suddenly understood everything. This old Liu, he...

  Old Liu took out the book of Gu sorcery, "Intent Heart Method", from his bosom and said: "I've written notes on it, you can study it, and wait for the results with bated breath. Don't let your mother suffer anymore."

  Liu Ya Qian did not dare get close to Old Liu.

  Is this really the face and body of a father who is less than fifty years old? No! Liu Ya Qian's heart screamed.

  But after many years of solitary study in an underground tomb, how could this not happen? This young and handsome young man, for the sake of studying this book, has made himself like this, and even abandoned his wife. What a loss! He can weigh it up for himself.

  "Why didn't you go back to your wife and children?" Liu Ya Qian sobbed.

  "I'm a wanted man." Old Liu said frankly: "I'm a tomb raider."

  After finishing speaking, Old Liu suddenly fell to the ground, but soon he leaned against the door, propped himself up, and his mouth twitched slightly.

  "This time I can die with my eyes closed, you promised to go worship me." Old Liu surprisingly still managed to smile.

  "I also have times when I don't keep my promises!" Liu Ya Qian said resentfully.

  "I knew you would. My... good disciple." Old Liu's mouth corner flowed with blood.

  "You!" Liu Ya Qian's first reaction was concern.

  "My time has come, this is retribution. There's too much evil in the empty grave underground, but...this is what I've accumulated over the years, take it and do what you want with your mother. Here's also a letter, written to...your mother!" Old Liu said with difficulty, not because he didn't have the energy, but because it was hard for him to speak.

  Old Liu handed a letter to Liu Ya Qian.

  Liu Ya Qian kept shaking her head and retreated backwards, without taking the envelope.

  Suddenly, Liu Ya Qian asked, "You've been secretly monitoring us all along!"

  Liu Ya Qian knew why Old Liu chose that school, it was secluded and not easily exposed, but he could often go to the city to visit his mother and daughter, the key is, what Old Liu said before has been verified now.

  What's meant to be will be. If you don't find it, it will find you. Can't escape and all that. Looks like the only fool is yourself!

  Liu Ya Qian shouted: "I'm a fool, I'm an idiot, I don't have a father, I only have a mother, I don't know anything, I don't want to listen, I don't want..."

  "Qianqian!" Old Liu shouted, trying to calm down the already frantic Liu Ya Qian, and immediately, a mouthful of blood spurted out.

  But Liu Ya Qian could no longer see anything, her brain was unable to withstand all of this in such a short period of time. It's unbearable!

  Liu Ya Qian rushed out of the door, Old Liu's head slumped weakly upwards, he had taken the medicine...

  Liu Ya Qian ran out, but still heard the voice of Old Liu shouting behind her: "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry......"

  Sorry, three sentences, how could Liu Ya Qian forgive him? This perfect father in the dream ended up becoming a fugitive and a tomb raider after abandoning his wife and child.

  All these are beyond Liu Ya Qian's imagination. Everything is a huge suddenness, an unbearable tragic blow to human beings.

  From start to finish, neither of them acknowledged each other verbally.

  Liu Ya Qian ran all the way, tears still falling in mid-air. Under the night sky, Liu Ya Qian took a deep breath and ran out of the haunted village to the riverbank. At this moment, she had the urge to jump into the river.

  I'd like to ask, who can suddenly accept such a drastic change? You can search for "Biao Huan Teacher: The Most Beautiful Private School Queen" on Baidu.