As the Fengmen Zombie spoke, he raised his head and glanced at the ancestral home's main gate behind Zhang Wei, a sense of indescribable familiarity washing over him.
"Ancestral home..."
He reached out and gently caressed the gate, feeling the coolness of the wood, tracing the cracks. The familiarity deepened, his mind pricking slightly, vague images flickering into existence.
Even without his memories fully restored.
The Fengmen Zombie was certain that the ancestral home before him was indeed the ancestral home of his ancestors. Even if the location had been moved, the ancestral home itself had not changed.
"Great-Grandpa, let's not just stand here. I'll take you inside to have a look."
Zhang Wei, noticing the change in the Fengmen Zombie, opened the ancestral home's gate and led him towards the main hall.
Upon entering.
When he saw the interior decoration, and the content of the well-digging depicted in the stone murals on the wall.
"It's the mural, the mural my father showed me! Haha, it's really still here. My memory wasn't an illusion. The ancestral home, I've truly returned."
The Fengmen Zombie was inexpressibly excited, like a wanderer returning home after years away. If he were human and not a zombie, he would have been moved to tears of joy.
He examined the murals from top to bottom.
As he finished viewing the mural's content, the memories of his parents showing him the mural became clearer, gradually piecing themselves together, like a shattered mirror whose fragments were rejoining. When he saw another stone mural...
Boom!
It was as if a bomb had detonated in his mind. The Fengmen Zombie cried out in pain, clutching his head.
However.
Even as the pain threatened to make him faint, the Fengmen Zombie still gestured for Zhang Wei not to worry about him. He leaned against the wall, covering his head. If this weren't his ancestral home, and if he didn't want to damage a single brick or tile, he would have smashed his head against the ground.
All because.
Fragmented memories, like shards of glass, surged forth like an unleashed flood. His memories were returning.
After a long while, the Fengmen Zombie's headache subsided. He slumped against the wall, motionless. Coupled with his zombie complexion, anyone unfamiliar might have mistaken the scene for a murder, with a corpse lying there.
"Great-Grandpa, did you remember something?"
From his phone conversation with the Fengmen Zombie yesterday, Zhang Wei knew that the zombie's headaches were a symptom of memory recovery.
"I remembered some things."
Zhang Wei helped the Fengmen Zombie up. The zombie's gaze, however, was fixed on the stone mural carved with his likeness. He scanned each person depicted, his zombie eyes filled with nostalgia.
As his gaze swept over his own carving, it fell upon the figures of unfamiliar statues.
The Fengmen Zombie murmured:
"Are these the descendants of our family after my death? Zhuo Jun... so you've also become our family's pride. I knew you could do it."
He said this, looking at a statue, a figure carved next to his own.
Then.
The Fengmen Zombie pointed at the carving identified as 'Zhang Zhuo Jun,' happily and excitedly explaining to Zhang Wei:
"Zhang Wei, I don't know how much information our family has lost. Do you recognize this person? If not, let me tell you, this is Zhang Zhuo Jun, my nephew. He is also your direct ancestor. You are his descendant."
"Zhuo Jun, you've had a good descendant. I'm proud of you. And... I'm sorry. I promised you I'd watch you grow up and see you achieve your dream of becoming the family head. I broke my promise and left first."
"But you succeeded, you became the family head, and you made many contributions to our family."
"Zhang Wei, the order of the figures on this stone mural represents generations of succession. Only those who become family head or make significant contributions to the family are carved here. The size of the carving also signifies their honor. Zhuo Jun's entire figure is carved larger, indicating his great contributions to the family."
The Fengmen Zombie gently stroked Zhuo Jun's carving, as if yearning to return to the past and pat the head of the little shadow, Zhuo Jun, who used to follow him everywhere.
Following this.
The Fengmen Zombie told Zhang Wei many family matters, part of his recovered memories, including some family anecdotes and rules.
At the same time.
The Fengmen Zombie confirmed with certainty, stating:
"Zhang Wei, I can now confirm that our family created the Dragon Locking Well. As for why they created it, it was to place something in the well, hidden from the world.
"And our family's mission is to guard the Dragon Locking Well, to prevent the world from obtaining this thing."
"My father told me this after I came of age. It is our family's mission. My death was also because of the Dragon Locking Well."
Zhang Wei's spirit immediately soared, his eyes gleaming. Without a word, he said:
"Great-Grandpa, what is the thing in the Dragon Locking Well? Why is our family tasked with guarding it and keeping it secret? Why would the Senluo Division plan for centuries to obtain it, and why are others suspected to be coveting it as well?"
Although he had some certainty that the Dragon Locking Well was related to his family, Zhang Wei was still shocked to have it confirmed by the Fengmen Zombie.
"Yes, the thing in the Dragon Locking Well is very powerful. Although my father didn't tell me what it was, perhaps no one knows except the ancestors who built the Dragon Locking Well. But..."
The Fengmen Zombie nodded noncommittally, paused, and said gravely:
"But after the Dragon Locking Well was created, up to my era, there were legends that the thing in the Dragon Locking Well could fulfill any wish. Therefore, many people coveted the thing in the Dragon Locking Well. In my time, there was no Senluo Division.
"But there were still many factions that wanted to possess it. I fought many battles against those factions."
Zhang Wei nodded in response:
"It seems it wasn't just during the Tianqi era, but also in your time, Great-Grandpa. Yesterday, I discovered a major explosion occurred during the Tianqi era, caused by the Dragon Locking Well."
Now that he had confirmed the Fengmen Zombie was his ancestor, Zhang Wei did not hide anything. Knowing the Fengmen Zombie would not harm his descendant, he took out the ancient book:
"Great-Grandpa, this is the only ancient book left in the family. Take a look. My father told me that our ancestor Zhang Zhan was proficient in all the arts from a young age, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Great-Grandpa, see if you can understand the ancient script within."
"An ancient book? Let me see."
The Fengmen Zombie's eyes lit up at the mention of the book. The moment he took it, a sense of familiarity washed over his mind, and memories resurfaced:
"This book is the family head's notes! I remember these notes. My father used to write them in his study. I secretly saw my father writing in this notebook. It's a notebook passed down from generation to generation by the family heads, recording important matters about the family and the Dragon Locking Well written by each family head."
With these words.
The Fengmen Zombie quickly flipped through the book. When he reached a certain page, he looked at a symbol that looked like a doodle but also like ancient script, and laughed:
"That's it, that's it! Zhang Wei, look at this symbol. This is a symbol I drew when I was mischievous, taking advantage of my father making tea for me in his study."
As if holding a treasure.
The Fengmen Zombie didn't care if the ground was dirty. He sat on the ground, holding the book, and began to read the notes, wanting to know what had happened to his family after his death, hoping to find family secrets and recover his memories.
During this time.
The Fengmen Zombie did not forget to translate the contents of the notes for Zhang Wei, patting his chest and saying:
"I can understand ancient script. I was a scholar in my time. While I wasn't a master in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, I had a basic understanding of them all, especially a fondness for ancient script and calligraphy. Come, let me translate some of it for you."