The Fengmen Zombie nodded,
"Yes, the Senluo Division, they are about to open the Dragon Locking Well."
He looked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping, then spoke in a hushed tone, relaying everything that Senluo had told him the previous night, and how the Senluo Division was one step away from completing the final stage of the Dragon Locking Well plan.
Zhang Wei lightly rested his chin on his hand, listening to the Fengmen Zombie, his eyes darting about as if in deep thought.
After a moment.
Zhang Wei spoke,
"So it was the Senluo Division that injured the Huang family patriarch? It seems action is necessary. By the way, great-grandfather, is opening the Dragon Locking Well very dangerous? You mentioned Senluo left you guys some time?"
"Very dangerous."
The Fengmen Zombie's tone was resolute. He had now recovered his memories and remembered everything from his past, including the opening of the Dragon Locking Well.
"In my era, our Zhang family was nearly wiped out, but we prevented the Dragon Locking Well from being opened. However, I recall records in the Zhang family history stating that someone almost succeeded in opening it, and that incident caused a major event."
"Zhang Wei, what you just told me about the great explosion during the Tianqi era was likely a consequence of the Dragon Locking Well's opening. The Dragon Locking Well was created by our Zhang family to hide the secrets within it, and it possesses numerous terrifying defensive measures."
"Even if the Dragon Locking Well is opened, it doesn't mean the secret can be obtained. One still needs to delve deep into the well. The explosion was likely triggered by the defensive mechanisms inside."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Wei said,
"Our ancestors were quite ruthless. They intended to blow up any invaders. But great-grandfather, with such immense power, aren't you afraid of destroying the secret within the Dragon Locking Well? Was the intention to destroy it rather than let it fall into the wrong hands? Or..."
Zhang Wei recalled information about the Dragon Locking Wells.
There wasn't just one Dragon Locking Well across the country; they existed in various locations, each shrouded in legends.
However.
Despite numerous Dragon Locking Wells, there was only one secret.
"Great-grandfather, does only one Dragon Locking Well hold the secret, with the others serving as decoys? I remember some ancient people, fearing revenge from enemies after their death, would deliberately build several false graves to mislead people. Or perhaps the secret within the Dragon Locking Well was dismantled and distributed among each well?"
Zhang Wei and the Fengmen Zombie walked towards the backyard, and during their stroll, the Fengmen Zombie replied,
"Whether the secret of the Dragon Locking Well was dismantled or hidden in one of them, no one knows. Our Zhang family doesn't know either. However, based on my search back then and what Senluo has revealed to me in this era, I feel the secret is in one of the wells, and..."
The Fengmen Zombie paused and looked at Zhang Wei:
"And it's in the very Dragon Locking Well I was thrown into. That's why Senluo wanted the tailor to bring me out."
"It's just."
"There's one thing I haven't figured out."
Before the Fengmen Zombie could voice his question, Zhang Wei seemed to sense his thoughts and spoke first,
"You can't figure out why Senluo wanted the tailor to bring you out. Senluo seems to know about you, great-grandfather, but you are from over a thousand years ago. Logically, almost all information about the Dragon Locking Well in this era would have disappeared. How would Senluo know about you?"
"You are correct."
After the Fengmen Zombie's reply, they had arrived at the backyard.
Surveying the backyard scenery, a look of emotion appeared on the Fengmen Zombie's face. He reached out, unconcerned about the dirt, and squeezed some soil from a flower bed.
"When I was little, I often played with dirt in this flower bed. I even brought Zhuo Jun here to pee, calling it the best fertilizer, hahaha."
Returning to the ancestral home and recalling past memories, the Fengmen Zombie became talkative, sharing many amusing anecdotes with Zhang Wei.
The conversation continued until they reached a pond in the backyard. Zhang Wei's question finally stopped the Fengmen Zombie's recounting.
Zhang Wei's gaze fixed on the pond,
"Great-grandfather, did this pond exist in your time? I heard this pond is a well?"
"Yes, my ancestral home had a pond back then. It's said to have been constructed using our family's well-digging craftsmanship. This was a way to ensure the inheritance wouldn't be lost. Even if the books on well-digging techniques were lost, one could still learn them by observing the pond."
"So that's how it is. Does that mean the pond contains the well-digging techniques our Zhang family poured into it?"
"Yes, you could say that. Zhang Wei, do you want to learn well-digging? Well-digging probably isn't needed in this era, is it? They use drilling machines directly."
Zhang Wei smiled, not answering the Fengmen Zombie's question directly, but instead asking another,
"Are all of our Zhang family's well-digging techniques and craftsmanship presented in this pond?"
"Hmm?"
The Fengmen Zombie looked at him, faintly understanding Zhang Wei's meaning,
"That's what my father told me. Zhang Wei, you don't think of finding the method for creating the Dragon Locking Well from the pond, do you?"
"Heh heh, yes. I was just thinking, if the pond embodies our Zhang family's highest craftsmanship, could it also contain the method for creating the Dragon Locking Well?"
The Fengmen Zombie's heart skipped a beat.
At that moment.
Zhang Wei's voice came again,
"Great-grandfather, have you ever gone into the pond?"
The Fengmen Zombie seized the opportunity to reply,
"No, I mentioned earlier that it contains our well-digging techniques, so the elders forbade us from entering the pond. We were afraid that if we went in to play, we might damage it, which could lead to the loss of our heritage."
It could be seen.
Although the Fengmen Zombie was answering Zhang Wei's questions, his gaze remained fixed on the pond, never wavering. A rare spark of eagerness appeared in his zombie eyes.
If Zhang Wei hadn't been there, the Fengmen Zombie would have jumped in to investigate immediately.
Yes.
This place might hold the manufacturing techniques for the Dragon Locking Well.
And the possibility was high.
Our Zhang family's well-digging techniques were learned by every clan member from childhood, which made us subconsciously overlook the pond. We didn't even think of going into the pond to look because we already knew how to dig wells. As for your generation, Zhang Wei, during the war, everyone was scattered. Who had the time to learn well-digging? They were all busy fighting and trying not to starve.
Almost simultaneously.
Zhang Wei and the Fengmen Zombie spoke in unison,
"Shall we go down and take a look?"
Upon speaking.
Both Zhang Wei and the Fengmen Zombie grinned knowingly, their thoughts clearly aligned.
Without any hesitation.
They both leaped into the pond.
...
On the other side.
Lushang City, Lushang University, Zhang Wei's dormitory.
At this moment.
Li Junfei was playing LoL, occasionally typing furiously to argue with others. His flushed face indicated he was getting heated in his online disputes.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it! Damn it, we don't need postgraduate entrance exam materials, we're not applying for a doctorate, and we don't need thesis materials."
Li Junfei roared back, knowing his roommates were out for dinner. He assumed the person knocking was trying to sell them postgraduate entrance exam materials.
However, the next second.
The voice from the door made Li Junfei stop his argument with the keyboard warriors.
"I'm looking for Zhang Wei, is Zhang Wei in the dorm?"
The voice was not that of a youth, but of a middle-aged man. If one listened closely, they would notice his voice was calm, betraying no emotion.
"Huh? Looking for Brother Wei? Who are you?"
Li Junfei got up and opened the door. Upon seeing the person at the door, his expression was one of slight surprise. Standing before him was a very mature middle-aged man, his expression serene, giving no indication of joy or sorrow, simply standing quietly at the door.
As Li Junfei inquired, the middle-aged man before him replied,
"I am Yin Yang."
...