Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 371: The Beginning of Storms

The afterglow of the setting sun gradually disappeared behind the mountains, and night fell, with stars dotted everywhere. Gao Xingchen threw the letter into the flickering fire, and the golden flames greedily devoured the paper, as if to burn the secret on it together.

"Do you really think this letter is credible?" Nan Li looked at the dancing flames with a hint of doubt in his tone.

Gao Xingchen was silent for a moment and shook his head. "It doesn't matter whether the letter is true or not. What matters is that someone is reminding us, and someone is secretly spying on Xingchen Heart."

Nan Li nodded slightly. She understood what Gao Xingchen meant. As the core power of the Nine Star Realm, the Heart of the Stars has always been the target of competition among various forces. Even if this letter is just a warning, they cannot take it lightly.

"What should we do?" Nan Li asked.

"First, find out about this so-called 'evil organization'." Gao Xingchen's eyes flashed with a gleam of light. "I seem to have seen the symbol mentioned in the letter in a book. Maybe we can find some clues."

In the next few days, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li spent almost all their time in the library of Xingchen Pavilion, reading through the vast tomes. Finally, Gao Xingchen found the same symbol on an ancient parchment scroll as on the envelope.

"Shadow of the Dark Night..." Gao Xingchen whispered the words written on the scroll, frowning, "This is an ancient organization that has disappeared for a long time. It is said that they believe in the power of darkness and once caused a bloody storm, but were eventually wiped out by the guardians of the Heart of the Stars."

"Disappeared for a long time? Could it be that they have revived?" Nan Li's heart trembled.

"Not sure." Gao Xingchen shook his head. "There is not much record about them in the scroll. We must find more clues."

"Maybe we can go to a nearby town to find out." Nanli suggested, "That's where adventurers and merchants gather. Maybe we can get some useful information from them."

Gao Xingchen nodded in agreement, and the two packed up their luggage, left the quiet valley, and headed for a bustling town not far away.

As night fell, the town was brightly lit and noisy. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li walked into a tavern, planning to find a place to stay and get some information.

The tavern was bustling with people, adventurers sat together, talking about their adventures. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li found a corner to sit down, listening to the conversations of the people around them while keeping an eye out for any news about the "Shadow of the Dark Night".

Suddenly, the conversation of a one-eyed adventurer at the next table caught Gao Xingchen's attention.

"Have you heard? Recently, a batch of strange goods appeared on the black market. It is said that they are related to a mysterious organization..."

Gao Xingchen's heart skipped a beat, and he asked calmly, "What goods? What organization?"

The one-eyed adventurer lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I don't know what the goods are exactly, but I heard they are very evil and can control people's minds. As for that organization..." He paused, looked around, and continued, "It is said that it is the 'Dark Night Shadow' that was wiped out that year!"

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other, and they already had a guess in their minds. It seems that this "Dark Night Shadow" is not a rumor, they really have revived.

In order to get more information from the one-eyed adventurer, Gao Xingchen gave him some silver coins and invited him to drink a few glasses of wine. After a few glasses of wine, the one-eyed adventurer opened up completely.

He told Gao Xingchen that he had participated in the campaign to suppress the "Dark Night Shadows" and witnessed their use of evil power. He still felt scared when he thought about it. He also said that although the "Dark Night Shadows" were eliminated, their leader was missing and might still be alive.

"Then do you know where their base is?" Gao Xingchen asked.

The one-eyed adventurer shook his head. "I don't know about that. Their base was very secretive back then, and only a few high-ranking officials knew about it. But..." He lowered his voice again. "I heard that they seem to be looking for something, something that can help them regain their strength."

"What is it?" Nan Li asked.

The one-eyed adventurer shook his head. "I don't know about that. However, I advise you not to get involved in this matter. The 'Shadow of the Night' is very dangerous. You can't defeat them."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li thanked the one-eyed adventurer for his reminder and returned to their room. They closed the door and began to analyze the information they had obtained tonight.

"It seems that the 'Dark Night Shadow' has really revived, and they are still looking for something that can help them regain their power." Gao Xingchen pondered, "We must find their base as soon as possible and find out their purpose."

"But how do we find their base?" Nanli asked.

Gao Xingchen pondered for a moment, and suddenly an idea flashed through his mind, "The one-eyed adventurer said that a batch of goods related to 'Dark Night Shadow' appeared on the black market. Maybe we can start from this aspect."

"You mean, we should go to the black market to get information?" Nan Li asked.

Gao Xingchen nodded. "The black market is full of mixed people and well-informed. Maybe we can find the clues we need."

Nanli agreed to Gao Xingchen's plan. They decided to go to the black market early the next morning to find out the news about "Dark Night Shadow".

However, just before they were about to take action, Gao Xingchen suddenly received an urgent call from the family, asking him to return immediately. The letter said that some emergency had occurred in the family and he needed to go back to take charge of the overall situation.

Gao Xingchen was suddenly filled with uneasiness. He had a hunch that this letter might be related to the "Shadow of the Dark Night"...

The first ray of sunlight in the morning shone through the window lattice, shining on the letter from the Gao family on the table, and also illuminating Gao Xingchen's frowning face. On the letter, the vigorous handwriting of the family elder seemed to carry a thousand pounds of force, pressing him so hard that he couldn't breathe.

"My son Xingchen, our family has encountered a sudden change, return home quickly!"

In just ten words, there was a sense of oppression that a storm was about to come. Gao Xingchen's fingers holding the letter turned slightly white, and the uneasiness in his heart became stronger.

"What's wrong?" Nan Li noticed his abnormality and asked softly.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and handed her the letter: "The family sent me a message asking me to go back immediately."

Nan Li took the letter, read it carefully, and frowned slightly: "It seems we have to change our plan."

"Yeah," Gao Xingchen said with a hint of helplessness, "I wanted to take this opportunity to go to the black market to get some information about 'Dark Night Shadow', but now it seems I have to put it aside for now."

He knew that the call of the family could not be ignored. As the future head of the Gao family, he had to shoulder his responsibilities.

"Don't worry, family matters are more important." Nan Li held his hand gently, her eyes full of understanding and support, "We can discuss the matter of 'Dark Night Shadow' in the long run. I believe you can handle it all."

Gao Xingchen held her hand with his backhand, his heart filled with gratitude. He knew that no matter what happened, Nan Li would always be his strongest support.

After calming down, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li simply packed their bags and set off on the journey back to the family. Along the way, Gao Xingchen was filled with anxiety and confusion. What on earth had happened in the family? Why did the elders call him back so urgently?

The appearance of "Dark Night Shadow" and the sudden change of the family all seemed to indicate that a huge storm was about to come. Gao Xingchen tightly grasped the sword at his waist and swore in his heart that no matter how many difficulties and obstacles there were ahead, he would not retreat.

After returning to the family, Gao Xingchen immediately rushed to the meeting hall. As soon as he stepped into the hall, he felt that the atmosphere was extremely solemn. The family elders and heads of each family were sitting there with solemn expressions. The meeting hall, which was once bustling, was now silent, like the calm before a storm.

Gao Xingchen's heart sank. He knew that the trouble his family was facing this time might be more serious than he had imagined.

Gao Xingchen hurriedly stepped into the meeting hall, and was greeted by familiar yet unfamiliar faces. The elders looked solemn, and their former kindness and amiability were gone, replaced by deep worry and a hint of disappointment. The heads of each family gathered in groups of three or four, whispering about something, with dissatisfaction and doubt in their words.

"Xingchen, you're finally back!" When the great elder Gao Yunhe saw Gao Xingchen, a glimmer of hope flashed in his originally tired eyes, but it was soon replaced by deeper helplessness.

Gao Xingchen greeted the elders one by one, but received only a few perfunctory responses. He was keenly aware of the unusual atmosphere, and the uneasiness in his heart became stronger.

"Xingchen, something has happened in the family recently..." Gao Yunhe hesitated and finally sighed, "See for yourself."

As he spoke, he handed a file to Gao Xingchen. The file recorded in detail the recent changes in the family: several important spiritual veins and mineral resources were successively occupied by unknown forces, and the family industry suffered a heavy blow; what's more, there were discordant voices within the family, and some children questioned Gao Xingchen's leadership ability, believing that he was too young and lacked experience to lead the family out of the predicament.

The more Gao Xingchen looked down, the gloomier his expression became. He knew that the family was facing an unprecedented crisis, and this crisis was likely to push the Gao family into an abyss of no return.

"Dear elders, dear uncles, I understand how you feel." Gao Xingchen put down the file and looked around with a firm and powerful gaze. "Although I, Gao Xingchen, am young, I will never let the family down! I will definitely find out the truth and give the family an explanation!"

His voice was sonorous and powerful, but it still couldn't calm everyone's doubts. Some family heads looked disdainful and whispered, their words full of distrust of Gao Xingchen.

Facing doubts, Gao Xingchen did not back down. He calmly analyzed the current situation and proposed countermeasures. He knew that if he wanted to convince others, words alone were not enough, and he had to take practical actions to prove his strength.

At the following family meeting, Gao Xingchen showed maturity and wisdom beyond his age. He pointed out the problems of the family business in detail and proposed a feasible reform plan; he reorganized the family vigorously, removed those sons who were idle and corrupt, and replaced them with fresh blood who were smart and capable.

Gao Xingchen's series of measures gradually won the support of most of the family members. They saw Gao Xingchen's determination and ability, and also saw the hope of the family's revival. However, Gao Xingchen knew that the real challenge was still to come. The crisis within the family was just the tip of the iceberg, and the enemies hidden in the dark were far more powerful and cunning than imagined...