Chapter 2653: The Inheritance of the Gao Surname
Bao Bao had resolved herself to die, but the anticipated pain never came. She looked at the man opposite her with suspicion and uncertainty. "What method did you use? The ticket can't be used, the poison has failed... Is all of this fake?"
"What do you think?" Xu Huo raised his hand, gesturing for her to sit down. "You're alone, for the sake of inheriting a surname, you refuse the recruitment of others, and you're even willing to sacrifice your life. Do you think the thing you're holding onto is real or fake?"
Bao Bao didn't move or speak. Having the courage to face death, she wouldn't be easily swayed by words.
"People who aren't afraid of death need a reason to die. People who aren't afraid of living also need a reason to live," Xu Huo continued. "The Gao surname should be your reason, but it seems you don't really want to live for that surname, nor do you want to die for it."
"So what if I do? So what if I don't?" Bao Bao countered.
"What do you think Wan Yao's purpose is in trying every means to force you to be with him?" Xu Huo asked.
"He's got nothing better to do," Bao Bao said. "His family has power and influence. He eats well and sleeps well. Life is too boring, so he wants to find something exciting to do."
"That's one factor," Xu Huo said with a slight smile. "But the pursuit of nobility and greatness is also a human commonality. The mystery and pressure of bearing a mission can bring people an unimaginable sense of accomplishment."
Bao Bao let out a scornful laugh. "Unfortunately, the inheritance of the Gao surname isn't anything noble or great. It's just a fictional highlight that people with utterly meaningless lives fabricate for their extremely ordinary and useless existence."
"How about this," Xu Huo said. "You help me out, and I'll find you a new reason to live well."
Bao Bao looked at him mockingly. Though she didn't speak, her expression was clear enough.
Indeed, Bao Bao was a player. If she didn't want to live this kind of life, she could easily move to another district, even one completely free of war. She hadn't left, which meant something here was keeping her.
Whether it was deceased loved ones, friends who had helped her, or even the ethereal inheritance of a surname—as she said, there always had to be something in an ordinary and useless life.
"You can think it over," Xu Huo said. "Right here."
Bao Bao looked at him. "Is the boss in your hands?"
Xu Huo shook his head slightly. "He left after parting ways with you. Outside, he kept contacting people to rescue you. When he couldn't find anyone, he tried to trigger the alarm devices in the building to muddy the waters. Now he's been taken to the security room to be taught a lesson."
Bao Bao laughed after hearing this, but then her expression darkened. "What's the use of doing all that?"
After a pause, she added, "What do you want me to help you with? Say it, and I'll consider it."
"The former Grand Archon of the Isle Nation came to Moonhorn Duchy over a decade ago. He came with a token to find the Wan family. At that time, the Wan family hadn't changed their surname yet. In Moonhorn Duchy, there should be many people like the Wan family with intricate ties to the Gao surname. I want to know the full story of Gao Hui's contact with the Wan family." Xu Huo added after speaking, "Preferably, I want Gao Hui's complete whereabouts in Moonhorn Duchy."
"I thought you were going to ask me to help you find the token!" Bao Bao shrugged. "The copy of the Isle Nation's national heirloom treasure—it's been over twenty years since that copy appeared. It's hard not to know about it."
"Do you have any clues about the token?" Xu Huo asked again.
"Everything I know comes from what my deceased parents and adoptive parents told me. No one has ever come to me with the national heirloom treasure. What clues could I have?" Bao Bao said casually.
"Did they also tell you about the Wan family's identity?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "You understand the Wan family's situation, which means there must be a fixed channel for you to learn about the identities of other descendants of the Gao surname. I hope you'll be honest about this."
"Gao Hui must have met Wan Ping. Why don't you go ask him directly?" Bao Bao deflected the question.
"It's not time yet." Xu Huo poured himself a glass of water. "For some reason, I always feel that the descendants of the Gao and Peng surnames know of each other's existence. They're scattered like water in the sea, yet they sense one another."
Bao Bao's expression shifted slightly, then she said, "If I refuse to answer your questions, will you kill me?"
"Not necessarily," Xu Huo shook his head. "But there are many ways to make someone tell the truth. Given the state of the Gao surname's descendants, they wouldn't have implanted suicide chips in everyone's brains."
Bao Bao thought for a moment. "I want to change the terms of the exchange."
Xu Huo gestured for her to speak.
"Take me to see Lian Qingkong," Bao Bao said.
Xu Huo paused in the act of setting down his glass. "Have you revealed to him that you're a descendant of the Gao surname?"
Bao Bao was surprised by his sharpness, but nodded. "But he never replied."
No reply meant either Lian Qingkong himself didn't care, or the channel for the message was blocked. Either way, she didn't dare to set foot in the Isle Nation lightly.
But no one had ever come looking for her because of the message she sent. It was most likely the former.
She really wanted to know the reason.
"Alright," Xu Huo agreed readily. "After this trip to Moonhorn Duchy is over, I'm going to see him too."
"Then talk. You must have enough leverage to want to seek out Lian Qingkong."
"Maybe this leverage isn't important at all." Bao Bao smiled self-deprecatingly. "Perhaps I'm just seeing the tree but not the forest. I want to hear someone else's opinion too."
"Everything I know did come from what my parents told me."
"My biological father and adoptive father were once children in the same orphanage. They were adopted by a couple. My biological father was informed about the inheritance of the Gao surname after he came of age. He was also the one my grandparents designated as the inheritor of the Gao surname."
"None of us openly bear the surname Gao, so this surname can only be passed down in secret. Because of the war, my biological father told me about the inheritance of the Gao surname in advance. He told me to come to Moonhorn Duchy to seek refuge with my uncle, and after I grew up, to have children or adopt a child to continue selecting one to inherit the Gao surname."
"The situation was critical at the time. My biological father didn't tell me the reason for doing this. Later, I wandered to Moonhorn Duchy and was found by my uncle, becoming his nominal adopted daughter."
"Before my adoptive father died of illness, he told me that he had accidentally overheard a conversation between my adoptive parents and my biological father, learning about the inheritance of the Gao surname. He questioned the love of his adoptive parents and the bond of brotherhood. Unable to bear the pressure, he ran away from home and settled far away."
"In fact, before my biological father died, they had reconnected. Originally, because of the war, my biological parents were planning to come and seek refuge with him, but they died before they could."
"After running away from home, my adoptive father slowly began investigating the matter of the Gao surname's descendants. He found some families that seemed to be inheritors of the Gao surname. The Wan family was one of them, and he also knew a bit about Gao Hui going to the Wan family over a decade ago."