Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 492: Visiting the Museum

Chapter 492: Chapter 492: Visiting the Museum

The old man got up, a satisfied smile on his face. "Accompany me for a walk. We can chat as we go."

"Sounds good!" Gu Fan increasingly suspected this old man’s sudden visit had a purpose, perhaps he was here to relay some crucial information.

However, a strange unease gripped Gu Fan as he prepared to step outside with the old man. His heart pounded with anxiety. To Gu Fan, it felt as though he were standing in the presence of a harbinger of doom.

"What’s wrong, why have you halted?" The old man seemed confused, while Gu Fan swallowed nervously, "Does your appearance foretell impending catastrophe, have you come to warn me to be prepared?"

After hearing this, the old man paused for an instant, then shook his head and smiled ruefully, "Is it that whenever I appear, you believe disaster will strike?"

"Not exactly, but something like that..." Gu Fan scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.

The old man didn’t object: "Alright, if something was truly to happen, would you hope for a warning, or..."

"Of course I’d want some warning. Something is always better than nothing." After saying so, Gu Fan decided to follow the old man, to see what might unveil itself.

As they walked, the old man explained, "You might be curious about how I left the Borderlands back then. When the people from the ancient town ventured into Qianye Country, I didn’t join but went back to the old town. After all, I’m old and my body couldn’t endure such an adventure."

"But you made it to the Borderlands anyway," Gu Fan queried.

"Because I heard that you were also heading to the Borderlands, searching for Qianye Country. I wanted to see how far you had come." The old man broke into a soothing smile, "At first, I thought all hope was lost when you were captured, but later I discovered you had freed yourselves and even found Qianye Country. Quite impressive!"

"Not really, we were just lucky." After a quick thought, Gu Fan expressed his gratitude, "I must thank you for your guidance. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to save my twelve classmates. You’re their lifesaver."

The old man shook his head in response, "I only provided a hint. Your accurate understanding of it and making the correct judgement is what truly admirable. Moreover, venturing into the Borderlands to save your classmates, going against all odds, is something to be admired."

"To be honest, I wouldn’t have dared to go if it weren’t for everyone’s trust and support." After speaking, Gu Fan looked at the old man’s calm demeanor and thought of a question, "Wait a second, you’re not native to the ancient town, you’re supposed to side with them. Why do you help me by giving me these hints?"

The old man answered, "I’m sorry to say, I’m not from the old town. It’s my wife who is a local. I became a part of the town after marrying her and gained the trust of the locals. They informed me about seeking eternal youth."

"I see!" Gu Fan finally understood. The loyal followers of Queen Qianye, had to marry and produce offspring to carry forward their ideals, to have an heir waiting for Qianye’s reincarnation.

The old man sighed, "So you understand now, my heart is not with the people of the ancient town. I don’t seek eternity. That’s why I came to warn you, hoping you could put a stop to it all."

"I thank you for your assistance, old man." Gu Fan expressed his thanks, but couldn’t help feeling suspicious. Even if the old man didn’t agree with what the townsfolk were doing, he wouldn’t necessarily help Gu Fan unless there was more to it.

Gu Fan had a hunch that when the old man proposed a walk and a chat, he actually intended to lead Gu Fan somewhere specific.

Sure enough, the old man spoke up, "I like studying history. Let’s go to this city’s museum, I’d like to learn about its history."

"The history of this city?" Gu Fan was puzzled. He was born and raised in this town, but he had rarely visited the city’s museum. He knew very little about it.

However, since the inscrutable old man insisted on going, Gu Fan decided to accompany him. He was quite interested in what trick the old man might play.

Under Gu Fan’s guidance, they arrived at the city’s history museum.

The place was always busy with visitors, and Gu Fan and the old man were immediately immersed in the city’s history.

The old man peered intently at the introductions on the wall, reading each character with care, as if truly engrossed in researching history.

Gu Fan had little interest in these descriptions. The city had at least five hundred years of history, but there were no photographs from that era, only texts, which didn’t entice him.

The old man, however, was engrossed in his reading, his interest piqued. He spent a considerable time reading before finally moving on.

Gu Fan was growing impatient. With so much information to go through, he wondered how long it would take. Was this old man really that interested in history?

"Ah! So this city was originally a fishing village. It was initiated by a group of six families who had face calamitous sailing. They drifted to this place and established the fishing village," the old man mumbled, nodding in satisfaction.

Gu Fan didn’t care, just following the old man’s lead. Suddenly, something came to his mind, he frowned at the display, "That’s strange. This city started as a fishing village, and the village was composed of six families. What a coincidence, my family’s ancestral home is also made up of six families."

The old man continued to browse through the displays. As they proceeded, the exhibits became more elaborate, featuring pictures, videos, and historical artifacts.

Unexpectedly, Gu Fan began to take an interest. He felt that this visit was far from ordinary and anticipated a surprising discovery.

However, his hope was dashed when the tour ended without him unearthing anything special. The old man, on the other hand, looked content. He smiled and said, "Thank you, young man, for accompanying an old man like me on this tour. After delving into the history of this city, I want to say that the development of a city is both inevitable and random."

"What do you mean?" Gu Fan was confused at the old man’s repeated interest in the city’s history.

The old man did not answer and proceeded to say goodbye. Before leaving, he said to Gu Fan, "Your Qi is good, and so is this city’s. At times, Qi really matters."