He is a life winner that people envy!
Zhao Lun noticed that when Piro spoke about his grandfather's stories, there was not only admiration but also envy in his tone, a longing for his grandfather's good fortune.
"Ah, it's a pity that ever since my grandfather passed away..."
As he spoke, Piro's envy turned into bitterness, his teeth clenched in indignation.
"...Is there any exciting story behind this?" Zhao Lun asked.
"Exciting story? Of course! My father lived a happy life, practically squandering all of my grandfather's wealth..." Piro said with jealousy.
"Uh, that story is indeed quite exciting!" Zhao Lun felt embarrassed to say more.
Piro seemed unconcerned, after all, Zhao Lun was his benefactor. Moreover, ever since the family incident, he hadn't talked to anyone for a long time and was bursting to share. Today, Zhao Lun was willing to listen, and he couldn't help but speak freely. He went from discussing the origins of Buddhism to his grandfather, then to the coffin, his grandmother, her brother, and finally his father's tales.
Zhao Lun found it amusing rather than annoying and patiently listened to the entire narrative.
Among the names he frequently heard were Rick O'Connor, Alexis O'Connor, Evelyn O'Connor, and Jonathan, all familiar names.
However, their stories diverged greatly from the glorified versions in the movies; the protagonists were far from perfect and more realistic, allowing Zhao Lun to glimpse the complexity of real human lives.
"Did you see that ancient sword? It was excavated from the ancient imperial tombs of Huaxia..."
As he spoke about the Huaxia stories, he pointed to a 95-centimeter long ancient sword for Zhao Lun to see. Zhao Lun observed its intricate patterns and inscriptions, which clearly indicated it was an ancient sword from Huaxia. The inscriptions featured two large characters—"Tian Wen."
"Tian Wen?" Zhao Lun paused, realizing he had never heard of such a sword in Huaxia history.
Searching his memory and with the aid of his neural implant, he finally unearthed a vague recollection. It seemed to have appeared in some anime, though he had never watched it closely. He only knew it was reputed to be among the top ten famous swords and belonged to a legendary emperor.
However, the sword was rusty and unremarkable, not matching the grandeur associated with the legendary top ten swords.
"What?" Piro didn't understand Zhao Lun's Huaxia words, looking at him in confusion.
"Nothing, I was just curious about how your grandfather managed to defeat the monsters in the tomb. After all, there were many of them, and your grandfather and grandmother were just ordinary people..." Zhao Lun inquired.
"My grandparents certainly couldn't handle those monsters, but they were fortunate enough to encounter Eastern sorcerers..." Piro said proudly.
"Eastern sorcerers?" Zhao Lun probed further about these sorcerers.
"They wield swords and practice magic!" Piro explained what an Eastern sorcerer was.
Easterners wielding ancient swords and practicing sorcery? Were they the legendary Eastern sorcerers? Zhao Lun was taken aback.
The term "sorcerer" wasn't something just anyone could claim, yet many in the West stubbornly used it to refer to those with extraordinary abilities.
"They are nameless heroes... who helped my grandfather defeat the resurrected monster... This sword was taken from beside that monster..."
Seeing Zhao Lun was interested in his tale, Piro spoke with great seriousness, answering all of Zhao Lun's questions without reservation.
From his story, Zhao Lun understood what Piro meant by those "sorcerers."
Huaxia had never been short of heroes; however, these heroes either willingly lived in obscurity among the common folk or were silenced by relevant authorities. Even when achieving remarkable feats, their stories were often downplayed.
The group his grandfather encountered was even more clandestine, known to ordinary people only through legends, and nearly impossible to meet.
That Piro's grandfather could encounter such individuals and gain their help spoke volumes about his exceptional luck.
At that time, Huaxia was in a particularly tumultuous era—the Qing Dynasty had just been overthrown. Internally, warlords ruled, corrupt officials were rampant, and bandits roamed freely. Externally, foreign powers were watching closely, draining the country dry, leaving Huaxia in a dire state.
In this era, no one was without fear of these foreign powers, nor did anyone harbor love for the invaders. However, the resentment of the common people was often suppressed, unable to retaliate, let alone dare to seek revenge.
The hidden elite with extraordinary powers, though not necessarily hostile toward these invaders, held no goodwill toward them either.
For Piro's grandfather and his companions to meet such individuals in such an environment, win their favor, and seek their aid to defeat the resurrected monster indicated that his grandfather had not only incredible luck but also exceptional social skills.
As for the term "collaboration," Zhao Lun mused that it was merely Piro's way of glorifying his grandfather.
"All of this was told to me by my father..."
He mentioned his father once more, but this time he was no longer jealous; only admiration and a hint of schadenfreude remained in his eyes.
Schadenfreude? Zhao Lun was puzzled, waiting to hear what he had to say next: "Your father?"
"My father was also a lucky guy!"
At this moment, Piro couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy again, referring to him as a "guy."
"He followed my grandfather on adventures since he was young..."
As he spoke of his father's adventures, Piro expressed a sense of yearning and regret that his father hadn't taken him along, feeling it was a lost opportunity.
"...The Eastern sorceress from Huaxia didn't like him... Haha, after defeating the resurrected monster, he was never seen again."
Listening to his story, Zhao Lun felt confused, then enlightened, and he attentively listened as his thoughts raced to confirm certain suspicions.
Once the story concluded, Zhao Lun didn't immediately dive into the main topic; instead, he subtly probed for clarification on his lingering questions.
Zhao Lun asked, "Do you have any notes or anything? I could pay good money for them."
Many adventurers had the habit of keeping records, and as a successful adventurer, Piro's grandfather surely had this practice.
Piro regretfully replied, "I'm sorry, sir, but the notes are gone."
Zhao Lun frowned, "Gone? Are you lying to me?"
"No! No! Sir, absolutely not! They are with my father, but... my father is missing... or perhaps he has passed away..."
"However, if you want to know more, you can take a look at this book; it's a work by my grandmother..."