After the dishes were cleared away, Liu Mengran and Su Wanwan pulled Dongfang Wantang upstairs, saying they wanted to help her tidy up her room. Han Feng sat on the living room sofa, watching TV listlessly.
"Sister Wantang, you only brought this little bit of luggage?" Su Wanwan's voice drifted down from the second floor. "Even your skincare products are just a tiny bottle?"
"That's enough." Dongfang Wantang's reply was calm and composed.
Liu Mengran seemed to be rummaging through something: "Are these two outfits enough for you to change into? Or should we go to the mall now and buy you a few more sets?"
"No need," Dongfang Wantang interrupted, "There are other people coming later."
Han Feng paused slightly in his hand holding the remote control. He knew that Dongfang Wantang was referring to the Zhang family. The news was playing on TV, but his attention was no longer on those international news stories.
Footsteps echoed down the stairs, and three women descended one after another. Su Wanwan leaned close to Han Feng and whispered, "Is something troubling you? Your luggage looks like you're fleeing a disaster."
"Wanwan!" Liu Mengran scolded softly, then smiled apologetically at Dongfang Wantang.
Dongfang Wantang, however, remained unperturbed, gracefully settling into the armchair: "Material possessions are nothing but burdens. I've lived a secluded life since childhood, and I'm already used to it."
"But at least we need some changes of clothes, right?" Liu Mengran couldn't help but ask.
Dongfang Wantang took out the bronze astrolabe from her sleeve, her fingertips tracing the engravings on its surface: "We can make the purchases after the Zhang family arrives."
"The Zhang family?" Su Wanwan's eyes widened. "What Zhang family? The Grave Robbers' Chronicles?"
Han Feng was speechless upon hearing Su Wanwan's words.
"Like our Dongfang family, it is one of the three great ancient martial arts families." Dongfang Wantang placed the star chart flat on the coffee table.
Drawn by the floating starlight, Liu Mengran reached out to touch one of them, but the point of light playfully avoided her finger. Dongfang Wantang smiled at this: "You are destined to be with Tianxuan Star."
Just as Liu Mengran was about to ask further questions, the doorbell suddenly rang. The crisp "ding-dong" sound echoed in the room, carrying an inexplicable sense of solemnity.
Han Feng got up and opened the door. Standing outside was an elderly man dressed in a dark brown Tang suit. The old man's silver hair was neatly combed, his face was as vigorous as an ancient pine tree, and he was holding a seemingly ordinary bamboo cane that faintly shimmered with light.
"Excuse me, is this Mr. Han Feng's home?" The old man's voice was deep, carrying the rhythm unique to an ancient family.
Han Feng nodded, his gaze falling on the old man's other hand—where he held a white jade plaque with the traditional Chinese character "张" engraved on it. The strokes resembled lines connecting stars, vaguely forming the Big Dipper pattern.
"Yes, may I ask who you are?" Han Feng asked.
"May I come in and talk?" the old man asked with a smile.
Han Feng stepped aside to make way.
The moment the old man stepped into the entryway, the lights inside seemed to dim for a moment.
Dongfang Wantang slowly stood up, the astrolabe already hidden in her sleeve: "Grandpa Zhang, it's been so many years."
The old man, the one called Grandpa Zhang, tapped his bamboo cane lightly on the ground and performed an ancient cupped-hand salute the moment he saw Dongfang Wantang: "Miss Dongfang, I have come to pay my respects to Mr. Han Feng on the orders of my family head, but I was unaware that your grandfather had already sent you here."
The moment Zhang Jingtian stepped into the living room, Han Feng keenly sensed a subtle change in the flow of energy in the air.
Han Feng gave the two women a wink, and Liu Mengran understood immediately, pulling Su Wanwan upstairs.
Each time the old man tapped his seemingly ordinary bamboo cane on the ground, it created an almost invisible ripple. The lamplight formed a faint halo around him, as if distorted by some invisible force.
"Wantang, it's been so many years." Zhang Jingtian's voice was like fine aged wine, warmed by the passage of time. "The last time I saw you, you were still studying astrology with Dongfang Lin."
Dongfang Wantang nodded slightly, her wide sleeves fluttering even without wind: "Uncle Zhang is as dashing as ever." Her fingertips gently caressed something inside her sleeve, which Han Feng guessed was the star chart.
Han Feng closed the door and gestured for him to sit down: "Mr. Zhang, please have a seat."
Zhang Jingtian waved his hand, tapping his bamboo cane three times on the ground: "No need for formalities. I am Zhang Jingtian, the younger brother of the current head of the Zhang family." He looked intently at Han Feng, "I heard that young friend Han visited the Dongfang family the other day?"
"Yes." Han Feng nodded. "Old Master Dongfang told me some things about the Star Mirror and the Lord of Star Souls."
A glint flashed in Zhang Jingtian's eyes: "The Star Mirror must have been handed over to you already?" Seeing Han Feng's tacit agreement, he stroked his beard and smiled, "No wonder Dongfang Lin was willing to let this girl leave the Dongfang family's secret realm. Wan Tang is the most outstanding of their generation."
Dongfang Wantang coughed lightly: "Grandpa Zhang, although you instructed me to come here with Han Feng, it was mostly my own choice." She raised her eyes, her starry eyes seeming to shimmer with the Milky Way. "Besides, didn't you also time your visit perfectly?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingtian burst into laughter, his voice booming like thunder: "What a quick-witted girl! Indeed, this old man has come here precisely to deliver the Zhang family's Star Mirror."
Before he finished speaking, the old man took out an object from his robes—a bronze token similar in shape to the Eastern Family's Star Mirror, except that instead of star patterns, it was engraved with a majestic mountain. The moment the token appeared, the gravity in the living room seemed to suddenly increase, and the glass on the coffee table trembled slightly.
Han Feng's pupils contracted slightly. Even from a distance, he could feel the immense energy contained within that star mirror, completely different from the ethereal quality of the Dongfang family's star mirror.
"Got it." Zhang Jingtian flicked his wrist, and the Star Mirror flew steadily toward Han Feng.
Han Feng raised his hand to catch it, and his palm suddenly felt heavy, as if he were actually supporting a small mountain. At the same time, the Star Mirror within his body suddenly vibrated, and a strange resonance occurred between the two Star Mirrors. A visible energy ripple spread through the air, and the painting on the wall fell down with a "thud".
"Interesting." Zhang Jingtian narrowed his eyes. "The two star mirrors are actually resonating... I've never seen anything like it before."
Dongfang Wantang quickly formed a hand seal, and a starlight barrier enveloped the three of them, isolating them from external energy fluctuations: "Grandpa Zhang, you should have told us beforehand that this situation would occur."
Zhang Jingtian waved his hand dismissively: "What's there to be afraid of? You've already set up a barrier around this villa; ordinary people won't be able to detect it."
Han Feng looked down at the Star Compass in his hand—it was emitting a flickering light, as if it were conversing with him. The star patterns on the Dongfang family's Star Compass began to slowly rotate, while the mountain patterns on the Zhang family's Star Compass emitted a faint golden light.
\"This is......?\"
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