Let’s shift our focus back to China, arriving at Beihai Port in the southern border region, one of the important gateways from the Beibu Gulf to Southeast Asia. The weather here is extremely hot and humid. Mo Yungao has a large mansion here, which used to belong to the Hui merchant Ma Youbao after the British opened the port. It features a grand estate full of palm trees and bananas, with the main building containing more than sixty rooms.

The Ma mansion has not been maintained for a long time. After the warlords fought among themselves, various factions of the Gui clique engaged in tug-of-war in Beihai multiple times, causing the shipping here to stagnate, with ships redirected to Xiamen. Fewer foreigners came, and consequently, the monks who could repair such mansions also became scarce.

This European-style mansion with Catholic influences is quite rare in western Guangxi. When Mo Yungao first entered Beihai and saw this mansion, he chose it as his headquarters, and he has not left since.

As time passed, many keys to the mansion were lost. The housekeeper complained about this several times, which reminded him of Chen Xifeng. If Chen Xifeng were still here, the one who took over this place and archived everything, it wouldn’t be so troublesome.

Chen Xifeng was the first contributor to Mo Yungao’s conquest of Beihai, and he also planned the defenses of Beihai. While he was alive, as Mo Yungao’s adjutant, Chen Xifeng helped him establish a solid foundation for his rule.

Unfortunately, he died three years ago on a returning ship from Malacca. Although Chen Xifeng brought back what he wanted as promised, by the time he returned, his body had already bloated.

Mo Yungao once believed that someone like Chen Xifeng would never die. When he saw Chen Xifeng’s corpse, he couldn’t believe it for a long time. The intense stench made his eyes water.

There was no doubt that Chen Xifeng was a very useful person, but if he was dead, it was the same as any of the other fools under him dying; it was equally unbearable.

At that time, the sealed jar was in Chen Xifeng’s hands. It was said that the adjutant tightly held onto this jar, making it impossible for others to pry it open. He insisted on handing it directly to the commander.

Mo Yungao felt a slight stir of emotion for a few seconds, sensing that he had lost something, but soon his interest in the jar surpassed everything that Chen Xifeng had brought. He covered his nose, had someone cut off Chen Xifeng’s fingers, and pried the jar out.

Chen Xifeng’s corpse lay on the ground, and Mo Yungao avoided the bodily fluids that leaked out, urging them to burn it quickly. At that time, the adjutant’s confidants asked whether to follow military honors for the burial. Mo Yungao had already left and never inquired about Chen Xifeng again.

The body was hastily cremated in the courtyard. Along with the jar, there was a handwritten letter from Chen Xifeng at the bottom of the jar, containing information about Zhang Haiyan and the Nanyang Archives, Malacca branch.

Chen Xifeng was killed by someone named Zhang Haiyan.

The surname Zhang?

For some reason, Mo Yungao was particularly sensitive to this surname, which led to his extreme interest in the Nanyang Archives.

How fate operates was greatly reflected in this incident. A mischievous remark from Zhang Haiyan, recorded by the attentive Chen Xifeng, was transmitted to Mo Yungao, layering upon each other and unfolding a grand and dramatic picture.