Chapter 31: Tang Tang

This three-legged bronze tripod is indeed genuine, and the price is not bad.

Originally Fang Yuan wanted to use this bronze tripod to set a trap for me, but now, even if Fang Yuan isn't dead, he probably won't live much longer; even with ten courages, he wouldn't dare come back to take the tripod.

I suffered a misfortune to get this treasure; I came out ahead.

I messaged my senior sister, asking: "What's special about this tripod? How can the hidden route fetch such a premium?"

That side seems to have been waiting for my reply.

Meng Po served a bowl of soy milk: "Didn't you see the steel stamp on the bottom of the tripod?"

Steel stamp?

I quickly took out the bronze tripod and held it up to the light.

The bottom of the bronze tripod indeed has a steel stamp; upon close inspection, it reads the four characters "Clear Spring Benevolent Heart" in small seal script.

Meanwhile, WeChat kept buzzing, sending over several messages in a row.

'This bronze tripod comes from Clear Spring Daoist Temple.'

'Although Clear Spring Daoist Temple has declined now, it was a prominent presence during the late Ming and early Qing; at that time, the temple's abbot, Master Renxin, was an honored guest of the imperial court.'

'And this tripod in your hand was made by Master Renxin himself.'

'……'

The messages kept coming, and my senior sister urged me to sell quickly while the price was good.

But my thoughts were no longer on the phone.

Clear Spring Daoist Temple…… isn't that the temple where I met the Daoist when I went to the village to deliver paper offerings?

What was that Daoist's name again?

Oh, right, his name was Huiquan.

Back then he asked me for my birth characters to calculate my fate, but I directly refused.

I didn't expect he had such a big background!

I messaged: "Senior sister, do you know the current abbot of Clear Spring Daoist Temple, Master Huiquan?"

Meng Po served a bowl of soy milk: "Clear Spring Daoist Temple has been passed down to the present, and only this Master Huiquan has any real skill; do you know him?"

I felt a bit guilty: just a passing acquaintance.

Meng Po served a bowl of soy milk: "So are you going to sell it?"

I refused without hesitation: "No sale!"

I only wanted to verify the tripod's authenticity; I had no intention of reselling it for profit.

I know few people in this area, and after thinking it over, only Tang Tang came to mind.

Tang Tang is a senior in my department, already accepted for graduate school.

On the day freshmen reported, she came with a few sophomore seniors to welcome newcomers, and happened to sit beside me.

We chatted along the way, exchanged contact info, and later met a few more times; our relationship was quite harmonious.

Mainly, Tang Tang has a good personality, is very talkative, and I have a very good impression of her.

Jiang University's Cultural Relics and Museology major ranks among the nation's best; Tang Tang being accepted for graduate school shows her excellence.

Moreover, she has connections.

As I was thinking that, the video call kept ringing.

As soon as it connected, Tang Tang's dignified beautiful face appeared on the video: "Junior sister, why won't you sell? Is it because you haven't reached your expected price? I can go help you negotiate; with me stepping in, adding another twenty or thirty thousand to the premium is not impossible..."

I quickly said: "It's not about the price, but I still have use for this bronze tripod."

Tang Tang frowned: "Other use? Do you have your own connections?"

I also couldn't explain too much; I certainly couldn't say this tripod is a pure-yang object to be offered to Liu Junyan.

My relationship with Tang Tang hasn't reached that level yet.

But if I don't say, Tang Tang clearly doesn't intend to let me off so easily.

I thought about it, picked up my phone, got out of bed, and headed to the Nan Shu Fang.

As I walked, I said: "Senior sister, I really have other uses for this bronze tripod, but I also have a few other antiques; could you help me sell them?"

On the Nan Shu Fang's antique shelf there are still several items long past their redemption period; running the pawn shop needs liquidity, selling a few could also ease my financial pressure.

After all, the better the pawn item, the higher the price possibly.

The phone camera swept over the antique shelf, aiming at those few pawn items.

Before I could speak, Tang Tang on the other end screamed: "Good heavens, good heavens, what have I seen!"

"If I'm not mistaken, the dozens of items on your antique shelf are all old antiques, right?"

"Even this antique shelf itself is probably an old piece."

"Point the camera back, uh, yeah, aim at the counter—what weird stuff… the Four Treasures of the Study on the counter… are they from the Tang Dynasty?"

"Uh……"

I really hadn't noticed these; after all, too many things have happened lately, and my energy has been scattered.

Moreover, this Nan Shu Fang has existed for at least a hundred years, and the objects used inside also have at least a century of history.

So I don't pay attention, first because my skills are lacking, second because I have a preset mindset.

But Tang Tang's words still startled me.

I picked up the brush I've used several times and looked at it—Tang Dynasty?

Tang Tang kept chattering: "A few days ago I went to your dorm to find you; your roommate said your family had a change, you took a temporary leave of absence, I felt sorry for you—turns out you went home to inherit the family business, Tong Tong, nice! So you're actually a hidden little rich girl!"

After the old woman brought me back to the pawn shop, my household registration moved with me, but the name on it is still Jiang Wan Tong.

So only in Wufu Town am I called Xiao Jiu.

I scratched my head, not knowing how to explain to Tang Tang for a moment: "Senior sister, things might not be as you imagine, but it's really hard to put into words."

Give me your address; the National Day holiday is just around the corner, and this year I plan to spend it at your place, and while I'm there I'll take the opportunity to properly admire your collection.

none.

Immediately, a WeChat message popped up again.

Meng Po gave a bowl of soy milk: "Hurry up and give me the address."

I was resigned, thinking Tang Tang had also done me a big favor, so I sent the address over.

I also hinted to her obliquely that my family runs a pawnshop, but there's something unsettling about the pawnshop.

Tang Tang didn't care at all.

Meng Po gave a bowl of soy milk: "It's more fun when things are unsettling, little junior sister, just wait for me!"

I turned off my phone; the sky was almost bright, and I lay down and fell asleep.

Early the next morning, I took out the three-legged bronze cauldron and the Língchí dāo, brought them both to the main house, and placed them on the offering table in the main hall.

The bronze cauldron is an offering to Liu Junyan.

But the Língchí dāo is not an offering to those dirty things.

This Língchí dāo is extremely important; it is the counterweight that balances the Five Immortals and Zhao Zixun.

Although the pawnshop isn't accessible to ordinary people, at least I know those beasts still have some reservations, but keeping it in my room is ultimately unsafe.

But placing it on the offering table in the main hall is actually safer.

If the dirty things in the main hall dare to move this Língchí dāo, that would truly be terrifying.

After breakfast, I was practicing archery in the courtyard when Li Qingying walked over and whispered, "Xiao Jiu, something has happened."

I jumped: "What?"

"Fang Yuan is dead." Li Qingying said, "He was fished out of the Zhu Pan River this morning, his flesh and skin rotted away, unrecognizable."

My heart gave a jolt.

Although I knew Fang Yuan would eventually die, that the Bai Family wouldn't let him off, I didn't expect him to die in such a gruesome way.

I had just opened my mouth to say something when a clear male voice came from outside: "May I ask, is Xiao Jiu Zhanggui here?"

I walked out with Li Qingying and saw a young man in all-white casual clothes standing at the entrance of Nan Shu Fang.

The man had red lips and white teeth, his skin so pale it seemed to let sunlight through; though he kept a crew cut, he lacked any heroic air, his deep, affectionate eyes unfathomable—he would look at a dog with tenderness, his whole body exuding an indescribable… yin‑soft aura.

Li Qingying whispered in my ear: "Xiao Jiu, they're from the Bai Family…"