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墨書 Inktalez
He suddenly felt reluctant to deceive the girl, so he spoke up, "Actually, we didn't come here today to donate anything to the museum. Instead, we would like to ask for your help in selling us something."
Mu Xuanche raised an eyebrow, remaining silent.
Shangguan Chenxi's expression turned a bit awkward, but she quickly replied, "I'm sorry, but the museum does not engage in any buying or selling of antiques. I hope you can understand."
Bai Qiling pressed on, "What about that broken compass in the exhibition hall? It's already shattered. Repairing it will be difficult, so why not sell it to us? You can set any price you want."
Shangguan Chenxi looked troubled and asked, "You saw it too; the compass is broken. What use would it be to you?"
Mu Xuanche grew impatient and stated bluntly, "That's none of your concern. Just sell it to us; you can name your price. With the money from selling the compass, you could buy a few antiques to display in your exhibition case. This way, you wouldn't just avoid a loss; you'd actually profit. What's wrong with that?"
Shangguan Chenxi replied seriously, "Antiques are not mere commodities. My father dedicated his life to ensuring that lost antiques could shine with their own value in the museum. Antiques represent a country's cultural heritage; it's a matter of spirit. Your attitude is simply inappropriate. I'm sorry, but I cannot sell you these fragments. I would rather spend more money to have them restored!"
Shangguan Chenxi's words were resolute, and Mu Xuanche's face darkened as the atmosphere in the room grew tense.
Bai Qiling tried to ease the situation, saying, "How about this? Sister Shangguan, why don't you leave us a contact number? We can discuss this further later. It's our first meeting today, and neither side knows much about the other. Perhaps our words weren't quite right; my brother here tends to be straightforward, so please don't take offense."
Shangguan Chenxi already had a good impression of Bai Qiling—perhaps even love at first sight—so when her crush stepped in to mediate, she had no reason not to give him an opportunity.
She took a business card from her handbag and handed it to Bai Qiling. "Sure, I hope we can have a pleasant chat next time we meet."
Bai Qiling smiled gently. "Absolutely! I won't take up any more of your time, Sister Shangguan."
Bai Qiling then pulled the cold-faced Mu Xuanche along with the burly man and Yan Shengwei out of the office.
Once outside, Bai Qiling comforted Mu Xuanche, knowing he must be angry at that moment. Having lived for over a thousand years as a unique existence, being blocked by a woman like this would surely provoke his temper.
"Father, this is Mr. Bai Qiling, this is Mr. Mu, and this is Sister Gu," Shangguan Chenxi introduced Mu Xuanche and his companions to her father one by one.
Because Shangguan Chenxi had already spoken with her father on the phone while in the car, Mr. Shangguan was aware of the purpose of our visit.
Mr. Shangguan appeared gentle and kind as he introduced himself, "My name is Shangguan Jinhong, and I am the Director of Ying City Museum."
It was still Bai Qiling who took the lead. He extended his hand and said, "Hello, Mr. Shangguan."
After the two exchanged polite handshakes, they got straight to the point.
Shangguan Jinhong spoke first, "I understand that you, Mr. Bai, and this Mr. Mu are interested in the Compass Fragment from my museum?"
Bai Qiling nodded politely, "Yes, I believe Sister Shangguan has informed you about my other unusual profession. I am an Exorcist. There are certain things within the Compass Fragment that I urgently need."
Shangguan Jinhong seemed momentarily lost in thought and did not respond immediately.
My nature was not one to remain quiet for long, so I gently called out, "Mr. Shangguan?"
Shangguan Jinhong snapped back to attention, offering an apologetic smile before saying, "I'm sorry; your words reminded me of some family matters."
Thinking about family matters? Could it be that something unusual had happened to his family as well?
However, none of us pressed further. After all, it was a personal matter for him, and probing would be quite impolite.
Bai Qiling courteously indicated that he did not mind, and then Shangguan Jinhong continued, "All the collections in Ying City Museum come from two sources: my own collection and donations from outside. This museum is actually private; it belongs to me. However, this Compass cannot be considered mine; I only have the right to exhibit and protect it. I cannot handle anything regarding this Compass without permission; this was a condition set by its owner when I agreed to display it."
Shangguan Chenxi, who had been silent until now, was taken aback by her father's words. He had never mentioned any taboos regarding this Compass to her.
Hearing Shangguan Jinhong's words stirred a sense of frustration within me. I had initially thought that obtaining the Compass Fragment would not be difficult once we arrived here, but now it seemed that acquiring it would require finding another person first.
It was truly troublesome.
Bai Qiling rarely showed signs of irritation after encountering Shangguan Chenxi during this period.
This matter had too many twists and turns; it was originally a problem that could have been solved with an Illusion. Just because of his rare gentlemanly behavior and a moment of compassion, numerous complications arose. Faced with Shangguan Chenxi's already straightforward affection, he had to think about how to reject her in a way that wouldn’t hurt her feelings.
If I hadn’t been rescued at this moment, Bai Qiling really wouldn’t know how to explain all these troubles to Mu Xuanche.
Shangguan Jinhong continued, "The fragments of the compass have already been sent to its owner; I am truly powerless."
Shangguan Chenxi couldn’t bear to see her beloved unhappy, so she urgently called out to Shangguan Jinhong, "Father."
Then she spoke softly and anxiously, "Mr. Bai and the others really need these Compass Fragments; you must think of a way."
Shangguan Jinhong felt helpless. His obedient daughter had completely forgotten about her father now that she had someone she cared for. For the sake of a man, she was pressuring her old father. Anyone could see that Shangguan Chenxi was head over heels. Unfortunately, Bai Qiling maintained his distance from her while being polite and considerate enough that no one could find fault.
"It's not that I don't want to give it to you, but if I had the authority, I would definitely do so. The problem is that I currently have no authority, and the compass has truly been sent away."
Seeing our disappointed expressions, Shangguan Jinhong suggested, "If you really want this Compass Fragment, perhaps I can take you to its owner's house. At that point, whether it succeeds or not is beyond my prediction, but I will have done my part; the rest is up to you."
I looked delighted. Meeting Mu Xuanche's gaze, I quickly said, "Then we will trouble Mr. Shangguan!"
Shangguan Jinhong drove us for quite a while until it grew late. I carefully observed that we must be at least outside the Fifth Ring of B City.
The car reached the outskirts; the road had been desolate for a long time when suddenly an ancient-style building appeared. From the outside, one could already sense that the interior was quite spacious.
As we were about to arrive, Shangguan Jinhong made a phone call to the owner of the compass: "Hello? Xun Lao, it's me, Su Ze."
Su Ze must be the courtesy name of Shangguan Jinhong. Shangguan Jinhong is not very old, yet he shows great respect towards Xun Lao and refers to himself with a courtesy name, indicating he considers himself a junior. It seems that Xun Lao is indeed older and holds a higher status.
Over there, someone said something, and Shangguan Jinhong replied in surprise, "Yes, Xun Lao truly has remarkable insight."
The car had already arrived at the entrance, driven by Mu Xuanche. At first, I thought he was preparing to park, but the intricately carved iron gate suddenly opened.
Mu Xuanche did not pause and drove straight in. There was only one main road without any branches, but many paths for pedestrians. Once inside, I noticed the environment was exquisite; the trees were lush and green, flowers were in full bloom, and even those that did not belong to this season were blooming vibrantly.
The pavilions and towers resembled those in ancient times, constructed almost entirely of wood without any steel or concrete.
Mu Xuanche drove to the end of the road, where there was a parking lot that could accommodate about five cars.
While sitting in the car earlier, I had not been idle. I realized that the architectural layout here was not simple. Although I had learned some formations related to Gossip from my master within the Five Elements, I found it impossible to see through what I observed from the car.
After Mu Xuanche parked the car, I got out and stood beside him, saying, "Mu Xuanche, there’s something off about this place; we need to be cautious."
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