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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 40: Evil Jade Entwined (Part Four)
Gousi glanced at me, his expression darkening as he asked, "This was given to me by a friend last year. He said it was a piece of ancient jade that is difficult to authenticate. But it doesn't look like ancient jade to me; it seems more like a replica of Han Dynasty jade. The quality looks decent, so I gave it to Yu since she liked it. Could there be a problem with this jade as well?"
"Yes!" I carefully sealed the Evil Jade with a talisman and handed him the talisman water, instructing him to sprinkle it at the foot of Yu's bed and then pour it directly into her mouth. Seeing that there was still time and that things were not so simple, I asked Gousi to take me to see other items—his collection of antiques from tomb raiding.
"Is Yu going to be okay?"
"Her situation is not that simple. For someone who has already lost half their life, recovery won't be easy. She needs to survive until midnight to truly be out of danger."
Now, Gousi had completely shed the imposing demeanor typical of someone from the underworld. He began treating me politely like an ordinary person. When we left, he even tidied up Yu's clothes. I never expected that a renowned Tomb Raider, who dared to loot corpses and enter tombs on dark, windy nights, would be so considerate towards his beloved.
Thinking about Mi, I felt ashamed in comparison. I couldn't even measure up to half of Gousi's kindness. My eyes inexplicably grew moist.
As we exited Yu's room, I saw Brother Ma and Sister Zhu quietly sitting in the living room, showing no signs of dissatisfaction despite Gousi's neglect. When they saw us come out, they respectfully called out, " Gousi."
Gousi merely nodded slightly without speaking to them. Instead, he pointed at me and said, "The tomb we found dates back to the Han Dynasty, but it's actually an empty tomb—there's no body inside the coffin, nor any noble remains. The only things I found are these antiques on the table; they were all placed in the coffin of the tomb owner: a dark green inkstone, a purple jade guardian lion, and this painting by an unknown artist. You can take a closer look."
I stepped forward but refrained from touching anything. These items of unknown origin were tainted with varying degrees of Evil Energy, so I couldn't risk touching them carelessly.
If these items were free from Evil Energy and considering Gousi's claim that the tomb was from the Han Dynasty, then these three antiques must be priceless treasures. Preserved in such good condition, they could fetch an astonishing price if sold.
However, this was clearly not the time for generosity or admiration for treasures; the immediate priority was to eliminate the source of Evil Energy in his home.
With this thought in mind, I closed my eyes again and employed my previous technique. Raising my hand, I summoned a burst of blue flames from my fingertips. Then I performed a feint with Eighteen Cubes; under the illumination of Purgatory Flame, Evil Energy became visible. I could hear the continuous whistling sounds as streams of Evil Energy were drawn into Eighteen Cubes.
The entire room was filled with antiques; those infused with Evil Energy were genuine, while those without it were fakes. I couldn't understand how someone like Gousi could be fooled, but thankfully, that had nothing to do with me. I needed to focus on my tasks and then attend to my own matters.
To be honest, if it weren't for the favor owed to Thank You, Master, I wouldn't tolerate Xie Ke's reckless behavior of making decisions without consulting anyone. Even if it were Wang Laozi, I, Ma Qi, would refuse to acknowledge it. After all, Thank You, Master was familiar with my grandfather; he helped me, and I had to repay that kindness.
Even if I didn't repay it now, I would have to do so in the future.
After collecting the Evil Energy, a talisman of righteousness burned under the Purgatory Flame, ensuring that Gousi's family remained peaceful and undisturbed. In an instant, the dim lighting brightened significantly. Brother Ma and Sister Zhu exchanged surprised glances at the crystal chandelier before looking back at Gousi, who was frowning and continuously smoking one cigarette after another; this was already his fifth in such a short time.
"Have you figured anything out?" Noticing everyone's gaze fixed on him, Gousi twitched his lips and forcefully extinguished his cigarette, trying to suppress his anxiety as he asked.
" Gousi. Have you offended anyone recently? Or did you offend someone three months ago? Think carefully."
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you just passed through a Han Dynasty tomb. Logically speaking, the items inside should also be antiques from the Han Dynasty. However, aside from what’s on your table... I'm afraid everything else is just fake."
"That's impossible." Gousi couldn't believe someone would dare deceive him, a Tomb Raider. His expression darkened instantly, resembling an enraged beast. His emotions surged as he widened his eyes; he looked even more terrifying than he had in the mourning hall, as if he could breathe fire at any moment. He spoke each word with intensity. "Are you implying that she has no hope left? Or are you questioning my professionalism? As a Tomb Raider, I trust my eyes and my experience; no one can easily deceive me..."
I shook my head and calmly asked, "What benefit would I gain from doing this? You should know that sometimes eyes and experience can be misleading; all it takes is a simple illusion."
Before Gousi could react in shock, I grabbed an ancient-looking object next to a dark green inkstone and made a dramatic gesture—throwing it forcefully to the ground.
Smash—
The antique-looking object was instantly smashed to pieces by me. At the same time, Gousi's remaining pride and face as a grown man were shattered. He suddenly became a little manic, even hysterical. It was not clear whether it was because of his illness or because the antique was broken. Heartbroken, he said viciously: "Grandma's, the person who dares to fool me has not been born yet." I looked at Brother Ma and Sister Zhu. They both had complicated expressions on their faces, as if they were ready to kill someone. Judging from their words and deeds, I guess who could make them angry and want to kill someone like this? It shouldn’t be Xie Ke, Xie Ke and Thank you, Master run a car repair shop. They seem to have a good relationship with them, but they won’t make any fakes to fool Gousi. I think the person who can fool Gousi must be a prominent, powerful person who can make all the difference in City A. So who is this person? Gousi seemed unwilling to delve further into this matter. In a blink of an eye, his anger disappeared and he asked me about what could help me escape. I think she won't be able to truly escape until bedtime tonight. So it's useless to rush now. All we have to do is wait. Gousi After hearing this, I felt a little calmer, but also a little nervous, and kept asking me what I needed to prepare.
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