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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Kong had not slept a wink that night, frightened by the events that had transpired, while Sun Man, the local official of Mou Shui, also spent the night awake, but for a different reason—he was lovesick.
Early in the morning, Sun Man changed into casual clothes and left the Yamen, heading east. After a short while, he stopped in front of a small establishment called Ba Bao Zhai.
Sun Man stood still for a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile and waved to someone not far away. "Come here, over here!"
In just a moment, a person approached Sun Man. He was thin and haggard, his skin wrinkled like dried orange peel. Dressed in white, he was none other than the fallen gentleman Li Changjiang.
Sun Man leaned in and whispered, "Do you have the items with you?"
Seeing Li Changjiang nod, Sun Man's plump face lit up with an even brighter smile, resembling a blooming white bun. "You need money, and here in Mou Shui city, I'm the only one who can afford to buy your treasures."
Li Changjiang sighed softly and nodded again.
Sun Man continued with a grin, "The innkeeper of this Antique Mat Shop is an old acquaintance of mine. He knows quite a bit about antiques; let him take a look at your treasure and help me assess its authenticity." With that, he pulled Li Changjiang into the shop.
The shop was small but filled with various items. Shelves were lined with porcelain bowls and plates, with the more expensive pieces displayed on higher iron racks, separated by an elegant screen.
As Sun Man entered, a person hurried over to greet him. This individual wore scholarly robes but appeared somewhat sickly; his dim eyes and gaunt cheeks made him look almost as frail as Li Changjiang.
This man was Bai Yiming. Once an educated scholar with some promise of entering officialdom years ago, he had been thwarted by others' schemes and lost his chance at a government position.
As his career faded away, so did his family's fortunes. Once one of the notable families in Mou Shui city, they now barely managed to survive through this small Antique Mat Shop.
Bai Yiming did not particularly enjoy Sun Man's visits to his shop; Sun Man had a reputation for taking advantage of others and always left with something extra. Thus, every time Bai Yiming saw Sun Man, he felt an itch of resentment deep within.
"Hey, Lao Bai," Sun Man chuckled, "you don't need to worry about your little trinkets this time. I'm here to show you a treasure."
Bai Yiming's murky gaze brightened at once. "I wonder what kind of treasure Master Sun wants to show me?"
Sun Man smiled mysteriously and patted Li Changjiang on the shoulder. "Changjiang, hurry up and take out the treasure so that Shookeeper Bai can have a good look."
Li Changjiang hesitated, whispering to Sun Man, "My lord, isn't this a bit inappropriate? If he spreads the word, it could harm your reputation."
Sun Man paused slightly before turning to Bai Yiming with a grin. "I'm not worried about that. Lao Bai is my dear friend of many years and wouldn't gossip. Besides, those who do tend to meet unfortunate ends. Isn't that right, Lao Bai?"
Bai Yiming quickly bowed and assured him, "Of course, of course! Anyone who dares to say a word will surely lose their tongue."
With no more hesitation, Li Changjiang took out a Purple Wood Box from his robe and handed it to Sun Man.
Sun Man turned and passed the Purple Wood Box to Bai Yiming, his tone serious. "You take a good look at this."
Bai Yiming nodded in agreement as he accepted the box and opened it. Inside lay a palm-sized piece of white jade, with a faint pink dragon mark on the back that instantly captivated Bai Yiming's attention. His previously dull eyes now sparkled with light, growing brighter by the moment. His speech became less coherent as he murmured, "This is a thousand-year-old ancient jade—'Blood Dragon Jade'!"
Sun Man pressed further, "Are you sure? Is there no mistake?"
Bai Yiming slowly nodded, gently caressing the jade with utmost delicacy, as if touching the skin of his most beloved woman. "Just from its appearance, I can say there's an eighty to ninety percent chance it's genuine."
Sun Man felt a surge of joy upon hearing this and asked, "And what about the remaining one or two percent?"
Bai Yiming's gaze sparkled like stars as he shook his head slightly and said, "We need to take some measures to confirm." He then swiftly exited Ba Bao Zhai, returning shortly with two white bowls in hand. One contained half a bowl of thick, viscous blood, its pungent odor overwhelming, while the other was empty.
Sun Man looked on in confusion.
Bai Yiming quickly pointed to the bowl filled with blood and explained, "This bowl contains goat blood that I obtained from the tavern across the street. You may not know, but the pink marks on the Blood Dragon Jade are stained with the blood of a thousand souls, soaked in it five hundred years ago by the King of Yau. The jade itself is quite extraordinary, and this Blood Dragon Jade is even more so. Once it has absorbed the blood of a thousand souls, it will gradually absorb human blood when it comes into contact with it, turning an even deeper red. However, if it is not human blood, it will not absorb at all. To determine whether this jade is indeed Blood Dragon Jade, we simply need to see if it can absorb human blood."
Sun Man nodded in realization and said, "Then let's not waste any time; hurry up and do it."
Bai Yiming's expression turned troubled as he replied, "I have brought the goat blood, but I have no place to obtain human blood."
Hearing this, Sun Man turned to Li Changjiang. Noticing the strange yet amused look in Sun Man's eyes, Li Changjiang couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing he could not escape this predicament.
Bai Yiming quickly took a small knife and made a small cut on Li Changjiang's fingertip, allowing enough blood to fill half a bowl.
Sun Man could hardly wait any longer. "Quickly, pour in the human blood!"
With no other choice, Bai Yiming dropped the jade into the bowl filled with human blood with a soft 'ding.'
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