The light screen dissipated quickly. Zhang Qiling pondered for a moment and seemed to understand its meaning.
As long as he wished, the spike could appear in his hand at any time, but for some reason, the item already in the warehouse could not be retrieved no matter what.
If it couldn't be retrieved, so be it. Zhang Qiling's curiosity wasn't particularly strong. He calmly tied the Qilin Cold Iron to the hilt of his saber and sat still, waiting for mealtime.
"Fatty ordered a new scabbard for you, Little Brother, from that shop where he was playing the lute. But it'll take a while to get it. They said it'll take at least ten days to arrive."
Wu Tianzhen, who was passing the task of picking vegetables, noticed the Black Gold Ancient Saber placed awkwardly on Zhang Qiling's knees and called out.
Seeing Zhang Qiling nod, Wu Tianzhen turned back to continue picking vegetables with relief. But just then, a thought struck him:
...Wait, didn't Fatty also say that the new scabbard he designed for Little Brother was low-key, luxurious, and meaningful? He wouldn't have inlaid all the remaining beads, would he?
...Damn it, didn't he blow through all the money Xiao Hua gave us?!
The shadow of poverty once again loomed over Wu Tianzhen. It wasn't that he was unwilling to spend money on Zhang's scabbard, but rather—
Wu Tianzhen felt that Zhang's scabbard, like his clothes, was a consumable item prone to wear and tear.
"Hey, it's not that I, Fatty, am bragging, but I'm considered quite a big shot over there now. The boss even bowed and said we could come over anytime to have tea and play with jade walnuts!"
Hearing Xiao Wu and Xiao Zhang outside discussing his proud item selection, Fatty, who was cooking, poked his head out from the kitchen:
"I think we brothers should wait until after dinner and go check it out together. It'll also give Little Brother a chance to give his opinions based on his preferences. What do you guys think?"
Zhang Qiling, who actually preferred a plain black scabbard: ... (hesitated to speak)
Fatty's words sparked some ideas in Wu Tianzhen. He showed a look of sudden realization, casually wiped the water off his hands with a rag, and went to his room to fetch something.
"Speaking of which, earlier Little Brother... ah, Little Brother, I'll tell you about this part later. Earlier, Little Brother gave me a snake horn in Yingzhou that could drive away aquatic creatures." Wu Tianzhen took out the jade-like horn. "It's not very convenient for me to carry it like this. Let's make it into a pendant for him later."
"That's fine too," Fatty agreed casually.
He turned to continue preparing his cilantro feast. To be honest, he secretly wanted to see if the amnesiac Zhang would suddenly develop a taste for cilantro.
However, when he turned back, he only saw a plump blue rabbit.
The fluffy ball was nestled among a pile of pots and pans, clearly having a feast. It seemed to have a particular fondness for cilantro, and the army of cilantro painstakingly prepared by Fatty had dwindled to less than ten percent.
Fatty: ... (slowly closed the kitchen door behind him and picked up a cleaver)
—
This antique shop, called "Ci Shan Ju" (Charity Residence), was two streets away. Unlike Wu Shan Ju, which was struggling to make ends meet due to its leisurely pace, this shop was renowned for the proprietor's masterful craftsmanship.
As the three of them sat in the backyard waiting for the proprietor to examine the snake horn, two or three groups of people had already purchased items from the shop with the help of the clerks.
"Good heavens, Tianzhen, shouldn't you learn from this?" Fatty teased Wu Tianzhen, raising the tea reserved for VIP customers and taking a large gulp. He then smacked his lips and spat out two tea leaves. "What is this stuff? Bitter and unpalatable. What kind of pretense is this drinking? It's not as good as a bottle of Erguotou!"
"You're truly like a bull chewing peonies," Wu Tianzhen demonstrated his smooth tea-drinking technique, then his face contorted from the bitterness. He swallowed the tea with difficulty and said after a moment of silence, "How about giving me mineral water instead?"
"But speaking of which, this place is truly luxurious. Even the backyard has carved beams and jade pillars, and every ornament looks valuable," Wu Tianzhen observed his surroundings. Although the backyard was merely a reception area, it was filled with ornate shelves, each item on them appearing to be an antique.
...Compared to the restrained elegance of the Xie family's mansion, this place looked more like a nouveau riche flaunting their wealth to customers.
Wu Tianzhen recalled the proprietor again. Unlike the scholarly aura of most shop owners, the proprietor of this establishment, despite naming his shop "Ci Shan Ju," had a shifty, beady-eyed appearance.
Around forty to fifty years old, with a hunched posture and a sallow complexion that made one suspect he might have some hidden ailment, a large mole adorned the side of his eight-character mustache.
...No, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
Wu Tianzhen silently chided himself for his shallowness and took another sip of tea to calm his nerves, his expression instantly twisting.
While Wu and Fatty were engaged in their comedic banter, Zhang Qiling sat quietly by the side, like a handsome decorative piece.
The Black Gold Ancient Saber, lacking a scabbard, had its sharpness difficult to contain. It was unceremoniously wrapped in a sack and placed on the ground.
Fatty had temporarily procured those sacks from the kitchen, flour sacks that were tightly sealed and light-proof. The only issue was the excess flour inside, which had coated the Black Gold Ancient Saber.
Black Gold Ancient Saber: ...
Zhang Qiling was accustomed to holding his saber when spacing out. Without his saber to hold, he could only cross his arms and lower his head, looking like a displeased cool kid.
As his wandering gaze slowly swept over the shelves placed around, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.
...In a distant corner, there seemed to be something that subtly attracted him.
"Little Brother? Where are you going?" Wu Tianzhen, mid-conversation, saw Zhang Qiling suddenly stand up for some reason, his gaze focused as he walked directly in one direction.
Although he didn't know what Zhang Qiling had seen, out of concern, Wu Tianzhen instinctively got up and followed him. By the time he reached Zhang Qiling's side, Zhang Qiling had already picked up the item.
The item didn't seem to be highly valued by the shop's proprietor; it was already covered in a layer of dust.
But the moment Wu Tianzhen saw it, his mind buzzed, and he felt his vision go starry. An intense, uncontrollable surge of anger and fear instantly overwhelmed his reason.
"What is it? If our Little Brother likes it, just buy it!" Fatty, though he hadn't drunk any alcohol, seemed as if he had, and boomed as he walked over. He hadn't even seen the item clearly yet, but he was already boasting.
But when he saw it clearly, his steps suddenly froze.
Fatty glanced at Wu Tianzhen instantly, suppressed himself, and felt an uncontainable surge of anger:
"Damn it!"
Who would have thought that in this inconspicuous shop, in this inconspicuous corner, a Ghost Seal was quietly placed?!
At this moment, Zhang Qiling looked down at the Ghost Seal. The ink-black seal was covered in dust, but under his gaze, it seemed to be re-infused with life and slowly began to glow.