Chapter 151 – Extra 12 – Baijia Buddha 2

Wei Yang woke up at eight o’clock, took a shower, had breakfast, and spent a long time cuddling with someone. His back no longer ached, and his legs no longer felt weak. Full of energy, he drove to Treasure House with the Little Celestial Master in tow.

Including the previous job they had taken for the Shuirui Group, it had been a while since they last visited Treasure House. As soon as they walked in, Heipi greeted them enthusiastically, slinging an arm over Wei Yang’s shoulder and saying with a smile, “Ah Yang, it’s been a while. How did that last job go? My Uncle Qi has been asking about it. You really should drop by more often, you know, since we’re neighbors and all…”

Before Heipi could finish, he felt a chill run down his spine. Turning around, he saw the Little Celestial Master standing behind him, his handsome face slightly furrowed, his gaze sharp as a blade. With his naturally cold and aloof demeanor, the added expression made him even more intimidating. Confused by the glare, Heipi instinctively shrank back and leaned in to whisper something in Wei Yang’s ear. However, Wei Yang coughed lightly and extricated himself from Heipi’s overfamiliar grasp, smiling innocently, “Brother Ming, no need to butter me up. Just tell me what’s going on. We’re old friends, after all. If there’s something we can help with, we definitely won’t refuse.”

With that, Heipi immediately forgot his earlier confusion and coughed slightly, looking a bit embarrassed. “Well, we’ve run into some trouble recently, and I might need your help to take a look. Let’s talk upstairs.”

Following Heipi upstairs, Wei Yang immediately spotted the yellow-haired young man lounging in a chair, dressed in his usual ripped, hole-riddled clothes, his hairstyle even more “edgy” than before. Liu Qu was idly chewing gum, looking utterly bored. Without needing an explanation, Wei Yang immediately understood the source of the “trouble.” No wonder Heipi looked so distressed and was trying to cozy up to him—it seemed this “next generation of the Liu Family” had stirred up some mess again.

Seeing Liu Qu’s slouched posture, Heipi’s mouth twitched, and he forced a smile as he said to Wei Yang, “Ah Yang, this time it’s all because Xiao Qu’er was a bit too overconfident, and it’s caused some trouble that’s not easy to deal with. We were hoping you could help set up a formation…”

“Tch, what formation?” Liu Qu, still lounging in his chair, interrupted with a loud pop of his gum. “If you ask me, we shouldn’t even sell him anything. It’s not like we’re short on cash. With that idiot’s attitude, I don’t even want to give him anything!”

“Liu Qu!” Heipi’s forehead was practically bulging with veins. “This isn’t just about you anymore! Can you afford to tarnish the Liu Family’s reputation?”

At this shout, Liu Qu huffed but didn’t say anything more. Heipi let out a deep sigh, gestured for Wei Yang and Zhang Xiuqi to sit down, and began to explain the situation in detail.

It turned out that while there were many skilled jade carvers nowadays, the more skilled ones tended to stick to traditional styles, which didn’t always align with the tastes of the younger wealthy generation. As a result, Liu Qu, with his innovative and unconventional approach, had garnered a fair bit of attention. His choice of materials and creativity were particularly impressive, and coupled with the Liu Family’s long-standing reputation, business wasn’t hard to come by.

After the Eight Deities of the Heavenly Realm statue he had worked on last time, Liu Qu had developed an interest in Buddhist carvings. He had acquired a rare piece of high-quality black jade and spent over half a year crafting a Vajra of Purification statue. The carving was so striking that it was quickly bought by a collector who had some connections with the Liu Family. If things had stopped there, it would have been just an ordinary transaction, and the piece might even appreciate in value over the decades. However, less than two weeks later, the buyer came back, claiming that the statue was causing bad luck.

Of course, this wasn’t stated directly. It took some probing before Heipi found out the real issue. According to the buyer, after bringing the statue home, Master Sang’s residence had started experiencing problems. Being somewhat superstitious, Master Sang had consulted a Feng Shui master, who pointed to the statue as the source of the problem. The Feng Shui master claimed that the statue had disrupted the harmony of the house, leading to these strange occurrences. Following the master’s advice, Master Sang rearranged the Feng Shui of his home and locked the statue away in a cabinet. However, instead of improving, the situation escalated, resulting in a series of bloody accidents. Desperate, Master Sang went back to the Feng Shui master, only to be met with evasiveness. The master hinted that the statue was too powerful and that he alone couldn’t suppress it, suggesting that the original owner should be contacted to resolve the issue.

And so, the matter circled back to the Liu Family. Master Sang was now convinced that there must be something wrong with the jade used in the statue, but he didn’t dare to simply give it away or even move it. In the end, he had no choice but to approach the Liu Family, hoping they could “take back” the statue.

The word used was “take back,” not “return.” They didn’t even want their money back—they just wanted the Liu Family to resolve the issue. On the surface, this seemed extremely polite, but if the Liu Family were to take the statue back, regardless of whether Master Sang’s family continued to have problems, the rumor that “Liu Family’s jade carvings are cursed” would be set in stone. The collector’s circle wasn’t large, and with a few enthusiasts spreading the word, Liu Qu’s reputation in the industry would be ruined. Jade art was already a field full of superstitions, and with such an inauspicious label attached, who would dare to buy his work?

Faced with this situation, Heipi didn’t dare to act rashly. In the end, he had no choice but to turn to Wei Yang. Only he and the Little Celestial Master could resolve the issue and clear Liu Qu’s name.

After listening to Heipi’s detailed explanation, Wei Yang hummed thoughtfully and suddenly asked Liu Qu, “Ah Qu, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with the jade?”

Liu Qu immediately flared up, sitting up straight. “I worked on that piece for over half a year! I even made a few smaller pieces from the leftover material, and none of them have any issues! That jade is genuine, straight from the mine, and it was personally vetted by the old man. There’s no way there’s a problem! It’s all those charlatans causing trouble!”

Heipi coughed and quickly cut off Liu Qu, speaking seriously, “But there’s something strange about this. Master Sang’s family has indeed been hit with a series of misfortunes. First, his son got into a car accident and broke a rib. Then, their housekeeper fell from the stairs for no reason and nearly lost her life. Later, his wife and daughter were hospitalized one after another. Now, no one dares to stay in the house.”

After listening carefully, Wei Yang nodded. “So, this is likely a genuine supernatural case. Not only do we need to resolve the paranormal activity in Master Sang’s home, but we also need to clear Ah Qu’s jade carving of any suspicion?”

Heipi looked a bit embarrassed. This was the crux of the matter. If it were just about setting up a scam to deceive the buyer, he had plenty of people he could call on. But if this was truly related to malevolent spirits, it wouldn’t be something that could be handled with a simple con. Having grown up in an antique family, Heipi had heard countless stories about the supernatural. No one understood the risks associated with the antiques trade better than he did. So, this matter had to be handled, and it had to be handled flawlessly. Any mistake on any front would leave him in a difficult position.

After some thought, Heipi finally sighed and said, “Ah Yang, you and Master Zhang are the only real experts I know. This matter is incredibly complicated, and after thinking it over, I can only turn to you. Xiao Qu’er is truly talented, and I can’t bear to see him get ruined like this.”

Glancing at the still somewhat fuming yellow-haired youth sitting nearby, Wei Yang chuckled. “Since it’s your matter, Brother Ming, we naturally won’t refuse. But to handle this case, we’ll need to do some preparation. And if we succeed…”

“Of course! The payment won’t be an issue!” Heipi immediately replied. His family was truly not short on money, and to protect a promising talent like Liu Qu, they wouldn’t hesitate to spend.

Wei Yang, however, waved his hand. “Brother Ming, you misunderstand. Money isn’t the main concern. I genuinely admire Ah Qu’s craftsmanship. If I come across any good materials in the future, could I ask Ah Qu to work on them?”

Liu Qu snorted. “Even if this matter doesn’t get resolved, if you have good materials, I’ll still carve them for you.”

Wei Yang laughed. “With Ah Qu’s word, we’ll definitely get this done.”

Seeing Wei Yang’s relaxed demeanor, Heipi finally felt the weight lift from his heart. He then asked, “What about the preparations? Do you need us to help with anything? Any materials, just say the word.”

Wei Yang smiled lightly. “There’s no need to trouble you with these small things. We’ll take a look around at noon and head over in the afternoon. How does that sound?”

“No problem!” Heipi replied decisively.

With the matter settled, Wei Yang didn’t linger. He smiled and bid farewell to Heipi and Liu Qu, then left with the Little Celestial Master. He drove straight to the city center, as he did indeed need to prepare some things.

Twenty minutes later, in the central department store.

Wei Yang leisurely browsed through the racks of clothes, ignoring the sales assistant’s incessant chatter. He picked out a very formal suit and handed it to Zhang Xiuqi. “Brother Qi, try this on.”

Holding the suit, Zhang Xiuqi frowned slightly. This wasn’t quite what he had in mind when Wei Yang mentioned “preparations.” Wei Yang, however, blinked at him with a smile. “This isn’t just a simple supernatural case. We need to look convincing. Go try it on. I’ve never seen you in a suit before.”

Seeing Wei Yang’s eager expression, Zhang Xiuqi didn’t hesitate and stepped into the fitting room. Wei Yang continued to browse the store. This wasn’t just a whim. Since Zhang Xiuqi was planning to stay at Jieshui Studio long-term, the number of cases they would handle together would inevitably increase. While casual clothes were convenient, they lacked a certain gravitas. And in situations where supernatural skills weren’t the focus, that gravitas was crucial. This case would be a good test run.

While Wei Yang was lost in thought, the fitting room door opened, and the sales assistant’s voice suddenly became an octave higher. “Sir~ Your sneakers might not match the suit. We have dress shoes here. Would you like to try them on?”

Was she really that smitten? Wei Yang turned around with a smile, curious to see what had caused the sales assistant to change her tone. However, as soon as he saw the sight before him, his smile froze. Standing in front of the full-length mirror was a tall, upright figure. The high-end suit fit perfectly, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The tailored trousers made his long legs even more striking, and even the sneakers seemed like a trendy accessory rather than a mismatched choice. His slightly disheveled hair added a touch of rugged charm, and combined with his handsome face, he looked like a born aristocrat.

This was nothing like what Wei Yang had imagined.

Swallowing hard, Wei Yang quickly walked over to Zhang Xiuqi. Seeing his partner, the Little Celestial Master’s furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he said softly, “It’s not very comfortable for movement.”

Having grown accustomed to casual clothes, it was natural that he wouldn’t like the restrictive formal wear. However, before he could say anything more, Wei Yang wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back into the fitting room.

Completely confused, Zhang Xiuqi asked, “Does it not look good?”

Wei Yang had already opened the door, pushed him inside, and gritted his teeth. “It looks too good. I don’t want anyone else seeing it. Brother Qi, change out of it quickly. We’ll try something else…”

Before Zhang Xiuqi could react, the fitting room door closed in front of him. Looking down at the crisp white shirt cuffs peeking out from the suit sleeves, a faint smile appeared on his typically expressionless face.

Closing the door behind him, Wei Yang gave the sales assistant, who was now holding a pair of shiny dress shoes, a wry smile. “We’re in a hurry. We’ll try something else.”

After sending the infatuated sales assistant away, Wei Yang walked around the store with a headache. Who would have thought that a formal suit could look so good on someone? When he wore a suit, he looked like a professional, but on Zhang Xiuqi, it was pure male model material. That wasn’t the look they were going for in a case like this. But then again, that suit did look really good. Maybe they could buy it and try it on at home… Lost in his thoughts for a moment, Wei Yang suddenly remembered why he was here. After another round of the store with a headache, he finally made up his mind and picked out two shirts and a pair of jeans, handing them to the sales assistant. “We’ll take these, plus the suit he just tried on. Wrap them up.”

The sales assistant clearly wasn’t too pleased. Such a handsome man, and she really wanted to see him try on more outfits. However, the items in this store weren’t cheap, and in the end, money outweighed beauty. Without further ado, she quickly took the clothes to ring them up. Meanwhile, Zhang Xiuqi emerged from the fitting room and asked, “No more trying on?”

“No more,” Wei Yang grumbled. “We’ll have Uncle Sun’s tailor make you a couple of layman’s robes. We’ll go for the mysterious look, no need for flashy stuff.”

Seeing Wei Yang’s expression, Zhang Xiuqi’s lips curled into a faint smile. The sales assistant had already processed the payment and asked Wei Yang to settle the bill. Without hesitation, Wei Yang swiped his card. Zhang Xiuqi glanced at the bag and raised an eyebrow. “Are we still getting that suit?”

“Yes, we’ll wear it at home,” Wei Yang said, pinching Zhang Xiuqi’s waist. He picked up the bag and gestured toward the exit. “Let’s grab some food first. After that, we’ll find a layman’s robe to use for now.”

Zhang Xiuqi nodded and followed Wei Yang out of the store. As they walked through the bustling mall, he suddenly reached out and slung an arm over Wei Yang’s shoulder, just as Heipi had done earlier. Feeling the warmth of Zhang Xiuqi’s hand on his shoulder, Wei Yang stiffened for a moment before breaking into a smile. This kind of “buddy-buddy” gesture was something his Brother Qi had never done before.

Without hesitation, Wei Yang reached out and wrapped an arm around Zhang Xiuqi’s waist. Arm in arm, the two walked toward the nearby restaurant.