Chapter 37 – Making Amends

Wei Yang slept deeply that night. The dizziness and exhaustion that had plagued him earlier had completely vanished, leaving him feeling content and at ease. However, his biological clock had been trained by the Little Celestial Master over the past few days, and as usual, he woke up promptly around six in the morning.

But when he opened his eyes, he was startled. Zhang Xiuqi, who usually slept as stiff as a coffin board, had changed his posture. Not only was he lying on his side, but his face was also turned toward Wei Yang. As a result, when Wei Yang opened his eyes, their faces were almost touching, creating an awkward situation. Wei Yang’s lips twitched, and he nearly rolled off the bed to prove his innocence. However, the sharp observation skills of a seasoned swindler like him quickly noticed something was off. A dried, transparent trail ran down Zhang Xiuqi’s cheek and disappeared into his hairline, as if he had been quietly crying in his sleep, leaving a faint tear mark.

This… this didn’t seem right. Anxiety immediately replaced the awkwardness. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, Wei Yang was well aware of this iceberg’s temperament. Zhang Xiuqi wouldn’t even frown if his shoulder was pierced by a Yellow Husk, so how could he have been crying secretly in the middle of the night without even wiping his face? Yet, the tear mark was unmistakable, adding a strange, heart-wrenching quality to his calm and handsome face. Unable to help himself, Wei Yang reached out and tentatively pushed Zhang Xiuqi’s shoulder. “Brother Qi, Brother Qi, are you okay?”

It was still a few minutes before Zhang Xiuqi’s usual waking time, but the moment Wei Yang touched his shoulder, Zhang Xiuqi opened his eyes. Those dark eyes were as calm and emotionless as ever. Faced with such a gaze, Wei Yang suddenly felt awkward and coughed lightly. “Brother Qi, are you feeling unwell? Were you injured while dealing with the evil entity yesterday?”

However, Zhang Xiuqi didn’t respond to Wei Yang’s cautious inquiry. He simply looked at him quietly for a moment, then got up from the bed and walked toward the bathroom. Well, that was part of his daily routine. Wei Yang’s lips twitched as he withdrew his hand, which had been hanging in mid-air. It seemed there was nothing seriously wrong with him, but the scare had been real.

As Wei Yang thought about it more, he began to feel uneasy all over. Why did seeing the iceberg cry make him feel so heartbroken? It was as if his pet had been wronged, and his heart ached in response. Was this a normal reaction to a roommate? That was a Little Celestial Master, not a police dog he was fostering at home!

Wei Yang shook his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of the strange thought. It seemed he couldn’t afford to take any chances. Not only should he avoid encountering such situations in the future, but even waking up face-to-face like this every morning was far too inappropriate. He needed to seriously consider buying a new bed. With that resolve, he got out of bed, but before he could steady himself, he nearly tripped over something. Lao Ye was squatting by the bed, his beady eyes wide open, looking thoroughly displeased.

“Ancestor,” Wei Yang groaned, “why are you up so early too, and why are you glaring at me? Did you secretly bite Brother Qi last night? Ow! Don’t bite me!”

Completely baffled by the turtle’s sudden anger, Wei Yang coaxed and cajoled until he finally managed to calm Lao Ye down. He couldn’t help but feel that today was off to a bad start. Was it because he had made a fortune yesterday that he was destined to face some misfortune today? If only he had learned some real skills back in the day, he might have been able to divine something useful now. Scratching his head in frustration, he obediently headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the two of them.

However, the streak of bad luck didn’t seem to continue. After breakfast, the two of them arrived at Jieshui Studio as usual. As soon as they entered, Sun Muhua eagerly approached them. “Brother Qi! Did someone from Sunshine Andrology offend you? They came specifically to apologize yesterday and even brought gifts—good stuff, too!”

And good stuff it was. On the table sat a Guanyin statue, an incense burner, and a small green jade Maitreya Buddha pendant. Wei Yang raised an eyebrow. The first two items were exactly what Jian Ning had bought in front of him the other day. Why had they been returned?

“Did he leave any message?” Wei Yang ignored the other two items and picked up the Maitreya pendant. After examining it closely, he couldn’t help but admire it. Although green jade wasn’t as valuable as mutton-fat jade, this pendant was undoubtedly a masterpiece. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the jade was translucent, and it was free of flaws or inclusions. The only downside was the lack of patina, but some collectors actually preferred unpolished pieces so they could develop the patina themselves. From that perspective, this pendant could fetch a decent price. It seemed Jian Ning was willing to spend quite a bit to make amends.

“Pfft, what else could he say? Just that he hopes you’ll forgive him and let bygones be bygones. What, Brother Yang, are you planning to deal with that center-parted guy?” Sun Muhua, ever the troublemaker, started off casually but then his eyes gleamed with excitement, as if he himself had dealt with someone before.

Wei Yang smiled but didn’t respond. He had never intended to do anything to Jian Ning in the first place. The nail had already been set, and there was no real conflict of interest. A little intimidation was enough; he had no interest in pursuing it further. However, since the guy was so scared, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance to ease his mind.

Satisfied, Wei Yang nodded, pocketed the pendant, and picked up the Guanyin statue and incense burner. Casually, he said, “Since he’s so eager to give, of course we should give him a chance to make amends. Mu’er, you stay here and watch the shop. I’m going out for a bit.”

“Huh? Where are you going?” Seeing Wei Yang take the items with him, Sun Muhua was confused.

Wei Yang chuckled. “To dispose of the loot, of course.”

The so-called “loot disposal point” was naturally Treasure House. Today, Heipi was relatively free and happily approached Wei Yang when he saw him. “Ah Yang, I heard you guys pulled off something big at Chaoyang Community!”

As he spoke, he glanced surreptitiously at Zhang Xiuqi, who stood behind Wei Yang. He knew all too well the capabilities of the three misfits at Jieshui Studio. For such a grand tale to be circulating, it was almost certainly the work of the new Little Celestial Master. However, the other party remained as cold and aloof as an iceberg, showing no interest in engaging with him. He couldn’t tell if it was because Zhang Xiuqi wasn’t interested or if there was some agreement between him and Wei Yang.

Wei Yang chuckled lightly. “Brother Ming, your sources are quite well-informed. It’s just a small fortune, nothing compared to your skills.”

Heipi wasn’t interested in flattery and snorted. “If you don’t want to talk, fine! What are you here for this time? I’ll say this upfront—if you’re looking for ritual instruments, my stock of genuine items is quite limited, but I do have some materials.”

“You make it sound so serious. I’m not here to pick up bargains this time. By the way, has Uncle Qi returned recently?” Wei Yang first asked about the pressing matter. The Bone Formation was becoming increasingly worrisome. Two Three Corpses worms had already given him quite a scare, and he didn’t want to cause any more trouble.

Heipi sighed. “Don’t even mention it. I’ve been calling him the past couple of days, but he’s been evasive. He says he’ll be back soon, but who knows how long ‘soon’ is. Don’t worry, Ah Yang. My Uncle Qi is quite sensible. If he doesn’t want to come back, there must be a reason.”

Wei Yang nodded. “I understand. But today, I have something else I’d like to trouble you with…” As he spoke, he magically pulled several items out of his bag and placed them on the table one by one.

Heipi’s jaw dropped. “Holy crap, did you rob some black market store? How did you get so much stuff?”

The Buddha statue and incense burner were one thing, but the gilded Bixie statue was truly a treasure! It was clearly an antique with some age to it, and the gilding was completely intact. While gilded items from the Tang Dynasty were more common, those from the Han Dynasty were much rarer. Although there was a small hole in the Bixie’s head, it didn’t affect its appearance at all. It could definitely fetch a good price.

However… After examining the gilded statue, Heipi shook his head. “It’s a good piece, but it’s going to be hard to sell. This thing is probably a third-grade cultural relic. It can’t be sold through official channels. Do you want us to sell it through other means?”

Bronze artifacts were always harder to sell than other items. If it had been the Jade Han from last time, it would have been easier, but a Han Dynasty bronze artifact carried some risks.

“If it can be sold for money, that’s good enough. Brother Ming, go ahead and sell it.” Wei Yang wasn’t picky. After all, these were essentially free items, and any money was a bonus. Plus, Treasure House would take a cut, which was a good way to strengthen their relationship.

“Haha, that’s the spirit. I’ll keep the items here for now.” Heipi chuckled as he set the Bixie statue aside and picked up the Guanyin statue and the Maitreya pendant to examine them. “The Guanyin carving is quite well done, but it’s relatively recent and made of Dushan jade, so it probably won’t fetch a high price. This pendant is interesting, though. It looks like it might be the work of a renowned artist, but I’m not very knowledgeable about carving techniques. How about I find someone to take a look at it for you later?”

As he spoke, Heipi seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead. “Look at my memory! Speaking of which, there’s actually a private Buddhist artifact exchange happening in the city soon. If you’re interested in putting these items up for auction there, you might be able to get a better price.”

This was something Wei Yang hadn’t considered. He had heard of private auctions, but their entry barriers were usually high, and they weren’t accessible to just anyone. These items didn’t seem like they would qualify for such an event.

Seeing Wei Yang’s confusion, Heipi smiled. “This exchange isn’t very high-level. It’s mostly local collectors from Shanxi. There’s both an exhibition and an auction, and all the items are privately owned. These kinds of events are more about personal connections and preferences. If someone takes a liking to an item, they might even trade for it. There aren’t many restrictions on the value of the items themselves. My Xiao Qu’er will be there too, so he can take a look at this Maitreya pendant for you.”

Liu Qu was an anomaly in the Liu family. His talent was exceptional, but his interests were eccentric. Although the items he practiced on weren’t easy to sell, his skill was undeniable, and he was more than qualified to appraise items for others. However, Wei Yang wasn’t concerned about that. Since this was a Buddhist artifact exchange, would there be any chance of encountering a ritual instrument imbued with Zen essence, like the wooden fish?

These were private collections, possibly passed down through generations and nurtured by devout masters and lay practitioners. As Zhang Xiuqi had said, when it came to ritual instruments, the power of humans often played a greater role. Under such conditions, it was possible for some truly remarkable items to emerge. Since he was in the feng shui business, the more high-quality items he could get his hands on, the better. Glancing at the expressionless Little Celestial Master standing beside him, Wei Yang didn’t hesitate and nodded. “I’ve never been to such an exchange before. It would be great to broaden my horizons.”

“Great that you’re interested.” Heipi grinned. “Go home and wait. I’ll let you know the time and place once they’re confirmed.”