Chapter 1

In June in Jinling, the scorching sun was radiating endless light and heat from high above, seemingly trying to melt the hard asphalt road. The air was filled with a burning sensation.

In a corner of the street, the leaves of the relatively lush trees were listless, devoid of any vitality. A slanted patch of shade conveniently blocked the entrance to a small shop.

The small shop was about ten square meters. On both sides of the walls, there were large shelves, and on the shelves, various ceramics, jade, and miscellaneous items were neatly arranged. There weren't many items, and their quality wasn't great, looking quite cheap.

On top of the shop, a small ceiling fan was installed.

The fan was running, but it seemed to lack power, rotating slowly.

Qixiang looked up, silently counting how many blades the fan had and how many rotations it made in a minute. Each rotation took a few seconds...

A man with a sly look was incessantly talking beside him: "Boss, take a closer look. This thing is not ordinary. It might be a treasure from the Shang or Zhou dynasties."

Qixiang's lips curled, and his gaze flicked, revealing a hint of disdain. Then he continued to look up, focusing on the spider web in the corner, pondering whether it was time to clean up.

Forget it, I've been quite busy lately. I'll do it later!

"Bang!"

The man got angry, slamming the table and shouting, "Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm listening..."

Qixiang remained unmoved, his gaze dropping, and he pointed at the item slowly, "If you think it's a treasure, then take it back and keep it well. Don't sell it."

"Cough!"

The man's face changed instantly, rubbing his hands awkwardly, and said apologetically, "It's just... I'm short on cash recently. Boss, no, Brother, Big Brother, Boss..."

"I'm in a tight spot..." the man said humbly, "Actually, the item is quite good. I can guarantee it's an antique, worth some money at least."

"Take another look..."

The man picked up the item with both hands, held it in front of Qixiang, and looked at him pitifully, pleading.

Qixiang casually picked up the item and examined it indifferently.

The item was a turtle shell, a very complete one. It had a dark brown color, and the patterns on the shell were deep. Although it had been cleaned, some soil and mud still clung to the patterns, giving a bad impression.

Actually, without the man saying much, Qixiang knew the item was definitely an ancient artifact. After all, there was a fresh soil smell that couldn't be washed off, indicating it had been recently excavated.

Although not everything dug up from the ground is a genuine artifact, it could also be a fake planted by scammers. However, scammers usually plant valuable items.

This turtle shell was not worth much, and a normal person wouldn't go through the trouble of planting it, as it would be a waste of effort.

Qixiang pondered for a moment, shook his head lightly, and then opened a drawer, taking out a bill and waving it dismissively, "Take the money and go!"

"Ah?" The man was initially delighted but then disappointed, "Only fifty?"

"Too little?" Qixiang's expression changed, "Take the item back and leave the money!"

"Boss, let's talk, let's talk..." The man quickly clutched the money, smiling awkwardly, "But this amount is really too little. Give me a bit more, and if I find similar items in the future, I'll definitely bring them to you first..."

Qixiang's expression changed, and he thought for a moment, then opened the drawer again and took out another bill.

The man smiled, reaching out to take it.

Unexpectedly, Qixiang moved his hand away and whispered, "Leave your name."

The man's expression changed slightly, hesitating for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation and whispered, "I'm with Brother Dong."

Qixiang nodded, gave the man the money, and watched him leave.

After a while, Qixiang went to the door and saw the man turn the corner and enter another shop.

Seeing this, Qixiang could almost be certain that the man was just a street peddler, a small-time runner. Moreover, for safety, the man knew to spread the risk, not putting all his eggs in one basket.

But it made sense; truly valuable items wouldn't be sold here but directly to buyers. In other words, what he got was just leftovers.

Of course, even a small amount is still something. Qixiang was realistic and knew that if someone brought a real treasure here, he wouldn't be able to handle it. However, this turtle shell was really a letdown...

Qixiang examined the turtle shell and couldn't help but sigh. This item was undoubtedly ancient, but the issue was that being ancient didn't mean it was valuable. In the antiques business, quality always comes first.

A very ordinary turtle shell definitely didn't have much quality.

After all, it wasn't a tortoiseshell, nor was it an artifact with inscriptions.

Qixiang was willing to pay for it to build a good relationship, hoping to make a profit in the future. As a businessman, one must have a long-term perspective; a long line can catch a big fish.

After doing this, Qixiang returned to his seat and continued to idly fan himself.

After more than half an hour, there was still no one outside the shop.

Qixiang was used to it, remaining calm and composed.

This business is like that; it can go without a customer for three years, but one good deal can sustain you for three years. Most of the time, there's no business. But when luck strikes, one deal can cover a year's expenses.

In the early years, when he first entered the business, he didn't understand this and even thought about distributing flyers and shouting at the door, almost making a fool of himself. Now, he was a seasoned veteran, smooth and slick.

Just like antique porcelain, after years of aging, the new and sharp qualities are gone, and it becomes very restrained.

Smoothed by time, this is called sophistication, a sign of maturity.

Another half an hour passed, and Qixiang was sure there would be no business today. He got up, closed the shop, and slowly rode his electric scooter home.

The so-called home was just a temporary residence, a rented place.

It was a low, old house with gray-black brick and tile, with a sloping roof and a small courtyard, different from the surrounding buildings.

The house looked quite dilapidated, with some wall bricks cracked and the roof tiles broken like a spider web, giving it a dangerous appearance. However, Qixiang was confident that the house was still quite sturdy; he had lived there for two or three years without it collapsing.

According to the old lady from the neighborhood committee, the house had a history.

It seemed that many years ago, it was a temple. After the old priest passed away, no one wanted to take over, and it fell into disrepair. However, the place was quite large, and leaving it idle was a waste, so the neighborhood committee decided to renovate it and rent it out.

Qixiang was lucky to be the first tenant.

The house had a large space and low rent. Although the environment was poor, as long as these two conditions were met, Qixiang could tolerate everything.

Opening the door led to a small courtyard.

On the side of the courtyard was an old locust tree. The tree was bare, with no leaves. When Qixiang first arrived, he thought the tree was dead and considered cutting it down.

Later, he found that the tree still had some life, not completely dried up, just barely surviving.

Qixiang parked his electric scooter next to the tree and walked into the main hall.

The hall was spacious, and on the wall opposite the entrance, there was a table. On the table were a few plates of fruit, two bouquets of flowers, and a small incense burner. The burner was filled with dried branches and covered in incense ash, indicating that someone frequently offered incense.

Qixiang walked in, poured a bowl of water, and placed the turtle shell in it, then put the bowl on the table.

If there were other antique dealers present, they would understand what he was doing.

Items excavated from the ground usually carry a negative aura, so they need to be purified. The purification ritual is simple: just place the item on the table, burn three incense sticks, and bow. Whether it works or not, at least it brings peace of mind, right?

Qixiang was about to take the incense but found the drawer empty, clearly the incense had run out, and he had forgotten to buy more.

"Careless..."

Qixiang scolded himself, looked up at the scorching sun, and really didn't want to go out.

"Wait, I remember..."

Qixiang thought of something and hurriedly went to the room next to the hall. He vaguely remembered finding a box of incense and candles a few days ago when he was cleaning the house, probably left from the temple.

"Where did I put it?"

The room next to the hall was his storage room, filled with many items, mostly small and scattered.

Qixiang searched for about ten minutes and finally found the flat, long box on top of a cabinet. Inside the box were three thick incense sticks, about a foot long and dark yellow.

Qixiang opened the box and sniffed; he didn't smell any incense, suspecting it might be expired. But it didn't matter; it was just for emergency use, so it would do.

Back in the hall, Qixiang lit the three incense sticks and placed them in the burner, then clasped his hands and bowed.

Qixiang was relieved that the incense sticks were not damp, lit smoothly, and emitted a faint smoke. However, they were definitely past their expiration date, as there was no scent in the smoke.

But he was prepared for this and didn't demand much. He bowed again and turned to leave.

The weather was too hot, and he was sweating, feeling sticky and uncomfortable. Qixiang wanted to take a cold shower. As he turned, he didn't notice that the light smoke, after floating to the ceiling, did not dissipate but instead formed a cloud, enveloping the entire hall.

As time passed, the smoke increased, filling every corner of the hall, like a sea of mist.

At the same time, the turtle shell in the bowl on the table began to undergo a subtle change. Especially after the smoke mixed with the water, the turtle shell suddenly trembled, and the bowl of water evaporated instantly.

"Whoosh..."

A strange wind blew, and the smoke enveloping the hall immediately rushed toward the turtle shell. It seemed as if the turtle shell was alive, devouring the thick smoke completely.

Page AD starts

Page AD ends