Chapter 23

This is quite a fresh one. He came in the morning, wandered around my little shop for a long time, and even spoke in a very professional manner, only to end up here to sell something?

My first reaction was that he was a scammer. In today's world, scammers in the antiques business no longer put on grand shows or pretend to be bosses.

Instead, they pretend to be more down-to-earth, more mysterious, and more marketable. Unfortunately for him, he met someone who has no interest in business, someone who doesn't even bother to feign interest or curiosity, so I didn't bother listening to what he had to say next.

So, when he said those words, I casually replied while wiping my face, "Brother, selling stuff is out of the question. I'm running a small business, and all my working capital is tied up. I'm waiting for the shop to open, so I can't take in any more goods right now."

With that, I basically cut off all possible retreats, as I was clearly saying I had no money.

I thought that after I said that, the middle-aged man would know when to back off. But to my surprise, he, who had been looking around nervously, suddenly turned and smiled at me.

I wasn't particularly concerned, as my mind was preoccupied with whether Zhou Lao's negotiation with the female ghost would go smoothly that night. I swear I only caught a glimpse of the middle-aged man's smile out of the corner of my eye, but it made me feel uneasy, and I froze behind the counter.

That smile was so eerie that I didn't believe I could see such a smile in the real world, among real people. It was more like the kind of mysterious character in an anime, suddenly revealing a smile filled with unknowns and plots.

Even I, who usually wasn't sensitive to good or bad things, felt my heart rate suddenly increase. Outside the shop, the sky, which was originally gloomy but still had an unusual brightness, suddenly disappeared, making it feel like a storm was about to break, flashing behind the man, becoming the backdrop to his eerie smile.

Thump, thump, thump. At that moment, I could hear my heartbeat very clearly, and I was somewhat dazed, as if someone was deliberately disrupting my thoughts, making it impossible to focus or remember the scene.

Is the call of fate finally here? In that chaotic moment, I didn't understand why this thought would come to mind so clearly.

Five years ago, on that afternoon when the distant sky was filled with the setting sun and the nearby area was drizzling, the scene now appeared vividly in my mind.

"Master, are you really going to make me leave the mountain and never step through the gate again?"

"Master."

"Yes, haven't I made it clear enough? Why aren't you leaving?" Though he tried to look impatient, his eyes couldn't hide the pain and reluctance.

Back then, Master might not have known that the look he inadvertently showed was the only hope that sustained me for all these years.

"I won't leave. What did I do wrong? Why do you have to force me to leave? I want to see my senior brother."

"You don't need to see your senior brother. After you go down the mountain, you don't need to worry about him. I've already told you what to be careful about. Go now."

"I won't leave. If you force me, then kick me down the mountain."

That drizzle seemed to soak all the memories, making everything feel damp even now, including my eyes, which felt wet, with a unique bitterness and warmth.

Is the call of fate here? Why did I think of that scene when I left the mountain when this thought came to mind? Is there any connection?

Unfortunately, I couldn't think at all because, at that moment, my thoughts were completely disrupted.

"Little brother, you opened such an antique shop at a young age, and you have some good items in the shop. Your financial capital is considerable. Are you sure you don't want to buy?" A sudden voice pulled me back to reality when I was almost dazed. The scene of the storm and the eerie smile suddenly shattered.

In a daze, I looked outside the shop again, and it was still gloomy but had an unusual brightness. The man in front of me was smiling in a way that seemed almost flattering and humble, with no trace of the eerie smile.

"I don't want to." I instinctively refused, but the next moment, I recalled the scene, and my muscles tensed, and I stared at the man defensively, saying in a low voice, "Who are you, really?"

A hint of eeriness flashed in the man's eyes, but it seemed to be panic and confusion. Then he bowed even lower, as if begging, and said, "Little brother, you—?" But as he spoke, I noticed that something had been placed on my counter, covered with a black cloth, at some point.

When did he come to my side? And when did he put this thing on my counter? Was it when I was dazed? Could everything I saw just now have been an illusion?

I couldn't describe my feelings. It was as if a story had just begun, and everything started when Zhou Lao burst into my shop that noon. So, my life would no longer be peaceful, and more and more strange events would enter my life.

Was it normal for me to have this illusion because of the appearance of this middle-aged man?

Thinking about this, I took out a lighter from the counter. The cold touch of the metal calmed me a bit. I habitually clicked the lighter, struck the flint, and a bright flame lit up, bringing light and peace like a glimmer of hope in the dark night.

In the light, the middle-aged man's smile became even more humble and flattering, but the eerie feeling lingered.

I took a cigarette from my pocket and lit it with the flame. As the smoke rose, I clicked the lighter off, and my mood had completely calmed down. Whatever will be, will be. I decided to follow my instincts.

With this mindset, I looked into the middle-aged man's eyes and said, "Sorry about that. I was just thinking about the time I got scammed in the antiques business, and it made me a bit upset and dazed."

As I spoke, I took out another cigarette and offered it to the man.

"Oh, oh, I understand." The man smiled in understanding, took the cigarette, and his yellow teeth were somewhat glaring but not dirty. He touched the black cloth-covered object and, using my lighter, lit the cigarette I gave him. After taking a deep puff, he said, "Little brother, do you think I'm a scammer?"

"Not really. In this business, who doesn't have to be cautious? After all, the stakes are usually high." I replied somewhat dismissively, fiddling with the lighter. In reality, both of us knew this was just small talk, but we had to go through the motions.

"That's true. But what I want to say is, I value the connection. If someone doesn't click with me, I won't sell them anything, even if they offer a high price. But if someone does click with me, I can sell them rare treasures at a loss, or even give them away for free." The man spoke very seriously.

For some reason, I felt a strange light in his eyes.

"Ha ha." I laughed, but didn't inhale the smoke, instead blowing a smoke ring, indicating no particular stance. His words were touching, but they had almost become a cliché in the antiques business. If I took them seriously, I'd be a fool. Even if we were just making small talk, we had to play the part, right?

"Little brother, do you think I'm joking?" The man was serious, biting the cigarette I gave him, his eyes slightly narrowed, but the gaze was sharp, piercing into my heart.

"No, I'm just curious why you specifically came to me. What are you selling? I told you, I don't have much working capital, so I probably can't afford it." I smiled, and for some reason, as we talked, my heart became increasingly calm.

"Take a look at what I'm selling first. To me, it's a priceless treasure." As he spoke, the man pulled off the black cloth covering the object on my counter.

My gaze involuntarily turned to it, and when I saw what was on top, I couldn't help but gasp. This is...