Eternal Night - Chapter 132
"I made this a long time ago when I went to the fat shopkeeper's place to listen to him complain about how unreasonable you were. I also made this setup. Holding these knives is like I'm always thinking about you." Yuepo smiled faintly.
Yongye took the dagger sheath. Since killing Riguang, she no longer wanted to use throwing knives; the original knife and the purple robe were buried in the ground next door's clinic. She didn't want the people of Youli Valley to know of her existence. These throwing knives would remind everyone that she was the assassin Xinghun.
Ironically, even when she didn't want to be a Star Soul, she still had to use such throwing knives. But the knife Moon Soul gave her was different; it carried his longing and attachment. Yongye took the knife pouch and opened it. Inside were thirty-six knives. She had done something her master in green had strictly forbidden her from revealing.
Yongye picked up a throwing knife and waved it in front of Yuepo's eyes: "It's magic." The knife in his palm suddenly disappeared without a trace.
One after another, they seemed to vanish into thin air.
The Moon Spirit was greatly surprised, and after finishing, he asked her, "Where did you hide?"
Yongye stretched out his arms: "Go ahead and search! Let's see if you can find anything."
Yuepo smiled mischievously, nodded, and reached out to touch her chest.
Yongye screamed, "You actually groped my breasts! Yuepo, you're still the same brat you were when we were kids!"
She shouted, her face flushed, and flipped herself over the wall.
Yuepo stared at her intently, his smile gradually fading. Sunlight cast long shadows behind him; he stood in the courtyard, yet felt no warmth from the sun.
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"Young Master Li has arrived?"
Yongye responded and entered the inner courtyard of Jiguzhai, where he was stunned.
In the room of Da Chang Hao, the head clerk, Liang Weng, and a middle-aged man sat. On the table was the forgery she had painted.
She glanced at the painting on the table and asked casually, "Sir, would you like me to appraise this painting?"
“You…” Da Chao recognized that the painting was by Yong Ye and stood up.
"This painting was sent to Da Chang Hao for pawning by me."
The Grand Master, his face flushed, bowed deeply to Yongye: "This painting has been confirmed by Master Chen himself to be a forgery. I am extremely ashamed that I have made such a mistake for the first time!"
The middle-aged man, in his thirties, with a short mustache, looked at her gently. Her gaze shifted to the silk sash at his waist.
"Does Young Master Li recognize this jade Pixiu?"
"It is said that a piece of green jadeite was produced in the State of Qi. It was completely transparent and entirely green without a single impurity. It was carved into a jade Pixiu and was worth 100,000 taels of silver."
"Young Master Li has a good eye!" The middle-aged man smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "I am An Boping, the owner of Da Chang Company. Da Chang Company has been impolite." As he spoke, his eyes flickered, and the chief clerk quickly placed a Tianhuang seal and a pawn ticket stub on the table.
"Young master, what a brilliant move you've made! The second-in-command of Da Chang Hao actually bought a top-grade Tianhuang stone worth a hundred taels at a low price. Young master was indignant, so you played a trick on Da Chang Hao." An Boping sighed softly, as if the fault lay with himself.
An Boping? This young master An is the son of the An family? She glanced at him and saw that An Boping was much older than the fourth young lady of the An family, and they didn't look alike at all. The old man An was incredibly wealthy and had probably taken countless concubines; it was normal that their offspring didn't resemble each other. She then said softly, "So you are the eldest young master of the An family! It's an honor to meet you!"
"You're too kind. I heard that a highly skilled appraiser had come to Jiguzhai, so I came here specifically to seek his advice. I never expected to meet the owner of the painting himself. It's truly my good fortune! Haha!"
Yongye thought to herself, "Since you know it's fake, and you still came to me, what exactly is your purpose?" She glanced at the Tianhuang seal stone on the table and smiled, "Does going into a pawnshop and having it examined by the two clerks and the head clerk mean you can go back on your word?"
An Boping shook his head, a shrewd glint in his eyes: "Once the pawn ticket is issued, there's no going back. Please don't take this small matter to heart, young master. I'm here to seek your talent; I'd like to ask you to contribute to Da Chang Company!"
"I am deeply grateful for Mr. Liang's kindness and have no intention of changing employers."
Upon hearing this, Liang Weng stood up and sighed, "To be honest, young master, Dachanghao and Jiguzhai were originally one family, and the owners are both young master An."
Could Feng Yangxi's mention of a connection to Youli Valley refer to the An family, the richest family in Qi? The An family must be quite capable to have come knocking so quickly. Yongye smiled politely, feigning reluctance, and said, "I was just about to return home soon, I apologize to the young master! I was just about to ask for my leave today."
"Hehe, since that's the case, I won't insist on keeping you any longer. I would like to ask Young Master Li to take a look at another painting for me, as I have some questions about painting techniques that I would like to ask for your guidance."
Yongye reluctantly agreed.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, passing by waterside pavilions and corridors, rockeries and lotus ponds, a house finally appeared deep in the green shade.
Upon entering, one finds it to be a study.
An Boping smiled and said, "What do you think of my villa, young master?"
Yongye looked around. The study was bright and clean, with two landscape paintings hanging on the walls and two pots of summer orchids blooming. In the center stood an enormous walnut desk, only coated with a layer of clear varnish, its surface covered with fine drawing paper. Thinking of Li Tianyou's study, which he had blown up, he couldn't help but sigh that the An family's study was just as valuable.
"The layout along the way is exquisite, with every plant and tree showing great care. The study is elegant, and all the items used are of high quality."
"If you like it, young master, then this is yours for the taking!"
Yongye was startled and stood up, waving his hands repeatedly: "This... this is not acceptable. I have not done anything to deserve such a reward, and besides, I am about to leave this matter. I appreciate your kindness, young master."
“Young master, please do not be alarmed. Boping is eager to recruit talent. I was too eager to keep you here, and I have startled you. It was my fault!” With that, An Boping bowed to Yongye.
"Giving away such a large house so readily, what they're asking for must be extraordinary," Yongye thought to himself.
“Alas, this place is far inferior to Master Chen’s Autumn Water Manor.” An Boping chuckled, stroking his short beard as he continued, “Master Chen’s Autumn Water Manor by Sunset Lake covers forty acres and has over a hundred servants and nineteen concubines. Master Chen has three hobbies: he loves wine, tea, and beautiful women. He only paints three paintings a year.” An Boping looked at Yongye and fell silent.
Yongye blinked and continued, "To support the family business, raise beautiful wives and concubines, and also need fine wine and tea, painting too much will diminish its value. Painting too little will only bring in a few thousand taels of silver a year. Therefore, the An family is Chen Qiushui's greatest support."
An Boping clapped his hands and laughed heartily: "The An family are businessmen, only interested in profit. Master Chen's paintings are a signboard, a facade, but not a business that makes money."
"So it's rare to find a forger as skilled as me. Even the most expensive forgeries in the world, like Chen Qiushui's, only fetch two thousand taels of silver. As for paintings by ancient people, who knows how much they are worth?" Yongye said sarcastically.
An Boping laughed loudly: "Hehe, it's so refreshing to talk to a smart person like Young Master Li! Five paintings and calligraphies within a year, and a reward of three thousand taels of silver. How about it?" He held out his palm.
Five pieces? Yongye looked at him as if he were a monster, and shook his head, saying, "Without the original, it's impossible to imitate five pieces of calligraphy and painting in a year."
"What if there is an original?"
Yongye sighed: "Of course, that's not a problem."