I had no ability to discern direction by sound, and I didn't know where I was being taken.
However, I could faintly smell a subtle fragrance, which seemed to be a type of sandalwood.
It was clear I had been brought to a room, and since sandalwood was burning, it suggested the room's decor would lean towards a Chinese style.
As expected, after my hood was removed, I was greeted by a fully Chinese-style living room.
The antique-style chairs and tea table, along with the potted plants in the corner, all indicated that the owner must be someone with excellent taste.
Beyond just taste, there was also an air of "nobility."
Most of the furniture was crafted from nanmu wood!
I had never seen furniture made from nanmu wood before; this was my first time.
Nanmu wood is a very precious timber, known for its property of resisting decay and color change for a thousand years. In ancient times, only emperors were entitled to use it; commoners would be beheaded for doing so.
In the antique collecting circles, items made of nanmu wood are extremely valuable. That wooden tea scoop I saw at Matthew Yong's place was made of nanmu wood, and just that scoop alone could fetch several thousand yuan.
This demonstrated that nanmu wood was not cheap.
However, I noticed that the nanmu wood used for the furniture here was somewhat unusual, appearing to be chenmu.
Chenmu refers to coffins made from nanmu wood.
When nanmu wood used for coffins is buried underground for extended periods, its original color darkens.
This meant that all the nanmu wood furniture here was made from chenmu, and chenmu was outrageously expensive.
With a glance, I couldn't help but marvel, thinking how many coffins would need to be excavated to assemble such a set of furniture.
As I was marveling, a figure emerged from behind a screen.
This person was wearing a purple floral cheongsam, her hair styled high, and she held a slender smoking pipe.
She slowly walked to a grand tutor's chair, sat down, crossed her legs, took a leisurely puff from her pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and looked at me with a smile, "Mr. Xiang, I heard you wished to see me?"
Looking at Liu Zaixi before me, I took a deep breath, my mind a bit jumbled.
"You..."
I didn't know what to say for a moment. I had many questions, but my mouth felt incapable of forming them.
She raised her right hand, her slender fingers interlacing, and snapped her fingers.
Soon, a familiar person walked out. This person was Zhao Wei's wife, Jiang Xue'er.
Jiang Xue'er, like a servant, approached me and poured a cup of tea, "Mr. Xiang, please have some tea."
This change caught me off guard. What was going on?
"Who exactly are you?" I asked, staring at Liu Zaixi.
She smiled slightly, "Mr. Xiang, what do you think I am?"
My brow furrowed. "I don't have time to play guessing games with you!"
Frankly, I was quite displeased at the moment, feeling as if I had been played.
Although I had thought Liu Zaixi was not simple before, I never imagined that, given the current circumstances, she was the boss behind Jiang Xue'er and Zhao Wei.
She had hidden herself quite well!
To think I had pitied her before; I felt utterly foolish now.
"Mr. Xiang, don't be angry. How about you let me explain first?" Liu Zaixi said.
I crossed my arms, assuming an "all ears" posture, and crossed my legs.
"Counterfeiting and selling fakes is inherently a risky business. For safety's sake, I had to conceal my identity," Liu Zaixi stated.
"It's not just that, is it?" I pressed, "I don't care about your counterfeiting, but why did you set your sights on the White Dragon Jade Horse?"
She exhaled smoke, not answering my question, but instead asked, "The Yan family must have approached you already, right? What were the conditions offered by the Yan family? Could you tell me?"
Hearing this, my brow furrowed. I suddenly realized something.
She was targeting the Yan family?
Could it be that the Yan family's current predicament was all her doing?
Seeing my silence, Liu Zaixi continued, "I admit that at first, I approached you indeed for the Yan family. But I haven't harmed you, have I? On the contrary, I even helped you decipher the map..."
I chuckled. "So, I should be thanking you then?"
"No need for thanks," Liu Zaixi smiled. "I will need Mr. Xiang's help next."
"You want the White Dragon Jade Horse?" I stated directly.
She nodded frankly. "That's right. As for the conditions, Mr. Xiang, please name them."
I looked at her suspiciously. "What do you want the White Dragon Jade Horse for? Are you from the Cao family or the Kong family?"
She smiled. "Neither."
"Oh?" I asked. "Does that mean you're from the Hua family?"
"I am not from any of the Four Great Families," Liu Zaixi replied.
"Then what use do you have for the White Dragon Jade Horse?" I was somewhat confused.
Liu Zaixi smiled. "Does Mr. Xiang truly want to know?"
I nodded. "You say you want my help, so the best way is to be upfront."
She hesitated, put down her pipe, fiddled with the sandalwood on the table, and then picked up her teacup for a sip.
"This matter is a bit long to explain," Liu Zaixi said, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.
That expression was identical to what I had seen the night before.
According to Liu Zaixi, her initial approach to me was purely coincidental. It was only later, upon learning of my connection with the Yan family and my participation in the appraisal convention, that she began to focus on me.
Zhao Wei's approach to me was her arrangement, intended to test me.
Her invitation to the auction was also a form of testing, primarily to ascertain my relationship with the Yan family.
Later, upon learning that my connection with the Yan family was not deep, she paid me little attention.
This was until yesterday when I brought back the White Dragon Jade Horse...
Hearing this, I asked, "So, you didn't intend to use me for anything at first?"
Liu Zaixi smiled and nodded.
"Then what was your motive for helping me decipher the map?" I asked.
"For a favor that could be repaid," Liu Zaixi stated, looking at me. "Mr. Xiang, didn't you say you considered me a friend?"
At this, I was stunned and didn't know what to say. These were my own words from before.
It seemed Liu Zaixi intended to appeal to my emotions.
I said, "It's not impossible for me to help you, but you need to be clear with me. Why do you want the White Dragon Jade Horse? Is the Yan family's current predicament your doing? What is your relationship with the Four Great Families? What is your objective?"
Facing my barrage of questions, Liu Zaixi sighed. "Before answering these questions, I want to tell Mr. Xiang a story..."
I nodded. "Please, tell me."
She picked up the smoking pipe from the table, packed it with some tobacco, and after a moment, began to speak slowly.