The Slender West Lake, originally named Baocheng Lake, is a renowned tourist attraction in Guangling.
Extending north to Shugang Mountain and south to Xichun Terrace, the lake boasts crystal-clear waters and ancient pavilions.
During the Qianlong era, the poet Wang Hang visited and, after admiring the beautiful scenery, penned a poem: “Weeping willows endlessly connect to withered reeds, a rainbow bridge of goose teeth forms a painting. It is indeed a melting pot of gold, hence it should be called the Slender West Lake.”
It was from that point on that the name Slender West Lake came into being.
Sitting on a painted boat and gazing at the surrounding scenery, I felt a sense of elation.
However, the relaxation I had just found was immediately replaced by a renewed tension as I thought of Liu Hui.
“What are you thinking about?” Bai Hanyan asked, leaning closer. “You’ve seemed distracted for a while. Could it be that you find being with me boring?”
“No…” I forced a wry smile.
“You say no, but look at your expression?” Bai Hanyan said. “Don’t overthink it. The reason I asked you to come with me for a lake tour was because after all we went through in Yuncheng, we naturally needed to relax now that we’re back.”
She grinned as she spoke, “Honestly, there were several times I thought I wouldn’t make it out of that ancient tomb…”
I replied, “Going into tombs is inherently risky… Your father is quite daring to let you go alone like that.”
Bai Hanyan laughed, “He naturally wasn’t at ease; I forced him to let me go.”
“That explains it then,” I said. “Did he say anything after you returned this time?”
“I certainly didn’t tell him about all the dangerous events,” Bai Hanyan said, pursing her lips. “If he knew his daughter had a near-death experience this time, he would probably go looking for Wu Tingxiu again… After this trip to Yuncheng, I’ve come to understand many things.”
She rested her hand on the railing, looking at the lake. Her profile in the setting sun was exceptionally delicate, and for a moment, I was captivated.
“Back in Guangling, I never considered the consequences… After going to Yuncheng, I realized that sometimes one cannot be too willful.”
I chuckled, “It seems you’ve gained quite a lot of insight from your trip to Yuncheng.”
She turned to look at me. The backlight of the setting sun made her face appear indistinct, as if shrouded in a veil.
“By the way, Xiang Fei, what made you decide to come to Guangling?” Bai Hanyan asked.
“I came to Guangling to make a living, of course,” I said insincerely.
“And who did you learn your treasure appraisal skills from?”
“Inherited.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed your family had such depth.”
“That’s all in the past…” I replied with a wry smile.
After chatting for a while, a rough plan to deal with Liu Hui began to form in my mind!
I looked at Bai Hanyan, “Can you do me a favor?”
She looked at me, puzzled, “What kind of favor?”
I said, “I want to deal with Liu Hui…”
I told her the full story of my feud with Liu Hui. After listening, Bai Hanyan expressed her indignation on my behalf and offered to have her father intervene.
I quickly stopped her, saying, “This is a matter between him and me; your father cannot be involved.”
“Then what do you want me to do to help?”
I grinned and looked at the stone bridge not far away, saying slowly, “You’ll know when the time comes.”
…
That evening, I went to the hospital to visit Hong Yunpeng. I told him to rest well and assured him that this matter would not be dropped.
Afterward, Wang Yang and I returned to the old house in the suburbs.
Hong Yunpeng had stayed here for some time, and the house now had a lived-in feel. I had to admit, he had tidied the place up quite well.
Wang Yang sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and said, “You were being so secretive at the hospital, not even telling Hong Yunpeng. Have you already figured out how to deal with Liu Hui?”
I nodded, “The fewer people who know about this, the better.”
“So, tell me, how do you plan to do it?”
“Can you find some old hands from out of town?” I asked.
“What do you mean by ‘old hands’?”
“People who are smooth, money-driven, and unflappable when things get tough…”
“What are you planning?” Wang Yang asked, confused.
I smiled, “Of course, it’s tit for tat!”
“To put it plainly, you want me to help you find some con artists?”
I nodded, “Can you find them?”
Wang Yang exhaled smoke and laughed, “What’s so difficult about that? I’ll find them for you tomorrow.”
I was a bit surprised, “You can find them so quickly? And I need people from out of town.”
“Trust me to get things done! I’ll make a call soon, and if they take the train tonight, they’ll be here by tomorrow morning.”
Wang Yang leaned forward and asked, “Tell me, what’s your plan?”
I laid out the detailed plan completely. After hearing it, Wang Yang’s eyes darted around and he said, “This plan is good, but the most crucial part is the item itself… How can you guarantee that Liu Hui will be fooled?”
I smiled, “Don’t worry about that; I’ll handle it personally.”
“You can do artificial aging?” Wang Yang asked, somewhat surprised.
Speaking of artificial aging, I have to mention my inherited book, the *Seven Stars Nine Secrets Profound Void Manual*.
With the experience from the Xuande kiln, I’m confident Liu Hui will be completely fooled!
Wang Yang seemed to sense my full confidence and said with a smile, “Since you have that capability, this plan already has a ninety percent chance of success.”
I said, “You go find the people first. As for the percentage of success, it still depends on the people you find. If their psychological fortitude isn’t up to par, then no matter how good my artificial aging is, it will be useless.”
Wang Yang stubbed out his cigarette and patted his chest, “You can be completely at ease about this; it’s on me!”
The best way to set a trap for Liu Hui is not to act proactively, but to make him “take the bait”!
After all, he has extensive experience in the martial world, and he is also a suspicious person.
Therefore, my entire plan is to keep things passive. As long as he takes the bait, there will be no escape.
I believe that in the face of absolute profit, he will definitely not let go.
The next day, while I was at home studying the inherited *Seven Stars Nine Secrets Profound Void Manual*, Wang Yang arrived with two men.
One was old and one was young. The older one appeared to be in his fifties, and the younger one in his early thirties.
They were both dressed in casual wear, and their speech had a distinct Beijing accent.
Wang Yang introduced them to me, saying the older one was named “Xiao Guang” and the younger one was named “Lao Guang.”
I was confused, thinking that this was the opposite, wasn’t it?
Wang Yang laughed, “Who says it’s the opposite? Xiao Guang is Lao Guang’s younger brother.”
I was a bit stunned, seeing that the older man was the younger one’s brother?
Xiao Guang said, “I just look older.”
I asked him how old he was, and he said he had just turned thirty-one.
Thirty-one years old and looking like he was over fifty; I had never seen anything like it before.