When I returned to the shop, Wang Yang was sitting at the tea table with Hong Yunpeng, chatting and drinking tea as if nothing had happened.
If it weren't for the bandages on his head, I would have doubted if he was the one who was attacked at the Drunken Immortal Tower.
"How did it go?"
As soon as I entered the shop, Hong Yunpeng couldn't help but ask.
I replied, "What else could have happened? The grudge with Liu Hui is settled. As for whether this guy will cause trouble for us behind our backs..."
Before I could finish, Hong Yunpeng said, "Don't worry about that. Although Liu Hui isn't a good person, his words always count."
"I hope so."
I walked over and glanced at the bandage on Wang Yang's head, asking, "Is your head alright?"
Wang Yang shrugged, "I won't die... What did Wu Tingxiu say to you later?"
I said, "She asked me to accompany her somewhere tomorrow."
In fact, I had also thought carefully about my value to Wu Tingxiu. It was nothing more than my expertise in antique appraisal.
If she asked for my help, it would be for appraisal. Apart from that, I couldn't think of anything else I could do to help her.
That night, the three of us returned to our rented apartment to rest. The next morning, I received a call from Wu Tingxiu. After washing up, I went to the entrance of the residential complex to wait for her.
About ten minutes later, a black Mercedes with a tiger-head grille stopped in front of me. Wu Tingxiu was sitting in the back seat and waved at me, signaling me to get in.
I opened the rear door and slid in.
The interior of the car was spacious. Compared to Hong Yunpeng's Santana, it was a world of difference.
There was a mixture of leather and cigarette smell in the car. As soon as I got in, Wu Tingxiu handed me a file bag.
I asked her what it was, and she replied, "You'll know once you look at it."
I opened the file bag and took out the thick stack of materials inside, about a few dozen pages, many of which were academic papers and some geological survey data.
Flipping through them casually, I was completely lost. I couldn't understand much of it.
Towards the end, there were some photocopies of notes. The handwriting was vigorous and strong, with many simplified Chinese characters interspersed with Zhuan script.
I didn't know who wrote these notes, but it was clear that the person who wrote them must have been proficient in Zhuan script.
The first half of the notes recorded the feng shui layouts of ancient tombs, but the latter half contained a lot of information about gemstones.
Soon, I noticed that the Suihou Pearl was mentioned!
Seeing this, I was actually very surprised, but I didn't show it.
The latter half of the notes recorded many anecdotes about the Suihou Pearl, and the owner of the notes had specifically marked which were rumors and which had supporting evidence.
At the end of the notes, there were also some photocopied black-and-white photos. Although they were blurry, they all had one characteristic: these photos were taken inside ancient tombs.
After finishing, I pretended to be confused and asked Wu Tingxiu, "What is this?"
"This is all the information my grandfather gathered over half his life, costing a lot of manpower and resources..."
Saying this, Wu Tingxiu looked at me, "You're not unfamiliar with the Suihou Pearl, are you?"
"I've heard of it."
"My grandfather's greatest wish in his life was to see what the Suihou Pearl looked like. Unfortunately, he never achieved this wish until his death..."
I frowned slightly and didn't interrupt her. I listened as she continued, "My grandfather was always very good to me since I was a child. My parents were busy with business, so I practically grew up by my grandfather's side..."
Hearing this, I couldn't help but ask, "So you want to fulfill your grandfather's wish and find this so-called Suihou Pearl?"
"Yes..." A trace of sadness appeared in Wu Tingxiu's eyes. "In recent years, besides doing business, I have also been trying to find out the whereabouts of the Suihou Pearl."
"Those photos from your grandfather's burial..."
"Those are all the information my grandfather left behind about the Suihou Pearl. What I showed you earlier was just a part of it. These you have now are the complete materials."
"You said earlier that your second uncle was the one who instructed Liu Hui to dig up your grandfather's grave. Why are you so sure?"
Wu Tingxiu pursed her lips and said, "You might not know the situation in my family. After my grandfather passed away, he divided the family property into three parts: one part to my father, one part to my second uncle, and the last part to me..."
"Among these three parts of property, mine was the largest, followed by my second uncle's, and then my father's."
I didn't understand why she was telling me this. I wasn't very interested in her family matters.
"Later, my father passed away, and my mother immigrated abroad. Their properties all came to me..."
I couldn't help but interject, "You mean your second uncle is jealous of the property you inherited?"
Wu Tingxiu sighed, her face filled with helplessness.
"Then what does this have to do with your second uncle hiring people to dig up your grandfather's grave?" I asked.
Wu Tingxiu said, "My second uncle wants to find the Suihou Pearl..."
"What does he want that thing for?"
"Undoubtedly, he wants to use the Suihou Pearl as a bargaining chip to make me hand over all my assets," Wu Tingxiu said.
I was stunned for a moment, not quite comprehending. I couldn't help but ask, "If he gets the Suihou Pearl and asks you to exchange it for your assets, would you be willing?"
Wu Tingxiu's gaze drifted to the car window. After a moment, she said, "I would be willing..."
"Why?" I asked.
"Some things are complicated to explain, and some are simple. My grandfather's place in my heart is irreplaceable. So, as long as I can fulfill his dying wish, I am willing to pay any price."
For some reason, when I heard her words, I felt a sense of resonance.
I hadn't expected this woman to have such a sentimental side.
I suddenly thought of my father. Wasn't the Suihou Pearl the thing that appeared most frequently in his notes?
Did he also have the same wish as Wu Tingxiu's grandfather?
As I pondered, I realized something else!
My father was looking for the Suihou Pearl, and Wu Tingxiu's grandfather was also looking for the Suihou Pearl...
The place name Guangling that appeared in my father's notes...
Could there have been any connection between them when they were alive?
It was very likely!
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but glance at Wu Tingxiu beside me. For a moment, I felt a sense of shared destiny with her...
But should I tell her about my father's affairs?
I hesitated. After a moment of thought, I decided it was best not to say anything for now.
The car drove through Wuling Road and into a small alley, stopping in front of a large courtyard.
A plaque hung above the courtyard gate, bearing four large characters: Bai Shui Jian Xin (White Water Inspects the Heart), with a seal imprint below these characters.
When I saw that seal imprint, I couldn't help but frown...