Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The very ordinary-looking middle-aged man held the jade tablet in his hand. Just as he was about to stuff it into his sleeve, he suddenly felt a fierce gaze. He put down the jade tablet as he let out a dry laugh, then said that he had taken a great liking toward the phoenix totem on the top. He asked the store owner about its price, and the store owner answered with a number. The middle-aged man promptly retrieved some cash from his sleeve to pay. Happily, he took the tablet and left quickly before the store owner could return his change.
Upon leaving the gem store, he cautiously walked down a few streets. He even pretended to have nothing to do—choosing to grab a meal before returning to his fabric shop.
At his fabric shop, the middle-aged man asked an employee to continue watching over the shop. He explained that he felt mildly sleepy after his meal and wanted to return to his room for a short rest.
In his room, he changed out of his clothes but no longer felt sleepy. He waited patiently as the day turned to night before warily leaving via the back door.
He disappeared into the dead of night.
Half an hour passed.
The fabric shop owner pulled out his keepsake and promptly entered an inconspicuous shop in Qingzhou City.
He stepped into a secret passageway and made several turns.
Finally, he entered a strongly illuminated place.
He handed the jade tablet to a woman wearing tights, and briefly spoke to her about what had happened that day.
The woman, Bai Mei, nodded slightly.
She signaled that he could now go down and collect his reward.
The middle-aged man looked at Lady Bai Mei with tears in his eyes and excitedly left to collect the reward.
Bai Mei took the jade tablet made of nephrite and set off to visit Jiang Yeqian.
Upon handing over the jade tablet, Jiang Yeqian promptly stated, “This jade tablet is fake.”
“It is indeed fake.” Bai Mei lowered her eyes and continued, “But the totem on its top is clearly…” It was the carving that they had been searching for for many years, but it appeared more refined than some of the previous sketches.
Jiang Yeqian held the jade tablet in his hands and fiddled with it as if he was thinking about something.
Bai Mei pondered for a moment, and said, “Master, we’ve come to know that a batch of jade tablets have been brought into the market in Qingzhou City recently — and this batch of tablets seem to all be made by nephrites. The carvings on their tops differ, but it’s clearly made by the same person.”
“Jade tablets that are all made of nephrites…” Ever since he took charge of the Zhaixing Administration, he had also learned of several hefty secrets. For example, Shan Qianjue, Head of Wenchun Hall, had given him the top-secret task of uncovering the whereabouts of a certain jade tablet. This was because that jade tablet was the keepsake of the Head of Wanhua Hall. If he were to be unable to find it, the Wanhua Hall would be in a perpetual state of having no master. Although this jade tablet had a similar pattern, the material it was crafted from was entirely different. “Perhaps someone deliberately created a batch of counterfeits and sent out the jade tablets with the intent of fishing in troubled waters but didn’t want those who are irrelevant to know the specific pattern of the real tablet they held in their hands.”
Bai Mei was taken aback. She responded, “Does Master mean that he believes someone possesses the real jade tablet and is using these counterfeits as bait?”
“And that person is in Qingzhou City.” Jiang Yeqian said in a playful tone.
Bai Mei said anxiously, “Then we…” They had to find that person quickly.
Jiang Yeqian gently rubbed the nephrite-made jade tablet. “I believe that person has hidden themselves well, but must certainly possess some level of status at the same time.”
“??” The words “some level of status” got Bai Mei thinking.
“Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to have sufficient capital to produce such a huge batch of counterfeits.” Jiang Yeqian seemed to mutter to himself, then asked Bai Mei, seemingly out of nowhere, “Who do you think might have made these counterfeits?”