147: Chapter 147 Full of Questions

Zhou Jianjun nodded quickly. "Good, good, that's the way to do it. Get everything out in the open beforehand to avoid trouble."

Shi Xiaoya took over the conversation. "Let's eat first. After that, we'll go take a look at the antiques you mentioned, and we can discuss the rest after we've seen them."

"Good, good."

The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests.

However, no one drank too much; Liu Jing didn't touch a drop of alcohol.

Han Jingyang only took a light sip.

Shi Xiaoya drank the rest for Han Jingyang.

One o'clock.

The group of four braved the hot sun and arrived at the village committee office.

The village committee office was quite modern, a two-story building with a large basketball court. The courtyard was paved with rubber, and there were other fitness facilities, as well as a ping-pong room, a badminton room, and a library.

Unfortunately, it was clear that they were rarely used; the door locks were covered in dust.

Zhou Jianjun led the three of them into a warehouse. "Everything is here."

Han Jingyang swept his gaze over them.

It was either stone or wood.

The stone was common bluestone.

The wood was common hardwood.

They did have some age to them and could indeed be considered antiques, but their value...

Han Jingyang was very disappointed.

However, he still stepped forward to rummage through them.

He found nothing.

His Appraisal Technique had no reaction.

Zhou Jianjun was very nervous. "Master Han, how is it?"

Han Jingyang shook his head. "Not great, completely worthless."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't say they're worth absolutely nothing; all together they might be worth a thousand or eight hundred, not even enough to cover the shipping costs."

"This, this..."

"If there's nothing else, then there's no need to continue this conversation."

"Wait, I remember now. There are some other old items in the village."

"Where?"

"They aren't in my hands," Zhou Jianjun said, his expression not very pleasant. "They're at Wang Jinliang's house."

"What do you mean? Private items?"

"No, no, no, they are village property. It's just that Wang Jinliang's father used them for a while, and after he died, they were passed down to Wang Jinliang."

It was Wang Jinliang's house again.

Han Jingyang suddenly didn't want to get involved in this anymore.

He didn't even want that bronze tripod anymore.

It was too much trouble.

Wang Jinliang, Liu Guihua, Wang Wei, He Dingkun...

He had gone around in a circle only to end up right back where he started.

If he kept getting entangled, who knows how many more difficult people would pop up.

At this moment, Shi Xiaoya snorted. "Village Chief, you aren't using us as pawns, are you?"

Zhou Jianjun shook his head hurriedly. "It's really not like that. There are records. Those items were kept in the village before Liberation, and it wasn't until the seventies that Wang Jinliang's father took them over. Back then, public and private property was managed very strictly, so Wang Jinliang's father even wrote a proper IOU."

"Fine, then you take the IOU and go get the items; we won't show our faces."

"This..."

Zhou Jianjun hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

After Zhou Jianjun left.

Shi Xiaoya lowered her voice. "Boss, there is definitely something wrong with Dongpo Village."

"What makes you say that?"

"Isn't it obvious? The shadow of Wang Wei's family is everywhere. We try to find a couple of antiques, and it traces back fifty years to Wang Wei's grandfather's generation. Wang Wei's mother is in that situation, and Wang Wei herself is involved in He Dingkun's 'Life-Base Planting'. Can a normal family and a normal village have things like this?"

"And then?"

"How about we pull out? We're unfamiliar with the place, and we don't want to resort to ruthless methods, so we'll be at a disadvantage. It doesn't matter for us, but Boss, you can't have anything happen to you."

Han Jingyang smiled. "Don't panic, it's not that dangerous. If these people really want to cause trouble, I don't mind performing a Dragon Slaying."

"Dragon Slaying?"

"Yes, Dragon Slaying."

"Boss, are you not just bragging?"

"I never brag. A great dragon might be impossible to slay, but a small dragon like this is nothing. Besides, the qi veins here were tampered with by He Dingkun ten years ago; he changed their path and has been draining them ever since. They haven't recovered, so it won't be difficult to slay."

Shi Xiaoya looked at Han Jingyang with eyes shining, almost clutching her heart. "Boss, you are so amazing."

Han Jingyang said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. I'll let you see the big scenes later."

"It's a deal."

"Mm," Han Jingyang glanced at Zhou Jianjun, who was rushing back, and whispered, "Don't go too far later; it wouldn't be good if we scare them away."

"I know my limits, Boss, don't worry."

Zhou Jianjun entered the room and dumped the items onto the table all at once. "Everything is here."

Han Jingyang glanced at them. "Wang Jinliang didn't have any objections?"

"With the IOU there, plus his father's signature and fingerprint, what objection could he have?"

"What about Liu Guihua?"

"She wasn't there."

"Then you'd better be careful."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Han Jingyang said, walking to the table to examine them closely. A compass, a peach wood sword, a fan, a yin-yang mirror, a gong, and a calligraphy brush—six items in total.

A compass!

Han Jingyang's heartbeat accelerated slightly.

He placed his hand on it.

"Ding: Appraisable item discovered. Perform appraisal?"

"Yes/No?"

Han Jingyang skipped the appraisal and moved his hand to the peach wood sword.

It could be appraised.

The fan.

It could be appraised.

The yin-yang mirror.

It could be appraised.

The gong.

It could be appraised.

The calligraphy brush.

It could be appraised.

All of them could be appraised.

They were indeed dharma instruments used by some master of metaphysics.

Looking at it this way, Wang Jinliang's father was indeed no ordinary person; ordinary people wouldn't have such good taste.

Then the question arose.

Wang Jinliang's father was no ordinary person, but what about Wang Jinliang?

Could Wang Jinliang be an ordinary person who didn't understand anything?

And again, what about Wang Wei?

It was now known that Wang Wei's grandfather and mother were both legitimate practitioners of metaphysics, but what about Wang Wei herself?

What kind of role did Wang Wei play in He Dingkun's "Life-Base Planting"?

Was Wang Wei really just He Dingkun's second wife?

What exactly was the truth about Wang Wei's death?

A series of questions flashed through Han Jingyang's mind.

However, he wore a satisfied smile on his face. "No problem. These items have value. As antiques, they aren't worth much, but they fit my profession well, and for me, they have quite a bit of utility."

Zhou Jianjun let out a sigh of relief. "As long as you are satisfied, that's good, that's good."

"Then it's settled. The items are mine, and I'll help your village adjust its feng shui."

"Good, it's settled." Zhou Jianjun let out a long breath, as if he had completed a difficult task. "Master Han, when will you look at the feng shui?"

"I've already looked. I've long since understood the feng shui of your village." As Han Jingyang spoke, he used his finger to draw a few lines and circles on the dusty tabletop. "This is the general terrain around Dongpo Village, and this is where your village's qi veins are located. Originally, it followed this line. Although this feng shui layout wasn't outstanding, it wasn't bad either; it could even barely be considered a treasure land, but..."

"But what?"

"The largest qi node on this qi vein isn't in the village; it's outside the village, on the small hill north of the reservoir."

"The Octagonal Pagoda."

"Yes. The Dragon Vein, we also call it qi veins. The qi needed for the qi veins to nourish all things mostly overflows from the qi node, much like drawing groundwater through a well. The qi your village receives overflows from that large node, but now..."

"It's been suppressed by He Dingkun's Octagonal Pagoda."

"That's right, and also not quite."

"Ah? Is there more to it?"

"If there were only one Octagonal Pagoda, it could suppress it for a time, but not forever. It's like a spring; if you block it here, it will definitely burst out somewhere else. But that Octagonal Pagoda that He Dingkun built..."