172: Chapter 172 The Mischievous Big Kid

Han Jingyang opened the box and took a look.

A piece of porcelain.

A piece of jade.

The porcelain was a blue-and-white plum vase. On the body of the vase, a pair of old men were painted. The two old men were standing under a pine tree, turning their heads to look, as if they had seen something strange. One had his hands tucked into his sleeves, while the other was holding the tree with one hand and waving with the other. Their actions were varied, their expressions natural, and the depiction of the characters was very vivid.

The brushwork was also good, though the technique wasn't very traditional, having absorbed Western artistic concepts. It should be from the late Qing Dynasty.

Han Jingyang picked up the vase and checked the base, and sure enough, it had the mark "Made in the Guangxu Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty."

It was an authentic piece, a small boutique item from the imperial kiln.

This vase would start at 200,000 on the market.

But since this vase was a dharma instrument, its value was a different matter.

The other jade item was a jade handpiece, made of old Hetian jade with a very smooth patina, carved into the shape of a turtle.

No, it should be the legendary Bixi, also known as Baxia, the eldest of the nine sons of the dragon from the legends. It had immense strength, a gentle temperament, and was hardworking and never complained.

The image of Bixi appears frequently in traditional culture; from the imperial court down to the common people, there are traces of Bixi everywhere.

The image of this jade Bixi was slightly different from the traditional Bixi; it wasn't carrying a stele, but its form was very domineering. Although its expression was gentle, the design conveyed the untamed nature of a dragon's son.

The jade carver was a master.

Both the carving and the design were top-tier.

In artistic creation, being able to blend two contradictory expressions together is definitely the mark of a master.

Without a doubt.

Ignoring the material of the jade, just for this level of carving, it wouldn't cost less than 200,000.

Counting the material, the age, and other bonuses, this jade Bixi was not cheap—at least 500,000.

Of course, this was also a dharma instrument.

It also triggered Han Jingyang's Appraisal Technique.

Very good, no fakery.

Han Jingyang was very satisfied and nodded: "Old Zhang, thanks. It was a pleasure working with you. If there's more work, be sure to call me."

"Good, definitely, definitely," Zhang Zhiyang was also very happy. Being able to invite a master of Han Jingyang's caliber to help really helped with his promotion; at the very least, the task completion rate would increase significantly.

High fees?

Worth it.

Anyway, it didn't cost him, Zhang Zhiyang, a single penny.

The dharma instruments were all from the unit's inventory.

"It is easy to practice cultivation while working in the public sector"—that is exactly what this means. At the very least, in Zhang Zhiyang's unit, the thing they lacked the least was all kinds of dharma instruments.

Moreover, no one really used these dharma instruments. There were only a few people in the unit who could understand them, and their skill levels varied. Often, they would stare at a dharma instrument for a long time without knowing how to use it, so the inventory of dharma instruments kept increasing, to the point that the unit had to open more warehouses.

Therefore, in Zhang Zhiyang's eyes, he wasn't afraid of Han Jingyang asking for an exorbitant price, as long as Han Jingyang could actually get the work done.

Han Jingyang didn't think that much and instead asked: "Did the old man surnamed Bai go back to the Capital?"

"Yes, he left overnight last night."

"Damn! He still owes me a dharma instrument."

"This... Brother, I'm sorry, I haven't received any relevant information on my end. Why don't you give him a call and ask?" Zhang Zhiyang quietly changed his form of address, from "Mr. Han" to "Brother," to appear more intimate.

Han Jingyang snorted: "I definitely can't let that old guy get a free ride."

After speaking, he waved his hand: "I'm leaving. Call me if there's anything."

"Brother, why not look around a bit more?"

"Nothing much to see, except for the building."

"Come often when you have time."

"Okay."

"Wait, wait, wait, Brother, I thought of something I should tell you."

"What?"

"It's related to the last mission."

Han Jingyang was suddenly alert: "Are there clues about the great cauldron passed down by Yang Luchan?"

"Yes," Zhang Zhiyang nodded. "I'll send you the information. I won't get involved in the rest of the matters, but I still have to remind you, Brother, to keep a slightly lower profile. Being too high-profile isn't good for either of us."

"What's bad about it?"

"How should I put it," Zhang Zhiyang sighed. "The times are different now, and information spreads so widely. Being too high-profile might lead to you being made an example of."

"Okay, I'll keep a lower profile in the future."

Han Jingyang nodded and, leading Liu Jing, turned and left.

However, he gave an order to Black Hercules.

Consequently, supernatural incidents occurred frequently along the way. Either someone's water cup moved on its own, or someone's hair was lifted by an invisible hand, or a door kept opening and closing by itself, as if a naughty child was causing trouble there.

Hmm, there was indeed a naughty child, a big kid who was 2.78 meters tall.

Only then did Han Jingyang discover that this Black Hercules could actually interact with observable matter—in plain terms, it could touch physical objects. It was exactly like the shikigami from the legends of Abe no Seimei that could serve tea, pour water, and open doors to welcome guests.

It was magical.

If Black Hercules were introduced to those top-tier physicists to study, there might be a chance to achieve breakthroughs in frontier disciplines like quantum theory and dark matter.

Unfortunately, Han Jingyang didn't have this idea.

Because it would be very troublesome.

Although there would be benefits, the current carefree and unrestrained life would definitely leave him.

Exiting.

Liu Jing asked excitedly: "Boss, did you really raise it?"

"Raise what?"

"That pitch-black little monster you collected."

"Haha, the little monster is angry."

"Ah?"

"It's right beside you."

"Ahem, Boss, don't scare me."

"I'm not scaring you."

Just as Liu Jing was about to turn around, she saw her hair being lifted by someone.

She jumped away with a start: "Boss, don't scare me."

"Haha, don't be afraid. Chaotian Temple is very cute, and it won't mess around without my command."

"Chaotian Temple?"

"Yes, I caught it at Chaotian Temple, so let's call it Chaotian Temple."

"This name..."

Liu Jing's expression was hard to describe.

Han Jingyang, however, was enjoying it.

Naming things, just go with the flow; it's not like naming a person.

My pet, my rules.

As he spoke, he commanded Chaotian Temple to open the car door: "Get in. When we get back, I'll let you see what Chaotian Temple looks like now."

Along the way, Liu Jing was very excited but also nervous: "Boss, what does Chaotian Temple look like? Is it the same as its original appearance?"

"The same."

"Then, isn't that too scary?"

"It's not that scary now; on the contrary, it's even a bit cute."

"Really?"

"You'll know in a moment."

However, when they returned to the shop, they saw Wang Zhiwei and Xu Xin standing at the door.

Han Jingyang spread his hands toward Liu Jing: "Let's have Chaotian Temple meet you when there's time."

He got out of the car and waved at Wang Zhiwei and Xu Xin with a smile.

Wang Zhiwei trotted up to Han Jingyang: "Brother, are you done with your work?"

"Yeah, just finished a job. You two are here for something, right?"

"Ah, yes, yes. Brother, you're a busy man and a big celebrity now; we wouldn't dare disturb you without a reason. But let's go inside to talk. Hehe, I stayed in your shop for a few hours the other day, and I couldn't sleep for several days after going back. Your place is too comfortable."