249: Chapter 249 Fellow Travelers

Han Jingyang smiled. "Nothing is better than having a healthy body; it's good for a young girl to be lively."

"Sigh, that's easy to say, but as parents, we worry. Her mother can't sleep at night worrying about her job every day."

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"Right, right, I'll stop. Let's drink tea," Wang Anzhong nodded quickly. "By the way, Mr. Han, this is Wang Junyan, she's exactly twenty."

He then said to his daughter, Wang Junyan, "This is the Mr. Han I told you about."

Wang Junyan raised an eyebrow and walked over generously to sit diagonally across from Han Jingyang. "Mr. Han, I've heard of your exploits. Did you really bring down the Dingshen Group?"

Han Jingyang shook his head. "Rumors are often exaggerated; they shouldn't be taken as truth."

"You're being modest, definitely modest. I heard people describe it in great detail. Oh, I also heard you have a subordinate named Liu Jing who is a fierce fighter, wielding a long-handled war saber with great power. Is that true?"

"She's not a subordinate; she's my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Impressive, a perfect match—a mage and a warrior. No wonder you've made such a big name for yourselves, hehe..."

At that moment, Wang Anzhong slapped the back of his daughter's head. "Stop talking nonsense. Pour some tea and have a proper chat with Mr. Han."

He then said to Han Jingyang with a forced smile, "Mr. Han, the item isn't at my house. I need to step out for a bit. Please wait a moment."

Han Jingyang nodded slightly.

After Wang Anzhong left.

His expression suddenly turned solemn as he carefully observed the energetic Wang Junyan. After a moment, he stared into her eyes. "You haven't told your parents the truth!"

Wang Junyan sprang up. "What... what do you mean?"

"You can hide it from them, but you can't hide it from my eyes. Although your cultivation is quite average, you have an orthodox inheritance—cultivating both Dao and Martial Arts. Your master has quite a background; are they a descendant of some major sect?"

"You, you..."

"Don't be afraid. I have no ill intent; I just couldn't help myself upon seeing a fellow practitioner."

Wang Junyan stared at Han Jingyang with uncertainty. After a moment, she slowly sat back down. "You truly live up to the name of the famous Mr. Han. This level of insight is unmatched in Quancheng. I've been practicing for several years, and this is the first time I've been seen through."

Han Jingyang smiled. "That's because you haven't encountered a true expert."

"Do you think I'm stupid? I'm so weak, why would I go looking for experts? I barely leave the house now, just staying home and mooching off my parents while I practice. Anyway, I'm their only daughter, hehe, so what's theirs is mine."

"You certainly have self-awareness."

"Hmph, mock my weakness if you want, but it's true. I know how much I'm worth, so I almost never go out or take on jobs. I only chat with people online. Now, even my parents only know I've practiced martial arts, but they don't know my true level; they think I'm just all show."

"It's good to be cautious. The underworld is chaotic; if your strength is insufficient, you could encounter danger at any time. Not only could you lose your life, but you might even involve your family."

"That's why you gave me a start. I thought one of my master's enemies had come knocking."

"Let's get to know each other. We can communicate more in the future; perhaps there will be a chance to meet your master."

"Forget about my master. He's just a cranky old man with nothing to his name now, except for a tongue that's still quite sharp."

"Which lineage does the old gentleman belong to?"

"Can't say."

"Alright," Han Jingyang nodded. Since she wouldn't even mention the lineage, there was no point in asking for other information; she certainly wouldn't say.

However, today's matter... was getting interesting.

Was it really a coincidence?

Or...

Han Jingyang suppressed his inner conjectures and began chatting casually with Wang Junyan.

Of course, it was mostly Wang Junyan asking questions.

After all, Han Jingyang was the most famous newcomer in Quancheng's underworld lately and the absolute protagonist of several major events. From bringing down the Dingshen Group to defeating Tian Chunyang, every event was tense, exciting, and brilliant.

After chatting for over half an hour, Wang Anzhong finally arrived. He apologized as soon as he entered the door. "Mr. Han, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."

Han Jingyang's gaze shifted to the box in Wang Anzhong's hand. "Did you get the item?"

"Yes, yes, I've got it. Shall we take a look now?"

"Yes."

Wang Anzhong quickly opened the box and pushed it toward Han Jingyang. "Mr. Han, take a look."

Han Jingyang looked down and nodded inwardly.

It was indeed quite good.

It looked genuine at first glance.

Both items were jade, but not heirloom jade, as they had obvious staining—one with earth staining and one with blood staining.

The carvings were in the Han Dynasty style, using the 'Han Eight Cuts' technique.

Interesting.

This Wang Anzhong had quite the connections to be able to procure such things.

Han Jingyang reached out and picked up the jade piece with earth staining.

It was a jade bi disk.

The outer diameter was about ten centimeters, and the inner diameter was about two centimeters.

The shape was similar to a peace buckle, but the size was much larger. Such items were primarily used as ritual vessels or funerary objects—meaning they were used for sacrificing to heaven and gods or as burial goods for the deceased. Smaller ones would also be worn as ornaments.

Jade from the Han Dynasty and earlier was mostly composed of miscellaneous jades like Xiuyan jade and Dushan jade; Hetian jade was extremely rare.

Consequently, most jade from before the Han Dynasty didn't have much to speak of in terms of appearance. If there was staining, the appearance was even worse, looking almost like common stone.

But the craftsmanship was undeniable.

A pair of dragon and phoenix were carved on this jade bi with simple single incised lines.

The pattern was very blurred, almost invisible.

The jade quality itself was nothing to speak of, and the staining was heavy, having almost completely petrified.

For this kind of jade, the cultural relic value far exceeded the economic value, but because of its age, it could still be worth some money.

Of course, it couldn't be traded publicly.

As for private transactions, as long as no one reported it, the authorities wouldn't investigate.

Han Jingyang estimated it to be worth around ten or twenty thousand yuan.

Buying it from Wang Anzhong, he might even be able to press the price down to two or three thousand. It was impossible for Wang Anzhong not to know what this jade bi implied.

Sure enough, when he asked for the price, Wang Anzhong immediately said, "Two thousand yuan. This one is two thousand for you—fixed price, no need to haggle."

Han Jingyang nodded. "Alright, and this one?"

He then picked up the other piece.

The other piece was a jade cicada.

Typical 'Han Eight Cuts' craftsmanship.

It carried heavy blood staining and also had little to speak of in terms of appearance. The jade had petrified, showing soy-sauce-colored blood staining, and the exterior had a thick, raw patina, making it look like a stone lump.

However, the jade quality of this cicada was slightly better, which could be seen from the color—it was slightly white and the texture was finer. Although it wasn't Hetian jade, it must have been very beautiful when it was first carved.

If one had the patience to carefully play with and polish it for three to five years, it might regain its original splendor.

No, it would be even more charming than its original state.

After all, it had an extra layer of blood staining.

Once the soy-sauce-colored blood staining was 'ripened' through handling, the color would become vivid.

Polishing jade wasn't a scam; it truly caused a radical change in the texture of such old jade, making it more and more beautiful the more it was handled.

Han Jingyang could even imagine how this jade cicada would look once it was 'ripened'.

Of course, it had to be 'wen pan'—polishing it bit by bit with one's own hands, without high technology, machinery, or other methods—just the gentle handling of hands.

But was this jade cicada worth spending so much time and energy to polish?