53: Chapter 53 Qing Dynasty Qianlong Blue and White Plum Vase with Sea and Cloud Dragon Design

Han Jingyang and Liu Jing spent a long time discussing the renovation of Jiguang Zhai. The more they talked, the more excited they became, eventually searching for related cases online.

As a result, both of them were stunned.

The more they scrolled, the more confused they became.

This one looked good, and that one didn't seem bad either; they were spoiled for choice.

When they finally managed to reach a consensus, they realized it not only exceeded their budget but also far surpassed the house's structure and area.

It was truly a case of 'entering the forum with a three-thousand budget and leaving with a thirty-thousand build'...

Until Han Jingyang received the second wave of messages from Juhao.

There wasn't much information this time, only He Dingkun's itinerary and the most likely place he would sleep tonight.

Han Jingyang tentatively sent a message asking, "Does He Dingkun have any plans or reactions regarding me?"

After a long while, Juhao replied, "He had people guarding the ancestral grave last night and sought a powerful protective talisman from Thousand Buddha Mountain. It's a temple-treasure-level talisman. He plans to contact you again, but not in person."

Han Jingyang raised an eyebrow.

Does this mean He Dingkun has chickened out?

Otherwise, why bother with further contact?

Couldn't he just start a direct confrontation?

However, things had already reached a point where there was no room for reconciliation. He had practically overturned the He family's ancestral grave. If He Dingkun found out, he would surely explode with rage.

The good news was that He Dingkun indeed hadn't noticed anything unusual at the ancestral grave.

Fortunately, he had moved fast enough last night; otherwise, he might have been cornered by He Dingkun's men.

Moreover, since He Dingkun didn't have the intention of fighting to the death for the time being, he could play along and delay for time, waiting to see when the trap he dug at the He family's ancestral grave would erupt.

If he could wait for He Dingkun to ruin himself, that would be for the best; there would be no need for him and Liu Jing to take risks.

Unless absolutely necessary, he was unwilling to face He Dingkun head-on.

Because even if he won a direct confrontation, it would consume more skills, expose more of his cards, and carry more risks.

Unfortunately, He Dingkun was now on guard. Not only had he obtained a more powerful protective talisman, but he was also deliberately avoiding a face-to-face meeting.

In other words, his two attacks yesterday had not only failed to take effect but had also alerted the enemy, putting He Dingkun on high alert.

This was truly bad news.

Han Jingyang took a breath and continued to ask, "Who are the dangerous people around He Dingkun that I need to pay special attention to?"

"Great Monk Kongyun of Xingguo Zen Temple, an accomplished monk with unknown supernatural powers who can consecrate and bless Buddhist dharma instruments; Liu San, a Xingyi Quan master with extreme combat power and ruthless methods, He Dingkun's top assassin; Shi Xiaoya, He Dingkun's driver, nanny, bodyguard, and personal assistant—a former model and Xingyi Quan master skilled in firearms, she is He Dingkun's most trusted person; Xue Xinming, from Gan Province, a metaphysics expert skilled in curses who can kill invisibly and is exceptionally mysterious—rumor has it he played a crucial role in He Dingkun's rise."

After reading the profiles of these four people, Han Jingyang's mind was in turmoil.

He Dingkun actually has such talents under him?

Shi Xiaoya and Liu San were one thing; they were still normal people.

But what about Great Monk Kongyun and Xue Xinming?

Fellow practitioners of metaphysics?

A great monk and a folk sorcerer—they didn't seem to match at all, yet both were willing to work for He Dingkun.

He could only lament that money was indeed a powerful thing, truly capable of making the devil turn the millstone.

And these two 'ghosts' weren't just any minor spirits, but lethal, vengeful ones.

Great Monk Kongyun was manageable, as he only made small items like protective talismans to help He Dingkun protect himself.

But that Xue Xinming from Gan Province was a formidable character who could actually use curses to kill people.

This was even more sinister than his Feng Shui techniques. If one were to fall victim to it, there would likely be no way out but death.

At this thought, Han Jingyang closed his eyes and pondered for a few minutes before making a decision: to strike first.

At this stage, words were useless; in the end, they would have to settle it through a real trial of strength.

Instead of waiting for He Dingkun's experts to come knocking, it was better to take the initiative and eliminate He Dingkun directly.

To catch the bandits, one must first capture their leader.

Without He Dingkun, the threat from this group would drop significantly. Great Monk Kongyun and Xue Xinming were clearly just doing it for the money; once their benefactor, He Dingkun, was dead, they would naturally lose the motivation to risk their lives against him.

But the problem remained: how could he find an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to He Dingkun?

With He Dingkun hiding away, he could only watch helplessly.

After all, what he wanted was to kill He Dingkun silently and without leaving a trace, not to charge into the dragon's den alone with a blade, cut He Dingkun in half, and then swagger away.

Doing it that way would be satisfying.

But it would also bring a lot of trouble; at the very least, the authorities certainly wouldn't remain indifferent.

Moreover, such reckless behavior didn't fit his persona.

A master of metaphysics should, of course, be able to summon clouds and rain with a flip of his hand, rather than carving out a bloody path with a giant blade.

Perhaps he should take a look around He Dingkun's residence and office building.

Han Jingyang opened a map, marked the detailed locations of He Dingkun's several residences and the Dingshen Group office building, and began planning his route.

But just then, someone knocked and entered. "Boss, do you buy antiques?"

Han Jingyang hadn't planned on buying items from individual sellers anymore, as the efficiency was too low.

But since the person had come to his door, it wasn't right to refuse. He nodded. "I do."

The visitor happily took the basket off his shoulder. "That's great. Take a look and see if these things are worth anything."

Han Jingyang glanced at them and asked with a frown, "Where did these come from?"

"Dug them up at a construction site," the man said. He looked to be in his fifties, wearing rubber boots and camouflage clothes. His hair was messy and dusty, his face was stained with cement spots, his skin was dark, and his back was hunched, but he looked sturdy—clearly a laborer accustomed to heavy physical work.

However, there were many scammers among people like this. They were often seen in antique markets, carrying a basket of mud-covered junk and pretending to be migrant workers to trick people.

Yet, people frequently fell for it.

However, this man wasn't a scammer.

Because the goods were real.

At a glance, he spotted a blue and white Meiping at the top of the basket. Its tone, brushwork, and glaze were definitely not those of a common counterfeit but were those of a genuine antique.

So he pointed to a chair. "Have a seat first."

Liu Jing also timely brought over a cup of warm water.

Han Jingyang picked up the vase and examined it.

"[Ding: Appraisable item discovered. Appraise now?]"

Appraisable?

Such good luck?

Was the wealth-attracting attribute of the Bronze Pixiu taking effect?

Han Jingyang ignored the skill prompt and first looked at the base.

It was a six-character blue and white mark in regular script that read "Made in the Qianlong Era of the Great Ming."

A ring foot.

The foot was trimmed naturally.

The paste was fine and solid, yet not overly white and oily.

It was undoubtedly an Imperial Kiln product from the Qianlong period.

Looking at the brushwork, the technique was quite delicate and skillful, the style perfectly matching that of the old craftsmen from the Qianlong era.

The most typical feature was the pigment: fine and bright, a pure blue with perfectly executed washes—neither too thick nor too thin, neither blurred nor runny. It was the peak level of the Qianlong period.

A fine vase.

Han Jingyang examined the vase carefully for a few minutes, feeling very satisfied.

A Qianlong Blue and White Sea Water Cloud Dragon Pattern Meiping.

Its market value was over eight hundred thousand yuan.

If sent to auction, it wouldn't be unusual for it to reach two million, as the vase was in excellent condition—no chips, no cracks, and not even many signs of wear. It had clearly been well-preserved.

The only flaw was that the patina was too raw; an insider would immediately realize it was freshly unearthed.

One could easily end up in prison over something like this.

This was exactly the situation that had led to Zhou Yucheng being targeted.

So, he was torn: should he buy it or not?