The crowd was bustling, voices filled the air, but their eyes met across the throng.
In Chang’an City, people wore a variety of clothes, which all became a blurred reflection in He Sui’an’s eyes. The only clear image was the indigo clothes and the silver ornaments glinting in the sunlight.
Shen Jianhe had already walked up to He Sui’an’s side, maintaining his usual carefree demeanor. He waved his hand in front of her: “Miss He?”
He also noticed Qi Buyan, waving at him mid-air: “Young Master Qi.”
He Sui’an’s consciousness returned.
Qi Buyan strolled leisurely to her side, his gaze sweeping over He Sui’an’s not-so-good expression, but he didn’t ask anything.
The red snake on Qi Buyan’s shoulder hissed, flicking its tongue. She stared fixedly at the red snake.
The red snake, noticing He Sui’an’s gaze, turned its flat head to confirm she was looking at it. It seemed aloof, stopped flicking its tongue, and slithered down Qi Buyan’s body, swaggering off elsewhere on the street.
Qi Buyan wiped a drop of sweat from He Sui’an’s face: “Are you very hot?”
He Sui’an pulled his hand away.
He was slightly stunned.
She looked into Qi Buyan’s eyes and suddenly said: “I believe you won’t.”
That was just a fragment of her memory, vague and incomplete, not enough to explain anything. He Sui’an wouldn’t randomly speculate from it, nor let herself do so.
She wanted to believe Qi Buyan. Seeing him, she couldn’t help but speak her mind.
Qi Buyan blinked at her words. He could see that her eyes were filled with him, at least for now, they only had him. The silver ornaments jingled in the wind: “What are you talking about?”
“I should be asking what you are talking about.” Shen Jianhe, who had been ignored, interjected.
Shen Jianhe brushed off imaginary dust from his black clothes, showing a look of discontent at being treated as invisible: “It’s been a while. Why are you both in Chang’an?”
Hearing Shen Jianhe’s voice, He Sui’an couldn’t help but grip Qi Buyan’s hand tightly.
Qi Buyan looked down at their clasped hands.
She held on very tight.
He didn’t remind He Sui’an that she was gripping too hard.
He Sui’an pushed down the memories of Shen Jianhe in her mind, determined to retrieve all her memories: “We have some matters to attend to in Chang’an. Senior Shen, what about you?”
“Also here for some business.” Shen Jianhe laughed cheekily.
The street was no place for a conversation. Shen Jianhe dragged them to a restaurant, fulfilling a promise he made in Fengling Town. He had vowed that if they met again in the martial world, he would treat them to a drink.
After all, as their senior, it was rare for him to treat his juniors to a drink, so he couldn’t be stingy. Shen Jianhe, with a hearty pat on his bulging money pouch, took them to Chang’an’s largest tavern, renowned for its fine wines.
It was also a chance for him to catch up with them.
Walking the martial world alone can be somewhat lonely.
Moreover, Shen Jianhe carried black glutinous rice, a compass, a small assemble-able shovel, and other such items, making it almost obvious he was a tomb raider. He had no intention of hiding it.
People often say that tomb raiders bring bad luck to those around them, so Shen Jianhe never concealed his identity, giving others the choice to stay close to him or not.
Shen Jianhe knew He Sui’an and Qi Buyan didn’t mind his identity as a tomb raider.
He Sui’an genuinely didn’t care.
For Qi Buyan, it was something unrelated to him, so he never paid it any attention.
There was also someone else who didn’t mind—Su Yang. But Shen Jianhe thought it was because she was a princess and didn’t see him as worth her attention.
Upon arriving at the largest tavern in Chang’an, Shen Jianhe led them into a private room, called a waiter, ordered a table full of dishes and three jars of the finest Qiu Lu Bai wine, boasting that they wouldn’t leave until they were drunk.
He Sui’an, having just had breakfast, didn’t have much appetite, but she could drink a few cups.
She didn’t stop Shen Jianhe from ordering dishes, not knowing if he had eaten breakfast since they had theirs on West Market Street.
Shen Jianhe came to Chang’an to sell the treasures he had looted from tombs at high prices.
Chang’an, the most prosperous place in the Great Zhou, was full of wealth and nobility eager to buy rare tomb-raided items.
After each tomb raid, Shen Jianhe would come to Chang’an to sell his goods. Meeting He Sui’an and Qi Buyan this time was unexpected. Since he had treasures to sell, he had the money to treat them to drinks.
As soon as the waiter brought the wine, Shen Jianhe deftly removed the seal of the wine jar.
He poured the wine for them.
The rich aroma of the wine filled the room instantly.
He Sui’an glanced at the Qiu Lu Bai wine Shen Jianhe poured for them and then at Qi Buyan, whose expression remained unchanged. She hadn’t forgotten he was a lightweight.
Shen Jianhe first poured wine for them, then for himself, raising his cup to toast them: “This cup is for ‘the vastness of the martial world, the rare chance for us to meet again in the sea of people.'”
“Senior Shen,” He Sui’an said, somewhat embarrassed, “he can’t drink.”
“Ah?”
Shen Jianhe didn’t catch it.
She repeated, “He can’t drink alcohol.”
Shen Jianhe heard clearly this time: “Are you saying that Young Master Qi can’t drink?”
He Sui’an downed her cup of Qiu Lu Bai wine and then Qi Buyan’s, accepting the toast on his behalf: “Yes, I’ll drink this one for him.”
Since Qi Buyan couldn’t drink alcohol, Shen Jianhe called for a pot of tea. The tavern usually had tea, though perhaps not as varied or high-quality as a teahouse.
Qi Buyan slowly turned the now-empty cup that He Sui’an had drunk from.
Wine.
He had only ever drunk a cup in the palace of Princess Luoyan. Qi Buyan was always cautious about any food or drink being drugged or poisoned. That night, the wine had neither.
A wine without drugs or poison still managed to make him lose consciousness in a short time.
Is this what people called being drunk?
Having realized that he couldn’t touch alcohol, especially after the incident with the silkworm Gu, which made him fall into a deep sleep in cold weather, Qi Buyan disliked anything that could make him lose awareness.
Shen Jianhe asked when they had arrived in Chang’an. He had come five days ago to find buyers and had sold several items he brought.
He Sui’an truthfully told him they had also arrived a few days ago.
She didn’t elaborate.
Although Shen Jianhe was curious about their reasons for coming to Chang’an, he knew when not to pry. Some things were better left unasked until the other party was willing to share.
He Sui’an casually asked, “Senior Shen, have you encountered Sister Su in Chang’an?”
“Sister Su?”
Shen Jianhe didn’t understand at first.
He Sui’an reminded him, “The princess we met in Fengling Town, Princess Su. Sister Su is also in Chang’an now.”
It wasn’t surprising that Shen Jianhe didn’t react immediately. He Sui’an had only started calling Su Yang “Sister Su” upon arriving in Chang’an at Su Yang’s suggestion. Previously, in Fengling Town, they always called her “Princess.”
Shen Jianhe exclaimed, “The princess? What brings her to Chang’an?”
She replied, “I don’t know.”
He Sui’an only knew that Su Yang wanted to ask them about the Yan King’s tomb and the longevity Gu, but whether Su Yang had come to Chang’an for that reason, she didn’t say, and they didn’t ask.
“Chang’an has been quite lively recently. The Nanliang Kingdom is to form a marriage alliance with Great Zhou, and the prince of Nanliang has arrived. Could it be that you are all here to join the fun?” Shen Jianhe joked.
At the mention of the Nanliang Kingdom, He Sui’an immediately thought of Princess Luoyan.
They needed to find the murderer of Princess Luoyan’s brother and sister-in-law before she was married off to another country. Time was limited, and they still had no leads.
Qi Buyan suddenly took out a jade pendant.
He pushed the pendant towards Shen Jianhe.
He smiled and asked, “Do you know where in Chang’an we can openly auction this item?”
He Sui’an immediately grasped Qi Buyan’s intention. They couldn’t find the person who lost the jade pendant, but they could use it to lure the culprit out.
The person who lost this pendant near the bodies of Princess Luoyan’s brother and sister-in-law would have returned to look for it. Unable to find it and worried that someone else might pick it up or that it could prove their identity, they would likely still be concerned about it.
Although there were five identical jade pendants, this one had a small flaw.
The pendant was circular and naturally had an opening, but this one had two openings. One was original, and the other appeared to be a flaw from a careless bump by its wearer.
Despite the small flaw, it didn’t affect the pendant’s rarity. It could still fetch a good price at an open auction.
They could auction this item.
Princess Luoyan had been investigating her brother and sister-in-law’s deaths discreetly over the years, but Qi Buyan intended to use a more overt approach, one that might provoke danger.
He Sui’an understood Qi Buyan’s intention and the inherent risks.
But it seemed her courage had grown.
She was willing to take this risk with Qi Buyan.
Shen Jianhe, having seen many treasures, immediately recognized the value of the pendant. The craftsmanship was excellent, and the jade used was of the highest quality, likely irreplaceable.
Though Shen Jianhe sold tomb treasures in Chang’an, his transactions were done in secret. He had never participated in an open auction, preferring private deals.
However, not participating was one thing; knowing where public auctions were held was another.
Shen Jianhe had attended a few.
He never spent money on items that were useless to him, but he could enjoy looking at them. There was no rule that one had to spend money to attend.
Chang’an’s auctions were graded: superior, good, and average. The bidders at each grade varied. Those who could bid on superior items were either wealthy or powerful.
Shen Jianhe could confidently guarantee that their jade pendant would be classified as superior.
He picked up the pendant, examined it for a while, then reluctantly handed it back to Qi Buyan: “I know where in Chang’an you can auction this item. When do you want to go? I’ll take you.”
“Now.”
He Sui’an and Qi Buyan said in unison.
Shen Jianhe was ready to go at any time, no problem. He planned to stay in Chang’an for a while longer before leaving. Settling the tavern bill on the spot, he eagerly led them to the Chang’an Auction House.
The auctions at Chang’an Auction House were held in the evening. Since they were not buyers but consignors providing auction items, they could visit the auction house during the day to discuss auction details with the owner.
Shen Jianhe had a basic understanding of the auction rules in Chang’an and explained them one by one.
He Sui’an listened attentively.
They went to the most popular auction house in Chang’an, reputedly run by a former martial artist known for his righteousness and integrity. He wouldn’t secretly shortchange the consignors.
Translator’s Note: I was not feeling well last week so I wasn’t able to update, updated 6 chapters today ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ )
