Chapter 16

Chapter 16

His eyes lingered on the jade thumb ring, and then on the starting bid of one million, before he quietly closed the catalog.

With only a little over one million to his name, even if he was interested, it seemed unlikely he could win the bid.

The auction began swiftly, and indeed, the first item with a starting bid of eight million was sold for fifteen million.

Hao Jixin returned halfway through, his father accompanying him, though they sat separately with Mr. Hao in the front row and Hao Jixin rejoining Xie Qingfeng.

Hao Jixin whispered about Mr. Hao being informed, and their plans to reclaim everything they had given the traitor over the years, ensuring his downfall would be even more severe.

Anyone who harbored such harmful intentions couldn't expect a good end.

Suddenly remembering something, Hao Jixin chuckled, "My dad said we owe you big for this, Master. He's had his secretary transfer the funds to you. Just accept what my dad sent you, Master; it's well-deserved."

After all, their lives were at stake, far more valuable than these material rewards.

Almost as soon as Hao Jixin finished speaking, Xie Qingfeng's phone rang. He glanced at it and raised an eyebrow.

Hao Jixin, not daring to look at the screen without permission but guessing it was the transfer, didn't pry further and turned to flip through the catalog beside him.

But after flipping through two pages without interest, his mind was entirely focused on how to deal with that father and son duo.

Xie Qingfeng was surprised by Mr. Hao's generosity, who had transferred another 1.5 million to him, probably calculating 500,000 per person.

If he hadn’t felt these three people were less valuable than his own son, Mr. Hao might have transferred 3 million directly.

Silently putting away his phone, Xie Qingfeng sat quietly for a while, then picked up the catalog again, turning to the jade thumb ring on the third-to-last page, as if rekindling some hope.

When the jade thumb ring was presented, Xie Qingfeng looked at it with a hint of disappointment; it didn't have much spiritual energy, certainly not as much as the one from the little emperor's stash.

But it was incomparable, and fortunately, while the quality was average, the spiritual energy was acceptable. Attracted by its similarity, Xie Qingfeng raised his paddle for the first time at the starting bid.

Hao Jixin, who was daydreaming nearby, straightened up at this: “Master, you want this jade? It's of average quality.” He hurried to remind him, not wanting the master to be misled, but then reconsidered, remembering Xie Qingfeng's abilities.

Xie Qingfeng hummed in acknowledgment: “I know. It's a gift.”

Though the little emperor didn't know, and it was technically just returning it to his treasury, Xie Qingfeng felt more at ease giving back something he had used from his stash.

Hao Jixin didn't dare to ask further but was filled with curious gossip. He was amazed that the master, who usually charged so little for a talisman, was willing to spend nearly all his money on a gift.

Who could it be that the master was so willing to spend on?

Twisting in his seat with curiosity yet too timid to ask more, Hao Jixin pondered. A thumb ring, that's like a ring, right? Could it be that the master has someone special in mind?

He couldn't help but steal glances at Xie Qingfeng, but meeting the master's calm and detached profile, he became unsure.

But then, remembering the master also enjoyed eating meat, perhaps it could be true.

Unaware of his companion's wandering thoughts, Xie Qingfeng eventually spent 2.2 million to win the jade thumb ring.

Probably because the thumb ring was of average quality and worth the price, but not of much interest to most attendees, who were there more for appearances and waiting for the last two grand items, few competed with Xie Qingfeng.

After successfully bidding for the thumb ring, Xie Qingfeng didn't stay at the club, with Hao Jixin quickly following him out.

Once they had paid and collected the jade thumb ring, Hao Jixin escorted him back to the hotel.

After arriving at the hotel, Xie Qingfeng didn't immediately take out the jade thumb ring from its box. Instead, he first took a bath, changed clothes, and dried his hair before sitting cross-legged on the bed and turning his attention to the box beside him.

Opening the box, he revealed the jade thumb ring inside and then remembered something crucial – he wasn't sure if he could transfer items from the outside world into his treasury. If he couldn’t…

Then he would have to treat it as a regular piece of jade and absorb its spiritual energy.

Xie Qingfeng placed the thumb ring in the palm of his hand and closed his grip, transferring his consciousness into the treasury.

When he opened his eyes again and looked down, the thumb ring was securely in his palm, making him breathe a sigh of relief.

Having spent so much money on it, it was better if it could be sent inside.

The first time Xie Qingfeng saw this thumb ring, he felt it resembled the one previously owned by the little emperor, though the quality certainly couldn’t compare.

Only when placed next to the ruined ring did he realize the significant difference.

The previous ring had lost its spiritual energy and luster, but even so, it looked much better than the newly purchased one.

After observing it for a while, Xie Qingfeng decided to ignore the comparison, reminding himself that he had spent over two million on it, making it valuable.

If it couldn't compare, then so be it.

Xie Qingfeng left the treasury in his mind and prepared to meditate for a while before sleeping, planning to pick up his foster father from the hospital the next day.

Meanwhile, outside the imperial treasury.

The head eunuch, along with a group of others, stood silently, heads down, the chief eunuch looking particularly dejected and sighing quietly, his eyes fixed on the ground, his unease growing daily for over half a month.

This disquiet began over half a month ago when the emperor suddenly opened the treasury door, questioning him about a missing jade thumb ring.

The emperor even mentioned that the national preceptor was still alive and had communicated through this thumb ring.

At the time, the head eunuch wondered if the emperor was hallucinating due to the grief of the preceptor’s death or the lack of rest after his return. But not long after, that thumb ring… miraculously reappeared.

The most eerie part was that the ring’s color and transparency had vanished. It had been the emperor's favorite before he went to war, a piece crafted from top-grade jade, familiar to the chief eunuch.

But now, what had become of it?

The chief eunuch even suspected that the emperor might have found another ring identical in appearance, just to deceive others.

But how could he dare to voice such thoughts? All he could do was pray for the Taoist priests to return to the palace soon and comfort the emperor properly.

Before the Taoists could return, the emperor had summoned painters overnight to depict the entire treasury.

Every shelf was meticulously painted, even the jade turned to powder, with a striking realism.

These days, the palace painters were terrified, fearing that a single mistake could lead to the emperor's punishment.

Once the painting was completed, the emperor spent his days, aside from attending to state affairs and dealing with the remnants of the rebel generals, holed up in the treasury, comparing each item with the painters' renditions.

The chief eunuch was near tears watching this unfold; the emperor's capabilities were well-known. Since being brought back from the cold palace as a child, it only took him a few years to become a formidable and awe-inspiring figure.

The late emperor once praised the young emperor for his photographic memory. Yet this very emperor, who remembered every detail of the treasury, still insisted on having painters document it.

The chief eunuch was truly frightened…

Now, he could only hope that with time, the emperor would gradually accept the death of the national preceptor.

As the chief eunuch was lost in his thoughts, the doors of the treasury, which had been closed for two hours, suddenly flung open, making his heart skip a beat: Could it be happening again?

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than he was brought before the shelf from earlier, hearing the emperor's deep voice next to him, inscrutable but terrifying in the silent treasury.

“Look here, am I mistaken? Is there not an extra jade thumb ring here?”

The chief eunuch was on the verge of tears, trembling as he lifted his shaking head, his eyes tearless with confusion: Last time the emperor said one was missing, and now there’s an extra one?

"Your Majesty, are you really not experiencing... hallucinations?" he quivered.

As the chief eunuch focused and saw the identical rings, he froze, rubbing his eyes vigorously. The shelf was near the window, and the sunlight made it hard to see clearly.

Drawing closer, his mind went blank: Were there really two?

Upon a closer look, they weren’t as similar as initially thought, but indeed, there were two rings. The first was a replica of the previous one but useless, while the second, though not as fine, was definitely made of jade.

Regaining his composure, the chief eunuch quickly lowered his head again, not daring to look further, his voice trembling: "Reporting to Your Majesty, there are, indeed, two."

After his report, there was no response, and an eerie silence enveloped the room. If not for a glimpse of the emperor's bright yellow robes in his peripheral vision, he would have thought the emperor had left.

The chief eunuch didn’t dare to breathe loudly, nor did he dare to look up, puzzled about the emperor’s intentions and whether this extra thumb ring was another self-deception.

Just as the chief eunuch wished he could kneel, an announcement came from outside the chamber: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Grand Taoist Priest has returned from a thousand miles away and is now outside, waiting to see the Emperor."

The Emperor, who had been silent, finally spoke in a hoarse voice: "Summon him."

To the chief eunuch, this command sounded like heavenly music. With the Grand Taoist Priest, the national preceptor's senior brother, now here, he hoped the emperor would heed his advice, considering his respect for the late preceptor.

But with no further word from the emperor, the chief eunuch remained kneeling, not daring to rise.

Soon, a middle-aged man in Taoist robes entered, his hurried steps and weary expression showing the long journey he had endured. He had an air of an immortal about him, but his eyes were bloodshot from fatigue.

Approaching, he bowed with a dust whisk in hand: "This humble Taoist greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Jing hummed in response, allowing him to rise, but remained silent.

The senior brother was concerned about his junior: "The other junior brothers are already on their way back and should arrive soon. I wish to know... where is the National Preceptor at this moment?"

The chief eunuch felt a shiver at these words, worried about the emperor potentially uttering nonsensical statements in front of the Grand Preceptor.

The senior brother, not receiving an answer for a while, looked up only to see the emperor pointing towards a shelf nearby: “Over there.”

The senior brother looked at the shelf, noticing mostly worthless jade and a thumb ring of mediocre quality at the end: ?

The emperor spoke again: “Do you see the last piece of jade? It was a gift from the National Preceptor to me.”

The chief eunuch, sweating profusely, could only comfort himself: At least the emperor didn't say that the newly appeared thumb ring was transformed by the National Preceptor.

The senior brother, puzzled, looked at the thumb ring and then at the emperor: ??

Emperor Jing's expression softened as he gazed at the thumb ring, as if talking to himself or confirming something: “When has the National Preceptor ever suffered such injustice? Such poor-quality jade with so little spiritual energy; he wouldn’t have given it a second glance in the past.”

The senior brother felt a tingling on his scalp. Was it his age, or was he just out of touch with the emperor?

Emperor Jing finally sighed wistfully: “The National Preceptor first absorbed the spiritual energy from this initial thumb ring, likely encountering danger, then sent this mediocre piece of jade. It must be all he can offer now. He might be suffering somewhere…”

The chief eunuch: !!!

The senior brother: “…………”