Chapter 47: Setting the Table

It was both a threat and an invitation. Someone from the shadows was urging me to investigate that old project, even going so far as to “thoughtfully” include two pages from the records—names and handwriting deliberately faded—just in case I didn’t get the hint.

But why me? Why insist that I be the one to look into this? What if I just walked away and ignored it? Tian Xiao is still living peacefully with the Tian Family. If they wanted to uncover the truth about that project, shouldn’t they be threatening him instead? Why come after me?

I couldn’t make sense of it, but at the same time, a creeping fear took hold. If I didn’t follow their instructions, the next thing they sent might not be just a few photos.

I took the teacup Xiao Wu handed me and sipped from it, thinking how aggressive their methods were. If I didn’t play along, who knew what they’d do next?

I considered calling the police. But at most, the cops would look into the two bodies. They wouldn’t get involved in what came after. And this whole thing was tangled up with the Outer Eight Trades and the Five Masters—I didn’t want to drag outsiders into this mess. That would only make things worse.

Fourth Brother wouldn’t be back for another ten days or so. I had no one to consult. I’d have to make the call myself.

Looking at it now, the “curse” of the Nine-Ring Jade Casket might really be coming true. Everyone who touches it dies—except me.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the business card Hou Jinshan had given me, still untouched. I ran my fingers over the phone number. Two people were already dead because of this—one a mole, the other a thief. I’d only wanted them to face justice, not die so mysteriously.

Hou Jinshan was from my grandfather’s generation. He might know something about the old project. If I wanted to investigate, he was probably my only lead. He probably didn’t even know yet that the people he’d bribed were already dead.

I walked over to the phone and first called Tian Yuqing. Tian Xiao had been involved in that project, and there was no way his family’s old man would sit this out. If he picked up, I’d ask him for help first. Just having him on my side would make me feel a lot more grounded. But ever since he called me that day, his number had gone unanswered.

This time was no different. Two rings, then hung up.

I thought about calling Lu A’yao, but when I reached for the keypad, I realized I didn’t even have his number saved.

With no other options left, I dialed the number on Hou Jinshan’s card and picked up the receiver. The phone rang for a long time before someone answered, voice groggy, like he’d been asleep.

I glanced at the clock—it was midnight. Okay, maybe calling now was a bit dumb. But I kept my voice calm and asked, “Hou Jinshan?”

“Yeah, who’s this?” A pause, then he realized. “Oh, it’s you, Young Master Gan. Damn it, my ancestor, don’t you ever sleep? Just because you’re up doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t need to sleep. Can’t this wait till morning?”

“I’m afraid it can’t. I’ve got something urgent to tell you.”

“What could possibly be more urgent than sleep?”

“You’re not in Henan anymore, right? The two people you bribed to steal the casket—they’re dead.”

There was a pause on the other end, then a rustling sound, and even a woman’s startled gasp. I rolled my eyes. I didn’t even want to imagine what was going on over there. Old man still playing around at his age—guess the heart stays young.

He must’ve jumped out of bed in a mess, turned on the light, and picked up the phone again. “Where’d you hear that?”

He probably thought I had a mole in his team who’d tipped me off.

I knew he wouldn’t believe me. I’d already anticipated all his possible reactions before making the call. So I deliberately kept him guessing and didn’t answer.

I took another sip of tea, leaning against the cabinet where the phone sat. “Don’t bother trying to call around. They’re dead. Dead men don’t answer phones.”

There was a loud thump on the other end. Probably him scrambling to grab his other flip phone, trying to verify what I’d said.

A minute later, I heard him spit in frustration. “Damn it! You little bastard, you really are from the old Gan Family. Ruthless as hell! I thought you were new to this game, but I underestimated you. Killing your own people to keep things clean—fine! I’ll admit defeat this time!”

That’s when I realized he’d misunderstood. He thought I’d anticipated his move and killed the two men myself, then called to rub it in.

In the past, I might’ve rushed to explain myself. But now, dealing with an old fox like Hou Jinshan, I had to make him think I was just as dangerous. That way, he’d think twice before trying to lie to me.

Hou Jinshan calmed down a bit and asked, “You didn’t call just to slap me in the face, did you? What do you want? Spit it out!”

I kept my tone steady. “I’ve been thinking. I’m interested in that deal of yours. Let’s set up a time to meet and talk it over.”

He snorted. “And how do you know I’ll show up? You just killed two of my guys.”

“The Jade Casket is still with me. Without it, your deal’s dead in the water. So yeah, you’ll come.”

He was clearly caught off guard.

But I couldn’t keep bluffing. I didn’t know enough to keep spinning lies. So before he could say anything else, I cut him off.

“I’ll have someone call you with the time and place. Let’s tentatively say Thursday. One more thing, Marquis Hou—at your age, maybe take it easy, huh? If you keel over in the middle of something, what are your people supposed to do?”

Then I hung up.

I could already picture him clutching his chest in rage. I leaned back and continued sipping my tea.

I hadn’t tried to hide the call from Xiao Wu. He’d heard it and came over, asking, “Young Master, are we really going to work with that Hou guy? Are you sure it’s okay to decide this on your own? We haven’t heard anything from the Master. What if something goes wrong?”

Truth was, I wasn’t really interested in Hou Jinshan’s deal. But I’d noticed something important—his attempt to steal the casket was suspicious in itself. The only reason he’d go to such lengths was if the Nine-Ring Jade Casket was crucial to his business.

The only thing that arrived with the dossier was the stolen casket. So I figured the thing they wanted me to investigate must also involve the Nine-Ring Jade Casket.

“I don’t think anything will happen. Give him a few days to take the train here. On Thursday, book a private room at Bayi for me. Bring a few sharp guys with you. Since Hou Jinshan tried to wreck our shop, it’s only fair I return the favor.”

Xiao Wu chuckled. “Didn’t know you were the vengeful type, Young Master.”

I didn’t get to bed until after one that night. After what happened last time, I made sure to lock the door, stash the dossier and the casket in a cabinet, and double-check the room for any sedatives or strange scents. Only then did I finally lie down.

The next morning, I locked myself in the room to study the Jade Casket. Comparing it to the sketch I’d drawn from memory, I discovered a small but significant detail in its internal structure.

Part of the mechanism inside looked familiar. After probing it three more times with a fine wire, I realized that at least a quarter of the grooves and mechanisms matched the patterns I’d seen on a massive cauldron in the Nine-Bend Corridor ruins in Gansu.

I was glad I’d memorized so much of it back then. The details were still fresh in my mind. I began recreating the patterns with near-millimeter precision. It was repetitive, tedious work—something that demanded both memory and patience. Luckily, I’d always been the type who could sit still for hours. As long as I was interested, I could keep going.

It was like I was under some kind of spell. I kept threading the wire into the lock, listening over and over again. I didn’t eat all day. That evening, Xiao Wu brought me a bowl of wontons and was shocked to see me still fiddling with the casket.

“Y-Young Master, wasn’t the casket stolen? How did you get it back?”

I held a finger to my lips and gave him a serious look. “This isn’t just any box. It’s the legendary Nine-Ring Jade Casket, passed down among the Five Masters. It’s cursed. The thieves who stole it are already dead. So keep your mouth shut.”

Xiao Wu immediately clamped his hands over his mouth. People in our line of work tend to believe in the supernatural. He didn’t doubt me for a second.

Over time, I’d come to see that he was loyal and cautious—one of the reasons I didn’t mind him entering my room. I scooped a wonton into my mouth and went back to sketching the next cross-section.

Then Xiao Wu pulled something from his pocket—the Luan Bi.

“Young Master, I don’t know much about jade. But when I had someone string this for me, they said it was a fine piece. I thought maybe you shouldn’t throw it away.”

I took the jade pendant from him. The cord was just the right length to wear around the neck. Xiao Wu had put some thought into it. I nodded. “Thanks. I wasn’t planning to get rid of it.”

Even if Blood Jade carried some bad luck, it was said to ward off evil. Wearing it might not be such a bad idea.