Origins
Pavilion Master Zhou Hua of Three Rivers Pavilion had suddenly contradicted himself, but Li Bai wasn't surprised. In fact, he'd expected it. Zhou Hua had been so shaken that he'd lost his composure and let something slip.
That black, burly man across from them had no shame to begin with. What was changing his story halfway through?
He'd suddenly realized he could get a better price, so he'd forcibly taken back what he'd said. That meant Zhou Hua still didn't think much of "Spiritual Mountain" and was still willing to sell it.
If it wasn't anything special, he might as well trade it for some cash sooner rather than later and keep the household running.
Three Rivers Pavilion was dirt poor at the moment. Its Pavilion Master still had no sense that he was a prisoner, and thought that after atoning for his crimes, he could stick his nose into anything. He was both reluctant to give up power and eager to prove he still mattered. Once the operation team began its reckoning, he hoped he could lessen his punishment by making up for more of the losses.
Perhaps it was just as he'd admitted: "Spiritual Mountain" was merely a large piece of serpentine jade that looked worthless—or perhaps it was just a rock that happened to look a little like jade. Twenty thousand US dollars was already an astronomical price.
The defectors had taken it with them because it had been stored in the Nine Provinces Xuan Association's secret vault.
When it had been collected, and by whom, was now impossible to determine. The vault had existed for over half a century, weathering one upheaval after another and passing through the hands of successive custodians. The old records could no longer be verified; only the items remained.
When