The Boss Wants to See You

The short, stout man froze in place. He looked at Hu San, then at the fragments in Chen Mo's hand, his expression uncertain.

Could there really be something special about these fragments that he hadn't noticed?

But those two bookish fools had just said they'd run out of spiritual energy!

Green-Robed Brother Wang and the white-haired elder also furrowed their brows, lost in thought.

They knew Hu San. He was a well-connected middleman in the Ghost Market, with a mysterious big boss backing him.

He was willing to pay ten thousand silver dollars?

Could these fragments really have some special research value?

Even Chen Mo stiffened, though countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Should he sell them or not?

Ten thousand silver dollars was no small sum for him right now. It could solve quite a few of his resource problems.

But Hu San's sudden appearance and offer were far too strange and abrupt.

Had he noticed something?

Or was he simply taking a gamble, or after something else entirely?

The Moonlight Treasure Mirror's process of absorbing the inheritance had been extremely secretive, and the jade slips breaking apart was perfectly plausible. Chen Mo didn't believe Hu San could have noticed anything amiss.

Chen Mo slowly raised his head. His face still wore the same dejected expression, and his eyes held wariness and confusion.

"Ten thousand silver dollars? Just for these... fragments?" He deliberately stressed the word "fragments," his voice full of disbelief.

"That's right! Ten thousand in banknotes! Or materials of equal value!"

Hu San thumped his chest, his little eyes fixed on Chen Mo's face. "What do you say, young man? You won't lose out on this deal! You can't trade that pile of fragments for anything else, and they'll only draw attention. Better to turn them into cold, hard silver dollars. Then you can buy whatever pills or materials you want, right?"

Everyone around them focused their attention on Chen Mo. Some were envious, some curious, some suspicious, while the short, stout man and his companions made no effort to hide their greed.

If he really took the ten thousand silver dollars, it would be a windfall!

"Fine. I'll sell!"

Chen Mo lifted his head, let go of the hand pressed tightly to his chest, and opened his palm to reveal the few dull gray jade-slip fragments.

"Heh heh, that's more like it! A wise man knows when to yield!"

Hu San's smile widened. He hurriedly pulled a bulging leather wallet from his clothes and deftly counted out ten crisp thousand-dollar banknotes. "Notes from Huitong Bank. Payable on sight, no tricks, young man! Care to count them?"

Chen Mo took the banknotes. His fingertips brushed over the rough paper and raised patterns. After confirming they were genuine, he silently put them away and handed Hu San the fragments in his palm.

Hu San took the fragments, immediately pulled out a piece of soft silk, and wrapped them up. He tucked them into an inner pocket close to his chest, handling them with the utmost care, as if they were priceless treasures.

Seeing this, many of the onlookers curled their lips. They became even more convinced that Hu San was either insane or so obsessed with the fragments that he'd lost his mind.

"Deal done! You're a straightforward fellow, young man!"

After putting the fragments away, Hu San cupped his hands toward Chen Mo, his shrewd smile returning. "By the way, my boss knows a great deal about antiques, especially objects with a bit of history. Would you do me the honor of coming to meet him? He's right here in the Ghost Market, not far away."

"My boss enjoys getting to know talented young men like you. He might even offer you some guidance, or discuss other business."

As soon as he said this, the crowd fell silent again.

Hu San's boss?

That mysterious figure spoken of in the Ghost Market's rumors?

He wanted to meet this young man, who'd gone from incredible luck to a crushing fall in the blink of an eye?

The young masters were even more stunned.

They had felt a little better when Chen Mo's jade slips broke, and had even taken some pleasure in his misfortune.

But in the blink of an eye, that pile of junk in their eyes had sold for ten thousand silver dollars!

Ten thousand silver dollars!

Enough for their young masters and misses to splurge for quite some time!

And, even more outrageous, after buying the fragments, Hu San wanted to take Chen Mo to meet his boss?

Li Jinrong's mouth hung open. The expression on his plump face shifted from mockery to astonishment, then from astonishment to chagrin.

He'd spent a fortune on the Yin Stone Seal, only for it to yield worthless material. This fellow had cracked open a cheap stone and found a pile of treasures. He'd even sold the fragments for a sky-high price and caught the eye of a powerful figure?

Was there any justice in this world?

Green-Robed Brother Wang and the elder exchanged a glance. Both saw doubt in the other's eyes.

They'd heard a little about Hu San's boss. He was one of the truly influential figures in the Ghost Market, usually as elusive as a dragon glimpsed only in passing. Why would he suddenly take an interest in a young man selling fragments?

Could it be... that the fragments were worth far more than they'd imagined?

Chen Mo's heart tightened.

As expected, the ten thousand silver dollars hadn't come free.

Was this a blessing or a disaster? Had Hu San noticed something?

Or was he simply curious, or trying to recruit him?

After thinking it over briefly, Chen Mo put on a suitably hesitant, flattered expression. "This... I was only lucky. I hardly deserve to be called talented. Your boss is too kind, but... I still have something important to take care of."

"Ah, there's no need to be modest, young man!" Hu San hurriedly waved a hand, his tone growing even more eager. "My boss is at the Rain-Listening Pavilion just ahead, only a short walk away. Don't worry, he only wants to meet you. He means no harm."

"Who knows, it might be a great help to your... well, your future?"

His words carried an implication. His gaze swept meaningfully over the ill-intentioned faces around them, especially the short, stout man and his companions.

Was he hinting that his boss could offer protection?

Chen Mo's thoughts raced.

Should he refuse?

The other party clearly wielded considerable power. In the Ghost Market, a firm refusal might make them turn hostile on the spot—and make him seem as if he had something to hide.

Should he agree? What lay ahead was unknown, its dangers impossible to gauge.

But right now, he didn't seem to have a better choice.

Since the other party had sent Hu San, they had clearly already set their sights on him.

He looked at Hu San's seemingly warm yet unmistakably insistent face, then glanced at the crowd watching him hungrily. In the end, he nodded.

"Then I'll accept your kind invitation. Please lead the way, Mr. Hu."

"Of course, of course! This way, please!"

Hu San beamed and stepped aside, gesturing for him to go ahead with considerable courtesy.

Chen Mo followed Hu San toward a more orderly part of the Ghost Market, where the buildings stood in neater rows.

Li Jinrong stared at their departing figures, unable to come to his senses for a long while, until Li Zhong gave him a hard tug. "Third Young Master, we need to leave!"

"Leave? That fellow... he..." Li Jinrong still wasn't willing to let it go.

"There's too much trouble here. We can't stay! That young man's been invited by people from the Rain-Listening Pavilion. Whether that's a blessing or a disaster remains to be seen, but we can't get dragged into it. We're leaving the Ghost Market now!"

Li Zhong's tone was firm and left no room for argument.

Seeing the tension on the guards' faces, Li Jinrong said no more. Surrounded by them, he headed for the exit.

But before leaving, he couldn't help glancing back toward the direction where Chen Mo had disappeared, his feelings a tangled mess.

The short, stout man and his companions could only watch as Hu San led Chen Mo away. They stamped their feet in anger but didn't dare stop him.

They knew the Rain-Listening Pavilion's reputation. It wasn't a place they could afford to offend.

All they could do was spit furiously, curse under their breath, and quickly disperse to think of another way.