The carriage gradually came to a stop. Moss lifted the curtain and said quietly, "Young Master Merlin, we're here."
Merlin nodded and jumped down from the carriage. The moment he stepped outside, a blast of cold wind struck his face, stinging like knife cuts.
Merlin hurriedly covered his face with both hands. Only then did he realize how miserable Moss must have been sitting outside the whole time.
"Moss, I won't be coming out for a while. You can sit inside the carriage until then."
Gratitude appeared on Moss's face. He nodded slightly, then quickly climbed into the carriage. Being battered by the cold wind outside was torture.
After watching Moss enter the carriage, Merlin turned and walked inside.
At the counter was still the charming Xiaolin. Though Anson and Gute were not with him this time, Xiaolin had clearly remembered Merlin. The moment she saw him, a smile appeared on her face, and she respectfully opened the hidden passage.
Merlin made his way into the passage with practiced ease. Without cold wind pouring in, it was much warmer inside.
Before long, Merlin arrived at the underground hall. Perhaps because it was morning, or perhaps because the weather was too cold, there were not many people in the hall, making it seem rather empty.
Nathan did not seem to be there either, so Merlin wandered around by himself.
There was no sunlight in the hall; it was entirely lit by candles. However, these candles were made from the fat of a strange sea beast from the ocean. Though rather expensive, they did not leave behind an unpleasant smoky smell when burned. Instead, they gave off a faint, naturally peculiar fragrance.
The antiques were displayed on stone pedestals, enclosed in even more expensive transparent crystal covers for viewing. However, Merlin knew nothing about antiques. After making a round, he found no antique like the relief that could make him hallucinate. Still, this indirectly proved how extraordinary that relief was.
As Merlin admired the antiques, he suddenly heard a set of very light footsteps behind him.
"Miss Kailisi?"
Merlin turned around and found that the person behind him was an acquaintance—the very woman little fat Gute could not stop thinking about. She truly was beautiful. Today, she wore a white fur coat on top and tight cotton trousers below, highlighting her long, slender legs. It seemed women never forgot to dress up; even in such cold weather, she wore tight trousers to accentuate her beautiful legs.
Kailisi looked at Merlin with some confusion. Apparently, she had no impression of him.
Merlin did not mind. Smiling faintly, he said, "Miss Kailisi, we met here a few days ago. I came with Anson and Gute..."
Kailisi's brows relaxed slightly. She nodded thoughtfully. "I remember now. You're Wilson Merlin?"
Merlin nodded in acknowledgment, then took two steps forward, moving closer to Kailisi.
"Miss Kailisi, Anson told me that you are very knowledgeable about antiques, especially those from the Molta Empire. Recently, I've taken an interest in some particularly unusual antiques from the Molta Empire, but Mr. Nathan doesn't have anything that satisfies me. So, if you have any special antiques, Miss Kailisi, could you let me take a look?"
After speaking, Merlin watched Kailisi. He knew that she had collected many antiques, and perhaps among them was the Mysterious Relief he needed.
"Unusual antiques? You have the same tastes as an old gentleman I know. He also likes collecting unusual antiques from the Molta Empire. If you have time, I can take you to see him now. Perhaps you'll find something you like."
Kailisi stood rather close to Merlin, so her warm breath brushed against his neck, leaving a faintly tingling sensation. He also did not know what perfume she had used, but it smelled wonderfully fresh and made him feel relaxed and refreshed.
"Then I'll have to trouble Miss Kailisi to lead the way."
Merlin naturally agreed gladly. As long as he could find the Mysterious Relief, even the slightest clue would satisfy him.
Thus, Merlin followed Kailisi outside.
Light snow was still drifting outside, and the cold wind cut across his face like knives. Kailisi had a carriage as well, so she quickly climbed inside, and it slowly began moving forward.
"Moss, follow Miss Kailisi's carriage ahead."
Merlin woke Moss, and their carriage slowly followed behind Kailisi's.
Because the weather was freezing and light snow was falling, the road had frozen over and become rather slippery. Both carriages moved very slowly, taking half an hour to reach their destination.
Kailisi and Merlin arrived before an old two-story wooden building. There was a garden in front of it, planted with all kinds of flowers, grass, and trees. But the garden was in terrible shape at the moment. The young trees that had not yet grown thick branches were bent in every direction, crushed beneath the accumulated snow.
It had snowed throughout the previous night, and the wind had been strong as well. A small garden like this was basically ruined. They could only wait until next spring to plant everything again.
Seeing the mess in the garden, Kailisi shook her head slightly and said helplessly, "Mr. Aita's garden has been ruined again. Poor Mr. Aita spent months tending it, only for it to end up like this."
Then, under Kailisi's lead, the two entered the small building and went smoothly up to the second floor, stopping before an old wooden door with faded paint.
Kailisi turned back and reminded him, "Merlin, Mr. Aita likes peace and quiet, so keep your voice down after we go in."
Merlin nodded. It seemed the person Kailisi was looking for was inside this room.
"Mr. Aita, are you there? It's Kailisi. I came to see you today."
Kailisi knocked on the door and called softly into the room.
"Creak."
The old wooden door opened, revealing an old man around fifty.
The old man was not tall. The top of his head was somewhat bald, with only sparse hair remaining, but he had carefully combed every strand back. He wore a black coat, had a thin face and slightly pale skin, and beneath his nose were two neatly groomed mustaches. He looked quite spirited overall.
Merlin was studying the old man, and the old man was likewise studying Merlin and Kailisi. However, he merely glanced at Merlin before shifting his gaze to Kailisi and saying in a hoarse voice, "Kailisi, come in."
After speaking, the old man turned and walked back into the room. Merlin and Kailisi followed behind him, and Merlin closed the door as he entered.
A blazing fire still burned in the fireplace. The old man walked directly to a wooden chair beside it and sat down, saying hoarsely, "Kailisi, tell me, what business do you have with this old man today?"
A smile appeared on Kailisi's face. She led Merlin directly before the old man, and the roaring firelight from the fireplace shone upon their faces, making the old man's originally pale complexion look somewhat rosy.
The old man did not even raise his head. He simply held a thread-bound book with a black cover and read it with great interest.
"Mr. Aita, I brought a friend to visit you today."
After Kailisi spoke, she gave Merlin a look, signaling him to introduce himself.
Merlin nodded. Then he bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Aita, I am Wilson Merlin. I enjoy collecting antiques, especially antiques from the Molta Empire. Today, Miss Kailisi mentioned that you have many unique antiques from the Molta Empire in your home, so I presumptuously came to disturb you."
The old man added more firewood to the fireplace. The crackling sounds of the wood burning could be heard clearly. After a long while, the old man slowly put down his book, rose to his feet, and said flatly, "Follow me."
"Is Mr. Aita's temperament rather strange?"
Merlin felt that this old man Aita had a strange, inscrutable temperament.
"Shh, keep your voice down. Mr. Aita is only a little reclusive by nature, but he is a good person. All right, follow Mr. Aita inside."
Kailisi clearly knew old man Aita well. Together with Merlin, she followed Aita into another room.
The room was not large, and it felt somewhat crowded with three people inside. However, two enormous bookshelves painted red had been arranged in a very orderly fashion. The shelves did not hold books, but rather small antiques.
Some of these antiques were damaged, while others were intact. However, unlike the antiques Merlin had seen at Nathan's place, these antiques were all very unusual. Some porcelain pieces, for example, had unique shapes that Merlin had never seen before.
For instance, Merlin saw a somewhat old bottle on one of the shelves. It had a curved opening on each side, making it look very strange.
Merlin wanted to reach out and touch the antiques, but old man Aita beside him suddenly barked, "Look, but don't touch!"
Merlin was somewhat embarrassed and could only withdraw his hand.
There were roughly a hundred uniquely shaped antiques displayed on the shelves, but Merlin looked them over and did not see a single thing like the relief. He could not help feeling disappointed and casually asked, "Is this all?"
Old man Aita seemed quite dissatisfied with Merlin's tone. He said in a deep voice, "I spent a long time collecting every one of these. What, do you think there are too few?"
Seeing that old man Aita seemed a little angry, Kailisi hurriedly explained, "Please don't be angry, Mr. Aita. Merlin is simply interested in antiques from the Molta Empire. He has only recently begun learning about antiques."
After speaking, Kailisi softly scolded Merlin by his ear, "Don't speak carelessly. Mr. Aita is a little angry."
Merlin nodded. Old man Aita had an eccentric temperament, so it was better to speak less and avoid angering him.
Although all the antiques here were unusual, Merlin did not find the Mysterious Relief he was searching for. Disappointment appeared on his face. He shook his head slightly and said to Kailisi, "Let's go out first."
After Merlin and Kailisi left the room, old man Aita, with his strange temperament, narrowed his eyes and stared at Merlin's retreating figure for a long while. A peculiar expression appeared on his face.
After leaving the room, Kailisi asked quietly, "Merlin, didn't you find anything you liked?"
Merlin shook his head. Kailisi did not press the matter and could only bid old man Aita farewell. "Mr. Aita, we disturbed you today. We'll come visit again another day."
At that moment, old man Aita suddenly spoke. "Your name is Merlin?"
"Yes, Mr. Aita. Do you have any instructions?"
Merlin looked at old man Aita in confusion.
"Would you be willing to study antique appraisal under me?"
As soon as old man Aita finished speaking, Merlin froze. He found it rather baffling. Why did this eccentric old man want to take him as a disciple?
Merlin did indeed want to learn antique appraisal, so that he could uncover the origins of the Mysterious Relief. However, he was still uncertain about this strange old man Aita.
While Merlin hesitated, delight appeared on Kailisi's face. She hurriedly whispered to Merlin, "Quick, agree to it. Mr. Aita is an absolute authority in Blackwater City when it comes to appraising antiques from the Molta Empire. It's your good fortune that he wants to take you as his disciple. Others could beg all they wanted and never get such an opportunity."
Merlin was somewhat surprised. This old man, who lived in such a simple house and had such an eccentric temperament, actually possessed such great skill?
"What? You're unwilling?"
Old man Aita's face darkened, and he became somewhat angry.
Before you continue