"A stone? Brother Yang, how did you tell that this stone was a jade pendant?"
Fen Liyou did not answer Yang Qing's question, but instead asked one of his own with considerable urgency.
Yang Qing gave him an indifferent glance. "Shopkeeper Fen, do you truly wish to know?"
Fen Liyou hurriedly nodded. "Yes. Please enlighten me, Brother Yang. This matter is extremely important to me."
Seeing Yang Qing still gazing at him so calmly, Fen Liyou sighed. He knew that unless he offered some explanation today, he would likely find it difficult to get past Yang Qing.
Thus, after another heavy sigh, he said, "This stone—no, this Shadow Jade—was an heirloom of my Fen Household."
"If it is an heirloom, why has it appeared at this treasure exhibition? And judging by appearances, you intend to sell it?" Jiang Zhizhou asked as well.
"Not so," Fen Liyou replied. "Nor is this the first time it has appeared at a treasure exhibition."
"Our ancestors left instructions: whenever and wherever someone recognizes this Shadow Jade, that person is someone our entire household must help."
Only then did Fen Liyou pause, looking deeply at Yang Qing. "Brother Yang, can you now explain how this stone became a jade pendant?"
Yang Qing nodded. "What makes this Shadow Jade unusual is that its true appearance can only be seen when it is exposed to sunlight."
"Once it leaves the sunlight, the Shadow Jade takes on the appearance of an ordinary stone."
He paused, then continued, "But someone has now sealed this Shadow Jade beneath a layer of volcanic magma. So even in sunlight, unless one sees through the volcanic rock covering it, one naturally cannot see the Shadow Jade beneath."
After Yang Qing finished, Fen Liyou stared at him without a word for a long time.