Chapter 57: Auction

The situation at the Longevity Island facility turned out to be far more severe and complicated than anticipated, and it was impossible to sort everything out immediately.

For now, they decided to leave it at that.

Shi Pengpeng and Zhong Ziqing worked together to lift the evil curse from Tan Pin, allowing Wu Xiayu’s spirit to be separated from her body.

Zhong Ziqing promptly reported the incident to the authorities and contacted the department responsible for handling such matters, leading to Tan Pin and Wu Xiayu being taken away for questioning.

As a victim, Tan Pin was released after giving her statement.

The authorities also arranged for professionals to conduct follow-up examinations and provide necessary psychological counseling for her.

Wu Xiayu’s case, however, was much more complicated.

While he was also a victim, he had been involved in the creation of sinister artifacts on Longevity Island.

Although he was already deceased and could not be judged in the mortal realm, he would face another reckoning in the underworld.

Feeling uneasy, Tan Pin later reached out to Shi Pengpeng again, asking her to perform a ritual to help Wu Xiayu atone for his sins.

But that is a story for another time.

With the immediate matters settled, Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing headed back home.

Along the way, Shi Pengpeng couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease.

The whereabouts of Zhao Xiwen’s spirit remained unknown, and the whole situation was too bizarre to comprehend.

She glanced at Yan Jing and said, “Brother, be careful.”

Yan Jing paused for a moment, unsure if she was giving him a reminder or a warning.

Shi Pengpeng looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly, and replied, “It started as a reminder, but now it’s a warning.”

Yan Jing chuckled, lightening the mood a bit, and said, “I know.”

The Zhao family had committed countless wrongdoings, and it was said that Zhao Xiwen was someone who held grudges fiercely.

If he had simply died, it might have been the end of it, but with this unexpected turn of events, there was likely more trouble to come.

And it was Yan Jing who had played a role in pushing public opinion to bring Zhao Xiwen down.

Though Yan Jing feared supernatural entities, he wasn’t one to show weakness in such matters.

Besides… He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and said casually, “I have you now, don’t I?”

“Huh?” Shi Pengpeng was surprised but smiled brightly.

“Brother, you don’t dislike me anymore?”

She hadn’t forgotten how unpleasant he had been when she first approached him after receiving a red envelope from his grandfather.

“That was so long ago,” Yan Jing said, his expression stiffening slightly.

After a moment, he continued in a seemingly casual tone, “I might have spoken too soon back then.”

“Good that you realize it!” Shi Pengpeng clenched her fist triumphantly.

She had always known he would come to appreciate her eventually.

That’s what skill and ability could do!

Seeing her smug expression, Yan Jing couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He coughed lightly and said with a hint of restraint, “Then maybe we can spend more time together from now on.”

Shi Pengpeng was puzzled.

Weren’t they already spending a lot of time together?

But then she thought about it—with Zhao Xiwen’s unpredictable situation, Yan Jing was probably even more scared and wanted her to keep a closer eye on him.

She nodded vigorously, her tone full of sincerity, “Of course, of course! You’re my good friend, and you’re so wealthy. As long as you’re willing, I won’t leave your side for a second.”

Yan Jing’s face darkened. “You little gold-digger!”

No girl was as blatant about money as she was.

Even during their initial matchmaking, she had talked about nothing but money!

But fortunately, he had the means to back it up.

Thinking this, his mood lightened again.

Yan Jing was in the midst of investigating the matters of Longevity Island and Zhao Xiwen when he suddenly received a piece of news.

Without hesitation, he made a call to Shi Pengpeng.

“The Zigan Sword has appeared at an auction?” Shi Pengpeng was somewhat surprised.

The Zigan Sword, also known as Liang Fei, is a legendary sword used by an enlightened immortal to achieve transcendence through corpse liberation.

The forging of such a sword is extremely rigorous, requiring specific dates, such as the Gengshen day in July and the Xinyou day in August.

Due to his unique constitution, Yan Jing had been plagued by troubles for many years, causing him constant headaches.

At one point, he even had to temporarily stay at the Shi family’s countryside residence, seeking protection from Shi Pengpeng’s grandmother.

The Yan family had been tirelessly searching for a solution to Yan Jing’s condition, but they had yet to fully resolve the issue.

However, a master once suggested that if the Yan family could find a high-grade artifact capable of connecting yin and yang, it might completely eliminate the yin-killing energy within Yan Jing’s constitution.

Such artifacts, however, are extremely rare.

Those that are known by name are all treasured possessions of major mystical sects and are naturally not up for sale.

The Yan family had not given up easily and had been privately keeping an eye on the whereabouts of various artifacts in the market.

Finally, a well-known auction house recently sent word that an overseas Chinese, due to financial difficulties, was planning to sell a Zigan Sword left behind by an ancestor.

As a sword used for corpse liberation, the Zigan Sword is undoubtedly a top-tier yin-yang artifact.

Having waited for so many years, Yan Jing couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

He had already made up his mind and contacted Shi Pengpeng, hoping she would accompany him.

“This auction is also a social event. Whenever I go alone, there are always people trying to set me up on blind dates, completely oblivious to the situation,” Yan Jing said with a tone of annoyance, then smoothly shifted the conversation, “If you come with me, those people should know better.”

Halfway through, he felt it was too direct and awkwardly added, “You can also help me verify the authenticity of the sword.”

“I get it, I get it,” Shi Pengpeng replied, accustomed to his aloof demeanor, and didn’t take it too seriously.

She even said professionally, “Brother, don’t worry, with me around, there won’t be any mistakes.”

Yan Jing:”……”

He let out a dissatisfied hum, “Why is it always about work with you?”

Shi Pengpeng: “?”

Seriously?

He has a problem with that too?

Shi Pengpeng was amused by him and retorted, “Then what should I be focused on?”

Yan Jing:”….”

Is she doing this on purpose?

Wasn’t he being clear enough?

“Never mind,” Yan Jing was rendered speechless by her.

What could he do?

He could only pretend he had never expected anything and casually changed the topic, “By the way, regarding Zhao Xiwen, I found something very strange.”

Shi Pengpeng: “What is it?”

Yan Jing said gravely, “Before Zhao Xiwen committed suicide, he somehow managed to launder all the money from his accounts overseas.”

Shi Pengpeng was stunned and blurted out, “That’s impossible, right?!”

Zhao Xiwen’s son, Zhao Jiayao, had already perished, and most of the Zhao family’s associates had been arrested.

With the Zhao family in complete disarray and Zhao Xiwen in prison, it was questionable whether he even had the capability to do such a thing.

Since he had decided to end his life, the wealth of the mortal world should have been irrelevant to him.

Why would he go through the trouble of transferring assets?

“I also thought it was impossible at first,” Yan Jing said, “But the facts are as they are.”

The day of the auction arrived quickly.

Yan Jing, familiar with the routine, first went to pick up Shi Pengpeng, and then they headed to the venue together.

The Yan family had always been in the antique business, and Yan Jing had been accompanying his family to various auction houses since he was a child, getting to know many people.

Now, as the vice president of Cat Paw, he attracted attention wherever he went.

As soon as he and Shi Pengpeng entered the venue, they drew many gazes.

Those who had some acquaintance with him came over to greet him.

Yan Jing handled them all with ease, exuding the confident demeanor of a successful CEO, which made Shi Pengpeng sigh inwardly.

It had to be said, this guy’s image and temperament were truly impeccable.

If it weren’t for his unfortunate constitution holding him back, who knows how much more impressive he could be.

While she was lost in thought, the people around her were also subtly sizing her up.

Yan Jing was famously aloof in the industry.

Despite being young and accomplished, he had never been involved in any scandals.

Many had tried to send people to his side, only to be met with rejection.

It was said that once, during a business trip, a client had even entered his room, only to be coldly driven out by him.

This had led some to spread rumors out of spite that he was impotent.

Seeing him bring a female companion was as rare as seeing an iron tree bloom, and naturally, everyone was extremely curious.

Someone tentatively asked, “Mr. Yan, may I ask who this is?”

“Oh,” Yan Jing raised an eyebrow, “This is the granddaughter of my grandfather’s old friend, Shi Pengpeng. She’s just here with me today to have a look around.”

After a pause, he added meaningfully, “From now on, everyone should stop inquiring about my private matters.”

He spoke lightly, but there was a hint of pride on his face that he couldn’t quite hide.

Upon hearing this, everyone understood.

“Got it, got it.”

“Haha, Mr. Yan has good taste!”

“No wonder, I was wondering why you never showed interest in anyone else.”

“?” Shi Pengpeng found this strange, suspecting that these people might have misunderstood something.

Just as she was about to ask, a commotion suddenly broke out behind her.

Someone said, “Chairman Jue is here.”

Shi Pengpeng’s train of thought was interrupted, and she turned around with the others to see a tall man surrounded by a group of people entering through the main door.

The man was dressed in an expensive, custom-made embroidered Tang suit, with a smooth jade thumb ring on his right hand.

His hair was half-gray, but his face looked youthful, making it hard to guess his age.

Next to the man was a familiar face-Meng Zhen from Yu Tian Culture.

Yan Jing’s expression darkened slightly, and he leaned in to whisper in Shi Pengpeng’s ear, “That’s Ouyang Jue.”

Shi Pengpeng suddenly understood.

Previously, when Xu Qiannian was promoting products, he had been attacked by unknown trolls.

Yan Jing had suspected it was the work of Yu Tian Culture and had mentioned Ouyang Jue in passing.

The Ouyang family was a well-established real estate developer, having developed countless properties over the decades, with immense financial resources.

Unexpectedly, two years ago, Ouyang Jue, as the head of the family, suddenly crossed over to invest in an MCN company, founding Yu Tian Culture.

With his usual lavish style, he quickly propelled Yu Tian Culture to the top of the industry, even pushing some of its influencers into the entertainment industry.

Within Cat Paw Technology, many executives were also closely associated with Ouyang Jue.

However, the person Ouyang Jue most wanted to win over was Yan Jing.

Over the past two years, Yu Tian Culture had made numerous overtures to Yan Jing, all of which he had ignored.

On this side, Ouyang Jue also noticed Yan Jing and immediately offered a refined smile, stepping forward to greet him, “Director Yan, you’re here too. What a coincidence!”

Yan Jing gave a nonchalant nod, “Hello.”

“Didn’t expect to see you here today, quite a rare sight,” Ouyang Jue said warmly.

“Have you spotted anything interesting? Feel free to share, I might not be an expert in everything, but I do have some experience with collectibles. Maybe I can even give you some insights.”

“You’re too kind,” Yan Jing deflected smoothly.

“Just browsing casually.”

“You’re being cautious with me,” Ouyang Jue teased, not minding.

“If you won’t say, then I’ll go first. I heard there’s a Zigan sword up for auction today, so I came specifically for that. You all better give me some leeway later.”

Yan Jing was surprised that he was also here for the Zigan sword, but he kept his composure, “Since you’ve mentioned it, it would be disrespectful of me not to place a bid.”

“Why are you competing with me? Young people are so rebellious,” Ouyang Jue shook his head in mock helplessness but didn’t press further.

His gaze shifted to Shi Pengpeng beside Yan Jing, looking intrigued, “You brought someone today? Is this your new girlfriend?”

“Director Ouyang, you’re mistaken,” Meng Zhen interjected quickly, eager to introduce them, “This is Miss Shi Pengpeng. As far as I know, she and Director Yan are just ordinary friends.”

Having been slighted by Shi Pengpeng before, Meng Zhen couldn’t resist a subtle jab in his tone.

Yan Jing:”….”

Well introduced, but next time, don’t.

Suddenly, Shi Pengpeng spoke up coolly, “Manager Meng is wrong. Yan Jing and I are no longer just ordinary friends.”

Yan Jing was taken aback.

“?” Meng Zhen asked, shamelessly curious, “Then…?”

Yan Jing’s heart skipped a beat, and his lips curved involuntarily.

Such words, of course, should come from him.

He cleared his throat, about to speak, when Shi Pengpeng smiled brightly and replied, “As time passes and things develop, we are now good friends!”

Yan Jing:”….”

Meng Zhen:”…..”