The auction house delivered the purchased items to Yan Jing, including the tea set and an additional ink painting as a commemorative gift for the buyer.
The painting was exquisitely framed.
Yan Jing opened it briefly and saw a landscape painting with fresh brushstrokes and skilled craftsmanship.
He didn’t pay much attention to it and casually placed it in his car.
After driving out of the venue and finding a quiet corner to park, Shi Pengpeng unwrapped the tea set and took out the tea pet.
The pitch-black three-legged toad was clearly well-nurtured, its body glossy and radiant, with bean-like eyes that shimmered with a luminous glow.
It remained motionless, just like a genuine piece of pottery.
“Alright, stop pretending,” Shi Pengpeng found it amusing and waved a talisman in front of it.
“Confess, and you’ll be treated leniently. Resist, and you’ll face harsh consequences.”
The tea pet’s eyes flickered, following the yellow talisman as it swayed back and forth.
After a moment, its jaw puffed up, and it reluctantly opened its mouth:
“Ribbit! Master, please spare me! I’m willing to serve you in any way, just let me live!”
Shi Pengpeng was baffled: “Why would I want your life?”
“Ribbit, you don’t?” The tea pet was stunned.
“Then why were you chasing me?”
“I wanted to ask why you were running away,” Shi Pengpeng said, exasperated.
“I was just trying to have a casual chat with you.”
The tea pet: “Oh… so it was just me being paranoid.”
“Ribbit, it’s all a misunderstanding,” the tea pet sighed in relief and forced a laugh.
“I thought it was the natural duty of mages to slay demons and monsters. I was afraid you’d kill me…”
“Where did you get such outdated ideas?” Shi Pengpeng scoffed.
“We’re in a society governed by law now. Mages also have rules to follow. If you haven’t committed any crimes, why would I kill you for no reason?”
“Ribbit!” The tea pet blinked its bean-like eyes.
“Well, that’s just how it’s always shown on TV…”
It explained that it was originally crafted by a renowned artist.
Due to its lifelike appearance, it possessed a bit more spirituality than ordinary pottery.
Later, it came into the hands of a tea master, who, by chance, nurtured it daily with high-quality tea.
Over the years, it developed intelligence and became a spirit.
As a tea pet, it usually sat on the tea tray, which was often placed in the living room or display cabinet, facing the TV stand.
While enjoying its daily tea baths, the tea pet often watched TV with the tea drinkers.
In recent years, there had been many popular fantasy dramas where humans and demons were often portrayed as opposing factions, with an insurmountable divide.
Mages and demons were depicted as sworn enemies, often resorting to violence.
Having watched so many of these shows, the tea pet naturally developed a fear of humans, especially mages.
After gaining sentience, it became even more terrified of being discovered, fearing it would be killed.
Thus, it remained motionless in front of people, maintaining its ordinary appearance.
Shi Pengpeng was dumbfounded and asked, “Then why didn’t you run away?”
If it had gained sentience and grown legs, it should have fled far from human habitation and hidden in the mountains.
“I wanted to…” the tea pet said sheepishly, sighing.
“But I’m inherently tied to this tea set, confined to this small space…”
It was originally made of the same clay as the entire tea set.
From the moment it was formed, it was just a part of the whole set.
Even though it had become a spirit, its true form still belonged to this tea tray.
Wherever the tea set was, it could only be there, and it couldn’t break free from this natural karmic bond.
Moreover, its essence was connected to the tea set.
If the tea set was damaged, its spirit would also be harmed, and it might even vanish entirely.
This was another reason why it dared not reveal its supernatural traces in front of people-its true form was too fragile and could easily be controlled.
At this point, the tea pet suddenly had an idea, as if it had found a lifeline, and it looked at Shi Pengpeng with pleading eyes:
“Croak, Master, I see you’re a kind-hearted person. Could you show mercy and set me free? I’m willing to reward you handsomely…”
Shi Pengpeng, who had no intention of keeping the tea pet since it hadn’t harmed anyone, found its words amusing and said, “You’re a tea pet that can’t even leave the tea tray. Where would you get such a handsome reward?”
The tea pet’s eyes darted around, as if assessing Shi Pengpeng’s trustworthiness.
After a moment, it decided to take a gamble.
It puffed up its jaw, opened its mouth, and actually spat out an ancient coin covered in patina.
“Croak, Master, if you’re willing to let me go, I’ll give you this,” the tea pet said, though not very confidently.
It was well aware that it was now at Shi Pengpeng’s mercy, like a fish on a chopping block.
If Shi Pengpeng took the coin but didn’t release it, there was nothing it could do.
Both Yan Jing and Shi Pengpeng were surprised.
“A Qin Banliang.”
“A Five Emperors Coin.”
Yan Jing was the one who identified it as a “Qin Banliang.”
His family dealt in antiques, so he had some knowledge of ancient coins and recognized this one at a glance.
The so-called Qin Banliang was the currency issued after the Qin dynasty unified China.
Before the Qin dynasty unified the six states, each state had its own currency, with different shapes and forms, such as spade coins, knife coins, and ring coins.
After the First Emperor unified the six states, he standardized writing, cart tracks, and social norms, and unified weights and measures.
He abolished the old currencies of the six states and improved upon the Banliang coin of the Warring States period, issuing the round, square-holed Qin Banliang coin.
This was the first nationwide unified currency in Chinese history, of great significance and extremely rare today.
Most of the surviving coins are heavily corroded.
A few years ago, a relatively well-preserved Qin Banliang coin was auctioned for a staggering two million yuan.
The Qin Banliang coin spat out by the tea pet was finely cast, with clear inscriptions, natural patina, and its weight and size were beyond the norm.
In fact, its condition was even better than that two-million-yuan coin.
For the tea pet to offer this coin as a reward to Shi Pengpeng was indeed a generous gesture.
Shi Pengpeng was also surprised, not just because of the Qin Banliang’s astonishing value, but also because it was one of the most famous Five Emperors Coins.
In Taoist mysticism, the Five Emperors refer to the Five Heavenly Emperors of the East, South, West, North, and Center, representing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and the five colors of white, green, black, red, and yellow.
The Five Emperors Coins are round, square-holed copper coins.
Ancient copper coins were cast according to the principle of “round heaven and square earth,” embodying the harmony of yin and yang and the five elements.
Thus, in ancient times, people often strung five “round outside, square inside” coins together to symbolize the power of the five directions and five elements, using them to ward off evil and attract blessings.
There are two types of Five Emperors Coins: the Great Five Emperors Coins and the Small Five Emperors Coins.
The Great Five Emperors Coins include the Qin Banliang coin, the Han dynasty’s Wuzhu coin, the Tang dynasty’s Kaiyuan Tongbao, the Song dynasty’s Songyuan Tongbao, and the Ming dynasty’s Yongle Tongbao.
The Small Five Emperors Coins refer to the Tongbao coins of Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing.
The Qin Banliang, as the longest-surviving coin among the Great Five Emperors Coins, possesses an extraordinary method of the Five Elements.
The tea pet explained that this Qin Banliang was originally placed in its mouth by the tea master who previously owned this set of tea utensils.
That master was not only skilled in the art of tea but also a collector.
Unfortunately, his descendants were unworthy, all turning out to be wastrels.
In his later years, seeing the decline of his family, the master secretly hid a Qin Banliang in the mouth of this tea pet, hoping that the golden toad holding the coin would create a feng shui of wealth, thereby altering the family’s fortune.
Even if it didn’t work, at least he would leave behind a valuable coin for his descendants, preventing them from falling into complete destitution.
Sadly, his descendants ultimately failed to appreciate his efforts.
After the master passed away, they became even more reckless in squandering the family’s wealth.
Eventually, even this set of tea utensils was sold off at a low price, changing hands several times before ending up at the auction house.
It was because this tea pet contained the Five Emperors Coin that it was able to gather the righteous energy from all directions.
Combined with the fact that fine tea is an offering in rituals, and by bathing in it daily, the tea pet achieved its spiritual cultivation.
Upon hearing this, Shi Pengpeng suddenly understood.
Earlier, the tea pet mentioned that it had gained its opportunity from the tea master, and now it all made sense.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but sigh, “It seems that the rise and fall of a family still depends on the virtue of its members. Otherwise, even if a three-legged golden toad holds the Five Emperors Coin to protect the household, it can’t prevent its decline.”
Yan Jing nodded in agreement, “It’s hard not to agree.”
Shi Pengpeng continued, “And yet, I, just by accompanying my boss on a business trip, had a three-legged golden toad appear before me and spit out money. That’s what you call good character!”
Yan Jing: “….”
The tea pet: “You have the bigger fist, so you call the shots.”
Unaware of the silence from the human and the clay figure, Shi Pengpeng looked at the tea pet and raised an eyebrow, “This Qin Banliang is so rare. Are you really willing to give it to me?”
“Ribbit, willing, willing. Only by giving can one receive,” the tea pet sighed.
“Otherwise, even if I have this coin, what use is it if I’m trapped in this tiny space, unable to be free?”
“Truly a spirit nurtured by tea, quite Zen-like,” Shi Pengpeng said, no longer holding back.
She picked up the Qin Banliang, “Alright, I’ll set you free.”
“Ribbit!” The tea pet was overjoyed, “Thank you, master!”
Shi Pengpeng looked at it and couldn’t help but ask the question on her mind, “You’re not really a toad, so why do you keep ribbiting?”
“Ribbit!”
The tea pet puffed out its chest, showing utmost professionalism, “Love what you do, do what you love!”
Shi Pengpeng: “…”
***
True to her word, Shi Pengpeng immediately went to buy offerings and returned home to set up an altar and perform a ritual to release the tea pet from the constraints of the tea utensils.
This kind of innate karmic bond is extremely difficult to sever.
Fortunately, with the Qin Banliang, she could harness the power of the Five Directions and Five Elements.
Shi Pengpeng accepted the Five Emperors Coin not just as a reward but also because the tea pet had achieved its spiritual cultivation through the essence of the Five Elements.
Using this coin in the ritual would resonate with its origin, ensuring the success of the endeavor.
That’s why she asked the tea pet if it was truly willing to part with the Five Emperors Coin.
Spirits often cling to their attachments, and if it couldn’t see through and let go, even if she were willing to help, it would be twice the effort for half the result.
She didn’t want to waste so much energy for nothing.
The ritual lasted for several hours until the incense and candles burned out.
Master Pengpeng finished her incantations and stood still, saying, “It’s done.”
The tea pet jumped out of the tea tray and attempted to cast a spell.
Indeed, it was no longer bound, and it was overjoyed.
“Great, this is really great,” it said.
As it spoke, two round, bean-like eyes welled up with amber-colored tea.
With that, the transaction between the tea pet and Master Pengpeng was complete, and neither owed the other anything.
The tea pet bowed in gratitude once more and prepared to leave.
“Wait,” Master Pengpeng suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out to it.
“There’s something I almost forgot to ask you.”
She was referring to the fight she had with the tea pet in the garden that morning.
She had clearly subdued the tea pet, but it had suddenly vanished on the spot.
Even the tracking smoke couldn’t find any trace of it, which was extremely strange.
She wondered what method the tea pet had used at the time.
Unexpectedly, the tea pet was taken aback and said, “Croak, that wasn’t something I did myself…”
Master Pengpeng was puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
Just as the tea pet was about to explain, Master Pengpeng’s phone rang.
The caller ID showed it was Wei Chi.
She was a bit confused but answered, “Brother Wei, what’s up?”
“Miss Shi, is President Yan with you right now?” Wei Chi’s voice sounded urgent.
“No, he’s not,” Master Pengpeng replied.
“Why?”
“Well, we have a video conference later, and I need to go over some materials with President Yan first. But he hasn’t responded to my messages for a while, and he’s not answering his phone. I don’t know what’s going on…” Wei Chi explained.
“…” Master Pengpeng silently checked the time-1a.m.
She was shocked.
“You’re having a meeting at this hour?”
“It’s an international conference,” Wei Chi clarified.
“Oh,” Master Pengpeng thought for a moment and said, “Is it possible he couldn’t stay awake and fell asleep?”
“Unlikely,” Wei Chi said, still sounding uneasy.
“Given President Yan’s physical stamina, he could probably outlast those people from abroad without any problem.”
Master Pengpeng was speechless again.
She thought about it and realized that the guy was indeed a night owl, born with the constitution to stay up late.
She said, “Then maybe you should ask someone else? Could he have been held up by something else?”
“No way,” Wei Chi said firmly.
“President Yan hates people who are late. The meeting is about to start, and at this time, he normally wouldn’t even answer other people’s calls.”
Master Pengpeng felt something was off.
“Then why are you asking me?”
“You’re different from others,” Wei Chi said matter-of-factly.
“President Yan has made exceptions for you more than once or twice.”
Master Pengpeng: “…”
“Really? There’s such a thing?”