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Chapter 23: Joint Strike
🕑 Added 2025-02-09 10:33:32 +0000 UTCChen Xiao even heard from the servants that the boss had gotten so angry he threw a set of tea cups he particularly liked.
Even Elder Ma and Elder Qi had a displeased look on their faces that day. After all, the accusations from the other party about Pang Hemu forging evidence were essentially questioning their integrity, which was a direct slap in the face. The two old men had been in the business for decades, and this was the first time they had encountered such infuriating behavior. They were both furious inside.
This wasn't just a couple of shops, but several well-known antique stores on the antique street that had united to make these accusations. They completely disregarded Elder Ma and Elder Qi’s reputations, as if they were openly tearing their faces off.
Elder Ma was so angry that his face turned pale, and Pang Hemu were frightened, afraid the old man might collapse in his shop. They quickly sent someone to call a doctor, and Chen Xiao, always quick on his feet, volunteered to handle it. He hurried to the same medical clinic he had visited before, bringing in a doctor who specialized in treating elderly patients with sudden illnesses.
Because Chen Xiao had explained the situation beforehand, the doctor quickly pulled out a mind-calming pill and shoved it into Elder Ma’s mouth. Within moments, Elder Ma’s face regained its healthy color.
As he caught his breath, Elder Ma said, “This can’t just be left like this! We need to have a proper discussion! Doesn’t that big boss from Shenghui think he’s capable? He got all the antique shops on the street to wave his flag behind him. We’ll find people, from the capital and from the surrounding counties. I refuse to believe that someone like him can just dominate everything!”
Pang Hemu smiled bitterly. He wasn’t some naïve newcomer. The Pang family had been in business for three generations, and he had been learning from his father since he was young. He knew very well what had caused this situation. Taxue Xunxian Pavilion was his own creation. In just over ten years, it had surpassed century-old shops on the antique street, becoming the most famous one. Naturally, this had offended the others, and they were now doing everything they could to target him.
As for the people who pretended to be oblivious, what could they do? Even if they brought in elder experts from surrounding counties, it would only turn into a debate with equal forces. The united shops wouldn’t suffer, but Taxue Xunxian Pavilion would end up with the reputation of gaining fame through falsehoods.
The real difficulty was that there was no concrete evidence; everything was just speculation. The only "evidence" was a vague account from a shop assistant, which could easily be refuted.
Pang Hemu’s eyes wandered aimlessly around the room. The doctor was still advising Elder Ma to stay calm and avoid emotional extremes. Chen Xiao stood quietly to the side, holding the doctor’s medical kit.
As he watched Chen Xiao, whose face was bowed in humble attention, Pang Hemu couldn’t help but think, If only we could get our hands on that immortal’s robes again to see...
Immediately, he was startled by his own absurd thought. Even if it were just the robes, they had belonged to an immortal. Who would dare make such an audacious request? And where would they even find such things?
“Ai...” Pang Hemu sighed in frustration.
Chen Xiao glanced at him and, after thinking for a moment, gently placed the medical kit on the tea table. He walked over to Pang Hemu, lowering his voice. "Boss, are you troubled by the copper cauldron issue?"
Pang Hemu shot him a glare, irritated. "Isn't it obvious?"
Chen Xiao pursed his lips and said in a slightly nervous tone, "If it's about this, I actually have a solution that might work."
Pang Hemu wasn’t too hopeful, raising an eyebrow dismissively. "What kind of solution?"
Chen Xiao lowered his voice. "The reason people don’t believe the copper cauldron is an immortal artifact is simply because there’s no solid proof. If the cauldron could be like the immortal’s items, making it obvious from the moment someone sees it that it’s extraordinary and not an ordinary object... do you think these people would start believing?"
Pang Hemu’s eyes widened, and he looked at Chen Xiao with newfound respect. "I used to think you were just a little clever, but it seems your mind is really sharp." Then, with a resigned tone, he added, "I know that using methods from the immortal world would be ideal. I even foolishly thought of getting those robes you saw. But it’s not something that can be done easily. Even with the connections the Pang family has built over three generations, we can’t just get involved with the immortals. We’d have to rely on the cultivation families in the county."
As a local businessman in the county, Pang Hemu knew a few cultivators. Through them, he could connect with the City Lord’s Mansion. But those connections were reserved for life-and-death matters concerning the Pang family’s business. Pursuing immortality was his personal hobby—should he really burn through those hard-earned connections for the sake of the copper cauldron? Pang Hemu hesitated.
Chen Xiao hadn’t expected Pang Hemu to have such power behind him. Surprised, he said, "You don’t have to trouble yourself by asking those important people. We can handle it ourselves."
Now Pang Hemu was intrigued. "Oh?"
Chen Xiao glanced at the people gathered around Elder Ma, all focused on him. Understanding that they needed privacy, he gestured for Pang Hemu to follow him to another room in the back of the house.
The layout of this room included a bedroom section, with a screen in the middle to separate the two sides. Pang Hemu sat on a Luohan bed, leaving Chen Xiao to fetch a round stool for himself.
"Go ahead and explain," said Pang Hemu.
"In fact, I have mastered a technique called residential arts," Chen Xiao began. "Although Immortal Masters consider this technique to be of little value, it has unique advantages when it comes to channeling vital energy." He then briefly explained to Pang Hemu that residential arts involve using the shape, orientation, and arrangement of furniture within a house to gather vital energy, making the people living in the space feel more comfortable.
Pang Hemu seemed to grasp the general idea but looked at Chen Xiao with confusion. "And how does this relate to your method?"
Chen Xiao responded earnestly, "Residential arts can't be used for cultivation, nor can it defend or attack. But there is one thing: it can definitely be applied here. Vital energy is a kind of power. If the arrangement is done correctly, it can activate the treasure patterns on the bronze cauldron. Whether the energy released by the treasure patterns is strong or weak, it will at least prove that it is no ordinary artifact!"
Pang Hemu's eyes began to shine brighter and brighter. By the time Chen Xiao finished speaking, he jumped to his feet, visibly excited. "Excellent! This method is great! We’ll proceed with it!" He took large strides toward Chen Xiao, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder and said solemnly, "If this works, you’ll be a great contributor to Taxue Xunxian Pavilion. I’ll promote you to the third manager of the shop! Not only that, there will be generous rewards!"
At present, Taxue Xunxian Pavilion had a chief manager, a second manager, and several other shop masters. The chief manager handled daily operations, the second manager took care of the finances, and the shop masters were responsible for sales. These roles were well-defined. The third manager, if appointed, would likely just collect a salary without any actual work to do.
Chen Xiao didn’t care about that. He only felt relieved when Pang Hemu agreed. Originally, his goal was to use the bronze cauldron to subtly reveal his ability to identify ancient artifacts of Immortal Masters. He hadn’t expected things to unfold so quickly. If Pang Hemu couldn’t withstand this united blockade, the reputation of Taxue Xunxian Pavilion would plummet, and other major antique shops might join forces to crush it.
Chen Xiao was enjoying his time there. He didn’t want to change jobs before leaving. Besides, it would be hard to find another position as high-paying and easygoing as this one. So, this battle was crucial, Taxue Xunxian Pavilion couldn’t afford to lose.
Moreover, this was a perfect opportunity to subtly showcase his expertise. At this point, no one would question where or when he had learned the residential arts. After all, although it couldn’t be used for cultivation, it was still an auxiliary technique related to Immortal arts.
Under Pang Hemu’s orders, the workers at Taxue Xunxian Pavilion began following Chen Xiao’s various seemingly strange instructions. They couldn’t understand why the drainage ditch needed to be turned into a hidden channel, with winding, irregular shapes. They also didn’t get why a copper water pipe had to be installed in the shop, with only the lower half visible, showing flowing water.
Chen Xiao didn’t care whether they understood or not; he simply told them to follow his orders. The movements inside the shop couldn’t be hidden from the outside. The boss of Shenghui secretly mocked Pang Hemu, saying he must know he couldn’t keep the business going and was trying to turn the shop into a renovation project.
Rumors spread quickly, and these words soon reached Pang Hemu’s ears. However, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he invited several prominent shop owners to come to his store in a few days to truly appreciate this Immortal artifact. Everyone knew that the decisive day was approaching.
While Pang Hemu allowed Chen Xiao to arrange things, he didn’t place all his hopes on him. He spent a substantial amount of money hiring well-respected colleagues from the capital and nearby counties. On the crucial day, if Chen Xiao’s method didn’t work, he would have these experts debate with the other party’s people, making sure the confrontation didn’t result in a loss, at the very least, securing a tie.
Chen Xiao, however, remained focused on his preparations, ignoring the outside gossip.
He found a stone basin carved from a single piece of stone—quite rustic and charming. Originally, this basin had contained a miniature landscape with mountains, water, and houses. Chen Xiao removed everything, leaving behind a clean stone basin.
He placed the basin against one wall of the shop, moving the display shelves in order to make space. The shop’s layout was slightly altered, and the customer area was reduced by a third. Once the stone basin was set, Chen Xiao forbade anyone from touching it. He simply covered it with a cloth.
A few days later, the boss of Shenghui and several other prominent antique shop owners came to visit. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a fresh, humid atmosphere. They immediately noticed the stone basin placed against the wall.
The boss of Shenghui was quite surprised, unsure of why Pang Hemu would place such a stone basin in his shop. Curiously, he walked closer to inspect it, followed by several others who were equally puzzled.
"Mr. Pang really has an elegant taste, even raising fish in the shop," one person remarked.
The stone basin in front of them resembled a carved inkstone, with uneven edges, almost as though it had been meticulously sculpted. Inside the basin, the water was crystal clear, revealing a few plump, adorable goldfish, their tails swishing as they leisurely swam around. The basin was decorated with water plants and pebbles, creating a simple yet charming scene.
