Hu Hai stood in a spacious hall. This hall was decorated in an antique style, but without too many furnishings, making it appear empty at first glance. On the wall in front of Hu Hai hung various unsheathed ancient blades—some covered with rust stains, others still gleaming with sharp edges, emanating an intimidating cold aura. Hu Hai looked at these ancient blades with satisfaction. As a child, he had not liked blades at all, always feeling that the blood-stained edges were too fierce, filled with excessive killing intent. When exactly had he begun to love collecting ancient blades?

“Though blades and swords are sharp, they are not inherently vicious weapons—it depends on whose hands they rest in. You can use them to kill, or you can use them to protect those you love.”

That’s right. After his Imperial Brother had said these words to him, he had fallen deeply in love with collecting blades. But even after collecting so many ancient blades, he still could not protect the person he truly wanted to protect. Even… even his Imperial Brother had ultimately died miserably under sharp blades and swords…

A crimson small bird perched on Hu Hai’s shoulder, preening its feathers with its pointed beak while disdainfully looking at those cold, lifeless counterparts on the wall. It was the master’s most beloved blade—these inferior goods were far beneath it!

However, Hu Hai was reminded by this room full of sharp weapons of the one blade he had always wanted to obtain. Originally knowing that the jade-carving Mo blade should be in the Mute House, he had never expected that person to casually give away such a precious Mo blade to someone else.

Could that person have been using misdirection all along? Otherwise, why hadn’t his Imperial Brother awakened even after the Nine Dragons absorbed that doctor’s soul? Was that doctor actually not his Imperial Brother’s reincarnation? Was it actually that other person?

Calculating the age, it truly did match…

“Young Master Hu, shall this chess gathering proceed as usual?” An aged voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall, with several heart-wrenching coughs mixed between the words.

Hu Hai awakened from his memories, looking at the wall full of ancient blades, narrowing those crimson pupils of his, and said indifferently: “Proceed as usual. I remember you’ve also reached the time when you need the chess gathering.”

“Thank you for Young Master Hu’s benevolence.” The aged voice immediately became excited, the coughing becoming even more uncontrollable, hastily apologizing before preparing to leave.

Hu Hai frowned and added: “Oh, remember to invite one person to this chess gathering.”

“Please instruct, Young Master Hu.” The aged voice carried a hint of surprise—in all these years, this was the first time he had seen this young master specifically request someone’s attendance.

“That person’s name is…” Hu Hai curved his pale lips into a smile, “Lu Zigang.”

Lu Zigang stepped down from the horse cart. He was exhausted from the journey, having taken a flight from Beijing to Xi’an, then spending several hours in a car, and finally when there were no more roads, he had to hire a horse cart to continue forward. After bouncing around in the mountains for over three hours, he finally reached his destination.

The reason was a distant uncle on his mother’s side who had asked him to make this trip through his mother. Actually, it was an uncle related through eight degrees of separation. According to his mother, he had met this uncle when he was small. But Lu Zigang searched through his memories and could not recall what this uncle looked like.

Still, being relatives after all, and since the man had made the request, he naturally could not refuse. Having him travel such a great distance naturally meant they valued his professional identity, wanting him to examine some ancient artifacts. Though Lu Zigang was exhausted to death, he still forced himself to perk up. He reached into his chest and took out a small black blade to hold in his hand. Strangely enough, though he had been extremely drowsy, once the blade was in his hand, his spirits lifted considerably.

It was now dusk, with the sun slowly fading its light behind the mountain forest. The mountain forest after nightfall added several degrees of desolate atmosphere. Lu Zigang felt the horse cart had stopped, so he put away the Mo blade and looked up.

Under the cover of a stretch of mountain forest, an ancient-style residence appeared before him. Red lanterns at the courtyard gate glowed eerily in the darkness, illuminating two stone lions standing silently before the entrance. In that brief glimpse, Lu Zigang almost felt as if he had traveled through time and space. Only upon closer inspection did Lu Zigang notice a man standing at the courtyard gate wearing a Western suit and tie—this was simply a replica ancient villa built by a wealthy person. Lu Zigang got down from the horse cart, and that person immediately came forward to help with his luggage and paid the cart fare. Lu Zigang took out his phone to call his uncle, only to discover there was no signal at all in this place.

Didn’t China Mobile claim global coverage?

Lu Zigang didn’t pay it much mind, simply putting his phone in his pants pocket and following that person into the residence. Upon entering the courtyard gate, Lu Zigang was startled, because what he saw were pavilions, towers, and halls all built in the wooden architectural style imitating the Qin and Han dynasties.

Generally speaking, modern people imitating ancient architecture usually choose the Ming and Qing periods—this type of Qin and Han dynasty residence was quite rare. But these buildings employed post-and-lintel, timber-frame, and even log cabin structural methods, definitely in the Qin and Han architectural style. Moreover, there were the distinctive Qin bricks and Han tiles—if it weren’t for the darkness, one might even be able to see the patterns on those bricks and tiles.

This household had truly spent lavishly. Lu Zigang was genuinely impressed. From the ancient trees towering in the courtyard, one could see this residence was quite old. However, Lu Zigang did not believe this residence was actually built during the Qin and Han period. After all, after enduring over two thousand years of wind, rain, and warfare, the only buildings still standing in China were probably just the Great Wall. And even that had undergone continuous repairs and additions by various dynasties, or it would mostly have turned to dust and gravel by now.

Lu Zigang surveyed the surroundings briefly and vaguely felt there was something peculiar about this residence’s layout, but before he could examine it closely, he was led to the main hall. It was brightly lit here, with dozens of guests already present, gathered around a square table drinking tea and chatting. They were deep in animated conversation when Lu Zigang pushed open the door and entered, causing everyone to look up at him.

Suddenly seeing so many unfamiliar faces, Lu Zigang was momentarily stunned.

“Little Gang, you finally made it! Everyone’s been waiting for you.” A middle-aged man in his fifties stood up from among the seated group, speaking with a heavy Shaanxi accent as soon as he opened his mouth.

Though Lu Zigang had grown up in Beijing, his mother’s hometown was in Shaanxi, so even without recognizing this middle-aged man, he could guess this was his uncle and immediately greeted him. The uncle was quite familiar with him, pulling him to an empty seat beside himself, then regardless of whether he could remember, began introducing everyone at the table clockwise from the head seat.

Lu Zigang met them one by one. The ones who left the deepest impression were an elderly man and a young man. The elderly man was the owner of this residence, whom everyone called Elder Yu. He appeared to be in his seventies or eighties, with poor health, coughing incessantly from time to time. Seated to his left was a youth with white hair and crimson pupils, extraordinarily handsome and rare in this world. Because his hair and eye color differed from ordinary people, though knowing this was certainly due to albinism, it was rare to see a man with such long hair, so Lu Zigang couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.

Presumably because of his late arrival, these people already knew his identity. Among them, a young woman in her twenties raised her teacup and asked with a smile: “Uncle Li, your nephew has such an unusual name! Actually called Lu Zigang, exactly the same as that legendary jade-carving master from history. I wonder if he has a Kunwu Mo blade with him?”

Hearing the three words “Kunwu Mo blade,” though Lu Zigang knew the other party was joking, he still unconsciously touched the pocket at his waist—he really did have a Mo blade on him. Having just been introduced, Lu Zigang still remembered this woman was called Xia Qian, a newspaper reporter who had come with her husband Wei Zhuoran.

This Ms. Xia Qian was very beautiful, with short hair that was curled, colored, and highlighted in an eye-catching way, exquisite makeup, and fashionable clothing, very much giving off the feeling of an urban office lady. Her husband Wei Zhuoran sat beside her, also outstanding in appearance and promising in career. According to what was said, he was a high-level manager at a foreign company. Sitting together, they were talented and beautiful, truly a perfect match. However, Wei Zhuoran was obviously dragged along by his wife to keep her company. Though his handsome face wore a smile, his eyes revealed distance and indifference.

From childhood to adulthood, Lu Zigang had been teased by countless people because of this name, so naturally he didn’t mind now, casually explaining. Who told him to have a father who was obsessed with archaeology? According to legend, when he was born, his father happened to be fascinated with researching Zigang-style jade artifacts, so with a grand flourish of the brush, he named him Lu Zigang.

With this joke, the initial awkwardness among the strangers dissolved in laughter. Lu Zigang also noticed that though the seated guests spanned various age groups, they should all be insiders—otherwise ordinary people wouldn’t know who “Lu Zigang” was.

“Speaking of our gathering today being fated! Besides Brother Lu here, we also have little brother Hu Hai! Haha!” A man about Lu Zigang’s age said cheerfully. He was called Lin Yan, a history major student at a prestigious university. Sitting beside him was his twin brother Lin Mo. The two were one dynamic and one quiet—Lin Yan wore a full Nike tracksuit while Lin Mo wore a striped shirt and jeans. Both had delicate features and were clearly popular figures at school. At this moment, Lin Yan was mischievously winking while speaking and looking toward the youth beside Elder Yu.

During his uncle’s earlier introductions, Lu Zigang had heard that this white-haired, crimson-eyed handsome youth was named Hu Hai. He had thought it was just a coincidence in pronunciation, not expecting it to really be those two characters “Hu Hai.” Seeing the other party didn’t respond and maintained a cold expression, Lu Zigang didn’t know how to answer either, simply saying a few phrases like “what a coincidence” before moving past the topic.

With Lu Zigang’s arrival, the twelve people at this table were complete. Servants outside the hall cleared away the tea and brought out exquisite food and wine. Lu Zigang had been bumping around all day and was extremely hungry, so he said nothing more and focused on filling his stomach.

This residence was magnificent, and the prepared food and wine also had great origins. Every dish was full of color, aroma, and flavor, each containing meaning. Lu Zigang had no particular expertise in fine cuisine, so while eating he listened to Lin Yan explaining the legend of the osmanthus glass lotus root dish, his appetite growing.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere became lively. Lu Zigang had eaten about eighty percent full and put down his chopsticks, idly looking around. The layout of this main hall was quite strange. Post-and-lintel architecture involved placing beams on pillars, with more beams placed on top of beams, also called stacked-beam style. This type of layout was generally used in palaces, temples, and other large buildings, which wasn’t particularly unusual. However, this main hall was actually built in a rare square shape and was frighteningly spacious, but the surroundings were blocked by person-height double-sided Suzhou embroidery screens, so it didn’t appear too conspicuous.

By now the sky had completely darkened. Only four palace lanterns flickered between the screens in the hall, adding some ancient charm. But Lu Zigang watched the shadows of the screens cast on the ground by the palace lanterns, swaying up and down, and felt an inexplicable unease in his heart.

During the meal, his uncle also explained the purpose of calling him here this time. The owner of this residence, Elder Yu, had quite a reputation in this circle. When the National Museum was being established, he had donated many antiques. Only then did Lu Zigang connect the Elder Yu in his impression with the frail elderly man before him.

In this circle, Elder Yu’s gatherings enjoyed great fame. Elder Yu liked to call some people together every so often, then bring out several pieces from his collection for everyone to appreciate. Lu Zigang only knew his uncle had made a windfall a few years ago and somehow got to know Elder Yu, thus finally having this opportunity. He estimated his uncle knew his own knowledge was insufficient, and since Elder Yu’s gatherings allowed bringing family members, he thought of his distant nephew who worked at the National Museum. At the very least, it could help him save face, right?

Lu Zigang heard this was about the same as his earlier guess, so he calmed down. Actually, he quite liked it here. Aside from the inconvenient transportation, this residence was like a paradise removed from the world. From entering until now, he hadn’t seen half a thing with modern atmosphere—everything was so antique, as if he had left the steel and concrete urban forest. This made him, someone who worshipped ancient culture, marvel endlessly.

The meal was quickly finished. Servants quietly came up to clear the feast and brought freshly brewed premium Biluochun tea. The crowd, now warmed with wine, had lost their earlier reserve. Among them, a middle-aged man in his forties impatiently urged: “Elder Yu, what treasure are you bringing out today to open our eyes?”

This middle-aged man was called Yan Ao. He was thin and dark-skinned, with deep forehead wrinkles, wearing gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. He wore an ill-fitting suit and had a pigeon-egg-sized amber bracelet on his hand. According to what was said, he was the director of an auction house and had a good relationship with Elder Yu, so his speech wasn’t particularly refined.

Elder Yu was still coughing softly from time to time, making people worry whether his body could still endure. At this time, the woman sitting to his right spoke with a smile: “Brother Yan, please be patient. Only one antique will make an appearance today, but everyone definitely won’t be disappointed.”

This woman also appeared to be only in her early twenties. Unlike the heavy makeup of the other lady Xia Qian at the table, this woman named An Nuo was like a lotus emerging from clear water—naturally beautiful without artificial adornment. Her long straight black hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her mutton-fat jade-like face bore a gentle smile that made people feel comfortable at first sight.

Lu Zigang had already learned during his uncle’s introduction that this An Nuo was Elder Yu’s assistant. At the dinner table, she attended to Elder Yu meticulously, spoke with witty charm, and could skillfully adjust the atmosphere and control the situation. Combined with her striking appearance and gentle temperament, basically half the men at the table spent half their time with their gazes lingering on her.

Hearing this, Yan Ao became even more curious. Though he hadn’t known Elder Yu for long, according to what he’d heard, Elder Yu’s gatherings always featured at least three antiques for everyone to appreciate. Tonight there was only one, which meant this single piece was worth three antiques combined.

Lu Zigang looked around and found that not only Yan Ao was curious—everyone present showed varying degrees of interested expressions, except for the white-haired youth named Hu Hai and Wei Zhuoran who had been dragged along to make up numbers. The former probably already knew what it was, while the latter was likely indifferent.

Elder Yu whispered a few words to An Nuo, who then stood up, turned around the screen and walked toward a side hall. Soon she returned under everyone’s expectant gaze, carefully carrying a flat square wooden box and placing it in the center of the table before opening it.

A smell of rotting wood wafted out. Lu Zigang frowned slightly—he didn’t smell any preservative materials. Could it be that Elder Yu hadn’t properly preserved the antique? He looked closely and immediately widened his eyes.

“Six Principles Chess!” The person who exclaimed even before Lu Zigang was a scholar in his thirties named Wu Yu. According to what was said, he was writing a collection of ancient artifacts and was currently gathering materials everywhere. He was now so excited he had stood up, his plump body trembling all over, showing an expression of wanting to touch but not daring to act rashly.