Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

August 6th, 7:00 AM.

The air in Hong Kong was fresher after the rain, but the sky remained overcast. Chen Yu stood by the hotel window, watching the gradually thickening traffic on Nathan Road below. He had only slept for three hours last night, organizing clues, cultivating, and contemplating, only closing his eyes briefly as dawn broke.

The phone rang. It was Li Guoan.

"Mr. Chen, I have important news." Li Guoan's voice was urgent. "The warehouse in Wan Chai caught fire last night."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat: "A fire? Scarface's team's stronghold?"

"Yes, it burned completely. After the fire department extinguished it, only the frame remained. Our people found three charred bodies in the ruins, and their identities are still being verified." Li Guoan paused, "But that's not the strangest thing. The fire started at 2 a.m., and surveillance footage shows that half an hour before the fire, several people left through the back door of the warehouse, one of whom had difficulty walking with his left leg."

A problem with his left leg? Chen Yu's mind flashed back to the deliveryman he'd seen that night in Old Zhou's courtyard—the man around forty years old, with a thick callus on his right hand and an old injury on his left leg. Was it him?

"Did they evacuate beforehand and then set the fire?"

"Very likely. Either the warehouse was exposed and they were destroying evidence, or someone attacked them, forcing them to evacuate and destroy traces."

"Those three corpses..."

"Most likely, they were one of their own. They didn't have time to escape, or..." Li Guoan lowered his voice, "...were silenced."

Scarface's team is tightening their defenses. What does this mean? Is they preparing to close in with the auction approaching? Or have they encountered a greater threat?

"Where is Liu Zhenbang?"

"He stayed at the Peninsula Hotel last night, and our people were watching him. He didn't go out all night, but he made a few phone calls, all to Macau."

Macau. The Ho family. A third-party force. Chen Yu's mind raced: fake security guards, metal cylinders, the Macau Vermilion Bird Mirror, the Ho family's subordinate gangs... Could this third-party force be the Ho family of Macau?

"Director Li, I need to investigate someone."

"Who?"

"The Ho family's agents in Hong Kong. They could be antique dealers or triad members. They have practitioners among them, though their cultivation levels aren't high, but there are quite a few of them."

Li Guoan pondered for a moment: "I'll have someone investigate. However, the Ho family in Macau has a complicated background, with connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. We need to be careful when dealing with them."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yu changed his clothes and went out. Today was the second day of the preview, and he wanted to see the reactions from all sides—especially the people from Christie's, and the missing Liu Zhenbang.

8:45, Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Security at the preview hall was noticeably stronger today. There were two more uniformed security guards at the entrance, and several plainclothes officers moving through the crowd. The registration table was replaced with a longer one, and there were three more staff members.

After signing in, Chen Yu entered the exhibition hall. There were fewer people in the hall than yesterday, perhaps because yesterday's incident had scared some people away, or perhaps it wasn't peak season yet. He scanned the area and quickly spotted his target—John Carter, Christie's specialist, who was standing in the porcelain section talking to a middle-aged man in a Tang suit.

Chen Yu casually walked over, secretly probing with his spiritual sense.

"...Mr. Gu, rest assured, we have strengthened security and yesterday's incident will not happen again," John said in fluent Cantonese.

"It's not a security issue." Gu Wenyuan shook his head. "Mr. Carter, did you really not see the contents of that note?"

"It's the police's business, and we can't interfere," John said with a professional smile. "Besides, Mr. Gu, will the contents of that note affect the auction? Our appraisal report is authoritative; the bronze lamp is genuine."

Gu Wenyuan's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes flickered: "Genuine products... are naturally good. But if someone is deliberately causing trouble, it's always a problem."

"Christie's has been operating in Hong Kong for thirty years, we've seen it all," John said with a smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Gu, the auction will proceed as scheduled."

Chen Yu moved to the calligraphy and painting section, pretending to look at the paintings. However, his spiritual sense was constantly monitoring their conversation.

Gu Wenyuan was very interested in the bronze lamp, but his concern wasn't about its authenticity, but rather about public security. This old fox probably knew something inside.

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind: "Mr. Chen, good morning."

It was Su Zhiqing. Today she was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, looking neat and capable, and carrying a folder in her hand.

"Good morning, Miss Su. Are you here for the preview again today?"

"It's for work." Su Zhiqing gestured towards Gu Wenyuan's direction. "That old gentleman is my client. He wants me to take another look at the copper lamp for him."

"Oh? Mr. Gu still has doubts about the bronze lamp?"

"The old gentleman has been cautious his whole life; he wouldn't just hand over HK$80,000 based on a single appraisal report," Su Zhiqing said in a low voice. "Especially after what happened yesterday, he'd like to confirm it himself."

The two walked towards the bronze lamp display. Gu Wenyuan and John had finished their conversation; John had left, and Gu Wenyuan stood in front of the display, carefully examining the bronze lamp with a magnifying glass. Su Zhiqing walked over and greeted them softly.

Chen Yu also feigned interest, standing three meters away to observe. Activating his spiritual eye technique, he noticed that Gu Wenyuan's observation method was very professional: from the overall structure to the details, from the shape to the rust, from the patterns to the casting marks. But more importantly, Gu Wenyuan would occasionally lightly run his finger across the glass cover, as if sensing something—this action was somewhat similar to Liu Zhenbang's detection yesterday, but without any spiritual energy fluctuations.

"Old Master Gu is an expert," Chen Yu thought to himself. He was using his own experience to judge authenticity, not cultivation methods.

Half an hour later, Gu Wenyuan straightened up, his expression calm. He said a few words to Su Zhiqing, who nodded, and the two left together. As they passed Chen Yu, Su Zhiqing quietly handed him a note.

Chen Yu caught it and stuffed it into his pocket. Only after they had walked away did he open it—the note had a line of small print: "Noon, Lu Yu Tea House."

At 11:30, Chen Yu left the preview early. Luk Yu Tea House, located on Stanley Street in Central, is one of the oldest tea houses in Hong Kong, famous for its dim sum and Kung Fu tea.

When he arrived, Su Zhiqing was already waiting in a private room on the second floor. The room wasn't large, but it was very quiet, with a view of the Central district outside the window. The tea master was performing a Kung Fu tea ceremony, his movements fluid and graceful.

"Mr. Chen, please have a seat." Su Zhiqing gestured for the tea master to leave. "This is Lion Peak Longjing tea, please have a taste."

Chen Yu took a sip; the tea was fragrant and had a lingering sweetness. "Excellent tea. Miss Su invited me here specifically for more than just tea, didn't she?"

Su Zhiqing put down her teacup, her expression serious: "Mr. Chen, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

"Please speak."

"Old Master Gu cares a lot about the authenticity of the bronze lamp, but he cares even more about who wants to sabotage this auction." Su Zhiqing lowered her voice. "He suspects that the person behind the scenes is the same group of buyers as the Vermilion Bird Mirror in Macau."

"The buyer of the Suzaku Mirror in Macau? Wasn't he dead?"

"The wealthy businessman from Southeast Asia is the apparent buyer, but the real money comes from someone else." Su Zhiqing took an envelope out of her bag. "Take a look at this."

The envelope contained several photos of a man in his forties with a sinister face and sharp eyes, dressed in a Tang suit, against a backdrop that looked like a casino.

"He Shutang, the second-in-command of the He family in Macau, is in charge of 'special business'." Su Zhiqing pointed to the photo. "He has a habit of collecting antiques, especially those related to 'fire'. The Macau Vermilion Bird Mirror was purchased by him through that wealthy businessman from Southeast Asia. After the businessman died, the mirror disappeared, but three months later, a Vermilion Bird Mirror appeared in He Shutang's private collection room."

"You mean, he killed that wealthy businessman?"

"There's no evidence, but that's what people in the industry are saying." Su Zhiqing put away the photos. "Old Master Gu means that if you can help him find out who He Shutang sent to Hong Kong this time, and what they want to do, he will be very grateful."

Why did Mr. Gu contact me?

"Because you're not in the industry." Su Zhiqing looked him straight in the eye. "He Shutang's people know all the antique dealers, appraisers, and brokers in Hong Kong, but you don't. You're a new face, and... I can tell you're capable."

Chen Yu was silent for a moment: "Miss Su, I'm just a businessman from Southeast Asia, what abilities could I possibly have?"

"To be able to spot the bronze lamp's unusual features at a glance, to notice Liu Zhenbang's odd behavior on the first day of the preview, and to appear in places where he shouldn't have been late last night..." Su Zhiqing paused, "..."

Alarm bells rang in Chen Yu's mind. Late last night? How did she know?

Seeing the change in his expression, Su Zhiqing smiled slightly: "Don't be nervous. I was also near the Mandarin Oriental Hotel last night and saw someone sneak in. That person's build is very similar to yours, and..." She pointed to Chen Yu's shoes, "There are traces of the hotel's cleaning agent on the soles of your shoes. Only the Mandarin Oriental Hotel uses this kind of cleaning agent."

Chen Yu looked down and saw that there was indeed a faint white mark on the sole of his shoe—it had gotten there when he came out of the fire escape last night, and he hadn't even noticed it.

"Miss Su has a good eye."

"In this line of work, those with poor eyesight don't live long." Su Zhiqing's smile faded. "Mr. Chen, I won't ask who you are or why you're interested in bronze lamps, but Old Master Gu needs help, and you need information. It's just a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Why did Elder Gu want to investigate He Shutang?

"Because what He Shutang wants to collect, Old Master Gu also wants," Su Zhiqing said calmly, "but Old Master Gu doesn't want to die."

Having said all that, Chen Yu understood. Gu Wenyuan wasn't afraid of competition; he was afraid of losing and even losing his life. He wanted to use Chen Yu, this "outsider," to check He Shutang, or at least to find out what the other party was up to.

What information do I need?

"How many people did He Shutang send? Who is in charge? What are their plans for the auction? And..." Su Zhiqing took out a photo of the young man with glasses from the preview—Zhang Zhiqiang's assistant.

"This person went to Wan Chai yesterday afternoon and hasn't returned yet. The last place he was seen was near the warehouse that caught fire last night."

Chen Yu took the photo. The young man was in his early twenties, with an ordinary face, but his eyes held a hint of stubbornness.

"His name is A-Qiang. He was Zhang Zhiqiang's apprentice for three years. He disappeared after Zhang Zhiqiang died," Su Zhiqing said. "If he were still alive, he might know about the note and the metal tube."

A metal cylinder! Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. Did Su Zhiqing know about the metal cylinder?

"What metal cylinder?" He pretended not to know.

"Besides the note, there was also a small metal tube hidden in the porcelain bottle," Su Zhiqing said in a low voice. "The police didn't find it, but someone else did. Those two fake security guards last night were looking for that tube."

Su Zhiqing's sources are even more accurate than Li Guoan's!

"Miss Su is very well-informed."

"I've said it before, those with poor eyesight won't survive long in this line of work." Su Zhiqing picked up her teacup. "Mr. Chen, what's your decision?"

Chen Yu pondered for a moment: "I can help, but there are conditions."

"Please speak."

"First, if the information I find involves other people, I have the right to decide whether to tell Mr. Gu. Second, I need Mr. Gu's contact information; I need to contact him directly, not through you. Third..." He stared at Su Zhiqin, "Who exactly are you?"

Su Zhiqing paused for a few seconds, then smiled, a smile tinged with bitterness: "My name is Su Zhiqing. I graduated from the Department of History at the University of Hong Kong and worked in antique appraisal for eight years. But I have another identity... When my grandfather left the Forbidden City, he took a file with him."

"What file?"

"The research files on the Four Symbols Ritual Vessels," Su Zhiqing said, enunciating each word clearly. "My grandfather studied them for forty years and entrusted them to me before he passed away. Over the years, I have always wanted to find those four ritual vessels, not to collect them, but to fulfill his last wish—to uncover the secrets behind them."

"What secret?"

"I don't know." Su Zhiqing shook her head. "There are many records in the files, but the core part is written in code, which I can't decipher. I only know that if these four ritual artifacts are collected, it will trigger some kind of... change."

Change. Chen Yu recalled the "Red Emperor's Seal" in the silk scroll, and the saying, "When the Fire Star appears in the world, there will be no peace."

"Does Old Master Gu know your identity?"

"I know. He was my grandfather's student, so he's practically one of us," Su Zhiqing said. "But He Shutang doesn't know, and neither does Scarface. In their eyes, I'm just an ordinary appraiser."

Scarface. Su Zhiqing also mentioned Scarface.

"You know Scarface?"

"I know a little. They're a transnational art smuggling ring, very active in the last two years. They specialize in collecting artifacts related to 'fire,' and they're ruthless; murder to cover up crimes is commonplace." Su Zhiqing looked at Chen Yu. "You know them?"

"We've... dealt with each other a few times." Chen Yu didn't elaborate. "Ms. Su, one last question. Why do you trust me?"

Su Zhiqing was silent for a few seconds before slowly saying, "Because you didn't touch that bronze lamp in the preview hall last night. If you were Scarface's man or He Shutang's man, you would have stolen it last night instead of just looking at it."

Chen Yu was startled. Su Zhiqing was also in the preview hall last night?

"Are you spying on me?"

"I was also monitoring those two fake security guards." Su Zhiqing smiled wryly. "I was originally looking to see who would come tonight, but I didn't expect to see you. Mr. Chen, to be honest, I'm still not sure if you're friend or foe, but at least you haven't done anything wrong. That's quite rare in this line of work."

The two looked at each other for a moment, then Chen Yu extended his hand: "Deal."

Su Zhiqing held his hand; his palm was warm and had thin calluses—from the paternity test.

"What should I do?"

"First, find Ah-Qiang. He might still be alive, or he might be dead. But regardless, what he has is crucial." Su Zhiqing took out an address. "This is his rented apartment in Mong Kok. You can go take a look."

Chen Yu took the address: "And you?"

"I'll find out where He Shutang's people live. I'll get back to you before tonight." Su Zhiqing stood up. "Mr. Chen, be careful. He Shutang's people are not to be trifled with, and Scarface is even more dangerous."

After leaving Luk Yu Tea House, Chen Yu took a taxi directly to Mong Kok.

Ah-Qiang's apartment is in an old tenement building on Sai Yeung Choi Street, on the fourth floor, without an elevator. The hallway is dark and damp, the paint is peeling, and little GG stickers are everywhere.

The door to Room B on the fourth floor was locked. Chen Yu used his spiritual sense to check, but no one was inside. He used a thin wire to pry open the lock and slipped inside.

The room was small, a one-bedroom apartment with simple furniture, but it was clean and tidy. On the living room table were several books on antique appraisal and a stack of photos—photos of the bronze lamp taken at yesterday's preview, taken from various angles and very carefully.

Chen Yu examined the photos and found that several of them had writing in pencil on the back: "There are traces of runes inside the lamp base, which match the 'Four Symbols Formation' that Master mentioned. It is genuine."

The "Four Symbols Formation" that Master spoke of? Zhang Zhiqiang also knows the secret of the Four Symbols Ritual Objects?

He continued his search. In the bedroom, the bed was disheveled, as if someone had left in a hurry. A few clothes hung in the closet, all ordinary shirts and trousers. In the drawer was a notebook; opening it, he found it was A-Qiang's diary.

The diary records the work of the past few months: accompanying my master to various places to look at antiques, learning appraisal techniques, and getting to know various people in the industry. One page reads: "My master was very nervous today, saying that someone was watching him. I asked who it was, but he wouldn't say, only telling me to hide a small iron tube. What's in the iron tube? I don't know, but my master said it's very important, more important than life itself."

An iron tube! It really was the metal tube that was taken from the porcelain bottle!

Chen Yu continued flipping through the pages. The last entry in the diary was dated August 4th, the day before the preview: "Master told me not to go to the preview tomorrow, but to wait for news at home. He said if I didn't come back by night, I should give the iron tube to someone called 'Miss Su.' Who is Miss Su? Master didn't explain clearly. But I heard Master mention that she's a female appraiser, very capable."

Su Zhiqing! It turns out that Zhang Zhiqiang and A-Qiang both know Su Zhiqing!

The diary also contains a photograph of Su Zhiqing and another man—a man in his fifties with a kind face, wearing a long robe, standing under a plaque. The back of the photograph reads: "Ms. Su and Mr. Gu, photographed at the University of Hong Kong in 1965."

Old Master Su must be Su Zhiqing's grandfather. Mr. Gu is Gu Wenyuan.

All the clues began to connect: Was Zhang Zhiqiang a student of Su Zhiqing's grandfather? Or was he entrusted by Gu Wenyuan? What exactly was in that iron tube?

Chen Yu put away his diary and photos, preparing to leave. Just then, he heard footsteps outside the door—very light, and there was more than one person.

He slipped behind the door and activated his breath-concealing technique.

The door was gently pushed open, and two figures slipped in.

It was those two fake security guards from last night!