Thunderbolts of immense power crashed down from the Thousand-Layered Pagoda, tearing violently through the surging clouds. In an instant, the vast land trembled and shuddered, and the fire of the Red Lotus blazed into the sky.
The startling thunder and fierce flames attacked in unison, intent on making the prisoner endure the pain of burning flesh and shattering bones.
How could it not hurt? The bound figure struggled against the heavens, the thick chains clanking repeatedly.
The lightning struck the Soul Binding, like a myriad of spirit snakes, racing along the long chains, converging upon the blood-stained White-Robed Immortal…
Wu Yinyu was jolted awake by the scalding heat. As she came to her senses, her hand recoiled sharply, and she realized she had knocked over the teacup on the table.
Hot tea trickled down the table’s edge. She curled her fingers and heard an exclamation from beside her.
A female attendant quickly stepped closer, briefly wiped the tea from the table, and then respectfully lifted Wu Yinyu’s hand to examine it, whispering, “I’ll go get an ice pack. Please wait a moment, Young Miss.”
“No need.” Wu Yinyu’s brow relaxed. The back of her hand was a little red, but it was nothing serious.
Seeing the waitress already frantic with worry, she couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes instantly becoming warm and affectionate.
“But your hand, Young Miss…” The attendant, afraid of neglecting a guest, was already turning to leave.
“I said no need.” Wu Yinyu picked up the long smoking pipe from the table and tapped it against the other woman’s palm.
Her gaze lowered. She clicked open the tobacco box, pinched some shredded tobacco into the pipe bowl, and said in a slow, languid voice, “I knocked it over myself. Just pour me another cup.”
The attendant was about to refill the teacup when she was interrupted.
Wu Yinyu added, “I don’t want the same tea as before. Switch it to Emei Snow Bud.”
The attendant had no choice but to brew a fresh pot, secretly sizing up this Second Young Miss of the Wu family. Just as she was studying her with keen interest, she unexpectedly met the other woman’s subtly affectionate Willow Leaf Eyes.
Wu Yinyu took a drag from her pipe, crossed one leg, the kitten-heeled white velvet shoe dangling precariously from her foot, looking like it would fall off at any moment. The slit of her qipao skirt parted slightly open.
“Where are they in the auction?” she asked, her enunciation a bit slurred.
The attendant replied, “They’re at that Sky-Clearing Blue-Glazed Gallbladder Vase. Is the Young Miss interested?”
Wu Yinyu shook her head, her left arm wrapped around her chest, her pipe-holding hand resting upon it. She leaned back lazily, a wisp of white smoke rising from the pipe bowl.
In truth, this wasn’t the first time she had dreamed of that terrifying thunder and fierce fire. It had only become more frequent recently. Before, she only saw it in her sleep, but now, merely a moment’s distraction could drag her into that unknown realm.
The reason she had come to this auction was for a piece of jade she had seen in her dreams. That jade was crimson red, its color pure and intense, marked with a strange lotus pattern.
If she hadn’t learned that such an item was among the antiques being auctioned, she wouldn’t have come.
Before this, Wu Yinyu had always thought everything in her dreams was an illusion. But upon seeing the auction preview photos, she was startled to realize it was no coincidence. She had to come; she had to see that jade with her own eyes.
The attendant poured Wu Yinyu another cup of tea, glanced down below, and said, “The starting price for this Sky-Clearing Blue-Glazed Gallbladder Vase is quite high. It was put up by the Liu family. I wouldn’t dare say this to anyone else, only to you, Young Miss.”
“Oh? How so?” Wu Yinyu raised her arm, placed the mouthpiece between her lips, and after pulling it away, gently exhaled a stream of smoke.
The attendant answered, “The Liu family’s funds are in trouble. For this, they’ve even brought out many of their treasured antiques. Now, within this branch, I hear they don’t even have an inheritor. The whole Liu family is just an empty shell. If not for the Wu family speaking up for them, they probably would have…”
Wu Yinyu narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze clouded by smoke, appearing hazy and indistinct.
She spoke in a thin, soft voice, very gentle and slow, her tone lilting and winding, as if dangling a hook for a fish. “What’s there to be afraid of saying? The Liu family is indeed an empty shell now. To outsiders, the Five Gates have become the Four Gates. Actually, let alone the Liu family, if Wu Wanying hadn’t temporarily taken over as Family Head, even the Wu family would have nearly been finished.”
“Young Miss, such words…” The attendant’s heart raced with alarm.
Wu Yinyu turned her head, lowering her left leg, which had been resting on her right knee. The skirt hem, embroidered with ink-wash landscape patterns, swayed slightly. She didn’t speak, merely crooked a finger at the attendant.
The attendant approached nervously, thinking the Second Young Miss of the Wu family was about to share a secret. She even bent down and leaned her ear closer.
Wu Yinyu tucked the stray hair beside the attendant’s ear behind it before saying, “I know you wish to flatter the Wu family, but there’s no need to speak ill of the Liu family. Whether it’s the Five Gates or the Four Gates, the Wu family is the leader. We can’t stand to hear words of sowing discord.”
That soft, silky voice poured into her ear. The attendant felt a chill down her back and retreated a step with her head bowed, saying, “Young Miss misunderstands, I absolutely meant no such thing!”
Wu Yinyu said no more, only looking down at the round stage below. She heard the Sky-Clearing Blue-Glazed Gallbladder Vase hammered down for a price nearing ten million—much higher than she had anticipated. The Liu family had made a considerable profit.
The red lantern hanging in the opposite pavilion lit up. Inside sat the person who had won the vase, but the thick curtains made it impossible to see the buyer’s true face.
Within this Cuihui Eight Treasures Pavilion, most esteemed guests in the upper pavilions preferred not to show their faces. But Wu Yinyu didn’t care for such things. Whenever she came here, she never bothered to lower the curtains. If anyone looked at her, she would calmly look right back.
The attendant was still standing close to Wu Yinyu’s side. Wu Yinyu glanced at her from the corner of her eye and said with profound meaning, “Us branches, well, our work is all about expelling ghosts and purging evil entities. Doing this year after year, month after month, we inevitably get tainted with Yin and evil energies ourselves. You see, isn’t that exactly how the Liu family fell? Ordinary people can’t speak of us, nor should they come near us. Otherwise, sooner or later, they’ll attract the Yin Energy onto themselves.”
The attendant shuddered, frightened back to the wall, her hands folded primly in front of her.
“I’m just joking with you.” Wu Yinyu laughed, her body trembling slightly.
When she went out today, her hair wasn’t pinned up very tightly. Now, with her trembling, her hair loosened, and a hairpin fell onto her shoulder.
Though scared, the attendant still mustered her courage and asked, “Young Miss, shall I put your hair up for you?”
Wu Yinyu placed the mouthpiece between her lips and let out a muffled “Mm,” her eyes fixed unblinkingly on below.
The Lotus Pattern Jade Pendant was finally presented on stage. An attendant used a long pole to lift the red cloth, revealing the jade pendant standing on a gilded soft cushion.
Just like the one in Wu Yinyu’s dream, the jade’s texture was pure, clear, and fine. Its red hue wasn’t gaudy but rather slightly deep and subdued.
The jade pendant on the cushion was only the size of a palm. It was impossible to see clearly from a distance; one had to use the monocular telescope prepared by Cuihui to appreciate it.
Seeing Wu Yinyu sit up straight, the attendant quickly asked, “Does Young Miss want to bid?”
“No rush. I’ll ring the bell later.” Wu Yinyu put down the telescope, her leisurely posture withdrawing. She straightened her back considerably, no longer in the mood to smoke.
She had planned to wait until others finished bidding, then make the final play. But to her surprise, not a single person rang the bell.
Just then, a panicked cry came through.
Everyone looked towards the source of the sound. Even the auctioneer called for a pause.
“Help, someone help—”
Someone in a nearby VIP seat shouted, “Lu San has fainted! We can’t wake him up, call an ambulance!”
The security guards of Cuihui Eight Treasures Pavilion rushed over, their footsteps thumping loudly through the building.
The attendant beside Wu Yinyu shivered again, casting a terrified glance at the Second Young Miss Wu, feeling that the words she’d just spoken seemed to have come true—
The members of the Five Gates were all covered in Yin and evil energies; one could neither speak of them nor approach them easily.
Wu Yinyu was merely startled for a moment, not thinking much of it, assuming Lu San had simply fainted due to poor health.
After Lu San was taken away, the auction resumed as usual. Still, no one rang the bell.
That was somewhat understandable. After all, the jade pendant on the cushion looked a little too new. Even the appraiser couldn’t determine its age, nor say who crafted it. Overall, the starting price for this jade was remarkably high.
“Ring it,” Wu Yinyu exhaled a cloud of smoke.
The attendant pulled the cord to ring the bell, then leaned in close to Wu Yinyu’s lips to hear her bid.
Wu Yinyu offered the base price. As expected, no one competed. The red lantern before her lit up, signifying the deal was done.
Before leaving, she cast a glance towards the opposite pavilion. The curtain was slightly parted, revealing an utterly unremarkable man sitting inside.
Wu Yinyu looked away, her interest waning. As she stood, her gaze stopped, spotting a guest beneath the opposite pavilion.
She held the Green Agate Cigarette Holder in her mouth, wanting another drag, but the tobacco had burned out. So she simply lowered her pipe and asked, “Who is that?”
