Chapter 323 - 321: Bamboo Slips and Bronze Cauldron

"Is it completely resolved?" Tang Qingquan asked tentatively.

"It’s not completely destroyed, just temporarily sealed. If it’s placed in an inappropriate location, the yin energy will still slowly recover over time," Yang Xun explained, feeling a bit helpless. After all, he was only in the Qi Refining Realm. His strength was limited, and achieving this much was already his best effort. "Don’t worry, though. The Blood Jade’s yin energy won’t leak for at least a year, but you shouldn’t keep it in the house anymore. It’s best to find a remote place to bury it."

Tang Qingquan nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I’ll arrange for someone to do it right away."

"There’s no rush," Yang Xun said, waving his hand. "Find a safe time to go. Don’t do it today. Since it was just dealt with, the yin energy is still unstable. Moving it rashly might cause problems.

"Although these items also carry yin energy," he continued, pointing to the dug-up antiques next to them, "it is much weaker than that of the Blood Jade. They won’t have any noticeable effect on an adult’s body.

"If you can’t bear to throw them away, find a rarely visited place to store them, and try to keep them out of children’s reach."

Tang Qingquan nodded again. "Mr. Yang, I’ll remember all of this. Thank you so much for this time. If it weren’t for you, who knows how long our family would have been plagued by these things."

"You’re welcome." Yang Xun smiled faintly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He took the basin and poured the dirty water down the drain, flushing it continuously for a long time before finally turning off the tap. Then, he handed the Blood Jade to Tang Zhen. "Find a suitable day to bury this deep in the mountains. It’s best to find a place with a water source. Dig the hole a bit deeper so wild animals won’t dig it out."

Tang Zhen took it with both hands and nodded solemnly.

The group returned to the living room, where Tang Qingquan personally poured tea for Yang Xun and Zhao Linglong. Once they were seated, he said with a face full of gratitude, "Mr. Yang, you’ve saved our entire family. The Tang Family has nothing better to offer to show our thanks, but we are willing to give you a reward of one hundred million yuan. If there’s ever anything you need from the Tang Family in the future, just ask."

When Yang Xun was exorcising the evil energy, Tang Qingquan had vaguely seen ghostly shadows, which had terrified him greatly. If he hadn’t happened to visit Zhao Hongshan and met Yang Xun, he feared his family wouldn’t have even known how they died.

Yang Xun picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone calm. "You’re too polite, Mr. Tang. Curing illnesses and saving people is my duty. Besides, I’m glad I could help a child like Tangtang."

"You can’t say that," Tang Qingquan said, waving his hand. "You saved Tangtang’s life and helped us resolve such a huge hidden danger. Our Tang Family cannot accept this favor without returning it."

"But one hundred million is simply too much," Yang Xun replied. He certainly loved money, but being offered so much all at once actually made him embarrassed to accept it. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and he smiled. "Mr. Tang, I don’t want the money. But if you don’t mind, let me pick two items from the heirlooms passed down from your ancestors."

Hearing this, Tang Qingquan was momentarily taken aback before he laughed. "Of course you can.

"To be honest, these things have too much yin energy. But since they were passed down from my ancestors, even if they’re not worth much money, I can’t bear to throw them away. I was still worrying about where to keep them safely.

"If you like them, pick as many as you want. Think of it as a token of the Tang Family’s appreciation."

As he spoke, Tang Qingquan stood up, eager to invite Yang Xun to make his selection.

Yang Xun also stood and walked out to the courtyard. He scanned the area, his gaze landing on a stack of yellowing manuscripts and a few bamboo slips that looked like some kind of ancient texts. In addition, there was a rusty bronze cauldron. Although it was inconspicuous, he had seen similar descriptions in the Rejuvenation Medical Scripture; it appeared to be a vessel used in ancient times for Alchemy.

He first picked up the bamboo slips, untied the string, and skimmed a few lines of the text. The handwriting was a bit blurred, but he could vaguely make out that it recorded ancient information regarding the processing of medicinal herbs and Alchemy. Although it was incomplete, it held considerable reference value for him.

Next, he picked up the bronze cauldron and examined it closely. Though the exterior was covered in a thick layer of verdigris, faint, intricate patterns could be seen inside the belly of the cauldron. They seemed to be some sort of ancient inscription.

"I’m quite interested in these two items. I wonder if Mr. Tang would be willing to part with them," Yang Xun said, looking up at Tang Qingquan.

Tang Qingquan glanced at the bamboo slips and the bronze cauldron, waving his hand. "These things would just gather dust with me. Since you find them useful, feel free to take them.

"If we’re talking about the most valuable items here, it’s the jewelry. Why are you interested in these books and cauldrons instead?"

Yang Xun smiled faintly, stroking the bamboo slips. Although there were only three rolls of bamboo slips, they were relatively well-preserved. Though the surface of the bamboo pieces had yellowed, the ink marks were still clearly legible. In addition to some techniques for processing medicinal herbs, they recorded a peculiar Alchemy method, which was quite similar to what Yang Xun had seen in the Rejuvenation Medical Scripture.

Originally, he had only wanted to take these two items, but Tang Qingquan refused to accept that, insisting he pick a few more. Thus, he selected a couple of exquisite, small objects from the pile.

That afternoon, Yang Xun and Zhao Linglong left the Tang Family’s home together and returned to Zhao Hongshan’s villa.

Zhao Hongshan was already able to get out of bed and walk a few steps. Although his footsteps were still a bit unsteady, his complexion was much better than it had been over the past two days. Sitting on the sofa in the living room, he saw Yang Xun and Zhao Linglong enter, and a smile appeared on his face. "You’re back? How did it go? Did everything go smoothly with Old Tang?"

"It went smoothly," Yang Xun replied, placing the bamboo slips and the bronze cauldron on the coffee table. "Tangtang’s illness has been resolved. It won’t relapse again."

Zhao Hongshan let out a long sigh of relief, leaning back against the sofa. "That’s good. Old Tang might look cold on the outside, but he’s warm-hearted. Since you cured his granddaughter’s illness this time, he’ll remember your kindness for the rest of his life.

"Dr. Yang, since you’ve come all the way to Shunping, you should stay here for a few more days. Let me fulfill my duties as a host."

Zhao Hongshan looked at Yang Xun with an expectant face, terrified he would refuse. This time, Yang Xun had saved him and his daughter, as well as helped his longtime friend. Zhao Hongshan didn’t even know how to properly thank him. Besides money, all he could do was try his best to make Yang Xun feel his profound gratitude.

Yang Xun pondered for a moment and nodded. "Alright, I’ll stay for a few days. I happen to have heard that Shunping’s antique market is quite large, and I’d like to check it out." He didn’t intend to keep those few extra items he’d selected. He had no interest in collecting anyway, so it was better to sell them for money.

Zhao Hongshan’s face immediately broke into a smile. "Great! Let Linglong be your guide. She used to go there often to sketch, so she’s very familiar with that area."

"Of course," Zhao Linglong chimed in. "I know which shops sell genuine items and which ones rip people off. Follow me, and you definitely won’t suffer any losses."

Sun Rao, sitting on a chair nearby, lifted her head upon hearing this and looked at Yang Xun with a slightly resentful gaze.

Yang Xun couldn’t help but chuckle and winked at her.

Knowing he would bring her along, the corners of Sun Rao’s mouth finally curled into a smile.