Free Web NovelChapter 1729: Chapter 995: Mysterious Expert
After a sleepless night, Yang Xiao finally received good news at 7:30 in the morning. The plane carrying Tong Han landed smoothly, and half an hour later, he met Tong Han at the Ju Mountain Family’s mansion. To his relief, aside from looking somewhat pale, there were no heavy signs of injury on Tong Han, which was better than he had anticipated.
Mu Yunshu was also waiting with Yang Xiao, and upon meeting, Yang Xiao introduced Mu Yunshu to Tong Han without revealing her true identity, only mentioning that Mu Yunshu helped arrange this opportunity.
Tong Han naturally understood the hint in Yang Xiao’s words and expressed gratitude to Mu Yunshu respectfully.
The servants of the Ju Mountain Family had already prepared breakfast, originally meant for Yang Xiao, Tong Han, and Mu Yunshu to enjoy together, but Mu Yunshu declined, saying, "You two catch up, I’ll go out for a walk."
Mu Yunshu wasn’t foolish; she could tell at a glance that there was something special between this man and woman, so she chose not to be the third wheel.
The Ju Mountain Family provided them a very private dining lodge, with a secluded and elegant atmosphere, just the two of them, where they could see distant mountains and mist through the wooden window frames, adding a touch of zen.
"I’m sorry, I’ve caused you trouble again." Tong Han lowered her gaze and said softly, setting down the chopsticks.
"What are you saying? Do we even need to say such things between us?" Yang Xiao looked at her with some heartache. Tong Han’s skin was already very pale, her delicate appearance resembling a porcelain doll, but now she looked even whiter, as if drained of blood. "Why didn’t you tell me about such a big incident, and how did you end up like this?"
Nalan Shuo hadn’t explained much over the phone earlier, but now that Tong Han was here, it was a perfect time to ask clearly and prescribe the right remedy.
"I obtained a magic artifact and wanted to control it, but it had some unexpected consequences." Tong Han had nothing to hide from Yang Xiao. After ensuring no one was watching nearby, she retrieved an object wrapped in cloth from her bosom.
Yang Xiao took it and peeled off the layers of cloth. It was a small square wooden box, slightly larger than a matchbox. Inside, a ring lay silently.
It was a red ruby ring, with a dense circle of diamonds of varying shapes and sizes set around the large ruby.
The band and setting were silver, intricately engraved with complex patterns, and there was a clear cross relief. The ring’s design was extremely luxurious, featuring a heavily asymmetrical layout filled with rich religious undertones.
"Is this... something from Western Europe?" This was the first time Yang Xiao saw such a magic artifact, with a style entirely different from domestic ones.
"Yes, this ring adopts the European Baroque style. I’ve had it appraised by experts; it’s at least 200 years old, undoubtedly authentic, and comes from Western European royalty," Tong Han introduced.
"Where did you get this from?" Yang Xiao picked up the ring, curious about its origins.
Upon hearing this, Tong Han’s expression became a bit unnatural, and she stammered, "I got it accidentally. Someone below us had a conflict outside town, and after accidentally killing someone, we found it on them."
"Really? Senior Brother Qingfeng didn’t tell me that." Yang Xiao’s face suddenly darkened. freёwebnovel.com
Yang Xiao knew Tong Han too well, and seeing her avoiding eye contact, he realized she wasn’t telling the truth. Sure enough, with a bit of coaxing, Tong Han explained nervously, "Don’t misunderstand, this matter has nothing to do with Daoist Qingfeng. It’s all my fault, acting on my own. I shouldn’t have coveted what that person had."
"Keep going." Yang Xiao didn’t show a pleasant expression to Tong Han. At this point, she still dared to hide things from him, and Yang Xiao knew something was definitely up.
Seeing Yang Xiao unhappy, Tong Han didn’t dare to hide anymore and explained the whole story thoroughly. Upon hearing it, Yang Xiao was furious, "Are you insane? You dared to rob something from the Business Association?!"
"No, it wasn’t a robbery, it was an accident. I didn’t mean for it to turn out this way originally," Tong Han defended herself. "But once we caught that person, things spiraled out of control. He threatened us, saying that even if we bound him and handed over the item, we wouldn’t have a good ending. This item has a dubious origin. Anyone who knows its whereabouts must die; the Business Association won’t let us go."
Originally, this matter began at the Peace Hotel. In Yang Xiao’s absence, Tong Han temporarily took over his role as Pingxi Marquis, and naturally had to comply with some orders issued by the Peace Hotel.
Not long ago, the Peace Hotel issued orders to the current three major families, commanding them to closely monitor any strangers appearing in the town and nearby areas, providing some clues.
There was a man, said to be a wanted criminal who caused trouble outside, and once his whereabouts were known, they were to report immediately for a handsome reward.
A few days later, they received intelligence that this man was spotted in a dozen miles outside town at an abandoned factory, and Tong Han immediately gathered people, including Sui Chengguo and five others, for a night mission.
The team consisted of experts, with Tong Han showing half-step Ghost-level strength, while the other four were genuine Ghost-level Apostles. One individual’s spiritual power rivaled that of Sui Chengguo.
Upon their late-night arrival, they indeed blocked the guy in the warehouse of the abandoned factory, as he was preparing to leave.
They engaged in a fierce battle, and right from the start they realized things were bad. This individual’s strength was exceptionally formidable, surpassing peak Ghost-level. If not for his severe injuries, the five of them wouldn’t stand a chance.
