Huo Xiuxiu said, “That old man, his name is Jin Wantang. Do you remember anything?” The image of the old man with golden teeth is very vivid in my memory because the person who pulled me into all of this was also an old man with golden teeth. As soon as she mentioned this, I felt a jolt in my heart. There aren’t that many coincidences in the world; clearly, she meant that the old man with golden teeth named Jin Wantang, whom she encountered, was the same one who came to my shop looking for rubbings. This was the first intersection in our experiences.

It turns out that the old ghost is named Jin Wantang. I think I’ve heard the owner of the neighboring shop mention him before, which made me feel a bit uneasy. I had never paid much attention to this old man. In fact, at the very beginning, I did want to investigate, but these people were elusive, and I had no experience or connections at that time. Later events had nothing to do with this old man. By the time I gained connections and abilities, I couldn’t even remember what he looked like, nor did I have any details that could trigger my memory of him, so I always thought his appearance was a coincidence.

Of course, he came here looking for my grandfather, merely saying he was introduced by Lao Yang, and that the silk book was unearthed by a friend. Just these statements, along with the countless troubles they brought me, now seem unlikely to be coincidental. However, strangely enough, the events that followed had nothing to do with him. If this was a conspiracy, it would be too abnormal.

Nevertheless, although I can’t say whether his appearance was a coincidence or a necessity, whether it was planned or due to the wheel of fate turning, the fact remains that he walked into my shop that day, and I could never turn back time. I nodded at her and asked, “Could it be that he knows something?”

Huo Xiuxiu shook her head, “He’s innocent and clean, knows nothing at all. However, the letter was indeed from him. He and my grandmother only had a business relationship. Later, he became greedy and tampered with something, which my grandmother immediately discovered, so they didn’t continue their cooperation.”

At that time, Huo Xiuxiu found it strange that such a simple issue would provoke such a reaction from Jin Wantang after he saw the letter. Jin Wantang is a cunning old fox who knows the power of the Huo family well. He didn’t know why Huo Xiuxiu had come—whether to settle scores or to pry for information—so he wouldn’t say anything.

But Huo Xiuxiu was very patient, almost running to his shop every day, nearly driving Jin Wantang crazy. By the end of that year, Jin Wantang happened to get into trouble; a shipment included an inconspicuous Han Eight Knife that turned out to be made of jade, which was caught at customs. Initially, it was considered a minor case, but once the jade Han Eight Knife was appraised, its value was so high that it suddenly became a major case. It looked like his entire life’s savings could be seized in one fell swoop.

At this point, Huo Xiuxiu seized the opportunity and made a deal with him. With her family’s connections, she helped him establish a line of communication and saved his shop. At that moment, Jin Wantang’s weakness was exposed, and he had no choice but to speak.

After a long hesitation, one night, he told Huo Xiuxiu everything over the phone. It turned out that the shady deal he had engaged in all those years ago was not an ordinary transaction; looking back now, it could possibly be the largest tomb robbery activity in the history of tomb raiding in China.

With the methods of the Huo family back in the day, if anyone dared to touch their interests, they would undoubtedly face ruthless retaliation, leaving them with nothing intact. The reason Jin Wantang was unharmed was that after this event, the Huo family, along with several other factions, had all suffered significant losses and simply lacked the strength and motivation to pursue anything further. The memories associated with that transaction were far too terrifying for these individuals.

Upon hearing this, the胖子 (Fatty) became excited, straightened up, and asked, “Come on, the biggest tomb raiding operation must be our trip to the Tarim Basin, right?”

Huo Xiuxiu shook her head, saying, “That’s not the kind of tomb raiding you have in mind. That transaction has already surpassed the ordinary concept of tomb raiding.”

Fatty responded with an “oh” and fell silent, realizing that if it exceeded the concept, then this so-called ‘big’ operation probably wasn’t about scale.

I asked, “If it exceeds the concept, does that mean they weren’t raiding tombs on the ground, but rather in the sky?”

Huo Xiuxiu replied, “Of course, that’s impossible.”

Then, what on earth is it that makes this transaction so special?” Fatty inquired.

Just as Huo Xiuxiu was about to speak, the Muffled Oil Bottle (Dun Youping) chimed in from the side, saying, “Their goal in raiding that tomb wasn’t for wealth, but for another person who is still alive.”