Su Yanke stood on the street, utterly bewildered. It had only been a while since she last came down the mountain. How could the prices have skyrocketed so much!
Su Yanke had only strolled around the town with her father when she was a child on a mission.
Who would have thought that now that she had completed her training, the money her father gave her was barely enough for three meals a day, let alone renting a place.
"Phone screen repair, phone screen repair!"
"Sweet watermelons, big and juicy! Don't miss out!"
Su Yanke looked around. There were all kinds of snacks and trinkets being sold on the roadside.
Suddenly, she remembered that when her father was short on money for groceries, he would sell the calligraphy and paintings she had just finished practicing to make ends meet.
With that in mind, Su Yanke looked around and found a spacious spot. She took out a set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones that emitted a faint golden glow from her backpack. They were clearly not ordinary items.
Sure enough, the passers - by were immediately attracted. Humans are always intrigued by things like gold.
People looked at Su Yanke in her light cyan vintage dress. She had an extraordinary air about her, and her beauty was truly remarkable. They thought she might be an internet celebrity.
Seeing those valuable items, they became even more interested. Soon, Su Yanke was surrounded by several layers of people.
Su Yanke was a bit puzzled. Why were people so enthusiastic these days? She hadn't even started writing yet!
Su Yanke skillfully set up her things. After everything was in place, she took out a small jar of red liquid from her pocket, poured it into the ink, and stirred it gently before starting to write with her brush.
As soon as the words "May we all be blessed with longevity. Though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together" landed on the paper, an elderly man in the crowd's eyes lit up. He rushed up to Su Yanke excitedly and said, "This... This is the same technique as the ancient masterpiece! How could it be so similar? It's exactly the same!"
After saying that, Mr. He stared at Su Yanke with shining eyes, as if she were some kind of monster. It was because Su Yanke looked so young. Such calligraphy skills couldn't be achieved without twenty or thirty years of practice.
Su Yanke felt the name was familiar. After thinking for a while, she suddenly remembered that it was a pen - name she had casually come up with when she was a child, and her father had laughed at her for it for a long time.
"Miss, may I ask which school you learned from?"
"Hello, sir. I've developed my own style. I don't belong to any school," Su Yanke said, bowing slightly to Mr. He.
Mr. He was a bit puzzled upon hearing this. He wanted to take the calligraphy back and compare it with the ancient masterpiece in the museum, so he asked if it was for sale.
Su Yanke was delighted and said, "Fifty thousand yuan per piece."
There was an immediate gasp from the crowd. How could this girl, who looked like a celestial being, ask for such a high price!
People were shocked. It was just a piece of calligraphy, and she asked for such a huge amount. Didn't she know she would scare the old man away? They were waiting for her business to fail.
Mr. He also hesitated a bit. It wasn't that he was frightened, but he was calculating how many pieces he could buy with the money he had on him because the calligraphy was truly amazing.
Su Yanke didn't understand why people were reacting so strangely. Her calligraphy and paintings were not just for aesthetic pleasure. She had added her blood to them, which had the effect of praying for blessings and avoiding disasters.
In the past, these were extremely precious and hard to come by. If she hadn't been in urgent need of money and met someone who recognized their value, Su Yanke would never have sold them so cheaply.
"I'd like to buy three pieces. Is that okay?"
"Sure. What would you like on the other two pieces?"
"A calligraphy for family harmony and a birthday greeting. Please, master."
"No problem. Please wait a moment."
The onlookers who were waiting to watch the show were stunned.
"Is this old man stupid and rich? Why don't his family members stop him?"
"Sir, are you out of your mind? She's clearly taking advantage of you!" a chubby aunt said anxiously.
"No, you don't understand the value of this calligraphy. It's extremely similar to a genuine relic in the museum!" Mr. He shook his head at the aunt.
Seeing that the old man wouldn't listen to her advice, the aunt sighed and walked away.
Su Yanke quickly finished the calligraphy, rolled them up, and handed them to Mr. He. She also told him the effects of these calligraphy works: "This calligraphy can relieve the pain of separation. This one for family prosperity can dispel negative energy in the family and ease family relationships. This birthday greeting can ward off unexpected disasters and ensure safety. Please keep them well and remember not to let them get wet."
"Okay, okay, okay. I remember. I don't have any cash on me. Can I transfer the money via mobile phone?" Mr. He quickly and carefully took the calligraphy and asked.
Su Yanke had forgotten about this. She didn't have a mobile phone yet. Oh, right. He could write a check!
Su Yanke and Mr. He completed the transaction right in front of the stunned crowd.
With the living expenses in hand, Su Yanke packed up her things and left to find a place to enjoy some delicious food.
Su Yanke left, but the crowd didn't disperse immediately.
Many people were speculating whether this was a self - directed show. After all, the price was quite staggering for an ordinary family.
Among them was a web celebrity named Xiao Duoduo. She had been live - streaming on the road. When she saw the viewers in the live - stream saying there was a very beautiful girl, she came to the crowd to take a look.
Sure enough, it was a natural beauty. Her air was so extraordinary that no one in the entertainment industry could compare.
Xiao Duoduo was a bit jealous at first, but after watching Su Yanke's whole performance, she thought this was just another scheming girl trying to get famous.
Seeing Su Yanke leave, Xiao Duoduo almost vomited blood when she looked at the screen. The screen was full of messages asking her to chase after Su Yanke and saying they wanted to see the beautiful girl's stunning looks again.
Xiao Duoduo was so angry that her nose was crooked. These shallow people! Couldn't they see this was a show?
Xiao Duoduo angrily turned off the live - stream and prepared to upload the video she had just taken to the internet, hoping that netizens would judge for themselves.
She titled the video "Heartless girl making immoral money".
The video was forwarded over a thousand times in no time, which even shocked Xiao Duoduo herself.
"Wow, is this a fairy sister?"
"She's so beautiful!"
"Her voice is so nice too!"
"Come on, are you all just looking at her appearance? Didn't you see her overpricing the calligraphy?"
"Exactly. What's the use of being beautiful if your heart is bad? You're hopeless."
"I wonder if the old man's family will be heart - broken. They've lost so much money all at once."
"Is it too late to call the police?"
Netizens had different opinions. They were all fired up and were defending the old man as if they had witnessed the whole thing and knew the truth.
On the other hand, Su Yanke, with a large sum of money in hand, walked into a five - star restaurant, ready to have a big meal.
The last time she came down the mountain was when she was about five years old. Her father had taken her to a restaurant, and the food was so delicious that she still remembered it vividly.
So now that she had completed her training, the first thing she wanted to do was to enjoy some delicious food!
Looking at the rich variety of delicious food in front of her, Su Yanke swallowed hard and started eating quickly. Although she ate fast, she didn't look messy.
Even when eating, a beauty was a pleasure to watch.
There were obviously more people in the restaurant. The restaurant owner was so happy that he sent Su Yanke a few more desserts.
Su Yanke was enjoying her meal, but when it was time to pay the bill, she was stunned. A large portion of the money she had just earned was gone.
Looking at the balance in her newly - bought mobile phone, Su Yanke sighed.
It seemed that she had to write calligraphy for money again tomorrow!
Su Yanke regretted that she had practiced too little of her essence and blood before coming down the mountain this time. Practicing this essence and blood cost a lot of belief power. Nowadays, most people didn't believe in gods and Buddhas, so the belief power was naturally scarce.
Su Yanke randomly found a hotel to rest.
On the other side, as soon as Mr. He got home, he quickly turned on his computer and carefully compared the ancient masterpiece with the calligraphy word by word. The more he looked, the more shocked he became.
This... This was as if they were written by the same person!
It was so similar, incredibly similar. Mr. He's body trembled slightly with excitement.
As if suddenly remembering something, Mr. He quickly dialed a number and nervously said something.
Su Yanke was woken up by the hunger in her stomach. She simply packed her things, went downstairs to have a bowl of noodles, and then went back to the same place as yesterday to sell her calligraphy.
Xiao Duoduo had been waiting there for a long time, ready to live - stream Su Yanke's true face as a swindler.
The traffic from yesterday was incredibly high. The company was optimistic about this incident and told her that if she seized this opportunity, she might become the top star in the company.
Su Yanke was very familiar with the process and set up her stall just like yesterday.
In a black car not far away, a man in a luxurious and low - key outfit was looking at Su Yanke with a dark look in his eyes. But after watching Su Yanke's actions, there was clearly a look of confusion in his eyes.
As soon as Su Yanke set up her things, she saw a tall and handsome man in black staring at her intently.
"Sir, are you interested in buying some calligraphy or paintings?" Su Yanke asked tentatively.
Yuan Hexiao said in a calm tone, "No. Did you sell three pieces of calligraphy to an old man yesterday?"
"Yes. So what?"
"We'd like to talk to you in detail. Do you have the time?"
"......" Su Yanke really didn't want to go. She was still hungry!
Yuan Hexiao seemed to see through her thoughts and said, "I've already booked a restaurant. Let's talk while we eat?"
"Sure!" Su Yanke agreed without hesitation as soon as she heard she could eat delicious food right away.
Xiao Duoduo was standing too far away to hear anything. But seeing Yuan Hexiao and his group taking Su Yanke into a car whose brand she couldn't recognize, she thought Su Yanke had been arrested. She quickly uploaded the video to the internet.
Some people nearby didn't know what had happened. Seeing Yuan Hexiao and his group looking like gangsters, they wanted to go up and warn Su Yanke.
Xiao Duoduo stopped them and told them about Su Yanke scamming the old man yesterday. Suddenly, everyone had a bad impression of Su Yanke. They thought she deserved it and didn't want to get involved.
Su Yanke was completely unaware of what was happening on the internet. She was now looking forward to having a meal with great joy.
Yuan Hexiao sat on Su Yanke's left, and his right - hand man sat in the front passenger seat, quietly observing Su Yanke from the corner of his eye.
She really didn't look like the other - worldly expert the boss had described. She looked more like a naive girl who had never been in the society!
Su Yanke was very satisfied with Yuan Hexiao's efficiency. Soon, they arrived at a quaint restaurant. The waiters inside were all good - looking and in good shape.
A beautiful girl in a cheongsam respectfully said to Yuan Hexiao, "Mr. Yuan, please follow me."
Su Yanke followed them. After turning a few corners, she smelled the delicious aroma of food.
It turned out that Yuan Hexiao had already prepared the meal and was just waiting for Su Yanke to start eating.
As soon as Su Yanke picked up her chopsticks, her eyes lit up. It was delicious, incredibly delicious! It tasted the same as the meal she had had before!
After Su Yanke was full, she got straight to the point and asked, "Mr. Yuan, what do you want to talk to me about? Just say it."
Yuan Hexiao admired her straightforwardness and didn't beat around the bush. "You're the author of the ancient masterpiece, aren't you? We compared your technique and found that although your previous skills were a bit immature, the similarity is extremely high. Are you from a family of blessing - praying?"
Su Yanke had expected that her identity might be revealed, but she didn't expect them to dig out her background.
"Miss Su, don't be nervous. I'm telling you this to show that we mean no harm. We'd like to ask you for a favor."
"What favor? Tell me." Su Yanke thought that since he had treated her to such delicious food, it was no problem to help him out.
Yuan Hexiao was a bit stunned. He didn't expect Su Yanke to be so easy - going.
"There have been some strange phenomena in the Cultural Relics Bureau. We've asked many people, but no one has been able to solve the problem. However, the calligraphy you gave my father yesterday made the things that had been quiet there react strongly."
Su Yanke was also shocked when she heard this. Her essence and blood only worked on one kind of thing, but wasn't that thing already...
"Where is the Cultural Relics Bureau? Can we go there now?"
"Chen Bin, arrange it quickly." Yuan Hexiao glanced at the person beside him and gave the order.
Su Yanke was a bit puzzled. Why didn't they leave immediately?
"Don't be in a hurry. After we finish the dessert, we'll go." Yuan Hexiao took the dessert from the waiter and handed it to Su Yanke, saying slowly.
Su Yanke was a bit confused. Why wasn't he in a hurry at all? But since he had brought the food to her mouth, it would be impolite not to eat it.
Before leaving the restaurant, Su Yanke took a look at the prices. She gasped. The cheapest dish started with a three - digit price, and the room fee and service fee were in the tens of thousands.
She knew it would be difficult to eat such delicious food again in the future.
Looking at the Cultural Relics Bureau, which clearly had a long history, and the medical staff on standby outside, as well as all kinds of food for replenishing energy around, Su Yanke immediately had a very good impression of Yuan Hexiao.
Su Yanke casually picked up a small cake and followed Yuan Hexiao inside.
As soon as she entered the door, Su Yanke felt a bit stuffy in her chest. There was indeed negative energy, but why was there still so much of it now?
Su Yanke's attention was quickly attracted by a painting on the wall. The painting was full of broken limbs. A woman in a green dress was standing on a high pile of corpses with her eyes slightly closed and her lips slightly parted, as if she were singing something.
Just as Su Yanke was getting lost in the painting, Yuan Hexiao's deep voice sounded, "This painting has been here since the early days of the People's Republic of China. No one knows where it came from, who the person in the painting is, or what the painting means."
"Later, some people wanted to take it down, but they were confused by a special force and couldn't get close to it. Gradually, no one dared to touch it anymore."