The scenery before them was truly worthy of a painting.
Most visitors preferred to walk up the mountain, taking in the boundless autumn scenery along the way.
Dun Garden spanned nearly six hundred mu. Originally it had occupied only half the hilltop, but a century ago the neighboring estate sharing its boundary wall fell into decline and sold the adjacent land to the Golden Horn family, resulting in the Dun Garden of today that held the entire mountain to itself.
One modest mountain boasted seven or eight scenic landmarks.
As He Lingchuan ascended, he saw cascading waterfalls and rushing springs, flowing clouds drifting through pine-lined ravines, and maples and parasol trees lining the path to welcome guests. For a garden of such effortless grandeur to appear completely natural without the slightest hint of artificial contrivance required an amount of painstaking labor and devotion far exceeding that of ordinary estates.
By comparison, the buildings of various sizes scattered throughout the grounds—each built to suit its setting—seemed mere embellishments.
He Lingchuan strolled along a narrow path, his footsteps rustling over endlessly falling leaves. The garden was large enough to tire anyone on foot, possessing boundless space to squander at will—by far the largest estate He Lingchuan had seen since stepping out into the world.
Reflecting on it, across more than a year of wandering from place to place, he had never stayed in a single spot for more than two months.
Some drifted unsettled through the world, while others sat upon boundless wealth.
Considering the land prices here, where every inch was worth an inch of gold, how astronomical must the value of such an enormous mountain estate be?
In the pavilions along the path, silver-tongued attendants welcomed guests, providing directions and answering inquiries.
Halfway up the mountain stood several imposing edifices, all three stories or higher, separated from one another by the dappled shadows of lush trees and vegetation, so that one could hear voices without seeing the speakers.
An attendant explained that the auction would be held simultaneously across these buildings: Hanxiang Hall, Tantai Residence, and the highest among them, Tianyu Tower.
Guests were free to shuttle between the venues as they pleased.
Naturally, at Hanxiang Hall at the very forefront, a host was present to receive visitors.
No sooner had Fu Shanyue stepped up the stairs than a man came forward, brimming with warmth: "Your Highness, it has been too long!"
Dressed in a brocade robe, the man was in his forties, fair-faced and beardless, with narrow eyes and brows that conveyed abundant energy.
"Manager Fang, I trust you have been well? Where is that old Golden Horn bull?"
The man smiled. "General Jin has not yet returned to Lingxu City, but he has sent three letters instructing us on the auction's arrangements."
"This is He Xiao." Fu Shanyue turned to introduce He Lingchuan. "He Xiao, this Chief Steward Fang Canran is General Golden Horn's first-rank chief steward. All the general's estates, including Dun Garden, are under his management, and he is the master of ceremonies for today's auction."
He Lingchuan and Fang Canran exchanged greetings. As He Lingchuan's gaze naturally fell upon the man's hand, he froze slightly. Fang Canran, meanwhile, let out an appreciative exclamation: "Seeing is truly better than hearing a hundred times! Young Master He's fame has soared recently—the young are indeed formidable..."
Noticing He Lingchuan staring blankly at the back of his hand, he could not help but ask, "Young Master He?"
He Lingchuan snapped back to his senses at once and smiled. "You flatter me."
When Fang Canran clasped his hands in salute, He Lingchuan saw a red signet ring on his middle finger.
A signet ring was nothing rare, but this ring's shape, size, color, and engraved pattern were identical to something He Lingchuan was certain he had seen just days ago—
It was an exact match for Shao Jian's signet ring!
No, more accurately, it was very likely the exact same ring, for carved upon it was the motif of a conch shell with precisely five spiral whorls.
Shao Jian had even explained the intricacies to him: having founded the merchant guild himself, his signet ring bore five whorls, while rings belonging to other members bore two or three at most.
How many founders could a merchant guild have?
Spanning over a century of time and space, he was seeing this signet ring once more.
So what connection did this Chief Steward Fang Canran, right-hand man to General Golden Horn, have with Shao Jian, the exile of Yuan Kingdom from back then?
Before he could ponder further, Fang Canran handed each of them a fluorescent jade paddle. "To place a bid in the auction, simply raise this paddle. Come, please step inside for tea!"
Fu Shanyue shook his head. "No tea, no tea. First tell me, has anyone from the Zhongsun clan or the Cen clan arrived?"
Fang Canran paused in surprise. "The eldest young master of the Zhongsun clan is at Tianyu Tower. Neither the Cen family nor the Minister of Agriculture's household has arrived yet."
Cen Boqing had just been escorted back to the capital by the Duyun Emissary. The crimes he committed were too grave; the Minister of Agriculture and the Cen clan might not be in the mood to attend this auction.
Fu Shanyue chuckled slyly. "Good."
The Zhongsun clan had actually sent someone, as if thoroughly confident the elixir of immortality case would never lead back to their doorstep.
The two walked into Hanxiang Hall.
The architectural interior of Dun Garden went without saying. A six-hundred-year-old imperial capital prized magnificent yet understated refinement, wealth imbued with graceful elegance. The moment He Lingchuan stepped inside, he felt its extraordinary aura, though if asked to pinpoint what made it unique, it seemed to permeate every detail without drawing attention to any single one.
Perhaps it was the ancient tree swaying in the courtyard, having stood for a thousand years.
Perhaps it was the exquisitely crafted eaves tiles that tinkled like music whenever rain fell.
Or perhaps it was the colossal jade screen in the hall, depicting a rising sun that illuminated thousands of golden peaks. Standing fifteen feet tall and sixty feet wide, the screen spanned the entire hall in grand magnificence.
The image on the screen was animated: white clouds rolled and billowed, verdant peaks held misty greens, and standing close, one could even feel a cool, crisp chill, as though the mists were rolling right onto one's face.
With a single glance, He Lingchuan recognized the craftsmanship of Songyang Mansion.
At Songyang Mansion's branch in Dunyu, a small animated screen barely the size of half a door panel cost two hundred taels of silver. How much would a colossal screen like this cost to commission?
As everyone knew, the larger the screen, the greater the difficulty of craftsmanship.
Still, this served as massive advertising for Songyang Mansion; one wondered if they had given Dun Garden a discount when settling the bill.
Hanxiang Hall comprised three reception halls, two inner chambers, several side wings, and winding covered corridors, all currently displaying auction lots. Naturally, guards stood before every display cabinet, their eyes warning everyone to look but not touch.
Every two hours, an auction session was held in the main hall.
Guests shuttled back and forth inside the hall, all luminaries of Lingxu City. Looking around, He Lingchuan saw that humans accounted for eighty percent—distinguished guests chatting and laughing amid a sea of beauties.
Many clustered together, exchanging pleasantries, sipping drinks, and speaking in hushed conversation.
Evidently, this was also a rare and valuable social gathering.
Fu Shanyue grabbed him and made introductions to two groups of guests, who proved keenly interested in the Baishaqu incident and the war in the east.
Taking advantage of Fu Shanyue's boastful chatter, He Lingchuan quietly slipped away from the crowd to wander elsewhere.
When he passed Songyang Mansion's giant painted screen once again, someone leaned close and whispered, "Young Master He Xiao?"
He Lingchuan's expression remained unchanged. "You have the wrong person."
The person smiled faintly. "Commissioned by the Marquis."
He was sent by Li Qingge?
He Lingchuan murmured an acknowledgment and smoothly accepted a black iron ring handed to him.
It was a storage ring. Extending his spiritual perception inside, He Lingchuan found a booklet.
The man turned and pointed toward the giant screen, appearing to explain it to He Lingchuan while actually whispering, "The Marquis also wishes to ask a favor of you. A guest currently viewing weapons in the West Second Wing may be an acquaintance of yours. The Marquis would like you to assume a different identity and make his acquaintance anew."
He Lingchuan raised a brow. "And then?"
Was it already time to repay the favor he owed Li Qingge?
"'We'll see after that'—those were the Marquis's exact words." With a smile and a bow, the man returned to his original post.
Leaving the main hall, He Lingchuan strolled toward the covered walkway, chose a secluded spot by a cluster of bamboo, and retrieved the booklet from the black iron ring.
The handwriting was neat and orderly, documenting detailed intelligence on the Cen and Zhongsun clans—including names, ages, temperaments, positions, livelihoods, and recent household activities of their members.
Worthy of the Lord of Songyang Mansion—meticulous as always. Had an outsider like He Lingchuan tried to gather all this himself, it would have been time-consuming, exhausting, and incomplete.
Since the Cen family hadn't arrived, He Lingchuan took advantage of the time to read through it so he would be prepared.
"The eldest young master of the Zhongsun clan, Zhongsun Ce?" He focused on Zhongsun Ce's dossier, discovering that while this fellow mingled in Lingxu City's high society, he had no notable achievements or merits to his name.
From the look of it, Zhongsun Mou had actually been the most outstanding of his generation. Well, and that very fellow had nearly dug up the Zhongsun clan's lifeblood.
Concerned that Li Qingge's target might leave, he did not linger too long before putting the booklet away, preparing to head toward the West Second Wing.
At that moment, the divine bone necklace suddenly grew warm.
Hm? What tasty morsel had it set its sights on now?
This was an auction venue packed with countless treasures—to the divine bone necklace, wouldn't this be an all-you-can-eat supermarket?
In no hurry, He Lingchuan strolled casually around the venue with his hands behind his back. Now and then, he pointed at exhibits to ask a question or two, but in truth, he was gauging the fluctuations of the divine bone necklace to pinpoint exactly which item it desired.
Soon, he halted near an open terrace. Here stood a row of display cabinets, each housing four or five items, accompanied by a label that read:
"Unidentified Curios."
When he reached this spot, the divine bone necklace stopped heating up.
"What are these?"
The attendant standing nearby immediately stepped forward to explain: "These are rare curios whose uses haven't been identified yet. The starting bids are set by the sellers, but they're generally quite low. Many distinguished guests enjoy treasure hunting here; sometimes they pan gold from sand and unearth something truly exceptional."
"I see." In plain terms, it was simply opening mystery boxes; many people indeed had that itch.
Beside the cabinets, only two people were actually handling items, while a small crowd watched the commotion. "Can I take one out to examine?"
"Certainly, I'll fetch it for you. Which one would you like to inspect?" After all, these were unidentified curios with no descriptions attached; if guests weren't allowed to examine them hands-on, who on earth would buy them?
"Let me see that one." He Lingchuan pointed to an object resembling an iron discus. Out of caution, he had not immediately approached the cabinet the necklace favored.
The attendant handed it to him. He Lingchuan weighed it in his hand. Ha, the weight felt like an iron discus too—heavily solid in his grip. The material felt like cold iron, far chillier to the touch than ordinary metal.
He thought this thing genuinely looked like a curling stone, minus the handle on top.
Once he picked it up, the iron discus was much closer to the divine bone necklace, yet the latter showed no reaction whatsoever.
It probably wasn't this item.
As soon as He Lingchuan began handling it, guests gathered around to watch. Someone asked, "Can you tell what it is?"
He Lingchuan shook his head. The iron discus seemed to have been snapped off some larger apparatus, but probing it with true energy yielded no reaction.
Then again, if it were easy to identify, it wouldn't be lying in the "Unidentified Curios" cabinet.
The attendant said with a smile, "In fact, several curios sold from this very cabinet at Dun Garden were ultimately identified as rare treasures. One was even a relic of an immortal. A buyer with a discerning eye snatched it up for less than a hundredth of its true value—an absolute bargain!"
Someone nearby chimed in, "And what about the far greater number of people who spent good money only to take home useless junk? Why don't you mention that?"
Chapter 559