Chapter 285: Why Are You Kneeling
Yuan Tiancheng remembered the object in the box and finally changed his tune. "As for your request, I will ask Master Xiao."
"But whether he agrees to see you or not is out of my hands."
He returned to his study and called Xiao Ye. "That man from the Liu Family is here. He wants to see you."
"Oh, right. He also brought something with him. I only glanced at it, but I'm afraid it's from the Imperial Palace, and it has quite a history."
Hearing this, Xiao Ye knew it was definitely no ordinary object.
Having a history meant it was valuable—though, of course, its value might be more as a collector's item.
However, Xiao Ye had been planning to confront the Liu Family directly anyway. He decided to accept the item as compensation for his wasted time over the past few days.
"Fine. In that case, arrange for him to come to the Courtyard Pavilion. I'll meet with him."
"Yes, sir!"
When President Liu received the news, he couldn't stop smiling. He quickly grabbed the box and hurried over to the Courtyard Pavilion.
He waited at the teahouse for a good three or four hours before finally seeing the late-arriving Xiao Ye.
He hadn't been waiting this long just to kill time; it was a show of his sincerity.
"Mr. Xiao!"
Xiao Ye gave him a cool glance. "Let's talk inside."
They entered the private room.
Xiao Ye took off his sunglasses, revealing his true face.
Although President Liu knew he had offended the Xiao Family, he didn't know exactly who it was.
'I can't believe it... it's the Patriarch of the Xiao Family!'
'Wait, his face is different from the person Young Master Liu captured, but his build and his aura are exactly the same!'
President Liu was so scared his legs went weak!
'To think we offended the Patriarch of the Xiao Family!'
'No wonder... No wonder the Xiao Family suddenly moved against them!'
President Liu had always been a pragmatic man who knew when to yield. Without a second word, he dropped to his knees with a THUD.
"Patriarch Xiao, my Liu Family was blind and failed to recognize your greatness. We have truly offended you!"
"I have already sent people to bring my damnable nephew here. You can deal with him as you see fit!"
Xiao Ye sneered. "You only decided to bring him here after you saw my true face."
"If I were just an ordinary member of the Xiao Family, you would only be apologizing right now, wouldn't you?"
President Liu didn't dare admit it. "Patriarch Xiao, I swear to the heavens, I had no such thoughts!"
"I've already witnessed your Liu Family's talent for treating people according to their status." Xiao Ye crossed his legs, looking down on him condescendingly.
"From now on, you will kneel right there. If you have something to say, say it while kneeling."
"You can get up when I'm in a good mood."
"I've booked this private room for a month. No one will be coming in."
President Liu's expression changed instantly. 'Doesn't this mean... I'll have to keep kneeling here even if it's for several days?'
'With him watching, it means I can't even slack off!'
But he didn't dare refuse. "Yes! Patriarch Xiao, as long as you spare the Liu Family, I'll do anything you ask!"
He offered up the brocade box with both hands. "This is a rare treasure I came across by chance!"
"I implore Patriarch Xiao to accept it!"
Xiao Ye took the box. The moment he opened it and glanced inside, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
'Well now, this is quite a find.'
'But while this might be a great treasure for others, for me, it's the exact opposite.'
As a practitioner of the Taoist School, he couldn't stand the sight of such a filthy object.
"Do you know what this is?" Xiao Ye asked coldly.
Patriarch Liu didn't dare to look up, answering meekly, "Patriarch Xiao, this is... this is an artifact from the ancient Imperial Palace."
"I heard it once belonged to a Noble Consort, who gave it to her son, the Prince. Afterward, that Prince successfully ascended the throne."
"I had it appraised by an expert. It's an absolutely marvelous item. Keeping it near you can greatly improve your luck and make things better and better."
Xiao Ye nodded. "That may be true, but this is no good luck charm."
Inside the brocade box was a very beautiful jar. A single look at the colored glaze revealed its origins in the Imperial Palace.
If it wasn't from an Official Kiln, it would be impossible to achieve such a level of craftsmanship.
Furthermore, judging by the materials used, it wasn't just made for the palace in general, but specifically for high-ranking officials and nobles.
President Liu only knew it was a treasure; he had no idea what it truly was. "I beg Patriarch Xiao to enlighten me!"
"This jar was custom-made. Its shape is just right to hold a human head."
President Liu swayed. "Wh-what are you saying?"
"The mouth of this jar is sealed shut, and there are traces on the outside where a talisman was once affixed. This is a type of dark magic."
"You take the head of an exceptionally noble person whose destiny is similar to your own, place it in this jar, and then preserve it using a special Secret Technique."
"Then, by worshiping the jar day and night with incense, you can transfer that person's good fortune to yourself."
"So what's inside this jar is a human head! It might even be the head of some Prince who lost a power struggle!"
President Liu was thoroughly horrified. The thought that he had been keeping someone else's head in his room day and night nearly made him vomit on the spot!
Xiao Ye casually placed the jar to the side. "If you don't believe me, have someone open it and see for yourself."
"Coming here to apologize, yet you present such a vile object. Your intentions are truly impure!"
President Liu, no longer caring about his earlier shock, hurriedly apologized, "Patriarch Xiao, I swear, I came here to apologize in good faith! I had absolutely no other intentions!"
"I had no idea what this thing was. Someone told me it was extremely valuable, which is why I brought it here today."
"I... I'll smash this filthy thing right now and get you something else in its place. Would that be acceptable?"
Xiao Ye shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Have someone take this to a temple and have rites performed for the soul. After forty-nine days, just bury it."
"The jar itself must be smashed, however. Otherwise, it will just cause more trouble if someone digs it up."
As a practitioner of the Taoist School, he naturally felt it was best to handle the matter cleanly.
"Yes, I guarantee I'll have it taken care of!"
Xiao Ye grunted in acknowledgment and looked toward the door.
Young Master Liu had arrived.
He had no idea what was happening. He had just arrived at the Courtyard Pavilion when he was shoved into the private room.
As he stumbled in, he was still cursing, "What are you doing?! Don't you know who I am? Believe it or not, I'll..."
Before he could finish.
His words died in his throat.
"Second Uncle, why are you kneeling?!"
He turned to Xiao Ye, his eyes wide with fury. "I get it! It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who made my Second Uncle kneel! Just you wait, the Liu Family will not let you get away with this!"
President Liu almost fainted from rage. But since Xiao Ye had ordered him to kneel, he didn't dare get up. All he could do was yank forcefully at Young Master Liu.
Once he had pulled the young man down to the floor, he sent a hard slap across his face. "Useless fool! Open your damn eyes and look carefully!"
"Look who's standing in front of you! How dare you speak so brazenly before Patriarch Xiao? I think you have a death wish!"