Chapter Sixteen: The Feeling of Being Homeless When You Are Gone

I nodded without hesitation. “Don’t worry, it’s all about the money, not about lives.”

At these words, the middle-aged man finally relented.

“My name is Lu Yier. This field was passed down in my family… but the quality of the goods we receive isn’t great, so the market is weak nowadays. But to tell you the truth, when it comes to quality—”

“Our field is already far better than most out there!”

I smiled. “That’s right. What you’re missing is someone with a discerning eye. Your best stones end up intercepted by the outside markets, becoming their prized treasures!”

“And you’re left as just the lowest link in the supply chain, working hard for meager earnings.”

Lu Yier seemed to realize I knew quite a bit.

He nodded. “You’re not wrong… but the old trade of ‘raising the lamp to judge the shine’ hasn’t seen a real practitioner in years. Which school are you from?”

I smiled. “The Fox Spirit School… famed for keen eyes.”

Hu San, standing to the side, looked completely baffled; he couldn’t make heads or tails of our conversation. Terms like “school” and “raising the lamp” went right over his head.

Lu Yier also seemed to have his doubts about me. After all, I was young, and true experts were now rare. Besides, it was an old custom—those who judged the shine with a lamp had long since faded from the trade.

“We can sign an agreement,” Lu Yier said, “but the rules must be respected. That means we have to sacrifice dogs to the heavens!”

I smiled, asking, “How many?”

Lu Yier held up two fingers. “Two dogs.”

I nodded. “Deal!”

Hu San stared at me in shock, his eyes wide.

I didn’t say anything more to Lu Yier and signed a draft agreement at once.

Then I left with Hu San.

“My brother, what on earth were you talking about just now? You have to tell me! Otherwise, I’ll be worrying all night!”

I patted Hu San’s shoulder, telling him not to rush.

“Hu San, don’t worry. I’ll explain. You know jade is mined from the mountains, right?”

Hu San nodded, still looking confused, but at least he understood that much.

“In reality, it’s not as simple as just digging up jade. There are mountain spirits, the most famous of which are five animal deities—black, yellow, white, willow, and gray.”

“These animal deities aren’t ordinary animals. They can sense the treasures hidden in the mountains. Especially the finest jade—they’re often the ones to discover it.”

Hu San’s eyes widened even further, clearly fascinated by these mysterious legends.

“Animal deities? That sounds far-fetched!”

I smiled. “Yes, it does sound incredible, but these are ancient legends, and many have some basis in reality. For example, ‘raising the lamp to judge the shine’ is an old trade. Simply put, it means acting as a shill in the jade market! The role is to raise the value of jade, ensuring it doesn’t go unrecognized. ‘Raising the lamp’ means raising the price; ‘judging the shine’ is to prevent the jade’s value from being overlooked!”

“So, what about this ‘Fox Spirit School’ you mentioned?” Hu San pressed, clearly intrigued by these old trades.

“The Fox Spirit School is a special branch of jade appraisal. Legend has it that fox spirits possess extraordinary wisdom and sharp eyes, able to see through the very essence of jade. By saying I’m from the Fox Spirit School, I’m claiming to have inherited this ability, specializing in identifying jade’s true worth,” I explained.

Hu San nodded as if he understood, but was still a bit puzzled.

“What about sacrificing dogs? What does that mean?”

“It’s a kind of ritual, or you could call it a pledge of loyalty,” I explained seriously. “In our line of work, before signing any agreement, there has to be a ritual—sacrificing dogs to the heavens. Dogs symbolize loyalty, and the sacrifice is meant to invoke the mountain spirits’ blessing. Only then can we proceed smoothly in this field.”

Hu San was dumbfounded, clearly not expecting so many hidden customs. “So what do we do next?”

“Next, we need to prepare for the dog sacrifice ritual.” I stood up, patting his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get ready together.”

We left Lu Yier’s field and returned to Hu San’s place.

He anxiously asked if the dogs had to be black, white, or yellow—he knew of a nearby dog market!

I couldn’t help but laugh at his question.

Then I said slowly, “Human dogs.”

Hu San looked baffled by the term “human dogs.” He scratched his head, asking, “What’s a human dog? Is it some special kind of dog?”

I smiled and patiently explained, “Hu San, a human dog isn’t a dog at all, but people who make dirty money. These people have no humanity and are considered the lowest of the low, hence the name. But they’re clever and cunning, and they’ve made plenty of money. They’re the perfect targets for the ritual. Once I take down one of these human dogs, the market will recognize me as the one who raises the lamp and judges the shine!”

At last, Hu San understood.

His eyes lit up as he eagerly asked, “Then what did you mean by two dogs?”

I smiled without answering, only patted his shoulder and said mysteriously, “You’ll find out in due time.”

Hu San nodded, then posed one last question: “Huzi, if it really comes to it, let me do it. You’re a real talent, my mother will be glad to have you, and you can provide for us!”

“If someone has to pay the price, let it be me!”

Looking at Hu San, a warmth suddenly rose in my heart. “You’re not thinking this is about actually killing someone, are you?”

“Isn’t it?”

I shook my head. “No, it just means making them bleed a little.”

Only then did Hu San breathe a sigh of relief.

Now, my first task was to find a suitable human dog.

This wouldn’t be easy—neither Hu San nor I moved in those circles.

Those high-level human dogs had little contact with people like us.

So, to find one, I’d have to go through Sister Hong.

That night, I left Hu San’s place and returned to Sister Hong’s villa.

I hadn’t been back to her villa for a whole night.

When she saw me, she didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

She acted as if nothing had happened, saying, “You’re back. Come eat, I just ordered takeout… not as good as your cooking, but it’ll have to do.”

Faced with her understated compliment, I said nothing.

She wore a vermilion nightgown, as she always preferred red.

Her presence was as striking as ever.

Even though I tried to remind myself that she was a cunning woman, I couldn’t help but feel a reaction when I caught a glimpse of her graceful, snow-white skin.

“When you’re not here, this villa just doesn’t feel like home,” she said, slicing an apple, her shoulder strap slipping slowly down…