After lunch, Chang Jingyun rested in the guest room, while Chang Yiyao and Ye Lingjun played in the courtyard, and Xiao Qing sat on the kang sewing. Seeing that no one was around her, Xia Zhaoyun quietly approached and said, "Aunt, there is something I need to trouble you with."
Xiao Qing, noticing Xia Zhaoyun's serious expression, put down her needlework and asked, "What is it?"
In a low voice, Xia Zhaoyun said, "Aunt, are you aware of the fact that my master has been poisoned?"
Xiao Qing was shocked, replying anxiously, "I had no idea. Your master seems perfectly fine—how could he have been poisoned?"
"To be honest, my master was forced to ingest 'Half-Purple Red,' a slow-acting poison, years ago while saving the people of the Four Great Villas. Ever since, he has had to seek the antidote in Hengshan City each year to alleviate the pain."
Xiao Qing fell into deep thought for a moment before asking, "How can I help your master?"
Xia Zhaoyun whispered, "I don't want my master to endure this humiliation any longer. On my last trip to Hengshan City, I met Meng Huan Tan, who revealed the way to completely cure the poison. It turns out she had given my master the antidote a decade ago, but we were unaware."
Xiao Qing asked, "Where is the antidote now?"
"Do you remember the wedding gift my master gave you when you were married?" Xia Zhaoyun replied.
Xiao Qing thought back to that time and suddenly recalled, exclaiming, "Are you talking about the piece of blue amber?"
Xia Zhaoyun was overjoyed, responding eagerly, "Yes, the blue amber! The antidote to the Half-Purple Red is hidden within it."
However, upon learning of the antidote's location, Xiao Qing didn't seem as relieved as expected. Her face darkened, and she avoided eye contact. Seeing her reaction, Xia Zhaoyun asked, "Is there something wrong with the blue amber?"
With a heavy heart, Xiao Qing sighed, "To tell you the truth, a year ago, our family fell on hard times. We had to pawn all our valuable possessions, including that blue amber."
Xia Zhaoyun's heart sank. The hope that had just ignited was instantly extinguished.
Noticing his disappointment, Xiao Qing felt deeply apologetic. She quickly explained, "I'm truly sorry. However, I did tell the pawnshop owner how valuable the blue amber is and asked him to hold onto it for me. I promised to redeem it as soon as I had enough money."
"Do you remember which pawnshop it was?" Xia Zhaoyun asked.
"Of course," Xiao Qing replied.
Feeling hope rekindle, Xia Zhaoyun suggested, "Would you be willing to accompany me there?"
Xiao Qing nodded without hesitation. "Let's go right now."
They arrived at the pawnshop in Taiyuan. The owner recognized Xiao Qing and greeted her, "Madam Ye, long time no see. Are you here to pawn something else today?"
This remark suddenly made Xia Zhaoyun realize the depth of Xiao Qing's hardships. Initially, he had felt a bit of resentment upon hearing that the blue amber had been pawned, but after understanding her dire circumstances, his frustrations quickly dissolved.
Xiao Qing forced a smile and said, "You're joking. I came to ask about a piece of blue amber I pawned here. Do you still have it?"
The owner thought for a moment and then recalled, "Ah yes, I do remember that piece. It was quite a rare treasure."
Xiao Qing and Xia Zhaoyun exchanged glances, both letting out a sigh of relief. Xiao Qing continued, "Is it still here, in good condition?"
But the owner's expression suddenly became awkward. He hesitated before saying, "I'm terribly sorry, Madam Ye, but the blue amber has already been sold."
Their hopes were once again dashed. Yet, Xia Zhaoyun was not ready to give up. Even though he knew it was unlikely, he still asked, "Could you tell us who bought it?"
The owner replied, "It was purchased by the master of Wuhua Pavilion, located on Tianlong Mountain just outside the city."
Xia Zhaoyun, curious, asked, "Who is the master of Wuhua Pavilion?"
The owner answered, "He's a businessman, goes by the name of Hua. Everyone calls him Master Hua. He enjoys collecting rare treasures."
Xia Zhaoyun pondered this information, and a plan began to form in his mind. He thanked the owner and left the shop with Xiao Qing.
Outside, Xia Zhaoyun shared his thoughts with Xiao Qing.
"Uncle, whether it succeeds or not, I must give it a try."
Xiao Qing questioned, "Are you planning to confront the master of Wuhua Pavilion?"
Xia Zhaoyun nodded firmly.
"We know nothing of this man's background. It's too reckless to go without caution."
"I can't afford to care about that anymore. No matter what, I must find a way to retrieve the blue amber."
Hearing this, Xiao Qing felt even more remorseful and said with a heavy heart, "It's all my fault. If only I hadn't pawned the blue amber... It's entirely my mistake. Let me accompany you, no matter what."
Xia Zhaoyun shook his head. "It wouldn't be wise for both of us to go. My master is still resting. If he wakes and finds both of us missing, he'll surely become suspicious. Besides, we can't let him know about this—he would never allow me to take such a risk."
"But we have no idea what lies ahead—it could be a dangerous trap. How can I let you go alone? I can't help but worry."
"Don't worry. I'm no longer the frail child I was ten years ago. I can handle this on my own. You only need to wait for news. If my master asks, simply tell him I went to the market."
Seeing Xia Zhaoyun's resolve, Xiao Qing didn't insist further but reminded him to be careful and not to act recklessly.
After parting from Xiao Qing, Xia Zhaoyun immediately headed toward Tianlong Mountain. About an hour later, he reached the summit, where the words "Wuhua Pavilion" appeared before him.
He straightened his clothes and walked into the courtyard of the pavilion. It was eerily quiet. He found it strange that such a grand place seemed completely deserted. Standing before the courtyard, he called out, "Is Master Hua of Wuhua Pavilion present?"
There was no response.
He called again, "Is Master Hua of Wuhua Pavilion here?"
Despite several calls, no one answered. A sense of unease crept over him—something didn't feel right. His first instinct was to leave, but then he reminded himself of the reason he was there—to retrieve the blue amber and save his master. How could he leave without accomplishing that? Steeling himself, he decided to press on and headed toward the main hall.
The main hall, too, was empty, though it was elegantly furnished. Several landscape paintings adorned the walls, and one painting of a Hibiscus flower seemed almost lifelike. Impressed, Xia Zhaoyun thought to himself, "Although this Master Hua is a businessman, he clearly has the refined taste of a gentleman."
As he was lost in thought, a figure suddenly emerged from the back hall. Xia Zhaoyun looked up to see a man with a large, coarse face, bushy beard, and a brutish demeanor. The man was momentarily taken aback upon seeing Xia Zhaoyun but quickly assumed a defensive stance, asking sharply, "Who are you, and why have you come to Wuhua Pavilion?"
Xia Zhaoyun was also startled but quickly composed himself and answered, "I am Xia Zhaoyun, here to meet Master Hua."
The man replied, "I am Master Hua. What do you want?"
"You're Master Hua?" Xia Zhaoyun was surprised. The man before him was nothing like the cultured figure he had imagined. Though skeptical, since the man claimed to be Master Hua, Xia Zhaoyun saw no reason to doubt further.
He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I apologize for the intrusion. I've come to request a rare treasure from you."
"What treasure?" the man asked.
"The blue amber."
Without hesitation, the man replied, "I don't have it. There's no blue amber here."
"But the pawnshop owner said the blue amber was bought by the master of Wuhua Pavilion."
The man grew impatient. "The owner was mistaken. Now leave at once!"
The man's tone was harsh, with a clear hint of dismissal. Though Xia Zhaoyun felt unwilling to give up, he refrained from asking further. After a brief farewell, he left Wuhua Pavilion. Yet, as he stepped outside the gates, a strange feeling nagged at him. "This so-called Master Hua doesn't seem like a gentleman at all, but rather like a common bandit," he thought. Suddenly, a peculiar suspicion began to take shape in his mind—could this man be an impostor?
Driven by his desire to obtain the blue amber, the suspicion grew stronger. In the end, instead of descending the mountain, he decided to return to the pavilion. Once inside, the place remained eerily vacant. This time, however, he made no sound, creeping quietly toward the rear courtyard. There, he saw a group of men, armed with large blades, carrying several heavy chests. Among them was the bearded man he had just encountered, seemingly overseeing the operation and directing the men as they moved the boxes.
Xia Zhaoyun's suspicions deepened, but he did not rush forward to alert them. Instead, he took advantage of their distraction, stealthily approaching from behind like a mantis stalking its prey, silently knocking each of them unconscious. Once the men were sprawled on the ground, Xia Zhaoyun finally stepped forward to inspect the contents of the chests. Inside, he found piles of gold, silver, and precious jewels. In that moment, everything became clear—these men were nothing but robbers. If the bearded man wasn't the real Master Hua, then where was the true Master Hua?
With this thought in mind, Xia Zhaoyun began searching the entire pavilion. After combing through every corner, he finally found someone in a storage room—a man bound tightly with ropes and thrown into a pile of firewood, his mouth stuffed with rags. The man's eyes locked onto Xia Zhaoyun as he entered, pleading silently for help, as if he was trying to shout, "Save me!"