Chapter 1988: Chapter 1985: Debt Collectors at the Door
Because it was kept inside the clothes, no one knew what the Jade Pendant looked like. Yao Xiaoke took it out and placed it in front of Lin Tian. Lin Tian and the others all looked at it, including Xu Feibai, but when he saw the Jade Pendant clearly, he frowned.
"No..." Lin Tian said very disappointedly. The Jade Pendant in front of him was round with a hollow center, carved into the shape of an animal, completely unlike the Qiong Gou Jade.
"How could this be?" Zhang Lingyu also couldn’t believe it. After following the Compass’s guidance and going through so much trouble to find this place, they found out it wasn’t the Qiong Gou Jade.
"But there is clearly the aura of a Yin Jade, wasn’t that what the Compass indicated?" Xiao Manxuan said strangely.
The two sisters saw the group’s expressions weren’t right and couldn’t help but ask anxiously, "What’s wrong? Isn’t this the Jade Pendant you are looking for?"
Lin Tian shook his head slightly, frowning, "It is, and it isn’t. The aura is correct, but the shape is wrong."
"What shape is the Jade Pendant you are looking for?" Yao Xiaoke asked curiously.
"Like this, a Yin Yang fish shape." Xu Feibai, who had been cool and silent all this time, took out the Qiong Gou Jade and held it up to the two sisters.
Yao Xiaoke blinked in confusion, "Such a strange jade, I’ve never seen a Jade Pendant in this shape."
"Could it be that it absorbed the aura of the Yin Jade from being stored together for a long time?" Lin Tian thought about it and asked Zhang Lingyu.
"It’s possible." Zhang Lingyu’s eyes lit up, a new hope rekindled in her.
"Brother Lin, I’ve always worn this Jade Pendant; it hasn’t been stored with the Yin Jade you’re talking about." Yao Xiaoke denied Lin Tian’s suggestion.
Lin Tian, however, waved his hand calmly, "I’m talking about before you got the Jade Pendant. Where did you get it from?"
Yao Xiaoke turned to her sister and said, "My sister gave it to me, only she would know."
Yao Xiaoting recalled for a moment before speaking, "It was many years ago. Back then, the peach grove hadn’t been purchased by the Ma Family yet. One day, I was by the river washing some tools when I saw something white in the shallow water. Because the river’s pebbles were all blue or dark grey, the white object stood out."
"I picked it up and found it was a Jade Pendant. I didn’t know its value; I just thought it looked pretty and gave it to my sister."
"Oh, by the way, it had rained heavily before that day, and the mountain stream had swollen with water. Thinking back, it might have been washed down from the mountains." Yao Xiaoting remembered something and added.
"You’re talking about the mountain stream next to Xianlin Villa?" Lin Tian asked.
Yao Xiaoting nodded vigorously, "Yes, that mountain stream. If you go out the villa’s back door and cut through a small path, you can reach the stream’s edge."
"What’s the source of the mountain stream?" Zhang Lingyu asked thoughtfully.
"I don’t know where the source is, but upstream there’s a pond, oh, and next to the pond is an abandoned temple, I think it’s called Skull Temple." Yao Xiaoting first shook her head, then added uncertainly.
Xiao Manxuan furrowed her pretty brows, feeling puzzled, "Temples are usually places of blessing. Why is it called Skull Temple, such a frightening name?"
"The elders say the temple has a long history, over a hundred years. Once, a great storm hit, the mountain stream rose with unprecedented water, and amidst the flood, many human bones were washed out."
Yao Xiaoting spoke in a low voice, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes. She steadied herself and continued, "People at that time saw it as an ominous sign, so the villagers pooled money to invite a Demon Exorcism Master to perform a ritual to ward off evil and calamities."
Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan looked at Zhang Lingyu, since she was a Demon Exorcist. Zhang Lingyu innocently spread her hands, "I don’t know about others, but our family definitely wouldn’t do such deceitful acts."
Yao Xiaoting blinked in confusion, not quite understanding Zhang Lingyu’s meaning, but she didn’t delve into it and continued her story, "The Demon Exorcism Master held a ritual and had the villagers build a temple, which is the Skull Temple, according to the master’s instructions, to suppress evil spirits and soothe lost souls."
"At first, the incense offerings were plentiful, but then, for some reason, people stopped visiting, and the Skull Temple fell into disrepair, up to this day." Yao Xiaoting finished in one breath, then looked at Lin Tian and the others.
"What are we waiting for? Let’s go now." Zhang Lingyu said promptly, very eager.
"My sister and I can take you there. Although the mountain isn’t big, it’s still quite tricky to navigate." Yao Xiaoke volunteered to lead the way for Lin Tian.
Lin Tian nodded, not rejecting the sisters’ kindness. Being unfamiliar with the area, having a guide was a good idea.
Without further delay, the group left the pavilion and followed the sisters. They exited the peach grove and first returned to the front desk hall, planning to take another path towards the back door.
At this moment, a group of people stormed in from outside, at least a dozen young men, each wearing sunglasses with matching tattoos on their arms.
However, the focus wasn’t on them, but rather the slender middle-aged man leading them. The young men dared not walk past him and seemed to regard him with great reverence.
The security guards were also rushing in, shouting as they ran, "You can’t come in..."
But the young men ignored the security, going straight to the counter and surrounding it, while the middle-aged man gave the receptionist a sideways glance and said coldly, "Call out your general manager. We’re here to collect a debt."
The female receptionist at the front desk seemed shocked by the commotion, a bit scared but at least not panicking. She was about to pick up the phone to call when a middle-aged man in a suit hurriedly ran in.
"Mr. Yu, they..." The receptionist tried to report the situation, but the middle-aged man waved his hand, indicating he already knew.
Manager Yu approached the leader courteously, "Mr. Guo, it’s rare for you to visit the villa, welcome, welcome."
The slender middle-aged man, Mr. Guo, glanced at Mr. Yu, responded indifferently, "As far as I know, the villa’s general manager’s surname is Ma. Who are you?"
Mr. Yu patiently explained, "Mr. Ma had to step out for some matters. I’m the deputy general manager of the villa, and in Mr. Ma’s absence, I’m in charge."
"You’re in charge? Ha..." Mr. Guo sneered disdainfully, "Five million dollars in debt. Can you handle that?"
"Five million..." This statement caused a stir among the surrounding security and reception staff, with a few knowledgeable ones whispering among themselves.
Mr. Yu replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Mr. Guo, I’m aware of the matter you mentioned. The young master of the Ma Family borrowed money against collateral, but the agreed repayment date hasn’t yet arrived. We must adhere to the agreement, right?"
"You’re talking to me about agreements? My word is the agreement!" Mr. Guo was entirely unreasonable, sneering, "You probably don’t know yet, but we’ve received news that the villa has changed ownership, and the new owner likely can’t repay the debt." This statement caused another wave of shock among the reception and security staff.
"Since the new owner and Mr. Ma are hiding and don’t dare to meet us, there’s nothing more to discuss. I declare right here, my brothers will come daily to take something valuable, starting today." Mr. Guo waved his hand, instructing his men to proceed.
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