Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1316: Chapter 1312: Bai Buzhi

Seeing how Huo Sining unhesitatingly refused his request, Qin Lianshan knew this matter was not going to be settled, and it would be inappropriate to continue insisting.

After hearing Huo Sining say the item wasn’t for sale, Mr. Bai’s expression turned somewhat sour, and a look of disappointed melancholy appeared in his eyes as he gazed longingly at the purple clay jar in Huo Sining’s hand.

”Antiques are all about fate; it’s understandable that you don’t want to sell it, Huo girl. But I have a presumptuous favor to ask, and I hope you won’t refuse it.”

Mr. Bai realized that acquiring the purple clay jar was probably impossible, so he could only settle for the next best thing. He looked at Huo Sining with a hint of pleading in his eyes: ”Can you lend this item to me? I want to take it back and use it once. Just three days, and I’ll return it to you!”

Huo Sining thought Mr. Bai wanted to borrow her purple clay jar for the purpose of appreciating it.

She could easily understand the old man’s thoughts. Those who are into antiques understand the principle that seeing is owning; being able to appreciate such a fine piece is definitely worthwhile in one’s lifetime.

Moreover, since Old Bai had spoken so earnestly, lending it to him for appreciation wouldn’t be an excessive request, so Huo Sining certainly wouldn’t refuse.

”Mr. Bai, this item would have been covered in dust for even longer without your help cleaning it. Feel free to take it back; once you’ve appreciated it enough, I’ll come to your residence to retrieve it.”

Huo Sining generously handed the purple clay jar over to the elderly man, without a hint of reluctance in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Bai’s expression instantly softened, revealing a child-like satisfied smile, nodding at Huo Sining: ”Not bad, not bad, you are a good kid! However, I’m not ready to use this item yet. I’ll come borrow it from you after I’ve gathered all the herbs.”

Huo Sining was immediately stunned; Mr. Bai’s words thudded like nonsense, leaving her somewhat puzzled. Why gather herbs? Could it be that the old gentleman’s purpose for borrowing her purple clay jar was not to appreciate it, but for...?

Huo Sining suddenly recalled Mr. Bai’s earlier speculation that the jar could likely have been used by Ge Hong, the alchemist, for concocting elixirs!

Her eyes widened instantly as she looked at the old man in shock.

Beside her, Qin Lianshan also had an utterly perplexed expression and blurted out: ”Old Bai, this isn’t appropriate; this item is, after all, a thousand-year-old antique, and it belongs to the young lady Huo. She is generous enough to lend it to you, but if you take it back to concoct medicine, and it ends up damaged, how would you explain it to the young miss...”

Mr. Bai, upon hearing this from Qin Lianshan, immediately turned his eyes, the size of a cow bell, angrily toward Qin Lianshan:

”Who do you think I’m doing this for? You believe I’m doing this for myself? If it wasn’t because of your illness, would I put myself out there begging a youngster like this? I’m Bai Buzhi, known for my capricious ways and famed for not saving those in need. If I hadn’t owed you a life in the past, do you think I’d be willing to serve you?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Lianshan felt both awkward and ashamed, casting an apologetic glance at Huo Sining, awkwardly scratching the tip of his nose.

However, after hearing those words from Mr. Bai, Huo Sining was suddenly taken aback.

Bai Buzhi? This old man is actually called Bai Buzhi?!

Huo Sining suddenly recalled the Lotus Porcelain Plate she had scored from by Chenghuang Temple in S City. The plate was painted with winding Golden Lotus, which struck her as odd because the Golden Lotus was eerily similar to the one she had unearthed on the desolate island cave in Mindong.

On the base of that Lotus Plate, besides the curious inscription, ”Shen Nong tastes hundreds of herbs, Shu Lord tries thousands of medicines,” there was also a red seal, marked with the words ”Bai Buzhi.”

At that time, when she saw the name, Huo Sining felt this Bai Buzhi might know the secret of the Golden Lotus, but she had inquired through others, even making a trip to the Qingmu Fish Farm, where Qin Shaoyou had previously taken her, to ask the sibling Tian Tian and Tian Yuan about it.

Since Huo Sining got her Golden Lotus Seeds from the Tian siblings, she naturally assumed that since their grandfather had seen the Golden Lotus, he might also know someone named Bai Buzhi.

But to her disappointment, both Tian Yuan and Tian Tian claimed they didn’t know Bai Buzhi, not even having heard of him.

Huo Sining wanted to uncover the secret of the Golden Lotus because she believed it might be the key to treating Master Qin’s cancer; otherwise, Fujiwara Seiho, who collaborated with ACG, wouldn’t have been so furious upon discovering she had stolen the Golden Lotus, even sending ninjas to sneak into her house.

With such speculation, Huo Sining became even more focused on this Bai Buzhi. Although the trail had gone cold, she never gave up seeking because she had promised Ouyang Jun and Qin Tian to do her utmost to cure Qin Lianshan.

However, little did Huo Sining expect that the person she painstakingly sought for without results turned out to be an old acquaintance of Qin Lianshan. This sudden twist left her somewhat bewildered.

What does it mean to ”wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, yet find it all by chance”? Huo Sining never imagined she’d run into someone on the street who would be such a coincidence, as if the heavens were guiding her.

Because Huo Sining remained silent, neither Qin Lianshan nor Bai Buzhi noticed her unusual demeanor. Right at that moment, a guard about the same age as Xiao Zhang walked in, relieved to see Qin Lianshan standing in the room, and whispered something to him. Qin Lianshan nodded and gestured to Bai Buzhi to prepare to leave Jin Tao Fang.

Seeing the two elders ready to leave, Huo Sining finally snapped back to reality and called out urgently, ”Wait!”

The two old men turned back, giving Huo Sining a puzzled look: ”Huo girl, what’s the matter?”

Huo Sining glanced at the surrounding faces, some familiar, some unfamiliar, hesitated for a moment, then asked Bai Buzhi earnestly, ”Elder Bai, did you just say your name is Bai Buzhi?”

Qin Lianshan seemed stunned, then burst into laughter: ”You girl, what are you saying? Old Bai’s name isn’t that; let me introduce you. His name is Bai Zhenyu. He specializes in researching alchemy and the mysterious arts of Taoism and knows some traditional medicine secret techniques, but he never treats people. He focuses exclusively on those mysterious path-to-immortality experiments. Since this man is truly stubborn and unwilling to save the dying, we old buddies gave him a nickname, Bai Buzhi.”