Kovado Town seemed uninhabited, except for those soldiers earlier, Qi Yun actually didn't see anyone else in the town.

He drove the car all the way forward and finally found the church in the center of the town.

The church's exterior was dilapidated, with peeling walls revealing mottled bricks and stones. Most of the windows were broken and had been roughly boarded up. It seemed abandoned for a long time.

After parking the car, Qi Yun picked up a crowbar and turned to Chen Wei, saying, "Brother Wei, wait for me in the car."

Chen Wei, who had been vigilantly observing the surroundings, paused for a moment after hearing Qi Yun's words and nodded in response, "Shout if anything happens."

"Okay." Qi Yun replied, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the car, walking towards the church.

Looking at the spider-web-covered wooden door in front of him, he took a deep breath and slowly pushed it open.

As the door opened, a mixed smell of dust and decay rushed at him, making him frown slightly.

The lighting inside the church was dim, with only a few strands of sunlight streaming through the broken windows, casting beams of light onto the ground.

This Eastern Orthodox church seemed much like the Christian churches seen on TV, except it had been abandoned for so long that it felt eerie.

Qi Yun lit a cigarette to bolster his courage and stepped inside.

After walking past rows of seats, he went straight to the front altar.

"The third step, here it is."

The wooden steps were already riddled with holes. Qi Yun crouched down and wedged the crowbar firmly into the gap between the steps.

The decayed wooden board creaked and didn't require much effort before a corner of the step was pried open.

Qi Yun pulled out his phone from his pocket to light the area and looked into the gap. Sure enough, there was something wrapped in a cloth.

Feeling a rush of joy, he picked up the crowbar and pried open the boards of the adjacent steps, finally retrieving the item carefully.

Unwrapping the dust-laden cloth, a wooden board approximately fifty centimeters long and wide was revealed. The material of this board was unknown, but even after a thousand years, it showed no signs of decay.

On the board was a painting of a woman holding a baby, it was the Eastern Orthodox Golden Holy Image.

The large gold leaf in the painting had long lost its former brilliance and now appeared somewhat dull. To restore it to its original state, it might need a bit of professional restoration.

Qi Yun didn't have the time to examine it closely. He tossed the somewhat dingy cloth aside and hurried out of the church with the board.

Returning to the car, he sat in the back seat and said to Chen Wei, "Brother Wei, you drive us back to the hotel."

Chen Wei did not ask any questions, nodded, took his place in the driver's seat, and started the car to head back the way they came.

On the way, Qi Yun began to consider how to handle this item.

Taking it back to the country was definitely not feasible, not to mention if it could pass customs smoothly, the transport process itself was not guaranteed. If it got damaged, there would be nothing left but regret.

Either find a professional agency to ship it back home or deal with it here in Russia.

After thinking for a while, he decided to first consult Mendeleyev when they got back.

...

In the hotel room, Mendeleyev held the Eastern Orthodox Golden Holy Image, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"This... where did you get this!?" His voice trembled slightly with excitement.

Qi Yun sat down beside him, lit a cigarette, and asked without addressing the question directly, "Got any leads on selling it?"

Mendeleyev slowly put down the icon, the shock on his face not entirely faded.

He looked at Qi Yun, a barely concealed excitement in his eyes, "If this hits the market, there would be plenty of wealthy buyers fighting over it."

"You might not know, but the status of Eastern Orthodoxy in Russia is akin to Taoism in your country. Many wealthy people are Orthodox believers and like to keep things like this at home."

Qi Yun glanced at him, somewhat surprised, said, "Really? And you?"

Mendeleyev smacked his lips and answered honestly, "I only believe in money."

Qi Yun chuckled lightly at his words, flicked ash from his cigarette, "Alright then, if this thing is so marketable, I'll leave it to you to handle."

Mendeleyev rubbed his hands, his eyes gleaming with a spark, "No problem, leave it to me."

He grabbed the painting and was about to leave. Near the door, he seemed to remember something, turned back halfway.

"By the way, that thing has been found."

Qi Yun looked at him with a serious tone, reminded, "Make sure it stays hidden unless they intend to harm you. That thing can save you or end you."

Mendeleyev nodded solemnly, replied, "Don't worry, I won't gamble my life."

...

The next morning, they said their goodbyes outside the airport.

No direct flight to home from Tuva is currently available, so they needed to go to Moscow first and then transfer planes.

"Take care!" Mendeleyev hugged each of them in turn, somewhat reluctantly.

"You take care too. If things keep worsening here, I suggest you hide somewhere else for a while." Qi Yun patted Mendeleyev's shoulder, a trace of concern in his eyes.

Mendeleyev squeezed out a smile, replied, "Don't worry, if things go south, I'll temporarily move to Moscow."

Qi Yun nodded, said no more, as they dragged their suitcases into the airport hall.

On the return flight, Qi Yun turned to Chen Wei and asked, "Brother Wei, how much was your monthly salary working as a bodyguard before?"

Chen Wei still maintained that stern visage, seemingly unmoved by anything.

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