Brother Tian burst out laughing and said skeptically, "What kind of stone carving is worth one and a half million? Do you take for an amateur? Antique stone carvings on the market go for anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands. One and a half million? Who are you trying to fool?"
"I'm not lying, it's true! Those two people really did offer one and a half million for that stone carving!" Xing Hong looked as if he was ready to swear an oath to heaven and earth.
Zhao Yuan's interest was piqued.
He was almost certain that those two were Cultivators. Although he didn't know their cultivation thod or their specific level, the fact that they could see the copper ball was extraordinary was enough to prove that at least one of them had reached the Qi Listening Realm.
After all, not everyone had a 'cheat' like Zhao Yuan's Qi Observation Technique.
In other words, Xing Hong really did have another Qi Containing treasure! And its value was likely even greater than the Fourteen Fearless Pearls; otherwise, those two wouldn't have offered such a high price!
Zhao Yuan was tempted.
But he didn't show it. Instead, he put on a cold, uninterested expression and said, "Since they offered you a high price of one and a half million, why didn't you sell it to them? How co you still have the treasure at your house?"
Xing Hong replied miserably, "It's all because I was blinded by greed. After hearing their offer, I wanted to sell them the copper ball and the stone carving together, so I arranged to make the trade with them two days later..."
Although he didn't finish his sentence, everyone could guess what he left unsaid.
He clearly wanted to use those one or two days to find Zhao Yuan and take back the copper ball, which is why he hadn't sold the stone carving to those two people right away.
Zhao Yuan stood up and ordered, "Let's go. Take to see the stone carving."
"Yes, yes." Xing Hong nodded hurriedly and let out a long sigh of relief. At that mont, he felt like a drowning man clutching a life-saving straw.
At the sa ti, his heart was filled with regret. 'If only I hadn't been so greedy. The stone carving could have sold for one and a half million, but I wasn't satisfied and wanted to snatch the copper ball back. Now look what happened. I didn't get the copper ball back, and I have to give the stone carving away for free. SIGH... I could cry just thinking about it!'
Led by Xing Hong, the group quickly arrived at his place.
The room wasn't large, only about forty to fifty square ters. Besides a bed and a computer, it was filled with antiques Xing Hong had collected from various places.
As soon as Zhao Yuan entered the room, he activated his Qi Observation Technique. After a quick scan, he walked straight to the southwest corner.
In that corner stood a stone carving.
The stone carving was about half a ter tall. The craftsmanship wasn't great, but you could still make out that it was a human figure with a flowing beard and hair, wearing a long robe, and holding a wooden staff.
What was completely different from an ordinary carving was the Qi contained within it!
It was pure, imnse, and emanated a faint dicinal aroma.
Zhao Yuan had never seen Qi like this before.
All the Qi he had seen before—whether in the Five Elents Coin, the Five Elents Gourd, or the Fourteen Fearless Pearls he had just obtained—had been odorless. This was the first ti he had encountered Qi with a dicinal aroma inside a stone carving.
A treasure!
This stone carving was, without a doubt, a real treasure!
"This stone carving, where did you get it?" Zhao Yuan turned his head and asked, staring intently at Xing Hong.
His gaze gave Xing Hong a huge fright. His eyes seed to glow, like those of a hungry wolf that had just spotted its prey!
'This kid really knows his stuff,' Xing Hong mumbled to himself. Not daring to hide anything, he obediently explained, "I acquired this stone carving last autumn from a farr. According to him, it was once enshrined in a temple. After the temple fell into ruin, he 'invited' the statue back to his ho and burned incense to it every day."
"A temple? What temple? Was it a dicine King Temple?" Zhao Yuan asked.
"Huh?" Xing Hong looked at Zhao Yuan in shock. "You... How did you know?"
According to the farr's description, the statue had indeed been enshrined in a dicine King Temple. But this was sothing Xing Hong had never ntioned to anyone else. He didn't even tell that old man nad Cheng when he'd asked. 'So how on earth did this kid find out?'
Zhao Yuan ignored Xing Hong, his eyes fixed on the stone carving.
After a mont, he shook his head again. "No, that's not right. This stone carving wasn't 'nurtured' in a dicine King Temple."
Although a Magical Artifact enshrined in a temple can develop Qi through the faith of believers and the power of incense, that kind of Qi wouldn't have a dicinal aroma.
This dicine King Stone Carving could only have been enshrined in a place that was constantly filled with the aroma of dicine. Only then could it have absorbed the dicinal fragrance while generating Qi, allowing the two to rge perfectly and form this special, dicinally-scented Qi!
'A place constantly filled with the aroma of dicine? Could it have been enshrined in an apothecary? No, the Incense Fire Wish Power in an apothecary would be too weak. It couldn't possibly nurture such pure and imnse Qi!'
Just as Zhao Yuan was speculating, a line of text appeared on the Information Leaf, describing the stone carving—Spirit dicine Stone. Enshrined within the Imperial Hospital, it was worshipped day and night by Imperial Physicians, gathering the Dragon Qi of the Imperial City and absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to be ford. It is a superior material for crafting dical Dao instrunts and Magical Treasures!
'So it's a treasure nurtured inside the Imperial Hospital. No wonder its Qi has a dicinal aroma. The best material for crafting dical Dao instrunts and Magical Treasures? Doesn't that an this stone carving... no, it should be called a Spirit dicine Stone... can be used to make surgical tools for Traditional Chinese dicine?'
Zhao Yuan couldn't help but smile.
It was truly a case of searching high and low for sothing, only to have it fall right into his lap!
He originally thought it would be incredibly difficult to find materials for making Traditional Chinese dicine surgical tools, but he never expected soone to deliver them right to his doorstep.
Suddenly, Zhao Yuan felt that Xing Hong wasn't so annoying after all. If he hadn't been courting death, how could Zhao Yuan have obtained such a wonderful treasure?
"I'll take this stone carving," Zhao Yuan said, turning around.
Xing Hong said excitedly, "You're willing to let off the hook?"
Zhao Yuan nodded and said with a smile, "Not only will I let you go, but I'll also give you money for the stone carving."
Xing Hong waved his hands frantically. "No need for money, no need at all! This stone carving is a gift to show my respect, an apology present from to you." But inwardly, his heart was bleeding: 'One and a half million... gone just like that... Plus the copper ball, that's two point three million! I've never even seen that much money in my whole life!'
Zhao Yuan shook his head. "I still have to give you the money. Otherwise, wouldn't this be extortion and robbery?"
"Well..." Xing Hong peeked at Zhao Yuan's expression. Seeing that he was serious and not being sarcastic, a small flicker of hope ignited in his heart. He put on a fawning smile and said, "If you insist on giving it, then I can only accept. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to you."
He couldn't help but wonder how much money Zhao Yuan would give him.
'Even if it's not one and a half million, five hundred thousand or even one hundred fifty thousand would be great.'
Zhao Yuan rummaged through his pockets for a mont, pulled out a bill, and handed it to Xing Hong. "Here. Take this one hundred yuan. Consider it paynt for the stone carving."
"Huh? O-One hundred yuan?"
Xing Hong's face turned green.
'This is a treasure worth one and a half million, and you're giving one hundred yuan? You... Hmm, wait!'
Xing Hong suddenly felt that the line "one hundred yuan" sounded familiar. On second thought, wasn't this the exact line he had told Brother Tian and the others to use when they tried to forcibly buy the treasure from Zhao Yuan?
Xing Hong understood. Zhao Yuan wasn't really giving him money; he was slapping him in the face.
Suddenly, he really wanted to cry.
'My face is already swollen up like a pig's head, and you're still hitting it. Do you have to be so ruthless?'
PS: Here is the third update, with a fourth to follow shortly! Where are your votes and donations?
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