Chapter 16: The Grand Jade Exhibition

Chapter 16: The Jade and Stone Exhibition

Half a month later.

The Wang residence had not yet taken any action against the Sun family’s pharmacy, but news of the rebel army occupying Guangnan Commandery had spread widely.

The public was abuzz, and the streets and alleys were filled with discussions about the rebel forces. Even Yulan, who rarely left the mansion, showed some interest and asked Yu Xian what the rebel army was like.

Overall, the atmosphere was rather relaxed, more like spectators watching a spectacle.

After all, Guangnan and Changning Commanderies were separated by a thousand miles, and no matter how formidable the rebel army was, they couldn’t possibly advance quickly.

Moreover, no one really believed the rebels would become a serious threat.

The Kingdom of Yue controlled thirty-two commanderies and had twelve vassal kings, commanding millions of troops. One Guangnan Commandery was unlikely to stir up any major trouble.

The ones most affected were the merchants heading south.

At this time, information still spread mainly via horse-drawn carriages and ships.

The southern sea routes were officially blocked, yet ships unaware of the news still gathered at the port, only to be stuck there indefinitely.

The two brothers who had spoken with Yu Xian earlier were lucky—they had sold their goods cheaply to Baibao Tower in advance, suffering little loss.

But most merchants had no choice but to wait at the port, incurring losses for each day delayed. Perishable goods dropped in value daily.

They could either hold on and gamble that the court would quickly quell the rebellion, allowing them to continue south where demand and profits would surge, or sell at a loss to recoup whatever they could.

The competition was about who could sell fastest.

Prices plummeted. Goods originally worth ten taels of silver were now going for one, just to clear inventory. This trend threatened to drive prices even lower.

Southern merchants were having a terrible time, but businesses in Changning City were thriving, especially Baibao Tower, the leader, which snapped up countless goods at rock-bottom prices.

The frequent trades heated up the market, and many smaller merchants rushed into Changning City to join the feast.

The entire city buzzed with activity.

Amid this false prosperity, the jade and stone exhibition hosted by Baibao Tower finally commenced.

On that day,

Yu Xian, carrying five thousand taels of silver, strolled leisurely to Baibao Tower with Yulan, like a wealthy young lord on a leisurely outing.

As for Chen Yi, she was still diligently cultivating and refused to go out.

In her words, she would be able to draw qi into her body in two more days—but she had been saying that for ten days.

Two days passed, then another two, and no one knew how many more two-day periods it would take.

Seeing her earnest cultivation, Yu Xian almost wanted to give her a spirit stone to help push her progress.

But with Yulan nearby, whose aptitude was dull, even his two spirit stones might fail to help her sense the qi, so he gave up the idea.

He was reluctant to give away his spirit stones, but this time he could pick out some jade stones rich in spiritual energy as gifts for her.

At the entrance to Baibao Tower’s first floor, the crowd was dense—heads packed tightly, and the noise nearly deafening.

“Wow, so many people.”

“Sir, should we squeeze in?”

Yulan clung tightly to Yu Xian’s arm, her face timid but her eyes sparkling with eagerness.

After all, she was just a teenage girl who loved lively scenes.

“No need, we’ll take another route.”

Yu Xian patted Yulan’s hand and moved toward another entrance.

There, the flow of people was thinner, flanked by Baibao Tower’s guards—each tall and imposing, exuding an intimidating aura, as if a “No Trespassing” sign hung invisibly.

A grand merchant house like Baibao Tower naturally had a VIP entrance requiring an invitation.

Yu Xian had no invitation, but he held the Wang residence’s official token.

The Wang residence was like the heavens over Changning City.

The token in his hand gave him unimpeded access over most of the city—a sort of hidden privilege.

After Yu Xian showed the token, the interior was notified, and soon a tall young female attendant appeared.

She looked just over twenty, with plain features and an average figure, her hair tied in a high ponytail, exuding a crisp and capable air.

“Greetings, Lord Yu. Manager Liu is unfortunately tied up today and unable to greet you personally. He asked me to apologize on his behalf.

“My name is Lan Xiaohe, and I will be your attendant today.

“There happen to be several jade stones at this exhibition that meet your requirements. Would you like to see them now?”

“It’s rare that Manager Liu still remembers my preferences. Please thank him for me. Just lead me there directly.”

Yu Xian’s first impression of the attendant was good. This Manager Liu had good taste—he didn’t just send a lackey to brush him off.

“Very well, please follow me.”

Lan Xiaohe bowed politely and led the way, showing professional courtesy.

Soon, the three arrived at the second-floor exhibition hall.

Compared to the noisy and crowded first floor, this area was noticeably more spacious.

The hall was divided into booths, each piled with jade stones of different colors and shapes, along with large raw stones. Occasionally, someone would step forward to negotiate prices.

The bargaining method was interesting: both parties placed their hands inside their sleeves to make offers, so outsiders couldn’t hear or see the prices.

Groups gathered around, and bursts of cheers would erupt, pushing the atmosphere to a climax.

“What are they doing? Looks lively,” Yu Xian asked.

Lan Xiaohe glanced over and explained, “They’re gambling on jade stones—betting on raw jade as stakes. The stones are opened on-site, and if good jade is found, the price soars; if not, they lose everything.

“That’s why gambling on jade is known as a game of heaven or hell.”

Gambling on jade? Wasn’t this the classic way the protagonists of ancient urban supernatural novels made their fortunes?

Yu Xian felt a spark of interest. His spiritual awareness should be able to see through stones, but for now, his magic tools were more important.

Soon, Lan Xiaohe led Yu Xian to a jade exhibition booth.

“Sir, does this whole jade piece meet your requirements?”

She pointed to a large irregular pale green jadeite, roughly three feet square—a solid block about a meter in length, width, and height.

It had quite a few fibrous impurities, but such a large piece was rare.

Yu Xian wasn’t an expert but thought such a size would be enough to craft a mold for an artifact.

So he asked, “What’s the price?”

The booth owner was a burly man with a thick beard. Hearing this, he stepped forward, extending his wide sleeves, signaling to haggle.

Yu Xian waved him off, “I don’t know how to bargain. Just quote your price.”

The bearded man was stunned, then glanced at Lan Xiaohe.

If this person hadn’t been brought by Baibao Tower, he would have already started shooing him away.

Lan Xiaohe stepped forward: “Sir, this is the custom here. Sellers don’t want others to hear their bottom price, as it could cause losses. Let me translate for you.”

“Alright,” Yu Xian said indifferently.

Lan Xiaohe slipped her hand into the bearded man’s sleeve, and they began bargaining.

After a short while, Lan Xiaohe withdrew her hand and whispered in Yu Xian’s ear:

“Sir, he says the minimum price for this jadeite is ninety-eight thousand eight hundred eighty-eight taels of silver—for good luck.”

Yu Xian shuddered on the spot, his face turning pale.

“Damn, robbery!”

He had been in the mortal world for less than half a year and had earned less than three thousand taels. One hundred thousand taels would be enough for him to violate his principles and risk using his power once.

Thinking this over, his eyes flashed with a fierce light.

Robbery, indeed!

“Sir! This is Baibao Tower!” Lan Xiaohe panicked, sensing his thoughts.

“Forget it, I’ll give you face.”

Yu Xian waved his hand. It was just a thought; he still hoped to sleep with the princess someday.

All in all, he was a law-abiding good boy. He might accept a small bribe now and then, but he had no intention of killing or stealing treasures.

Walking alone at night makes one see ghosts.

Seeing something valuable and wanting to snatch it was a crude bad habit. If he encountered a cunning foe one day, it would mean death.

After all, those who possessed treasures mostly had formidable strength, except for a few lucky ones.

He now had no worries about food or drink, held a high status, and had a path of cultivation ahead. Taking even the smallest risk would be disrespectful to his golden opportunity.

Yu Xian was about to ask whether Baibao Tower offered loans—after all, they all worked under the prince, so they were colleagues, and interest rates might be favorable.

“Pah! Pretentious, wasting my time,” the bearded man muttered, already annoyed with this ignorant, pretentious rich kid.

Seeing him scared off by a price of nearly one hundred thousand taels, he thought he was just a delicate cushion, spat, and returned to his booth.

“He spat on me?”

Yu Xian looked astonished, as if saying, “Doesn’t he know I’m about to lose it?”

Seeing this, Lan Xiaohe nearly lost her breath, realizing trouble was brewing, nearly in tears.

“Sir, please don’t be impulsive, or Manager Liu won’t forgive me. I apologize on his behalf.

“Apart from this piece, there are others. I’ll take you to see them.”

“Why are you apologizing for him?”

Yu Xian looked at the bearded man and called out, “Hey, big beard, are those stones of yours for sale or not?”

(End of chapter)