Volume One, Chapter 11: The Spirit Within the Jade Stone
As his words fell, laughter erupted from the people around, representatives from other companies joining in. Many eyes turned toward Zhang Wenxuan, their voices filled with amazement, as if beholding some rare creature.
Zhang Wenxuan glanced around and noticed that among the more than twenty companies present, the stone appraisers they brought were mostly men over fifty, with the youngest barely in their forties. He was by far the youngest, no wonder he attracted such attention.
In the stone gambling industry, keen eyesight was paramount, and naturally, the longer one had been in the trade, the greater the advantage—after all, experience bred skill.
Sun Ya’s expression grew slightly cold at the young man’s words. “Cheng Yuhang, do I need you to teach me how to choose my people?”
“Mr. Zhang is an excellent appraiser. I trust he won’t disappoint me!” Sun Ya replied confidently.
Ha ha ha!
Cheng Yuhang laughed even louder, as if he had heard some hilarious joke.
Squinting mischievously, he said, “Really? I heard one of your appraisers resigned just a few days ago. Seems like you’re grasping at straws in desperation!”
Sun Ya’s face changed subtly—her expression no longer pleasant. Clearly, Cheng Yuhang had hit a nerve.
Zhang Wenxuan suddenly understood. No wonder Sun Ya had invited such a newcomer like him to this appraisal competition.
“I believe in Mr. Zhang’s abilities. With the efforts of the three of them, my gains this year won’t be disappointing!” Sun Ya’s tone brimmed with confidence.
Heh heh!
Cheng Yuhang chuckled mockingly, “Is that so? Hopefully, the skills of those three live up to your confidence!”
“We’ll see after the competition!” With that, Cheng Yuhang waved and turned away. Before leaving, he cast a sidelong glance at Zhang Wenxuan, the mockery and derision in his eyes unmistakable.
The atmosphere around them stiffened instantly. Huang Ming and Zhou Yunshan exchanged helpless looks.
Sun Ya encouraged, “Gentlemen, don’t feel any pressure. Today’s appraisal contest is just about doing your best.”
“My attitude is simple: do your best,” Zhang Wenxuan clicked his tongue, sensing Sun Ya’s true feelings.
It was clear Sun Ya had lost confidence in today’s competition and appeared somewhat resigned—no expectations, only hoping for a baseline outcome.
---
“Miss Sun, since you invited me to participate in this appraisal contest, I won’t let you down!” Zhang Wenxuan smiled confidently.
Sun Ya nodded indifferently, apparently not taking his words to heart.
Huang Ming and Zhou Yunshan exchanged strange looks. Was this young man really that capable? Who dared speak so boldly at his age? They themselves hadn’t dared to be so confident when they were young.
Zhang Wenxuan chuckled inwardly; he could sense their doubts.
No matter. Let the facts speak for themselves.
With the Heavenly Eye at his disposal, what did he have to fear?
Boom!
Just then, a bell rang out, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Footsteps followed as a middle-aged man in a suit stepped forward, smiling.
“Welcome, everyone, to this year’s appraisal contest. The rules remain the same as previous years, so I won’t repeat them.”
“Let’s begin!”
As his voice fell, appraisers from each company emerged, pushing carts toward the piles of raw stones.
Their hurried steps betrayed a fear that the stones they coveted might be taken by others.
Huang Ming and Zhou Yunshan also pushed their carts forward quickly.
“Zhang Wenxuan, let’s go quickly—don’t let the good stones get snapped up by others,” they urged.
Zhang Wenxuan nodded and swiftly followed at their side.
The group arrived at the massive stone pile, each beginning to select their preferred pieces.
Quietly, Zhang Wenxuan activated his Heavenly Eye, casually sweeping over the raw stones. Instantly, the internal conditions of the stones appeared clearly before him.
A piece containing top-quality jade caught his eye. Without hesitation, Zhang Wenxuan rushed over and claimed it.
“Got it!”
“This place is simply paradise!” Zhang Wenxuan licked his lips, excitement shining in his gaze.
He lifted the raw stone to place it on his cart but suddenly noticed something unusual.
Inside the stone, the jade seemed to be pulsating with some kind of energy, drawing him in so strongly that his eyes felt as if they were burning.
What’s going on?
Zhang Wenxuan was taken aback—this had never happened before. He was momentarily caught off guard.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that inside the jade was a cluster of special energy.
Hiss!
What is this?
Could it be the legendary spiritual energy?
His heart surged with astonishment.
Gently, he reached out with his consciousness to touch this mysterious energy. Immediately, it surged, flowing along his arm and entering his body.
The energy traveled upward, leaving a cool, soothing sensation wherever it passed.
Zhang Wenxuan forced himself to remain calm, striving to conceal any abnormality from those around him.
The special energy soon reached his face, then entered a spot between his eyebrows.
Isn’t that the famed “Mud Pellet Palace”?
His heart roiled.
To his shock, he “saw” a small space between his eyebrows—the spiritual energy he just absorbed was nestled there.
Good heavens!
The unfolding events left Zhang Wenxuan somewhat disoriented. Now was not the time to explore this further. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself swiftly.
Looking down at the raw stone in his hands, it remained unchanged; the jade showed no signs of alteration.
This greatly relieved him. If absorbing the spiritual energy had caused any changes, it would have been disastrous.
He quickly placed the raw stone on his cart and hurried off to select a second piece.
Soon, he found another exceptional stone, also containing that special energy.
He quietly claimed it, a look of enjoyment briefly flashing across his face.
The spiritual energy inside this jade was absorbed as well, merging with the energy already residing in his Mud Pellet Palace.
Wonderful!
Though he didn’t yet know the significance of the spiritual energy cluster, Zhang Wenxuan was thrilled. Such a treasure could only be beneficial in abundance.