Volume Four: Renowned Everywhere Chapter 0138: If I Say It Will Collapse, It Will Definitely Collapse

This was a shop of no great size, yet it was surrounded by a large crowd of onlookers, some here for the spectacle, others to study the craft. On the raised platform, a large cutting machine was still slicing through a rough stone, revealing a half-exposed jadeite that gleamed with crystal clarity.

The color and luster were exceptional. If sold right now, it could yield a massive profit, but if it were cut open completely, it would undoubtedly turn out to be worthless.

"Ah, what a pity."

Amidst the otherwise excellent atmosphere, this sigh felt jarringly out of place. Everyone turned to glare at the fair-skinned, delicate young man, hurling hostile remarks. The owner of the jadeite, in particular, was furious, his expression venomous: "A pity? What do you mean by a pity?"

"Nothing."

"If you mean nothing, then don't run your mouth. This is jadeite! Just some wet-behind-the-ears kid, daring to stand here and critique things!" The old man looked at Qin Yang, his eyes filled with utter contempt.

Qin Yang frowned. He had merely voiced an inner thought; there was no need to blow things out of proportion like this!

"How much did you pay for this raw stone?"

"Eighty thousand," the old man said, his mustache twitching with indignation. "Young man, could you even fork out eighty thousand?"

"Eighty thousand, how impressive. I truly couldn't afford that," Qin Yang said with a smile, though he thought to himself that pulling out eight million, eighty million, or even eight hundred million would actually be interesting—what was a mere eighty thousand?

"Old sir, I just heard them say the offer has already reached one million. I think you should just sell it," Qin Yang advised with good intentions, especially since this rough stone appeared to have been bought with borrowed money.

"Sell it? Not a chance! I'm waiting to make a profit so I can pay off my debts. I'm buried up to my neck in obligations! And speaking of which, since you've got so much to say, which jewelry firm do you work for?"

"None of them, because I'm not optimistic about this rough stone," Qin Yang replied honestly.

Hearing this, the old man instantly bristled: "Who do you think you are, not being optimistic about my rough stone?"

Did this kid think he was the Northern Sage or the Southern King, deciding a stone would ruin just by saying so?

"I say it's worthless, so it must be worthless." Who was Qin Yang? The successor of the Immortal-Slaying Emperor. His pronouncements were unquestionable, and none dared to refute them.

Everyone stared into his moon-bright eyes, momentarily too intimidated to meet his gaze. After he walked away, murmurs of discussion erupted.

The jewelry firm that had previously made an offer now decided to wait until the stone was completely unsealed before judging whether it was truly worth the price.

The old man was so angry he nearly fainted. "Nowadays, these youngsters speak with such a sharp tongue. Do they really think they're master gamblers of stone?"

"Indeed. I reckon those two young ladies must be blind to have chosen such an unreliable boyfriend."

Swish—

With yet another slice of the blade, the old man, who was just about to continue venting, saw his complexion undergo a drastic transformation. Because with this cut, there was no sign of jadeite whatsoever.

A premonition of foreboding grew in his heart. Yet another blade swept down, and the entire crowd gasped in unison.

Ruined.

Ruined, truly ruined.

The person in charge of the jewelry firm breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness they hadn't bought it earlier; otherwise, they would have taken a massive loss today.

The old man stared at the rough stone before him. A piece that could have fetched a high price of one million had been kept off the market; bought for eighty thousand, it was now probably worth at most twenty thousand. He had lost six hundred thousand in the span of a moment, tears welling up with nowhere to vent.

He collapsed straight onto the ground, howling in grief. Meanwhile, rumors began to spread rapidly through the venue: a stone-gambling master on par with the Northern Sage and the Southern King had arrived in Ruili.

Ye Mei'er looked at Qin Yang, a radiant smile blooming on her face. When she first met him, he had already displayed terrifying stone-gambling prowess, capable of rivaling the Northern Sage. As their relationship deepened, she had been introduced to an entirely different world—the far more mysterious world of martial artists.

This was the true bedrock of Qin Yang's unshakable composure.

After wandering through several shops, they found that most of the prime rough stones had already been picked clean. Choosing from stones that had been thoroughly sifted through multiple times was a true test of skill.

Yet none of this mattered to Qin Yang. A single sweep of his divine sense, and he would instantly know whether or not a given stone contained anything of value.

He selected three rough stones. Since they were already here, it would be a shame not to make a bit of money.

Just as he was preparing to continue picking, his eyes caught sight of a familiar figure.

Ma Sanshou.

The two of them had once engaged in a contest, resulting in a crushing defeat for Ma. In the end, even the high-stakes gamble with the Northern Sage had been orchestrated by Ma Sanshou, and the outcome of that went without saying.

His selection skills were quite good, but unfortunately, he had still lost in the end.

Though Ma Sanshou had since received guidance from his master and studied diligently over this period, scaling even greater heights in stone gambling was no easy feat.

This time, Ma Sanshou had been making quite a splash at the Jade Festival. As everyone watched him, they were stunned to see him suddenly halt his selection process, jog over to an unfamiliar young man, and respectfully address him: "Master Qin."

Master Qin? What did he do?

Was he also in the stone-gambling business?

Everyone's faces were filled with curiosity, but since Ma Sanshou offered no explanation, it would have been impolite for them to ask.

"Miss Ye, Miss Zhang." Having spent time operating in Bincheng, Ma Sanshou naturally recognized both Ye Mei'er and Zhang Mengqi. What surprised him, however, was that these two exceptionally proud daughters of heaven were actually staying by Qin Yang's side.

"Master Qin, my master often talks about you. He still feels it a great pity that our last gambling match was cut short and you had to leave hurriedly. He wishes to challenge you to another round."

"Oh, Master Sun is here as well?" Interest flared across Qin Yang's face. After all, not being able to finish his previous contest with Sun Tianmu had left a minor regret. Hearing Ma Sanshou say this, he found himself growing rather eager.

Inside the courtyard.

Sun Tianmu remained unchanged, dressed in a traditional Tang suit with snow-white beard, looking like an immortal returned to the mortal realm as he leisurely sipped tea. Seated opposite him was another elderly man.

This old man's five fingers were exceptionally delicate, resembling the hands of a young maiden—slender and full of latent strength, evidently meticulously maintained.

To be able to sit alongside Sun Tianmu and make an appearance at the Jade Festival, he undoubtedly had to be the Jade King.

The Jade King had begun his involvement with jadeite at the age of eighteen, and now, at fifty-eight, he possessed forty full years of observation and refinement. Such wealth of experience was simply beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Sun Tianmu looked at Qin Yang, the smile on his face deepening: "This is the stone-gambling expert I was telling you about."

Upon hearing this, the Jade King's eyes widened. It was no wonder he felt skeptical; Qin Yang was simply far too young. Assuming he was around twenty-five, how many years could he possibly have spent in this industry?

Qin Yang smiled. "Master Sun, long time no see."

"This must be Master Jade King, I presume?"

"Haha, I wouldn't dare claim such a title—merely a moniker bestowed out of courtesy by some friends."

Though the Jade King spoke with utmost modesty, his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, fixed directly on Qin Yang as if trying to discern whether the young man possessed genuine talent or was merely putting on airs.

Sun Tianmu sat quietly while Ma Sanshou took charge of pouring the tea.

Glancing at the two young women standing behind Qin Yang, Sun Tianmu sighed with envy, "Brother Qin is truly blessed to have won the devotion of two such peerless beauties."

"Ahem, it's alright, I suppose."

A thoughtful look crossed the Jade King's face. "Little Brother Qin, the Jade Festival is drawing to a close. Why have you only just arrived?"

"I was delayed by some trivial matters. Now that I've freed up some time, I figured I'd come take a look."

"Oh? Since that's the case, how about a friendly match?"

Sun Tianmu exchanged a glance with him and smiled. "The old rules."

"Agreed!"