Chapter 221: Golden Eyes, Snow-White Fangs

Lion's head, long mane, body covered in jade-green scales.

Its beastly eyes reflected brilliant light under the candle flame, as if flowing with molten lava.

Though the beast was dead, its residual aura still lingered.

As Zhu Zhu Bingcan pulled back the black curtain, stifled gasps rose through the hall.

Compared to the second floor's invite-only guests, the bidders on the first floor had far lower horizons and weaker cultivation; facing the strange beast directly, they felt its pressure far more intensely.

Liang Qu couldn't help straightening his posture.

Since that meat pie from Uncle Chen, how long had it been since he felt his stomach gnawing with hunger, yearning for some food in a way he couldn't describe?

He never expected to feel it again today—on the body of a great spirit beast.

He turned his head toward his senior brothers; they showed no great reaction—was it because of him?

Zhu Zhu Bingcan's voice rang like a bronze bell; he gripped the Jinjing beast's mane and lifted its head, displaying it better to the bidders in the second-floor private booths.

"As all know, the Bishui Jinjing Beast can ride the heavens and dive the seas, reaching anywhere without hindrance; its eyes shine like blazing suns, capable of discerning loyalty from treachery, breaking illusions, and revealing truth."

"This Jinjing Beast was taken from the middle reaches of the Huai and Jiang rivers; though inferior to its higher form, the Bishui Jinjing Beast, its power is merely that of a great spirit beast, yet its golden eyes remain excellent material for cultivating eye techniques."

"The item up for auction today is precisely a pair of the Jinjing Beast's golden eyes—still intact, essence unscattered. Starting bid: eight hundred taels! Each raise must be no less than one hundred taels!"

Cultivating eye techniques?

Liang Qu was desperately desiring those golden eyes!

From this, he suddenly recalled Ze Rong, then connected it to Whether Wuzhiqi.

Green body, white head, golden eyes, snow-white fangs, immense strength!

Whether Wuzhiqi's immense strength manifested in him as innate martial bones, tendons like dragons, bones as strong as tigers.

Could the golden eyes be a special ability too?

Liang Qu's mind erupted in a storm of thoughts, instantly linking countless ideas.

Brother Xun said Monkey King's original form was Whether Wuzhiqi, and Monkey King's fiery golden eyes were none other than Whether Wuzhiqi's golden eyes…

Moreover, the original meaning of "Ju" is "an eagle or falcon glaring with alert eyes"; "Jue" is "an eagle or falcon perched on a hunter's hand, eyes sharp and alert, ready to strike."

Add "Brother Quan" to "jue," and you get "jue."

"Jue" means monkey!

Liang Qu roughly understood why he so desperately desired the Jinjing Beast's eyes—it must be of great use!

"Nine hundred taels!"

"Nine hundred taels once…"

"One thousand two hundred taels!"

"Good! Bidder No. 96 offers one thousand two hundred taels!"

"One thousand three hundred taels!"

Liang Qu raised his paddle and called out.

"Good! Bidder No. 78 offers one thousand three hundred taels. Any higher?"

The others in the booth cast him puzzled glances.

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong asked: "Brother, why are you bidding on this? Have you started cultivating eye techniques?"

Liang Qu couldn't answer.

He couldn't fabricate having an eye technique—if his senior brothers asked to see it, what then?

It wasn't that he was unwilling to give; it was precisely because he was willing to give that it would be awkward—he had nothing to give at all, so he could only speak vaguely.

"I have a use for it."

Yang Yang Dongxiong didn't press further, only asked: "Did you bring enough money?"

"Master, rest assured—I think it's enough."

"If not, speak up."

"Yes."

Yang Yang Dongxiong said no more.

Liang Qu touched the silver notes in his chest.

The starting bid was already his entire fortune; with only nine hundred taels in silver notes and fifty taels in cash, he could never afford those golden eyes unless he borrowed from his master and senior brothers.

But…

Liang Qu reached into another pocket.

The mermaid's tear was inside.

The Heavenly Fleet Trading House had pawn and buy-sell services, especially at auctions, to help bidders liquidate assets.

Selling the mermaid's tear should fetch around two thousand taels?

Too bad he hadn't found a hidden gem.

Why did others find unassuming treasures at auctions, while he only ever got things everyone wanted?

Then again, unless it was a blind-box auction, anything on the auction block would have been examined back and forth by countless masters—how could anyone else snag a bargain?

"One thousand five hundred taels! One thousand seven hundred! Two thousand! Any higher?"

Zhu Zhu Bingcan's voice was hypnotic, constantly adjusting the Jinjing Beast's head.

"Two thousand three hundred taels!"

The price kept climbing; Liang Qu's heart ached with every bid.

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Eyes are extremely fragile; cultivating eye techniques is even harder.

Fewer people need them, meaning fewer bidders—but the downside is, if someone truly needs them, they won't let go easily!

"Three thousand five hundred taels!"

"Three thousand six hundred taels!"

Liang Qu gritted his teeth and added another hundred.

The golden eyes were the eighth lot; based on the trend, this price was near its peak—any higher would be a loss.

Indeed, after the bid reached three thousand six hundred taels, the other bidders hesitated, then made no further offers.

The treasure was good, but perhaps something better would come along later.

Zhu Zhu Bingcan called out three times, then brought down his hammer.

"Congratulations to Bidder No. 78 for winning the eighth lot—the Jinjing Beast's golden eyes!"

Liang Qu exhaled sharply.

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong's eyes widened in amazement: "Didn't know you had that much money, Brother!"

"Not sure I've won yet," Liang Qu said, pulling out the mermaid's tear and waving it before his senior brothers, then quickly walking to the door under their curious gazes.

"Sir."

The waiting male attendant bowed slightly.

"I wish to pawn something."

"What type of treasure, sir?"

A porcelain appraiser couldn't judge jewels.

A pill master wouldn't appraise porcelain.

Hence the attendant's question.

"Jewels."

"Wait a moment."

The attendant hurried off.

Most of the time, attendants standing outside were merely runners—handling messages, summoning people—so they needed speed and stamina, not female attendants.

This wasn't a brothel.

None of the senior brothers had seen a mermaid's tear before; they asked Liang Qu for it and passed it around.

Xu Xu Yue picked up the pearl: "So the mermaid's tear is this small?"

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong leaned his head in: "I've only heard of it, never seen one—so tiny, how much could it be worth?"

"A few thousand taels? At least two thousand—I've often read in ancient texts that a mermaid's tear is worth a thousand taels of gold; even if exaggerated, two-tenths of that should still hold."

"So expensive? Brother, where did you find this? Take me along to get rich! I'll give you back massages, point you to the spot—I'll dive in myself! We split it fifty-fifty."

Xu Xu Yue stepped forward to massage Liang Qu's shoulders.

"Brother, you're joking—I only found this one mermaid's tear in the water, and it was my river dolphin that found it. No more."

"That's too bad."

Half a cup of tea later, the attendant returned with a manager and two appraisers.

Liang Qu took the mermaid's tear from his senior brothers' hands and handed it to the two jewel appraisers.

One of them put on polished glass lenses and examined it closely under the golden candlelight.

The manager was a connoisseur; just from the pearl's shape, he guessed its identity, and considering the booth's status, it was almost certainly genuine.

He bowed respectfully: "Sir, is the item you wish to pawn… the mermaid's tear?"

"Yes."

"The mermaid's tear!"

The other appraiser, who hadn't touched it yet, gasped, then looked at his colleague, who nodded—clearly authentic!

He quickly took the mermaid's tear, put on a magnifying glass, and examined it carefully; after a moment, he reached the same conclusion as the first appraiser.

It's authentic!

The manager sighed: "In the past three hundred years, there haven't been many mermaid's tears circulating on the market—most come from the sea."

"Then help me appraise its value."

"No problem."

The manager looked at the two appraisers, waiting for an answer.

The appraisers exchanged words, nodded to each other, and one stepped forward to speak.

"This mermaid's tear is medium in size and ordinary in shape, but its quality is clear and pure. Let's round it to three thousand taels—what do you think?"

Several senior brothers listening nearby murmured in surprise.

A tiny transparent bead, no bigger than a fingernail, worth three thousand taels?

Does the Heposuo lack staff?

Is it too late to join now and get a River Dolphin?

"Fine, three thousand taels it is."

Yang Yang Dongxiong sat behind him; Liang Qu didn't think the man would dare deceive him.

Moreover, the purpose of offering this service is to help bidders liquidate their goods; who participates in auctions? Naturally, those with integrity.

Payment and goods exchanged, Liang Qu received three brand-new thousand-tael silver notes, and with what he already had, he still had three hundred and fifty taels left!

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