Chapter 507: What Kind of Artistic Conception Is Stronger Than a Wu Sheng?

"Why do you always come up with new tricks?"

In the third-floor study, the lattice windows were wide open.

Xu Yuelong tapped the floating window in confusion, not knowing why the Prince of Yue's house steward would come up with a jade badge.

Copper, silver, and gold—the three types of badges were what he personally said when he sent people to dig pits and set up jade pillars yesterday.

A jade badge popped up for no reason.

Since there is a jade badge, why hide it on purpose before?

Wouldn't it be better to just say it openly?

"Jade badge... what does it represent?"

The martial arts arena was mountain-shaking and sea-roaring, covering the chirping of insects and birds in the forest.

"Jade badge! The jade badge Master Liang got!"

"There's a jade badge above the gold badge! The jade badge is more powerful than the gold badge!"

"Strange, a gold badge is worth dozens of taels, equivalent to hundreds of taels of silver. A piece of white jade, how could it be worse?"

"It must be worth thousands of taels, a unique thing! No one has ever taken it before!"

"With Master Liang here, the masters of other towns don't count as masters!"

The common people didn't understand the twists and turns, they only needed to know that the jade badge was more powerful than the gold badge!

Awesome!

The villagers of Yixing Town felt honored and turned into self-made water.

This made the news that Liang Qu passed the martial examination and obtained the jade badge spread layer by layer from the martial arts arena like wings.

Zhang Xu ordered the soldiers to find the manager of the Tianbo Chamber of Commerce to personally introduce the extraordinariness of the jade badge to Liang Qu.

"The material of this jade is not special; it is top-grade white jade from the Jade River under the Tianshan Mountains. On the market, it can be worth about a thousand taels of silver. The only special thing is that it contains a strike of power from the Prince of Yue, with a storage life of five years.

It was personally made by the Prince of Yue when he set off from the Imperial Capital. Less than two months have passed since then, and it has traveled through many states and prefectures, never having been given out. So, Water Envoy Liang can roughly consider it a full five years."

A strike of power from the Prince of Yue?

Liang Qu turned the oily jade badge over.

On the back of the jade badge, a faint silver pattern flickered, appearing and disappearing, very miraculous.

The top of the serpent demon's head and the white jade pillar all had similar patterns.

Understood.

The old monk's small order!

Liang Qu was clear.

The Jiang Zongshi's Golden Body supernatural power—everyone who has used it says it's good.

"Damn!"

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Xiang Fang Su and Ke Wenbin stared at the jade badge, their eyes shining, their mouths sour.

A Wu Sheng's strike!

Just this one item alone, its value is far beyond the white jade!

If you encounter a clumsy Jiang Zongshi, you probably have the ability to protect yourself!

Not to mention that the jade badge's function is far more than that. Carrying a Wu Sheng's strike with you, who wouldn't be afraid if you offend them?

Any cat or dog below the Jiang Zongshi level, who would dare to approach?

There is no need to cash it in at all to achieve great value.

Ran Zhongshi watched Liang Qu happily put away the jade badge and stepped forward, cupping his hands.

"Mr. Zhang, there is one thing I am really curious about. I wonder if you can clear up my confusion?"

"I wouldn't dare to clear up confusion. Please ask, Assistant Ran."

"Since there is a fourth-grade jade badge above copper, silver, and gold, why not tell everyone in advance, and only let it be known after the jade badge winner appears?"

Bian Yuanchong and Zhai Yunsu pricked up their ears.

They were equally curious.

Having passed through so many prefectures along the way, they had seen many gold badge winners, but this was truly the first time they had heard of a jade badge.

"This..." Zhang Xu hesitated.

Ran Zhongshi persuaded: "It's fine if you can't say."

"It's not that I can't say. I am ashamed. The Prince of Yue ordered it this way, and I don't know the reason either..." Zhang Xu hadn't touched the pillar and didn't know the trick. He did whatever the Prince of Yue said. "Perhaps some gold badge holders have some clues?"

Ran Zhongshi was thoughtful.

Why set up four grades, say three, and hide one?

Unless... the Prince of Yue himself didn't think anyone could pass the fourth grade!

A test that cannot be passed naturally doesn't need to be hung out as a carrot for everyone to see but not eat.

As for why set it up.

While the Prince of Yue felt it was unlikely, he still held a glimmer of hope?

Ran Zhongshi looked at Liang Qu.

Liang Qu looked up at the sky.

"You brat!" Xu Zishuai jumped up from the dirt slope and rode on Liang Qu's waist. "Quick, tell me! What did you experience afterward? Reveal a bit of your passing strategy to your senior brother!"

Liang Qu hadn't recovered from his weak state and couldn't straighten his waist for a while, coughing twice.

"Even if I told you the passing strategy, you wouldn't be able to learn it!"

"How do you know I wouldn't be able to learn it if you don't tell me?"

The news flew into the Flowing Light Boat.

A shock.

"Jade produced?"

"Jade badge? Prince of Yue's strike? Is this true?"

"Absolutely true!" Copper badge winner Lin Yanjian knelt on one knee. "That River Patrol official touched it for a quarter of an hour, after which the silver light on the white jade pillar disappeared, looking ordinary. Mr. Zhang walked up and personally presented a piece of mutton-fat white jade. The jade quality is top-notch, very oily, and it would sell for several thousand taels!"

Several gold badge holders who were playing cards and blowing water put down their cards, frowned after being stunned.

They certainly wouldn't think someone had dog-shit luck.

A test set up by the Prince of Yue himself, can dog-shit luck explain it?

If it were really dog-shit luck.

What about themselves who held on for the first quarter of an hour?

"Jade badge... how can there be a jade badge above the gold badge?"

Ma Shaobai crumpled the paper card, unbelievable.

Hearing that someone got a jade badge is like the Holy Emperor pointing out the top graduate of the imperial examination this year in the Golden Palace, and then pointing out another person, saying this person's talent is even better than the top graduate.

Then issuing a decree, ordering the Ministry of Revenue to fabricate a new title to represent that he is above the top graduate!

Is this top graduate still a top graduate?

One moment cheering, the next moment standing in the Golden Palace, embarrassed to the point of scraping the floor with his toes.

"The silver light on the white jade pillar disappeared out of thin air? Normally, shouldn't a divine spear appear and knock the person out? The silver light shouldn't disappear either." Xie Yan looked around. "You are all like this, right?"

Several people nodded.

Holding on for a quarter of an hour, the divine spear appears, knocking out the martial examination candidate.

Anyone who touches the white jade pillar will be gently bounced away.

Thinking of this.

A terrifying thought floated in everyone's hearts.

Ma Shaobai raised his eyes slightly, stammering: "Could it be... that this brat broke the silver spear?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Xie Yan denied sternly. "I felt it clearly, the divine spear's style is the Prince of Yue's mysterious weapon! That day when he suppressed the Guimu Sect Jiang Zongshi, you and I saw it with our own eyes. It must have the Wu Sheng's will attached to it!

Pure artistic conception cannot be cracked just by strength! Unless a Hunting Tiger who has opened the mysterious light and melted a hundred scriptures comes, perhaps there is a chance to win by quantity and hold on!"

Someone agreed: "The white jade pillar is strong when it is strong. Wolf Smoke Realm enters, Galloping Horse Realm enters, Four Gates enters, all have different experiences, but the last style is the same. The purpose of setting it up was never to let people pass!"

"Not to mention, what kind of martial arts artistic conception... is higher than the current Wu Sheng?"

"..."

"Pfft."

Beside the card table, the young man threw down his cards and sneered.

Ma Shaobai said angrily: "Pei Yunkun! What are you laughing at?"

Pei Yunkun's face was calm.

"I once heard that there is a bird overseas that buries its head in the sand when it encounters an ambush to avoid the enemy. How is your behavior any different from that?"

Silence.

"Brother Kun makes sense." Another person spoke up. "The world's martial arts are as vast as the sea, and those passed down by the Wu Sheng are not rare. It is not impossible to learn a point or two of artistic conception, but that requires at least reaching the upper stage of Hunting Tiger, when melting a hundred scriptures, to have a chance. Why can a mere Wolf Smoke use it?"

"Facts are facts. Can you think of any other excuse for the jade badge? Can you think of the reason why the Prince of Yue hid the fourth layer?"

"Enough talk, why not go and see for yourself." Pei Yunkun stood up, holding his knees.

Lin Yanjian, who brought the news, suddenly spoke: "After the auction, there will be a duel for jade badge holders! It was pushed by Mr. Zhang."

"Duel?"

The carriage wheels rolled over the loess, raising a little dust.

Zhu Bingcan, manager of the Tianbo Chamber of Commerce, lifted the curtain, jumped off the carriage, and came to Liang Qu and Zhang Xu, bowing respectfully.

"Since Master Liang has the unique jade badge, for this auction, Master Liang holds the jade badge, and any three auction items will be exempt from commission. In addition, ten auction items will have a ten percent discount. Exceeding these thirteen items, it will be the same as the gold badge, a five percent discount."

Liang Qu looked happy.

Not bad!

Most of the Tianbo Chamber of Commerce's auction items are not owned by the chamber of commerce itself, but only as a platform for sales, from which they draw water.

The discount is essentially indirectly reducing their own commission.

For example, Liang Qu's Jiaoren Tears belong to precious jewelry, and the commission reaches a staggering twenty-five percent.

Waiving the commission is equivalent to a twenty-five percent discount on the jewelry category.

Other heavenly materials and earthly treasures, spiritual artifacts, and precious objects don't have as much commission as the precious jewelry category, but most are around fifteen percent, at least a fifteen percent discount.

"So profitable!"

Xu Zishuai's eyes were shining.

With thirteen discount quotas, Liang Qu certainly can't use them all up, and they can be completely digested internally!

"Go!" Liang Qu hooked his waist badge. "Let's go tell Master the good news."

"Go, go, go!"

"A great man should be like this."

On the recliner, the young man looked envious.

He drank the mung bean soup, supported the armrest to stand up, gripped the heavy copper badge, and swayed home.

Zhang Xu didn't stop him, watched Liang Qu leave, called someone to carry away the white jade pillar that had lost its spiritual light, and boarded the Flowing Light Boat to find the Prince of Yue.

Top cabin.

"Old master..."

"How is his character?"

"He came in a hurry, I haven't had much understanding."

"Go check."

"Yes!"

The white jade pillar bathed in the sun, pure white all over.

Guan Congjian saw the villagers blocking the way densely, unable to pass, jumped onto the tree trunk and leaped a few times, scanned the circle, didn't find Liang Qu, and was greatly disappointed.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly saw a woman acting frivolously, sitting on a long chair, half-taking off her white socks, her toes hooking her embroidered shoes, revealing her thighs, and immediately jumped down from the tree.

"Slut!"

After scolding.

Guan Congjian left.

"?"

Weng Shaoping laughed loudly.

Except for Guan Congjian, few people dared to scold his cousin to her face.

To tell the truth.

He had wanted to do this for a long time.

One of the three white jade pillars on the field was removed, and the three queues had to be merged into two.

The half-mile queue, under the situation where the excitement was getting more and more intense, coiled and circled for nearly a mile.

There were people who fainted from heatstroke while queuing and were dragged to the shade of the trees to be fed mung bean soup.

Until noon, the third pillar returned to the center, and the crowded crowd eased.

Shangrao Port.

Tatta Kai carried copper coins in his pocket, swaggered to the foot shop, looked around, and was surprised to find that there was no one there today.

"Master Otter!"

Seeing that it was Tatta Kai, the waiter immediately invited him to the seat, threw the towel, and arranged four dishes and one soup according to the usual practice.

Served good food.

Tatta Kai hooked the waiter with his claws and pointed around.

The waiter thought for a moment and suddenly realized: "You're asking why there's no one?"

Tatta Kai nodded.

"From yesterday afternoon to today, everyone went to the River Patrol Office government building to touch some jade pillar. Whoever touches it for a long time is this!" The waiter gave a thumbs up. "By the way, your master, Master Liang, he is this, the biggest one! He touched a jade badge this morning! It is said to be worth tens of thousands of taels!"

Touched for a long time.

Strongest?

Tatta Kai's eyes lit up, ignoring the second half of the sentence, finished the meal, slapped down the copper coins, and went to the River Patrol Office government building.

Arrived at the place.

Crowded with people, gongs and drums making noise.

Tatta Kai stood upright, poked his head to watch the crowd, didn't care about the surprised and frightened eyes of others, and took the initiative to queue at the back, waiting to touch the pillar.

Outsiders had never seen such a big otter, retreated into a circle, hoping the soldiers would come out to drive it away.

People near the water knew that river wolves are fierce.

Unexpectedly, none of the soldiers reacted, turning a blind eye.

Are imperial officials so derelict in their duties?

The spirit monster is right in their faces!

Some outsider martial artist couldn't stand it and was about to make a move, but someone behind him hurriedly pulled him back.

"The otter from Master Liang's house! It can sail a boat, go to the street to buy things, never asks for change, and is very generous! Everyone calls it Master Otter. If you don't provoke it, it won't hurt you!"

"Master Liang?" The martial artist hesitated. "The Master Liang who touched the jade badge?"

"That's the master!"

"Damn, the person is miraculous, and the otter he raises is not bad either!"

"A seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's gate."

The outsiders who hadn't seen it were terrified and moved forward bit by bit.

Queued for half a day.

Tatta Kai came to the front of the white jade pillar, looked left and right, learned from others, rubbed his fur, put his claws on it, and immediately his whole body exploded, baring his teeth and grinning, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth, but didn't fall asleep like ordinary people.

"Yo! The otter from Ashui's house!"

Ke Wenbin under the eaves raised his eyebrows.

Most martial artists can hold on for a few breaths, and ordinary people basically fall down as soon as they touch it, falling into a peaceful sleep.

A small otter, can it hold on?

Ke Wenbin called people to watch the fun.

Under the white jade pillar, Tatta Kai's face twisted and changed, sometimes bitter and deep, sometimes gnashing his teeth, sometimes panicked and afraid, but he just wouldn't take his claws off the jade pillar.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

The long shadow of the sundial moved slowly, and the villagers were terrified.

This...

"It wouldn't really let a river otter get a badge, would it? I'd rather buy a piece of tofu and hit my head to death!"

It seemed to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Only one or two breaths away from a quarter of a quarter of an hour, the soldier next to him was almost reaching out to take the copper badge.

At this very moment, Tatta Kai trembled all over and collapsed to the ground, dizzy.

Hoo~

A low sigh sounded at the scene.

Fortunately.

The copper badge holder squeezed the heavy one at his waist, still full of weight.

To be compared by a foolish wild beast, it would be better to turn around and jump into the river.

The soldier grabbed Tatta Kai by the back of the neck and dragged him into the shade.

The registrar who painted the blue blood mark held the inkstone, held the brush, and was at a loss when facing the otter covered in black hair. After pondering for a moment, he lightly tapped it on the tip of its nose.

Cannot test twice.

"Actually held on for so long, quite amazing. Can our River Patrol Office train an otter troop?" Ke Wenbin turned his head.

Once the scale of the porpoise comes up, crossing borders to fight the enemy, patrolling underwater, they are all first-class experts.

But that's underwater, people still have to live on the shore, and many things are inconvenient.

It just so happens that otters have claws and can do many technical jobs on shore that porpoises can't.

"Not really. The imperial court tried it early on. Otters are too fierce. They can be subdued, but you have to get the smarter ones among the spirit monsters. A single one like Ashui's, or a family, can barely be commanded to do things."

Ran Zhongshi pointed to Tatta Kai and said, "The next generation bred later will escape as soon as they get a chance. Two nests put together, the next day, one nest will definitely die miserably, and they cannot be integrated into a scale at all.

Furthermore, ordinary spirit monsters are very difficult to train, and they can't do what Ashui does, commanding otters to sail boats easily."

"How exactly did Ashui raise them..."

The eighteenth of the sixth month.

Chen hour.

Carriages and horses were lined up in front of the Tianbo Chamber of Commerce.

Liang Qu handed over the invitation, led Long Binglin and Long Eying into the Tianbo Building. ===== CHAPTER 508 =====