Chapter 760

Actually, many of the guests who came to the banquet tonight had a very clear purpose: to use this opportunity to connect with Prince Yan.

Immediately someone stood up, producing a pair of dragon-and-phoenix jade bracelets they had brought. Although they were also rare treasures, to Xue Shengjing, who possessed countless collectibles, they were hardly worth mentioning. Everyone had come prepared, and in a short while the guests began to display their treasures: porcelain, goldware, bronze ware, calligraphy and paintings, strange stones, jade articles— a dazzling variety, a feast for the eyes. It should be said that most of the items brought were of considerable quality, after all everyone knows Prince Yan Xue Shengjing's discernment; if one brought an ordinary trinket to try to fool him, it would certainly not catch his eye.

Xue Shengjing looked for a long time; although these items could all be called treasures, none could stir his interest. Firstly, his standards were very high; secondly, although these guests harbored thoughts of currying favor with him, none would bring out their most prized possessions to show. If Prince Yan didn't take a liking to them, that was fine; but if he did, wouldn't that mean having to painfully part with them?

The more Xue Shengjing looked, the more displeased he became. He had spent considerable thought arranging this night banquet, hoping to discover a treasure at the feast, yet he never expected that not a single item would catch his eye—truly a waste of his food and drink.

Princess Xue Lingjun sighed and said, "What's there to say about the prince's manor banquet, this treasure appraisal gathering? Your Highness, I see that the treasures these people have collected are nothing special; there's nothing rare about them."

At that moment the crowd suddenly exclaimed in admiration, for Zan Buliu produced his treasure, having his attendant place a white jade Guanyin statue on the central round table set up for display. The white jade Guanyin stood three feet tall, its entire body carved from premium mutton-fat jade, the workmanship exquisite, seemingly surpassing nature, its Buddhist visage solemn and dignified, compassionate and austere. From the large—hands, feet, sleeves—to the fine—hair strands, eyebrow tips—every detail was rendered with microscopic precision, every hair visible. Even more marvelous, the statue seemed to be enveloped in a faint halo, appearing lifelike.

Upon seeing the white jade Guanyin statue, Xue Shengjing's eyes lit up instantly. Zan Buliu, after all, is the chief of the Xinglong Guild; his generosity is indeed extraordinary.

Princess Xue Lingjun said, "This white jade Guanyin statue is not bad."

Zan Buliu smiled and said, "Princess, your discernment is truly extraordinary; this white jade Guanyin statue was carved from a single piece of mutton-fat jade, and the sculptor who originally made the Buddha image was none other than the Great Master Jizheng, known as the Thousand-Armed Buddha."

Xue Shengjing said, "But isn't Jizheng the Great Master of Tianlong Temple?"

Zan Buliu laughed and replied, "Prince, indeed it is the Great Master Jizheng of Tianlong Temple."

When Hu Xiaotian heard mention of Tianlong Temple, his heart gave a slight jolt, and he involuntarily recalled the anecdote Li Yuncong had once told him. Three hundred years ago, Tianlong Temple offended the Dakang Court and was bloodbathed; many Buddhist artifacts were consequently lost. Among them was that mysterious Formless Divine Skill, which is precisely the technique Hu Xiaotian is currently cultivating.

As expected, Zan Buliu's following words confirmed Hu Xiaotian's speculation: this white jade Guanyin statue had once been enshrined in the Guanyin Hall of Tianlong Temple. Later, when the Dakang Court ordered the purging of Tianlong Temple, the statue disappeared from that time onward. After several changes of hands, it eventually ended up in the home of a Buddhist devotee, where it was venerated for many years and passed down through generations. Due to the family's decline, the descendants sold the statue. Zan Buliu received the news and bought it at great expense.

After hearing the statue's history, Xue Shengjing felt an even stronger desire to possess it, but in front of others he could not show it too openly, and he clicked his tongue in praise: "Everything depends on fate. Brother Zan, obtaining this Guanyin statue truly makes you a person of destiny."

Zan Buliu smiled and said, "Your words are not entirely accurate, Prince; I do not believe in Buddhism, so having this Guanyin statue fall into my hands is like a Bright Pearl cast into darkness. However, I am particularly fond of your incense burner, Prince. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it?"

Xue Shengjing felt great delight; Zan Buliu was indeed smooth and worldly, presenting him with this grand gift before everyone and doing so with such justification that it made him feel pleased. However, this man's scheming runs deep; everyone present is no fool, and they can naturally see that this white jade Guanyin statue is worth far more than his incense burner. If he wanted to give a gift, doing so privately would be better; presenting it publicly serves only to let everyone know that he now owes Zan Buliu a great favor.

Xue Shengjing had no fear of owing Zan Buliu a favor; as a businessman, he seeks profit, and today's gift surely aims for future repayment. It's no big deal—later I'll help him with some matters; if his demands become excessive, I can simply turn against him and deny the debt. I'm sure Zan Buliu wouldn't dare speak ill of me behind my back.

Xue Shengjing laughed and said, "This white jade Guanyin is far more precious than my incense burner. In that case, I will present that coral tree..." He was about to say he would also give the coral tree to Zan Buliu, at least to restore some balance in appearances, so that everyone would see he was not using power to overwhelm others, nor trying to take advantage of Zan Buliu.

At that moment a coarse, gruff voice said, "Prince, I don't see anything particularly special about this jade Guanyin!"

The crowd turned in unison toward the sound and saw a tall, stout fellow with a protruding belly rise to his feet; most people did not recognize this fellow, and they wondered who this person was, interrupting the Prince's words at this moment, blatantly trying to assert his presence.

Hu Xiaotian was not a professional in the collecting world, so he naturally had no right to speak on such matters, and he himself had no intention of drawing attention. However, having been entrusted by someone to attend to a person's affairs, Xi Yan reminded him at his side that it was time to draw everyone's attention. His task tonight was to attract the crowd's gaze and divert their focus.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Hu Xiaotian felt a twinge of nervousness, for although many present knew him, even though Xi Yan's disguise technique was superb, it was hard to guarantee that his behavior would not inadvertently reveal some flaw; if he were recognized, that would be serious trouble.

Fortunately, hardly any of the guests recognized this stout man; even the one who had invited him, Xue Shengjing, appeared somewhat puzzled. Master Ma Qingshan came to his side, leaned in, and whispered an introduction of the man's identity, whereupon Xue Shengjing suddenly realized that this stout fellow was indeed the guest he had invited: Hai Dasheng, the newly risen merchant of Hailing Commandery. Although he was one of the invited guests, Xue Shengjing was not well acquainted with him.

Zan Buliu had not yet spoken when Princess Xue Lingjun could no longer contain herself; having just publicly praised the white jade Guanyin, she now heard Hai Dasheng openly declare that the jade Guanyin was nothing special, which amounted to questioning her own discernment. What audacity for him to openly sing a contrary tune before her! Princess Xue Lingjun said, "People's perspectives differ, so their appreciations naturally differ; even the finest treasure cannot win universal acclaim, especially from such narrow-minded vulgar folk."

Hu Xiaotian bowed with a smile toward Princess Xue Lingjun and said, "I am Hai Dasheng; although I lack much experience, I feel this white jade Guanyin does not count as a treasure, and for the Prince to exchange such a precious incense burner for it is truly a great loss."

Zan Buliu stared wide-eyed, thinking to himself, "I have never met this Hai Dasheng before; it seems I haven't offended you in any way, so why are you staring and spouting nonsense? Clearly it is I who suffered a great loss trying to curry favor with Prince Yan, isn't it?"

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing hearing this could hardly help but laugh and cry at once; he had only recently heard the name Hai Dasheng, knew that this man's collection was quite abundant, and last month he had bought many calligraphic works and paintings from Hai Dasheng's newly opened Gathering Treasure Studio, which is why he had invited him to the banquet. Yet he never expected this man's vision to be so muddled that he could not even see the value of the white jade Guanyin, and to go on offering unsolicited opinions before the assembled experts—truly a laughingstock.

Princess Xue Lingjun said, "You speak lightly; then what, in your view, constitutes a true treasure?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Although I, Hai Dasheng, lack talent, I could easily produce something that would surpass this Guanyin statue."

The crowd gazed at this unfamiliar merchant, most of their expressions showing disdain; Zan Buliu enjoys high standing in the Yongdu business world, and his personal connections are excellent—many present are his friends and business partners, so they naturally side with him, and some have already begun to mock.

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing did not laugh; since Hai Dasheng dared to say such a thing, he must have some backing, otherwise he would not dare utter such boastfulness before him. Xue Shengjing smiled and said, "Mr. Hai, you have great boldness; I wonder what treasure you possess—could you produce it to broaden our horizons?"

Hu Xiaotian turned toward the rear; Xi Yan approached holding a wooden box and placed it in his hands. Hu Xiaotian held the box and said, "This treasure of mine cannot withstand light; before you look at it, I hope the Prince will agree to one request of mine."

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing smiled and said, "Speak!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Please, Prince, order the lights in the hall to be extinguished."

The Prince said, "Good!"

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing issued the order, and his attendants extinguished the lights in the Gathering Treasure Palace one by one; when the last light behind the Prince went out, the entire hall plunged into darkness, and after a brief moment of darkness, a beam of light appeared in the center of the hall.

Hu Xiaotian placed the wooden box on the central display table.

As Hu Xiaotian opened the wooden box, the Night Pearl radiated light in all directions; its bright yet gentle glow instantly filled the entire chamber, and the only way to fill the palace with light in the shortest time is to use light itself.

Exclamations of amazement rose from the crowd without cease; although many had seen Night Pearls before, nobody had ever seen one the size of a goose egg, and a Night Pearl the size of a pigeon's egg could already be exchanged for a town, let alone one this enormous.

Xue Shengjing's gaze locked onto that Night Pearl, instantly turning scorching hot; if when the white jade Guanyin appeared he still tried to conceal his feelings, now he no longer bothers to hide his craving for this Night Pearl. A mere Night Pearl shines like a star, capable of illuminating the entire hall—such a treasure's value is beyond measure. (To be continued~^~)

Xue Shengjing's gaze locked onto this Night Pearl, instantly becoming scorching hot; if when the White Jade Guanyin appeared he still had some concealment, now he simply does not hide his desire for this Night Pearl at all. A mere Night Pearl actually shines like stars, capable of illuminating the entire palace; the value of such treasure is simply immeasurable. (To be continued~^~)