Chapter 119: Raw Stone

The old man's voice was deep and resonant, carrying a hint of the vicissitudes of time.

"I want something that has both cultural depth and collectible value."

Xia Yurou added.

The old man stroked his beard and took a wooden box from the shelf.

"Take a look at this."

He opened the wooden box; inside was a jade pendant.

The jade was warm and smooth, with exquisite carving.

"This is..."

Xia Yurou picked up the jade pendant and examined it closely.

"This is a piece of Qing-dynasty Hetian jade, carved with the pattern of 'Fortune and Longevity Complete'."

The old man introduced.

"It carries auspicious meaning, very suitable as a gift for elders."

"How much?"

Jiangnan spoke, his tone flat as he asked.

"Eight hundred thousand."

"That expensive?"

Xia Yurou clicked her tongue.

"This is top-quality Hetian jade, and it's an antique from the Qing dynasty; eight hundred thousand is already a bargain."

The old man didn't mind.

Xia Yurou pondered for a moment, then pulled Jiangnan out of here.

She intended to browse elsewhere, but at that moment her gaze was drawn to a raw stone stall not far away; she pulled Jiangnan over.

In front of the raw stone stall, heads gathered.

Various raw stones refracted different glints in the sunlight.

Xia Yurou's gaze was attracted to a raw stone the size of a head, entirely green.

This raw stone had a smooth skin, with a faint green visible inside.

"How about this one?"

Xia Yurou pointed at that green raw stone and asked Jiangnan's opinion.

Jiangnan's gaze swept over that raw stone, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Not good."

His tone was flat.

"This one isn't good? I think it's quite nice; look at the color, how beautiful."

Xia Yurou was somewhat puzzled.

She knew nothing about stone gambling, so she could only judge by appearance.

"Just appearances."

Jiangnan shook his head.

"Although this raw stone looks decent, its interior contains too many impurities to yield good jade."

"Really?"

Xia Yurou was half-believing, half-doubting.

"How about this one?"

Jiangnan pointed to another raw stone.

That raw stone was not large, only fist-sized, its surface pitted and dull gray, utterly unremarkable.

"This one?"

Xia Yurou widened her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

She could hardly believe her ears.

"This stone looks too ugly; what good jade could come from it?"

"Believe me."

Jiangnan's tone was firm.

"Although this raw stone is unremarkable in appearance, its interior harbors exquisite jadeite."

Xia Yurou hesitated.

She looked at the green raw stone, then at the dull gray one, and for a moment found it hard to decide.

"Beautiful lady, this stone is clearly junk at a glance; don't be fooled."

A voice suddenly sounded.

Xia Yurou followed the sound and saw a young man wearing a floral shirt and a large gold chain, looking at Jiangnan with disdain.

"Who are you?"

Xia Yurou's willow brows furrowed slightly, her tone tinged with displeasure.

"Who I am doesn't matter."

The floral-shirted man grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth.

"What matters is that this stone will absolutely not yield good jade."

He pointed at that dull gray raw stone, his tone certain.

"Oh?"

Jiangnan raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement curling at the corner of his mouth.

"How can you tell?"

"Is that even worth asking?"

The man in the floral shirt snorted.

"With this quality, what's the difference from a roadside stone?"

"Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn't want it."

"Young brother, you can't speak like that."

A middle‑aged man's voice interjected.

He was tall and slender, dressed in a crisp suit, wearing gold‑rimmed glasses, and looked rather scholarly.

"In the Stone Gambling world, we adhere to the principle 'Even an immortal finds it hard to judge a tiny jade,' and you can't rely solely on appearance."

"Oh?"

Jiangnan's gaze turned toward the middle‑aged man.

"Then, in your opinion, how is this stone?"

"This one, well…"

The middle‑aged man pondered briefly, seeming to scrutinize the grayish raw stone.

"Although its appearance is unremarkable, it's not without the possibility of turning green."

"However…"

He shifted his tone.

"I favor this one even more."

He pointed to another raw stone.

That raw stone was about the size of a basketball, its surface yellow‑brown, riddled with cracks, and looked even uglier than the one Jiangnan had chosen.

"This raw stone has a seasoned crust and a python‑like band coiling around it; it's a typical Old Pit Material."

The middle‑aged man spoke confidently.

"Moreover, look at these cracks; though numerous, they're all active cracks, indicating the internal jade quality has matured, and the chance of turning green is high."

"Is that true?"

Xia Yurou was a little shaken.

She knew nothing about Stone Gambling and could only listen to what others said.

"Of course it's true."

The man in the floral shirt beamed with pride.

"This is Master Li, a figure renowned throughout the Stone Gambling world."

"Master Li?"

Xia Yurou was startled.

"Could it be the 'Jade Eye Golden Pupil' Li Mubai, Master Li?"

"Exactly."

The middle‑aged man smiled faintly and nodded modestly.

"I've heard of you for a long time, indeed."

Xia Yurou quickly extended her hand.

"I am the owner of the Blue Light Jewelry Store, Xia Yurou."

"So you are Miss Xia."

Li Mubai grasped Xia Yurou's hand and gave it a gentle shake.

"A pleasure, a pleasure."

"Master Li, why are you here?"

Xia Yurou asked curiously.

"I came with Young Master Chen to take a look."

Li Mubai pointed at the man in the floral shirt beside him.

"This is the Chen Family's young master from Yun Province, Chen Haonan."

"Young Master Chen, greetings."

Xia Yurou quickly greeted Chen Haonan.

"Miss Xia, hello."

Chen Haonan's gaze swept over Xia Yurou, a flash of greed flickering in his eyes.

"I've long heard Miss Xia is as beautiful as a celestial fairy; seeing you today, the reputation is indeed well‑deserved."

"Young Master Chen, you flatter me."

Xia Yurou replied politely, though she felt a bit uneasy inside.

"Miss Xia, since you also like Stone Gambling, why not play together?"

Chen Haonan extended the invitation.

"This…"

Xia Yurou hesitated a little.

She originally only wanted to buy a raw stone to give to her elders, but didn't expect to encounter so many complications.

"Miss Xia, don't hesitate."

Chen Haonan continued to persuade.

"With Master Li here, I guarantee you won't be at a loss."

"Indeed, Miss Xia."

Li Mubai also spoke up.

"It's a rare encounter; let's spar together."

"Alright then."

Xia Yurou finally agreed.

"Master Li, what do you think of this Raw Stone?"

Chen Haonan pointed at the basketball-sized Raw Stone and asked Li Mubai for his opinion.

"This Raw Stone was carefully selected by me; it will definitely yield fine jade."

"Not bad."

Li Mubai nodded.

"Indeed, this Raw Stone is good material."

"Then this one."

Chen Haonan bought that Raw Stone without hesitation.

"Miss Xia, which one will you choose?"

Chen Haonan turned his head toward Xia Yurou.

Xia Yurou's gaze lingered between the emerald‑green Raw Stone and the grayish Raw Stone.

"I…"

She still found it hard to decide.

"Miss Xia, don't listen to that kid's nonsense."

Chen Haonan pointed at Jiangnan.

"That grayish stone is nothing but waste; it can't produce fine jade."

"Then choose this one."

He pointed at the emerald‑green Raw Stone.

"This Raw Stone has a vivid color; at a glance it's truly good material."

"But…"

Xia Yurou still hesitated.