Chapter 111: Antiques?

Chapter 111: Antiques?

"Done! I bid 100,000 gold!" The girl in green called out ten times the starting price without a moment's hesitation.

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

"100,000 gold! This young lady is truly wealthy and imposing! Just like that, she tosses out 100,000 gold—I wonder who she is to be so extravagant."

The onlookers whispered among themselves.

Wu Hong’s expression darkened. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to find Wu Songran, her face still flushed, looking up at him. "Brother, I don’t have enough money. Should I go back to the manor to get some?"

Wu Songran looked incredibly endearing, like a bashful young bride, which made Wu Hong’s heart flutter.

It suddenly occurred to Wu Hong that he had dug up quite a few gemstones in the Monkey Valley cave within the Heavenly Book’s mini-world. Those gems might not have been rare in that dimension, but in the outside world, they were undoubtedly peerless treasures.

"You—Tianxing Antique Firm—do you accept goods in lieu of gold?" Wu Hong asked the tall, beautiful attendant who was still stunned by the green-clad girl’s bid.

"Ah! Young Master, we do! However, they must be items of immense value to be accepted as payment, and their trade-in value will be significantly lower than their market price. You should consider this carefully."

The attendant’s meaning was clear: while he could use valuables to pay, the firm would only credit him a fraction of their actual worth. For example, an item worth ten gold might only be valued at seven.

Wu Hong felt a bit uncertain. While he knew the gems from the Monkey Valley were rare, he was no appraiser and had no idea of their specific market value.

Suddenly, a sapphire the size of a chicken egg appeared in Wu Hong’s hand. It instantly radiated a brilliant, dazzling light.

The gemstone was so large and emitted such a tangible glow that the surrounding crowd stood with their mouths agape, unable to close them.

"Ah! What am I seeing? Is that a Spirit Stone? A legendary Spirit Stone? Rumor has it that a Spirit Stone the size of a thumb can drastically increase one's cultivation speed. Who has ever seen one the size of a chicken egg?"

Even the girl in green looked dazed. Conversely, Wu Hong, holding the gem, seemed somewhat surprised. He asked bluntly, "Is this thing very valuable? Is it enough to buy this Buddha statue?"

The tall attendant snapped out of her trance, stammering in disbelief, "Young Master, are you truly intending to use this gemstone to pay for the statue?"

She had seen countless treasures in her time, yet now she found herself asking foolish, redundant questions.

"Of course. How much is this worth?"

The tall woman didn't answer. She walked toward Wu Hong, trembling slightly. "Young Master, may I take a closer look?"

Wu Hong felt a bit bewildered, but he handed the gem to the woman, who received it with extreme caution.

She treated it like a priceless relic, examining it intently. Her expression shifted dramatically as she tested its weight.

"Where is the Blue Spirit Stone? Where is it?" A short, thin, flashily dressed old man ran over. Upon seeing the gem in the attendant's hands, he took it with trembling fingers and produced a specialized magnifying glass. The longer he looked, the more shocked he became.

"It’s true! It really is a water-aspected Blue Spirit Stone! Its value is immeasurable!" the old man exclaimed, acting almost delirious.

Even Wu Hong hadn't expected the item to be so precious. If the crowd knew he had dozens more in his ring, one could only imagine their reaction.

Listening to the hushed murmurs around him, Wu Hong began to grasp why the gem was so prized. It contained innate energy. A Spirit Stone the size of a pinky nail was already immensely valuable, equivalent to a million gold. A Blue Spirit Stone the size of a chicken egg was practically non-existent in the current world. For martial artists, such a stone was of vital importance.

With rumors circulating that the Innate Realm truly existed, the value of such stones had skyrocketed. Who wouldn't want to ascend to the Innate Realm?

Yet, for Wu Hong, the stone was of little use; he had tried to study it before but couldn't absorb any of its energy. Instead, when Kun Kun lacked spiritual fruit to eat and grew hungry, it would occasionally snack on one of these gems.

Wu Hong felt a twinge of guilt toward Kun Kun, who spent his days sleeping, seemingly because he lacked the energy required for hibernation.

The girl in green, not expecting Wu Hong to produce such a treasure, grew sullen. The Great Tang was the most prosperous of the five great nations, yet even she had never seen a Blue Spirit Stone of this size.

She interpreted Wu Hong’s actions as a provocation. With a sour expression, she walked over to him, standing uncomfortably close.

Wu Hong didn't know what she intended, so he retreated a few steps, but a unique, delicate fragrance wafted from the girl, causing his heart to skip a beat.

"Heh, little handsome! You truly live up to being the eldest son of Prince Wuwei—so wealthy and bold! We shall meet again! Until next time!"

The girl had intended to mock him, but upon leaning in and smelling his unique, masculine scent, she felt a sudden rush of confusion. Known for her bold nature, she uncharacteristically blushed. The stinging remarks she had prepared turned into flirtatious words instead.

Realizing she had lost her composure, the girl quickly turned and left with her tall, imposing bodyguards in tow.

Wu Songran suddenly appeared beside the old man and snatched the Blue Spirit Stone back. "Ah! Brother Hong, you have such a treasure? Why didn't I know about this? It’s beautiful! Give it to me!"

The old man, seeing the stone taken away, turned pale. Remembering that the girl was with Wu Hong, and hearing Wu Songran’s words, he feared Wu Hong might decide against the trade. He hurriedly interjected, "Young Master, normally our firm’s rules dictate that any precious item used for payment must be discounted. But if you use this gem, we will waive all discounts and value it at full market price!"

Wu Hong was actually quite pleased with this outcome, but he pretended to hesitate.

Seeing his hesitation, the old man quickly changed his tune: "No, no, no! Such a rare treasure—how can it be measured by mere money? How about we value it at thirty percent above market price?"

In truth, because the Spirit Stone contained innate energy, it was of immense benefit to a martial artist’s cultivation, yet it was so rare that one might not see a single piece in decades.

Wu Hong didn't even have to speak; the old man, fearing Wu Hong realized the stone's true worth and might change his mind, kept raising the price.

The onlookers were stunned, silently despising the old man. "Hmph, you old fox! Even if this Spirit Stone has a market price, it’s a case of having the money but nowhere to buy one!"

Clearly, the old man was a high-ranking manager of the Tianxing Antique Firm in the Great Qian Dynasty to have such authority.

Wu Hong felt it was enough. Besides, he had dozens more in various colors and sizes; he shouldn't push his luck too far. He wondered how these people would react if he pulled out a Spirit Stone the size of a human head.

"Very well! It’s a deal! How much should I pay to take this Buddha statue?"