With those words spoken, the back of his knees ached, and he abruptly collapsed to his knees on the ground.
The shopkeeper looked around in utter astonishment, seeing not a single soul about. Just as he tried to get up, a sharp pain struck his back, and he pitched forward flat onto the floor.
The man gave a faint smile and leaned in slightly. "I happen to have a furnace here as well. You might as well take a look." With that, he drew an object from his sleeve and laid it flat in his palm.
The elixir furnace was only the size of a man's palm, yet it was pure, smooth as jade, and translucent enough to be quite charming. It was simply too small; one had to wonder how many pills it could possibly refine.
Leaving his doubts behind, the shopkeeper leaned in for a closer inspection. Moments later, his expression drastically changed!
"This, this, this, this is..." For a moment, he was utterly speechless.
The man slid the small furnace right up to him. "When that customer returns later, sell this to her. Name whatever price she pleases, and do not mention that I have been here."
With trembling hands, the shopkeeper tried several times before finally managing to catch the furnace in his grasp. His legs had gone completely weak, and he frantically called for an assistant to help him.
The man flicked his robes, stood up, and gave a twist of his fingers. The furnace that the shopkeeper had deemed indestructible instantly shattered into fine powder and dissipated into nothingness.
"Make sure she buys it. Otherwise, you shall end up just like this furnace."
Not daring to raise his head, the shopkeeper nodded like a pounding pestle.
A flash of white, and the man vanished as tracelessly as he had come.
After the man left, the shopkeeper hastily wiped away a cold sweat and urged his assistant: "Hurry! Go find that customer right now, and make sure you bring her back!"
Having followed the shopkeeper for so long, the young assistant had never once seen him wear such an expression, and he stood there dazed for a moment. "What's so special about this furnace?"
"Hold onto this properly! If you drop it, you and I both lose our heads! Do you have any idea what this is made from?"
The assistant shook his head.
Pulling him into a shadowy corner, the shopkeeper lowered his voice. "This is made from the bones of a Fire Phoenix!"
"A Fire Phoenix?!" The assistant was dumbstruck. "B-but aren't Fire Phoenixes things only the imperial family..."
"Shh! Go bring that customer back this instant!"
The assistant scurried out of the shop in a panic.
Meanwhile, after strolling down the street for a while, Liu Rumeng suddenly noticed a crowd surging toward a certain spot, so she followed along.
Before she even got close, she could hear the boiling clamor of voices from within.
"Four thousand gold!"
"I bid five thousand gold!"
"Are there any other patrons bidding a higher price?"
Liu Rumeng paused for a moment before realizing they were bidding in gold rather than silver.
Five thousand gold—that practically amounted to a towering wall of gold.
What on earth could be so valuable?
Liu Rumeng walked over, only to find herself blocked on the outside by a human wall. Just then, she noticed a young girl standing right beside her, looking to be about eleven or twelve years old, who was also curiously peering inside.
Liu Rumeng walked over, only to find herself blocked on the outside by a human wall. Just then, she noticed a young girl standing right beside her, looking to be about eleven or twelve years old, who was also curiously peering inside.
"Little sister, do you know what they're gambling on in there?"
The young girl wore an expression as if she had seen a ghost. "Big sister, are you from out of town? They're gambling on stones."
"Gambling on stones?" They had stone gambling here, too?
In her past life, she had dealt with no shortage of such cases. Some people would utilize smuggled minerals to open black-market casinos, gambling with real gold and silver. She had once disguised herself as a merchant to infiltrate one and gather evidence.
To avoid blowing her cover, she had spent an entire month diligently studying mineral data, consulted numerous renowned experts, and even made field trips to mining areas. In this field, she could already be considered half an expert.
Liu Rumeng weighed her pitiful money pouch and raised the corners of her lips.
Out on the street at that moment.
"Liefeng, wait up! The last couple of days you suddenly bolted off and when you came back you were in a foul mood the whole time. At least tell me what's going on."
Situ Shao'an, the second young master of the Duke of Qing's estate, chased all the way behind Nan Liefeng, trying to make him stop.
Nan Liefeng walked ahead, his handsome face perpetually gloomy.
Ever since he saw Yang An outside the house that day, he had remained utterly resentful. Two days ago, the old man had started pressing him about his marriage again, actually demanding that he re-establish his engagement with that Yang Yiwan.
It wasn't that Yang Yiwan was bad; it was simply that Yang An had always been a knot in his heart.
He still refused to believe that Yang An could have turned into such a state. Perhaps what he found hardest to let go of was his own high-spirited, unrestrained, and flamboyant self from back then.
Now that his eldest and second brothers kept egging his father on to force the marriage—truthfully, with his personality, he could easily have ignored it. But recently, even his mother, who usually paid no mind to worldly affairs, had come out to persuade him. Although his personality was arrogant, he always listened to his mother the most. Now, he found himself riding a tiger and unable to dismount.
Situ Shao'an had to put in a great deal of effort to catch up with him. "You got into a huge shouting match with your dad today, and you ran out without even taking your mount. Aren't you worried people at the estate will fret?"
Nan Liefeng sneered. "What they're fretting over is nothing more than my marriage."
"Your dad is doing it for the greater good, too. Think about it: although the Yang family isn't as glorious as before, they still enjoy the protection of their ancestors and are deeply favored by the Emperor. Furthermore, Yang Zhengchun is on extremely close terms with your father. If the two families don't forge some sort of marital tie, it's very easy for people to accuse you of forming cliques for private gain. Your eldest brother right now—"
Nan Liefeng coldly cut him off. "Since when did you become a lobbyist for my old man?"
Situ Shao'an sighed. "Fine, fine. At any rate, since you're out today, let's go find some fun."
"What kind of fun?"
Situ Shao'an looked up and his eyes lit up. "How could I forget that today is the once-a-month stone gambling? Come on, let's go check out the commotion!"
With that, he pulled Nan Liefeng forward.
Stone gambling was a very common occurrence on the Tianwei Continent. Minerals of good texture could not only be made into jewelry, but also used as materials for elixirs, especially rare minerals in tiny quantities that were even more helpful for the growth of spiritual power.
Because of differing ecological environments, the minerals of Hong Country were even more precious, which attracted merchants from other nations to come and purchase them.
However, the mining of minerals had always been controlled by the government. The minerals that managed to filter down to the common people were few and far few between, let alone those of superior quality. With demand far exceeding supply, this was precisely why the stone gambling industry had flourished.
By this time, the stone gambling had already reached its climax. The previous few pieces had been auctioned off at high prices, but the results after they were cut open left some families happy and others sorrowful.
Naturally, stone gambling was just like that—so-called gambling naturally carried a certain degree of risk.
Another gemstone was cut open. In the end, the stone that everyone had originally been optimistic about yielded only a shallow layer of jade visible on the exterior. Let alone making jewelry or spiritual stones, it probably wouldn't even yield enough material for a single hairpins.
The merchant who originally bought it had spent five thousand gold, only to end up with such a piece. Furious to the extreme, he smashed the stone right on the spot and left in a huff.
Just as Liu Rumeng was returning, she brushed past that merchant.
Seeing his anticipation turn into utter dejection, she couldn't help but sigh softly.
"Everyone, do not lose heart! Stone gambling is simply like this; blame only his lack of discernment for failing to buy a good stone. It has nothing to do with our raw materials," the stone merchant hurriedly shouted, terrified that everyone would lose heart because of the previous merchant.
Liu Rumeng squeezed her way into a spot and quietly assessed her surroundings.
Because of the preceding incident, everyone was feeling somewhat discouraged, and their expressions grew even more cautious.
Liu Rumeng noticed that many people were also seated on the second floor. Unlike the merchants downstairs, they appeared much more relaxed. Liu Rumeng guessed they were acquisition agents; once someone produced a good piece of raw material, they would buy it out at market price.
"Everyone must trust us. Our raw materials are different from others; they come from..." The man did not finish, but everyone knew what was implied.
"Hurry up and bring the next one out!"
"Alright, without further ado, bring out the next batch of raw material!"
Accompanied by the man's voice, several brawny men carried a huge piece of jade over and dropped it onto the table with a heavy *thud*.
The giant stone was fully half a person high, and its surroundings were covered in heavy grey rock, leaving only a tiny speck of emerald visible at the very top.
There was an established rule in jade gambling: you don't judge by the top, nor do you judge by the tail. Thus, that single spot of green at the crown proved nothing at all.
Moreover, there were many intricacies involved here; even if a piece of jade was successfully cut, it might not necessarily fetch a good price. One also had to consider the size, texture, and shape of the jade. In short, to gamble and win a top-tier piece of jade truly required a combination of both luck and experience.
Liu Rumeng had seen plenty of people lose their shirts over this, and others strike it rich overnight.
More often than not, people simply broke even. That was probably the meaning behind the saying that there are no winners in a gambling den.
"Make your bids!" the man shouted loudly.
The crowd began to cluster around the raw material to appraise it.
Caught in the middle, Liu Rumeng found her movements somewhat restricted, so she simply stepped off to the side, waiting until everyone had finished looking before stepping forward to observe it closely.
Upon this closer look, she realized something was amiss.
She had originally assumed this raw material was just ordinary rough jade, but upon inspection, she discovered it wasn't jade at all.
The exterior stone quality was incomparably hard, grey tinged with black, and the black actually carried a purplish hue—it wasn't ordinary dirt at all.
She looked again at the bit of exposed jade on the side, only to see that substance shifting and changing with the interplay of light, flickering indistinctly as though it possessed a soul.
This was no ordinary jade!
For a moment, Liu Rumeng found herself somewhat unsure.
All her knowledge was geared solely toward judging jadeite and jade, but the thing before her was completely unfamiliar.
She decided to sit tight and observe from the sidelines first.
For a moment, the crowd was hesitant and undecided.
Such a large piece of jade—if the gamble failed, it would become the laughingstock of everyone.
"Is anyone going to bid?"
Finally, someone tentatively raised a hand. "Two hundred gold."
This bid was exceedingly cautious.
"Four hundred gold," someone else raised a hand hesitatingly.
Discussions buzzed nonstop beneath the stage.
Liu Rumeng retreated to the side and quietly waited.
Half an incense stick's time later, the price reached six hundred gold and could go no higher.
The stone merchant grew secretly anxious. If such a large piece of raw material failed to fetch a good price, their losses would be far too heavy.
He covertly exchanged a glance with his subordinate, who slipped away quietly.
Not long after, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted out, "One thousand gold!"
The crowd was startled, and then heard someone else follow up with a higher bid: "One thousand five hundred gold! No one fight me for this; I am determined to win this stone!"
At this, murmurs arose within the crowd again, mostly flattering that person for having such sharp eyes and great discernment.
Under such instigation, naturally, some people's resolve wavered.
Just like that, the price was continuously driven up until it finally reached two thousand gold.
The stone merchant secretly hooked the corners of his lips and hammered down the final decision.
Only then did the merchant who had acquired the stone snap back to his senses a little, but he was riding a tiger and unable to dismount. With no other choice, he went up on stage to pay the money and quietly waited for someone to crack the stone open.
Liu Rumeng curled her lips, a trace of mockery flashing in the depths of her eyes.
Others hadn't seen clearly, but she saw it plainly.
Those few individuals had colluded to inflate the price and set a trap waiting for someone to jump in. She had seen far too many tricks of this sort.
It seemed this piece of raw material wasn't going to yield anything good.
At that moment, a man walked up from behind the stage. He stood over two meters tall, built as sturdily as a bear, with a braid coiled atop his head and a chicken drumstick clamped in his teeth.
He strode up to the massive stone, confirmed its position with a glance, and then raised his right hand, smashing it fiercely down against the stone.
A thunderous crack rang out.
The table nearly splintered apart.
With a cracking sound, the solid stone quality suddenly split open slowly. At that point, someone finally stepped forward to use spiritual power to carefully pry open the raw material.
Everyone's hearts leaped into their throats.
Liu Rumeng cast a casual glance and saw everything clearly as day, thanks entirely to that old codger's elixir.
She had already confirmed there was nothing good inside this thing.
Just as she was growing bored, her peripheral vision caught two men walking in through the entrance.
The man in the lead wore blazing red robes, his handsome face carrying an air of wild, arrogant evilness. His sword-like brows slanted upward into his temples, and his deep black eyes revealed traces of impatience.
"You said this was the place? So many people, it's deafening!" His tone was equally impatient.
Liu Rumeng frowned. How could she run into him here of all places?
What was a young master like him running over here for?
To gamble on stones, too?
The pendant at his waist could probably buy up every single piece of raw material in this place.
The two of them were only focused on appraising the platform holding the raw material and paid her no mind.
Liu Rumeng pulled the cloth veiling her face up a bit higher and lowered her head slightly.
It wasn't that she was afraid of him; she simply didn't want to get entangled with him.
Pulled along by Situ Shao'an, Nan Liefeng walked upstairs and found a seat to sit down.
"Liefeng, this is where you don't understand. There's a lot of nuance to this stone gambling. Just watch; there are plenty of good shows to be seen here."
Nan Liefeng scanned downstairs with boredom, his gaze suddenly sweeping past a petite, hidden figure standing beside a stone pillar, and he paused slightly.
He leaned his body forward slightly, wanting to get a clearer look.
That figure was concealed beside the stone pillar, mostly blocked by the pillar itself, making it somewhat indistinct. Yet Nan Liefeng always felt a sense of familiarity.
"What's wrong? What did you see?" Situ Shao'an asked curiously upon seeing him like this.
"Nothing." It must have been his imagination. How could Yang An possibly come to a place like this?
Given her condition, she was probably confined to her bed right now, unable to move.
Nan Liefeng was overcome by another wave of irritation.
Ever since they parted that day, Yang An's pale, yellowish face had remained constantly before his eyes. How could that possibly compare to the devastatingly beautiful face in his memory?
As he was thinking this, Situ Shao'an slapped the table and burst out laughing. Simultaneously, a wave of boos erupted from downstairs.
Following that came the frantic shouting of a man: "You rigged this! How can there be nothing inside?! You swapped the raw material, you definitely swapped the raw material!"
Liu Rumeng sighed. It seemed her judgment had been spot on.
Although in her past life she appraised jade while what they cut here was something else entirely, the methods of appraisal turned out to be identical.
She had predicted beforehand that there was nothing inside, and the outcome proved to be a complete match.
Spending two thousand gold on a broken stone—that truly was sheer madness.
Naturally, no one was willing to play the fool. The merchant refused to let the matter rest, but the ultimate result was simply being thrown out bodily.
Nan Liefeng picked up his wine cup and took a hearty gulp. "Nobody polices a business like this?"
"Sigh, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Besides, rumor has it that this stone merchant always takes a tenth of his earnings to grease the wheels, so everyone just turns a blind eye."
Nan Liefeng sneered, raising his head to scan elsewhere, only to discover that separated from them by a mere two tables was an extremely exquisite private room, veiled by fluttering white gauze behind which a human figure was faintly discernible.
Nan Liefeng scanned elsewhere again, only to find that this particular spot differed from all the others, clearly indicating that someone of extremely noble status was seated within.
Situ Wen'an followed his gaze and smiled. "Since you don't come often, naturally you wouldn't know. That spot is always reserved for one person."
Nan Liefeng frowned. With him right here, could there be someone of even higher status than him?
"Reserved for whom?"
"Word has it that it belongs to the master of this casino, though there is also another rumor..." He leaned in closer. "There is a Hacker sitting inside."
Nan Liefeng froze, once again looking toward the private room.
A sudden breeze stirred the gauze curtains, and a flash of snowy white flickered past.
"A Hacker?" Nan Liefeng suddenly felt his blood run hot.
He had constantly heard his eldest and second brothers mention this title. In their mouths, those people existed like heavenly deities.
He had once disdainfully wanted to issue a challenge, only to be laughed at by his father for quite a while.
Nan Liefeng's lips curved upward as his right hand moved to rise, but Situ Wen'an pressed it down. "Are you out of your mind?! Even Hackers are people you dare to provoke?!"
"Get lost! Hacker or no Hacker, if you guys are afraid of him, I'm not!" With that, he flipped his right hand, and a beam of red light shot straight toward the private room.
Situ Wen'an was utterly alarmed. Red light?!
Had Nan Liefeng already broken through the tenth tier?!
When spiritual power broke through tiers, the spiritual radiance would change color accordingly. Below the tenth tier, the light was white.
Breaking past the tenth tier brought one into the Metrological Realm, where the color turned red.
After the eighteenth tier came the Chaotic Realm: the color was blue.
Beyond the eighteenth tier lay the Void Origin, where limitations of color no longer existed.
After that, spiritual power no longer broke through tiers; instead, it was replaced by spiritual origin. Of course, those who reached this stage were exceptionally rare, and Situ Wen'an had never even heard of it, let alone witnessed it.
The beam of red light blasted forth, hurtling straight toward its target.
A trace of smugness flashed in Nan Liefeng's eyes.
He hadn't told a soul about breaking the tenth tier. In Hong Country, those who had broken the tenth tier to reach the Metrological Realm were few and far between. Finding an opponent for himself was already difficult enough; what was so big deal about some legendary Hacker?
Just as that beam of spiritual light neared the white gauze, at that very moment, a gentle yet forceful power obstructed its advance.
In the blink of an eye, the red light was enveloped by white light, being endlessly and ceaselessly swallowed up into it.
Nan Liefeng was stunned, only then feeling as though he had been enveloped by a soft aura that was continuously draining the strength right out of his body.
He hurriedly withdrew his hand and regulated his breathing to halt his spiritual energy, yet as a result, he suffered a backlash from his spiritual power, sending a mouthful of fresh blood surging to his lips.
The whole thing happened too fast. Situ Shao'an only saw Nan Liefeng get injured and pull back his energy, without even catching how the opponent made their move.
That alone demonstrated the terrifying strength of the adversary.
He immediately stood up and bowed deeply toward the target. "My friend committed a discourtesy. I ask that the young master please forgive him."
Nan Liefeng's face was ashen, a look of reluctance etched in his eyes.
The gauze curtain drifted down gently, veiling that hint of moonlight-white as though nothing had ever happened.
Secretly wiping away a cold sweat, Situ Wen'an hurried over to check on Nan Liefeng's condition, only to be violently shoved away by him.
Ever since he was a child, Nan Liefeng had always been pampered in the palms of everyone's hands; when had he ever suffered such a setback?
Instantly, a surge of liver fire rushed up, and another mouthful of fresh blood welled in his throat.
"Liefeng, you mustn't let yourself get angry!"
Nan Liefeng's eyes were bloodshot, his face a mottled shade of green and white.
He had never witnessed such spiritual power—it was capable of devouring others so fiercely. Had he not withdrawn his hand in time, probably his entire reserve of spiritual power would have been sucked dry by the opponent.
Just what kind of person was sitting inside in there?!
At that moment, the commotion downstairs grew loud once again.
Situ Wen'an looked down and saw that the seventh piece of raw material had also been brought out.
This piece was much smaller than the previous one.
However, a ring of emerald seeped around the perimeter of the raw material. Judging by that green alone—translucent, exquisite, and with delicate grain—it was an exceptionally rare top-tier piece.
The people below shared his exact thought.
Since the exposed portion was already of such superior quality, how much more so for what lay within?
The merchants began to stir restlessly, and even Situ Shao'an grew interested, his hands itching to make a bet and try his luck.
Only Nan Liefeng, filled with unwillingness, cast recurrent glances of resentment toward the private room.