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Chapter 19 - Chapter 19 – The Empress’s Dream of Riches Shattered

Lai Dayun Jewelry Store

Soft spotlights made the glass counters shine clearly. Colorful gems sparkled with captivating brilliance, and gold ornaments were neatly arranged, exuding a magnificent and astonishing luster.

The clerks in charge of serving customers wore uniforms and white gloves, carefully taking out jewelry and gold from the display cases for customers to try on.

There were not many customers in the store, making the atmosphere a little quiet, but every customer present was wearing gold and silver jewelry or dressed in high-quality leather.

Just then, a public bus stopped by the side of the road. Longyue and Lin Fan got off the bus and walked straight towards the jewelry store.

The attendant in charge of greeting at the entrance was stunned to see the two.

As a jewelry clerk with many years of experience, she had seen all kinds of rich young masters. The patrons usually arrived in luxury cars or with private drivers. Even the less affluent regular customers came in their own cars.

Today was the first time she had seen someone arrive at their jewelry store using a public bus...

"Welcome, the two of you. May I know how I can help you?"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the attendant at the door quickly returned to her professional demeanor. With a smile on her face, she proactively opened the store door to greet Lin Fan and Longyue.

Although she could clearly see that the clothes the two were wearing were not from any famous brand, she could sense from their bearing that they were absolutely not ordinary people!

A person's demeanor was not something that could be changed in an instant; it was cultivated from childhood through environment and family background.

These two people in front of her looked relaxed and free in every movement, their posture was upright and heads held high.

Their faces showed no signs of the weariness of the years, their skin was extremely well-maintained, and their brows exuded only confidence and calmness. Just from this alone, it was clear that their family background was not ordinary!

She had seen some rich people who liked to be low-key, wearing cheap ordinary clothes and a pair of sandals on their feet.

Perhaps these two came by bus, it was highly possible to also be acting in a low-key manner!

After entering the jewelry store, Longyue briefly looked around and asked:

"Do you buy gemstones here?"

"Of course. Whether it's gems or gold, we at Lai Dayun Jewelry Store buy them all. May I know if you wish to sell a piece of jewelry?"

"Mhm!" Longyue nodded confidently.

"Please follow me to the counter." The attendant gestured cordially, leading her directly to the counter.

The front of the counter was completely covered by a layer of bulletproof glass, with only a small window opened for both parties to exchange goods.

On the other side of the counter, a staff member specialized in appraising gems and gold approached Longyue.

"May I know what piece of jewelry you wish to sell?"

"This!" Longyue, full of confidence, placed the Azure Stone in her hand into the counter window.

The staff member reached out and picked up the Azure Stone from the window, examining and appraising it repeatedly with a lighted, specialized tool.

With each appraisal, his expression became more bewildered.

The other staff members, sensing that something was amiss, curiously came up to the appraising staff member.

A group of clerks gathered, putting their heads together and whispering, discussing something unknown, and occasionally turning their heads to glance at Longyue.

Longyue stood with her head held high and her chest puffed out, still wearing a confident expression while awaiting the answer, the proud corners of her mouth unable to stop lifting.

The mortals of this world had probably never seen an Azure Stone before. They might be shocked by the immortal stone she took out and did not know how to appraise it for a moment~

After all, this small Azure Stone was probably enough to buy the entire city of Modu.

Compared to Longyue's confidence, the restlessness in Lin Fan's heart was growing stronger. He already had a rough guess of what was about to happen.

"Um... Miss, is it possible that you brought the wrong item?"

"The item you gave us is not a gemstone, it's just an ordinary stone."

After a discussion, the staff member in charge of the appraisal returned the Azure Stone to Longyue.

"O-Ordinary stone...?"

Longyue looked shocked. She excitedly picked up the Azure Stone in her hand and introduced it herself:

"How can this be just an ordinary stone! Look again carefully!"

"This is the Azure Stone, a stone from the Immortal Realm! It contains a wisp of this Empress's immortal spiritual qi. How can it be an ordinary stone!"

"Even looking throughout the Immortal Realm, the number of magical treasures that can compare with this Azure Stone in my hand is very few!"

"The value of this Azure Stone is enough to buy more than ten cities!"

Staff: "..."

Other Customers: "..."

Longyue's soft scream immediately attracted the attention of everyone inside the store. The crowd curiously fixed their gaze upon her.

"Miss, please calm down. The item in your hand is truly just an ordinary stone." The staff member comforted Longyue while observing her with a suspicious look reserved for people with mental issues.

In all the years he had been in this business, this was the first time he had encountered someone holding a stone and insisting that it was a rare treasure.

Was this woman perhaps from a mental hospital...?

"Ordinary stone..."

Longyue looked at the Azure Stone in her hand, unwilling to give up. She then pulled out an Immortal Liyuan Pearl, whose interior was filled with brilliant colors, from her pocket.

"Then what about this one! This is definitely a gemstone, right!"

The staff member took the Immortal Liyuan Pearl through the window. After careful appraisal, he helplessly handed it back to Longyue.

"Miss, this is just a slightly prettier glass marble. It is not jewelry."

"G-Glass marble?!"

Longyue excitedly leaned on the counter and argued loudly: "This is the Immortal Liyuan Pearl, personally processed by this Empress! It contains a small world within it, enough to house a hundred thousand heavens and earths! It is not a glass marble!"

"As long as you channel a little spiritual energy into it, you can store the world's items inside! It is a magical treasure unique in the whole world!"

The Crowd: "..."

The jewelry store fell silent. Some people tried hard to hold back laughter, while others looked at Longyue with the expression reserved for fools.

Before, they were only slightly suspicious. Now, they were almost certain.

This girl probably had a mental issue or deliberately came to cause trouble!

"Miss, please calm down, or we will call the police."

"We do not accept stones and glass here. You should take your items and leave."

"This Empress will say it one more time, these are not stones and glass!"

"You people of low knowledge and judgment, how dare you insult the magical treasures processed by this Empress!"

"Apologize! You must apologize! Otherwise, this Empress will definitely flatten this shabby place with one palm strike!"

Longyue's face was flushed with anger.

Feeling an unprecedented sense of humiliation, she screamed hysterically at the staff member.

This was no longer just a matter of getting money or not; it was a matter concerning her honor as the Great Empress!

"Empress, calm down, calm down a bit. Come on, quick, or the police will be here soon..."

Seeing that the staff member had already picked up his phone to make a call, Lin Fan quickly hugged Longyue, who wanted to rush forward and argue, and swiftly led her away from the jewelry store.

He had to remember, he was not a person of this world. He had no identification; he was an undocumented resident!

If the police happened to come, things would become extremely troublesome...

"Demon Sovereign, why did you stop this Empress?"

"Those detestable people actually said my items were stones and glass! What a profound insult! This Empress wants to destroy their shabby store with one palm strike!"

On the stairs on the way back, Longyue complained with dissatisfaction.

On the way home, she kept ranting, showing how deep her sense of grievance was...

"Wake up, Empress. In your current state, you can't even smash the glass window of their store."

"...Damn it!"

Longyue angrily puffed up her cheeks.

Suppressed tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't help but start to cry.

Her treasures were treated like trash. In her entire life, she had never felt so utterly mistreated!

Lin Fan turned his head and glanced at the utterly pitiful-looking Longyue behind him. After repeatedly pondering, he finally spoke to remind her:

"Empress, although it's a bit inappropriate to say this right now, this sovereign still has to remind you of something."

"You didn't forget that the rent is starting to be due this month, right?"

Longyue: "..."

———-

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