"I choose the fifth stone." A cold voice, devoid of any trace of emotion, echoed in Yun Xie's ears from behind the counter.
In front of him stood a beautiful young woman with black hair and light blue eyes, wearing a white robe that fit her body perfectly.
"Yes, Senior Sister, would you like to open it here?" Yun Xie gave a slight smile, glancing at the black stones of various shapes and sizes.
Stopping at the fifth, he saw an egg-shaped stone, about thirty centimeters in size.
Still smiling, he noticed the senior sister extend her arm and, effortlessly, lift the fifth stone from the counter with her right hand, holding it with only her palm.
This amused Yun Xie, not because of her skill, but because of the charm the senior sister exuded.
Thousands of eyes in the stall fixed on the beautiful fairy.
Luo Qingyue ignored these gazes and channeled the spiritual energy stored in her dantian into her fingers, which turned icy as they absorbed the crystalline essence.
The essence seeped beneath the stone and began cracking it.
Gradually, the egg started to break apart.
At first, there was nothing inside, just layers of overlapping rocky walls.
"Senior Sister lost money." A disciple in the crowd commented.
After this remark, the previously quiet place became lively.
"That was predictable. Senior Qingyue bet based on appearances. In a stone game, that's a fatal mistake," a veteran voiced his opinion.
"Hey, why do you think this cold sister suddenly decided to bet today?"
This question silenced the crowd again, until a young man dressed in scholar's robes spoke.
"For fun, maybe? Don't you find sitting cross-legged all day boring? Perhaps she wanted to amuse herself by trying something new. In the end, even if she's cold, she's still a girl."
"True, that's why she picked the least ugly stone. Girls don't like grotesque things."
With this understanding, the place returned to calm.
In front, Luo Qingyue, whose face was visible only to Yun Xie, frowned at the last comments.
But she didn't dwell on it; her mindset ignored such insects.
For her, the only important thing was the young man behind the counter. Looking at him, the two exchanged glances that only they could understand.
After the exchange, Luo Qingyue continued melting the stone, which shrank with every passing second.
When it became ten times smaller than its original size, the rock turned navy blue.
In this situation, Luo Qingyue began sending cold essence throughout the stone, melting it in every direction.
Once melted, a beautiful navy blue jade was revealed. Its size was six centimeters—small, but captivating.
Everyone's eyes turned to the tiny stone, which seemed to contain an entire ocean within its edges. Then, their gaze shifted to Senior Qingyue, who let out a mesmerizing smile.
"It's beautiful."
A soft sound, like falling snow, made everyone part their lips slightly. Regardless of gender, they were entranced by the melody.
"Thank you, Junior, for this moment of fun." Luo Qingyue, holding the jade delicately like a young girl, thanked Yun Xie and stepped away from the stall.
Yun Xie, still watching her, saw her twenty meters away draw a sword and take flight, disappearing from view like lightning across the horizon.
Breaking his gaze, he returned his eyes to the crowd, who, recovering from shock, rushed to his stall.
"Junior Brother, I want to buy a stone. How much does it cost?" The scholar took charge of the disciples.
"One hundred Yuan Stones each."
"What?" The scholar was stunned at the exorbitant price.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be worth even ten stones.
Noticing his dissatisfaction, Yun Xie added:
"Senior Brother, do you have someone you like? As you saw earlier, these stones have the power to win girls' hearts. If you gift one to the person you like, perhaps you'll meet your White Lotus."
The young man, scholarly in appearance with clear eyes, scratched his head in embarrassment. Then, gritting his teeth, he decided to take the risk. "Junior Brother, I want all eleven stones."
"...?"
"What the hell!" Yun Xie's eyes widened in shock at first, then he smiled. "Senior Brother is truly a passionate man. I, Junior, admire that."
Saying these flattering words, he pointed to the stones. "Will you open them here?"
The scholar nodded, indicating yes.
"Okay. Senior, as a novice, I haven't cultivated spiritual energy yet, so the process will be slow since I'll be using tools."
Yun Xie said sincerely, placing his left hand on the counter and taking out a saber.
"Okay, don't worry." The scholar didn't seek trouble, and to speed things up, he began opening the stones himself, using wind essence blades, which left marks on the rocks' surfaces.
Sounds of stones splitting echoed throughout the stall.
The disciples behind, eager to try their luck, shook their heads.
They had no chance; the scholar bought everything. Even if he hadn't, few people would spend so much on a rock.
For cultivators, every Yuan Stone counts.
"Does anyone know this scholar's identity?"
"He's Zhao Mingqin, grandson of the Commerce Hall Master."
This revelation made the disciples swallow nervously.
No wonder the young man was so extravagant; his status was not ordinary.
After learning this, some disciples stepped forward, volunteering to help cut the stones.
Zhao Mingqin did not refuse and let them assist.
As the saying goes: one hand washes the other.
Yun Xie, tapping the saber against the top of the stone, sweat dripping from his forehead and breathing heavily, found it exhausting to open stones as a mortal.
Pausing to rest, he couldn't help smiling inwardly at the laborers.
'It's so good to have influence,' Yun Xie thought.
Shaking off this envious thought, he resumed cutting the stone.
About an hour later, the eleven stones were opened, revealing five navy blue jades.
A good number of hits; usually the odds are ten to one.
Seeing the results, Zhao Mingqin smiled, looking at Yun Xie with an inscrutable gaze.
That strange look quickly faded when he looked at the disciples behind him, those who helped.
"Fellow disciples, I don't need all these jades. One is enough for me. Whoever wants to buy, I'll sell it for five hundred Yuan Stones.
Before you complain about the price, let me tell you this jade isn't just beautiful—it contains the Qi of the Stellar Ocean.
Once someone obtains it, their night cultivation can accelerate greatly. If it's a Dao companion, it makes a fine gift."
Zhao Mingqin murmured with a smile.
The crowd, listening to every word, was shocked. They thought it was just decoration, not the actual Qi of the Stellar Ocean.
"Senior Brother Mingqin, I want to buy one." A disciple gritted his teeth and decided to purchase it.
Other brave ones followed suit. In the end, the four jades were sold to a burly man, a handsome young man, a small girl, and a middle-aged man.
"Junior, here are one thousand one hundred Yuan Stones. It's been a pleasure doing business."
Yun Xie, who should have been spitting blood from the loss, remained calm.
From the start, all of this had been part of a scheme...