At this moment, Jiang Haiyan stood up first, took a sandalwood box in his hand, and stepped forward. Inside the box was a piece of calligraphy.
"My father often tells me that Manager Hua has a fondness for antiques. Here is a copy of the Imitation of Tang Huaisu's 'Holy Mother Post' '. Please take a look!"
"Hiss~ An authentic work by Emperor Huizong of Song of Song!"
Hua Ruoxi gasped, quickly took off the Mutton-fat Jade Thumb Ring from her hand, and picked up the calligraphy.
"Emperor Huizong of Song of Song's 'Slender Gold Script' calligraphy is renowned, but this piece alone is exceptionally well-balanced, refined, and exquisite!"
His face was filled with rapture, but the surface of his hands looked somewhat blurry, clearly covered with Innate True Qi, serving as gloves!
This action was solely for the purpose of protecting cultural relics, but it also evoked a sense of heartache among many.
If you do this for yourself, you can save yourself countless days and nights of hard work!
Jiang Haiyan, head held high and chest puffed out, proudly asked, "Does this calligraphy meet Manager Hua's standards?"
"I bought it! It's a real treasure!"
Hua Ruoxi nodded repeatedly, then raised her palm and extended it toward Jiang Haiyan.
Jiang Haiyan reached out and pressed his palm against hers...
The next second, the air around their hands seemed to blur slightly.
Jiang Haiyan was instantly drenched in sweat, and hot steam rose from his body, as if he had just eaten a spicy hot pot on a hot summer day.
She was very satisfied and clasped her hands in a fist salute, saying, "Excellent, enough for a full cycle of the Great Heavenly Cycle. Manager Hua truly trusts people!"
"No problem, no problem."
Hua Ruoxi casually replied, then channeled a surge of true energy into the copy of the "Imitation of Tang Huaisu's 'Holy Mother Post'" in her hand.
The ink on the paper instantly became much brighter, clearly indicating that it had received some kind of protection.
The old eunuch seemed to genuinely appreciate this calligraphy.
Xia Weiyin promotes science to Lu Li:
"Innate True Qi can be infused into weapons, transforming Mundane Iron into Divine Weapon. Spirit Refining Cultivator reaches the Innate Realm and possesses true energy, their flying sword can truly Cut Iron Like Mud!"
Lu Li nodded repeatedly, looking on with great longing.
The others looked at the calligraphy work with expressions of regret.
They felt both regret that this vital energy had been wasted and regret that they still didn't have a chance.
Antiques of this caliber, such as the "Imitation of Tang Huaisu's 'Holy Mother Post'", are truly rare treasures.
For a group of young people, it was even harder to obtain than a thousand taels of gold; only families like the Governor's daughter could easily produce such a sum.
Immediately afterwards, Young Master Xu of the Provincial Administration Commissioner's family, stepped forward and took out a copy of the "Ju Shi Tie".
Hua Ruoxi also loved it very much:
"Zeng Gong's authentic calligraphy is excellent! The characters are slender and the strokes are vigorous. Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"
He exclaimed "Good!" several times and immediately gave Young Master Xu a full cycle of true energy.
The crowd watched with envy, and then someone stepped forward to present various paintings, calligraphy, and antiques.
However, these were merely antique "trinkets," none of which caught Hua Ruoxi's eye, demonstrating that her requirements for antiques were not easily met.
After a while, no one else stepped forward.
Hua Ruoxi frowned slightly, then spoke up to encourage him:
"Everyone, we're offering a full cycle of true qi, at a fair and reasonable price. And there are only 10 spots available, so don't miss this opportunity!"
After a moment of silence, the Young Master Liang clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please allow us some time to consider this."
Hua Ruoxi looked at Lu Li again, wondering why the young man wasn't moving.
Lu Li simply wanted to keep a low profile...
Hua Ruoxi was shrewd enough to have a vague idea of what was going on.
Seeing that no one moved for a long time, he said:
"That concludes today. I'll be waiting for you all at the Lishunde Restaurant. As for our reputation, Old President Nan guarantees it will be completely honest and trustworthy."
Nan Jinping calmly stood up and nodded, instantly dispelling many people's concerns.
~~~~~~~~~~
The attendees left in a hurry to go home and discuss the matter with their elders.
Lu Li, along with Xia Weijun and Nan Jinping, went directly to Hua Ruoxi's suite.
"Young Master Lu, there's no one else here. What are you looking for?"
Hua Ruoxi glanced casually at the boxes carried by the puppets and realized that there was a big deal to be discussed.
As expected, Lu Li asked directly, "Eunuch Hua, how many cycles of Internal Breath can you provide?"
"No wonder he comes from a wealthy family; he's completely different from those poor compradors!"
Hua Ruoxi sat up straight and exclaimed in a shrill voice, "Our family can provide Young Master Lu with ten Great Heavenly Cycle of true qi!"
"Ten times..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Li realized that only half of the gold he brought could be spent.
He was just about to ask the eunuch if he could sell more when Nan Jinping suddenly spoke up:
"Hua Ruoxi, where did you get so much internal energy? Are you trying to kill yourself?"
True Qi is the essence of life; excessive use will affect the body, but overuse will shorten lifespan.
Hua Ruoxi took out the thumb ring and put it on, saying, "I have my own brilliant plan, no need for you, Strongman, to worry about it."
He then looked at Lu Li, wanting to finalize this big deal.
But Nan Jinping spoke first to Lu Li:
"Young friend Lu, right now all countries and Governor are hoarding gold. You can wait a little longer; perhaps you can get Grandmaster to intervene."
"Hey! You old bastard, shut up!"
Hua Ruoxi's expression changed drastically. First, she raised her eyebrows and angrily berated Nan Jinping, then in a second, her face changed again, and she spoke to Lu Li with a gentle smile:
"Young Master Lu, don't listen to this old geezer! Grandmaster? They only kill and steal!"
Lu Li nodded and first thanked Old Master Nan: "President Nan, I'm in dire need of refining my true energy, so I should spend this money."
Then he snapped his fingers again, and the three puppets immediately opened the boxes in their hands, emitting a dazzling golden light.
At this moment, Nan Jinping, Xia Weijun, and Hua Ruoxi subconsciously began to breathe heavily, all realizing that it weighed a full ton, or 20,000 taels!
Hua Ruoxi's face turned bright red!
With this gold, I've more than accomplished my mission! Now I can focus on collecting antiques!
But at that moment, Lu Li waved his hand, and Number 0 was about to close the box.
"Eunuch Hua, if you only have ten cycles of energy, then I can only keep half of the gold."
"Wait!"
Hua Ruoxi intervened to stop it.
He hesitated for three or five seconds, then suddenly ran back to his bedroom and came out a short while later with a beautiful "white jade teapot."
Upon seeing this object, Nan Jinping exclaimed in realization, "No wonder you said it contained ten cycles of true energy; so this is what it is!"
"That's right," Hua Ruoxi explained.
"This is the [Spiritual Jade Pot], which can store true energy and mental energy! There are always times when I have nothing to do, so it's wonderful to store good things inside and take them out when needed."
This is quite interesting, Lu Li said, a look of great interest on his face.
The old eunuch handed him the teapot and continued praising:
"This pot is made entirely of [spiritual jade], smooth and delicate, with top-notch craftsmanship. Moreover, it has a miraculous effect—if you put water in it, it will turn into [spiritual spring] overnight! Truly a family heirloom!"
Lu Li nodded repeatedly, Hua Ruoxi revealed her true intentions. "A family heirloom, asking for ten thousand taels of gold from you, Young Master, isn't that too expensive?"
"That..."
Nan Jinping was just about to say that this thing could only be used by those who Meditative Entry Spirit Refinement or higher, so it couldn't be a family heirloom and was a bit too expensive...
But Hua Ruoxi had already glared at her, pulled out a small booklet and read aloud:
"In 1975, when you went to the Western Xinjiang with Zuo Zongtang, you insisted on carrying a Heavy Howitzer. It was only after our family begged and pleaded that we were able to get the cannon out of the Capital Garrison, and you ended up losing it!"
"During the Jiawu Year -Japanese War, you old rascal, you were escorting the Zhiyuan Ship. After the ship sank, you fell into the sea and almost became fish food. It was my family who rowed a sampan and pulled you back!"
The booklet was filled with records of various favors and exchanges, with Nan Jinping occupying a significant portion of it. At this moment, he was speechless.
Lu Li smiled and nodded, and the three puppets placed the box next to Hua Ruoxi.
"Young Master Lu is truly generous!"
Hua Ruoxi could tell from a casual touch that these gold bricks were of extremely high purity, and she immediately beamed with joy.
Then he enthusiastically introduced how to use the [Spiritual Jade Pot]:
"This pot can be controlled directly with one's mind, or it can be filled with wine, tea, water, etc., which will transform into Spiritual Brew to be slowly enjoyed. Its uses are truly endless!"
"Okay, I understand."
It wasn't difficult at all. Lu Li played with it for a bit and understood everything. Moreover, it contained enough true energy for ten cycles of cultivation.
The transaction is now successfully completed.
Lu Li was pondering his departure when he heard Hua Ruoxi say to Nan Jinping:
"You old codger, you owe me so many favors, come with me to [the Jiu Shan Sect]."
"Are you still going to the [Jiu Shan Sect] to collect debts?"
"Why wouldn't we go? How could we just occupy the Spiritual Vein right under the Son of Heaven's nose!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Li's expression shifted, and he decided not to leave any further, preferring to gather more intelligence.