"Young man, have you made your choice?" Second Uncle asked, rubbing his hands together, his eyes gleaming brightly.
Zhou Qing immediately handed over all the spirit stones on him, then pointed at the cloth bundle on the left.
"I'll take a blind shot. This one!"
When he saw the bundle Zhou Qing had pointed at, Second Uncle clearly froze.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure!"
"Once you choose, there'll be no refunds. Why not think it over again?"
"No need!"
"Young people shouldn't jump to conclusions too early. Since you're my first customer, I'm giving you one more chance. Don't come crying when you lose everything."
"I'm pretty stubborn. This is the one!"
"You actually managed to hit it. How boring!"
Second Uncle looked rather disappointed as he directly tossed the bundle over.
By now, quite a few people had gathered around in scattered groups. They had looked over these items before. The cheap ones cost three to five hundred, while the expensive ones ran into the thousands. They were not allowed to touch them, Spiritual Sense could not penetrate them, and everything depended entirely on luck. No one even knew whether they were genuine or fake. Who would dare volunteer to be taken for a fool?
Everyone crowded over curiously, waiting for Zhou Qing to open it.
Already knowing the answer, Zhou Qing peeled away the layers under Yan Xiaohu's nervous gaze, revealing a gray box inside.
When the box slowly opened, a piece of black wood streaked with green entered everyone's sight, followed by an incredibly pure Wood Attribute aura.
"Nether Dark Spirit Wood!" Yan Xiaohu cried out in shock.
He hurriedly reached out and took it, while everyone else looked on with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
"Junior Brother, I'm willing to offer five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
"Five hundred? You've got the nerve to name that price? Junior Brother, I'll offer eight hundred. Would you be willing to part with it?"
"I'll offer eleven hundred outright. I've been searching for this wood for years. It would greatly aid my cultivation of Wood Attribute techniques. Please help me out, Junior Brother."
Zhou Qing looked toward Yan Xiaohu.
Yan Xiaohu was beaming at the moment. He had never expected Fourth Child to really win the gamble.
Faced with Zhou Qing's questioning gaze, he naturally understood what it meant.
Neither of them needed the item, so they could sell it off easily enough, and the price was fair.
A short while later, Zhou Qing had made a net profit of seven hundred and fifty spirit stones, leaving the two of them overjoyed.
As long as they took out two hundred spirit stones, they could feast properly at Jade Cuisine Hall.
"Fourth Child, I've always thought you were smart since you were little, and your luck is good too. I'll pay for the next one. Help your senior brother pick one!"
Yan Xiaohu rubbed his hands together, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the cloth bundles.
Zhou Qing did not dare. His innate skill, Daily Appraisal, could only appraise something once a day. Besides, he knew to quit while he was ahead. Otherwise, what would make him any different from a gambler?
"No, Senior Brother. Tomorrow. Let's look around somewhere else!" Zhou Qing said.
Hearing that Zhou Qing was leaving, Second Uncle hurriedly said, "Don't go! Your senior brother is right. You're blessed with wealth today, so hurry and press your advantage while the iron is hot. I'm not afraid to tell you that one item in here is worth over ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
Hearing Second Uncle's enticing words, Yan Xiaohu and the surrounding onlookers' eyes immediately lit up.
Ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones—that was one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, or one rare High-Grade Spirit Stone!
After dealing with Second Uncle several times, Zhou Qing naturally knew he was telling the truth. But finding it among so many blind boxes was easier said than done.
"No. It wasn't easy making this little money, and I'd like to hold onto it a while longer!" Zhou Qing refused with a smile, then dragged Yan Xiaohu away.
The others were itching with anticipation as well, but they still did not dare act rashly.
Watching Zhou Qing leave without the slightest attachment, they looked at one another.
Something seemed off.
I get it. He's a shill!
We almost fell for it!
Let's go, let's go!
Watching Zhou Qing's retreating figure vanish without dragging his feet, Second Uncle gave a bitter smile, though there was even more admiration in his eyes.
On the path of cultivation, how many people could hold fast to their original hearts without giving rise to greed? If he had not been greedy back then, he would not have been trapped in the Grotto-Heaven for so many years.
"Ah, Fourth Child, my stomach suddenly hurts a little. I must have eaten something bad this morning. Look around on your own first. I'll be right back!"
As Zhou Qing walked the chicken around and curiously examined the wares on a stall before him, Yan Xiaohu suddenly clutched his stomach. After hurriedly giving a few instructions, he ran off.
Zhou Qing did not think much of it, but he soon froze.
It seemed neither of them had eaten breakfast that morning.
Less than the time it took to burn an incense stick later, Yan Xiaohu returned looking utterly dazed, his face pale as a sheet.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Qing hurriedly asked.
Yan Xiaohu stared blankly at Zhou Qing. "N-Nothing. I just... pooped until I was a little weak."
"Alright. Remember to drink more hot water after we get back, Third Senior Brother. Let's go look around over there."
"Not going!"
"Why?"
"I don't want to. I want to go home and drink hot water."
In the square, disciples from two sects fought back and forth, making for a lively spectacle. Zhou Qing held Old Hen in his arms and watched with great interest.
Unfortunately, Third Senior Brother was not there. His diarrhea seemed truly serious, and he had already rushed back to the sect.
Ignorance Points +1 Ignorance Points +1
That evening, Zhou Qing crushed another spirit stone for Old Hen. It only pecked at it twice before refusing to eat any more. When Zhou Qing felt its round little belly, his eyes lit up.
He then continued breathing and circulating energy with a Top-Grade Spirit Stone.
Early the next morning, the moment he opened the door, he saw Third Senior Brother standing outside with dark circles under his eyes and a dejected expression.
His hair was even covered in glistening dew.
Zhou Qing was greatly alarmed and hurried forward. "Third Senior Brother, you didn't sleep all night?"
Yan Xiaohu said nothing. Instead, he rushed forward and began groping all over Zhou Qing's body.
"What are you doing?" Zhou Qing quickly shoved him away.
Yan Xiaohu forced a smile. "Rubbing off some of your wealth luck. It's getting late. Let's hurry down the mountain. I specifically checked the almanac today. It's favorable for travel, with signs of getting rich."
"You never believed in this stuff before, did you?" Zhou Qing asked suspiciously as he watched Third Senior Brother act so mysteriously.
Yan Xiaohu gave an awkward laugh. "The past is the past. People change, after all. Come on, come on."
After arriving at Flame Dragon City, Zhou Qing never expected Third Senior Brother to drag him straight to Second Uncle.
"Oh, Tiger Boy, you're back? Still want to buy one worth three thousand spirit stones? These are about the same price. Pick whichever you like!"
The moment Second Uncle saw Yan Xiaohu, his face broke into a broad smile, as though he had seen the God of Wealth himself.
Zhou Qing abruptly looked at Third Senior Brother, disbelief filling his eyes.
Yan Xiaohu ignored Zhou Qing, then took out the seven hundred or so spirit stones he had left and handed them to Zhou Qing.
"Fourth Child, your luck is better. If the two of us scrape together fifteen hundred spirit stones and win, we split it sixty-forty!"
Yan Xiaohu eagerly handed over the spirit stones.
Only then did Zhou Qing understand as he looked at him.
"What did you buy yesterday?" Zhou Qing asked.
Yan Xiaohu's old face immediately reddened, while Second Uncle, who loved watching trouble unfold, burst into laughter.
"This Tiger Boy sure is bold. He threw down three thousand spirit stones and opened a little trinket worth barely ten or so spirit stones. His luck was a little lacking!"
Hearing this, Zhou Qing looked once more at Third Senior Brother, who was practically about to cry.
This was losing all the way to grandma's house. Your gambling addiction is really something!
Before you continue