At this moment, Yan Xiaohu no longer cared about any of that. He pleaded with Zhou Qing, "Fourth Child, you have to choose carefully. All the money I've earned lately, including what I've saved over the years, has been thrown into this. If I lose again, I'll really be drinking the northwest wind."
How could Zhou Qing still dare to gamble after hearing that?
"Third Senior Brother, don't get sucked in. Be good, let's stop gambling. As long as the green mountains remain, there'll be no shortage of firewood. Keep this money—it'll still be useful later," Zhou Qing urged.
Yet Yan Xiaohu shook his head again and again. "No! I've thrown in three thousand Spirit Stones and haven't even heard a single splash. I have to earn it back. Help your senior brother—just this one round. Win or lose, I'll accept it. I swear I'll never come here again after this."
Faced with Yan Xiaohu's repeated pleas, Zhou Qing had no choice but to decide to gamble one more time.
"Come, come, come. Fifteen hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, right? These five—pick whichever you like!" Second Uncle looked extremely excited.
Zhou Qing smiled. "Senior, give us a hint. You've seen it too—this is everything my brother and I own. It can't just be a one-hammer deal, can it?"
After a brief moment of thought, Second Uncle agreed to Zhou Qing's proposal.
Especially since a few more people had gathered around now, ready to watch the fun.
If he wanted to fish, he had to toss out some bait first.
"Fine. Since you're returning customers, I can help you remove one worthless one!" As Second Uncle spoke, he moved the cloth bundle in the very middle aside.
Then he looked at Zhou Qing. "And I'll throw in one more piece of news. Among these remaining four packages, one item is worth five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. But there's one condition: you may only make one transaction!"
Well then, Second Uncle had directly cut off their retreat.
Otherwise, even if they bought the wrong one once, buying two more would give them a very high chance of making a profit.
"If he chooses wrong, can we buy them?" one of the onlookers could not help asking.
Second Uncle immediately shook his head.
What were they thinking? Trying to wear him down with a wheel war?
Were they stupid, or was he?
Zhou Qing said nothing more. He carefully studied the four blind boxes. The odds of choosing wrong were still far too high.
"Junior Brother, choose the one on the right. I think that one's more reliable—it looks heavier."
"A larger size doesn't mean it's more valuable. I think the middle one is good."
"I think the left one is better. Didn't this junior brother choose the left one yesterday?"
Everyone chimed in at once. At some point, Yan Xiaohu had produced a flower in his hand and was continuously plucking off its petals, muttering under his breath.
"Left, middle, middle, right..."
Once the final petal had been plucked, Yan Xiaohu looked at the box on the far right. But he did not dare make a sound, instead leaving the choice to Zhou Qing.
At this moment, Zhou Qing felt enormous pressure. With Daily Appraisal, he could eliminate one of the four boxes. But among the remaining three, the odds of choosing the right one were only 33%. That was simply too low.
Second Uncle did not urge him either. He merely sat cross-legged on the bamboo chair, wearing the look of someone watching a good show.
They had reached the crucial moment of a battle of minds.
Just as Zhou Qing was caught in extreme indecision, the Old Hen in his arms began struggling. It seemed to want to peck at the two boxes on the right, but it soon settled down again, its crossed eyes constantly rolling.
Zhou Qing's heart stirred slightly. The mutated Egg Treasure Chicken ate everything, after all, and it was especially interested in items with stronger spirituality. Could it have sensed something?
Fortunately, no one noticed this. Zhou Qing shifted his gaze toward those two packages.
Then he gritted his teeth and decided to gamble!
If it really is in one of these two boxes, I'll give you a meal when we get back.
Next, Zhou Qing focused his gaze on the package slightly right of center and appraised it.
Ink Soul Jade: A rare jade produced in the Land of Extreme Yin. One can absorb pure soul energy from it to nourish and strengthen one's own soul power. It can even serve as a primary material for forging certain soul artifacts. Market price starts at no less than five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
Seeing the information that came back, Zhou Qing could not help smiling.
Without another word, he handed over fifteen hundred Spirit Stones.
"I want that one!" Zhou Qing pointed at the box.
Second Uncle's expression immediately stiffened, and disbelief appeared in his eyes.
Twice in a row—was this kid really that lucky?
"Are you sure?"
"Sure and certain!" Zhou Qing answered firmly.
Second Uncle could not help sighing and directly picked up the box, tossing it over.
"Something must have gone wrong somewhere. This old man needs to inspect things properly!"
Second Uncle stopped paying attention to Zhou Qing and carefully examined the other cloth bundles instead.
Heart Insight Points +6
Almost at the same time, the petty note above his head changed into Lucky Little Kid.
Everyone immediately crowded around, curious and impatient.
Zhou Qing looked at Third Senior Brother, whose face was practically pressed against his, and gave a bitter smile. "Third Senior Brother, don't be nervous. Your heart's pounding so loudly I can hear it. How about you open it?"
As Zhou Qing spoke, he directly handed over the box.
Yan Xiaohu looked embarrassed, but his body was honest. His hands trembled as he accepted it.
Then he pressed it against his forehead and muttered, "Heavens, bless us. Let us brothers win just once. I promise I'll never peek at women bathing again..."
Finally, amid everyone else's anxious urging, Yan Xiaohu peeled away the layers one by one. As the box opened, a piece of black jade, dark as ink throughout, appeared.
After a brief daze, Yan Xiaohu's body shuddered. His eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward.
Zhou Qing was quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbing the box in one motion.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness. It nearly fell!"
Then he hurriedly looked at Third Senior Brother on the ground. Yan Xiaohu was convulsing all over, foam constantly spilling from his mouth.
What, had Fan Jin passed the imperial exam?
Zhou Qing quickly pinched the spot beneath his nose.
The onlookers did not care about Yan Xiaohu in the slightest. Every one of them stared feverishly at the jade inside the box.
"Heavens, if I'm not mistaken, is that Ink Soul Jade?"
"It is Ink Soul Jade! I never expected such a large piece. This is an unparalleled treasure for nourishing the soul."
"Of course. I heard someone was left with only a wisp of a remnant soul, and they dwelled within this to recover."
"If I'd known, I would've bought it. Junior Brother, would you be willing to part with it?"
The moment they heard Ink Soul Jade had appeared, more and more people gathered around, constantly making offers. Some people, upon hearing that the Ink Soul Jade had come from the stall before them, were immediately tempted and began selecting items.
"Cough, cough—"
Yan Xiaohu suddenly opened his eyes. A violent coughing fit followed, then he spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm before finally gasping for air.
"Little Junior Brother, how long has it been since you trimmed your nails? You nearly pinched my philtrum bloody... Wait, Ink Soul Jade? Is it Ink Soul Jade?"
Having come to his senses, Yan Xiaohu hurriedly got up. He excitedly seized the box, and after seeing the black jade inside, he could no longer hold back his laughter.
Zhou Qing looked at the bloodstain on his right thumbnail and felt a little embarrassed. Then he hurriedly hugged the Old Hen, which was pecking at people's heels, into his arms.
He had finally lived up to his mission!
As for who the Ink Soul Jade belonged to, he would not concern himself with that. Third Senior Brother would handle it himself.
Watching Yan Xiaohu get surrounded by a crowd wanting to buy and sell, Zhou Qing smiled and quietly slipped away.
By his reckoning, the contests over at the square were about to begin. He needed to go farm Ignorance Points.
But as the afternoon approached, he had only farmed a single Ignorance Point, which struck him as rather strange.
Before you continue