White Jade Embryo (Seeking Recommendation Tickets!)

If I am willing to risk it all, I will fight my way into the top three. This is the second chapter for today; Baili once again asks all my brothers and sisters for votes, o(n_n)o... Brothers and sisters who have votes, don't hide them.

Ye Qin walked through the bustling streets of the county town, spotted a jade shop named "Spring Jade Shop," and strolled inside.

The shop was quite spacious, easily accommodating dozens of people. Four large rows of counters lined the walls, filled with jade pieces of all sizes—some raw embryos, others finished carvings—available for purchase.

Several attendants in green robes were assisting a few wealthy-looking customers in selecting jade pendants. Perhaps because jade was expensive, almost everyone shopping here belonged to the affluent families of the county; there were no commoners to be seen.

A young attendant in the shop walked up to Ye Qin with a face full of smiles.

"This guest, what kind of jade are you looking for? Our Spring Jade Shop is the premier jade store in Zhuqi County. We have every variety: nephrite, jadeite, white jade, cyan jade, red jade, jasper, black jade, yellow jade, and more. They are all of extremely hard texture and brilliant luster. Whether you want them carved into pendants to wear for clearing the mind, warding off evil, and sharpening the senses, or crafted into bracelets, rings, hairpins, or sword ornaments, we have a vast selection. As long as you can name it, our shop can provide it."

Seeing Ye Qin dressed in a green robe, the young attendant secretly guessed he might be a disciple from the Herb Gathering Hall, the number one powerhouse in the county, and dared not be negligent. The attendant also knew that if one catered to the preferences of these martial sect disciples, they were often very generous and rarely haggled over prices.

Ye Qin listened to the introduction and nodded, remaining noncommittal.

This was already the third jade shop he had visited in the county. The previous ones had also boasted to the heavens, acting as if their wares were stars fallen from the sky, yet he hadn't found the kind of spirit stone he was looking for.

Ye Qin spoke up: "I am looking for a type of jade that is filled with spiritual energy throughout the entire piece. Even from several steps away, one should be able to clearly sense the spiritual energy within it. Does your shop have such a jade?"

The young attendant was stunned for a moment.

In truth, all jade contains spiritual energy; otherwise, it would be called common stone rather than jade. The quality of jade depends on whether that energy is concentrated. Most jade contains so little energy that it is barely detectable. Only the finest, top-tier jade could possibly emit a clearly perceptible aura. Of course, the price of such jade was astronomically high, often serving as a shop's treasure, not for easy sale.

He realized Ye Qin was looking for the highest grade of jade. He looked at Ye Qin again, surprised, and confirmed he wasn't joking. Unsure of Ye Qin's status or financial backing, he dared not make a decision on his own and immediately went into the back room to fetch the owner of the Spring Jade Shop.

The owner was a white-haired, vigorous old man of sixty or seventy. He walked out from the back room unhurriedly, smiled, and bowed to Ye Qin.

"Young man, are you perhaps looking for the treasure of my Spring Jade Shop? I am the proprietor of this shop, Zhao Yuanshan. I don't know how to address you, or what position you hold at the Herb Gathering Hall? As long as you can afford the price, it is not impossible for this old man to part with my shop's treasure."

"My surname is Ye. As for my position in the Herb Gathering Hall, that is irrelevant. What matters is whether your shop has the jade I want. As long as you have it, I can certainly afford the price."

Ye Qin was quite confident in this.

Old Master Zhao's eye for detail was far sharper than the attendant's. He saw the leaf emblem embroidered on Ye Qin's clothing at a glance, which indicated that the person before him was merely an outer-hall herb-gathering disciple, and a very junior one at that. Such people usually held very low status within the Herb Gathering Hall.

However, being an herb-gathering disciple did not mean one was poor. Many such disciples risked their lives to gather herbs and often had significant wealth in their hands. Especially those who engaged in "private trade," they were often filthy rich and spent lavishly.

Old Master Zhao looked at Ye Qin with a playful expression. Could this one be one of those disciples who dealt in "private trade"? Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to produce enough money to buy top-tier jade.

Thinking of this, Old Master Zhao suddenly laughed aloud: "Haha, my Spring Jade Shop is considered the top jade shop in Zhuqi County. The jade in my shop is absolutely top-quality; I guarantee you will be satisfied. Young Master Ye, please, let us go into the back room to talk!"

Ye Qin's spiritual sense was extremely sensitive.

The look Old Master Zhao had just given him made him feel very uncomfortable; it seemed as if the old man had some ulterior motive. However, Ye Qin asked himself what he could possibly have that would be of interest to Old Master Zhao.

Old Master Zhao led Ye Qin into the back room.

The back room still contained a few counters, but they were much more exquisite and high-end than those in the front. There were also many chairs and tea tables set with fragrant tea for guests to rest. A female attendant stood by to pour tea and serve them.

Old Master Zhao personally introduced the fine jade pieces inside these counters to Ye Qin.

They were not top-tier, but they were far superior to the common jade outside. He wanted to see if Ye Qin was satisfied with them.

However, Ye Qin was not satisfied with a single piece; he could not feel any spiritual energy leaking from any of them. He remembered that when he had dug out the Cyan Rock Marrow at Eagle Peak Cliff, he had felt a rush of dense spiritual energy hitting his face—that was a true spirit stone.

Old Master Zhao was not discouraged; on the contrary, he became even more pleased. Ye Qin's attitude confirmed his suspicions: this young disciple from the Herb Gathering Hall must be involved in "private trade" and should have plenty of money.

Old Master Zhao had the maid serve Ye Qin while he personally entered a secret room nearby. After a short while, he emerged carrying a heavy wooden box.

"My shop has one more top-grade White Jade Embryo. I invite Young Master Ye to take a look."

He carefully opened the large wooden box. A White Jade Embryo was revealed, the size of a large bowl. It was pure white in color, with a fine, smooth texture and a lustrous sheen. The bottom of the box was lined with soft white cotton to prevent any damage.

"This White Jade Embryo is the treasure of my Spring Jade Shop. It is extremely rare. Our master jade carver has been contemplating how to carve it but has yet to start, so it remains an embryo. This item has a significant effect on calming the heart and spirit for those practicing internal energy, reducing the risk of suffering from cultivation deviation."

Old Master Zhao began to explain the uses of the White Jade Embryo.

Ye Qin gently brushed his hand over the White Jade Embryo, closed his eyes, and took a slow breath to sense its spiritual energy. He could faintly feel a trace of elusive spiritual energy radiating from the jade. He thought to himself that since he could feel the leakage of spiritual energy, this White Jade Embryo could be considered a spirit stone. Even though its concentration of spiritual energy was far inferior to the Cyan Rock he had once dug up, and its size was much smaller.