The second floor of Yang's Treasure Appraisal Pavilion was filled with curling incense smoke.
Ning Rongrong wore a pale yellow dress. Resting her chin on one hand, she drummed her fingers against the tabletop with the other, bored out of her mind.
Yang Fan sat opposite her, unhurriedly pouring himself a cup of tea as he waited for the guards to bring the items up.
Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao appeared. The guard soon arrived with three rosewood boxes.
"These three treasures were just sent over by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. We'll each pick one and see who can appraise theirs more accurately." Yang Fan raised an eyebrow.
At his words, Ning Rongrong, always quick-tempered, immediately sat up straight. "Good! As if I'd be afraid of you!"
Yang Fan casually opened the boxes and took out three seemingly unremarkable objects, setting them on the table:
A gray, nondescript stone covered in cracks, a dull black ring, and a withered, curled brown root.
"I'll pick first!"
Ning Rongrong made no attempt to be polite. Her gaze swept over the three objects before settling on the gray stone.
She held out her fair palm, and with a thought, a beautiful, resplendent Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda appeared in it.
A gentle Seven-Colored Halo enveloped the stone. Ning Rongrong closed her eyes and sensed it for a moment, then opened them confidently.
"This stone contains an extremely pure fluctuation of earth-attribute Soul Power. Although its exterior is wrapped in a layer of weathered rock, it's actually a rare Earth Vein Profound Gold Stone. It would be excellent for forging weapons. And it's at least three thousand years old."
Yang Fan gave a slight nod, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then released his Martial Soul.
A cold, shadowy gleam flashed across his Monocle. Looking at the stone Ning Rongrong had appraised, he said calmly, "It is an Earth Vein Profound Gold Stone, but you missed one detail. There's an extremely fine hidden pattern at its center, a mark left by tempering in earthfire. Its actual value is thirty percent higher than you said. It's a top-grade variety of Profound Gold Stone called Fire-Patterned Profound Gold."
Ning Rongrong froze, then quickly urged her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda to examine it closely again. Sure enough, deep inside the stone, she found a faint crimson pattern that was nearly impossible to detect.
She gave an unconvinced snort. "Lucky you have sharp eyes! Your turn."
Yang Fan pointed to the black ring.
He adjusted his Monocle, and countless fine streaks of light instantly flowed across its lens.
"An iron ring. The surface is worn, and there's only a trace of Soul Power remaining inside. It looks like an ordinary Storage Soul Tool that some Soul Master lost, but its inner wall is engraved with the long-lost Spirit Gathering Array. If I'm not mistaken, this is actually a special Soul Tool designed to carry pets. It's worth a fortune."
Ning Rongrong looked at him in surprise, then refused to be outdone and aimed her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda at the withered root.
This time, the light of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda became more dazzling than ever.
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath. An unmistakable hint of pride colored her voice. "Its withered appearance is just a disguise. Under the perception of my Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, it gives off an ancient, noble aura of Life. This isn't an ordinary root at all, but the Withered-Prosperous Root that grows alongside the nearly extinct, top-grade medicinal herb, the Dragon Ganoderma Leaf! Most of its medicinal power has dissipated, but with special cultivation methods, it could still recover."
Yang Fan's hand paused slightly as he adjusted his glasses. Through his Monocle, he really could see that deep within the root, a trace of stubborn, undying emerald vitality remained.
They exchanged a glance. It was as if sparks crackled between them in the air.
"Looks like," Yang Fan said, putting away his Martial Soul and breaking the silence with a smile, "we'll call this treasure appraisal showdown a draw?"
Ning Rongrong withdrew her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda and lifted her chin haughtily, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help curling upward. "Hmph, you're not completely useless! But I want that Withered-Prosperous Root from the Dragon Ganoderma Leaf!"
"I don't mind, but you'll have to tell those people from the Imperial Family that I'm only responsible for appraising this batch of goods and collecting the appraisal fee. I don't have the right to use them." Yang Fan shrugged with a smile.
"You've got something going for you. You really deserve to be called Heaven Dou's second-best treasure appraiser, but you're still a little short of being the best."
As Ning Rongrong made a circle with her fingers, she thought to herself that Yang Fan really did have an extraordinary talent for treasure appraisal and a wealth of knowledge.
The rules had been for each of them to appraise one item, but she had gone ahead and appraised two. And he had even pointed out a flaw in her appraisal of the Fire-Patterned Profound Gold.
By all rights, she had lost. But in practice, it was a draw!
Ning Rongrong would lose? Could you even call it losing when it came to a treasure appraiser? Ever since her Martial Soul Awakening, she'd known four different ways to write the word "appraisal," all right?
There was definitely a secret behind a little treasure pavilion being favored by the Imperial Family. Her Little Demoness nature couldn't help wanting to investigate.
"This token is yours. If anyone gives you trouble, you can bring it to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and look for me. But from now on, you'll have to sell us whatever treasures you get."
Ning Rongrong recalled how her father acted when doing business and tried her best to put on a mature air. Though she'd claimed it was a draw, she still accepted the wager and handed the token to Yang Fan.
Yang Fan had read the original story, so he naturally knew what she was like. But even without that, it was clear that Ning Rongrong hadn't planned to hide her nature. In just a few hours, she'd acted out a whole series of roles: arrogant and rude, high and mighty, eager to recruit talent, and pretending to be mature.
He didn't dislike this quirky little girl.
Though she was arrogant, she understood what was right. She had her own willfulness, but she also remembered to fight for her sect's interests.
Of the original Shrek Seven Monsters, Ning Rongrong was his favorite.
Tang San was deeply rooted in his sect-first mindset, and "asking for death" was always on his lips. Dai Mubai's cowardice and bullying of the weak were carved into his bones. Ma Hongjun was ruled by lust, Oscar was a little lecherous, Xiao Wu was a love-struck little fool, and Zhu Zhuqing was big-breasted, dim-witted, and mediocre in talent.
Ning Rongrong's only flaw was her spoiled, willful nature. But that was due to her circumstances and age. It was perfectly normal for a little girl in her early teens who'd been doted on since childhood to be a little willful. Later, she just needed to find someone who could keep her in line.
For some reason, Ning Rongrong felt a little embarrassed under Yang Fan's smiling gaze.
"I don't care. I'm taking this Withered-Prosperous Root."
Ning Rongrong snatched up the box containing the Withered-Prosperous Root and stormed out, mortified.
Yang Fan didn't stop her. The Imperial Family would understand, given the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's standing.
Watching Ning Rongrong and her maid leave downstairs, Yang Fan slowly let out a breath.
"That little girl is very talented. Do you like her?"
Yang Fan nearly laughed at the hint of jealousy in Ah Yin's voice.
He had a normal sense of right and wrong and wasn't interested in little girls. Maybe in another five or six years, once she'd grown into herself.
Because of their Martial Souls, people on Douluo Continent matured early on average. Gifted Soul Masters were equivalent to adults in their previous lives by the time they were thirteen or fourteen.
But that only applied to Soul Masters. Ordinary people without Soul Power still followed a normal human growth pattern. You could see that in the previous life's animated series, though it might also have been due to a lack of budget.
"Speaking of which, this ring is pretty good too. Now I won't have to carry you around in my arms every time I go out."
Yang Fan picked up the nondescript ring with a smile.
"It's a pity there's no Soul Pet inside. Any Soul Beast pet that could be carried around must have been special. Soul Tools capable of carrying living creatures were rare even thousands of years ago."
A trace of regret colored Ah Yin's gentle voice. In her memories, she had once seen a Soul Master whose Martial Soul was a copper coin. That Soul Master had owned a similar Soul Tool, and the Soul Pet seemed to have been a powerful Behemoth.
"Getting it is a blessing; losing it is fate. Ning Rongrong really does live up to her reputation as one of the original story's protagonists. Treasures that are rarely seen in ordinary times all showed up today. I feel like my state of mind is on the verge of another breakthrough."
Yang Fan had the Heart of Eros and the advantage of foresight, so he wouldn't lack opportunities. That was why he was so laid-back about it.