Chapter 8: Not Every Stone Can Be Licked

A fragment of the imperial jade seal?

Gesheng shivered without realizing it.

"To be precise, this is a fragment of the imperial jade seal from the ancient Azure Wing Empire," Gelian added.

"The Azure Wing Empire stood tall for seven hundred and forty-nine years, making it one of the most enduring great empires in this world. Even four hundred years ago, when the Founding Emperor marched westward, pointing his blade where seas of blood floated boats, and the Azure Wing Empire moved its capital fourteen hundred miles away to evade his sharp edge, it was ultimately not destroyed by that beast of war."

"Until one hundred and seventy years ago, a great emperor arose in this world." A man's voice suddenly cut through the air, causing everyone to turn their gaze toward him. They saw the man leaning against the corner of the wall, smiling faintly. "His title was Shuhua. Within a mere nineteen years of his birth into the world, the lingering seven kingdoms collapsed and scattered like birds and beasts."

He still looked disheveled. The alcohol was no longer dripping down his body, but the dried liquor caked his hair, skin, and clothing. That sticky, filthy texture was intensely unpleasant to look at.

Yet there he sat, continuing to speak, "After the fall of the seven kingdoms, Emperor Shuhua cleaved the jade seals of the seven kingdoms, breaking them into twenty-eight jade pendants. Among them, the jade seal of the Azure Wing Empire possessed the finest material, so Emperor Shuhua kept three pieces with him at all times."

"Later, Emperor Shuhua was assassinated and passed away, and those three jade pendants vanished into thin air, scattering across the world. To be able to lay eyes on one of them today is truly the greatest fortune of my life," he laughed aloud.

"At least you have some discernment." Gelian glanced coldly at the man, unexpectant that he would be so thoroughly acquainted with the origin of the pendant in his hand, which sparked a hint of wariness in his heart.

When Gesheng looked again at the piece of jade in Gelian's hand, his entire body trembled slightly—in the terminology of the jade trade, this piece of jade should be called Imperial Jade.

Held by monarchs, played with by monarchs, tracing its lineage back to monarchs, and carrying the destiny of monarchs.

Any piece of jade, as long as it was Imperial Jade, had an immeasurable value. Yet the jade pendant in Gelian's hand, judging by its origins, was an even more supreme treasure among Imperial and royal jades.

It was an ornament worn by the founding emperor of the Osi Empire, one of the three great empires of the present day, and its material was crafted from the shattered jade seal that had condensed the seven-hundred-year national fortune and vital breath of the Azure Wing Empire. The value of such a piece of jade had long reached an immeasurable realm.

Gesheng couldn't help but look down at the brocade box in his hands—purple jadeite was already an exceedingly rare variety of jade in this world. With such a massive volume and such exquisite carving, this piece of purple jade grapes was already at the pinnacle of conventional jade artistry.

However, the piece of jade in his opponent's hand was far beyond the conventional realm. That jade pendant, which was once a pillar of the state and had suppressed the fortune of a nation, was not something ordinary wealthy families had the qualification to collect. Only the highest-ranking nobility and the imperial clans of the three great empires were qualified to possess a precious jade of such extraordinary provenance.

"Your turn," Gelian smiled softly. "As your cousin, I am quite eager to see the precious jade my dear cousin has brought out."

Gesheng did not move.

There was simply no basis for comparison. Compared to his opponent's Imperial Jade, even if the purple jade grapes in his hands were ten times more precious in material and ten times more exquisite in craftsmanship, there remained an unbridgeable chasm of tens of millions of times.

Even if Gesheng recalled all the precious jade he had ever read about in ancient texts, the ones capable of surpassing it were likely only a handful, and every single one of them was a divine artifact used by the major imperial clans to suppress their national fortune.

Seeing that Gesheng did not move, Gelian smiled gently. He was an inherently handsome man, so his smile was as warm and pleasant as a spring breeze. "Since cousin is reluctant to take it out, then you might as well just concede."

Yet Gesheng did not feel the spring breeze at all; he felt only a biting, bone-chilling cold.

He had witnessed how this cousin of his had ruthlessly snapped Uncle Wu's limbs with his bare hands. The cruelty and ruthlessness hidden behind his smile were on par with the most venomous snake.

Gesheng glanced around. In this nearly ruined hall, Uncle Wu was still on the floor, stubbornly enduring the pain without letting out a single groan. Lihua stood not far away, her mouth hanging wide open in shock upon hearing the origin of that jade.

Xiao Jiu stood there quietly, aloof and serene like a water orchid on the verge of blooming. Her white-porcelain-like delicate face did not show much expression. Instead, she tilted her head, her hand touching the ice-blue salt stone on her chest, looking far too solemn for a young girl.

This salt stone was only about half the size of a palm, and perhaps it had been even larger originally. However, under the young girl's day-in and day-out licking over the years, its volume had clearly shrunk significantly, and one could faintly discern a flash of dazzling green at the corner tied with the cyan silk ribbon.

Aside from them, there was only the nameless man in the corner, and the kindly old man standing behind Gelian, whose presence was so imperceptible that he felt like nothing at all unless one paid attention to him.

"Well then," Gesheng let out a slow breath.

Gelian looked at Gesheng with some surprise, only to see him casually toss the brocade box away. It hit the ground, bounced, and slid all the way to the corner of the wall.

Seeing Gesheng give up in self-abandonment, Gelian tilted his head. "You concede?"

"No," Gesheng shook his head.

"Since cousin has brought out something so precious," Gesheng had entered a state of calmness at this moment that even he found somewhat hazy, "then I cannot afford to make a fool of myself either."

Saying this, he walked straight toward Xiao Jiu, who was standing there. "Hey."

Xiao Jiu tilted her head, her water-blue eyes blinking slightly.

"I need to win," Gesheng said to her.

Xiao Jiu nodded.

Then Gesheng raised his hand, grasped the ice-blue salt stone around her neck, and apologized to her, "I want to take a gamble."

Xiao Jiu turned her head to look at the man in the corner, seemingly wanting to ask for his opinion, but halfway through turning back, she abruptly jerked her small head away.

The corner of this aloof girl's mouth, who never smiled in all the years, suddenly bloomed with a mischievous and cunning smirk, as if she had made a decision all on her own—it was that kind of roguish, wicked smile, like the proud grin of a girl whose prank had succeeded.

She raised her hand and gently wrote: "Provided you aren't scared out of your wits."

Having written that, Xiao Jiu lowered her head, allowing Gesheng to remove the salt stone from her fair and tender neck.

Then Gesheng turned back to look at Gelian, holding the ice-blue salt stone in his hand. "This is the jade I am using for the wager."

"Hahahahaha!" Gelian clutched his stomach and laughed out loud. "Cousin, have you lost your mind? A piece of worthless rock like this—you could buy a whole bunch of them in the market for three or five copper coins. Are you really going to compete with such trash?"

Lihua looked timidly at Gesheng. "Young master, you..."

Although Lihua didn't say it outright, it was obvious she suspected that Gesheng had lost his mind.

"I am wagering jade with you," Gesheng's eyes were as clear as a mirror.

"This is a jade embryo, and I am going to unseal the jade right here with you. Whatever jade is unsealed from within will be the jade I use for my third vow."

The man sitting in the corner was also listening to what Gesheng said. Seemingly reminded of something very amusing, he lowered his head and chuckled softly to himself.