Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy-Chapter 59: The Master’s Abilities

Nalan Jie was feeling a bit smug. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and not give Wu Tian a chance to back out.

The Gambling Stone Field had a high platform, which was used for announcing when and where good jade had been cut. This made it convenient for others to make purchases.

Nalan Jie immediately ascended the platform, picked up the microphone, and began with the customary greetings—welcoming everyone, wishing them a good time, and hoping they would all get rich.

Finally, he got to the main topic. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a spectacular competition tonight! Master Zhen and Mr. Wu Tian will be competing in stone gambling."

A murmur of excitement went through the crowd. Those who had been inspecting stones elsewhere were instantly stirred by the announcement.

The top ten ranked figures in the Gambling Stone Circle had already made their fortunes and had largely retired from the scene. The chance to see Master Zhen in action today made everyone feel their trip was worthwhile. The younger attendees were especially eager, their faces alight with enthusiasm at the prospect of learning from a master.

As for Wu Tian, while everyone had just witnessed his formidable combat skills, no one believed the young man could match the profound Cultivation of a stone gambling master.

On the platform, Nalan Jie announced, "The Gambling Stone Circle has its rules. We will select a batch of stones and allow both parties half an hour to study them. They will then choose their preferred stones to be cut open. The value of the jade inside will be assessed by a specialized team. Naturally, the one with the higher value wins."

Nalan Jie looked down at Wu Tian and Master Zhen. "Is that acceptable to you both?"

"Yes," Master Zhen nodded. He was actually worried Wu Tian might back out, so he goaded him, "If you’re scared, you can leave."

"I was actually getting sleepy and thinking of heading home." Wu Tian stretched lazily. "Alright, little Zhen, since you’ve stuck your neck out, don’t blame me for what happens next."

A smile touched Master Zhen’s lips. As a senior, how can I lower myself to his level? But inwardly, he was seething. You little brat. You’ll soon see what I’m capable of.

Finally, Nalan Jie’s men brought over a batch of Raw Stones.

"Each of you will pick three stones, and we’ll see whose choices yield the highest total value," Nalan Jie announced. "One mistake might be an accident, but three mistakes will clearly reveal one’s level of skill."

Master Zhen and Wu Tian both nodded.

At that moment, Wu Tian channeled Spiritual Power into his eyes. Suddenly, he could see the ambient Spiritual Energy. With a single glance, he spotted the three Raw Stones that contained the most abundant Spiritual Energy.

When he withdrew the Spiritual Power and looked again with his naked eye, he found that these three stones had a very poor appearance. A gambler with a conventional eye would never be able to spot their true worth.

Seeing this, Wu Tian’s eyes lit up with delight. He hadn’t expected Spiritual Power could be used with such a miraculous effect. He had only been trying it out on a whim.

"Alright, let’s begin selecting the stones," Nalan Jie announced.

Master Zhen nodded and walked up, carrying a magnifying glass and other tools. He scrutinized the Raw Stones, using every method and skill at his disposal.

Half an hour passed. Just as Master Zhen was about to speak, Nalan Jie suddenly interjected, "Hold on. I should clarify something beforehand. Mr. Wu Tian, you cannot select any of the Raw Stones that Master Zhen chooses."

Master Zhen had a moment of realization and nodded. "Exactly."

Wu Tian smiled. They’re judging a gentleman by their own petty standards.

"Alright, now for the part everyone has been waiting for: the Stone-Cutting! This is where we see who wins and who loses. Master Zhen, Mr. Wu Tian, the cost of these Raw Stones will, of course, be covered by me. However, if you manage to cut high-quality jade, the profits are all yours!" As Nalan Jie’s voice faded from the high platform, a group of Stone-Cutting Masters arrived, their equipment at the ready.

Master Zhen selected his three stones. He took one, handed it to a Stone-Cutting Master, and said, "Start with this one."

His face was filled with anticipation. He regarded this Raw Stone highly. In terms of appearance, it ranked within the top thirty of all the stones he had ever encountered in his life.

WHIRRR!

The Stone-Cutting Master began cutting, the machine’s blade slowly grinding against the stone’s surface.

Wu Tian, however, wasn’t the least bit interested. He had already seen that while the stone possessed some Spiritual Energy, the amount was paltry.

And things unfolded just as he had foreseen. The Stone-Cutting Master cut into the Raw Stone, and by the time it was halfway open, there was still not a hint of green.

Nalan Jie’s brows furrowed in displeasure. Could Master Zhen be stumbling at the first hurdle?

But just then, the Stone-Cutting Master finally spotted a trace of green within the stone.

"There’s green!" the master shouted.

Upon hearing this, smiles broke out across the crowd. Nalan Jie breathed a sigh of relief. Excellent. As expected of Master Zhen, he really knows his craft.

Master Zhen’s lips had been curved in a smile the entire time. He was certain it would show green. Of all the stones he had set his sights on in his life, not a single one had failed to produce. He was naturally confident in this.

However, the delight of Nalan Jie and Master Zhen did not last long. As the Stone-Cutting Master continued to cut, the sliver of green was revealed to be from a mere spoonful-sized piece of Glutinous Seed Jade.

This type of Glutinous Seed Jade resembled crystalline rice grains and was quite beautiful to behold. Unfortunately, at only the size of a spoonful, it couldn’t be made into a bracelet—at most, a string of Buddha Beads.

How could this be? Nalan Jie’s heart, which had just calmed, began to pound again. His breathing grew heavy with disbelief.

"This..." Master Zhen’s expression also tightened.

The team of appraisers standing by the Stone-Cutting Master quickly began their valuation. A moment later, an elderly appraiser announced, "This Raw Stone from Master Zhen has yielded a piece of Glutinous Seed Jade. Considering its color and size, we estimate its value at roughly three million."

The crowd erupted at the expert’s announcement.

The younger people in the crowd murmured, "To get three million from a single stone... Master Zhen truly is a master!"

But the more seasoned gentlemen and ladies sighed, "Only three million? That hardly showcases the master’s true skill."

"Indeed. This Raw Stone would have cost two million to purchase. For the jade inside to be worth only three million, the master only profited by one million."

Master Zhen hadn’t expected such an outcome either. He immediately shot Nalan Jie a look, his gaze conveying a clear message. This was just a slip-up. The next two stones will be the true testament to my skill.

Nalan Jie nodded in response. He knew, of course, that even masters make mistakes.

"Next, cut these two together!" Master Zhen declared loudly, extremely confident in his remaining two Raw Stones.

Of the remaining two stones, one was a regular, football-sized ellipse. The other was the size of a basketball and also appeared quite uniform. The quality of these two stones was so apparent that anyone would have found them appealing.