Chapter 39

（In the middle of the night, at dawn, update, a new week, please follow and recommend, thank you!）

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Xiaohai Ai got up early in the morning. He was preoccupied with the idea of selling the treasure to get money and return to Xinan as soon as possible. Although this trip had been very fruitful, it had also taken too much time.

After breakfast, he called Yuan Xiyi according to the phone number on the business card. It was clear from the phone that Yuan Xiyi was very happy and asked him to take a taxi over quickly.

Hark City was not a fast-paced city. After leaving the hotel, Xiaohai Ai waited for a long time before a taxi finally arrived. The driver was a chatterbox and talked non-stop from the hotel to Yuan Xiyi's residence, discussing football, military affairs, and seemingly knowing everything about the world.

Yuan Xiyi stayed at the largest hotel in Hark City, which was far superior to the small inn where Xiaohai Ai was staying.

When he arrived at the room, the door was open, and Xiaohai Ai knocked lightly on it.

"Come in."

Following the voice, Xiaohai Ai walked in. Inside, not only were Yuan Xiyi and the middle-aged woman Xiao Liu present, but there was also an unfamiliar middle-aged man.

"Ah, Xiaohai, sit down." Yuan Xiyi warmly invited him to sit down. "Yizhuo, this is the young man I told you about, Xiaohai Ai. Xiaohai, let me introduce you to Sun Yizhuo, a well-known figure in the antiques market in Hark City. The largest antique market here belongs to him."

"Mr. Sun, hello."

"Hello."

The two exchanged brief greetings. As soon as Xiaohai Ai sat down, Yuan Xiyi asked, "Where is the seal?"

Xiaohai Ai took the seal out of his pocket and handed it over. Yuan Xiyi carefully examined it, using a magnifying glass for a good ten minutes before passing it to Sun Yizhuo.

Sun Yizhuo also examined it for about ten minutes, then nodded at Yuan Xiyi. "It's genuine."

"There aren't many remaining pieces of yellowish-brown seal stone." Yuan Xiyi sighed. "Xiaohai, what price are you willing to sell it for?"

Xiaohai Ai thought for a moment. "Mr. Yuan, you said yesterday that the price of this item is between 150,000 and 200,000 yuan. I really need the money urgently. How about the lowest price, 150,000 yuan?"

Yuan Xiyi and Sun Yizhuo exchanged glances, their eyes full of approval. In the antiques business, greed was the most taboo, whether for buyers or sellers. The young man in front of them had clearly managed to avoid being greedy.

These two words were easy to say but hard to practice.

Yuan Xiyi pondered for a moment. "Let me be honest with you. I really like this yellowish-brown seal stone. Before you came, Yizhuo and I had already discussed it. If it's genuine, we would buy it for 180,000 yuan. You only need 150,000 yuan... It's good that you have such a calm attitude. I'll still give you 180,000 yuan!"

"Thank you, Mr. Yuan." Xiaohai Ai did not refuse.

An extra 30,000 yuan might not mean much to them, but it would be a significant help to him.

"Give me your bank card number." Yuan Xiyi's assistant, Xiao Liu, took out her phone.

Xiaohai Ai provided a card number, and Xiao Liu completed the transfer via phone banking. Soon, Xiaohai Ai's phone received a text message: "Account XXXX has transferred 180,000 yuan to your account ending in XXXX."

The deal was done.

Seeing that Yuan Xiyi and Sun Yizhuo were still fondling the seal, Xiaohai Ai casually asked, "If I have more items like this in the future, can I still sell them to you?"

"Oh, you have more?" Yuan Xiyi became interested.

"Ah, actually, my grandfather liked collecting these..." Xiaohai Ai made up a lie on the spot. "I don't know which ones are good and which ones are not. When I have time in the future, I'll invite you to take a look."

"Good, good, I can come to your place." The antique enthusiast Yuan Xiyi eagerly agreed, hoping Xiaohai Ai would invite him right away.

Unfortunately, Xiaohai Ai did not do so. How could he lead Yuan Xiyi into the primeval forest? The sight of venomous snakes and fierce beasts would likely scare him to death.

"Ah, I almost forgot something important." Yuan Xiyi slapped his head. "Xiaohai, let me see the jade scorpion on your neck again."

Taking the jade scorpion, Yuan Xiyi handed it to Sun Yizhuo. "Yizhuo, you know more about jade. What kind of jade is this? It looks like yellowish-brown, but it doesn't seem quite right."

He could determine the authenticity of the yellowish-brown seal stone himself, but he had invited his old friend Sun Yizhuo to examine the peculiar jade scorpion on Xiaohai Ai's neck.

Sun Yizhuo took the jade scorpion. At first, he thought it was just a cheap yellowish-brown jade and didn't take it seriously. However, the more he looked, the more surprised he became. He examined it from all angles and even took it to the window. While it took him only ten minutes to identify the yellowish-brown seal stone, he spent over an hour examining the jade scorpion.

Xiaohai Ai was very curious. What kind of jade could make Sun Yizhuo so serious?

"Impossible, impossible!" Sun Yizhuo finally sat back down. "On the surface, it does look like yellowish-brown, but upon closer inspection, it seems to have a faint golden and green hue..."

"Really?" Yuan Xiyi frowned.

"Mr. Yuan, this can only be seen clearly in the morning sunlight." Sun Yizhuo explained carefully. "Morning sunlight is not too strong, while midday and afternoon sunlight are too strong. Therefore, only at this time can the golden and green hues be seen, and only with careful observation."

Yuan Xiyi's frown deepened. "Yellow with golden and green hues, I've never heard of such a type of jade."

"It may not exist now, but it doesn't mean it didn't exist in the past." Sun Yizhuo's expression was solemn, even tense. "Let me tell you a story. In ancient times, a jade craftsman found a piece of raw jade and presented it to the emperor. The emperor's jade workers said it was just an ordinary stone, so the craftsman had one of his feet cut off. When a new emperor ascended the throne, the craftsman presented the jade again, but it was still considered a stone, and he had his other foot cut off. When the third emperor ascended the throne, he sent for the craftsman, who had cried for three days and three nights. When the raw jade was opened, it turned out to be an unparalleled piece of jade..."

"The He Shi Bi!" Xiaohai Ai, Yuan Xiyi, and Xiao Liu exclaimed simultaneously.

The story of the He Shi Bi was famous, but hearing it from Sun Yizhuo was hard to believe. Could this jade scorpion be related to the He Shi Bi?

"Yes, the He Shi Bi. When King Zhao of Qin wanted to obtain the He Shi Bi, he offered fifteen cities in exchange. Lin Xiangru brought the jade to the meeting, and the famous 'Return of the He Shi Bi' ensued." Sun Yizhuo continued. "However, the He Shi Bi eventually fell into the hands of the Qin Dynasty. In the ninth year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the He Shi Bi was made into an imperial seal, which was passed down through generations until the last emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty, Li Congke, and his concubines burned it in the palace, along with all the imperial items. After that, the He Shi Bi disappeared."

Xiaohai Ai was stunned. "Is this the He Shi Bi? But the imperial seal was so large, and this jade scorpion is so small."

Sun Yizhuo did not answer immediately. "There are many legends about the He Shi Bi. One of them is also famous. When Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, he sent people to his aunt, Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, to ask for the imperial seal. She was so angry that she threw the seal to the ground, breaking off a corner. It was later repaired with gold, but the seal was left with a flaw..."

He paused. "Mr. Yuan, Xiaohai, I have a precious book called 'Jade Repair Collection' that has been passed down through generations. It records various stories about jade. One of them says that the He Shi Bi, with its golden and green hue, is the greatest treasure in the world. At 9 a.m., the golden and green hues can be seen in the sunlight. It also says that Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun used the seal to hit a thief, breaking off a corner. A skilled craftsman in the palace later obtained this broken corner and carved something from it, but no one has ever seen it. Some say it was carved into a jade peony, others say it was carved into a jade scorpion..."

He sighed deeply. "I didn't believe it at first, but it seems this story is true. I think a jade peony would require more material than a broken corner, so it must have been carved into a jade scorpion."

Xiaohai Ai was speechless. Could it be that his jade scorpion was actually a part of the He Shi Bi? He suddenly thought, if this were true, what would Guo Wenge's expression be when he found out?

"But why did everyone think it was just yellowish-brown?" Xiaohai Ai was still puzzled.

"Jade nourishes people, and people nourish jade, an eternal truth." Sun Yizhuo repeated what Guo Wenge had said. "Generally, fine jade needs to be nurtured by people; otherwise, it is no different from a stone. I suspect that this jade scorpion, carved from a broken corner of the He Shi Bi, was long considered worthless and neglected, or it was never discovered, gradually losing its luster. The He Shi Bi was originally golden, and over time, the neglected jade scorpion turned yellowish-brown."

Unfortunately, wouldn't that mean the jade scorpion was useless?

Sun Yizhuo saw Xiaohai Ai's thoughts. "Xiaohai, don't worry. The luster of jade can be lost, but it can also be restored. However, it's strange. Nurturing jade takes a long time, but this jade scorpion has quickly regained its golden and green hues. Moreover, even with these hues, it shouldn't be so dull."

Xiaohai Ai's mind raced. Could it be the power of the Dragon Spirit Pearl? No wonder a small piece of jade scorpion had helped him so much that day. This was the He Shi Bi! As for the dullness? He couldn't tell them that the jade's luster had been absorbed by him.

However, Sun Yizhuo's words gave Xiaohai Ai great confidence. Jade nourishes people, and people nourish jade. With the power of the Dragon Spirit Pearl, the jade's luster would eventually be restored.

When that time comes, the powerful luster of the He Shi Bi would bring him great benefits.