Chapter 53

"Mr. Deng, that guy is ignoring me."

"I knew it would be like this, that guy is stubborn. Damn it, the key is that he's too strong. Even with all the people under Brother Yuan, they can't beat him. Otherwise, we could gather a group of people to break his legs."

"Wait, break?" Yang Ziwei blinked his small eyes, his eyeballs turning a few times: "Mr. Deng, I have an idea."

He whispered a few words in Chenglong Deng's ear, and the frown on Chenglong's face gradually relaxed, a smile appearing on his face: "Good, Ziwei, let's do it this way. If the matter is successful, I'll treat you to 'Golden Paradise,' and I'll cover all the expenses."

"Thank you, Mr. Deng, thank you, Mr. Deng." Yang Ziwei beamed with joy.

That was the most luxurious KTV in Xinan City, and also Chenglong Deng's base. He, Mr. Deng, didn't need to do anything, and going to university was just a formality. His father doted on this son so much that if he asked for the stars, he wouldn't dare give him the moon. Money was just a small issue.

If he helped him with this matter, could he possibly not get his share of the benefits?

The two discussed for a while, then Chenglong looked up, his eyes brightening as he saw his sister and Xu Yunqi walking over.

He had long lusted after Xu Yunqi, but unfortunately, she never gave him any chance, making him grind his teeth in frustration, yet he was helpless. Today, Xu Yunqi was in a good mood, having drunk a whole bottle of red wine, her face flushed, looking especially alluring, which made Chenglong even more drool.

"Yunqi, did you drink?" Chenglong walked over with a grin, not even glancing at his sister.

"Uh-huh." Xu Yunqi replied coldly.

"Next time, if you want to drink, find me." Chenglong became excited: "Tonight at 'Golden Paradise,' it's on me. We'll open a bottle of Royal Salute."

"Thanks, but I can't afford Mr. Deng's wine." Xu Yunqi was already reluctant to deal with this person. After chatting with Ai Xiaohai all afternoon, she felt even more repulsed by Chenglong, pulling Deng Mengmeng's hand: "Let's go, Mengmeng."

Watching their backs, Chenglong spat: "Pretending, what are you pretending for!"

"Mr. Deng, there's a way to deal with this girl..."

"Forget it, let's put it aside for now. Let's deal with Ai Xiaohai first." Chenglong suppressed his anger.

Xu Yunqi's parents were doctors and had saved Chenglong's father's life. If he offended them, his father's face would be ruined.

Anyway, there was no rush. They were in the same school; could she run away?

...

Ai Xiaohai's alcohol tolerance was average, and one bottle of red wine was enough to make him suffer. After returning home, he took a shower and fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already dark. He found something to eat, then thought of the jade elephant, examining it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. The jade elephant definitely contained a large amount of spiritual energy, but it couldn't be released.

It seemed he needed to first find out the origin of the jade elephant before he could look for a solution.

He dug out his phone and called Yuan Xiyue, saying he had found another jade artifact at home and wanted Yuan Lao to appraise it. Yuan Xiyue, without hesitation, said he would send a car to pick him up, but Ai Xiaohai quickly said he would come over.

They agreed on a time, and Ai Xiaohai packed up the jade elephant and hurried out.

Yuan Xiyue lived in "Zijin Garden," a place full of villas, all inhabited by the wealthy. Ai Xiaohai could only dream of buying a villa here when he became rich.

At the gate, Assistant Liu was already waiting. "Zijin Garden" wasn't a place you could just enter.

The security guard stood straight in the booth, like a traffic police officer. When Ai Xiaohai entered, the guard couldn't help but glance at him.

It was no wonder. Assistant Liu, even in the scorching heat, wore a professional suit, while Ai Xiaohai? He wore a round-necked T-shirt bought for 28 yuan, a pair of shorts, which were "expensive" at 50 yuan, and a pair of slippers...

This outfit had nothing to do with being rich...

Ai Xiaohai didn't care what others thought; as long as he was comfortable.

As soon as he entered Yuan Xiyue's villa, Yuan Lao was already waiting. Seeing Ai Xiaohai, he couldn't wait: "Quick, where's the item? Show it to me."

This antique-loving Yuan Lao, after seeing the seal and the fragment of the He Shi Bi at Ai Xiaohai's place last time, believed that this young man must have more good things. He wasn't greedy for Ai Xiaohai's items; the key was that good things were a great fortune to appreciate, whether they belonged to him or not.

"Yuan Lao, you're really eager." Ai Xiaohai smiled and handed the bag to Yuan Xiyue.

Yuan Xiyue had Assistant Liu turn on all the lights, carefully took out the jade elephant, his eyes brightening, then slightly scolding: "Xiaohai, how could you be so careless with this? What if it got damaged on the way?"

Without waiting for a response, he first examined it for a long time, then took out a magnifying glass and studied the jade elephant from all angles. After a long while, he reluctantly put it down, sighing: "Xiaohai, how many more good things do you have?"

Just this sentence confirmed Ai Xiaohai's judgment: the jade elephant was extremely valuable. However, what he was most concerned about wasn't this.

"This jade elephant can be confirmed to be from the Shang Dynasty..."

Yuan Xiyue's words left Ai Xiaohai stunned. The Shang Dynasty? King Zhou and Daji? Good heavens, it was at least three thousand years old!

A jade artifact from three thousand years ago! How powerful was the spiritual energy it contained? However, both Guo Wenhe and Sun Yizhuo had said that jade nourishes people, and people nourish jade. If jade isn't worn or held for a long time, the spiritual energy gradually fades.

But he had already felt the powerful spiritual energy in the jade elephant. Could it have been in circulation before it was hidden in the Lake Yan treasure cave?

"This jade elephant is extraordinary; after three thousand years, it shows no signs of decay." Yuan Xiyue slowly said: "Many years ago, a jade elephant from the Shang Dynasty was unearthed, but its color was impure. Although it had high historical research value, it wasn't worth much. Your jade elephant is different; it is carved from a single piece of jade, naturally formed, emerald green, and its value is immeasurable. More importantly, the material of this jade is very special. After more than three thousand years, not only has the spiritual energy not leaked, but it has absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, becoming even more vibrant and lustrous. The spiritual energy it contains has likely surpassed what it originally had..."

The legend that jade can absorb the essence of heaven and earth has been around for thousands of years, so it wasn't surprising. Ai Xiaohai was thinking: three thousand years of spiritual energy, how terrifying would it be if he absorbed it? The problem was, he had no idea how to absorb the spiritual energy from the jade elephant.

Yuan Xiyue seemed to be lost in thought: "During the Shang Dynasty, during the reign of Shao Kang, his father-in-law, the ruler of Youyu, presented a piece of jade that could glow at night, illuminating the surroundings. In the process of Shao Kang's restoration of the kingdom, a female general named Nv Ai, willing to act as a spy, became the first female spy in history, making great contributions to Shao Kang. To reward her, Shao Kang had the jade carved into a jade elephant and presented it to Nv Ai... After Nv Ai's death, the jade elephant was buried with her and disappeared..."

"Yuan Lao, could this be the jade elephant given to Nv Ai?" Ai Xiaohai began to understand.

Hmm? Nv Ai—Ai Xiaohai, both had the character "Ai," which was a coincidence.

"From what I see, it is this one." Yuan Xiyue nodded slightly: "According to records, the jade presented by the ruler of Youyu could glow at night, making it extremely precious. Your jade elephant is also made of a unique and precious material, capable of storing spiritual energy and absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Even compared to the He Shi Bi, it might be slightly inferior. I believe it must be the jade elephant of Nv Ai."

Ai Xiaohai was stunned. The item he casually took from the Prince's treasure was actually the jade elephant of Nv Ai? His luck was beyond good.

After a moment of thought, he cautiously asked: "Yuan Lao, this... you said..."

Ai Xiaohai's hesitant manner piqued Yuan Xiyue's curiosity. Ai Xiaohai took a deep breath: "Is there any way to release the spiritual energy inside?"

Yuan Xiyue was taken aback, then suddenly furious: "Nonsense, nonsense! A treasure from three thousand years ago, is there any jade in the world that can match its spiritual energy? Not only is there no way, but even if there were, who would do it? Once the spiritual energy is released, it would take a long time to restore. People nurture jade, but you want to destroy it."

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Others, upon obtaining such a precious jade, would think about how to preserve it, but Ai Xiaohai was thinking about how to destroy its spiritual energy?

Ai Xiaohai, of course, knew the jade elephant was priceless, but no matter how valuable it was, he couldn't sell it; it was a cultural relic. If he could absorb the three thousand years of spiritual energy, how much would it help the Dragon Spirit Pearl?

But if he continued to ask, Yuan Lao might hit him.

He laughed awkwardly: "Yuan Lao, don't be angry, I was just joking."

Yuan Xiyue then relaxed: "Xiaohai, this jade elephant is too precious. I was going to ask if you were willing to part with it, but I thought, such a good thing shouldn't be taken from its owner. Remember, remember, unless you are in dire straits, don't sell it. If you really need money, come to me directly."

"I understand, Yuan Lao."

Since he knew the origin of the jade elephant, he would think of a way to absorb its spiritual energy later.

He got up to leave, and Yuan Lao, worried about any accidents on the way, sent Assistant Liu to drive Ai Xiaohai back.

After driving Ai Xiaohai home, he thanked Assistant Liu, who suddenly said: "Xiaohai, you probably asked Yuan Lao about that legend, right?"

Ai Xiaohai was taken aback. What legend?

Assistant Liu continued: "I heard that some people, to nurture jade, would first use their blood to release the spiritual energy inside the jade, then re-cultivate it. After more than ten years, the jade's spiritual energy would be even more vibrant and could be sold for a higher price. However, Yuan Lao always considered this to be nonsense."

Ai Xiaohai listened carefully, his heart stirred.