Chapter 514: Crown Prince, You’ve Been Fooled by This Kid

Chapter 514: Chapter 514: Crown Prince, You’ve Been Fooled by This Kid

Zhou Shilong and Lin Shaofeng exchanged a look, and both saw deep fear in the other’s eyes!

At first, they were polite to Cheng Yuan only because he was Prince Duan’s sworn brother; they weren’t particularly afraid of him.

They had even secretly schemed to get revenge on Cheng Yuan whenever his relationship with Prince Duan soured.

But now? How could they still dare to seek revenge?

From now on, even without having to consider Prince Duan’s reputation, Cheng Yuan was their patriarch.

Lin Shaofeng scrambled to his feet, gazing at Cheng Yuan with a look of pure adoration, not bothering to hide his fawning. "Grandmaster, you’re incredible! You’re absolutely the undisputed number one of the younger generation in the entire Ancient Martial Realm!"

Zhou Shilong was just as shameless with his flattery. "Third Uncle’s combat skills astounded me, but what’s even more astounding is your potential! One day, Third Uncle will attain the Dao and become the undisputed number one in the entire Ancient Martial Realm!"

Duan Lang laughed and cursed, "Stop sucking up, you two! Even I can’t listen to this anymore. Third Uncle, please, the elevator."

After that little spar, Duan Lang had completely accepted his place. He finally understood his father’s words: he absolutely, under no circumstances, could afford to provoke Cheng Yuan. He had to, by all means, stay on good terms with him.

Cheng Yuan nodded slightly and strolled into the elevator.

Duan Lang, Zhou Shilong, and Lin Shaofeng stood cautiously behind Cheng Yuan, not daring to overstep their bounds by even half a step.

Cheng Yuan said gently, "Xiaolang, we’re practically family. No need to be so formal. Tell me about the Magical Artifact Exchange."

Duan Lang replied respectfully, "To answer your question, Third Uncle, the Magical Artifact Exchange was first started by Gui City’s own Master Xun Chang. Initially, it was just a small, local event in Gui City."

"Last year, an Upper Grade Magical Artifact appeared at the exchange and was acquired by the Magic Master from Hong Kong Island, Li Jumin!"

"After that, our Gui City Magical Artifact Exchange became famous, and many experts from out of town started coming to hunt for treasures."

"Today, there are a total of eight prominent figures from various circles attending. The more important ones include Qian Province’s wealthiest man, Elder Qian Jinshui; the young clan leader of the Shu Miao Race from Miaojiang, Miao Shijie; and the rich merchant from Hong Kong Island, Bao Beilong."

"Elder Qian is nicknamed ’Half-a-Province,’ which gives you an idea of how vast his fortune is! Miao Shijie needs no introduction, and Bao Beilong is the youngest son of a shipping magnate. All three of them have brought a Magic Master to appraise items."

As he spoke, the elevator arrived. The group reached the Cloud Palace on the top floor.

Zhou Shilong and Lin Shaofeng eagerly pushed the doors open, and Cheng Yuan and Duan Lang entered the room, one after the other.

Inside the room were two rows of long benches made of huanghuali wood.

Seven or eight people were already seated.

Upon seeing Duan Lang, most of them stood and clasped their hands in greeting.

"Crown Prince, you’ve arrived?"

Duan Lang politely returned the gesture and exchanged pleasantries with the group.

Only a few remained firmly seated, unconcerned: a young man in Miao ethnic attire, an old man in a Zhongshan suit, and another young man who looked rather wealthy.

Next to each of these three stood an arrogant-looking Magic Master.

Miao Shijie shot a nonchalant glance at Cheng Yuan beside Duan Lang and asked with a sinister smile, "Duan Lang, who’s this young man? He looks unfamiliar. Don’t tell me he’s some new charity case of a brother?"

"Miao Shijie! Watch your mouth! This is..."

Duan Lang instinctively started to snap back and explain Cheng Yuan’s identity, but Cheng Yuan, not wanting to make enemies for no reason, cut him off. He said coolly, "I am the Mage hired by Crown Prince Duan to assist him with appraisal."

Hearing this, everyone froze for a moment and stared at Cheng Yuan in unison.

The next second, the entire Cloud Palace erupted in roars of laughter.

"Hahaha, did you all hear that? This kid says he’s a Mage? Here to appraise for the Crown Prince?"

"That’s hilarious! The kid’s barely grown any hair on his chin and he dares call himself a Mage? The Cultivation Method is much harder than Martial Cultivation. Even successfully Entering the Dao by forty is considered exceptionally talented."

Miao Shijie laughed the loudest, clutching his stomach. "Master Chen, did you hear that? This kid says he’s a Mage! That’s the biggest joke of the century!"

The Master Chen beside Miao Shijie spoke in a tone that feigned concern for Duan Lang. "Crown Prince Duan, you’ve been fooled by this kid! That Master Xun you brought last time was subpar, but at least he’d barely managed to Enter the Dao. This kid doesn’t have a trace of a Taoist Technique aura about him. He’s definitely no Mage."

Master Chen was one of the top three Mages in Nanjiang. His words made Duan Lang hesitate.

’Third Uncle’s Martial Dao is unparalleled, but Technique is different from the Martial Dao. It emphasizes understanding the Celestial Dao and nature itself. It requires a long time spent communing with the Natural Law to Enter the Dao.’

’Third Uncle is just barely twenty this year. What kind of profound understanding of the Natural Law could he possibly have?’

’If Master Xun hadn’t betrayed me and fled to escape punishment, why would I have needed to ask Third Uncle to help with the appraisal?’

Duan Lang said stubbornly, "Ambition isn’t a matter of age! Learning is endless, and the one who has mastered it is the teacher! I believe in Master Cheng’s abilities!"

Everyone just kept shaking their heads. Clearly, no one thought highly of Cheng Yuan.

Qian Jinshui glanced at his watch and said coolly, "Since everyone is here, let’s follow the old rules. Each party will present their items for exchange. Everyone can bid fairly on the treasures they like based on their own judgment. Once we leave this room, all deals are final and we assume no further responsibility."

The crowd nodded and settled into their seats.

The first to stand and present his item for exchange was a businessman from Myanmar named Ruan Xiong.

At Ruan Xiong’s feet was a woven sack, bulging with something inside.

Ruan Xiong opened the sack and, with a CLATTER, dumped out three soccer-ball-sized stones.

"These are ores my workers dug out of a Spiritual Vein. They have high concentrations of Spirit Stones sealed inside. Any interested friends?"

The three Mages’ eyes lit up. Two of the raw stones were emitting faint energy fluctuations. There was a high probability they contained Spirit Stones, but it was impossible to know how many could be cut from them.

The three Mages whispered in their respective bosses’ ears, and the three bosses’ eyes lit up.

If they could cut Spirit Stones from them and fashion them into pendants to wear daily, it would be highly beneficial for their Cultivation and could even extend their lifespans to a certain degree.

Cheng Yuan secretly activated his Double Pupil and looked at the two raw stones that had obvious energy fluctuations, then couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

’This Ruan Xiong really knows how to play games. These two are just ordinary raw stones, with nothing but common jadeite inside.’

’The quality is actually not bad, though. They must have been soaking in the Spiritual Vein for some time.’

’The Spiritual Qi has already permeated to the very core of the stones.’

’It’s perfectly normal for these two raw stones to be emitting faint Spiritual Power!’

When Cheng Yuan’s gaze fell on the last raw stone, his expression shifted slightly.

From the outside, this raw stone was emitting a negligible amount of Spiritual Power.

But at its very core, there was clearly a small piece of Jade Marrow!

If this Spirit Stone were left to soak in the Spiritual Vein a while longer, the quality and weight of this Jade Marrow would both increase.

’What a pity...’

Cheng Yuan couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.

’What’s the matter? Can’t keep up the act? Don’t have a clue what you’re looking at, do you?’ Seeing Cheng Yuan shake his head, Miao Shijie curled his lip in disdain.

Miao Shijie asked with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "Master Cheng, I wonder what you’ve observed? Why don’t you give the Crown Prince some advice!"