binnovel Chapter 130 The Mottled Ancient Box
Chapter 130 The Mottled Ancient Box
Chapter 130 The Mottled Ancient Box
As Ye Ru took out a fourth-grade literary treasure, the surroundings immediately quieted down, and all eyes were filled with astonishment.
"Can I come in now?"
Ye Ru said calmly.
"So you are guests. Your literary treasures will surely bring honor to Hongbaolou."
Fan Ziling's expression shifted as she forced a smile.
After speaking, Ye Ru ignored Fan Ziling and walked straight inside, while Kong Hexuan and the others also gave Fan Ziling a meaningful look.
As they brushed past each other, Fan Ziling narrowed her eyes slightly and turned her head slightly backward:
"Is this the Ye Ru you mentioned? I've met him today, and his arrogance is quite impressive. However, as the saying goes, 'When a vessel is full, it overflows; when a person is too proud, he will fall into ruin.' As for the National Children's Competition, I feel that if he were to participate, he would be nothing special."
"Don't underestimate him. With his pride, he left the Liuan Secret Realm unharmed and even shattered my elder brother's courage. You, Fan Ziling, owe the Han family a favor. Therefore, we must do whatever it takes to suppress Ye Ru. It would be best if we could prevent him from participating in the National Children's Competition."
At that moment, a venomous voice came from afar, and then a young man dressed in a scholar's robe walked out.
“I will repay this favor. This guy is just a poor kid from a humble background, penniless to the core. Even if he had a fourth-grade literary treasure, he still wouldn’t have wanted to come to Hongbaolou. Just as he said, ignorance is bliss.”
Fan Ziling frowned, then sneered and said.
“Don’t underestimate him. I’ve already suffered a lot here, and I’m so eager for revenge that I’ve caused the various noble families to break with our Han family. My father is furious. He said that if Ye Ru wins the championship this time, I won’t need to go back. So, you must help me this time.”
A sinister look appeared on Han Lu's face as he spoke in a deep voice.
"Don't worry, this national competition is being held in this City of Outstanding Talents. Don't underestimate the power of the Fan family."
Fan Ziling nodded and walked inside.
……
Upon entering the Hongbao Tower, Ye Ru looked around. The Shang Sheng family was indeed living up to its reputation; the place was magnificent and extremely luxurious.
Some students from wealthy and prestigious families were sitting in their respective private rooms, clinking glasses and making a lively scene.
Around them were some scholars displaying their literary treasures. Some of these treasures were quite powerful, while others only possessed the talent of a first-grade literary treasure.
"Those are other wealthy and learned people from various places. It seems they have acquired quite a few good things along the way."
Kong Hexuan glanced at it and clicked his tongue in admiration.
"I'll go look around first; maybe I can replace this Celestial Chessboard."
Kong Hexuan nodded, and Ye Ru turned and left, heading towards the second floor.
On this second floor, most of the people were scholars exchanging literary treasures. They did not make a sound, but quietly sipped their tea and waited for the owner who needed the item to appear.
"The quality of these literary treasures is poor. Almost all of them are first-grade, and there are some second-grade ones, but not many. Third-grade ones are almost extinct. It seems that Fan Ziling is deliberately targeting me. This Hongbaolou is just a gilded exterior with a rotten interior."
Ye Ru lowered his head, his brows furrowed. As the saying goes, "The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain."
I'm here to help them increase their visibility, why are they being so aggressive?
Unable to figure it out, Ye Ru continued to wander around.
"Ye Ru, the third artifact from the left is quite peculiar, and it seems to have been sealed away for a long time. You can take a look."
At that moment, Xiaobai's voice echoed in his ears, prompting him to glance at that spot without making a sound.
Sure enough, in the distance, on the table, lay an extremely antique box, covered in some rust.
Ye Ru walked over, took the antique box in his hand, and gently stroked it.
The box has an extremely ancient pattern, which resembles writing, and there is also a dark yin-yang symbol among them.
"The Eight Eccentrics of Yin and Yang seem to be related to the Yin-Yang School."
Ye Ru frowned and murmured to himself.
“Brother, although this item is old, judging from the patterns on it, it should be an item of the Yin-Yang School. Therefore, we need a third-grade literary treasure.”
At this moment, the young man dressed as a scholar in front of them laughed.
"A third-grade literary treasure? What's so strange about that that it requires a third-grade literary treasure?"
Ye Ru took the box and asked in confusion.
"I don't know, it will cost some gold and silver to have it appraised at the National Academy, but I know that this item is definitely extraordinary."
This made Ye Ru think for a moment, and then he said:
"Is this gentleman practicing the way of Go?"
"how do you know?"
The scholar's smiling face froze, and he asked in surprise.
Ye Ru raised his chin, and saw that the scholar was holding a black chess piece. The piece was extremely smooth, but it had a sharp edge.
"This child should also be a literary treasure. I have a second-grade literary treasure here called the Celestial Star Chessboard. How about exchanging it with you?"
"The Celestial Chessboard?"
A flicker of joy crossed the scholar's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, followed by a bitter expression:
"This Celestial Star Chessboard alone is probably not enough. If you can give me another Grade A literary treasure, I can trade with you."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ru nodded. People who specialize in chess are slow-paced, have clear minds, are shrewd, and are cautious. However, the joy in the other party's eyes earlier was clearly imprinted in his mind.
The next moment, he acted as if he hadn't seen anything, turned around and left.
"I've always been interested in unusual things, and I only have one Celestial Chessboard. If you don't want to trade it, then I'm sorry."
"Brother, please stay."
Seeing Ye Ru leave, the scholar hurriedly called out.
"Do you have any further instructions, brother?"
Ye Ru's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. The worst thing in chess is to lose focus. He had hit his opponent's weak point, and the opponent was already in a state of panic.
“Brother, are you just going to give up like this? This thing is no ordinary object. I can guarantee that it is closely related to the Yin-Yang School. If you can take this to the Yin-Yang School, they will definitely treat you as an honored guest.”
"Unfortunately, I only have one second-grade literary treasure... I'm short of money, so I'll take my leave."
"Wait! Wait! I'll change!"
Upon hearing this, the scholar panicked. He didn't know what the object was for, but the yin-yang symbol on it told him that it was related to the Yin-Yang school.
Moreover, he does need a chessboard; only with a chessboard can he improve his chess skills.
Seeing that the scholar had completely lost his composure, Ye Ru nodded, placed the Heavenly Star Chessboard on the table, and then tried to take the mottled ancient box.
However, just as Ye Ru was about to place the mottled ancient box, a folding fan gently tapped it. Immediately afterwards, a faint voice came from afar, causing the smile on Ye Ru's face to slowly fade, and a chill quietly welled up within him:
"It is truly remarkable that a scholar from a humble background could produce a second-grade literary treasure. I am also interested in this rare gem. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it for me?"