Chapter 119: Dragon Blood Stone!
The stall owner across the way was a skinny old man, clad in black hemp clothing, with hollow cheeks and sharp, sparkling eyes.
Seeing Zhao Dong approaching, a hint of a mocking smile flashed across the skinny old man's eyes. Looks like another sucker has arrived!
Upon reaching the stall, Zhao Dong's glance swept almost imperceptibly over a stone among the wares. He instinctively felt this stone was unusual. He couldn't even penetrate it with his Spiritual Power to see what was inside. But one thing was certain: whatever was inside this stone was definitely extraordinary.
"Hehehe, young man, everything here is a treasure. See anything you like?"
The skinny old man took one look at Zhao Dong and immediately pegged him as a novice. Definitely easy to fool!
Zhao Dong wasn't foolish, so he didn't inquire about the stone first. Instead, he pointed to a broken mirror nearby and smiled. "Boss, this item looks pretty good. How much is it?"
Playing the part of a sage, the skinny old man pondered for a moment before saying, "You certainly have a good eye. This is an Eight Diagrams Mirror from the Qianlong era! I wouldn't sell this to just anyone, but since fate brought us together today, I'll let you have it for 700,000!"
Zhao Dong's mouth twitched. "How much? Seven hundred thousand?"
What a shameless crook! He's treating me like a pig for slaughter. I can tell at a glance this is just a cheap mirror from a two-yuan store, deliberately made to look like an antique. Selling something worth two or three yuan for seven or eight hundred thousand is pure robbery!
Zhao Dong coughed, feigning difficulty. "That's a bit too expensive. I can't afford it."
The corner of the skinny old man's mouth twitched, but he smiled cheerily. "Young man, it's not a matter of price, but of value! This mirror can dispel evil spirits. I see a darkness in your brow; have you been sleeping poorly lately, feeling irritable?"
He's really laying it on thick. Zhao Dong coughed again and pointed to a small jade pendant. "Boss, how much is this Jade Pendant?"
The skinny old man squinted with a smile. "This Jade Pendant is from the Song Dynasty. One hundred thousand!"
Zhao Dong touched his nose. "Three hundred. Take it or I'm leaving."
With that, Zhao Dong turned and pretended to walk away.
The skinny old man was taken aback and hastily called out, "Hey, I'll sell! I'll sell! Don't go!"
Zhao Dong smiled inwardly, then touched his nose again. "I think three hundred is too much. Eighty. Not a cent more."
The skinny old man's face darkened. "Young man, that's no way to haggle! I'm not selling!"
Zhao Dong turned and walked away without another word. He had barely taken two steps when the skinny old man called out helplessly from behind him.
"Don't go! Don't go! I'll sell!"
Zhao Dong smirked, turned back, and picked up the useless plastic Jade Pendant. After paying, he let his gaze wander casually before it finally landed on the inscrutable stone. "Boss, that stone looks pretty interesting. How much to sell it to me?"
The skinny old man's expression turned solemn. "This stone is no ordinary piece. It's said to be a meteorite! How about this? I'll sell it to you at a loss for 800,000."
Zhao Dong shook his head, picking up the stone to feel it. "Eight hundred thousand? How about eight thousand. It's just a worthless rock. I'm just curious and want to buy it for fun. Take it or leave it."
"Eight thousand? Fine, eight thousand it is!"
The skinny old man gritted his teeth, his face a mask of feigned pain, but inside he was ecstatic. He'd bought this worthless rock for eighty yuan, and now he's selling it for eight thousand! So worth it!
Soon, Zhao Dong transferred the money. The skinny old man could no longer hold back his beaming smile. The other stall owners nearby also stared at Zhao Dong, chuckling amongst themselves.
"That young man is a real fool, buying a worthless rock for eight thousand!"
"Does he think this is like stone gambling in the movies? Hahaha, people who try to take advantage often end up getting taken for a ride themselves. He deserves to be duped!"
The crowd gloated over Zhao Dong's misfortune, their remarks dripping with sarcasm. After all, Zhao Dong hadn't bought anything from them, which had left a bad taste in their mouths.
Zhao Dong acted as if he hadn't heard a word. He turned to the skinny old man and asked, "Boss, do you have an engraving knife?"
The skinny old man, surprised, handed one over. "Consider it a gift for being my customer."
Zhao Dong took the knife and slowly began to cut into the center of the stone. The skinny old man and the rest of the crowd watched with curiosity.
"Don't get your hopes up, kid. It's just a worthless rock."
"That's right. Stop dreaming about getting rich. You've been had, and you're still counting the money for him."
"Young people these days are so naive, so easy to fool."
Zhao Dong ignored them. As the knife slowly sliced through the stone, flakes continuously peeled away. Soon, the outer shell fell off, revealing a perfectly round, egg-sized jade, smooth and the color of blood.
A sudden silence fell over the crowd, only to be broken a second later by a wave of gasps and exclamations.
"Is that... a Crystal Blood Stone?"
"No, it's purer than a Crystal Blood Stone. I think I've heard of this before... it looks like a Dragon Blood Stone!"
"What? A Dragon Blood Stone?"
The faces in the crowd filled with shock and disbelief. The Dragon Blood Stone was not only a treasure in the Cultivation World but also a priceless gem in the ordinary world. A piece the size of a fingernail could sell for millions! And now, the Dragon Blood Stone in Zhao Dong's hand was as large as a chicken's egg.
A Dragon Blood Stone this size could be worth tens of millions, perhaps even over a hundred million!
The crowd erupted. The skinny old man who had sold the stone let out a sharp cry and lunged, trying to snatch the Dragon Blood Stone from Zhao Dong's hand.
"Give me back my stone! Give it back! The deal is off!"
Zhao Dong frowned, tucking the stone into his pocket. He looked at the old man coldly. "Boss, this stone is mine now. What do you think you're doing?"
The old man wailed, "I'm not selling anymore! I'll give you back the eight thousand yuan. Just give me back my stone!"
Zhao Dong let out a cold laugh. "I've never met someone so shameless. Do you really think that's possible?"
Seeing that pleading was useless, the old man's eyes turned cold. "Kid, you refused a toast only to drink a forfeit. Hand over the stone immediately, or don't blame me for what happens next."
Zhao Dong raised an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me?"
"So what if I am?" the skinny old man sneered, stepping closer.
Zhao Dong replied calmly, "Kneel and apologize now, and I'll let this go. But if you dare to pester me again, I guarantee I'll break your legs and flip this stall today."
The skinny old man snorted. "Still talking big? If you don't hand over that stone today, I'll cripple you!"
With a wave of his hand, several burly, menacing men stepped out from the crowd and surrounded Zhao Dong. The leader was covered in tattoos and wore a heavy gold chain. His fat, fleshy body quivered as he grunted, "Kid, hand over the stone! Or we'll cripple you today!"
Zhao Dong shook his head. "You were given a chance and you spat on it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Dong kicked a nearby stool, sending it flying straight at the burly leader.
BOOM!
The stool slammed into the large man, sending him flying seven or eight meters. The surrounding people turned pale with fright. The expressions on the remaining thugs' faces changed, and roaring, they all charged at once.
Zhao Dong shook his head and stepped forward. He simply stretched out his hand and slapped one of them across the face. The man was hit as if struck by a truck, spinning more than a dozen times before he collapsed, his condition unknown.
As the others rushed him, Zhao Dong cracked his neck and unleashed a brutally simple kick.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The men were sent flying, smashing to the ground and stirring up clouds of dust.
Dead silence fell. Everyone was so shocked they hardly dared to breathe. Zhao Dong dusted off his hands and looked at the skinny old man.
"I was wrong! Please spare me, little brother!" the old man screamed.
Without a second thought, the old man turned to run, but Zhao Dong kicked him squarely in the knee. With a cry of pain, the old man collapsed, his legs instantly going numb.
Zhao Dong walked up to the stall and, with a few swift kicks, sent its contents scattering into a chaotic mess. He then looked down at the whimpering old man. "I was originally going to give you 20,000 for the Dragon Blood Stone, but your character is the problem. You can stay here and reflect on that."
Under the terrified gazes of the crowd, Zhao Dong walked deeper into the antique street, planning to look for some cinnabar and joss paper.
Just after Zhao Dong left, another group arrived, led by a woman with a delicate and pretty face. When she saw the old man and his ruined stall, her expression changed instantly. "Boss, what about the stone I asked you to hold for me yesterday?"
Seeing the woman, the old man burst into tears. "Miss Yun, the stone... it was stolen! The thief is still somewhere in the antique street!"
"What?! Stolen? I'm going to find him right now!"
A flash of anger crossed Yun Keqing's beautiful face. After getting a rough description of Zhao Dong, she led her people rushing into the antique street.
It turned out that Yun Keqing had noticed something unusual about the stone the day before. However, the old man had demanded two million, and she didn't have that much money on her. They had agreed she would return today to buy it. How could Yun Keqing possibly tolerate the fact that it had been snatched away from her?
Yun Keqing was the young mistress of the Yun Family of East Sea. The Yun Family was not one of the Four Great Families, but its standing was even more formidable. Every city had its hidden clans, and the Yun Family was one of East Sea's, possessing terrifying power and influence in the city.
Zhao Dong was still oblivious to what was happening. He walked out of a shop after buying his cinnabar and joss paper just as Yun Keqing and her group were passing by.
When Yun Keqing saw him, she stopped immediately and looked him over. Puzzled, Zhao Dong scratched his head.
"Miss, why are you staring at me?"
Yun Keqing snapped, her voice filled with rage.
"It's you! You brat, hand over the stone!"