Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 205 The Divine Egg of Mountains and Rivers!
The fog is getting thicker.

On the Luo River, a magnificent ship with carved beams and painted rafters, flying the banners of the Dragon Palace, slowly sails by.

The gilded eaves shimmered in the setting sun, like a mirage floating on the water.

As the evening drum sounded, people boarded the boat in an endless stream.

Human guests, barbarian warriors, and demon cultivators—all sorts of figures mingled on the deck.

"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head! Dear guests, if you miss today, you'll have to wait until next year!"

"Come and see, this treasure of ours is a fragment of a sacred artifact unearthed from an ancient ruin!"

The sounds of string and wind instruments and the cries of vendors rose and fell, and the aroma of wine mixed with the scent of cosmetics wafted in the evening breeze.

"Three distinguished guests are boarding the ship—"

With a shout from the Golden Toad Demon, three figures ascended the steps.

The leading demon king was covered by a black cloak, and the scales of the dragon clan could be vaguely seen under the hood;
On the left, a Hanlin scholar holds a gilded folding fan. Behind a plain white mask, a cool laugh can be heard as he talks and laughs.

On the right, a tiger demon lord walked with heavy steps, his black iron mask unable to conceal the faintly visible tiger stripes on his neck.

Although they all wore masks to conceal their faces and aura, making it difficult to identify their identities.

But the overwhelming demonic aura and the faint, savage demonic presence already indicated their extraordinary and noble status.

Jiang Xingzhou felt something and suddenly looked at the Hanlin scholar in a plain white mask who had just boarded the ship.

The scholar's face suddenly darkened, and he even revealed a hint of fear, avoiding his gaze.

suddenly--

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three deep, resonant gong sounds echoed from the depths of the ship, like the vibrations of an ancient bell.

In an instant, the commotion on the entire mirage ship came to an abrupt halt.

The sounds of string and wind instruments ceased, laughter and conversation fell silent, and even the ripples of the Luo River seemed to freeze at that moment.

"Distinguished guests—the Dragon Palace Mirage auction is about to begin!"

A clear voice rang out in the silence.

In the center of the ship, on a vermilion platform adorned with dragon carvings, an auctioneer in a brocade robe stood with his hands behind his back.

On either side of him stood a dozen or so maids—some were fox-woman, their eyes sparkling with natural allure; others were clam-woman, their skin as smooth as pearls, covered by a thin veil, through which the shimmering scales could be faintly seen.

They held jade plates in their hands, the mysterious treasures on the plates concealed by red silk, waiting to be revealed.

Nangong Wan'er and Jiang Xingzhou sat in the golden VIP seats, surrounded by powerful figures with imposing auras, some exuding a sinister demonic aura, others a menacing killing intent.

Those who can enter this seat must use a demon king-level scale, feather, or armor as their ticket to be seated.

Behind them, the numerous guests seated at silver and bronze tables, though of high status, could only sit there and were not allowed to overstep their bounds.

"Those items sold on the decks and on the ships are also rare treasures. But on this Dragon Palace ship, they are still relatively 'ordinary' goods, and it is difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake."

Nangong Wan'er gently stroked the teacup with her fingertips and whispered to Jiang Xingzhou, "Only the items at this auction are truly rare treasures that have been appraised by the Grandmaster of Literature."

Before she could finish speaking,
The auctioneer flicked his sleeves, his voice booming like a bell—

"Today's first item for auction—an ancient bird's egg, starting price—100,000 taels of gold!"

Before the words were even finished, a fox-clan maidservant gracefully stepped onto the stage.

She held a jade plate in her hands, the brocade on the plate slightly lifted to reveal a perfectly smooth egg.

Its shell is like glass, with faint red gold patterns flowing inside, as if sealing a flame that has not yet been extinguished.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp rippled through the audience.

"One hundred thousand... one hundred thousand taels of gold?!"

A demon general covered in black scales slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his voice filled with shock and anger, "Even if I were to use all my savings from the past hundred years, I might not be able to gather this many!"

"What kind of egg is this? Why is it worth such an exorbitant price?"

Another monk wearing a bronze mask asked in a deep voice.

The auctioneer gave a wry smile and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

"This egg came from the ancient ruins and was buried under a collapsed altar."

He said slowly, "Although we cannot determine its exact origin or what kind of bird egg it is, we can be sure that it is an egg from an ancient bird, and—" He paused, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes, "its bloodline is far stronger than that of an ordinary demon king!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the room.

It should be known that among all demon races, bloodline determines destiny.

Even the lowest of creatures, such as shrimp, crabs, insects, and fish, may not be able to even glimpse the threshold of becoming a demon general, even if they cultivate diligently for a hundred years.

Tortoises and pythons are slightly better; after cultivating for decades or even centuries, they may be able to achieve the position of demon general.

The descendants of the dragon are born as demon lords, and when they come of age, they will naturally become demon kings!

Now, this ancient bird egg of unknown origin is being asserted to have a bloodline far exceeding that of ordinary demon kings.
"absurd!"

A demon general with deer antlers on his head slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "A bird egg of unknown origin, whose species cannot even be identified, dares to claim to be of demon king bloodline?"

The auctioneer remained calm and took out a bronze compass from his sleeve: "This is the 'Blood Detector,' a secret treasure of the Dragon Palace."

The bloodline power of this egg was measured to be at the Demon King level!

He paused, then his voice suddenly turned serious: "Your Excellency, do you perhaps have doubts about the strength of the East Sea Dragon Palace?"

For a moment, the entire room fell silent!
It should be noted that the Dragon Palace of the East Sea is a giant in the entire demon realm.

With the Dragon Palace's strength, identifying the grade of a demon beast egg is naturally no problem.

The real difficulty is that there are tens of thousands of species of birds in the world, but the appearance of their eggs is very similar.

It is easy to misjudge its variety.

Nangong Wan'er's fingertips trembled slightly, and a subtle ripple appeared in her beautiful eyes.

Her purpose in coming to the mirage ship was to purchase several exquisite treasures for His Majesty.

However, what to buy was not decided in advance—after all, no one knows what treasures will be put up for auction.

"Please make your bid!"

The auctioneer's voice echoed in the silent ship, but no one answered.

The ancient bird egg, gleaming with a crimson-gold light, lay quietly on the jade plate. Although it was unclaimed, it seemed to carry some kind of invisible pressure, preventing the demons present from making any rash moves.

—It really is a good product!
If a bird demon king could be cultivated, it would be enough to elevate a small clan to the ranks of the great clans.

But the problem is
"Hmph! Who would dare buy these bird eggs of dubious origin?"

One of the python demons snorted coldly and subconsciously shrank back.

The scales on its forehead gleamed with a faint green luster under the light, yet they were also faintly oozing fine beads of sweat.

In the world of demons, bloodline reigns supreme!
But it emphasizes innate self-control even more!

Ordinary bird demons, vultures are able to defeat python demons, wolf demons fear eagles and falcons, and rat demons avoid owls—these are instinctive fears etched into their bones.

And the legendary sacred bird is even more terrifying—

The three-legged golden crow can burn away the cold-natured demon race, the vermilion bird's true fire can reduce the aquatic race to ashes, the golden-winged roc feeds on the dragon race, and the divine bird Bifang is specifically designed to subdue the auspicious qilin.
Dragons and birds are natural enemies.

"just in case"

In a corner, a turtle demon whispered in a trembling voice, "What if this is some descendant of a sacred bird that brings disaster upon itself!"

Before it could finish speaking, it suddenly covered its mouth, as if simply uttering this guess would bring disaster.

Ten thousand taels of gold is a small matter!
What if you buy back an ancestor you can't afford to offend, or a natural enemy?
Cold sweat gradually seeped from the auctioneer's forehead.

He never expected that this mysterious ancient bird egg, unearthed from the depths of the ancient ruins, would make these powerful demons, who usually dominated the world, so wary of it.

"What exactly is this."

Nangong Wan'er's fingertips trembled slightly, and her glassy eyes turned to Jiang Xingzhou beside her, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.

On this magnificent ship, no one can rival the man who travels the river in terms of extensive knowledge and strong memory.

Jiang Xingzhou was seen frowning, his eyes fixed intently on the ancient egg that shimmered with crimson gold.

After a few moments of silence, he suddenly stood up, his blue robe fluttering as he cupped his hands and said, "May I have the honor of taking a closer look?" The auctioneer's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped aside, saying, "Please, sir!"

Jiang Xingzhou slowly stepped onto the stage, and before his fingertips even touched the eggshell, his sleeves moved without any wind.

The ancient egg lay quietly in the jade plate. Its shell was no ordinary object—on its deep, abyss-like surface, countless stars shimmered, as if imprisoning the entire night sky within.

Upon closer inspection, the cloud and thunder patterns were actually evolving on their own.

Sometimes it transforms into a cascading Milky Way, and sometimes it solidifies into towering mountains;

Suddenly, dynasties changed and people worshipped; in an instant, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered, and the heavens were stained with blood.

The most terrifying thing was that streak of crimson-gold blood!
Jiang Xingzhou could even hear the tremor in his blood—it was an ancient pressure, like a sleeping primordial beast turning over in its dream.

"Is this... the bird of mountains and rivers?"

His pupils contracted sharply, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.

The eggshell of this bird egg is extremely rare!

But I can't say!

Once the identity of this egg is revealed.

Even if he and Nangong Wan'er were to whisper to each other, other powerful demons would overhear and vie for the bird's egg.

Jiang Xingzhou suppressed the turmoil in his heart, but a faint smile appeared on his face: "Although I can't tell what kind it is, it is indeed a rare and precious bird egg of the Demon King level."

As he turned around, he glanced at Nangong Wan'er out of the corner of his eye and tapped his jade belt three times almost imperceptibly.

Ten thousand taels of gold, it's worth it!

buy!
In the impenetrable silence inside the ship, a sharp "snap" of a folding fan was suddenly heard.

"One hundred thousand taels."

The sound was like shattered jade thrown into ice, startling all the guests who turned their heads to look.

Behind the beaded curtain on the west side, a scholar in a moon-white robe stood holding a fan, his eyes, as cold as pools, visible beneath a plain white mask.

He pointed his fan at the exhibition stand and looked coldly at Jiang Xingzhou and Nangong Wan'er.

Nangong Wan'er continued her bid: "120,000."

"140,000."

The masked man hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned the fan.

"One hundred and eighty thousand."

Nangong Wan'er didn't even blink as her fingertips brushed across the teacup.

The guests in the room gasped – even a demon general or a demon king would find it incredibly painful to come up with that amount!
The scholar in the plain white mask finally closed his fan and fell silent.

Everyone clearly saw that his knuckles had turned white, but he remained silent.

180,000 taels of gold is too much.

He couldn't come up with the price. If he kept making offers, and the other party didn't make an offer, then he was doomed.

The owner behind this mirage ship, the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, is not someone to be trifled with!
If someone inflates the price at this auction but is unable to pay for the mummified corpse hanging on the mast, it still serves as a warning to future generations.

He gritted his teeth, staring resentfully at the mysterious bird egg.

"Boom-"

The auctioneer's gavel slammed down, causing the ancient egg in the jade plate to tremble slightly. The streak of crimson-gold blood suddenly shot up, only to recede abruptly amidst gasps from the crowd.

"180,000 taels of gold!"

The auctioneer's voice trembled as he announced, "Congratulations to this young lady for winning the ancient bird's egg!"

Nangong Wan'er smiled gently.

How dare this mere Hanlin scholar, who appeared out of nowhere, compare his wealth with the treasury of the Imperial Household Department of the Great Zhou Dynasty?
Even a single hair plucked from the royal family is thicker than the thigh of a Hanlin scholar.

A few hours later.

The thick fog on the Luo River gradually dissipated, and the mirage-like boat left the Luo River.

Jiang Xingzhou and Nangong Wan'er, carrying the spoils of their trip—the wine-intoxicated insects, the mysterious bird eggs, and two other rare treasures—left the mirage ship and boarded the Seven Treasures Carriage to return to the nearby capital, Luoyang.

Jiang Xingzhou sat by the window, his fingertips lightly stroking the bird egg with its mysterious patterns that Nangong Wan'er was holding in her arms, his expression dark and unreadable.

"Young master, what kind of ancient spirit bird's egg is this?"

Nangong Wan'er couldn't help but lean forward and ask curiously.

The luminous pearl inside the carriage made her eyes sparkle like stars, but it couldn't penetrate the layer of chaotic mist on the surface of the jade egg.

"This is a bird that symbolizes the fate of our mountains and rivers!"

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly chuckled softly.

The Book of Songs, in the section on Shang, says: "Heaven ordained a dark bird to descend and give birth to Shang." It is said that on the day King Zhou of Shang burned himself on the Deer Terrace, this dark bird also perished along with the fall of the state.

But this bird will not die!
It simply sheds its feathers, concealing the vast landscape within this small space, and transforms back into an egg, waiting for its new master over the long years.

There was only one of these birds in the world, and it disappeared ten thousand years ago, so it's no wonder that it's hard to recognize!

Of course, this is just my speculation, and I'm only about 70-80% sure!

The seven-jeweled carriage entered Luoyang City, and in the distance, the chiwen (a mythical bird-like creature) on the eaves of the Taiji Palace looked like a black bird spreading its wings in the sunlight.

"A bird symbolizing the fate of mountains, rivers, and the nation?"

Nangong Wan'er was somewhat shocked and confused.

Why was this ancient egg, which had been dormant in the ancient ruins for tens of thousands of years, discovered and brought to the world this year?

"Your Majesty is truly fortunate to have obtained such a divine object!"

Jiang Xingzhou sighed softly, his gaze still fixed on the black bird egg, his eyes filled with both envy and a hint of complexity.

Such ancient treasures from Yin Ruins, even if one sees them, may not be able to truly control them without overwhelming fortune and profound strength.

"His Majesty?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Wan'er smiled slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"Your Majesty has long been raising the Golden-Winged Phoenix, an ancient divine bird with boundless power. Why would you accept this egg?"

She lightly tapped the carved window of the carriage with her fingertips, shaking her head with a half-smile.

"Human scholars who raise demons must ultimately support them with their talents; more is not necessarily better."

For someone who has passed the imperial examinations and is a successful candidate in the provincial examinations, being able to raise and control a powerful demon is already the limit.

If one is greedy and tries to do too much, one may exhaust one's talents and suffer the consequences.

"Although this item is extremely valuable, it is merely an embellishment for His Majesty and may not be worth it."

She spoke calmly—no matter how precious this black bird egg was, the emperor would not abandon the golden-winged phoenix he had raised for many years in order to raise this unhatched black bird.

"It seems this item can only be temporarily stored in the Imperial Household Department's storeroom, awaiting its opportune moment!"

but--

Nangong Wan'er gently stroked the black bird egg in her sleeve with her fingertips, her thoughts slightly heavy.

His Majesty's order for her to go to the mirage ship to purchase rare items was not for the Emperor's personal use, but to prepare for the palace examination—this item was a reward bestowed upon the top scholar of this year's examination.

Gifts bestowed by emperors are not ordinary objects.
If this divine egg is offered, His Majesty will surely be satisfied.

However... the Black Bird is an ancient divine creature, related to destiny. Would it be appropriate to bestow it upon the newly appointed top scholar rashly?

At present, His Majesty does not know the origin of this egg. Very few people in the world know its origin. Jiang Xingzhou also had to examine it carefully for a long time before he could identify it.

As long as she doesn't reveal the origin of this item and pretends not to know, and puts it in the Imperial Household Department's storeroom, no one will know that it is a black bird egg.

Nangong Wan'er lowered her gaze slightly, hesitating for a moment.

The seven-jeweled carriage slowly came to a stop on the side of the Heavenly Street, its beaded curtains swaying gently, reflecting the bustling lights of Luoyang.

"Miss Nangong, farewell!"

Jiang Xingzhou bowed respectfully and then drifted away.

Only Nangong Wan'er remained in the carriage, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the jade egg, as if weighing the pros and cons.
-
(End of this chapter)