Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 89 Jade Pendant, Hot Pot

The shop was small and dimly lit.

It smelled of old wood, dust, and an indescribable mix of vintage smells.

Facing you is a thick wooden counter, chest-high, with peeling paint and a greasy glass surface.

Scattered in the counter were some consignment items: a gold pocket watch with a yellowed dial, several snuff bottles with dull glaze, several silver bracelets of varying quality, and some miscellaneous jade and bronze pieces.

One of the jade pendants, made of mutton fat white jade, was particularly eye-catching. It was about two fingers wide and carved with simple cloud patterns. The jade was warm and lustrous, and the edges were stained with a few light ochre yellow, like old blood spreading out, exuding a calm and ancient charm.

Qi Yun's gaze lingered on the jade pendant for a moment.

It wasn't because of its appearance, but because deep within the dantian, the Crimson Hunting Fire Pill seemed to throb lightly, and an extremely faint, ethereal spiritual energy fluctuation emanated from the jade pendant.

Like a candle flame seen through thick frosted glass, blurry and indistinct, yet undeniably real.

"It's a fine piece of silver, old silver," the shopkeeper said, his eyes darting around as he held the loose silver pieces. "However, small pieces aren't good enough, so I'll have to sell it at the silver price. As is customary, I need to go to the back and check its purity."

"Don't worry, my shop is honest and fair to all, young and old!" he assured, patting his chest.

Qi Yun nodded, her gaze calmly falling on his face, a faint smile playing on her lips: "I know what I'm doing with what I've brought out."

Hopefully things will go smoothly and there won't be any unnecessary trouble!

The shop owner felt a sudden tightness in his chest under the gaze of those piercingly bright eyes, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He quickly said, "Don't worry, don't worry! I would never do anything underhanded! I, Old Zhou, make a living on this street by being honest!"

After saying that, Qi Yun handed over the remaining six taels of silver. The shopkeeper, clutching the silver, hurriedly lifted the greasy blue curtain and went into the back room.

Qi Yun was the only one left in the shop.

His gaze fell once again on the mutton-fat jade pendant in the counter.

The faint, almost imperceptible, sense of attraction became clearer, like the weak pull of a magnet.

Before long, Old Zhou lifted the curtain and came out with a smile on his face: "It's been checked! It's pure silver, but it's badly worn and has been around for a long time."

"At today's silver price, it's 1.25 yuan per gram. This piece of yours…" He weighed it in his hand, "about 260 grams. I'll make a little money from my hard work, so I'll give it to you for 300 yuan, how about that?"

Qi Yun did the math: the original price was 325 yuan, and the boss's so-called "hardship fee" was 25 yuan.

"can."

Old Zhou was taken aback when he saw that he agreed so readily, but then he hurriedly counted out a large sum of money from his pocket and handed it over.

"Boss, you're very helpful," Qi Yun said, putting away the money and pointing to the counter. "Could you please get me that jade pendant?"

"Oh? This?" Old Zhou's eyes lit up. He hurriedly unlocked the counter, carefully took out the jade pendant, and handed it over. "Brother, you have a good eye!"
Genuine Hetian mutton fat jade, an old piece!
Look at this patina, how thick it is! The coloring is so natural! Look at the carving, the cloud patterns are so smooth, it's at least a mid-Qing dynasty piece…”

Qi Yun took the jade pendant; it felt warm and slightly cool to the touch.

He held his breath and concentrated, and a wisp of barely perceptible true qi flowed out from his dantian, flowing along the meridians of his arm and into the jade pendant.

The moment the true qi touched the jade pendant, it was as if a stream had flowed into a smooth riverbed, and its speed suddenly increased by more than 10%!
A cool and comfortable sensation travels back along the meridians.

This jade pendant is indeed no ordinary object!
It can actually aid in cultivation and accelerate the circulation of true qi!
Although it's only one-tenth, the cumulative effect over time is amazing!

This is no ordinary magical artifact; it is likely a remnant of a true magical treasure!
Qi Yun never expected that he would find such a great bargain while exchanging silver!
"How much?" Qi Yun suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his tone remaining calm.

Seeing him caressing the jade pendant with such focused expression, Old Zhou rolled his eyes and quoted a price: "Brother, you know your stuff!"

"This treasure... the original price is 250, but it doesn't sound good, so I'll give it to you for 230!" This price was quoted almost exactly the amount of silver Qi Yun had just received, with a discount in mind, waiting for him to haggle.

This business is actually quite similar to the antique business; it's all about asking for the moon and then negotiating the price! Qi Yun was well aware of this, and he knew that he could always negotiate down the price!

But considering the value of the jade pendant itself, this price is practically free.

Even if the price increases a hundredfold, it's still not considered expensive.

If you still want to lower the price, that would be too greedy!
"Okay, two hundred and thirty it is."

As he spoke, he pulled out the bills he had just received and hadn't even had a chance to warm them up before handing them over.

Old Zhou was completely dumbfounded.

He stared at the money handed to him, his mouth agape. The smile on his face froze, slowly turning into a bitter, regretful expression.

My heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat: I bet too low! Damn it, I bet too low!

I misjudged him! This kid didn't even blink... Could this jade pendant really be some kind of great treasure?

Seeing his ever-changing expression, as if he had swallowed a fly, Qi Yun couldn't help but smile slightly: "Boss, you've had a great start to the day, with two deals already secured. Why are you so sullen?"

The boss waved his hand, not wanting to say anything!
Qi Yun laughed:

"Contentment brings happiness and a broad perspective, where the gentle breeze and bright moon shine."

Old Zhou was taken aback by what he was saying, then looked into those bright eyes that seemed to see right through people, and muttered, "Brother... you're a smart man. I understand, I understand."

Qi Yun said no more, and hung the jade pendant close to his body around his neck. The warm and cool sensation against his skin made his true qi flow more smoothly and freely.

He turned around, lifted the greasy blue curtain, and the hem of his blue Taoist robe flashed, disappearing into the gray rain outside the door.

Old Zhou held the money, stood there for a moment, staring at the empty doorway and the drizzling rain, pondering the saying "Contentment brings happiness and a broad mind," and finally sighed heavily.

Qi Yun walked through several damp alleys and entered a shopping mall with a sign that read "State-run Department Store".

When she came out again, she had changed her clothes.

He changed his indigo Taoist robe into a faded blue work jacket, over which he wore a white undershirt, dark gray khaki pants, and canvas shoes.

He now carried a worn-out military green canvas bag on his back, with a longsword wrapped in newspaper tucked diagonally inside.

Her hair was still wet, but blending into the hurried pedestrians, she no longer attracted any attention.

He was like a drop of water, silently merging into the dusty, bustling flow of the mountain city.

The rain continued to fall in a fine, persistent drizzle, carrying the chill of late autumn.

The domineering, savory aroma stubbornly wafted out of the air again, whetting people's appetites.

Qi Yun followed the smell, turned the corner, and a red sign with white lettering and oil stains came into view.

"Liu's Old Stove".

The storefront wasn't large, and the greasy glass door was covered with a thick layer of condensation. Inside, figures moved about, and a cacophony of noise and a pungent, hot aroma wafted out.

Qi Yun pushed open the door and went in.

A rich aroma, a mixture of butter, Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, fermented bean paste, and countless other ingredients bubbling and boiling, hit my face like a real heat wave, instantly dispelling the cold and damp air outside.

(End of this chapter)