I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

The famous landmark building in Jianghai City - the Yunding Hotel.

This is the highest-standard and most secure five-star hotel in the entire Jianghai City, and it usually hosts dignitaries or top tycoons from various countries.

But today, the top-floor banquet hall of the Genting Grand Hotel was booked out by a special group of people.

"Antique Appreciation Meeting" is the official name given to it.

In reality, this is an annual underground auction event within the Awakened community of Jianghai City and even several surrounding provinces. Only senior Awakened individuals with invitations, representatives of major conglomerates, and special individuals tacitly approved by the authorities are allowed to enter.

A black Mercedes-Maybach slowly pulled up in front of the hotel.

The doorman respectfully opened the car door.

A hairless monster dog dressed in a custom-made suit (actually an XXL size golden retriever suit bought from a pet store), wearing sunglasses and a thick black iron chain around its neck jumped down first, with its head held high, nostrils pointing to the sky, looking arrogant.

Next came a young man dressed casually with a backpack, and a sophisticated and beautiful older woman with a cool demeanor.

This combination was so bizarre that it drew stares from passersby.

"Um... Mr. Jiang, is it really okay for Da Huang to be dressed like this?"

Su Qingge looked at the big yellow dog walking ahead, seemingly oblivious to its surroundings, and her lips twitched slightly.

The Soul-Binding Lock (a C-grade sealed artifact) hanging around Big Yellow's neck not only failed to suppress its ferocity, but was instead used by it as a source of pride, making a clattering sound as it walked, like a nouveau riche.

"It's alright, this is a high-end place, it's all about appearances."

Jiang Li straightened his collar (even though it was just a Jack & Jones shirt worth a few hundred yuan), "And I told it that it's only allowed to look today, not to eat. If it dares to bite anything, I'll deduct chicken legs from its license for three days when we get back."

"Woof!" (Okay, okay! Stop nagging!)

Big Yellow barked impatiently, but its eyes behind its sunglasses darted around, greedily inhaling the old, decaying yet powerful scent that filled the air.

It smells so good!

This rooftop is full of delicious food!

"Gentlemen, please show us your invitations."

At the elevator entrance, two security guards dressed in black suits and wearing headsets blocked the way.

Both security guards were actually D-level Awakened, exuding a sharp aura.

Su Qingge took out a black card with gold foil stamping from her bag and handed it over.

The security personnel took the card and swiped it on that special machine.

"Beep—Miss Su, S-class VIP, please come in."

The security personnel's attitude instantly became extremely respectful, even somewhat fearful. S-rank! That's an extremely rare find in Jianghai City!

"And this gentleman..."

The security guard looked at Jiang Li.

"He is my companion," Su Qingge said calmly.

"Okay, please come in."

The two people and the dog entered the elevator smoothly and headed straight for the top floor.

……

The top-floor banquet hall was resplendent with gold and jade.

A huge crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, and melodious piano music flowed through the air.

The hall was filled with exquisite glass display cases, displaying all sorts of strange and unusual items: rusty bronze swords, cracked jade pendants, bloodstained rag dolls, parchment covered with incantations...

Each display case was surrounded by a number of well-dressed people, who were commenting on the items inside.

To the average person, this is a high-end antique exhibition.

But to the Awakened, this place is a dangerous zone where psionic energy surges.

Those seemingly dilapidated items each exuded an eerie aura, whether it was a curse, a blessing, or pure madness.

"Wow, what a grand display."

Jiang Li walked into the hall, looking around like a country bumpkin visiting a grand garden.

"Miss Su, isn't this just a flea market? Why is it decorated like a palace?"

Su Qingge: "..."

A flea market?

Every single item here could cause a bloodbath on the black market!

"Mr. Jiang, these are all 'spiritual objects,' which are items with special powers."

Su Qingge lowered her voice and explained, "Some were dug out of ancient tombs, some were brought out of forbidden zones, and some were left behind by powerful beings after their deaths. Even a fragment could grant someone extraordinary power."

"Oh, I understand."

Jiang Li nodded and pointed to a dark stone in a display case not far away.

"Like that lump of coal? What's it used for? To start a fire?"

Su Qingge followed his finger and her expression hardened.

"That's [Lightning-Struck Petrified Wood], containing violent lightning power. It's a top-tier material for crafting lightning-attribute staffs. The starting bid is one million."

"One million for a lump of coal?"

Jiang Li clicked his tongue in amazement, "Rich people really know how to have fun."

He shook his head and continued walking forward, his gaze sweeping over each display case.

In his eyes, these so-called "treasures" all had a strange filter applied to them.

【Cursed Doll】(Rank D) -> A tattered Barbie doll, probably picked up from a garbage dump.

【Bloodthirsty Demon Blade】(Grade C) -> A rusty kitchen knife, not even as sharp as his pig-slaughtering knife.

【Wraith Jade Pendant】(D+ grade) -> A cracked piece of cheap jade, not even worth five yuan.

"Boring, it's all junk."

Jiang Li was somewhat disappointed.

I originally thought I could snag a bargain and buy some decent equipment, like an automatic fishing net or bait to attract big fish.

The result was all these handicrafts with little practical value.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the center of the hall.

"Look! Master Gu has arrived!"

"Master Gu is the most famous treasure appraiser in Jianghai City. Not only does he have a sharp eye, but he is also a B-level mental powerhouse!"

"I heard there's a special treasure to be revealed today, and Master Gu has come especially to appraise it!"

The crowd automatically separated.

An elderly man dressed in a Tang suit and sporting a goatee walked in, surrounded by a group of people. He was holding two walnuts in his hand, his eyes haughty, looking every bit the reclusive sage.

"Is that Master Gu?" Jiang Li glanced at him curiously.

"Yes, Gu Changfeng, a leading figure in the field of spirit object appraisal." Su Qingge nodded. "His [Spiritual Vision] ability is very strong, and he can see through the disguises and side effects of most spirit objects."

Master Gu walked to a display stand in the center of the hall that was covered with a red cloth and stopped.

A middle-aged man from the organizer immediately went up to him with a fawning expression: "Mr. Gu, you've finally arrived! This item is too strange. Several of us appraisers have been looking at it for a long time, but we didn't dare to remove the cloth. We have to ask you to take action."

"Hmph, a bunch of useless trash."

Master Gu snorted coldly, "I'd like to see what kind of thing is putting on this act."

He walked to the booth, took a deep breath, and his eyes suddenly flashed with a white light, clearly indicating that he had activated his pupil technique.

"rise!"

He suddenly ripped off the red cloth.

"Splash!"

The red cloth fell down, revealing what was inside.

It was an ordinary-looking... earthenware jar.

It was about half a meter tall, with a rough surface and a grayish color. It even had a chip in it, making it look like a jar used in rural areas for pickling vegetables.

"this one?"

The crowd booed.

"Isn't this just a broken jar?"

"This can be the grand finale?"

Jiang Li also stood on tiptoe in the crowd to see, and when she saw the jar, she couldn't help but laugh.

"This thing looks exactly like the jar my grandma used to pickle green beans! Even the notch is the same! Could it have been collected by a junk collector?"

However, Master Gu's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"No...that's not right!"

He stared intently at the jar, his eyes flashing with intense white light, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"This isn't an ordinary jar! This is...this is..."

"Buzz—!!!"

Suddenly, the earthenware jar vibrated.

An invisible sound wave spread out instantly from the jar.

"Hehehe..."

"Hahaha……"

A sharp, maniacal, and malicious laugh exploded in everyone's minds without warning!

The voice seemed to come from the depths of hell, possessing a maddening magic.

"ah!!!"

The closest ordinary staff members immediately covered their ears and screamed in agony, bleeding from all seven orifices, and collapsed to the ground, rolling around wildly.

Even those D-level Awakened Ones felt excruciating headaches, mental confusion, and terrifying hallucinations.

"Oh no! It's the [Screaming Jar] (C+ grade cursed item)!"

Su Qingge's expression changed drastically, and a light blue frost shield instantly erupted from her body, blocking the mental impact.

"Everyone, step back! This thing is out of control! Its noise will completely destroy your sanity!"

"puff!"

Master Gu, who was the first to be hit, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward, his eyes rolling back, clearly suffering a severe mental blow.

"Run! This thing eats people!"

The crowd erupted in chaos, crying and rushing toward the exit.

The earthenware jar floated up, black mist gushing from its mouth. Within the mist, distorted, pained faces vaguely appeared, and the piercing shriek grew louder and louder, as if it would tear the ceiling of the entire banquet hall off.

"Hehehe! They all have to die! They're all going to die!"

A terrifying pressure enveloped the entire area.

"Damn it! We have to seal it away!"

Su Qingge drew the folding knife from her waist, preparing to rush forward.

Suddenly, a hand pressed down on her shoulder.

"etc."

Jiang Li stood calmly beside her, holding half a slice of uneaten watermelon in his other hand.

"This is such a small matter, why would you need to do it?"

Su Qingge was taken aback: "Senior, that's a C+ grade cursed object, with extremely strong mental attacks..."

"What cursed object?"

Jiang Li frowned and pointed at the jar that was suspended in mid-air, spewing black smoke.

"Isn't this just a pressure cooker that exploded? Look at all that steam spraying out, the pressure relief valve must be clogged!"

In his eyes, that terrifying magic kettle was a dilapidated pressure cooker (or some kind of kettle) that was flying around and spewing steam due to excessive pressure.

That shrieking sound was the sound of water boiling.

"It's so noisy, my ears are going deaf."

Jiang Li casually tossed the watermelon rind aside and strode over.

"Big Yellow! Cover me!"

"Woof!" (Yes, boss!)

Although Dahuang also found the sound a bit harsh, seeing its master so brave, it could only grit its teeth and rush forward, barking wildly at the jar, trying to use sound waves to fight back against sound waves.

Despite the piercing scream that could make one's brains boil, Jiang Li rushed to the jar in a few steps.

"Scream! Scream! Are you trying to call back my soul?!"

He reached out and grabbed the spinning jar.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

The curse runes on the surface of the jar erupted instantly, attempting to corrode Jiang Li's palm.

But under Jiang Li's "Angler's Physique," these curses were like slightly hot water.

"Wow, it's pretty hot! It was just boiled, right?"

Jiang Li frowned, pressed his left hand firmly against the jar, and picked up a rag from the table next to him (actually a sealing talisman cloth, which the appraiser had dropped after being scared away).

"Shut up!"

He crumpled the rag into a ball and shoved it hard into the mouth of the jar that was spewing black smoke and making a shrieking sound!

"puff!"

A muffled thud.

It's like having your fart blocked.

The maddening scream abruptly stopped.

The jar, which had been floating in mid-air, seemed to lose its power and fell onto the table with a thud. It shook twice and then stopped moving.

The black mist dissipated, and the illusion vanished.

The entire banquet hall fell silent instantly, leaving only the rag blocking the mouth of the jar, which looked particularly comical.

"..."

Everyone stopped running and turned to look at this unbelievable scene.

Supported by others, Master Gu, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth, pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Li: "What...what did he do?"

"He...he gagged that thing?"

"With a rag?!"

This is a C+ level curse source! The black gas it spews out can even corrode the soul, and he actually blocked it with his bare hands?!

What kind of amazing move is this?

Jiang Li dusted off his hands and turned to Su Qingge with a relaxed expression, saying:

"See, I told you the pressure cooker was leaking steam, didn't I? Just tighten it up a bit."

He glanced at the still, chicken-like jar again and smacked his lips.

"This jar looks to be of decent quality, but the opening is a bit too big, making it difficult to seal. If you use it to pickle vegetables, it'll probably get moldy."

Everyone: "..."

Pickled vegetables?

That's the [Screaming Demon Pot]! It seals away thousands upon thousands of vengeful spirits! You're going to use it to pickle vegetables?!

Su Qingge looked at Jiang Li's nonchalant demeanor, her eyes practically overflowing with admiration.

"Is this a world-destroying level of power?"

"Ignore the rules, ignore the curses, and suppress the most terrifying evil in the simplest way."

"Sealing the magic pot with a rag...that's a move that deserves a place in the Night's Watch textbooks!"

Just then, the middle-aged man who was in charge of organizing the event walked over, trembling.

"Master! Thank you so much for saving my life!"

He looked at Jiang Li as if he were a savior, "If it weren't for you, this place would probably be a river of blood today!"

"It was nothing, don't mention it."

Jiang Li waved his hand, "Since this jar is broken, are you still selling it?"

"Huh?" The middle-aged man was taken aback. "You...you want to buy it?"

"Yeah, I think this jar is pretty big. Although it's a bit leaky, we can take it back and fix it. It should be usable for planting flowers or raising fish."

Jiang Li stroked his chin. "But since it's a defective product, could you lower the price? I think fifty yuan would be about right."

"Fifty...fifty dollars?"

The middle-aged man almost lost his balance.

This was originally a C+ grade spiritual item with a starting bid of five million!

But he glanced at the trembling (spiritual tremor) demon pot with its mouth stuffed with a rag, and then at the unfathomable Jiang Li.

"It's a gift! It's for you!"

The middle-aged man waved his hand dismissively, "If you can take it with you and make things a little quieter here, I'll pay you fifty thousand, not just fifty yuan!"

"real?"

Jiang Li was delighted.

"I can't accept this... but since you insist, I'll reluctantly take it."

He lifted the heavy jar with one hand, as if he were carrying a bucket of instant noodles.

"Big Yellow, let's go! Let's go home and pickle some sauerkraut!"

"Woof!" (This jar smells like so many wronged spirits, I really want to eat it...)

A man and his dog swaggered out of the banquet hall amidst the awe, fear, and stunned gazes of hundreds of awakened individuals.

Only the rag still stuck in the mouth of the jar remained, trembling slightly in the wind, as if telling the story of the magic pot's last dignity.