Dare to shed all—to fight with my life and break into the top three. This is the second chapter for today. Baili bows again to all brothers and sisters for their votes, o(∩_∩)o... Brothers and sisters who have votes, don't hide them away. －－－－－－－－ Ye Qin walked through the bustling streets of the county town, spotted a jade shop named "Chunyu Shop," and strolled inside.

The shop was quite spacious, capable of holding several dozen people at least. Four long rows of counters lined the walls, filled with jade stones of all sizes—rough blanks and finished, carved artifacts—available for purchase.

Several attendants in green robes were assisting a few richly dressed patrons in selecting jade pendants. Perhaps because jade artifacts were expensive, most people who came to buy jade in this establishment were from the affluent families of the county town; not a single commoner was present.

A young attendant inside the shop greeted Ye Qin with a warm smile.

“Respected guest, what kind of jade are you looking for? Our Chunyu Shop is the finest jade establishment in Zhuqi County. We stock every variety: nephrite, jadeite, white jade, blue-green jade, red jade, dark green jade, black jade, yellow jade, and so on. The texture is incredibly hard, and the luster is brilliant and vibrant. Carved into pendants, wearing them has the effect of calming the heart, warding off evil, and sharpening the mind. Or perhaps jade bracelets, bangles, hairpins, sword fittings, and more—the selection is vast. If you can name it, our shop can produce it.”

Seeing Ye Qin’s simple blue robe, the young attendant secretly guessed he might be a disciple from the leading magnate family in the county, the Medicine Gathering Hall, and dared not treat him lightly. Moreover, the attendant knew that if they pleased disciples from such martial guilds, they were often extremely generous and rarely quibbled over the price.

Ye Qin nodded after the introduction, offering no comment.

This shop was already the third jade establishment he had visited in the county. The previous ones had also boasted extravagantly, nearly claiming their jade stones were celestial stars. Yet, he had not found the kind of spirit stone he was seeking.

Ye Qin spoke, “I am looking for a type of jade where the entire stone is permeated with spiritual energy. An energy so palpable that one can clearly sense it even from several paces away. I wonder if your esteemed shop carries such jade?”

The young attendant froze for a moment.

In truth, all earthly jade contained spiritual energy. Otherwise, it would be called common stone, not jade. The quality of jade hinged on the concentration of this spiritual energy. The vast majority of earthly jade stones held only trace amounts, almost imperceptible. Only the absolute finest jade might radiate a spiritual energy that could be clearly felt. Naturally, the price for such jade was astronomically high, often serving as the shop’s treasured heirloom, rarely offered for sale.

He recognized that Ye Qin was asking for the highest grade of jade. He studied Ye Qin’s demeanor again, surprised, but determined that Ye Qin was not jesting. Unsure of Ye Qin's status or wealth, he dared not make a decision on his own, immediately heading to the inner room to summon the proprietor of Chunyu Shop.

The proprietor emerged unhurriedly: an elderly man in his sixties or seventies, with bright eyes and white hair. He walked out with a smile and bowed to Ye Qin:

“Young sir, are you perhaps inquiring about the treasured heirloom of my Chunyu Shop? I am Zhao Yuanshan, the owner of Chunyu Shop. May I ask what name you go by, Young Sir, and what position you hold in the Medicine Gathering Hall? As long as you can afford the price, this old man will not refuse to part with the shop's treasure for you.”

“My surname is Ye. As for my position in the Medicine Gathering Hall, that is irrelevant. What matters is whether your shop possesses the jade I seek. If it does, I can certainly afford it.”

Ye Qin was quite confident in this regard.

Old Master Zhao’s perception was far superior to that of the attendant. He instantly noticed the leaf emblem embroidered on Ye Qin’s clothing, signifying that the man before him was merely an outer disciple of the Medicine Gathering Hall, and a very junior one at that. Such individuals usually held very low status within the Hall.

However, being a medicine-gathering disciple did not equate to being poor. Many such disciples risked their lives collecting herbs and thus amassed considerable wealth. Especially those disciples engaged in ‘private dealings’ within the Medicine Gathering Hall were often rolling in riches and known for extravagant spending.

Old Master Zhao appraised Ye Qin with an amused gaze. Could this young man be one of those disciples involved in ‘private dealings’? Otherwise, why would he seek to purchase such premium jade?

With this thought, Old Master Zhao suddenly burst into loud laughter: “Haha, my Chunyu Shop is considered the top jade establishment in Zhuqi County, and the jade here is absolutely top-grade. I guarantee your satisfaction, Young Master Ye. Please, let us retire to the inner room to talk!”

Ye Qin’s spiritual sense was very keen.

That fleeting glance from Old Master Zhao immediately made him uncomfortable, as if the proprietor harbored some ulterior motive. However, Ye Qin felt certain he possessed nothing that Zhao would covet.

Old Master Zhao led Ye Qin into the inner chamber.

The inner room also contained a few counters, but they were far more refined and high-end than those in the outer area. There were also numerous chairs, and tea was served on low tables for guests to refresh themselves. A female attendant stood nearby, pouring tea.

Old Master Zhao personally guided Ye Qin to inspect the exquisite jade artifacts within these counters.

These were not the absolute finest spirit stones, but they were leagues beyond the common jade outside. He wished to gauge Ye Qin’s satisfaction with these pieces.

Yet, Ye Qin found none of them satisfactory; he could feel no spiritual energy leaking from these stones. He recalled the dense surge of spiritual energy he felt when excavating Azure Rock Marrow on Eagle Peak Cliff—that was genuine spirit stone.

Old Master Zhao, far from being discouraged, grew even more pleased. Ye Qin’s attitude confirmed his suspicion: this young disciple from the Medicine Gathering Hall must be involved in ‘private dealings’ and likely possessed substantial wealth.

Old Master Zhao instructed the maid to attend to Ye Qin while he entered a private side room. After a short interval, he returned, carrying a heavy wooden box.

“We also have one exceptional piece of raw spiritual jade embryo, which I invite Young Master Ye to inspect.”

He carefully opened the large wooden box first. A large white jade embryo was revealed, roughly the size of a sea bowl, pure white in color, with a fine, delicate texture and a moist sheen. Soft cotton padding was layered beneath the stone in the box to prevent jarring.

“This white jade embryo is the very treasure of our Chunyu Shop, exceedingly rare. Our master jade carver has been contemplating how to sculpt it for a long time, delaying the work, which is why it remains an embryo. This item is quite effective for Young Master in cultivating inner energy and true qi, possessing the power to stabilize the heart and calm the spirit, thus reducing the risk of qi deviation and madness.”

Old Master Zhao explained the potential uses of the white jade embryo.

Ye Qin gently stroked the surface of the white jade embryo, closed his eyes, and slowly inhaled, sensing its spiritual energy. He could faintly detect a wispy, almost illusory spiritual aura emanating from the stone. He mused internally: since he could sense the spiritual energy seeping out, this white jade embryo must qualify as a spirit stone. Although the concentration of spiritual energy in this embryo was far lower than that of the Azure Rock he once dug up, and it was also much smaller in size.

To find a spirit jade meeting his requirements within the "Chunyu Shop" provided him with a measure of unexpected delight.