Chapter 63: The Treasure of Longevity

“Please, go ahead.” Gu Qing’er pointed to the door, her face expressionless.

Ye Tian nodded, unceremoniously pulled open the car door, and got into the back seat.

“Master, don’t forget about me!” Jiang Cheng hurried after them with a fawning grin, earning a look of disdain from Gu Qing’er.

“You’re not allowed to come!”

The blond could only look at Ye Tian with a pitiful expression.

“If he’s not coming, then neither am I,” Ye Tian said helplessly.

Caught in a stalemate, Gu Qing’er finally relented and let the little blond get into the car with them.

The driver, wearing sunglasses, had a stern face. He floored the accelerator, making Jiang Cheng wail in terror in the back seat.

The SUV sped out of the Antique Town, turning west toward the city.

Soon, it stopped in front of a tall building.

“This doesn’t look like a stone-gambling venue,” Ye Tian remarked as he got out, surveying the surroundings with a frown.

“How would you know if you don’t go inside? What’s the matter, are you scared?” Gu Qing’er’s face was full of contempt and her tone dripped with mockery.

“Whatever.”

Ye Tian shrugged and followed her into the building.

They took the elevator up to the top floor, where a grand auction hall, nothing short of palatial, unfolded before the three of them.

Jiang Cheng, trailing behind, suddenly seemed to remember something and cried out in surprise, “Whoa, I remember now! Isn’t this the secret auction organized by the Azure Dragon Society?”

“The Azure Dragon Society?”

Hearing this unfamiliar name, Ye Tian couldn’t help but turn and cast a questioning glance at his apprentice.

“Given how strong your appraisal skills are, I’m surprised you’ve never even heard of the Azure Dragon Society,” Gu Qing’er said, clearly taken aback. “It’s funny how this good-for-nothing here actually knows a thing or two.”

“Hey, who are you calling good-for-nothing? I’m at least—” Jiang Cheng started to protest, but Ye Tian raised a hand to cut him off.

He asked, “Tell me more about this Azure Dragon Society.”

“Alright.”

Ignoring the still-grumbling Jiang Cheng, Gu Qing’er nodded and briefly introduced the Azure Dragon Society.

It turned out that since the late Qing Dynasty, the country had seen the rise of four major forces, each based on bloodline and geographical division into east, west, south, and north.

The Azure Dragon Society was the leading power in the east, with its counterparts being the White Tiger Sect in the west, the Vermilion Bird Group in the south, and the Black Tortoise Clan in the north.

The leaders of these factions were ancient martial arts families with special bloodlines. By absorbing outside influences, these families grew stronger, forming what came to be known as the “Four Divine Beasts of Heaven.”

Take the Azure Dragon Society, for example: over half of the businessmen and entrepreneurs in the eastern region have dealings with them, and the east’s economy accounts for half of the country’s total. In other words, the decisions made within the Azure Dragon Society can easily influence a quarter of the nation’s economic direction.

Such an immense organization—just hearing about it was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

Fortunately, these forces were not closely allied, nor did they fundamentally oppose the government. Otherwise, with their influence, they could easily draw the ruling authorities’ suspicion and possibly spark internal turmoil.

“Today’s auction is hosted by the Azure Dragon Society’s headquarters. Only top-tier business moguls, entertainment superstars, and ancient martial families are qualified to attend,” Gu Qing’er explained. “In other words, this so-called good-for-nothing comes from quite an extraordinary family.” She glanced at Jiang Cheng as she spoke.

“Can you stop calling me a good-for-nothing? It’s getting on my nerves!” Jiang Cheng’s nose was almost bent out of shape from anger, but Gu Qing’er’s cold glare quickly silenced him.

As they made their way deeper into the banquet hall, a towering figure came to greet them.

“Haha, little sister, you’re finally here! I’ve missed you like crazy!” Ye Tian looked over instinctively at the sound. The man had a youthful face, but his height was truly imposing—well over two meters, almost as if he could block out the sun. By comparison, Ye Tian’s own height of one eighty-five seemed childlike.

“This is my cousin, Gu Tianzhen—also my fiancé,” Gu Qing’er introduced, though her gaze toward the man showed little fondness.

But neither was there any dislike; it was more accurately a calm indifference.

“This is Ye Qiu, the appraisal master I told you about earlier.”

“Hello, Ye Qiu!” Gu Tianzhen flashed a big smile and shook Ye Tian’s hand.

“Since you’re the appraisal master, we’ll be counting on you in the auction. Don’t take it lightly—it’s very important! If things go wrong, I’ll have no choice but to tear you apart,” Gu Tianzhen emphasized.

“Heh.” Ye Tian remained noncommittal. Though this man was built like an ox and his words were intimidating, the aura around him was not that of a villain; in fact, he seemed honest and kind-hearted.

After greeting Ye Tian, he turned to Gu Qing’er and boomed, “Little sister, I’ve missed you so much! How about we make a baby tonight?”

Pfft!

Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but spit out his drink, his eyes wide with shock.

Man, that’s boldly direct, isn’t it?

“I won’t have a child with you until you reach the Mount Tai level,” Gu Qing’er replied, rolling her eyes. “A man with weak potential—it would be a waste of vitality to have a child with you!”

Damn…

Even Ye Tian couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

So, for you two, having a child is like animals scattering their seeds—survival of the fittest, is that it? This kind of primitive dialogue—are you sure you’re in the right era?

But soon, someone cleared up his confusion.

Jiang Cheng cleared his throat and explained, “Ancient martial families have pure bloodlines and superior genes, but each generation has very few direct descendants. So, to ensure the family prospers, they place great importance on reproduction. They’re not shy about topics like having children—in fact, they often encourage the women of the family to recruit sons-in-law with outstanding bloodlines.”

As he spoke, he winked at Ye Tian, hinting: Master, you’re an option too!

Yes, that’s how it is.

After explaining, even Jiang Cheng stuck out his tongue—understanding and accepting are two entirely different things!

So that’s how it is.

Ye Tian nodded, gaining a bit of understanding, but quickly brought the conversation back on track: “Tell me your true purpose, so at least I can be mentally prepared.”

“Alright, you’re quite sharp—much smarter than Blondie,” Gu Qing’er replied. “There’s an extremely important treasure in today’s auction, said to originate from the Black Tortoise Clan. Whoever possesses it will gain extraordinary longevity.”

Extraordinary longevity!

Such a definite description made Ye Tian raise his brows. Compared to simply “prolonging life,” “extraordinary longevity” sounded much more certain and far more astonishing—almost unreal!