Chapter Twenty-Six: Blood Eyes Discern Jade

A flicker of excitement flashed in Hu San's eyes. "Tiger, could it be that we've found the real thing?"

I nodded. "This is just the beginning. We need to find more stones like this to pinpoint the source."

We kept searching the market and finally found a few similar stones at another stall.

The vendor was a middle-aged man, his demeanor somewhat unfriendly. But we weren't intimidated and asked him directly about the price.

"How much for these stones?" I pointed at a few of them.

He glanced at us coldly. "These stones are top quality, not cheap. Ten thousand each."

Hu San frowned. "Isn't that a bit much?"

But I didn't hesitate. I took out twenty thousand and handed it to him. "We'll take two."

The man's face softened a little as he took the money and handed us two stones.

I examined them closely and found that their texture was very similar to the one we had before, confirming our suspicion.

"Hu San, let's go," I said quietly.

He nodded, and we left the market quickly, returning to a secluded spot.

I laid out the stones and studied them carefully. Their texture and grain were strikingly similar—they clearly came from the same vein.

"Hu San, we've found a clue to the source." Excitement tinged my voice.

A glimmer lit up his eyes. "Tiger, what's our next move?"

I smiled. "Now, it's time for Blood-Eye Jade Appraisal!"

Hu San was taken aback. "Isn't that from that book you read?"

I nodded. "The essence of Blood-Eye Jade Appraisal is that not only can you see the origin of the jade, you can even pinpoint its precise location. Beyond that, you can identify exactly which section of the vein it came from!"

Hu San scratched his head, even more confused.

I gave him an analogy: just as humans have meridians, so does the earth—it has earth veins, water veins, mineral veins...

"Does that make sense now?"

He sighed. "Forget it, with my brains, you'd better not bother teaching me!"

I was momentarily speechless, feeling a bit helpless as I looked at his bruised, muscular frame. Even though he was my good brother, I couldn't help but recall a proverb: strong limbs, simple mind.

We quickly returned home and spread the stones out on a battered wooden table. I took a set of tools from my backpack and began preparations for the Blood-Eye Jade Appraisal.

"Hu San, help me brighten the light," I said.

He nodded, fetched several powerful flashlights, and arranged them around the table.

Under the intense light, the stones' grain became even clearer.

I picked up a stone and carefully bored a hole in it with a fine needle.

Then, with a blade, I made a cut on my finger, and fresh blood welled up immediately.

"Tiger, will this really work?" Hu San asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, this is a secret method from Blood-Eye Jade Appraisal."

As I spoke, I held my finger over the hole, letting the blood drip in.

I watched the speed at which the blood seeped, silently counting the seconds.

As expected, it seeped very slowly—proof that the stone was extremely dense, with great resistance.

"This piece comes from the core of the vein," I said gravely. "Which means the market boss's vein is nearly exhausted."

Hu San's eyes lit up. "Can we use this information?"

"Exactly." I nodded. "If we can find a new source, that boss will stop at nothing to get it."

I examined the other stones the same way, and each result indicated they all came from the same core section. My theory was further confirmed.

"Old Leopard Chen's jade vein is played out! That explains why, in three days, he's hosting that stone-gambling exchange—to create an impression of prosperity!"

Hu San seemed to understand. "So what do we do now? If their mine is exhausted, what does it have to do with us?"

I clapped him on the shoulder, laughing. "If you were a jade seller with no more mine but wanted to keep your name alive, what would you do?"

He frowned in thought, then his eyes suddenly shone. "Find a new vein!"

"Right. But think about it—these veins have been mined since the Ming dynasty. Any that could be developed have been, and opening a new one would take years and a fortune. Do you think he can wait that long?"

Hu San thought it through and suddenly saw the light. "That leaves only hype—like finding a top-grade jade in the market?"

"Exactly!" I nodded approvingly. "Old Leopard Chen will use this opportunity to manufacture a sense of scarcity and attract more people to gamble on stones, so he can make a fortune in the short term."

"And, as you said, he'll put top-quality goods on the market, enough to keep the hype alive for years!"

"I didn't expect you to figure that out!"

Hu San grinned sheepishly. "I've got a brain, after all!"

I nodded. "But let me tell you the truth, Hu San—finding a true top-grade jade is as difficult as finding a new vein!"

He frowned at my words, clearly baffled by the term "Dragon's Legacy Pill." He scratched his head and asked, "Tiger, what is a Dragon's Legacy Pill? What's it got to do with jade?"

I smiled and explained patiently, "Dragon's Legacy Pill is an ancient Chinese medicine, said to have miraculous effects, curing all ills, even granting longevity. But in reality, its ingredients aren't so mysterious. In fact, Dragon's Legacy Pill was nothing but imperial excrement collected by eunuchs and processed into medicine. Because it came from the emperor, it was considered priceless."

Hu San nearly gagged. "People actually ate that?"

I laughed. "People will eat anything when they're desperate enough!"

He nodded. "I get what you mean. So, a piece of jade isn't necessarily valuable by itself—if it belonged to someone important, or passed through the right hands, its price could skyrocket!"

"Exactly," I said with a smile. "You're a quick learner."

He grinned. "So, what's your plan? How will you make jade into something top-tier?"

I turned and picked a small piece from the day's haul, waving it before him.

"This piece is red jade," I said, pausing for effect. "It'll be very useful!"