Chapter 29 – A Man Like None Other
At that moment, many in the crowd had seen Jared spend ten thousand to purchase a rusty lump of iron ore. Some were having a heated debate over it, while others laughed mockingly at him. Given how young Jared was, they assumed he would be easily duped in his attempt to find treasures in Antique Street. Nevertheless, Jared ignored their comments and the fat stall owner’s laughter. Instead, he gently squeezed the piece of iron ore, causing the rust to gradually break apart.
Crack! The iron ore split open in his hand. After that, the crack began to grow bigger. “Wow, the kid has a really strong grip!” “Did he just spend ten thousand so that he can exercise his grip?” “Since he doesn’t look rich from his outfit, does he have any violent tendencies? Or else, why break it right after buying it?” The crowd couldn’t believe what was happening. Even the fat stall owner stared intently at Jared, curious as to what he was up to.
Soon, the iron ore broke in half, and a dazzling ray of light shot out of it. A translucent piece of green jade the size of one’s thumb was revealed to be hiding inside. Holding the piece of jade, Jared threw away its shell. Evidently, the spiritual energy he had felt earlier was coming from the jewel. “T-that’s an imperial jade!” “Damn it, he’s gonna be rich!” “Did the kid already know there was something inside?” Everyone, including the stall owner, was so stupefied that their eyes almost popped out.
Holding the piece of jade, Jared examined it for a moment before putting it into his pocket. He planned to make it into a pendant for his mother. By wearing it, she would be able to ward off evil spirits and nourish her body at the same time. Just when Jared was about to leave, the fat stall owner stopped him. “Kid, I have something to discuss with you. Why don’t you sell the rock to me?” the stall owner asked smilingly.
“I’m not selling.” Jared shook his head and prepared to circle around the stall owner to leave. When the stall owner realized Jared was leaving with no intention of selling, his expression drastically changed. “Kid, have you made a mistake? That piece of jade belongs to me. How can you take it and leave?” “Yours?” Jared was stunned. “I just bought this, so how can it be yours? In fact, everyone just saw me purchase it!”
“I sold you a lump of iron ore, not this piece of jade. You can take the iron ore with you, but the jade has to stay!” The moment the stall owner finished speaking, a group of menacing-looking men suddenly appeared from behind him. “That kid is just too inexperienced. Knowing that there’s something inside, he should have opened it at home instead of doing it here, which was just asking for trouble.” “He’s in deep shit now and is going to lose the treasure he’s just gotten his hands on.
The piece of imperial jade is worth a million, at least!” “I think it’s definitely worth more than that.” Despite sympathizing with Jared, none in the crowd stood up for him. When he saw the group of brawny men, Jared responded with a smirk. “You guys are nothing but con men who commit daylight robbery!”
“Shut your trap. Hand over the jade, and I’ll let you go. Or else, you’re not leaving here in one piece!” The stall owner was finally showing his true colors. “I’ve long heard about how much fraud and deception there is in Antique Street. Looks like the rumors are really true. Today, I would like to find out what you’ll do to me if I refuse to hand over the jade!” Jared sneered without an ounce of fear on his face. Jared’s words offended everyone on Antique Street.
Not only did they swear at him, but they also egged the fat stall owner on to teach Jared a lesson. “Kid, you’re just courting death!” Just as he spoke, the stall owner threw a punch at Jared. From the hiss of the wind accompanying the punch, Jared could see that his attacker was a trained man.
There was no way a layman could unleash such a fast and powerful strike. Thinking about it, he realized it made sense for them to know how to fight. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare run a fraudulent business in such an area.
