99: Chapter 99 Guan Gong Statue Carved from Hetian Jade

"No, if it were that kind of illness, the hospital would definitely have been able to detect it."

"Then what does that mean? Did he run into a ghost too?"

"This... it might have something to do with Gangzi."

"How so?"

"The ash jar that Gangzi fished up was sold to him. He also runs a shop over by the overpass."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Wang Zhiwei hesitated for a moment, "Actually, his family didn't think of it this way at first. It was a friend of Gangzi who mentioned that Gangzi had encountered something similar. That's how his family found Gangzi. Gangzi felt embarrassed to come to you, so he asked me to make the call."

Han Jingyang smiled, "What's there to be embarrassed about? It's his wife I find annoying, not him. But never mind, I'll take the job. Of course, that's on the condition that it's indeed the same situation as what Deng Xingang encountered."

"I'll come pick you up."

"No need, meet me at the hospital entrance."

"Alright."

After hanging up the phone, Han Jingyang turned his head and glanced at Liu Jing, "There's a job."

Liu Jing lifted her bangs, lowered her eyes, and said, "Congratulations, another payday. Going back to the shop?"

"Yeah, going back to the shop to get some equipment. What about you? Coming along?"

"If you want me to go, I'll go. If you... find me annoying, then I won't."

What a way to say that.

Why so resentful?

I'm not some kind of scumbag.

Even if I were, I haven't been a scumbag to you, so what are you being so resentful for?

Han Jingyang muttered to himself, but nodded, "Let's go together, it won't take long."

"Thank you, Boss. Boss, I'll drive."

"..."

Back at Jiguang Zhai, Han Jingyang rummaged through the counter and found an item with the "Evil-Warding" attribute.

A purple clay sitting statue of Buddha.

Grade Seven.

No skill.

Evil-Warding +1.

The attributes were quite pathetic, but it would suffice.

Saving someone doesn't always require an immediate effect; as long as they wake up within two or three days, that's good enough.

You get what you pay for.

Unless the other party is willing to pay a high price.

Having the experience of treating Deng Xingang, Han Jingyang was becoming more and more confident. He would avoid using skills if possible, avoid using Grade Six items if possible, and use +1 attribute items instead of +2 whenever he could.

He was just that frugal.

Just as he finished equipping himself, someone pushed the door open, "Boss, do you buy antiques?"

Han Jingyang turned his head and saw a middle-aged woman in her fifties with curly hair.

He was about to refuse, but he noticed that the blue aura emitted by the Bronze Pixiu was pulsating with an abnormal frequency.

Is this... the wealth-attracting attribute taking effect?

So, the word "buy" came to his lips instead. He pointed to the sofa, "Ma'am, sit down first. Where is the item?"

"I brought it with me."

"What is it?"

"A statue of guan gong."

"Oh? Put it on the coffee table, let me take a look."

Han Jingyang grew interested.

If he could unlock another "Guan Gong Possession", he would make a killing. He could use it on Liu Jing twice to boost her combat effectiveness.

Having a powerful bodyguard by his side would make things safer.

Thinking about it, he felt a little excited.

The curly-haired woman took out a twenty-centimeter-tall statue of guan gong from her bag. It was carved from Hetian jade. The color was deep and pure, like spinach, with a dark tone that looked extremely steady.

The carving technique was also excellent—very minimalist, somewhat similar to the famous Han Eight-Knife style.

But it was different; the carving style of this jade guan gong statue was more like the great freehand style in traditional Chinese painting. The lines were extremely graceful and fluid, paired with large areas of negative space, giving the statue a very refined temperament.

Below the chest, only a few strokes were used to carve out the free-spirited silhouette of the body.

Above the chest was the flowing long beard, and unlike the traditional statue of guan gong where it is tied into a single bunch, it was scattered as if blown by the wind, drifting across the chest. Just a few strokes carved out that air of standing in the wind.

The face further up was slightly more detailed, but the style remained the same—simple and unrestrained.

Moreover, this statue of guan gong was not in a martial pose. There was no Red Hare horse, no Green Dragon Crescent Blade, no armor, robe, or belt. Instead, it was styled in a long robe, with hands behind the back, standing in the wind.

After looking at it, Han Jingyang had only one feeling.

Cool!

Too cool.

He had seen so many statues of Guan Gong before, most of which were in a mighty and domineering style, and some were slightly tragic.

This was the first time he had seen such a classy Lord Guan.

floating in the air (Graceful) and unrestrained, as if he would ride the wind and leave at any moment.

It had an ethereal, immortal aura.

Could this be Lord Guan after he became a god?

Appraise.

Appraise first to see the attributes.

He hoped to unlock a "Guan Gong Possession".

"Name: Hetian Jade Carved Standing statue of guan gong."

"Grade: Grade Four."

"Attribute: Manifestation of Holiness +13."

"Skill: Guan Gong Manifestation."

Holy crap?

Guan Gong Manifestation?

This skill isn't the same type as Zhenwu Descends to Earth, is it?

When summoned, will the Lord Guan that appears be this cool too?

Awesome!

He hit the jackpot!

This statue of guan gong must be acquired.

Although he didn't know what the "Manifestation of Holiness" attribute did, it certainly wouldn't be bad.

13 points of attributes—no matter how trashy, it couldn't be underestimated.

It was 13 points.

That's not a joke.

Besides, with the "Guan Gong Manifestation" skill, it wouldn't even matter if it had no attributes.

Must acquire it.

After his excitement subsided, Han Jingyang calmed down slowly and asked, "Ma'am, what's the history of this statue of guan gong?"

"My husband bought it from Taiwan."

"Oh? How much did it cost?"

"It was about seventeen or eighteen years ago. It cost over six hundred thousand. They said the creator of this statue of guan gong was a very famous master, and all his works had divinity. But later, when we asked around, everyone said it wasn't worth that much money, and that Hetian jade wasn't very valuable."

Han Jingyang nodded slightly, "The market price for jade is indeed not as high as white jade or mutton-fat jade, but it depends on the quality. Your quality is decent, it's just a bit small in size."

"Yes, yes, yes. I had someone look at it, and they said the same thing."

"So, how much do you intend to sell it for?"

"I'm not looking to make a profit. As long as I can recover the cost, six hundred thousand."

"Ma'am, where is your husband?"

"He's gone. If he were alive, he wouldn't allow me to sell it. He always treated it like a treasure."

Six hundred thousand is indeed high by market standards.

Very high.

Because no matter how excellent the carving is, the material has already limited the upper limit of the market price, unless the jade carver is a well-known provincial or even national-level arts and crafts master.

A master from folk legends?

The market doesn't recognize that.

So, Han Jingyang shook his head and said, "Ma'am, six hundred thousand is too exaggerated. You won't be able to sell it for that price anywhere, and I won't give you such a high price either."

"How much can you offer?"

"Three hundred thousand," Han Jingyang said very seriously, "Ma'am, I really like this carving style. The knife work is very concise, and the style is great freehand. It looks very refreshing and has a strong artistic conception. But business is about following market rules. Three hundred thousand is already the limit I can offer."

"Add some more. I, I can't make a loss on this."

"Same here, I can't make a loss either. Your husband's investment failed; this loss can only be borne by you."

"But..."

Han Jingyang interrupted the curly-haired woman, "Ma'am, take my advice. When it's time to sell, sell. If you miss this village, you won't find the shop. If you go out for a walk and come back now, I will only be able to offer two hundred and fifty thousand. If you go for another walk and come back, it will only be two hundred thousand. I opened this shop to make money, not to do charity. Think it over before you make a decision."