137: Chapter 227 'Ghost Hand' Yang Yizhuo

"Worth it? Boss, are you saying... this piece of scrap, because of this drawing, is worth 388,000?" a bolder onlooker couldn't help but ask loudly, their tone full of doubt and inquiry.

"This isn't a drawing, this is 'Jade Appraisal'!" The elderly man with thick glasses from before was now flushed with excitement. He squeezed to the front, his voice trembling. "Boss, you... you are 'evaluating the material' and 'establishing the concept'! My goodness, I've played with stones my whole life, but today I've truly had my eyes opened! This isn't stone gambling; this is... it's creation, the 'Jade Appraisal' technique that turns decay into magic!"

The moment the words 'Jade Appraisal' were spoken, the expressions of those who knew the trade changed. Stone gambling relies on keen eyes, experience, and luck to judge the quality of the jade flesh beneath the crust. But 'Jade Appraisal' is on a higher level. It's not just about judging whether there is jade or if the jade is good; it's about being able to see the unique 'imagery' and 'possibilities' contained within the natural texture, color, and flaws of a seemingly ordinary or even inferior piece of jade material, and then conceiving a unique jade carving theme. This is true master-level insight and creativity! Compared to simply 'hitting the jackpot' on a good piece of material, the difficulty and level of this are immeasurably higher!

"Old Master Yang is right! This... this is truly a miraculous skill!" someone nearby chimed in. The look they gave Yu Bo was no longer just awe; it was as if they were looking at a god who had descended to earth.

The Stall Owner also recovered from the initial shock and the mindset of 'looking at a madman.' Having run a stone gambling stall for many years, he had naturally heard the legends of 'Jade Appraisal,' but this was his first time seeing it with his own eyes! He looked at the 'the person returning home in wind and snow' sketched by the eyebrow pencil on the cut surface, and then looked at Yu Bo's unfathomable face; his heart was in turmoil. What he had sold for 388,000 was not just a 'piece of scrap' that might hide a top-tier jade carving embryo, but a legendary story for his stall that could be passed down for years! His guts were almost twisted with regret. This time, it wasn't because of the money, but because he had missed the opportunity to deeply befriend a 'Jade Appraisal' master, and perhaps even bring supreme glory to his own stall! He now wished he could turn back time, give the stone to Yu Bo for free, and just ask to build a good relationship.

"Boss! Master!" The Stall Owner's face instantly piled up with the most flattering and respectful smile, his voice trembling with excitement. "You... you are truly divine! This insight, this level of expertise—I really had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! It is this stone's fortune to have met you! Forget about the money; for you to have taken a fancy to it is the blessing of my stall! This stone..." He glanced at the 'piece of scrap' and gritted his teeth. "Consider this stone a token of my respect for you! No, no, no—it is the stone that is worthy of you!"

Yu Bo glanced at him, his expression calm. "I have already paid the money that was due. A transaction is a transaction."

Upon hearing this, the Stall Owner felt even more that Yu Bo was unfathomable, not greedy for small gains, and had an extraordinary bearing. He nodded and bowed repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes, Boss, you are right! Look... is there anything else you fancy? Pick whatever you want! Although I don't have many good things here, but..."

Yu Bo waved his hand, interrupting his flattery. He turned to Yin Tianxue and Tang Guo, a gentle smile—with a hint of imperceptible excitement—returning to his face. "Tianxue, Guoguo, it seems we will have to stay in Spring City for a few more days."

Yin Tianxue was still immersed in the shocking scene from just moments ago. Hearing this, she was stunned. "Stay a few more days? Why?"

"Because," Yu Bo pointed to the stone that had been 'given the finishing touch' by the eyebrow pencil, and then raised the bag in his hand containing the two pieces of top-quality jadeite. His tone was filled with undisguised anticipation and decisiveness. "We need to find a good home for these stones."

His gaze swept across the still-fervent crowd, and he raised his voice, speaking not only to Yin Tianxue and Tang Guo but also as if announcing to everyone: "These two pieces of material that hit the jackpot—the ice-variety sunny green and the red jadeite with yellow drifting flowers—need to be given to top-tier masters to be made into the best jewelry. And this piece..." He paused, his gaze falling back onto the 'the person returning home in wind and snow' painting, his eyes becoming deep and fiery. "For this 'the person returning home in wind and snow,' what I am looking for is not an ordinary jade carver, but a true master. A master who can read this stone, understand the artistic conception of this 'painting,' and truly turn it from a stubborn stone into a masterpiece to be passed down through the ages."

"A master?" Yin Tianxue frowned. "Does Spring City have such a person?"

"Whether they exist or not, I must find one." Yu Bo's tone was unquestionable. "Spring City is a distribution center for jade, and there are many skilled craftsmen here. But what I'm looking for is a top-tier master who can turn flaws into magic, one who can infuse artistic conception into the blade's edge. If Spring City doesn't have one, we will go to Western Yunnan, to Tengchong, or even... to Yangzhou."

He said this with iron-clad certainty, carrying a nearly paranoid persistence. It was as if that 'cut-failed' stone, in his eyes, far exceeded the value and significance of those two top-tier jadeites worth millions.

Tang Guo listened, feeling confused. She only felt that Yu Bo's expression at this moment was even more... dazzling, and even more unfamiliar, than when he was gambling on stones earlier. The way his eyes were extremely focused on something, even burning with a flame-like radiance, was something she had never seen before. This made the little bit of fear in her heart seem to be diluted by this strange light, replaced by a bewildered, drawn-in curiosity.

The surrounding crowd was in an uproar again. This mysterious boss not only performed 'Jade Appraisal' like a god, but also wanted to find a master to carve a 'masterpiece to be passed down through the ages'? What kind of spirit and pursuit was this? Today, this jade market has truly produced a real dragon!

The bespectacled Old Master Yang was so excited that his beard was shaking. "Master... 'the person returning home in wind and snow'... Boss, could it be that the person you are looking for is... 'Ghost Hand' Yang Yizhuo, Master Yang?"

Yu Bo's gaze became suddenly sharp, locking tightly onto Old Master Yang's wrinkled face, which at this moment bore a trace of mysterious and cunning smile. The bustling crowd, the failed stone, and the priceless jadeite seemed to become blurred background at this moment. His heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably again because of the possible connection between the names 'Yang Shuming' and 'Yang Yizhuo.'

"Old sir, are you saying..." Yu Bo's voice was very low, audible only to the few people close by. "Is Master 'Ghost Hand' Yang Yizhuo's real name Yang Shuming? And you, do you know where he is?"

Old Master Yang chuckled, his calloused fingers twisting his sparse beard. His eyes drifted toward the misty outline of Cangshan Mountain in the distance. Without answering directly, he sighed as if talking to himself: "Cangshan Mountain snow, Erhai Lake moon, Shangguan wind, Xiaguan flowers... This land of 'wind, flowers, snow, and moon' is the best place to nurture people, and also the best place to hide people. My old friend, his temper is harder than the stones in these mountains, and deeper than the water in Erhai Lake. He just likes to hide in a quiet place and ponder over his little lumps of stone. What 'Ghost Hand,' what master—he hasn't cared about these empty titles for a long time. He prefers it when people call him 'Old Yang' or 'Shuming'."