143: Chapter 233 Jade Appreciation and Mind Observation

The courtyard gate closed behind them with a muffled "click," as if sealing off all the noise and prying eyes of the outside world. Inside the courtyard was another realm entirely.

The courtyard was indeed large, feeling even more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Aside from that uniquely posed old plum tree, there were scattered shrubs and flowers whose names were unknown, growing with a wild abandon that lacked the order of artificial pruning, yet possessed a distinct natural charm. Most striking was a corner of the yard where stones of all sizes and shapes were piled. Some still bore fresh soil, clearly just brought from the mountains; others had been simply washed, revealing Skins that were either coarse or fine, standing silently in the afternoon sun like a group of stubborn stone soldiers waiting to be enlightened.

Directly facing the main gate were three primary rooms, also of wood and stone construction, but they appeared even more ancient than the other houses in the village. The wood had darkened to a shade nearly black, and the window frames were simple squares covered with yellowed window paper. There was a small porch in front of the house, under which sat two simple bamboo chairs and a low wooden stool. A worn-out brush and several whetstones of various colors were tossed haphazardly upon the stool.

Yang Shuming did not invite them inside, nor did he even give them a second glance. He walked straight to the porch and sat down in one of the bamboo chairs, his movements slow but steady. Only after sitting did he look up, his gaze falling upon Yu Bo, who was still standing in the courtyard holding the stone. That look was calm and rippleless, as if the scrutiny and brief fluctuation at the door had never happened.

"Put the stone here." He pointed to a relatively clean patch of ground by his feet, his voice still raspy and flat.

Yu Bo did as told, stepping forward to carefully place the "the person returning home in wind and snow" raw stone in the spot the old man designated, cut side up, so that the eyebrow pencil sketch and the stone's natural colors were clearly visible. Then, he took two steps back to stand with Yin Tianxue and Tang Guo, not presuming to sit and maintaining a respectful posture.

The big yellow dog had also wandered over to the porch at some point, lying down next to the old man's bamboo chair with its chin resting on its front paws. Its eyes were half-closed, but its ears remained alertly pricked, occasionally glancing at them.

The old man leaned down slightly and reached out with his hands, which were covered in thick callouses and scars, to pick up the stone. His movements were very light, yet carried an unquestionable sense of stability. He used no tools, only the pads of his fingers to extremely slowly and meticulously stroke the cut surface of the stone—from the grayish-white base to the dense areas of cotton-like inclusions, then to that abrupt patch of black and white variegation, finally stopping on the lines traced by the eyebrow pencil. His fingertips even lightly brushed over the small figure in the straw raincoat, his touch as gentle as if he were feeling a fragile treasure, or perhaps sensing some invisible "Qi" and "Rhyme."

His gaze became increasingly focused and deep as his fingers moved. The cloudy appearance completely faded, leaving only a gaze so pure it seemed to merge with the stone in his hands. He looked very slowly and carefully, sometimes bringing the stone closer to change the angle against the light, and sometimes moving it further away, squinting as if constructing a three-dimensional image in his mind. Throughout the process, he made no sound, and even his breathing seemed to become nearly imperceptible.

Only the rustling of wind-blown leaves, the faint sound of a distant stream, and Tang Guo's slightly rapid breathing from nervousness remained in the courtyard.

Standing beside Yu Bo, Yin Tianxue also held her breath. Watching the legendary old man and his nearly pious focus toward a piece of "waste material," the shock she felt was no less than when she saw Yu Bo "Appraising Jade" and sketching the day before in the jade market. This was a realm that transcended skill and approached the "Dao." She suddenly understood a little why Yu Bo had insisted on searching for such a person despite the hardships.

Yu Bo's heart was also in turmoil. He could feel that the old man wasn't simply "looking" at the stone, but "reading" it, trying to understand what the stone "itself" wanted to say, feeling the core of the "story" contained within that black and white variegation—a core even he himself couldn't fully explain. This focus and resonance made his own previous "occasional inspiration" and "eyebrow pencil sketch" seem superficial and mechanical. Yet at the same time, a strong sense of anticipation and a faint excitement sprouted in his heart—perhaps he really had found the right person.

After an unknown amount of time, the old man finally stopped stroking the stone. He gently placed it back by his feet, leaned back into the bamboo chair, and closed his eyes. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the old plum tree's branches, casting dappled light and shadow across his deeply lined face. He looked as if he were tired, or perhaps digesting and savoring everything he had just "read."

Yu Bo and the other two did not dare to disturb him, remaining standing in silence.

After a long while, the old man slowly opened his eyes. He didn't look at Yu Bo but instead gazed at the old plum tree in the yard, his eyes distant as if looking through the branches into the far past or some unknown spiritual world. He spoke, his voice even lower and raspier than before, his pace slow, as if talking to himself or confiding in the stone:

"Gray-white like snow, cotton like sleet... this base was given by 'Heaven'—cold, lonely, and vast. Black and white mixed, chaotic and unclear... this ailment was born of 'Earth'—hard, turbid, and entangled. Ordinary people see it and cast it aside like a worn-out shoe, thinking it's dirty, messy, and useless."

He paused, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the armrest of the bamboo chair with a soft "thump, thump." "But you..." He finally turned his gaze toward Yu Bo. That gaze was still sharp, but with less scrutiny and more of an indescribable, complex emotion. "In the gap between 'Heaven' and 'Earth,' at the boundary between 'cold loneliness' and 'chaos,' you saw a 'path' and a 'person'."

"This isn't 'Appraising Jade'." The old man slowly shook his head, his tone resolute. "'Appraising Jade' is looking at the Skin, judging the Seed and Water, estimating color, and calculating value. You are... 'Observing the Heart'."

"Observing the Heart?" Yu Bo repeated in a low voice, his heart trembling slightly.

"Mhm. Observing the Heart of the stone, and also observing your own heart." The old man withdrew his gaze and looked back at the stone at his feet. "This stone was buried underground for millions of years, subjected to pressure and erosion, with impurities invading and textures twisting. It has likely forgotten its original form, or perhaps it was always meant to be this 'scarred' and 'unrecognizable' way. It isn't beautiful, pure, or valuable. But it has 'experience,' 'struggle,' and unique 'traces' shaped by time and natural forces. Your 'heart' felt the 'Shi' hidden within these 'traces'—the momentum of wind and snow, the momentum of loneliness, the momentum of returning home. Thus, you drew this 'path' and this 'person.' You want to manifest this hidden and distorted 'Shi' and 'intent' on its behalf."

The old man's words were like a heavy hammer, striking Yu Bo's heart word by word. He had never understood his own impulse and "vision" so clearly. Indeed, what he felt was not beauty or value, but a kind of "Shi"—a momentum, an intent—a somber and stubborn "sense of life" belonging to this "failed" stone itself.

"You want me to carve it?" the old man asked, his tone flat.

"Yes." Yu Bo nodded, his voice firm. "I feel that only your hands can perhaps understand it, and... liberate it."