Divine Level Witch Doctor

The call connected after just two rings. Before Zhao Yuan could speak, an eager-to-please voice came from the other end. ”Master Zhao, I can’t believe you’re calling me yourself! Is there anything you need Old Cheng to do for you?”

Zhao Yuan couldn’t help but laugh. ”Listen to you. If I didn’t call you myself, would I have someone else do it for me? By that logic, would I need someone to use the toilet for me too?”

Cheng Yunlong laughed as well, not forgetting to slip in a bit of flattery. ”You’re a real comedian, Master Zhao!” He was hoping to ask Zhao Yuan to help him make an Exorcism Talisman, so of course he had to lay it on thick.

Once the laughter died down, Zhao Yuan said, ”Alright, enough with the flattery. Let’s get down to business. Do you have any jade rings, thumb rings, or anything like that?”

Even though he knew Zhao Yuan couldn’t see him, Cheng Yunlong subconsciously found himself nodding and bowing as he answered, ”Yes, yes, we do. Are you planning to wear it yourself, Master Zhao, or is it a gift? I can pick out a few beautiful pieces and send them over.” Though his shop specialized in antiques, he also sold regular Gold, Silver, and Jade Artifacts.

Zhao Yuan politely declined his offer. ”No need for you to choose. Where’s your shop? I’ll come over and pick one out myself. What I’m looking for has nothing to do with looks. It needs to be suitable.”

”Huh?” Cheng Yunlong was taken aback. ’Aren’t jade artifacts all about looks? What does he mean, ”suitable”? What could you possibly use it for?’

Little did he know that Zhao Yuan wanted a Jade Artifact to forge a Storage Ring! Such a treasure couldn’t be made from just any piece of Jade; it had to contain Qi. Ordinary people had no way of telling if a piece contained Qi, not even seasoned experts who had handled Jade Artifacts for decades. It was a task that required Zhao Yuan to use his Qi Observation Technique.

Puzzled as he was, Cheng Yunlong didn’t dare ask any more questions and obediently gave Zhao Yuan his shop’s address.

Not wanting to waste a moment, Zhao Yuan was eager to buy the materials and craft the miraculous Storage Ring. After hanging up, he left the school, hailed a taxi, and headed for Cheng Yunlong’s shop.

Cheng Yunlong’s antique shop had a very familiar name—Shufang Studio.

Back when the TV drama *Princess Pearl* was a massive hit, he had been a die-hard fan. He’d watched the entire series without missing a single episode and had even renamed his antique shop after the princess’s residence in the Imperial Palace.

Shufang Studio was located on Rongcheng City’s Antique Street, where every shop dealt in curios and collectibles. Of course, the merchandise was a mix of authentic and fake, valuable and worthless. To score a real find, you needed not only sharp expertise but also a great deal of luck.

After getting out of the taxi, Zhao Yuan walked onto the Antique Street.

Although it was already dark, the Antique Street was brilliantly lit and bustling with activity. Many people who loved antiques—or rather, who dreamed of striking it rich on a lucky find—would come here to browse after finishing work for the day.

Before long, Zhao Yuan spotted Shufang Studio. The portly Cheng Yunlong was standing at the entrance, craning his neck as he scanned the street. The moment he saw Zhao Yuan from a distance, an obsequious grin spread across his chubby face, and he strode forward to greet him. ”Master Zhao, welcome, welcome! Your presence brings honor to my humble establishment!”

”You’re too kind,” Zhao Yuan said with a slight bow of his cupped hands, getting straight to the point. ”Come on, take me to see the jade rings and thumb rings in your shop.”

”Of course, right this way.” Nodding and bowing, Cheng Yunlong respectfully hurried ahead to lead the way for Zhao Yuan.

This scene did not go unnoticed by the neighboring shopkeepers, all of whom grew curious about Zhao Yuan’s identity.

”Who’s that kid? He’s got Cheng Yunlong fawning all over him with zero shame!”

”Must be a big shot, huh? Even though he’s dressed so plainly... then again, a lot of rich folks like to play it cool like that these days...”

Amidst a sea of scrutinizing gazes, Zhao Yuan was ushered into Shufang Studio’s tea room. After serving him a cup of Upper Grade fragrant tea, Cheng Yunlong had a staff member bring over the jade rings, thumb rings, and similar items, laying them out on the tea table for Zhao Yuan to inspect.

”Master Zhao, everything is here. Please, take your time,” Cheng Yunlong said, eager to please.

Zhao Yuan nodded, channeled Wish Power to his eyes, and activated his Qi Observation Technique.

He didn’t need to examine them closely. A single glance was enough to confirm that none of the jade rings, thumb rings, and other items on the table contained any Qi.

With a slight frown, he asked, ”Is this all? Do you have anything else?”

”So not a single one here has caught your Dharma Eye?” Cheng Yunlong asked cautiously.

There were eighty or ninety, if not a full hundred, jade rings and thumb rings on the table, yet Zhao Yuan had rejected them all with a single glance... ’If it were anyone else,’ Cheng Yunlong thought, ’I’d assume they were here just to cause trouble and would have already given them an earful!’

Seeing Zhao Yuan shake his head, Cheng Yunlong picked up a few pieces and launched into an eloquent sales pitch. ”Take a look at this one. The quality of the jade is superb, with no impurities whatsoever. And this one, the carving is absolutely beautiful...”

Zhao Yuan cut him off. ”I already told you on the phone. I need something that’s suitable. It has nothing to do with how beautiful it is.”

”Er...” Cheng Yunlong asked with a forced smile, ”Then what, exactly, counts as ’suitable’?”

Zhao Yuan replied, ”You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it. It’s something only I can see.”

Cheng Yunlong’s mind immediately jumped to Fengshui Magical Artifacts. He nodded eagerly. ”I understand, I understand.” Then his smile turned wry again. ”It’s just that... all the jade rings, thumb rings, and similar items in my shop are already on the table.”

”I see.” Zhao Yuan thought for a moment, then asked, ”Well, do you have any raw, unprocessed Jade in the shop? I’d like to see if any of that might be suitable.”

Hearing this, Cheng Yunlong became even more convinced that Zhao Yuan intended to create a Fengshui Magical Artifact. Without a moment’s hesitation, he quickly had someone fetch all the uncarved Jade in the shop and bring it to Zhao Yuan.

”Master Zhao, do you see anything suitable here?”

Zhao Yuan scanned the lot with his Qi Observation Technique and, disappointed once again, shook his head. ”No.”

Cheng Yunlong started to panic. He had failed to satisfy Master Zhao. ’God knows if he’ll hold a grudge against me for this.’

Noticing his anxiety, Zhao Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle. ”Boss Cheng, thank you for your help. I’m sorry to have put you through all this trouble.”

Seeing that Zhao Yuan wasn’t angry, Cheng Yunlong breathed a silent sigh of relief and said apologetically, ”No trouble at all, no trouble at all. I’m terribly sorry that I don’t have the kind of Jade you’re looking for.”

”It’s not your fault, there’s no need to apologize.” Zhao Yuan waved his hand dismissively and stood up. ”You get back to your business. I’m going to browse the other shops and see if I can find a suitable piece of Jade.”

”Let me accompany you. The merchants on this Antique Street are absolute sharks. They’ll rip off an unfamiliar face without a second thought. If I’m with you, they won’t dare quote you outrageous prices.”

In his eagerness to please Zhao Yuan, Cheng Yunlong had no qualms about throwing his fellow merchants under the bus.