Chapter 28
The crowd whispered amongst themselves, and for a moment no one dared to come out and play a game.
Ye Pingwei stepped in at the opportune moment: "Let me give you some hints. These boxes contain all sorts of precious magical artifacts and rare medicines. If you can guess their appearance and describe their color, you can take them. However, each person only has one chance to participate, as there aren't many prizes available, so it's first come, first served."
Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard about the precious magical artifacts and rare medicines.
A woman in a bright red dress stepped forward, her face beaming with excitement and eagerness: "I've never heard of this game before. I happen to be studying divination techniques diligently these days, so I'm determined to give it a try today."
She walked to a medium-sized sandalwood box, slowly closed her eyes, clasped her hands loosely in front of her, and murmured some incantations.
After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes, a hint of certainty flashing in them, and said, "I guess there's a jade bracelet magic artifact in this box!"
All eyes immediately focused on Ye Deqing, who walked forward slowly with a smile on his lips and gently lifted the lid of the box.
In an instant, soft sunlight streamed into the box, revealing a jade bracelet lying quietly inside.
"Wow, you guessed right!" A gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd.
Someone recognized the bracelet: "This bracelet is translucent and has an excellent color. It is made of the finest Demon Jade. You should know that Demon Jade is extremely rare in the Demon Realm. The Ye family is really generous to offer such a precious item!"
People in the garden looked at the bracelet on the woman's wrist and praised Ye Deqing's generosity.
Ye Deqing was naturally very proud after being praised: "You flatter me. Over the years, our business has been able to continue to operate thanks to your support. This Demon Jade was obtained by my eldest son, Ye Pingwei, by chance when he was away cultivating. He then crafted it into a magic artifact. It has not yet recognized a master. Congratulations to this young lady."
The woman in red beamed with pride as she carefully picked up the jade bracelet and, amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, placed it on her slender wrist.
The bracelet emitted a dazzling light the instant it touched the woman's wrist.
Ye Deqing exclaimed in surprise, "The Demon Jade Bracelet has recognized its master! Judging from this, the bracelet's magic power is quite strong!"
The woman clenched her fist in gratitude: "My name is Mengzheng, and I work in logistics and delivery. If you ever need my help in the future, please feel free to ask."
Meng Zheng's desire to step forward was naturally to gain the attention of the four major families and secure their business cooperation. It was also reasonable for her to take the opportunity to win over Ye Deqing.
Ye Deqing laughed heartily, quite satisfied with Meng Zheng's courage: "Of course, there's no problem."
Mengzheng was quite happy to receive Ye Deqing's agreement, and a smile remained on her face.
This seemingly harmonious scene didn't seem as good as it appeared to Mo Xiaoxin.
Because Mengzheng took the lead, many people in the crowd stood up and guessed what was in the box.
As the game progressed, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.
The Ye family members naturally did not participate in the game.
Mo Xiaoxin observed the participants in the game, both men and women, and tried to discern their identities. Judging from their clothing and positioning, they all seemed to be running their own businesses, not affiliated with any particular family.
The other three major families simply stood by and watched the spectacle, showing no intention of participating, as if they had reached a tacit agreement.
A man in a royal blue robe strode to the center of the arena, interrupting Mo Xiaoxin's thoughts.
The man said, "I'll try this smallest box."
The man thought to himself that although the box was small, he still wanted to proceed cautiously. Since Ye Deqing had said it contained rare treasures, perhaps his magic power could give him a rough idea of what was inside.
He stared at the box, his brow furrowed, muttering to himself, and asked uncertainly, "Is it a bead?"
Ye Deqing smiled but remained silent.
The man scratched his head, realizing he had guessed wrong. But his magic indicated that there was indeed a bead inside.
He covered the box with both hands again, closing his eyes to probe it. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead; with so many people watching, he didn't want to embarrass himself.
Upon further probing, the man cautiously inquired, "It's a white, round object."
This time, he dared not give the exact category.
Old Man Ye didn't make things difficult for him. He opened the box and found a smooth, white bead inside.
"Young man, you guessed right! Isn't this a bead?"
The man's eyes dimmed as he looked at the ordinary bead.
Ye Deqing laughed, "This thing looks like a bead, but it's actually made of stone. Don't underestimate this stone. Although it looks ordinary, its power is extraordinary. It's called the 'Bloodthirsty Stone,' and it's said to have been forged by an ancient demon god using his own demonic bones over many years, possessing immense power!"
It can gradually turn an opponent's body to stone, and this petrification effect spreads over time, penetrating from the surface of the body to internal organs. It can also transform matter in the surrounding environment into stone, forming various weapons or defensive barriers, such as turning the earth into stone swords or raising stone pillars from the ground to block enemies.
The man exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected this stone to be so powerful. I've truly struck gold! Thank you, Master Ye!"
The man bowed deeply to Ye Deqing in gratitude.
“Ancient demon gods…” Leng Huai murmured softly.
Mo Xiaoxin: "What's wrong?"
Leng Huai shook his head: "It's nothing. I just feel that this stone is familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before."
Mo Xiaoxin: "I didn't expect the Ye family to have so many powerful magical artifacts. They even have things made from the bones of an ancient demon god. They're really something else."
Leng Huai assumed that Mo Xiaoxin envied these people for possessing magical artifacts. He said softly, "'Bloodthirsty Stone' requires the user to use their own blood as a catalyst, dripping it onto the stone, and establishing a special connection with the stone through the magic power in the blood. The user's body will gradually be covered by the stone, and the more times it is used, the deeper the petrification will be. Once completely petrified, the user will become part of the magical artifact. Even if they are not completely petrified, their mind will be eroded by the power of the demon god."
Mo Xiaoxin was startled, not expecting this small stone to be so terrifying: "Then... this stone isn't very good either..."
Leng Huai: "However, danger and opportunity coexist. To gain great power, one must bear its backlash."
Mo Xiaoxin nodded slightly. Nothing in this world is perfect, and no one can have all the advantages.
The game of guessing riddles went on and on, with everyone showing off their skills. Some relied on magic to divine, some on keen observation, and some on bold guesses. However, those who made bold guesses inevitably made some ridiculous mistakes.
At that time, only one box remained on the open ground. This box was placed in the most conspicuous position. It was carved with intricate patterns all over its body and was the most magnificent and largest of all the boxes. However, no one dared to challenge it from beginning to end.
A middle-aged, overweight man strode out of the crowd with an imposing air. He spotted the largest box and said confidently, "The bigger the box, the more items it contains. It's more difficult, but also more challenging. Since none of you dare to try this big one, then I will!"
Everyone applauded his courage.
The fat man took a deep breath. He had his eye on the box from the beginning, but since his magic power was only average, he first looked at what the others were guessing about what was inside the box and found that the contents of each box were unique.
He was a little hesitant, thinking it would be better to guess a smaller one, but all the smaller ones had already been guessed by others at the beginning.
When he finally came to his senses after some hesitation, he realized that all the boxes on the ground had been guessed, leaving only this large box. Although it was a little embarrassing to have guessed it wrong, if he had guessed it correctly, he would have hit the jackpot.
He had no choice but to bite the bullet and, trying to appear calm, strode toward the largest box, picked it up steadily with both hands, and placed it on the table.
The fat man's mind raced as he tried to figure out how to get past the obstacle and obtain the treasure.
He mysteriously calculated with his fingers, muttering to himself, "Hmm... this divination indicates that the object is red, which is the symbol of fire!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked surprised and began whispering among themselves.
Someone couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is that?"
The fat man's eyes darted around, and he said in a pretentious tone, "In my opinion, it's a precious ancient sword. Such a valuable item naturally deserves to be in the largest box!"
A smug smile spread across his face, as if he had already pocketed the treasure.
However, Ye Deqing shook his head: "The difference is huge."
The crowd burst into laughter, and the fat man's face turned bright red. He stood there awkwardly, at a loss for what to do.
At this moment, an old man stepped forward and said with a smile, "The art of guessing lies in genuine talent and learning; opportunism is not acceptable."
The fat man lowered his head guiltily and slunk away to the side.
Mo Xiaoxin gazed thoughtfully at the exquisite box. She could sense that the contents of the box were unusual, as if they contained an exceptionally powerful aura.
Seeing that no one stepped forward, Ye Deqing's eyes fell on Leng Huai: "The Demon Lord's power is boundless, why don't you give it a try?"
Leng Huai remained silent. He glanced coldly at Ye Deqing, then looked at Mo Xiaoxin: "Go."
Mo Xiaoxin was taken aback, then pointed to her nose: "Me?"
Ye Deqing was not surprised that Leng Huai did not appear. He smiled and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry, this is just a game."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty the Demon Queen is so powerful, please show us what you've got."
Some people in the crowd started to jeer.
Mo Xiaoxin curled her lips. How could Leng Huai not know her strength?
It was simply a matter of wanting to embarrass her to cover up Leng Huai's reluctance to show his true abilities.
Mo Xiaoxin cursed Leng Huai in her heart again.
Everyone looked at her expectantly. She was now in a dilemma. If they found out that the Demon Queen was actually a very weak demon, wouldn't they be very disappointed?
Who cares? Anyway, the Demon Realm belongs to Leng Huai, so if anyone's going to lose face, it'll be him.
Mo Xiaoxin stepped forward and half-squatted down, placing one hand on top of the box, closing her eyes, and feeling the strong aura emanating from it.
This aura was something she had never felt before; it was strange and powerful.
It is different from the demonic energy felt in the Demon Realm, and also different from the demonic energy felt in the Monster Realm.
This aura seemed to have gathered all the resilience between heaven and earth. The moment Mo Xiaoxin touched the box, she felt that aura hit the box, making her palm go numb.
Mo Xiaoxin quickly removed her hand, clenched her fist, and the numbness disappeared.
"What's wrong?" Mengzheng asked, puzzled as to why Mo Xiaoxin's reaction was so strong.
Mo Xiaoxin found it difficult to explain the noise: "This... it sounds like something alive bumped into the box inside."
The fat man sneered, "Your Majesty, don't talk nonsense! How could a magical artifact or precious treasure be alive? If you want to make fun of us, you can't just make things up like this!"
Mo Xiaoxin glared at the fat man. She wondered how he had managed to sneak in. He spoke without thinking and had such low emotional intelligence. How could he even do business?
Judging from his luxurious and expensive clothes, he must have come from a wealthy family.
Forget it, she decided not to bother arguing with a rich kid.
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