Chapter 21: Wu Yu Presents a Treasure (Part Two)

Indeed, while the jewelry set was undeniably valuable, an asking price of one billion was somewhat inflated. Yet, Wu Yu had paid four times that amount to secure it. If that wasn't madness, what was?

"Heh! How does that saying go... A thousand gold is a small price to pay for a loved one's smile!" Wu Yu circled Huo Yuqing again with the tray. "Besides, as your nephew, this is the first gift I've ever given my eldest aunt. How could I be so careless?"

"No! It’s mine! It’s mine!" Huo Yuqing’s eyes turned bloodshot as she stared at the contents of the tray, lunging forward.

"Where did this madwoman come from, daring to cause a scene at the Wu residence!" Seeing this, Wu Yu shouted angrily. Suddenly, two grains of grit—left over from when he was grinding the ambergris earlier—appeared in his hand, and he flicked them out.

*Thump!*

Huo Yuqing felt her legs go weak, and she collapsed directly at the feet of the Wu family matriarch, muttering incessantly, "Mine! Mine! It’s all mine!"

"Haha, don't mind her, Aunt. If you don't like this set, I’ll find you something else later. I heard rumors a while back that a copy of the *Lantingji Xu* once imitated by Emperor Taizong of Tang had surfaced on the market. It’s very discreet, but I’ll look into it and bring it to you."

"Giggle, what a sensible child. Then this aunt won't stand on ceremony." Bai Su smiled brightly and accepted the jewelry set, which had become a priceless treasure after Wu Yu’s purchase.

"This brat, he’s never been this thoughtful toward his own father!" Wu Erbai felt a pang of jealousy upon seeing this. He didn't care about the money, but the sentiment was what mattered!

"Oh, you, jealous of your own child!" Ling looked at Wu Erbai, unable to laugh or cry. She was completely at a loss with this father and son. In front of others, they were a harmonious family, but the moment they turned away, they were at each other's throats.

"Heh, my dear nephew, what is the treasure you have for your third uncle?" Wu Sansheng grinned, walked over, and opened the final compartment of the chest. "I won't stand on ceremony, Third Uncle will help himself!"

However, upon seeing that it was only a palm-sized box, his expression turned peculiar. "I say, nephew, you can't lose face at the very end! Look at the gifts you gave earlier; why are you so stingy with your third uncle?"

Wu Yu knew his third uncle was covering for him, trying to distract everyone from Huo Yuqing’s farce. After all, if Huo Yuqing caused any more trouble, it would be bad for the Wu family's reputation. People might think the Wu family was bullying others.

Seeing his third uncle's antics, Wu Yu played along, acting slightly pained. "Actually, I really hadn't decided what to prepare for you, Third Uncle, since you already have everything!"

"I hesitated for a long time before deciding on this. But if you don't like it, that's fine—I'll make it up to you with something better next time!" As he spoke, he made a gesture as if to snatch it back.

"Heh, you crafty little devil, don't even think about it! This belongs to your third uncle now!" Wu Sansheng hurriedly opened the small box.

"Concentrated essence is the best, Third Uncle!" Wu Yu laughed.

"Yo, this is quite something!" Wu Sansheng took out the item: a ring inlaid with a piece of black metal. It looked unremarkable and didn't appear to be an antique, causing many present to frown slightly.

"My dear nephew, enlighten me!" Wu Sansheng said, looking at the confident Wu Yu. Based on the value of the previous gifts and his understanding of Wu Yu, this ring couldn't be ordinary. But even with his experience, he couldn't discern the origin of this modern-looking inlaid ring.

"As everyone knows, our profession is often referred to as the 'Nine Gates of the South and the Four Sects of the North,'" Wu Yu smiled. "I don't need to elaborate on the Nine Gates for those of you here, and I trust you are familiar with the Four Sects of the North."

"Among those four, there is a saying: 'The Touching Gold has the Amulet, the Faqiu has the Seal, the Moving Mountain has the Technique, and the Xie Ling has the Armor.' These refer to the four great treasures of the northern sects."

"And the ring in your hand, Third Uncle, was designed by me."

"It's ugly!" Wu Sansheng retorted, making no effort to hide his disdain.

"And this inlaid piece is a fragment of the legendary treasure of the Faqiu sect: the Faqiu Heavenly Official Seal!" Wu Yu held up his pinky finger to signify a small portion.

His words caused a massive stir, and everyone crowded around. They had been shocked by the rare ambergris, the national-treasure-level jade belt, and the priceless jewelry, but never like this.

However, they couldn't help but be astonished now. It was common knowledge that each of the four northern sects had their own specialties and treasures. Having spent so many years in the trade, with the North and South constantly competing, how could they not know the power of the legendary Faqiu Heavenly Official Seal? Even if it was just a fragment, it was enough to shock them to the core.

"But I heard the Faqiu Heavenly Official Seal was destroyed during the Ming Dynasty!" a middle-aged man interjected.

"Strictly speaking, it wasn't just the Faqiu sect; the other three also suffered near-total destruction and lost their heritage," Wu Yu smiled. "But haven't we of the Nine Gates experienced similar turmoil? Does that mean the Nine Gates no longer exist?"

At these words, everyone nodded silently. They knew their own affairs—a family and power as vast as theirs couldn't be destroyed so easily. Everyone had their trump cards. Therefore, no one dared to claim that the Faqiu seal had been completely destroyed, let alone the sects themselves.

"However, after that chaos, the Faqiu sect suffered greatly, and their treasure, the Heavenly Official Seal, was split in two. What you hold, Third Uncle, is a shard that broke off during that time and was later re-forged. Strictly speaking, the seal didn't break into two, but into three—two large pieces and one small one," Wu Yu explained with a smile.

"But as you can see, it's quite small, so it lacks the full power of the original. It can't grant 'Heavenly Official's Blessing, No Taboos,' so Third Uncle, don't go looking for trouble just because you have it!" Wu Yu warned. "At most, it acts as an early-warning system. When entering a tomb, if you encounter a reanimated corpse or a place with dense yin energy, it will grow cold to alert you. Other than that, it has no great use."

Even with Wu Yu’s downplaying, everyone’s eyes were glued to the ring. *No great use?* With this, it was like having a mine detector in a minefield! Whether there was danger ahead would be known in an instant.