Chapter 749: Sky-High Price
“The largest art pavilion? The Wind Moon Merchant a.s.sociation’s art pavilion is the largest, and there are various types of artwork in there.”
Qian w.a.n.guan was inquiring an old man in the eastern section of the city. This was the fifth person he had asked. The first two individuals didn’t know what he was asking, but the three others all said that this art pavilion was the largest, and it was obviously correct.
After asking about the exact location of the Wind Moon Merchant a.s.sociation, he circled around the place before finally reaching the city plaza in the center of the city, where the Wind Moon Merchant a.s.sociation was located.
The place was a giant castle, and it was said that the Wind Moon Merchant a.s.sociation was the largest merchant a.s.sociation in the Purple Dragon Archipelago. They had various branches in every city which were stocked with all kinds of treasures and rare items.
“My Lord, how are you? Do you have anything you wish to purchase?”
There were a few gorgeous female attendants at the entrance of the merchant a.s.sociation. Qian w.a.n.guan’s appearance might not be good-looking, but his clothes were of the most luxurious quality. He was also someone that had been exposed to various huge events, giving him an extraordinary aura. This female attendant was good at judging customers and quickly came over to welcome him.
Qian w.a.n.guan spoke in an intimidating manner while taking a cold glance at the female attendant and asked, “Where is the art pavilion?”
“My Lord, this way please!”
The female attendant led Qian w.a.n.guan to a side hall where there were plenty of customers. They were all rather comparatively matured and were of different cultivation realms, and there was even a middle-stage Heaven Monarch. These people probably didn’t have any hope of making any future breakthroughs, and since they had a long life and nothing better to do, they turned their interests and studied calligraphy and paintings.
There were plenty of paintings hung up in the hall. There were portraits of people, paintings of demonic beasts, and even paintings of landscapes. Once Qian w.a.n.guan entered, he saw a giant painting which had a sinister and horrific demonic beast drawn on it. For an instant, he thought it was real and caused his fatty meat to shake with fright. The demonic beast painting had caused his soul spirit to turn icy cold, as though it was a ferocious and desolate beast which struggled free.
“Five million celestial stones?”
The corner of Qian w.a.n.guan’s mouth twitched when he saw the price tag. A painting was actually sold for such a high price? This thing wasn’t useful at all, and it was purely meant for admiring.
“This guest. Are you here to buy a painting? Or to… sell a painting?”
A blue-robed middle-aged supervisor walked over to inquire. He saw that Qian w.a.n.guan had brought along a painting scroll. His eyes flashed with a trace of ambiguous despise as the painting was simply rolled up. How could it be called a painting if it wasn’t even framed up?
Qian w.a.n.guan grinned and said, “I am not well-versed in paintings and do not wish to buy any. I happened to come across this ancient painting and want to exchange for some celestial stones to have some fun.”
Qian w.a.n.guan’s speech had attracted various old men that were appreciating the paintings. When they saw that his rolled-up painting was a little yellowish, they got a little interested and thought it was truly an ancient painting.
“Oh? Would this guest please let me take a look? If it is truly a good painting, this humble pavilion shall give this guest a satisfactory price.” The middle-aged supervisor spoke in a considerably humble tone.
“It is this painting!”
Qian w.a.n.guan handed over the painting in his hand and grinned. “My clan’s master said that this is an ancient painting from the East Imperial Continent. The opening price shall be one million celestial stones.”
“Uh…”
This statement attracted even more customers in the art pavilion while the supervisor’s expression grew serious. He carefully took the rolled-up painting and slowly opened it up on a table by the side.
Almost half the customers in the pavilion had been drawn over and were locking their eyes on the painting.
“Chi…”
“Is this even call a painting?”
“Is this person’s brain alright? One million? He must be so poor that he turned crazy?”
“Oh my… my eyes.”
Before the painting was even fully opened up, many customers were looking with mockery and disdain. There was even an old man who exaggeratedly covered up his eyes as though the painting might dirty his eyes. The supervisor had this slightly angered expression as he a.s.sumed that Qian w.a.n.guan was here to make an amus.e.m.e.nt out of him.
Feeling the eyes of despise, Qian w.a.n.guan awkwardly wiped his face, but he believed that Jiang Yi and Feng Luan wouldn’t tease him for no reason. He had no choice but to carry on his act.
After the painting was fully opened up, many people took another glance and retrieved their disdainful eyes. The supervisor also took a few glances and spoke to Qian w.a.n.guan apathetically, “This guest, we cannot buy this painting. You better look for another place to sell it.”
Qian w.a.n.guan rubbed his nose and gritted his teeth. “Shopkeeper, my clan’s master said that this painting has… something contained inside. Why don’t you look for an art appraiser to appraise it carefully?”
The middle-aged supervisor sneered and said, “I am a third-grade art appraiser. Would this guest please go seek out other places?”
“Oh…”
Qian w.a.n.guan responded with disappointment. He scratched his head and felt that it was illogical. Could Jiang Yi and Feng Luan have nothing to do and was making him an amus.e.m.e.nt for them?
“Wait!”
Just as he was about to roll up and keep the painting, a hale and hearty white-haired elder walked over. This person was actually a middle-stage Heaven Monarch, and his eyes were glittering with radiance. He took a careful look at the painting and lifted his head to negotiate, “Young man, can you charge a little cheaper for this painting?”
“Eh?”
Many customers looked over with strange expressions while the middle-aged supervisor knitted his brows and took another glance at the painting while checking it carefully. This elder was a regular customer of this place and always had a keen eye. If he actually wanted to buy this painting, it meant that this painting had something special.
Qian w.a.n.guan shook his head and spoke firmly, “My clan’s master said that I cannot sell it for even one celestial stone less.”
“Alright!”
The white-haired elder’s ring flashed with radiance as he took out another ring and said, “There are one million celestial stones inside. Please check it.”
“Hold on.”
At this moment, the middle-aged supervisor suddenly shouted with frightening bright eyes and hurried breaths, “Our Wind Moon Pavilion will buy this painting. We will offer 1.5 million celestial stones!”
“Wow!”
The art pavilion was in an uproar as everyone looked at the painting with shock. However, that middle-aged supervisor immediately rolled up the painting and bowed towards the white-haired elder with cupped hands and said, “Long Lao, my apologies. This little brother came to our art pavilion to sell his painting, so our Wind Moon Pavilion… shall buy this painting. In the future, if Long Lao wants to buy any paintings here, we will give you 10% discount.”
“Hur-Hur!”
The white-haired elder was angered as he sneered and said, “Your Wind Moon Pavilion is very overbearing, huh? You just said that you weren’t going to buy it, and you actually raised the price after I offered a price? Then I shall offer two million celestial stones. Young man, what do you think?”
“Uh…”
Qian w.a.n.guan’s fatty body shook as Jiang Yi truly didn’t cheat him. Could this scribbling of painting truly be a treasure? Two million celestial stones was a sky-high price and could allow someone to buy two courtyards in the Purple Jade City.
He quickly regained his composure and reached out to take back the painting from the middle-aged supervisor and handed it over to the elder while saying, “This elder knows his stuff, so I naturally have to sell it to him. It shall be decided. Two million celestial stones.”
“Alright!”
The elder took out another ring swiftly which also had one million celestial stones, and it seemed like he was truly afraid someone would s.n.a.t.c.h the painting from him. Qian w.a.n.guan checked and number and bowed with cupped hands before leaving.
“Little brother, wait!”
The middle-aged supervisor quickly chased after Qian w.a.n.guan with an expression of regret and remorse. He then cupped his hands with an apologetic smile and said, “Little brother. This time, I have failed to recognize something great. In the future, if you have such a painting again, please bring it over here; and we can negotiate on the price.”
“We’ll say about it!”
Qian w.a.n.guan looked sideward at the supervisor and replied in an arrogant tone before leaving. He didn’t go back immediately and went around the nearby shops before entering a room of a brothel to change his appearance with the Illusion Moon Stone and returning to their own courtyard quickly.
He had been out for more than two hours, and Jiang Yi’s side had already finished their business and was currently enjoying some tea in the main hall. When Jiang Yi teleported him back inside the Thearch Palace, Qian w.a.n.guan cried out loudly, “We are rich. Boss, we are going to be rich. Your painting actually sold for two million celestial stones! Quick, quick, quick. Hurry up and draw a few hundred more paintings. Once we sell all of it, we will be able to reside in G.o.ds Bestow City.”
“Uh…”
Jiang Yi’s soul spirit s.h.i.+vered. Was his scribbling truly the legendary Heaven Painting? Something that he randomly drew was actually worth two million celestial stones? He stood up abruptly and immediately started to paint. He was going to paint a few hundred of these paintings and earn a few hundred million celestial stones before thinking about anything else.
Feng Luan had already ground the ink while Qing Yu held her breath and observed nervously by the side. Jiang Yi’s painted with tremendous speed and scribbled like dragons and snakes. He took less than ten minutes to produce another scribbled painting.
However, Feng Luan took a glance and shook her head. “This isn’t right. This painting doesn’t contain any dao presence and is not a Heaven Painting. No one would even use this as toilet paper…”
…