Chapter Three: The River Pearl of Mount Crocodragon

At this moment, the man with the green-brown horse bought the remaining fifty or so fruits for three times the price, sixteen taels of silver, before departing with a cheerful smile. The surrounding crowd quickly dispersed.

Chu Youcai surveyed the area and found only a few sailors remained on board; the merchants had not yet returned. He knew time was pressing, so he approached the fruit seller and asked, "Are you Mr. Wen Ruoxu?"

The fruit seller paused, then replied respectfully, "I am. May I ask who you are?"

It was indeed him! Chu Youcai felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Laughing heartily, Chu Youcai said, "I just witnessed your friend selling remarkable goods at the marketplace. In his casual conversation, he mentioned your name, Mr. Wen. Seeing you sell such extraordinary fruits earlier, I couldn’t help but feel tempted." He imitated the mannerisms and speech of his original identity.

Though he operated independently, he was once the third son of the Duke of Chu, possessing a distinguished bearing. With the words “tempted,” he perfectly mimicked the demeanor of a spoiled noble son. The distant observer, still tracking him, did not suspect anything amiss, instead speculating whether Chu Youcai planned to seize the goods by force. However, the merchants under the protection of Yanzhou Prefecture would make such a bold act a grave crime, ultimately benefiting the Duchess.

Wen Ruoxu’s face turned pale.

At this moment, Chu Youcai saw Wen Ruoxu’s expression and sensed the time was ripe. He lowered his voice and said, "I am the third son of the Duke of Chu. My father’s birthday is in two months. He cherishes rare treasures, especially those from the sea. I wonder if you have any such items aboard your ship? If so, I assure you, you will not be disappointed."

Hearing this, Wen Ruoxu breathed a sigh of relief. Then, remembering something, his face flushed slightly, hesitated to speak, and finally shook his head. "Ruoxu has met the Third Young Master. However, all my friends’ goods have already been sold. I fear I must disappoint you."

Chu Youcai’s gaze shifted. "Brother Wen, are you perhaps hiding something? The value of a treasure lies not in its price, but in its uniqueness. If you have something remarkable, why keep it to yourself?"

Wen Ruoxu’s face reddened further. "It’s just an unusual item, not valuable." He recalled when he brought the two bed-sized turtle shells aboard, everyone was astonished: "Such a huge shell! With so many good things, why take this?" Someone joked, "It does have its uses. If you have a great mystery to solve, use it for divination—it’ll be more precise." Wen Ruoxu eventually cleaned the shell, split it in two, tied the ends with ropes, and used it as a massive trunk for his luggage, prompting another round of laughter.

Seeing Wen Ruoxu’s tacit admission, Chu Youcai was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected the item to truly exist. Clearly, the little goose had not deceived him. If he could obtain it, what was a debt of a thousand taels of silver?

But Wen Ruoxu was clever; if he possessed the turtle shell, how could Chu Youcai acquire it without arousing suspicion? One must remember that possessing a treasure invites trouble—once word got out, the Duchess would covet it, making his own situation perilous.

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Chu Youcai’s mind.

While thinking thus, he laughed aloud and boasted, "I am well-versed in all knowledge. I can discern the value of any item at a glance and would never disgrace you."

Wen Ruoxu had no choice but to bring Chu Youcai to his cabin.

Entering the room, Chu Youcai immediately saw the enormous turtle shell, split into two to form a large trunk, with Wen Ruoxu’s luggage inside.

Upon seeing such a massive shell, Chu Youcai was finally certain it was indeed a rare treasure and felt immense joy.

He thought, "What a marvelous treasure!" and aloud he laughed, repeating, "What a marvelous treasure." Though his thoughts and words matched, the tone in his mind differed from that which he spoke.

Wen Ruoxu detected the mockery in Chu Youcai’s voice and felt deeply embarrassed. He stammered, "Third Young Master Chu..."

Chu Youcai shook his head, adopting a sincere expression. "Brother Wen, I am not mocking you. Since childhood, I have mastered the art of divination. I can see you are gifted and come from a prosperous family, destined for great wealth." He paused. "Yet, you have not met your benefactor, so your fate has been hindered and your family fortunes faded..."

Wen Ruoxu, being clever, knew that in just half a day, those aboard could not have spoken of his background to a stranger. This man before him must possess supernatural divination skills. At this moment, he felt that only Chu Youcai could truly understand him, believing him to be the destined benefactor. Earnestly, he said, "Though this shell is not valuable, it symbolizes longevity. Though we’ve just met, I feel as if we’ve known each other forever. Let this gift be my blessing for your father’s long life."

He removed his luggage and handed the turtle shell to Chu Youcai.

Wen Ruoxu spoke with heartfelt sincerity, and Chu Youcai finally relaxed, thinking how fortunate he was. If he hadn’t known Wen Ruoxu’s character and fate, could it have gone so smoothly? Now that the shell was in hand, it was time for the next step of his plan.

He took a gold hairpin from his pocket and handed it to Wen Ruoxu. "Let this be my gift to you."

Wen Ruoxu examined the hairpin and was astonished. On it, dragons and phoenixes intertwined, exquisitely carved, as if alive, exuding an aura of regal elegance. He realized the item was of great value and protested, "Third Young Master, this is too precious. I cannot accept it."

"No matter, I never take back gifts I’ve given. However, Brother Wen, I must do some aging to the turtle shell…" Chu Youcai said.

This was crucial to him; he could not carry the shell openly, lest others covet it.

Wen Ruoxu, discerning, replied, "I happen to have urgent business and will be away for half an hour. Please rest; I’ll return shortly."

Chu Youcai’s gift of the valuable hairpin was timely and generous, and his divination skills made Wen Ruoxu regard him as a benefactor. Observing Chu Youcai’s intent, Wen Ruoxu assumed he wished to age the shell and present it as a cherished antique to his father, fitting the temperament of a noble and assertive young man.

He quickly left the room.

Chu Youcai waited until Wen Ruoxu was far away before closely examining the shell.

This was no ordinary turtle shell.

Of the nine sons of the dragon, one is the tuolong, whose skin is used for drums that resonate for miles, hence called tuolong drums. The tuolong has twenty-four ribs, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms, and between each rib is a luminous pearl, each worth fifty thousand taels of silver. Only when all twenty-four ribs are shed can the tuolong ascend and become a true dragon.

This shell, then, was the tuolong shell containing twenty-four luminous pearls.

Chu Youcai confirmed the shell was intact, never broken. He opened the first rib compartment.

But to his disbelief, it was empty inside.

He proceeded to break open the remaining twenty-two rib compartments, only to find each hollow within.

Chu Youcai did not lose hope. At last, he opened the final tuolong rib.

Inside, wrapped in a wad of cotton, lay a luminous pearl the size of a thumb. Its brilliance was dazzling; even on the pitch-black table, it glowed so intensely that the surrounding area seemed bright as day.

Chu Youcai had seen many treasures at the Duke’s mansion, but never had he felt such delight.

Just one luminous pearl was worth fifty thousand taels of silver; even a fraction would clear his debts.

—But how could he sell this luminous pearl for the highest price within three days?

Chu Youcai, clutching the pearl, fell into deep thought.

Suddenly, he sensed a blazing energy emanating from the pearl, so intense it seemed to scorch him!

"This… this is no ordinary luminous pearl! It appears to be a cursed artifact!" Chu Youcai’s heart surged like stormy seas—only cursed artifacts exhibited such strange phenomena!

A cursed artifact, worth millions of taels of silver, was the supreme treasure of this world!

No wonder only one luminous pearl remained among the twenty-four ribs; the energy of the others must have fused into this single one.

Chu Youcai moved to stand by the door, sensing no one was outside. He bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the pearl.

To use a cursed artifact, one must anoint it with blood; then anyone can wield it!

But to activate a cursed artifact, one must expend energy. Daoists expend Dao energy, talismans use talismanic energy, scholars and officials use literary energy, while ordinary people expend their very lifespan!

Thus is the balance of the world: cultivating the body requires replenishment with essence and blood, while using powers beyond one’s ability demands sacrifice.

Having grown up in the Duke’s mansion, Chu Youcai naturally knew these basic tenets of cultivation.

At this moment, Chu Youcai felt the turtle shell vanish, the desk disappear, the merchant ship and the world outside all fade away. The entire world seemed shrouded in mist; Chu Youcai felt himself floating above the sea, as if the heavens were unveiling a new world before him!

This was no dream—it was the inner world within the cursed artifact.