"I already told you it was chaotic inside, but you didn't believe me. It seems the rumors about you aren't true; you're just a lucky person," Liu Zhizang said, turning around and walking towards Cao Yi with a calm smile on his face.
There was no need to continue this gamble; he had already secured his victory.
"Keep cutting," Cao Yi calmly instructed the paused Master Kang.
Thinking Cao Yi was reluctant to accept defeat, Master Kang sighed and resumed cutting.
One minute, two minutes— the jade stone continued to shrink, and the area of the water type increased.
Zheng Jiachun returned at some point, witnessing the scene and looking increasingly distressed. The ninety million dollars he borrowed, unbeknownst to his father, were about to be lost. He had planned to repay the money quickly, thinking his father wouldn't mind even if he found out later. Now, the thought of having to face his father's wrath for messing up made him deeply regret his impulsive trust in an unknown Daoist.
"No way!" Master Kang suddenly exclaimed.
Not just Zheng Jiachun, but everyone present perked up.
Was there a turn of events?
Master Kang continued polishing, and the joy on his face grew until it transformed into shock. "Glass-type imperial green, top-quality red jade, and top-quality yellow jade—three types of jade coexist, maintaining their distance. Unbelievable, unbelievable..."
Gasps erupted from those nearby.
Master Kang stepped aside, and the crowd erupted in excitement.
On the table strewn with rubble lay three types of beautiful jade, elevating the beauty of jade to its peak.
"How could this happen, how could this happen..."
Liu Zhizang slumped to the ground, despairing. Losing this one hundred million dollars, whether he would survive the night was in question. Those Saudi gentlemen were not to be trifled with.
"Hahaha..." Zheng Jiachun released a laugh that had been pent up to its limit.
"Where's the Daoist?"
"Where did the Daoist go? He was just here!"
...
The crowd finally remembered Cao Yi and began to look around.
"Over there," someone pointed.
Everyone turned in that direction.
In the setting sun's orange glow, a Daoist in blue, appearing ethereal, strolled leisurely into the depths of the dark-marked area filled with hundreds of thousands of jade stones.
That afternoon, Cao Yi used eighty million dollars to bid on over seventy percent of the high-quality jade stones.
At six that evening, when the bidding results were announced, it caused a sensation throughout the venue.
Zheng Jiachun also profited greatly by stubbornly following Cao Yi's lead in bidding, later gifting him several jade stones.
Due to their low spiritual energy content, Cao Yi then passed them on to Big Gold Tooth and Wang Kaixuan.
A day later, at the Jade Void Temple in the suburbs of New York.
The ground was damp from a recent rain.
Cao Yi, carrying a gourd, stood at the steps covered in green leaves, gazing at the Daoist temple he had left only a few days ago, yet it felt like months. He sighed softly.
"Woof."
A weak dog bark emerged from the Daoist temple.
Why did it sound so weak?
Cao Yi pulled out his keys to open the door, only to find garbage strewn everywhere. He frowned and stepped over the threshold.
In the corner of the yard lay a Husky, who turned its head, trembling as it stood up, slowly making its way over, eyes filled with a human-like grievance.
"I left you plenty of food, didn't I?"
Cao Yi couldn't believe Howlingsky had become so malnourished.
"Woof, ugh..."
The Husky barked hesitantly toward a half-open room.
Someone had come in!
And had mistreated his dog.
Cao Yi's expression darkened as he prepared to confront the intruder.
"Meow."
A lazy cat meowed!
A large fat cat emerged from the half-open door. Upon seeing Cao Yi, its fur stood on end, and it darted out the door.
Cao Yi's mouth fell open, his expression frozen.
"Woof..."
Howlingsky perked up, its sagging energy revived significantly.
"How—embarrassing."
Cao Yi gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, a single bitter tear sliding down his cheek.
"Woof..."
Howlingsky bolted outside, and less than half a minute later, returned, looking proud as if it had chased the cat down.
"Ugh."
Cao Yi bent down to clean up the food wrappers, debris, and paper bags scattered everywhere.
"Woof."
Howlingsky approached and licked its lips, seemingly saying it needed some food after the exertion from chasing the fat cat.
Cao Yi clenched and then relaxed his fists, tossing a food bag out: "Get lost."
Howlingsky jumped back a few steps in surprise.
Realizing it was angry, it thought, when did the food chain at Jade Void Temple get turned upside down, allowing others to bully itself?
Just as it was about to demand an explanation, a meow echoed from the wall.
Whoosh! Howlingsky fled into a room in fright.
Cao Yi picked up a stone and tossed it over the wall.
Now, the one fleeing in panic was the fat cat.
Two days later, on Long Island, in the evening, under clear skies.
The wide beach was covered in sparkling, fine sand, each step felt like stepping onto a soft, comfortable carpet!
Shirley Yang, wearing a white wedding dress with a veil, walked barefoot, bashfully approaching Hu Bayi.
Hu Bayi, sporting a neatly trimmed beard and dressed in a sharp suit with a tie, looked quite dapper as he walked towards Shirley Yang.
Eventually, the two came together.
Hu Bayi lifted Shirley Yang's veil and kissed her.
Thunderous applause erupted from the nearby friends and family.
"Here, each of you gets a large jade bracelet, all top quality!"
Wang Kaixuan stepped forward, fulfilling a promise he made days earlier.
Hu Bayi embraced Wang Kaixuan warmly.
"Thank you, brother."
"Stop the chit-chat, just pass them on."
Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang accepted the bracelets, putting them on each other, their faces radiating sweetness.
"I can't stand you two; I'm off to find the Daoist and Old Jin; they headed south!"
Wang Kaixuan walked away, looking exasperated.
As the sun set, on a palm tree-shaded beach, Cao Yi walked side by side with Big Gold Tooth.
"Old Jin, what's your real name?"
Neither the original nor the adaptation mentioned Big Gold Tooth's name, and Cao Yi was curious.
"Jin Jiayin; it's not a great name," Big Gold Tooth replied, appearing a bit embarrassed.
"Jin Jiayin sounds nice; Jiayin, why does that sound so familiar?"
Cao Yi furrowed his brows.
"By the way, I also want to change my name; I misspoke, I mean change my surname. A fortune teller said my five elements clash with metal, suggesting I change it. I decided to take my mother's surname."
Big Gold Tooth suddenly mentioned.
"What's your mother's surname?"
Cao Yi asked.
"Xu, like Xu Xian."
Big Gold Tooth smiled.
"Xu."
Cao Yi suddenly looked at Big Gold Tooth.
...