23. Journey to Yunnan

“Chen Fengyun, do you have any plans after the college entrance exam?” Two days after the exam, Chen Fengyun suddenly received a call from Zeng Yiyue.

Because of the time he helped treat her, Zeng Yiyue had come to regard Chen Fengyun as a friend, and whenever they met at school she would chat with him for a while, though she never again asked about practicing qigong.

“Nothing for now, just waiting at home for the exam results,” Chen Fengyun replied, uncertain whether she was going to bring up old topics, but after thinking it over, decided not to lie.

“There are still more than ten days until the results come out. Would you like to go to Yunnan to see the jade gambling scene?” To his surprise, Zeng Yiyue was inviting him to go to Yunnan to witness jade gambling.

Of course, Chen Fengyun had heard about jade gambling, and many urban novels featured similar plots, but he had never imagined he would have the chance himself.

In fact, jade gambling exists in many countries around the world, especially in regions rich in jade deposits, where people display raw jade stones for others to gamble on.

The word “gambling” refers to the uncertainty before the jade ore is cut open; no one knows if there’s jade inside, nor its quality, so luck and experience are crucial.

Typically, sellers don’t present a whole stone but rather cut a window into one side, revealing the jade’s glow, making it seem as if there is jade inside.

Sometimes, the window reveals high-quality or even exceptional jade, but other times, the glow is merely scattered light and there is no actual jade inside.

Thus, jade gambling is often described as “one night in heaven, one night in hell.” Some people become millionaires overnight, while others lose everything in a single evening.

Although many know about jade gambling, not everyone can participate. Hearing Zeng Yiyue’s suggestion, Chen Fengyun was immediately intrigued.

He remembered how he had gained attribute points from both the broken jade and the raw river stone—one was a superior jade, and the other yielded the legendary ten-thousand-year jade marrow. Given the chance to see jade gambling firsthand, Chen Fengyun was eager.

Moreover, since acquiring spiritual sense, he could scan antiques and discern their authenticity in an instant, then focus his attention accordingly. In the past few days, he had already swept through several shops.

Chen Fengyun wondered if, when scanning raw jade stones, he could detect the jade inside. If he could, wouldn’t that be akin to cheating?

“Teacher Zeng, how do you have access to jade gambling events?” Chen Fengyun asked after some thought.

“Did you forget? I told you before, my uncle works in the jade mining business. He told me there’s a major jade gambling event in Lincang, Yunnan, the day after tomorrow, and said he could take me there. But I’m a bit nervous about traveling so far alone. Would you like to come? I could give you the opportunity to be my protector,” Zeng Yiyue replied.

“Let me check with my parents first and get back to you,” Chen Fengyun recalled that when Zeng Yiyue gave him the river stone, she mentioned it was a gift from her uncle, so he replied accordingly.

For such a trip, he naturally needed his parents’ consent. Though he was now a practitioner, in their eyes he was still an eighteen-year-old.

He spun a harmless tale for his parents, saying he was going with a group of teachers and classmates to Yunnan for a few days, planning to return before the exam results were released. They agreed, but gave him plenty of reminders.

Soon after, Chen Fengyun informed Zeng Yiyue that he could depart immediately. He packed some clothes and met her at the high-speed rail station.

Both had booked tickets for the next train to Dali, Yunnan, and after waiting only an hour, boarded the train, heading first to Dali to spend the night, then onward to Lincang.

There were no melodramatic incidents on the way; at the hotel in Dali, they booked separate rooms. Still, they wandered Dali’s streets together for hours, sampling various snacks and taking in the night scenery.

By noon the next day, they arrived in Lincang, where a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes met them at the station. His features resembled Zeng Yiyue’s, and Chen Fengyun guessed he must be her uncle.

“Uncle, this is my friend Chen Fengyun, who came specifically to protect me,” Zeng Yiyue said, linking her arm with the man’s, though she didn’t mention that Chen Fengyun was a student.

“Hello, Uncle. My name is Chen Fengyun,” Chen Fengyun stepped forward, sensing a unique aura about the man—not that of an ordinary person.

“Hello, I’m Zhao Jianguo. Thank you for bringing Yiyue here,” the man replied, his gaze sharp but quickly softened with a smile.

“Uncle, we’ve been on the train for several hours and we’re hungry. Let’s eat first,” Zeng Yiyue said, noticing a meaningful look in her uncle’s eyes and, suspecting a misunderstanding, hurriedly changed the subject.

“What exactly does your uncle do? He doesn’t seem like an ordinary person,” Chen Fengyun asked Zeng Yiyue by text as they sat in the back of the car.

“He’s in the jade business. He’s made quite a bit of money in recent years,” she replied. Chen Fengyun didn’t inquire further, but he sensed a hint of underworld aura about Zhao Jianguo, suspecting he was more than just a businessman.

“Fengyun, what do you do?” Zhao Jianguo asked casually during the ride, as if probing for his background.

“Uncle, I forgot to mention—Chen Fengyun is from my school,” Zeng Yiyue quickly interjected, cleverly sidestepping the question, and Zhao Jianguo nodded, assuming Chen Fengyun was a fellow teacher.

“Tomorrow, you’ll come with me to the jade gambling site. Remember three things: first, don’t act rashly; second, don’t comment recklessly; third, don’t provoke others,” Zhao Jianguo said after lunch at a modest restaurant, then arranged their accommodation at a hotel and left them to their own devices for the afternoon.

Although Lincang was just a small county, its proximity to Myanmar had attracted many investors in the jade mining business, making it lively. The county had a population of twenty or thirty thousand, with many migrants, so it was bustling.

“Be careful while exploring town. There are many wealthy outsiders here for jade gambling, so try not to cause trouble. But if anything happens, don’t be afraid—just call me,” Zhao Jianguo said before leaving, apparently relieved to see them in separate rooms.