Chapter 43: The Bureau of Antique Appraisal

"I register," Zhao Ertong looked at the imperial guard captain, speaking the three words with absolute firmness.

Overjoyed, the captain hurriedly pulled out a register, jotted down Zhao Ertong's name and age, and had her press her thumbprint upon the page. Only then did he let out a long breath of relief and set his mind at ease.

"When will these stones be given to me?" Zhao Ertong pointed toward the wooden cart.

Elated in spirit, the captain initially wanted to hand them over to her right away, but a second thought crossed his mind—what if she took the stones and refused to enter the competition afterwards? "Once you enter the palace, all of these will belong to you."

"Not a single piece missing?" Zhao Ertong cast another glance at the peculiar stones, confirming the matter with the captain.

The captain nodded. "Not a single piece missing, I will save every last one for you." In his heart, he was already blooming with joy. These stones were discarded waste materials; giving her another cartload of them wouldn't have been a problem. To think that he could secure a contestant quota using such inconspicuous trash and successfully complete his mission—this bargain was simply too profitable.

"Miss Zhao, is it convenient for you to accompany this general into the palace now?" The captain looked at Zhao Ertong with a beaming smile, his mood exceptionally pleasant.

"Very well," Zhao Ertong readily agreed. She turned to Baihe and said, "Wait for me at home. Once everything is settled, I will return to rendezvous with you. By then, we shall leave the capital, alright?"

Tears brimmed in Baihe's eyes, filled with reluctance to part, yet unable to disobey her young mistress. She could only swallow back her tears and nod. Having grown up together since childhood, her mistress had never once left her behind. Heading into the imperial palace now, there was no telling what kind of perils awaited her.

Following closely behind the imperial guard captain, Zhao Ertong strode briskly toward the exit of the long street. Her purpose in heading to the imperial court went far beyond merely obtaining these bizarre stones.

Ever since she began her cultivation, she had reached the rank of a Fourth-Grade Martial Warrior. Yet, neither she nor Baihe had ever done anything more than endlessly cultivate the spiritual essence within their visceral organs day after day; they had never learned a single martial technique or combat skill. If they were to face an enemy in battle, flight would be their only option, as they possessed no respectable moves whatsoever.

In the Dayue Kingdom, and indeed across the entire Eastern Domain Continent, martial techniques were rarely ever put up for sale in the marketplace. She had once spent her days lingering around various commercial houses and auction venues, yet she had never laid eyes on a single item related to martial techniques. All secret manuals of martial arts were monopolized by the major noble clans, forming an integral part of their extraordinary heritage.

The imperial court would undoubtedly harbor numerous high-grade martial techniques. If she could manage to purloin one or two while inside the palace, she and Baihe would no longer need to live lives of constant concealment and evasion.

With peerlessly seductive peach-blossom eyes, a figure gazed at the receding silhouette, a faint smile curving the corners of his lips. This lass's actions were always so delightfully unexpected. Recalling the bold heroism of her lifting that bowl just moments earlier, and the smile of utter satisfaction brought to her by delicious food, the curve of his lips deepened unconsciously.

The position of Imperial Court Appraiser for the Dayue Kingdom had remained vacant for many years. It was not that the Dayue Kingdom lacked appraisers, but rather that those with profound mastery and a high yield rate of extracting crystals detested being bound by rules. They would never abandon their freedom for the sake of meager petty profits. Moreover, an imperial appraiser merely held a pleasant-sounding title; as for freedom, they had none, and in terms of earnings, they could certainly never match independent appraisers. After all, anything an independent appraiser cut open belonged entirely to them, whereas whatever an imperial appraiser uncovered belonged strictly to the court. To put it bluntly, an imperial appraiser was nothing more than a servant drawing a monthly stipend.

Naturally, there were also some half-baked appraisers who wished to worm their way into the imperial court to secure a livelihood. However, the court was no place to harbor idlers; if one failed to cut out elemental spirit crystals for too long, they would naturally be kicked out. This had resulted in the awkward predicament seen today, where positions remained difficult to fill satisfactorily on either end.