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墨書 Inktalez
After quietly pulling Second Uncle aside and expressing my inner concerns, Second Uncle smiled and said, "What’s wrong? You can be bold, but you don’t allow others to do the same?"
I replied, "That's because they don't understand, so they foolishly rush into danger. But this time it's too eerie; those Ajan..."
Second Uncle waved his hand, interrupting me. He said, "Fortune comes with risk. We are only responsible for extracting the jade; we don't need to worry about anything else. If something bad really happens, it will mostly fall on Ajan Master. Besides, this business isn't just my decision; the old man supports it too. They offered too much money, and just the part that has already been transferred makes it hard to find a reason to refuse."
Seeing that I couldn't persuade him otherwise, I expressed my hope to accompany him. The reason for this request was that the White Olive Amulet had just been blessed, making it one of the best talismans for safety. I hoped it could also help Second Uncle. He did not refuse; in his view, with so many Ajan gathered, even if the sky fell, they could hold it up. As long as we kept our distance, there shouldn't be any problems.
When we returned to the tent, several Mine Owners presented me with a piece of already cut jade as a gift for our first meeting. They had confirmed it was Jadeite Type C, and from the cut surface, it seemed we could at least extract a Jade Bracelet and a few small ornaments. If converted to Renminbi, it would be worth around two to three million. Of course, this was based on prices from early 2007; if it were now, just this piece alone could sell for several million, not to mention if it were made into finished products.
For me, this was an extremely valuable gift; however, at that time, Second Uncle did not specify its worth. After glancing at it a few times, he smiled and told me to put it away. The Reward promised to him by the Mine Owners was worth countless times more than this piece of jade, so both sides naturally looked down on such a "small item."
After accepting the gift, we spent a few hours eating and drinking in the tent before dispersing.
The people invited by Second Uncle from the Malay Peninsula had already arrived ahead of time, and all the Ajan he invited arrived a day later. Including several who were already in Myanmar, there were nearly twenty people in total.
With so many Ajan gathered together, their daily fixed expenses amounted to hundreds of thousands. Additionally, the entire mine had temporarily halted operations due to this matter. It could be said that for every day of delay, the monetary loss would be in the millions; no wonder those Mine Owners were anxious enough for their lips to crack.
Once everyone had arrived, we immediately headed to the site. It was my first time entering a jade mining pit; I looked around and thought it should be similar to coal mines back home. Of course, I wasn't familiar with either and couldn't make a proper comparison.
This mine belonged to an old pit that had been mined for many years; everywhere showed signs of excavation. Nearly twenty Ajan walked at the front while Second Uncle and I followed behind. Only two of the Mine Owners came in as representatives; they were also uneasy about this matter, so some remained outside waiting for results.
The mine was very quiet, with only the sound of our footsteps echoing. The rustling noise felt like it was scratching at my heart, but the surrounding lights and the presence of many people made me feel somewhat better. In contrast, Second Uncle appeared quite calm, his expression unchanged, as if he were strolling through his own backyard. I asked him if he had seen the jade. Second Uncle replied that he had indeed seen it; it was extraordinarily large, and just one glance could ensnare a person's soul.
I didn't know how long we had been walking when suddenly all the hairs on my body stood on end. At the same time, the Azhans in front also stopped moving.
An incomprehensible pressure arose out of nowhere, penetrating my body like fine threads through my pores. I felt uncomfortable all over, reminiscent of the oppressive heat before the rainy season, which made me quite irritable. Among the twenty Ajan present, most were entering a mine for the first time, causing a bit of commotion. Second Uncle frowned and stepped forward to say a few words.
Only then did the Azhans quiet down; they felt around carefully and then began whispering to each other for about ten minutes before continuing onward.
The deeper we went, the greater the pressure became. Gradually, some Ajan who could no longer bear it took out their magical tools to resist. These individuals wielded various artifacts: some had Skull Domains, others held bloody Rotten Flesh, and some even had small ghosts. One Ajan caught my eye; he held a Yueye in one hand and a very small black coffin in the other. In the light, I recognized him as an old acquaintance, Azan Menta. I was surprised to see that he had come as well.
Azan Menta's conjoined Ghost Fetus was an exceptionally powerful little ghost that an ordinary Black Robed Mage could not control at all. He seemed even more cautious than when dealing with the Flower Curse.
Strangely enough, although the Azhans had magical tools for protection, they felt a pressure much greater than ordinary people did. We few, especially the two Mine Owners, only felt a slight heaviness in the air without any particularly special sensations. This was an unusual phenomenon that some Ajan had noticed before. They believed that the peculiar pressure in the mine targeted those with magical abilities; the stronger one's magic, the greater the pressure experienced.
The entire mine felt like an incredibly resilient rubber mat, filled with astonishing flexibility.
Fortunately, the location of that massive jade was at a relatively new mining site; we had entered through a specially opened side path. Because we were close enough, after about ten minutes of walking, I finally saw the end of the mining area.
Ahead stood two high-powered searchlights shining brightly like scorching suns. There lay a gigantic piece of jade that was beyond what ordinary people could imagine; it was truly enormous—larger than what Second Uncle had described. Its color leaned towards blue but lacked the traditional jade's opacity; instead, it was nearly translucent. Within it were some wispy or streaky blue patterns. A glimmer of desire appeared in Second Uncle's eyes as he said this was an entire piece of Blue Ice worth a fortune. However, in reality, extracting such a large piece of old pit glass would undoubtedly impact the top-tier jade market significantly.
It was akin to gold being hard currency; yet every year its extraction and circulation were limited. Scarcity makes things valuable; when something becomes abundant, it loses its worth.
I glanced back and saw that both Mine Owners looked as if they might burst into flames from desire. Their greed completely obliterated their rationality; if someone suggested they could extract this jade right now, they might even resort to murder to obtain it.
The Azhans stopped less than five meters away from the jade and did not advance any further. They quietly gazed at the extraordinary treasure, remaining still for a full twenty minutes without anyone moving or speaking. The two Mine Owners behind them were puzzled and approached to ask why there was no movement. Second Uncle explained to them that Ajan was trying to understand the secret of the jade, and it was impossible to act recklessly without sufficient assurance.
The Mine Owner responded with an "oh," appearing somewhat dissatisfied. Perhaps in their view, having already paid so much money, they should directly extract the jade! Second Uncle always kept business and money separate; until things were clarified, he would not act lightly, no matter how much money he received. This was a very good professional habit, and it was precisely for this reason that the Shen Family's business could grow so large.
Half an hour later, the Azhans still hadn't moved, and I was starting to feel a bit anxious, so I asked Second Uncle if we should find an Ajan to inquire. Second Uncle thought for a moment and realized that waiting like this was indeed not a solution. Moreover, they also needed to consider the Victim's emotions. So he stepped forward and patted one of the Ajan's shoulders, wanting to ask if he had seen anything.
The Ajan slowly turned his head, and his appearance startled us all.
This Ajan, specially invited from Malaysia by Second Uncle, looked fierce, with skin hanging loosely. His eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept for many days. Second Uncle took a step back in fright, while this Ajan seemed to awaken from a dream. He blinked at us and suddenly changed color, quickly retreating from the crowd while shouting, "Wake them up!"
We were all stunned, not understanding what he meant; everyone was just standing there—what was there to wake up?
The Ajan, whose face had drastically changed, shouted in panic: "There's something strange about this jade; they've all fallen into it! Hurry and wake them up, or it will be too late!"
Only then did we understand. Under Second Uncle's lead, we hurriedly stepped forward one by one to wake the Ajan up.
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