Chapter 25: What is a Primordial Spirit Crystal?

For Baihe, a servant, crawling through a dog hole was nothing, but her mistress—the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence and the cherished granddaughter of Duke Yuan—was of such noble birth. To be subjected to such humiliation today was truly unjust of the heavens.

Baihe wept silently, but Zhao Erdong, who had just scrambled out of the hole behind her, saw it all clearly.

"Baihe, mark this day’s humiliation. One day, I will repay it tenfold." With that, she grabbed Baihe, rushed out of the alley, and vanished into the bustling crowd.

"Miss, we have no money now. Where can we find safety?" Baihe looked around, her heart filled with trepidation. Having lived in the Prime Minister’s residence since she was a child, she had rarely ventured out and knew little of the world. She could not help but feel anxious.

"If we don't have money, we can earn it. Baihe, do you know the fastest way to make money?" Zhao Erdong was a modern soul; her thinking was naturally progressive. In the 21st century, men and women were equal. What a man could do, a woman could do just as well—or perhaps even better.

"Miss, let’s go to the Duke Yuan residence," Baihe said, her eyes brightening as if she had found a beacon of hope.

Zhao Erdong shook her head. Having finally escaped one cage, she had no desire to enter another. Even if the people at the Duke’s residence would not mistreat her, she would still lack freedom. "Tell me quickly, how can we make money?"

Seeing that Zhao Erdong had no intention of returning to the Duke’s residence, Baihe’s face darkened. Her mistress was only fourteen, and she herself was only fifteen. In the eyes of the world, they were just two young, penniless girls. How could they survive out here?

"A Spirit Stone Shop?" Zhao Erdong stopped in front of a storefront and halted. "Baihe, what is a Spirit Stone Shop?"

Although she rarely left the residence, Baihe had heard of such places countless times.

"Miss, a Spirit Stone Shop is a place that sells spirit stones. The 'Origin Spirit Crystals' that cultivators use to aid their training come from these stones. Generally, those who open such shops are wealthy clans that control spirit stone mines. They mine the stones and sell them, but there is no guarantee that every stone contains a crystal. It all depends on the buyer's experience and luck."

Hearing this, Zhao Erdong’s eyes began to gleam.

"Baihe, so one can only rely on experience and luck to buy stones? Isn't it very difficult to find a treasure?"

Baihe thought for a moment and added, "For most people, yes. You could spend a thousand gold pieces and not necessarily find an Origin Spirit Crystal; you might not even find one in a hundred stones. But there is a special kind of person—they study the art of treasure appraisal from childhood and can accurately find treasures hidden in piles of waste stone."

"An appraiser? That sounds like a good profession. If an appraiser came to buy stones, wouldn't these shops be ruined?" Zhao Erdong stroked her chin, a wide smile on her face, her eyes flashing with a cunning light.

"Baihe, how much money do you have?"

Baihe pouted and whispered, "I... I don't have any money." She wasn't lying. Since the Mistress fell ill, the residence had stopped providing the young mistress’s allowance, and her own wages were withheld. Any small savings she once had had long since been looted by the other young ladies of the house. How could there be any money left?

Zhao Erdong’s gaze fell upon Baihe’s neck, where a red string was faintly visible.

"What is that hanging around your neck?" Zhao Erdong pointed at Baihe’s throat.

Baihe clutched her neck, startled. "Miss, I cannot give this to you. The Mistress said that when she found me, this was already around my neck. Perhaps, perhaps..."