"Mmm, I haven’t seen Meteorite Gold Mine either, so let’s go and check it out," Yan Yuchu added.
The group sped up their pace toward the city.
"Wait, aren’t you going to put away that egg?" Mu Cheng suddenly asked Mu Hanyan.
An egg that bounced and hopped was no longer a strange sight for them, but for others, it might seem like some sort of monster.
"Oh right, let’s put it away first," Mu Hanyan turned around but found that the creature had disappeared.
As he looked down, he saw a small piece of round eggshell struggling and wriggling as it desperately tried to burrow into his chest.
"This cheeky egg," Mu Hanyan chuckled wryly.
Soon, the group arrived at Little Pond City. From afar, one could see the outline of the city, but upon closer inspection, they realized that it was merely an outline. Whether it was the scale, the crumbling stone and rotting wood walls, or the dilapidated houses and bumpy streets within, it was far from a real city, more of a large village at best.
Yet, in terms of bustling activity, it was much stronger than a mere village. Merchants from various places flowed continuously, and roadside vendors loudly hawked local mountain specialties.
Though Meteorite Gold was not as widely used as Medicinal Herbs, it was indispensable for Alchemists, and these people naturally wouldn’t miss a business opportunity.
Initially, everyone came for Meteorite Gold Ore, but as time passed and more people arrived, the demand diversified, and Little Pond City unwittingly formed a large marketplace bustling with activity.
The group was there to satisfy their curiosity and had no specific purpose, so they didn’t ask for directions and just followed the crowd into the city.
Ahead, a recently constructed building was swarming with people, many of whom were craning their necks and looking inside while engaging in spirited discussions.
Motivated by curiosity, Mu Hanyan and his companions squeezed in. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel•fire.net
"Each person pays one thousand silver taels. Hurry if you want to enter, otherwise, once the hour passes, you’ll have to wait another three months," a middle-aged man dressed as a guard bellowed.
"What’s this, and why do you have to pay to get in?" Wu Qiuyun asked curiously.
"Are you new here? Don’t you know about this? This is the Stone Tasting Conference held quarterly in Little Pond City. If you’re lucky, you could become rich overnight and have your livelihood secured for generations; but if you’re unlucky, you could lose every tael you own," a young Swordsman nearby explained. He was more talkative, perhaps because he found Mu Hanyan pleasing to the eye.
"What’s this Stone Tasting Conference?" Mu Hanyan asked, puzzled.
"You don’t know about the origin of Little Pond City?" The man looked at Mu Hanyan strangely and continued, "The so-called Stone Tasting Conference mainly involves appraising recently mined Meteorite Gold Ore that hasn’t been refined yet. Of course, aside from the entrance fee, you need to pay a little each time you appraise a piece of Meteorite Gold Ore. If you’re lucky and pick a high-quality ore, you’ll instantly make a fortune. If not, consider it as buying a mere river rock."
"So, it’s basically gambling on stones?" Mu Hanyan realized.
It was said that those who dealt in Jade had such gambling methods, but he hadn’t expected that Meteorite Gold Mine could also be staked on.
"You’re thinking of gambling on Jade, right? It’s not the same. Jade isn’t as valuable as Meteorite Gold Ore, and while you can tell the quality of Jade ore by cutting it open, it’s not the same with Meteorite Gold Ore. Without an Alchemist’s skills, even cutting it open might not reveal its true value," the Swordsman said disdainfully, looking at Mu Hanyan before continuing his explanation with a confident flair.