Seeing a hint of skepticism in Liu Pengcheng’s eyes, Huo Sining also knew that her behavior was too impetuous:
"I had the fortune to meet Master Su a few years ago and have always held him in high regard, especially the Chicken Blood Stone seal in his possession which I can’t forget. To be honest, my trip to Changhua to gamble on Chicken Blood Stone was largely inspired by Master Su. Just now, I heard Mister Liu mention that Master Su was unwell, which prompted my inquiry."
In her past life, not only had Huo Sining met Su Zhongqing, but she also remembered that his distinguished disciple was called Liu Pengcheng. However, she hadn’t recognized Liu Pengcheng when she saw him just now, only recalling his name when someone revealed it. That’s when Huo Sining guessed his identity.
But now, Huo Sining was reborn seven years in the past, a time before the auction had even started—a good four to five years away—so naturally, she couldn’t claim to know Su Zhongqing from that time.
Thus, she could only find an excuse; people who knew Master Su were numerous, and Liu Pengcheng surely couldn’t know all of them, so he wouldn’t pry too much.
Indeed, upon hearing Huo Sining’s words, Liu Pengcheng’s eyes flickered with understanding, and he did not continue to interrogate her but merely smiled and said, "Madam is referring to my teacher’s Da Hong Pao seal, correct?"
Huo Sining nodded, "Exactly, many years ago, I was introduced to Master Su by a friend and saw him carrying that seal. However, I have since been unable to find an opportunity to visit Master Su."
Liu Pengcheng nodded, "Madam’s concern is appreciated. My teacher is getting on in years and his bodily functions have begun to decline, so he’s now recuperating in the capital."
Hearing this, Huo Sining also felt some sentiment, that elder with his graceful silver hair and his towering figure, ultimately, couldn’t resist the march of time and was gradually succumbing to old age.
"I apologize, but if it’s not too much trouble, sir, could you give me a contact so that I may pay a visit to Master Su once my affairs here are concluded?"
If it had been anyone else making this request, Liu Pengcheng would certainly have refused outright.
But upon seeing Huo Sining’s sincere gaze, for some reason, Liu Pengcheng felt a surge of warmth and involuntarily nodded in agreement.
After exchanging contact information, Huo Sining did not linger and, after bidding farewell to Liu Pengcheng, quickly went to find Zhong Zifan and Liao Song.
"Where are you?" Huo Sining called Liao Song.
"I’m not at the trading plaza. Go straight to the very end of the square, pass through the alley; we’re at a stone gambling shop here. Just come directly to us, but it’s quite crowded over here."
Huo Sining did as told and, passing through the alley, had not yet reached the stone gambling shop when she indeed saw a large crowd of people gathered at the entrance of a storefront. Huo Sining squeezed in, craning her neck and looking around for quite a while, before she found Liao Song and Zhong Zifan.
"What are you doing here? Have you finished buying the goods?" Huo Sining asked, puzzled as she glanced at the onlooking crowd.
Liao Song nodded, "It’s almost done."
Only then did Huo Sining notice that within the crowd, it seemed that someone was cutting a Chicken Blood Stone: "What’s happening? Why are so many people watching?"
Liao Song explained, "Someone bought a piece with some red on it for half a million, betting on striking Da Hong Pao."
As soon as Huo Sining heard this, she eagerly tiptoed to take a look inside and indeed saw a young lad in his twenties working on the stone cutting machine.
The Chicken Blood Stone was a brownish hue, unremarkable at first glance, but on one side of the stone, there was a dash of striking red that seemed about to seep out, as if smeared with chicken blood.
Such an appearance is referred to as a "patch of red," similar to the green patches on the surface of Jadeite. The red on the surface of a Chicken Blood Stone implies that the interior might contain a significant amount of red. If, upon cutting it open, it reveals a full red, then it could be a Da Hong Pao.
Da Hong Pao is the crème de la crème of Chicken Blood Stones; a mere hint of red can already fetch a hefty price. If full red is found, that would be astronomically valuable. Take, for example, Master Su’s Chicken Blood Stone seal, which weighed just over a hundred grams and was only a small section, yet it was worth tens of millions.
Because Da Hong Pao is rare and not easily found, such Chicken Blood Stones command high prices. This young man had probably purchased this raw Chicken Blood Stone to gamble on the chance of uncovering a whole red Chicken Blood Stone.
Liao Song, standing beside Huo Sining, saw her continuously gazing at the stone and couldn’t help but ask her, "Miss Huo, what do you think?"
From such a distance, Huo Sining couldn’t tell for sure, and since she hadn’t handled it firsthand, she didn’t know the condition of the rough Chicken Blood Stone. She shrugged and said:
"I must admit, I’m quite good at gambling on Jadeite and the like, but I really don’t know much about Chicken Blood Stone. This stone looks like a large pebble to me, and I have no idea where to even start."
Seeing that Huo Sining didn’t pretend to know what she didn’t and was instead so honest and straightforward, Liao Song smiled and began to analyze the Chicken Blood Stone for her, imparting to her many techniques for gambling on Chicken Blood Stones.
As Huo Sining listened with interest, the young man in the middle, holding the Chicken Blood Stone, examined it for a while before deciding to cut directly from the side with the red streak.
The young man must have been a novice, new to Chicken Blood Stone, so he chose not to cut it himself but instead handed it over to a Stone Solver Master at the stone gambling shop.
The Stone Solver Master respected the young man’s wishes, cutting directly at the red mark as the young man had outlined.
The young man seemed to think that underneath his stone there would be a full-blooded Da Hong Pao, so he drew the line very carefully, rubbed his hands, drew a straight line along the streak, checked it several times, and then handed the stone over to the Stone Solver Master.
The grinding wheel began to spin, and the Stone Solver Master placed the stone onto the stone cutting machine, aligning the blade precisely with the drawn line, and decisively made a cut that perfectly matched the line.
The young man was clearly nervous, staring intensely at the Stone Solver Master’s hand. When the piece of stone fell away, the Master shifted the stone, exposing the cut face to everyone present.
"Hey, there’s red!" someone with sharp eyes shouted upon seeing an even brighter red appear at the interface, "The color is even redder now!"
The face of the Chicken Blood Stone had been cut exactly along the skin’s streak of red. The cut was only the size of a palm, but it indeed exposed a streak of red, even redder than on the surface.
The onlookers were all somewhat excited, and Huo Sining was also taken aback. She subconsciously looked over at Liao Song and Zhong Zifan. Both Zhong Zifan and Liao Song had come here to purchase Chicken Blood Stones, and upon seeing one of such quality, they should make a move, right?
Huo Sining couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows at Liao Song, her implication was clear.
Liao Song laughed and said, "Patience, patience."