Having a powerful lord as a father figure, what's wrong with just wanting to draw cards?

“Well, I have eaten it once.” Edward made no attempt to hide his pride in being the first to try it.

"Huh? When? How come I didn't know?"

"The Crown Prince invited me this week!"

"The Crown Prince would invite you to eat this kind of snack?" Aiwei complained.

"What snacks? This is culture! Hot pot culture! After a winter, it will be one of the greatest cultures in the world!" Domi expressed strong condemnation.

"Come on, brother, I'll personally prepare some seasoning for you. I guarantee it'll taste delicious!"

Domi is the founder of hot pot, so his dipping sauce must be delicious. Everyone else couldn't sit still and asked to join in, which exhausted Domi.

Argyle picked up a piece of meat from the pot, dipped it in the sauce on the plate, and then put it in his mouth...

The flavors of boiled meat, the sweetness of tomato broth, and the savory aroma of the seasonings, combined with the soft yet bouncy texture, all explode in your mouth at once!

His eyes suddenly lit up, and then he picked up several more pieces of meat, stuffing them into his mouth with a clattering sound, unable to stop.

This was the first time everyone had seen Argyll living like a savage, eating raw meat and drinking blood.

"What are you all standing there for? Cut the meat!"

Seeing this, the others also started to eat.

"This is actually quite delicious!" Nancy, who was also trying it for the first time, commented.

True critics only prove the deliciousness of food through their actions, which is to "eat it with their heads down". After trying it, Nats joined Argyle's group, and the two of them dried the meat much faster than they cooked it.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, the group took a long time to recover before continuing their shopping.

The free trade market is the place with the most diverse range of goods in the commercial area, but it is also the most murky place.

Because you might discover a rare treasure in the process of sifting through the sands of time, or you might be swindled out of your entire fortune by an old man selling antiques.

However, Domi and his group didn't buy anything; their main purpose was to visit the site.

However, while visiting the 'gem market', they ran into a classmate.

Wilcost was also there. Upon seeing Domi and his group arrive, he immediately smiled and went forward to greet them.

"Dear students, oh, what a coincidence that I have the honor of meeting Princess Shia!"

"Wilcost, what are you doing here?" Nancy was probably the only one who remembered the other students' names.

He pointed to the bustling area behind him: "As you can see, this is a gem market that specializes in blue-eyed gemstones. Blue-eyed rough stones mined from the mines will be sold here. If you're lucky, you might be able to make several times your initial investment."

The so-called blue-eyed stone is a gemstone that is as green as a green mountain.

"Are blue-eyed stones really that valuable?" Aiwei asked, puzzled.

Edward, who had some knowledge in this area, explained, "Ordinary blue-eyed stones are certainly not valuable; even ordinary families can afford them. The blue-eyed stones here are probably the kind of magical blue-eyed gems that can nourish wind magicians."

Wilcost nodded repeatedly: "Edward knows a lot. How about it, want to go in and take a gamble?"

"No, I have no interest in gambling."

“Really? There’s a competition going on here. The person who bets on the best quality stone will receive a Blue-Eyestone King as a gift from the organizers. What a pity,” Wilcost said with a regretful expression. “If a wind mage like Aiwei had a Blue-Eyestone King to wear all the time, she would definitely benefit greatly.”

"I don't need it, let's go." Aiwei herself refused very readily, showing no interest in the so-called Blue-Eyed Stone King.

But Edward had a change of heart, and after some consideration, he actually decided to go!

Argyle quickly pulled him back and whispered, "This place is owned by Cumberbatch. Wilcost is clearly trying to rip you off, not just for the small amount of money, but for your reputation! Our family's businesses here might also be affected."

"But if I win their Blue-Eyes Stone King, wouldn't they be the ones who get cheated and lose face? Don't worry, brother, I'm confident."

Edward insisted on doing so, so the others had no choice but to follow him inside.

The raw stone is covered with a layer of rough stone, and it is almost impossible to see what is hidden inside with the naked eye.

In the middle of the gem market's rough stone area, a large area is filled with uncut blue-eyed rough stones. Onlookers are on the first floor, while gamblers can go up to the second floor and point out which stone to cut, as if they were surveying the landscape.

Then a professional will go over and cut open the rough stone in front of everyone, and its quality will be immediately apparent.

While Wilcost was walking ahead, Domi came to Edward's side and whispered to him:

"I can tell which rough stone has potential, I can help you."

Domi has an analysis panel; you can simply scan the rough stone to see if it contains any high-quality blue-eyed stones.

But Edward shook his head:

"Thank you for your kindness, Domi, but I want to win this Blue-Eyed Stone King myself; that would be meaningful."

179. Chapter 176, 175 Azure Eye Stone

“After paying 1000 gold dragons, each customer has three chances to gamble on a stone, and the best one will be taken as the ‘score’. The deadline is 5 p.m.,” Wilcost explained the so-called competition rules himself after everyone was seated.

"If no one finds a better blue-eyed stone than Edward before five o'clock, then Edward will win, and the Blue-eyed Stone King will be yours."

"Could we take a look at that blue-eyed stone king first?"

Edward didn't seem as impetuous as Domi had imagined. Could he really be a genius at appraising antiques?

"Of course!"

As the young master of this place, Wilcost clapped his hands, and servants brought over the heavy treasure chest, delivering this once-in-a-century treasure.

The treasure chest slowly opened, and before even seeing anything, Domi could feel the rich aura of wind. It was a surging wind, yet it possessed the steady and gentle quality of a mountain range, and the depth of the ocean.

"A rare find," Domi commented in advance.

After Domi said that, everyone else became interested as well.

Wilcost was pleased with their response:

“Things with spirits recognize their owners. When the owner drips blood on it, the aura will not leak out, but instead nourish its owner. That’s why this Blue-Eyed Stone King still has no name, waiting for someone with the right destiny to give it one.”

“Okay, that’s fine.” Edward nodded, a determined look flashing in his eyes.

"Take it down."

"Yes, my lord."

“No need, just leave it here. It’ll be mine soon anyway,” Edward stopped the servant.

The servant cast a pleading look at Wilcost, who nodded in acquiescence, then narrowed his eyes and said with interest:

"It seems Edward is quite confident."

"Isn't that obvious? Why would I come here if I didn't have confidence?"

Wilcost's eye twitched almost imperceptibly: "Then I'll await Edward's good news."

“No, no, no, don’t wait,” Edward said again. “Playing with these people is no fun, Wilcost. How about we make a bet? The rules are the same as the competition, and the stake is still the Blue-Eyestone King. If you want to add anything else, that’s fine too.”

"Edward is joking. How can the rules be changed at the last minute for a competition open to the public, just because of you or me?"

"Does the Cumberbatch family need to care about the opinions of these commoners? Or... Wilcost, are you just too greedy to take the gamble?"

Aiwei was shocked. She had never seen Edward so assertive and aggressive, but it was indeed very satisfying.

Wilcost hesitated. If the bet were to involve him and Edward, it would expose who would lose face, and whoever lost would suffer a direct blow to the other's reputation.

Moreover, he used such a valuable item as the King of Blue Eyestones as a wager, so his influence must have been considerable.

But then I thought it wasn't impossible. After all, this was his home turf. No matter how good Edward was, could he be as good as the entire team of appraisers from the Cumberbatch family here?

I can't possibly lose; this is a gamble I'm guaranteed to win, and the advantage is in my hands!

After much deliberation, Wilcost finally agreed amidst Edward's relentless provocations.

"I accept this bet, but I've given up the Blue-Eyestone King, so I'll need Edward to add some chips to the bet."

"That's normal. Just tell me what you want."

"How about Bloomfield's half of Carria? The Blue Amber King is worth that price."

Argyle was shocked when he heard this. If half of the industry was given to Cumberbatch, it would be difficult to keep the other half. It was equivalent to giving up the entire market share of Kalia to Cumberbatch. This was already a huge gamble!

"Hey Edward, this isn't a small bet anymore! Wake up!"

"Don't panic, brother, I know what I'm doing."

Judging from Edward's condition, even ten oxen couldn't pull him back. Argyle could only pray that God would bless Edward.

“Come on, Wilcost.”

"readily!"

"However, we will take turns choosing stones, and I want to go first."

"no problem."

Soon, news of the bet between Edward and Wilcost spread, and more and more people flocked to the scene like sharks smelling blood.

Those who had already participated in the competition dared not speak out, but after receiving a full refund, they went to join in the fun with great enthusiasm.

Amidst the watchful eyes of countless spectators, Edward and his friends stood on the second floor, facing Wilcost and his entire appraisal team across the water. Between them lay piles of rough, uncut stones waiting to be cut open.

A middle-aged man in a black tuxedo stood on the platform in the middle of the first floor. He was the person in charge here and was now acting as a temporary referee.

"Now, the game between young master Wilcost and young master Edward shall officially begin. As agreed, young master Edward shall make the first choice."

Under the tense expressions of his friends and the watchful eyes of a large audience, Edward casually picked a piece as if without thinking.

Those in the audience with a discerning eye secretly shook their heads. Their years of experience gambling on rough stones told them that this piece of raw stone was definitely waste material and would not yield anything good.

Sure enough, after being cut open by professionals, it was found that there were only some fragments of blue-eyed stone inside, not even a large, well-formed piece of blue-eyed stone, let alone any quality.

The appraiser team opposite him scoffed at the sight, and after some screening, they selected a fine blue-eyed stone for Wilcox, which was already quite good in terms of quality.

But this competition is about choosing the best one out of three, and if Edward is incredibly lucky, this blue-eyed stone might not be good enough.

Therefore, Wilcost did not let his guard down; in fact, he would not lower his guard until the very last moment.

Even when the appraisal team was feeling smug, he poured cold water on their enthusiasm:

"Everyone, concentrate! The next one has to be better than the last one."

On the other side, even Nancy and Nats were worried for Edward.

They didn't know how much of Bloomfield's half of Carria's property was, but Domi and Argyle knew that the property on paper was enough to buy half of Nancy's house.