Chapter 4433 — So It Was Spirit Jade
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
A short while later, a list of escorts was delivered into the hands of the overseers. Just as they had required, it contained only ordinary escorts of the agency—no head escorts, no deputy head escorts, no relatives.
Even Wei Zhao was not on the list, for he was an honorary head escort, and by no reckoning could his status fall into the ranks of ordinary escorts.
Qi Wenmo expected the two to begin the random selection then and there. Instead, after receiving the list, the overseers produced another list from their own bosoms and, before the eyes of Qi Wenmo and the others, began checking the two against each other, item by item.
At this sight, Qi Wenmo was caught between laughing and crying—and could not help breaking into a cold sweat. He could plainly see that on the list the other side had produced, every name was followed by a note of status, making it immediately clear whether the man was an ordinary escort or had some special background as a head escort or deputy head escort.
Qi Wenmo drew a sharp breath and secretly counted himself lucky. Thank goodness he had not tried to be clever just now—otherwise he would have been exposed on the spot!
Every session of the Southern Continent Escort Assembly had always prided itself on fairness and justice, and it investigated cheating in the contests with the utmost severity. If he were truly caught red-handed, he could forget about scoring points this round—he would even be docked points, and the agency would suffer heavy punishment besides.
Once the overseers finished checking the list and found it compliant and complete, they numbered each name in turn and drew a small basket from behind them, filled with prepared number slips. Whichever slip was drawn was the one that counted, until the full roster of ten participating escorts was produced.
Meanwhile, the other thirty-one escort agencies were going through the same process. In but a brief moment, the participant rosters of all thirty-two agencies were in place, and the third round—the escort loyalty trial—officially began.
Thirty-two agencies, ten escorts apiece—three hundred and twenty escorts in all—formed a great circle in the Demon Cold Plaza. Directly before them, neatly stacked, stood a pile of enormous treasure chests prepared in advance. Each was nearly as tall as a man, and even without knowing what lay hidden inside, their sheer size made mouths water.
Not only the participating escorts, but even the spectators gathered at the edge of the grounds could not help craning their necks at the sight of those chests. Although Hai Wuliang had said earlier that each chest was worth a city, just how it was worth a city remained unknown.
Under the gaze of the multitude, the five judges and arbiters, headed by Hai Wuliang, slowly walked to the side of the chests and casually pulled one of them forward, instantly drawing every eye.
"You are all dying to know what fine things are hidden in these chests, aren't you? I can tell you right now—what lies within is nothing other than spirit jade!" Hai Wuliang announced loudly.
"Spirit jade!" Everyone's eyes lit up at the words. Rare treasures of heaven and earth were certainly worth cities, but even at equal value, the impact such treasures had on the crowd was nothing compared to the sheer, tangible force of spirit jade—enough to leave a person's throat dry with longing! (To be continued)