mynovelweb Chapter 249
Chapter 249
The video ended, but the player who obtained the Eighteen Arhats Bottle continued to boast about it. He posted numerous pictures in the world chat, and one player commented below: "Players who need to duplicate the Eighteen Arhats Bottle, DM me. I'm a Miracle Master, and I can perfectly replicate it. Let's work together to lower the rarity of this bottle!"
The bottle's owner posted several "tsk tsk" comments, saying, "Mine has Qingfengyi's anti-counterfeiting and certification labels. What's the use of you making more? It's one of a kind, hehe."
Those who flaunt their wealth and luck will have a lifetime of bad luck.
"Yeah, that replica, how much is it? I want it."
"Not expensive at all, only 300 gold ingots."
He can bake a hundred or eighty in one batch, hehe.
"Tch, forget about the gold ingot."
Gold ingots are becoming increasingly difficult to collect.
We're spending way more than we're earning; it's simply not enough. I wonder how many more amazing treasures Qingfengyi will have later on. What will we do if we don't have enough gold ingots to buy them?
Player-created items will have a "player-created" tag. If the player is famous, they might be valuable; otherwise, they're just decorative. Items that are too expensive are really not worth buying; money doesn't grow on trees.
While players were trying to acquire porcelain crafted by master craftsmen, an NPC mentioned that the martial arts world of Huaxia would be holding a porcelain-making competition once every ten years, open to everyone. Many renowned masters would be present, some having lived in seclusion for years, now bringing their apprentices and intending to pass on their skills. It was a truly rare and grand event; the porcelain displayed at the competition was comparable to celestial treasures, a sight to behold for a lifetime.
The Bird Alliance leader overheard this news by chance. Coincidentally, she and Xi Meng were walking their birds in the mountains when they saw an old man digging in the mud in a ravine. Curious, they went up to ask him and learned the news. She asked in surprise, "When is the competition?"
The old man said, "It will be a grand event in ten days. Many masters have been preparing for it for several years, and some treasures have even been burning for twenty or thirty years. The treasures that are brought out are more than enough to offer to the Heavenly Emperor."
The two were stunned. Xi Meng had recently learned a bit about porcelain, and she asked doubtfully, "There's no way it could be fired for twenty or thirty years."
The procedures are the same; even if they're complicated, it will take at most two or three months.
Can it last another twenty or thirty years?
The old man shook his head and said, "Girl, making porcelain isn't that simple. Finding the right clay can take two or three months, sometimes even over a year. A good craftsman can find his own exclusive clay, not to mention the slurry for painting and the kiln. Some craftsmen even build new kilns. A new kiln needs time to develop a feel for it, and even then, it takes a month or two to fire. Using an old kiln is best, but an old kiln might not withstand daily firing, so you need to have a good one ready. If you have a master craftsman supporting you, that's fine, but the worst is when your own master craftsman doesn't have enough kilns. Then there's sifting the clay and shaping the piece, which takes three or four months. After all, this is clay for a competition, not something that can be done in a few days. Some large pieces take half a year to shape, half a year to repair, half a year to paint, and then another firing. If it's successful, great; if it's ruined..."
He paused for a moment, then let out a long sigh and said, "Let's do it again."
As they talked, they scooped mud into the basket. The two leaders of the Bird Alliance were completely confused, but it seemed like it would take a long time. They wondered how magnificent the finished product would be. The two were usually casual players, rarely following events. Now, however, they were quite curious. Ten years of prosperity!
Life is so short, how many decades are there in total?
So they put away their birds and headed to the Chinese martial arts world, simultaneously posting the information they had gathered on the world chat. Some players started criticizing them: "You think you know everything? What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Exactly, now we've lost our advantage."
"Ahhh, I've been holding back for so long, I can finally freely share my amazing adventure! Video."
In the video, the player joined an NPC's caravan, which was escorting several large boxes. The caravan was guarded very closely. After making inquiries and building rapport, the player finally learned that these were extremely valuable treasures going to a porcelain firing competition.
The entire escort team consisted of over two hundred men, each with bulging muscles, full chests, and imposing physiques. Various weapons hung at their waists: hammers, double-edged axes, swords, golden whips, halberds, and more—a motley crew. There was even a poison master accompanying them, making it a truly top-secret escort mission.
"Alright, alright, you guys send them all, right? I won't be polite either! Video."
This video is really high quality. A leader is leading a group of about eighty people dressed in black clothes and cloaks. They are all riding black tigers and carrying long spears. Some of them have round cannonballs hanging from their bodies, and some are even carrying small throwing vehicles?
The group concealed themselves on either side of the mountain path, a narrow and ideal spot for an ambush, as it was a crucial route for porcelain merchants. After two days of lying in wait, a large caravan of about three hundred men finally passed by. Without a word, the players rained down cannonballs, rocks, and rolling logs, sending the caravan tumbling and killing most of the members. In the video, the leader of the group roars angrily, "Be careful! Don't break anything!"
The rolling stones and logs were next to many crates and wagons, and the sound of them crashing and breaking could be heard all the way up the mountain. The NPCs below were scrambling for cover, while the players relentlessly swarmed them and wiped them all out without leaving a trace.
Many players felt physically uncomfortable seeing this, exclaiming, "What are you guys doing?!"
"My God, they look like bandits."
"It's not just a 'seem,' they are bandits."
"What did those NPCs do wrong to deserve such inhuman treatment?"
"Yeah, we should use that energy to deal with the Zerg."
........
"This is just a game, everyone don't need to take it so seriously, haha."
Some people tried to lighten the mood, and most suddenly agreed, "Yeah, it's just a game." But why did they feel so uncomfortable?
The video continues, showing the players opening and inspecting the caravan's goods. Inside were all sorts of exquisite porcelain. Unfortunately, ninety percent of them were broken; of the five hundred pieces, only a few dozen remained. One of the boxes, made of copper and iron, was stuffed with cotton, thus saving it from destruction.
The bandits took the cotton, which contained twelve exquisite porcelain cups. System notification: Twelve Flower Goddess Cups.
More details follow.
January daffodils: Spring breezes play with the sun, bringing clear books; the night moon glides across the waves, rising above the great dike. The flower goddess is the Goddess of the Luo River.
Magnolia blossoms in February: Golden petals and emerald calyxes carry the chill of spring, their yellow blossoms displaying a variety of colors. The flower goddess is Yang Yuhuan.
Peach blossoms in March: The wind carries the scent of blossoms, the swallows herald the new spring festival, and the season is ripe for spring's revelry. The flower goddess is Lady Xi.
April Peony: At dawn, its beauty shines like dew on golden palms; at dusk, its fragrance lingers in the jade hall. The flower goddess is Lijuan.
Pomegranate blossoms in May: Dewdrops glisten on the glistening petals, fragrance wafts through the pink walls. The flower goddess is Wei Zifu.
Lotus in June: Its roots are jade in the mud, its heart bears dewdrops. The goddess of flowers, Xi Shi.
Orchids in July: Their fragrance wafts lightly from the grand palace, and drifts afar from the high terrace. —The Flower Goddess Su Xiaoxiao.
Osmanthus in August: Branches grow endlessly like the moon, flowers bloom in full autumn. —Flower Goddess Xu Hui.
Chrysanthemums in September: A thousand years of white-robed wine, a lifetime of fragrance from the Green Maiden. The Flower Goddess, Zuo Fen.
October hibiscus: its fragrance mingles with the lingering rain, its beauty emerges from the clear sunshine. (Flower Goddess, Lady Flower Bud.)
November rose: Not fading with a thousand other varieties, it blooms alone in its vibrant red all year round. (Wang Zhaojun, the goddess of flowers.)
December plum blossoms: Pure white blossoms adorn the trees like snow, their delicate fragrance fills the air with the breeze. (From the Flower Goddess, Princess Shouyang.)
Of course, originally there were no flower goddesses for the twelve flowers. Modern people, through various ancient novels, stories, and legends, have assigned flower goddesses to the twelve flowers. Lin Shuying felt that the twelve flower goddesses they had assigned were also extraordinary women, so she included them.
As for changing the content of Chinese culture, that's not the case. Culture and history are constantly evolving processes; as long as one exists in that time, space, and world, one participates in the creation of history.
Isn't this how civilization is formed step by step?
The Twelve Flower Goddess Cups are a set of floral-patterned cups and saucers made during the Kangxi period. They are exquisitely crafted, combining the artistic essence of painting, porcelain art, calligraphy, and poetry.
When Lin Shu-ying was looking for inspiration, she saw this set of cups and was immediately captivated. Unfortunately, she was still creating when the inspiration came from the interstellar world. Inspiration is fleeting; it can come and go as it pleases. When she tried to recreate it, she couldn't recall the feeling from before and had to give up.
The video concludes with a close-up of the Twelve Flower Goddess Cups, leaving viewers drooling. The pure white porcelain, beautiful flowers, moving verses, elegant calligraphy, and exquisite paintings are all breathtaking.
"Wow, this is truly the pinnacle of art."
"Who dares to say this is a game!"
"Exactly! Who dares to say this is just a game?!"
No one dared to speak up, because admitting it was a game would mean their possessions would shrink rapidly.
Games can never compare to reality.
Over there, the pirate crew who obtained the Twelve Flower Goddess Cups were ecstatic. The system notification indicated this was a top-tier, limited-edition item; several wealthy individuals had sent private messages the moment the video was posted, with the highest bid reaching 200 million. The description stated that this set of porcelain was produced in the imperial kilns of ancient times, used exclusively by the emperor, and its highest price at the time reached 180 million. This was the peak price after 130 million, rarely falling below 100 million after changing hands several times.
Although it's an item in the game, it's not a real-world object; it's the real deal!
The underling next to him asked, "Boss, should we sell it?"
Two hundred million!
That's enough for them to spend for a long time; maybe they can buy a decent mech to boost the group's fighting strength. Or they could add some equipment and weapons to the pirate ship, at least a quantum cannon.
The eldest brother said, "Sell!"
The Qingfengyi account was obtained by them from the first-tier star of the Qingfengyi game, which is connected to the game. In case it is exposed one day and they lose everything, it is better to convert it into money and put it in their pocket for peace of mind.
Soon, the Twelve Flower Goddess Cups were bought by Sister Xunmei's grandfather for 2.66 million interstellar coins. He immediately boasted in the world chat channel: "I heard that kid is good at taking things, and now this old man got his hands on it first, hahaha. [Image]"
The picture shows the cups I just received; each one is very beautiful.
Although no names were mentioned, everyone seemed to tacitly understand that he was referring to the guy with the "full warehouse of antiques." Grandpa Deng introduced himself: "What a misfortune for our family! We actually couldn't compete with an old man. Tsk tsk, kid, if you keep this up, I'll expel you from the family register."
Deng Yijun replied casually below: "Okay, remember to bring all my things as well."