Chapter 68 Thirty million dollars is a reasonable price.
Inside the "Eternal Life Emporium," Parker lay on the sofa like a puddle of mud. Scott looked at him incredulously and whispered, "Mr. Richardson, who was that just now?"
Parker hadn't recovered from the shock, and he said shakily, "Don't ask!"
His right hand had been utterly destroyed. William hadn't even glanced at him, yet the psychological pressure he exerted was like that of a primordial beast.
Parker was a standout even among junior Soulmancers. A couple of thousand years ago, this might not have been impressive, but in this day and age, being a junior Soulmancer was quite remarkable.
Yet William hadn't even moved, and he had already ruined one of Parker's hands.
How terrifying was that?
Most importantly, William looked far too young.
As far as Parker knew, becoming a mid-level Soulmancer could extend one's life by three to five hundred years, but it wouldn't allow one to regain their youth. Only by advancing to a high-level Soulmancer could one turn white hair to black and enjoy longevity lasting a thousand years.
Considering this, Parker suspected he might have encountered a high-level Soulmancer.
His grandson, Harris, had become a fool, and Parker suspected this was related to William.
Scott inquired about this, but Parker didn't dare to mention it.
William clearly didn't want to reveal his identity. If Parker said too much and William found out, the consequences would be unthinkable!
Judging by Parker's current expression, Scott could guess that something was amiss.
Parker had suffered at William's hands.
Their visit today was entirely because of the overpowering aura of the Radiant Empress Pearl. Such a treasure had appeared without any energy shield to protect it and suppress its energy diffusion, so more and more people would come to know of it.
When Powell and Alice came in, they saw a group of customers wandering around the store. After seeing William and his group leave, they greeted these customers.
"Dear customers, how may I help you? What would you like to purchase?" Powell saw Parker and Scott and promptly approached them. Although Harris's dull expression was a bit conspicuous, Powell merely glanced at him and didn't ask any questions.
He didn't know that Harris had turned into a fool after entering his store. If customers wanted to bring a fool into the shop, what could he say?
Asking too many questions could offend people.
Parker hesitated for a moment and then stood up, speaking to a middle-aged man beside him, "Take Harris and leave!" nove-lB)In
The pressure William had placed on him was too terrifying. In Parker's view, William must have set his sights on the treasure that had appeared today. Competing with such a formidable figure would be akin to courting death.
William might have left, but who could guarantee that he wouldn't return to snatch the treasure after they got their hands on it?
A high-level Soulmancer!
That was not something Parker could face!
Seeing Parker leave, Scott's face turned somber.
After all, it should be considered that Scott was the first to discover the treasure in the "Eternal Life Emporium." Now Scott was bewildered. Parker hadn't done anything and just left?
Not even taking a look at what the treasure was? Was he so decisive?
Powell was also taken aback. This old man looked like he had lost a son, bringing in a fool. Powell hadn't mentioned any bad luck, but it seemed the old man was still upset?
"Boss, what kind of treasure have you actually obtained?"
Scott stopped speculating. He had memorized William's appearance, and after returning, he would surely have it sketched and investigated. Right now, the most crucial thing was to see what sort of treasure had caused such an aggregation of energy in this place.
Powell felt that he was quite lucky today, having acquired two treasures already.
Didn't William say the Radiant Empress Pearl was an inauspicious object?
As long as he sold it quickly, it didn't matter whether it was inauspicious or not!
Powell could tell from Scott's attire and accessories that this was a wealthy man!
" I do have two treasures here. Please come inside!" said the store owner.
"Two?" Scott's eyes lit up. It was no wonder that the spiritual energy was so turbulent with two treasures.
Powell led Scott into his office and took the Radiant Empress Pearl and a Pewter teacup, which William had just sold to him, out of the safe.
"Sir, both of these items are rare treasures," Powell said, slowly opening the brocade box holding the Radiant Empress Pearl. "This one has quite the storied history, please take a look!"
Scott was amazed upon seeing the Radiant Empress Pearl. To an ordinary person, it might seem peculiar, but to a Soulmancer, it was extraordinary.
The pearl was enveloped in swirling purple and black auras, with glints of metallic light flickering within.
Scott examined it for a while, feeling increasingly astonished. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Boss, do you know the history of this pearl?"
Powell, a shrewd businessman, replied with a straight face, "This pearl is known as the Radiant Empress Pearl, a treasured possession of Theodora, the empress of the Byzantine Empire. Theodora became empress largely due to the pearl's energy, which can make people lose themselves. If you look closely, you can see the faint golden light inside, rumored to be a guardian spirit sealed within."
Powell had no knowledge of guardian spirits. From his perspective, it was just a large pearl, which did appear to date back to the 6th century. But as for a guardian spirit, that was just a tale to entice buyers.
Regardless of whether Scott believed him, Powell knew he had to exaggerate the item's value to make a sale.
As for the cursed nature William had mentioned, Powell certainly couldn't reveal that. What seller would admit to selling a cursed item?
Scott was no fool. After a long silence, he countered, "How do you know all this?"
Without batting an eye, Powell answered, "To be honest, I read about it in an ancient book about ten years ago. My grandfather was still alive at that time. The book described this pearl in detail. Later, due to family matters, my father burned the book in anger, so few people know about this."
Powell's story seemed reasonable and well-founded, even convincing Scott somewhat. After all, Powell appeared to be an ordinary merchant. If he could recite a historical account and claim there was a spirit inside the pearl, the records about this pearl were probably genuine.
"Name your price!" Scott said without further ado, eager to secure the item.
Powell pretended to hesitate for a moment, then chuckled, "Sir, I'm sure you understand that everything I've said is true. This is a valuable item, so naturally, the price won't be low. My final offer is 30 million US dollars!"
He had only paid ten million for the pearl, and now he was asking for 30 million. If the deal went through, it would be a windfall.
Scott raised an eyebrow slightly. Thirty million dollars wasn't an unreasonable price, and it seemed quite fair.