Time flowed by. In the blink of an eye, the grandfather clock in the living room chimed eleven times—it was already eleven in the morning.
"Is Hogg here?" A clear, resonant voice rang out. The Baruch family estate had no gatekeeper, so it was evident the guest had already entered the front courtyard.
Hogg furrowed his brows and set down the thick book in his hands. "Leylin, that's all for today." He then forced a smile and walked out of the living room.
"Ah, Hogg, my dear friend! That morning when I heard the song of the Bujuan bird, I knew good fortune was coming. Sure enough, I received your letter by noon. Reading your words brought me immense joy."
"Dear Philip, seeing you fills me with equal delight. Hillman, hurry and bring out the stone sculpture 'Fierce Lion' I prepared. Philip, come—let's wait in the living room. The sculpture will arrive shortly."
Listening to the conversation, Leylin felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
"Are we selling off family possessions again?" Leylin knew the stone sculpture 'Fierce Lion' was one his father cherished deeply. Yet the Baruch family, which didn't impose heavy taxes on Wushan Town, faced dire financial straits.
Fortunately, the Baruch family was ancient. And with antiquity came many heirlooms steeped in history."Alas, no amount of possessions could withstand such years of selling. Now, there are very few valuable items left in the family." Linley couldn't help glancing at the grandfather clock in the parlor: "Who knows when even this clock will be sold off."
A middle-aged man with golden hair and aristocratic bearing entered the parlor alongside Hogg. Linley immediately deduced this must be that 'Philip' they'd mentioned.
"Ah, this charming lad must be your son, Hogg." Philip smiled warmly at Linley. "Linley Baruch, isn't it? May I call you Linley?"
"The honor is mine, sir." Linley placed his left hand over his chest and bowed respectfully.
"What an adorable child." Philip seemed genuinely pleased.
Hogg interjected with a chuckle, "Enough teasing the boy, Philip. Your long-awaited stone carving 'Fierce Lion' has arrived." As he spoke, Hillman entered carrying a stone lion sculpture with ease, gently placing it on the floor.
The nearly thousand-pound sculpture looked like a toy in Hillman's hands, starkly revealing his formidable strength.
"Your prowess is remarkable, Mr. Hillman. Not even my manor with twelve towns under its jurisdiction possesses a guard captain of your caliber." Philip's compliment carried subtle undertones of recruitment.
"Wushan Township is my home, sir." Hillman replied stiffly.
"My apologies." Philip immediately conceded.
Turning back to Hogg, Philip remarked, "Hogg, though I do admire this sculpture, I must say the craftsmanship of this 'Fierce Lion' isn't first-rate - certainly not comparable to master sculptors.""Philip, if you don't want to buy it, forget it," Hogg said straightforwardly.
Philip narrowed his eyes, then suddenly laughed. "Haha… Hogg, don't be angry. I'm not saying I don't want to buy it—I'm just stating facts. How about 500 gold coins for this stone carving?"
"500 gold coins?" Hogg frowned.
This price was considerably lower than his expected 800 gold coins.
In the Yulan Continent, 1 gold coin = 10 silver coins = 1000 copper coins. An ordinary commoner might earn twenty to thirty gold coins a year, while a regular soldier's annual pay was around 100 gold coins.
"That's too low," Hogg shook his head.
"You should know, Hogg, there are countless stone carvings across the Yulan Continent with ten-thousand-year histories. The true value of a carving lies in its artistry. As for this piece's artistic merit… well, let's say I happen to like it. 500 gold coins is truly my highest offer. If you refuse, so be it."
Philip smiled and turned to look at the grandfather clock in the living room, his eyes lighting up. "Hogg, if you're willing to sell that clock, I'd pay 1,000 gold coins."
Hogg's face instantly turned cold.
"Oh, 2,000 gold coins then. That's my final offer," Philip hastily added.
Hogg shook his head resolutely. "The clock isn't for sale. As for the stone carving—600 gold coins. Take it or leave it."Philip observed Hogg intently for a moment before laughing. "Very well, Hogg. I'll grant you this courtesy. 600 gold coins. Steward, fetch 600 gold coins." The steward who had been waiting outside the parlor immediately rushed in with the coins, presenting them.
Yellow small bags, six in total.
"600 gold coins, Hogg. You may count them," Philip said with a smile.
Hogg lifted them and shook slightly. Merely by weight and volume, he confirmed there were indeed six bags—100 coins per bag. Nodding with a faint smile, Hogg said, "Philip, would you care to stay for lunch with us?"
"No need. I have matters to attend to back home," Philip replied courteously.
Philip's steward then directed two burly warriors, who strained to carry the stone sculpture away.
After Philip's entourage departed, Hogg looked at the six bags of gold coins before him, a trace of sorrow flickering in his eyes. This time it was selling a sculpture, but what next? Though the house contained many possessions, they would eventually be exhausted.
"Father, I want to learn stone sculpting!" Linley suddenly declared.
Linley understood clearly—across the Jade Flame Continent, renowned master sculptors' works commanded at least tens of thousands of gold coins, with celebrated pieces reaching hundreds of thousands. Beyond wealth, these sculptors held immense prestige.
"If I become a master sculptor, then... then Father wouldn't need to sell our family's belongings anymore," Linley resolved inwardly."Stone carving?" Hogg glanced at Linley and said coldly, "Linley, do you realize that among the hundreds of millions in the Holy Union, at least several million people have studied stone carving. Yet the number of true master sculptors in the entire Holy Union can be counted on one hand. Without proper guidance, you can't possibly succeed in stone carving."
"The world of stone carving isn't something ordinary people can enter. You only see masterpieces selling for tens of thousands of gold coins or more, but do you know most stone carvers only earn a few dozen gold coins a year?"
Hogg's tone grew increasingly severe.
Linley was startled. He'd only mentioned stone carving thinking it could improve their family's situation, never expecting his father's harsh lecture.
"Enough. The ancestral hall needs tidying and cleaning. Go do it after lunch," Hogg commanded coldly.
"Yes, father," Linley replied respectfully.
As Hogg watched Linley leave, he sighed inwardly: Stone carving? Child, do you know I studied stone carving for ten solid years? Yet my works weren't worth a single coin. Hogg had once aspired to become a renowned sculptor, hoping to improve their family's finances through this path.
But he understood the cruel reality too well - the world of stone carving was structured like a pyramid. Famous master sculptors sat at the pinnacle, their works valued at tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Meanwhile, countless ordinary stone carvers formed the pyramid's base, their crude works barely worth a few silver coins as cheap decorations for commoners.