Chapter 52: The Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed

"Haha!"

Zhu Yunxiu couldn't help chuckling when he saw Blue Jade's expression. He tipped his chin toward the several young women and said, "Uncle General, these are all the top-tier beauties of the Paradise on Earth. If you fancy any of them, you may choose at your pleasure."

With that, he turned to the women and commanded, "Begin your performance and let our Uncle General have a good look."

"Heehee! As you command, Your Highness!"

The women giggled in response and immediately began their performance.

Some plucked the zither, others strummed the pipa, some performed dances of ethereal grace, while others sang melodies that plunged the listener into a hazy, intoxicating trance.

Within mere moments, Blue Jade felt as though his very soul had been entirely drawn away by the women.

Zhu Yunxiu reached out, took Blue Jade by the arm, and led him slowly toward a bed nearby. He smiled and said, "Uncle General! This is a Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed, which I specially had people gather at the cost of countless hardships in the extreme northern lands. It has the properties of soothing the tendons, quickening the blood, and prolonging life.

You have spent years galloping across battlefields, and your old wounds must surely have caused some damage to your vital energy and blood. Why not lie down and try it out?"

"A Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed! Is... is this the legendary Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed?" Blue Jade stared fixedly at the bed, an intense, burning desire flickering in his eyes.

"Uncle General will know once he lies upon it." Zhu Yunxiu offered no further explanation and simply pressed Blue Jade down onto the bed.

Standing nearby, Ma Sanbao felt his stomach cramp with suppressed laughter.

He thought to himself that His Highness was truly a master of tall tales—a Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed, harvested at great peril from the extreme north, indeed!

This thing had clearly been accidentally formed just a few days ago when some raw materials spilled in the glassware workshop.

Yet even such an ordinary object could be puffed up with such miraculous exaggeration. In all the world, probably only His Highness possessed such a thick skin.

Blue Jade first sat down on the glass bed and immediately felt the unique, piercing coolness characteristic of glass, which made him believe half of Zhu Yunxiu's words right then and there.

After lying down upon it, he felt an indescribable, soothing comfort radiating through all his old wounds, causing him to swallow Zhu Yunxiu's story completely.

In truth, how could Blue Jade know that the icy chill was merely a natural property of glass?

And that the cool sensation stimulating a faster circulation of blood in the human body was simply a natural physiological phenomenon.

Regardless of how it came to be, however, Blue Jade was thoroughly convinced that this bed was none other than the "Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed," a supreme treasure capable of healing the old injuries on his body.

"Yunxiu..."

"Haha! Uncle General, rest assured. Although there is only one such Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed, from now on you shall be the Supreme VIP of the Paradise on Earth. Whenever you wish to come, you may come here and enjoy it at any time."

Zhu Yunxiu naturally knew what Blue Jade wanted to say and immediately smiled, voicing his thoughts aloud.

This private room had been specially prepared by him for Blue Jade—or rather, for the Huaixi nobility—so naturally, no one would dare compete with them for it.

Clang, clang, clang!

Just as Blue Jade lay half-with closed eyes upon the "Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Bed," a sudden sound of bells echoed from outside.

Then, Shen Fei's voice rang out through the rooms.

"Distinguished guests, honored patrons! First of all, we are deeply grateful for your presence at the grand opening ceremony of our Paradise on Earth. On behalf of all the staff here, I extend our heartfelt thanks to you all.

Today, in celebration of the grand opening of the Paradise on Earth, all expenditures are offered at a twenty percent discount. Furthermore, today's grand auction is about to officially commence. We kindly ask all esteemed guests wishing to participate to direct their attention to our central stage.

Very well, without further ado, let us welcome our first auction item today..."

An auction!

As these three words fell, the gazes of everyone in every private room and general seating area within the Paradise on Earth instantly turned toward the stage on the ground floor.

There stood Shen Fei upon the stage, attired in a form-fitting, blue-and-white porcelain-patterned cheongsam, exuding the aura of a resolute and capable career woman.

The moment her voice trailed off, another woman, similarly dressed in a cheongsam, walked up carrying a tray covered with a red cloth.

Shen Fei swept her gaze in a circle across the vast expanse of the Paradise on Earth. Perhaps noticing that everyone's attention was now focused entirely on her, she smiled and walked toward the tray.

With one hand resting upon the red cloth and the other holding a bamboo-tube-like object—from the base of which countless tiny threads extended to connect with every single room.

In truth, there was nothing miraculous about it; it was merely a crude, makeshift telephone.

Using the principle of acoustic resonance, Shen Fei's voice was transmitted into every room and then amplified through specially crafted iron-plate horns.

"Now, please enjoy our first auction item of the day."

As Shen Fei's voice faded, she gently pulled away the red cloth.

Revealed upon the tray was an exquisitely crafted, transparent crystal-glass bottle, filled with a mesmerizing, dazzling red liquid.

"Manager Shen, what on earth is this?"

Someone immediately called out loudly from the audience, looking exceedingly interested.

Shen Fei smiled and explained, "First, allow me to introduce the vessel containing this item. I believe you have all heard of the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade. Indeed, the material used to craft this bottle was excavated precisely from the extreme northern lands.

It is crystal clear throughout and possesses exceptional aesthetic value..."

She spent nearly half a pot of tea's time just describing the bottle alone. Seeing the expressions of greedy longing reflected on everyone's faces, she smiled and continued her introduction.

"I am sure you must all be wondering what kind of treasure could possibly be worthy of being contained in such a vessel?

In truth, what is contained within is an item known as perfume..."

As she spoke, Shen Fei gracefully picked up the bottle from the tray, gently unscrewed the cap, and poured out a mere couple of tiny drops of the red liquid.

Instantly, a uniquely captivating fragrance pervaded the vast interior of the Paradise on Earth.

Regardless of gender or age, the moment they caught the scent, everyone involuntarily closed their eyes.

They all found themselves sinking helplessly into the fragrance, seemingly lost in pure enjoyment.

Up on the third floor, Zhu Yuanzhang, who was in the middle of a massage, naturally caught the scent as well. Yet he could not help frowning and muttering, "Mere cleverness and gaudy tricks! Does such a trivial item warrant being housed in such a precious vessel? What a prodigal spendthrift..."

In truth, he was merely somewhat displeased with Zhu Yunxiu's extravagant ways, but to the masseuse attending to the elderly emperor, these words sounded like a defamation of her beloved Highness.

Immediately looking somewhat displeased, she retorted, "Master! This servant cannot agree with what you just said. While it is true that perfume is not some rare treasure and we ordinary folks use it from time to time, this particular bottle of perfume is utterly different from the ones we use.

It was personally blended by His Highness himself, and furthermore, it underwent a full three years of fermentation, possessing the wondrous power to captivate all under heaven.

Even if the imperial consorts in the inner palace were to obtain this very bottle of perfume, it would undoubtedly be a priceless treasure traded for ten thousand pieces of gold."

Zhu Yuanzhang was momentarily stunned. He felt a surge of anger rising within him, but then he remembered he could not blow his cover just yet.

Swallowing his vexation, he silently began to ponder the masseuse's words in his heart.