# Chapter 200: Ghost Crack Stone
Ye Fan crouched there, ignoring him, staring at the broken stones for a long time. A sudden realization dawned on him, and he silently cursed Rongxiang Gambling Stone Shop for being treacherous and shameless.
What he had learned from the "Source Heaven Scripture" was not wrong. This gambling stone shop had committed fraud. These source stones had been cut open, the source inside removed, then filled with stone material and sealed shut using secret methods. "Rip-off merchants!" he fumed inwardly. Rongxiang Gambling Stone Shop's deception was truly excessive.
He had the urge to make a scene, but held himself back. Even if he spoke out, probably not many would believe him. Moreover, anyone who dared to open a gambling stone shop in the Northern Domain had some background, backed by major powers.
If he exposed them like this, even if they bowed their heads on the spot, they would likely retaliate later. He didn't care for himself—he could just pat his butt and leave—but if it implicated Stone Stockade Village, that would be bad. "It seems I need to quickly master the 'Heaven-Shifting Earth-Transforming' wondrous technique from the Source Heaven Scripture. Then I'll have no more worries—the sea is wide enough for fish to leap, the sky high enough for birds to fly," he murmured to himself.
"If you're not gambling, then go back where you came from," the young master of Green Cloud Sect said, glancing sideways at him.
"Ha, why not gamble?" Ye Fan suddenly stood up. When he selected stones next, he was extremely careful, examining them thoroughly. Sure enough, he discovered over a dozen more counterfeit source stones.
The forgery technique was extremely sophisticated. Even with careful observation, it was difficult to distinguish, nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. If not for the "Source Heaven Scripture" being close to the natural way, analyzing through the stone's grain patterns, it would have been impossible to detect.
In the end, he chose an ugly stone that looked like a crooked melon or cracked date, only about the size of an adult man's head. Its color was grayish-dark, crisscrossed with cracks and fissures.
Most strangely, these cracks resembled human mouth shapes, as if some ancient creature had gnawed on it, leaving it in this state. When Ye Fan picked up this stone, it immediately drew a burst of laughter.
"I say, little brother, do you even understand source stones? This is clearly waste stone. Better switch to another one," an kindly old man nearby advised.
"If this stone produces source, it would be a ghostly miracle. The essence has clearly drained away completely, leaving nothing behind."
"This is a 'Ghost Crack Stone,' covered in cracks. Legend says it was gnawed on by ancient 'Source Ghosts.' No source could possibly remain."
"That's right, this is the famous 'Ghost Crack Stone,' just placed here to fill the numbers. There's no way it contains source."
Everyone shook their heads. Many jeered, believing Ye Fan knew nothing about source stones and was only fit for digging stones in the mines. Wang Shu immediately grew nervous. Simpleton quietly urged, "Brother Ye, let's switch one."
"No need to switch. This is the one," Ye Fan said, signaling to the source master to cut it open.
Though it was a "Ghost Crack Stone," the source master still followed the trade's customs, offering worship to the "Source God" and muttering a few words silently before making his move.
He worked swiftly, his knife moving fast like a swimming dragon, cold light flashing. Stone skin fell rapidly. In no time, the head-sized Ghost Crack Stone had its layers of old skin peeled away, now smaller than a fist.
The onlookers unanimously disapproved, discussing among themselves.
"There's absolutely no way source will come out. Pure waste of time. Just split it open with one cut."
"If this Ghost Crack Stone produces source, I'll swallow all the stone skin on the ground."
"If time went back hundreds of thousands of years, maybe this stone could have produced good source. But clearly now, the inside has been devoured by Source Ghosts."
The young master of Green Cloud Sect wore a mocking smile, shaking his folding fan, glancing contemptuously at Ye Fan without saying anything. Just then, the crowd gasped.
The Ghost Crack Stone's old skin had fallen away, now smaller than a lychee. Yet at this moment, dazzling light shot forth.
Rich spiritual energy washed over them like a spring breeze, as if soaking in a hot spring. Every pore opened, feeling extremely comfortable.
Fiery red radiance overflowed, carrying a faint, thin mist, gently spreading like burning clouds or blood-soaked immortal qi.
Everyone was greatly surprised. Clearly, extremely high-quality source had been cut out. This source energy far surpassed that of similar stones.
Inside the lychee-sized Ghost Crack Stone was embedded a piece of crimson source, only the size of a fingertip, but it shimmered with flowing colors, brilliantly radiant, red enough to intoxicate the heart.
"That's too small... not even enough to buy this stone," Simpleton said, a bit dazed.
Wang Shu also frowned. Though source had been cut out, and of high quality, it was truly too small. Not even half a tael, not even a third.
"Yes, too small. Just this tiny bit," the people who had gasped earlier said, somewhat disappointed as they came back to their senses.
In the arena, Ye Fan didn't think so. He could feel the vigorous essence fluctuations. This small piece of source, only fingertip-sized, had stronger fluctuations than ten jin of pure source piled together.
"This is Fire Red Source!" The source master, well-traveled and knowledgeable, couldn't help but exclaim, but quickly stopped himself and shut his mouth.
Ye Fan immediately understood. Though this piece of source was very small, its value equaled ten jin of pure source. It was a rare variant.
He broke into a smile and said, "Fire Red Source. I think everyone has heard of it. Though not an extremely rare variant, it's certainly not common. Very precious and hard to come by. You tell me its value."
"So they cut out a variant source! Though very small, it's worth ten jin of source!"
"What great luck! Gambling on source sometimes really depends on fate. With a piece like this, generations could live without worry."
In the source gambling trade, occasionally strange source would be cut out with unpredictable, extraordinary power, its value immeasurable. But such occurrences were rare.
"I heard that last time at the Yao Chi Immortal Stone Shop, someone cut out a rare variant source, countless times more precious than Fire Red Source. It directly alarmed people in the Holy City and was bought at a high price."
"How come I don't know about this?"
"Such secret matters naturally don't spread widely."
Simpleton finally understood. He dug out the Fire Red Source particle, then grinned foolishly, turning to the crowd and saying, "Who was it that said if source came out, they'd swallow the stone skin on the ground?"
The crowd fell silent. No one stepped forward to admit it.
Wang Shu walked over smiling, extending his hand to the Green Cloud Sect's young master. "Sorry, we won. Ten jin of source. Hand it over quickly."
Ten jin of source was a very large amount for those present. Anyone would feel the pain. But with so many people watching, the Green Cloud Sect's young master couldn't make a scene. He sullenly threw a source pouch to the ground.
Simpleton picked up the pouch, his grin stretching nearly to his ears, laughing foolishly.
"That's not right. There's still half a jin short," Wang Shu frowned.
The Green Cloud Sect's young master had brought exactly this much source. Now he was completely empty. Losing to three source miners he had looked down on filled him with resentment, his face extremely ugly.
"Forget it. We're all away from home, none of us have it easy. Let's just waive the half jin," Ye Fan said calmly. He had already crouched down, carefully examining the old skin of the Ghost Crack Stone.
Those cracks looked like teeth marks. But what shocked him most was that he spotted a strand of hair in the stone layer.
"Could 'Ancient Source Ghosts' really exist?" he murmured to himself, pondering. If so, then "Ancient Source Gods" might also exist.
"Want to continue?" Simpleton hugged a pile of source, completely satisfied. Wang Shu was also beaming with joy. They both looked forward.
The Green Cloud Sect's young master's face turned ashen. He flicked his sleeve and turned aside, approaching several acquaintances to borrow source.
"How about I gamble with you instead!" Seeing the Green Cloud Sect's young master temporarily withdraw, the others all had gleaming eyes.
In their view, this was a fat sheep just waiting to be fleeced. Such luck couldn't last.
They believed Ye Fan knew nothing about source stones. Looking at the stones he had chosen—first the red-streaked white stone, then the Ghost Crack Stone—it was all blind luck, a dead cat hitting a dead rat.
"I advise you to be cautious. This trade is very tricky, heavily dependent on fate and luck. Right now, these three mud monkeys have strong fortune. Better not gamble," an old man spoke up. He seemed to have some status. Hearing him, most people backed off.
The Green Cloud Sect's young master scraped together a bag of source, about four or five jin, wanting to gamble with Ye Fan again. The others naturally stepped back.
"We'll go to the ninth courtyard and pick old pit source stones from the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine. Do you dare?"
The so-called edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine referred to areas thousands of li from that divine mine, not actually source stones from in front of that Forbidden Zone of Life. Even so, such source stones were astronomically priced, because sometimes truly rare source would be cut out.
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Ye Fan also wanted to see what was different about ores from the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine.
In the ninth courtyard, there weren't many source stones, only fifty or sixty pieces. They ranged from the size of goose eggs to millstones, none exceeding a thousand jin. Here, one tael of source could only buy one jin of stone. It could be said to be ridiculously expensive. Few were willing to squander money here.
"Trying to fleece a sucker? Stones here cost dozens or hundreds of jin. Can they really produce good source? This is too outrageous," Wang Shu complained.
"What do you mud monkeys know? Source stones transported from the edge of the Primordial Ancient Mine are all 'divine materials.' If you cut out a rare source, it will be priceless, beyond measure."
"Truly country bumpkins who've never seen the world," several of Young Master Liu's cronies chimed in with sarcasm.
By now, Ye Fan knew the young master's name: Liu Cheng'en. Liu Cheng'en wore a cold smile, looking at them with near-mocking contempt.
Simpleton, never one to beat around the bush, said directly, "You've already lost everything, yet still act so self-important. In a bit, we'll gamble until your face turns green!"
"You—" The others had all followed in, gathered around the dozens of old stones, chattering and discussing.
Ye Fan frowned during his stone selection. The people at Rongxiang Gambling Stone Shop were truly wicked. He discovered that at least a third of the source stones had been cut open and resealed with expert technique.
The stones here did feel special to him, somewhat hard to judge. The stone skin was strange, as if tainted with demonic power.
He drew in a cold breath. Source stones collected from thousands of li outside the Primordial Ancient Mine were already like this. If it were stones unearthed from that divine mine itself... unimaginable!
While examining the stones, the people in the courtyard also discussed other matters. Someone mentioned Yao Chi's Immortal Stone Shop, suggesting they go there in the afternoon.
"Why?"
"One of Yao Chi's fairies has come to Pingyan City. She'll definitely appear in the afternoon."
"You don't suppose it's the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi herself? I heard she's touring various places. The fairy who came to Pingyan City might well be her."