Episode 1: The Ring of the Coiled Dragon Chapter 5: Growing Up (below)

Time passed, and in the twinkling of an eye the desk clock in the parlor struck eleven, and it was already eleven o’clock noon.

“Is Hogg in?”

A clear voice rang out, there were no gatekeepers in the Baruch family residence, so it was obvious that this guest had already arrived in the front yard of the residence.

Hogg frowned and put down the thick book in his hands: “Linley, that’s all for today.”

Afterwards, Hogg squeezed out a smile and walked out towards the outside of the living room.

“Oh, Hogg, my dear friend, that morning I heard the call of the cloth serpentine bird, I knew that there must be a happy event, and sure enough at noon I received a letter from you, and I was so happy to see your letter.”

“Dear Philip, I am very glad to see you, too. Hillman, you will quickly give me the stone ‘fierce lion’ that I have prepared. Philip, come, let’s go to the living room first, and the stone carving will come over soon.”

Listening to the sounds of the conversation, Linley’s heart sank.

“Selling off the family’s things again?”

Linley knew that the stone sculpture ‘Mighty Lion’ was a stone sculpture that his own father loved very much, but the Baruch family, who didn’t charge heavy taxes on ‘Usan Town’, was really struggling financially nowadays.

Luckily, the Baruch family was very old, and because of that, they had a lot of items with a long history.

Unfortunately, even if there were more items, they couldn’t withstand the years of selling them. Now that there were very few valuable items in the family, Linley couldn’t help but look towards the clock in the living room: “I wonder when this clock will be sold off as well.”

Only to see a middle-aged man with long blonde hair and an aristocratic temperament step into the living room together with Hogg, Linley immediately guessed that this middle-aged man with blonde hair should be that ‘Philip’.

“Oh, this lovely boy, is Hogg your son, right?”

Philip smiled affectionately as he looked at Linley and said, “Linley Baruch, right? May I call you Linley?”

“With pleasure, sir.”

Linley put his left hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.

“What a lovely child.”

Philip seemed very happy.

Hogg, who was on the side, laughed instead: “Philip, don’t mess with the child, the stone sculpture ‘Fierce Lion’ that you’ve been longing for has already arrived.”

Said, just saw Hillman easily hold a stone lion with both hands stepped into the living room, and then gently put the stone carving on the ground.

Nearly one thousand pounds of stone sculpture, but in the hands of Hillman is like a toy, strength can be seen.

“Mr. Hillman, your strength amazes me, I don’t have such a powerful guard leader like you in my manor, even though I have a territory of twelve towns.”

Philip said with a smile, but the intention of inviting Hillman implied in his words was very obvious.

Hillman indifferently said : “The town of Usan is my hometown, sir.”

“Sorry.”

Philip immediately apologized.

Philip turned his head to look at Hogg: “Hogg, this stone carving of yours, although I like it very much, I have to say that the carving technique of this stone carving of the ‘Fierce Lion’ is not considered to be top notch, let alone compared to those stone carving masters.”

“Philip, if you don’t want to buy it, then forget it.”

Hogg was dry.

Philip’s eyes could not help but narrow, then laughed: “Haha Hogg, don’t be angry, I’m not saying I don’t want to buy it, I’m just recounting a fact. This way, this stone sculpture I bid 500 gold coins, how?”

“500 gold coins?”

Hogg frowned.

This price was quite a bit lower than what Hogg had in mind, Hogg’s heart price was 800 gold coins.

In the Yulan Continent, 1 gold coin = 10 silver coins = 1000 copper coins. The average civilian working for a year was able to get 20 or 30 gold coins. It was the soldiers of the army, and an average soldier’s salary for a year was 100 gold coins.

“The price is low.”

Hogg shook his head.

“Hogg you should also know, the entire Yulan continent has a whole bunch of stone sculptures with a history of ten thousand years, the real value of stone sculptures is in their artistry, the artistry of your stone sculpture huh, it’s just that I like it more in my heart. 500 gold coins is indeed my highest price, if you don’t agree, then just forget about it.”

Philip smiled and turned his head to look at that seat clock in that parlor, his eyes lit up, “Hogg, if you are willing to sell that seat clock, I would be willing to offer 1000 gold coins.”

Hogg’s face instantly turned cold.

“Oh, 2000 gold coins is fine. That’s the highest price.”

Philip said in a hurry.

Hogg shook his head and said firmly, “This clock is not for sale! As for this stone sculpture, 600 gold coins, take it if you want.”

Philip carefully observed Hogg for a moment, and then smiled: “Good, Hogg, I give you this face, 600 gold coins, butler, fetch 600 gold coins over.”

The butler who had been waiting outside the living room immediately took the gold coins and ran over, delivering the gold coins.

Small yellow bags, six whole bags.

“600 gold coins, Hogg, you can count them.”

Philip said with a smile.

Hogg reached out and turned it upside down, purely from the weight and volume Hogg confirmed that it was indeed six bags of gold coins, 100 per bag, Hogg smiled and nodded his head : “Philip, why don’t you, stay and have lunch with us?”

“No need, I still have things to go back.”

Philip said with a smile.

As for Philip’s butler old man, he arranged for two strong warriors to walk away with the stone sculpture with some hard work.

When Philip and the other group of people left, Hogg looked at the six bags of gold coins in front of him, and there was a hint of gloom in his eyes, this time he was selling the stone sculpture, what about next time? Although there were quite a few things in the house, but there would be a time when they would be sold out.

“Father, I want to learn stone carving!”

Linley suddenly said.

Linley knew very well that in the entire Yulan Continent, those famous stone carving masters, those works were at the very least tens of thousands of gold coins, and some famous works even reached hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Not only in terms of money, but also in terms of status, those stone carving masters were extremely high.

“If I become a stone carving master, then, then father won’t have to sell the family’s things.”

Linley thought so in his heart.

“Stone carving?”

Hogg glanced at Linley and said coldly.

“Linley, do you know that the entire Sacred Alliance has a population of several hundred million people, of which those who have ever learned stone carving are at the very least in the millions. But in a Sacred Alliance, true stone carving masters can be counted on one hand. And in stone carving, without a good teacher, on your own, it’s impossible to succeed.”

“That circle of stone carving is not for ordinary people to enter. You only see that those stone carving masters have a piece of work worth tens of thousands of gold coins or even more, but do you know that the vast majority of stone carving artisans are only paid a few dozen gold coins a year.”

Hogg’s tone was harsh.

Linley was also taken aback, just now he had only thought that stone carving could improve his family’s situation before he said it, he hadn’t expected his father to say this much with such a harsh tone.

“Alright, it’s time for the clan hall to be organized and cleaned, after lunch today.”

Hogg said in a cold voice.

“Yes, father.”

Linley respectfully answered.

Huo Ge looked at Linley, but in his heart, he sighed: “A stone sculpture? Child, do you know that I also studied stone carving for ten whole years, but unfortunately, my works are worthless.”

Hogg also once deluded into the stone carving industry a master, at least the family economy will be greatly improved.

But in his heart he was also helpless, after ten years of study, his work is worthless, the circle of stone carving masters is like a pyramid.

The famous stone carving masters are at the top of the pyramid, they have status, and a piece of work is worth tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of gold coins.

And countless stone carving craftsmen, but at the bottom of the pyramid, their works, but the lowly let a person cold, at most by the ordinary people spend a few silver coins to buy back as a decorative use.