Not to mention, he also had to consider other people's feelings—just going to the bathroom, and he actually came out of there carrying a stone?

Did he think he was Sun Wukong’s mother or something? That’s just too ridiculous.

He lifted his leg and kicked over the stone pedestal. “This is so infuriating... huh?”

Chapter 9: Is it a Spirit Stone?

Jason Ford kicked over the stone pedestal, and at the base of the pedestal, a flash of red light appeared.

He leaned in for a closer look and was pleasantly surprised to find a groove at the bottom of the pedestal, inside which was embedded a ruby about the size of an egg.

Jason Ford grew up in a small, ordinary family and didn’t know much about rubies, but he could swear that this was the most enchanting ruby he had ever seen in his life—bar none!

The gemstone was crystal clear, reflecting a bright yet gentle light under the sunlight, magnificent but not lacking in warmth.

For a moment, Jason Ford had a vague realization: maybe this village suffered misfortune because of this ruby!

Such a large ruby—if he brought it into the real world, it could easily sell for several million, not to mention the trouble of explaining where it came from, which would be a real headache.

Jason Ford’s ancestors had once been well-off, supposedly even producing a successful scholar, but even so, he still couldn’t come up with any convincing proof.

However, was the gemstone just a gemstone? Jason Ford didn’t think so. Otherwise, why would the mark of his stone ring be heating up?

Since the gemstone didn’t necessarily have to be cashed in, Jason Ford didn’t hesitate to reach out his left hand and press it against the gem.

He already had a storage space—making big money was only a matter of time. His current task was to uncover the truth behind these strange encounters.

He didn’t dare to press his whole left hand onto the gemstone, just lightly touched it with the tip of his pinky finger.

The next moment, his body jolted violently, and he felt a surge of mysterious energy rushing into his body through his left pinky, wild and overwhelming.

This energy couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, but the impact on his body was so real—so wild, so intense it felt like it was tearing him apart.

“Ugh~” He couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan. At that moment, he felt like his left hand was about to explode. If he hadn’t been worried about being discovered, his scream would have shaken the heavens.

But right after, a sudden coolness spread from his wrist, and the mark of the stone ring became clear.

The stone ring brought coolness, but the tip of his pinky was filled with violent energy. Jason Ford gritted his teeth, trembling from the pain, feeling as if his left hand no longer belonged to him.

Hmm? Why did the ruby’s color seem to be fading?

After about ten minutes, the ruby’s brilliant red gradually dimmed, while the mark of the stone ring on his hand became clearer than ever.

About half an hour later, the ruby lost its last trace of red, turning from pink to grayish white, and then shattered, turning into a pile of white powder that fell from the pedestal.

Meanwhile, the mark of the stone ring on Jason Ford’s left wrist became even clearer, with a bluish-purple hue, looking just like a tattoo.

Unfortunately, the tattoo’s design was a bit... well, let’s just say it was odd.

Jason Ford stared blankly for a while before reaching out with his right hand to touch his wrist. The burning sensation was gone.

“Is this... a spirit stone?”

He really couldn’t explain what this ruby was. According to definitions from online novels, a stone that could provide energy like electricity must be a spirit stone, right?

Could it be that he hadn’t traveled to the late Ming Dynasty, but rather... a xianxia (immortal cultivation) world?

At this moment, he desperately wished for a system to appear. Although the legendary systems were notorious for their twisted sense of humor and often made the protagonist’s life miserable, at least it would save him the trouble of fumbling around on his own, right?

Wait, why was there so much greasy grime coming out of his body again?

Anyway, with the mark of the stone ring deepened, he didn’t have to worry about the energy needed to enter and exit the space for now.

So, in the next moment, he dug a hole with his hand, swept the spirit stone’s powder into it, sprinkled some sand on top, and buried it thoroughly.

After checking several times and finding nothing wrong, he silently recited, “Exit.”

However, not even a second later, his figure reappeared. He bent down, picked up the suitcase from the ground, and slung it over his elbow. “Damn, this habit of forgetting things is really bad.”

Back in the real world, the first thing Jason Ford did was take off his clothes and change into cool summer wear.

Then, he picked up Little Smith’s phone and replayed the footage. Sure enough, throughout the entire filming process, he didn’t seem to change at all, but... the suitcase hanging on his right elbow had mysteriously disappeared.

In the next instant, the suitcase reappeared, having shifted about five centimeters.

If he hadn’t watched it over and over, he would have thought the suitcase had just slid a little.

After deleting the video he had just recorded, he carried the suitcase out of the bathroom and placed the phone on the front desk. “Thank you.”

Little Smith was just about to tease him, saying she didn’t expect him to be so quick, when she saw him carrying the suitcase and rushing straight into the staff changing room.

Jason Ford felt an urgent need to take a shower, because even he could smell the stench on himself.