Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Mysterious Vase
Qin Tuo smiled and replied,
"Nothing much. I’ve just gotten a little interested in antiques recently and wanted to go take a look."
"Alright, Qin Tuo. But I’m busy for the next couple of days. I’ll find you some other time."
After hanging up, Qin Tuo went back to his room to study the Celestial King Order Ring.
The next morning, Qin Tuo followed Chen Man Ni’s directions and went to Yulan Street in the city center.
Just as she’d said, a sprawling antique market was located at the far end of the street.
A dazzling array of calligraphy, paintings, ancient artifacts, and wares of gold, silver, and jade filled the stalls, though it was impossible to tell which were genuine and which were fake.
"Come on, sir, over here! I’ve got plenty of good stuff!"
"Sir, don’t listen to him! All his stuff is fake. Mine’s the real deal—treasures from a past dynasty!"
The eager stall owners shouted continuously, trying to draw in passing customers.
Qin Tuo browsed as he walked.
Seeing someone as young as Qin Tuo browsing the antique market, many of the stall owners got an idea.
"Hey, young man! What kind of antiques are you looking for? Come take a look at my stall!"
Up ahead, a middle-aged stall owner was practically bursting with enthusiasm.
Qin Tuo walked over and began to inspect the items carefully.
The stall was indeed full of seemingly fine antiques—vases, jade wares, and more—all of which looked quite ancient and worn.
"See anything you like, young man? Just let me know. I’ll give you the best price."
The middle-aged owner said with a wide grin, though he was sneering internally.
’Heh, I wonder which rich family’s young master is out for a stroll. Let’s see if I can’t take him for a ride.’
After a moment, Qin Tuo’s gaze settled on a Jade Pendant.
The Jade Pendant looked rather plain and was covered in a bit of grime.
But with his ability to sense Spiritual Qi, Qin Tuo could tell at a glance that there was more to this Jade Pendant than met the eye.
"Boss, how much for this Jade Pendant?"
Qin Tuo asked, his expression unreadable.
"Oh! So this is the one you like, young man!"
The owner’s eyes lit up, and he was inwardly ecstatic.
"My friend, this Jade Pendant is something special. It’s from the authentic Hetian Mine Area. Since you’ve taken a liking to it... how about this much?"
As he spoke, the owner held up a hand, spreading all five fingers.
"Five thousand. Final offer!"
’Five thousand?’
Qin Tuo was a little perplexed. The Jade Pendant contained a trace of spiritual energy; it was clearly worth far more than five thousand.
Yet from the owner’s expression, you’d think he was the one getting the deal of a lifetime.
The owner was also laughing to himself.
’This thing is just a piece of scrap that’s been touched up a bit. A few hundred would be the absolute most I could get for it.’
"So, what do you say, kid? Five thousand is a fair price, isn’t it?"
The owner was afraid Qin Tuo would change his mind.
"If you really want it, I can knock a little off!"
"No need. Five thousand is fine."
Qin Tuo nodded, agreeing without hesitation.
’What? He just agreed?’
Now it was the middle-aged owner’s turn to be surprised.
His face immediately bloomed into a huge grin, and he nodded repeatedly.
"Right away, sir. I’ll wrap it up for you."
’Haha, another fat sheep fleeced today!’
After paying the five thousand, Qin Tuo held the Jade Pendant in his palm.
Sure enough, he felt a warm current flowing from within it. It was Spiritual Qi, no doubt about it!
With that, Qin Tuo resumed his stroll through the market.
Just then, a stall owner diagonally across the way saw Qin Tuo pay five thousand for what looked like an ordinary Jade Pendant.
He instantly realized that a big-spending fool had arrived!
"Young man! I have plenty of antique vases over here. I’m sure you’ll find something you like."
Hearing the call, Qin Tuo walked over.
When he arrived at the stall, the owner was exceptionally warm, clearly taking Qin Tuo for a sucker.
"Boss, how much is this vase?"
Qin Tuo’s gaze was fixed on a particular antique vase.
The owner’s eyes glinted with excitement as he prepared to launch into his sales pitch.
Just then, an elderly man in a Tang suit standing nearby shook his head.
"Young man, this must be your first time at an antique market, isn’t it?"
Qin Tuo asked, puzzled,
"Sir, how could you tell?"
The old man in the Tang suit smiled faintly.
"Those of us in the business can tell at a glance that this vase has been artificially aged. It’s just a worthless piece of modern craftwork. You’ll lose money if you buy it!"
The man in the Tang suit was clearly a veteran of the antique markets. Seeing how young Qin Tuo was, he couldn’t bear to watch him get cheated.
"Hey, Master Qian, that’s not cool!"
The stall owner’s face immediately soured.
This Master Qian was a well-known veteran appraiser in the area, famous for being able to scoop up treasures for next to nothing.
’It’s one thing for you to hunt for bargains, but how can you interfere with someone else’s business!’
Master Qian shook his head and snorted.
"Boss Wang, you have too many fakes at this stall. You’ve swindled plenty of people, haven’t you? I’d advise you to stop with these shady dealings."
Then, he turned back to Qin Tuo and said earnestly,
"Young man, I just don’t want to see you get cheated. You should just leave."
Some of the other customers nearby couldn’t help but whisper and point.
"That vase... if you look closely, it’s obviously a modern reproduction. The nerve of him, trying to pass it off as an antique!"
"Young man, don’t listen to the owner. He’s a crook. You should get out of here!"
"Sigh... He’s so young. Of all things to get into, he picks antiques. This field is treacherous; does he really think it’s that easy to get started?"
Seeing the earnest advice from Master Qian and the surrounding crowd, Qin Tuo nodded in thanks.
"Thank you all for your concern, but I’d still like to buy this vase."
’What? He’s still buying it?’
Master Qian’s eyes widened. He stared at Qin Tuo as if he were looking at a complete fool.
The crowd shook their heads, a collective sigh of pity for the young man.
Boss Wang, who had been scowling, instantly broke into a wide smile upon hearing this.
"Ah, it seems the young man has a discerning eye after all! How about this? I’ll sell you this vase for a low price."
"Name your price,"
Qin Tuo said bluntly.
Boss Wang’s eyes darted around for a moment before he said with a grin,
"Since fate has brought us together, young man, let’s make it a flat twenty thousand! I’m taking a loss here, you know. This is a genuine antique!"
"Fine. Twenty thousand it is."
Qin Tuo didn’t waste any time and made the payment right then and there.
’What?! Twenty thousand for an artificially aged vase?’
Everyone looked at Qin Tuo as if he were an idiot.
Master Qian let out a soft sigh.
’This kid... Why won’t he listen to reason?’
With the vase in hand, Qin Tuo nodded in satisfaction.
’Of course he could tell it was an artificially aged fake, just like everyone else.’
’But not everyone could see the secret hidden within the vase.’
"Alright, kid, I’ve got the money, and you’ve got the vase. The deal is done. All sales are final, just so we’re clear."
Boss Wang said with a greasy smile, afraid Qin Tuo might change his mind.
"Don’t worry," Qin Tuo said with a mysterious smile. "I should be thanking you. Why would I change my mind?"
At this point, many people shook their heads and walked away, convinced that Qin Tuo was a total sucker.
Master Qian had no desire to stay either.
But just as he was about to leave, Qin Tuo did something that made everyone gasp in shock.
He suddenly lifted the vase high into the air and smashed it violently onto the ground.
CRASH!
The vase shattered into a thousand pieces.
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