Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Ominous Item _1
Of course, Ye Ming hadn’t made things entirely clear; to tell the truth, his own understanding of these matters was also limited to half-knowledge. He had simply used his current knowledge to explain.
As for whether such things truly existed or whether it really was human obsession at work, he was merely speculating.
The only thing he could be certain of was that this painting was not a good thing.
"Obsessions can be good or bad, and judging by the background story of this painting, the person who painted it was not in a good mood at the time. Additionally, considering that he died shortly after painting it, it is very likely that the remaining obsession is one of resentment!"
"In my opinion, this is an ominous object!"
Chen Fu’s deal, which would have made him a profit of thirty million, was completely ruined by what Ye Ming had said. How could he accept that?
However, the more unsettling things Ye Ming said, the more frightened Chen Fu became.
What if it was as Ye Ming said, that the painting was an ominous object and he had sold it to Xia Ningning for the sky-high price of thirty million? Wouldn’t that have harmed Xia Ningning?
Given the Xia Family’s status in Yanjing, if such an incident were to occur, Chen Fu would not be able to get away with it.
In the end, he displayed a grateful expression and silently thanked Ye Ming in his heart. Then he asked, "Then, Mr. Ye, do you have a solution? After all, I acquired this painting for a high price. According to what you’ve said, I would be left with a total loss."
Ye Ming smiled indifferently and explained, "Mr. Chen, there’s no need to worry. I have already used magic and dispelled the resentment from the painting. Now it is just an ordinary painting. You can confidently go ahead and sell it!"
Chen Fu approached the painting with skepticism and after closely examining it, he also noticed a change.
He was greatly shocked and realized that the reason he had originally paid a high price for the painting was very likely because he had been lured in by the resentment within it. Now that the resentment was gone, when he looked at the painting again, he found it quite ordinary.
Perhaps the painting skill was exceptional and the quality high, but if it were now, Chen Fu definitely would not buy it a second time.
"Mr. Ye, I really can’t thank you enough."
"Please don’t take offense, I too was blinded at first and completely unaware," Chen Fu hurriedly apologized to the three people, indicating he too had been deceived.
Ye Ming did not doubt him because this was the first time he had encountered such a thing in his life.
In this vast world, all sorts of wonders existed, and there was still too little that Ye Ming understood. The various odd occurrences he had recently come across had broadened his horizons and he was gradually getting used to them.
In an attempt to save face, Chen Fu then said, "My apologies for the inconvenience, I have another genuine treasure here for everyone to appreciate!"
"This artifact, is a true Magic Artifact imbued with Spiritual Energy!"
Chen Fu shook off his previous dejection and immediately led the group eagerly toward the back.
They arrived at another viewing platform, on which a luminous, gold and silver crystal bead was displayed.
Both in terms of design and material, this bead could be called a masterpiece; it was simply a pleasure to look at.
Chen Fu’s face was filled with pride, as this was his shop’s treasure and something he had purchased for a great sum of money—something ordinary people wouldn’t get a chance to lay eyes on.
In order to recover some of his dignity, he spared no expense in showing it off.
But who knew, Ye Ming didn’t even spare it another glance. Instead, he headed for another booth and started to study it on his own.
The booth he was facing only had an ancient tree root on display. Xia Ningning had no interest in it at all, and was instead enthusiastically admiring a glazed bead, exclaiming, "This bead really is pretty! Could it actually be the legendary Magic Artifact?"
Chen Fu patted his chest and said, "Of course, this Spiritual Pearl of mine is very spiritual. When you place it among the flowers, it can lead the plants to grow rapidly! It’s magical."
Lin Bingqing also watched from the side and carefully sensed for a long time but could not detect any Spiritual Energy from the pearl.
As a Ninth Rank Martial Artist, her sensitivity to Spiritual Energy was extremely keen, yet she still couldn’t detect it.
"I indeed haven’t felt the presence of any Spiritual Energy," Lin Bingqing couldn’t help saying.
Chen Fu’s face could no longer hold its facade, as that was his treasure protecting the home. Having it denied like this was enough to make his mood explode.
Just as he was about to react, Ye Ming had already appeared and explained, "This glazed bead indeed has Spiritual Energy attached to it, but it’s too thin and doesn’t hold Spiritual Energy."
"It’s merely been discarded in a valley rich with Spiritual Energy and, over time, it has absorbed some Spiritual Energy."
"It can indeed help plants grow, but after a while, the Spiritual Energy will disperse, and it will revert back to an ordinary glazed bead that couldn’t be any more ordinary."
Afterward, Ye Ming explained to Lin Bingqing, "The reason you didn’t feel the existence of Spiritual Energy is that you are in contact with Spiritual Pearls every day, and you have felt true Magic Artifacts that can store vast amounts of Spiritual Energy, which has decreased your sensitivity to True Qi. If the concentration is a bit lighter, you won’t be able to detect it."
Lin Bingqing nodded, somewhat understanding but also deep in thought.
Ye Ming’s explanation made Chen Fu feel slightly better, but by the end, his expression had fallen once again.
After being denied time and again, Chen Fu had begun to doubt Ye Ming’s identity. Could this guy be here to sabotage the event?
Next, Ye Ming pointed at the ancient tree root he had just been observing and said to Chen Fu, "Mister Chen, in fact, within the entire exhibition hall, only that withered tree root is truly valuable."
"Name your price, I’ll buy it."
Not just Chen Fu, but Lin Bingqing and Xia Ningning also showed puzzled expressions.
What Ye Ming was pointing to was a pitch-black tree root, still covered in soil, its condition quite shocking.
If it weren’t for the fact that it was placed in the exhibition hall, Xia Ningning would have thought it was unclassified trash.
Chen Fu really couldn’t understand, with so many treasures to choose from, why pick the one thing he least valued.
Whether Ye Ming was an expert or a fool, Chen Fu was having a hard time deciding.
"Mister Chen, to be honest, this tree root isn’t much of a treasure. I picked it up on the edge of a cliff before, only thinking its unique shape was interesting, and wanted to fill out the numbers by putting it here. You want to buy it, and I really don’t know how to price it for you,"
"If you really like it, just take it, as a way of returning the favor for the appraising you did for my Beauty Painting," Chen Fu said with difficulty.
After some thought, he spoke with great reluctance.
Xia Ningning couldn’t help but ask, "Ye Ming, you’re not planning to use this thing as firewood, are you? It’s summer now, and we don’t need to keep warm."
