Is There Nothing Decent in All of Antique Street?
Today, the Li family was hosting a grand banquet, and for the first time in a long while, the mysterious and reclusive family had opened its doors. As Dragon King... getting an invitation had not been difficult for Ye Chen.
Ye Chen's goal was to meet the Li family elder. According to reliable intelligence from Dragon King's Hall, the elder's strength was unfathomable, and he possessed a cultivation technique that Ye Chen desperately needed. Furthermore, the elder was dissatisfied with his descendants, none of whom had inherited his true teachings.
This was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
According to the same intel, the elder had a passion for tea, so Ye Chen confidently took a taxi to Antique Street.
As the Dragon King, he had extensive knowledge of antiques. With just a glance, he could distinguish between authentic treasures and fakes. He was certain he could sift through the sand and find gold!
Soon, Ye Chen arrived at Antique Street brimming with confidence. As he scanned the stalls, his eyes were immediately drawn to a boxed-up, one-of-a-kind glazed white jade teapot at the second vendor's stall.
A rare gem!
This treasure had at least 3,000 years of history, and Ye Chen couldn't believe his luck—finding such a precious artifact so soon after arriving! It seemed his fortune today was quite favorable!
If he gifted this to the Li family elder, he would surely win his favor!
Without hesitation, Ye Chen approached the stall and asked, "Boss, how much for this teapot?"
The vendor shot a glance at Tang Ao, then replied, "Sorry, this item has already been sold."
"Sold?"
Ye Chen's heart sank in disappointment.
The stall owner couldn't hide his smug grin. "A... um, a customer already bought everything at my stall. You should try elsewhere."
Ye Chen frowned, "When did this happen?"
"About an hour ago, I'd say. Today's been a good day!"
"An hour ago..."
Ye Chen repeated the words, his fists clenching in frustration!
If it hadn't been for Li Shiyun dragging him into the police station, he would have arrived at Antique Street over two hours ago!
Such a prominent item in such a visible spot... he would have spotted it immediately!
Damn it!
Someone else had gotten to it first!
Ye Chen took a deep breath and, with a dark expression, walked deeper into Antique Street, passing by stall after stall.
After making a full round of the street, Ye Chen was fuming.
In this entire massive Antique Street, not a single suitable antique tea pet could be found!
Wasn't Antique Street supposed to be the largest treasure trove of antiques in the world?
Yet after walking the entire street, Ye Chen couldn't find a single decent tea pet in any of the stalls!
Clearly, rumors could not be trusted!
With a scowl, Ye Chen walked into the most opulent and well-known antique shop in the center of the street.
The items in this store had been authenticated by experts, so there was little chance of finding any hidden gems.
After browsing for a long while, Ye Chen finally found a teapot that was barely acceptable, though it was far inferior to the one-of-a-kind glazed white jade teapot he had seen earlier.
One look at the price...
Three billion!
Ye Chen's face darkened as he moved on.
He soon spotted two jade dragon and phoenix tea pets that were over a thousand years old...
Another shock—five billion!
The prices were outrageous!
If he hadn't just made a fortune yesterday, Ye Chen would never have considered buying them!
After circling Antique Street twice more, Ye Chen couldn't find anything else worth considering. In the end, gritting his teeth, he paid eight billion for one teapot and two tea pets.
Before leaving Antique Street, Ye Chen caught sight of the person coming to retrieve the one-of-a-kind glazed white jade teapot and memorized the car's license plate. He immediately dialed a number:
"Check this license plate for me: Qiong B."
The reply came quickly, "Dragon King, that car belongs to the Tang family of Longquan City."
Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat as an image of Tang Ao flashed in his mind. "Tang family? Which Tang family!?"
"Dragon King, there's only one Tang family in Longquan City—the one that Tang Ao belongs to."
"Tang Ao! It's him again!"
In his mind, Ye Chen could see Tang Ao flipping him off and dancing around mockingly!
His head throbbed in pain!!!
"Tang Ao! I, Ye Chen, will eat your flesh and drink your blood!"
After growling his threat, Ye Chen angrily hailed a taxi.
Not long after Ye Chen left, the white-bearded old man appeared at the same spot, his brow furrowed:
"The Dragon King of Dragon King's Hall is nothing but a selfish, narrow-minded man. In contrast, Tang Ao, despite his poor reputation, is broad-minded, loyal, and of exceptional character. He's a rare gem. It seems my granddaughter has inherited my eye for people!"
At that moment, a middle-aged man in formal attire approached and bowed respectfully. "Old ancestor, my disobedient daughter Li Shiyun's 24th birthday banquet starts at noon. It's time for us to head back."
The speaker was none other than Li Shiyun's estranged father!
And the white-bearded old man? He was none other than the Li family elder, whom Ye Chen had been so desperate to meet!
"You've got a good daughter. Her judgment of people is sharper than yours."
Li Shiyun's father stiffened, shocked by the elder's words.
In all his years, this was the first time he had heard the Li family elder praise someone!
Could this Tang Ao be so extraordinary?
"What about my son, Li Mao? How does he compare to Tang Ao?"
"Not even close."
The Li family elder shook his head, leaving Li Shiyun's father overjoyed. "Old ancestor, I didn't expect you to hold my son Li Mao in such high regard—"
"I was saying Li Mao doesn't even come close to Tang Ao."
"Ah?" Li Shiyun's father was taken aback. "Old ancestor, I don't understand. Tang Ao is just a skinny guy. My son Li Mao could knock him over with a single finger!"
"Oh?"
The Li family elder chuckled coldly, "Can your son Li Mao introduce an opportunity to his enemy with such magnanimity? Can he give away treasures worth billions to a stranger with such generosity?"
"Though Tang Ao may appear weak, his physical condition is far superior to the average person. His potential is no less than that of a prodigy. With his character and temperament, if given the proper training, I can't say how far he'll go, but I'm certain he'll surpass the Dragon King, Ye Chen!"
Li Shiyun's father was dumbfounded. In all his life, the Li family elder had never spoken so highly of anyone!
Just what kind of monster was Tang Ao, to be rated even higher than the Dragon King, Ye Chen?
Thankfully, such a person wasn't their enemy but rather someone Li Shiyun had admired for years!
Li Shiyun's father had always been staunchly opposed to his daughter's feelings for Tang Ao. But now...
A genius like Tang Ao shouldn't just be accepted—he should be fully supported! It was a pity, though... Tang Ao had made it clear that he only loved Lin Ruoxue!
But... everyone knew that Lin Ruoxue didn't care for Tang Ao in the slightest!
Tang Ao and Li Shiyun had been childhood friends...
There was definitely hope!