secure

"I'm bidding five thousand; after all, it's not an expensive item. I'll take it home and see if I can polish it…" 

Just as Fang Yi was about to ask Man Jun for the bidding paddle, a voice resonated in the room. It belonged to an elderly gentleman in his fifties, who had previously purchased a Qing Dynasty Huanghuali chair for over two hundred thousand. However, he was merely a collector, acquiring items not for resale but for personal enjoyment. 

"Spending five thousand on this?" Man Jun murmured, "Ancient jade is meant to be polished, but one must consider its quality. With such intense coloration, it's unlikely to yield a satisfactory result…" 

The value of ancient jade lies primarily in the richness of its color; if the coloration is exceptional and nurtured over many years, a piece of jade can become priceless, rendering the inherent quality of the jade itself less significant. 

However, if the colors are muddled and intertwined, it creates a sense of excess, and even the finest jade cannot be transformed into a cherished heirloom. 

"Man Ge, I have my eyes set on that jade pendant; just hand me the paddle…" 

Aside from the elderly gentleman's bid, no one else in the room made an offer. At this point, the auctioneer had already called out five thousand for the second time. Without hesitation, Fang Yi snatched the paddle from Man Jun's grasp and declared loudly, "I bid six thousand!" 

"Six thousand from bidder number twenty-eight. Friends, is there anyone willing to raise their bid…" For an item priced in the thousands, it was merely a drop in the bucket for the entire auction, and the auctioneer, recognizing this, was not particularly invested in promoting it vigorously. 

"Seven thousand; I quite like this piece…" The elderly gentleman raised his bid once more. 

"Ten thousand…" Fang Yi countered directly, adding three thousand to his offer. "Beautiful jade nurtures the spirit; I too have a fondness for this piece, and I hope the esteemed elder will show some leniency…" 

At that moment, Fang Yi felt the weight of financial constraint; he had only twenty-three thousand in total. Should the elder continue to raise his bid beyond twenty thousand, Fang Yi might have to approach Man Jun for assistance. 

"Fang Yi, are you out of your mind? It's merely a jade pendant ruined by water staining, yet you bid ten thousand?" 

Man Jun grasped Fang Yi's arm tightly, fearful that he might raise the bid further after others had called out. "If you have a passion for ancient jade, I can have someone find you a quality piece later; ten thousand can secure a fine specimen…" 

The worth of ancient jade is not solely attributed to its aesthetic appeal, which embodies a sense of historical depth, but also requires the jade to have been polished over many years, allowing the coloration to meld seamlessly with the stone, akin to the jade's own inherent hue. 

However, freshly unearthed jade typically exhibits dull colors, lacking any luster that signifies true value. Thus, valuable ancient jade is often that which has been cherished for decades or even centuries, rather than newly excavated pieces that have yet to be refined. 

Therefore, in the realm of antiquities, ten thousand can indeed procure a commendable piece of unearthed jade. Yet, due to the significant price disparity between ancient and new jade, fakes are regrettably common. 

For instance, to create the effect of blood staining, forgers might even resort to cutting open the hind leg of a live sheep, inserting the jade piece, and then stitching it closed. After a year or so, the jade would emerge with the desired blood-stained effect. 

"Old Man, spending ten thousand on such a trinket is beyond me…" 

After Fang Yi placed his bid, Xie Qingyang's sardonic remarks echoed through the room. Everyone present was well-acquainted with the market values of such items; something like this could easily be found for one or two thousand. 

"Forget it; I'm out…" After hearing Xie Qingyang's words, the elderly gentleman hesitated before ultimately shaking his head and withdrawing. A few thousand might be reasonable for casual play, but exceeding ten thousand seemed unwarranted. 

"Is there no one else willing to bid? Very well, once at ten thousand, twice at ten thousand, thrice at ten thousand—sold!" 

Fang Yi was uncertain whether he should express gratitude to Xie Qingyang; his words had effectively deterred further bids. After the auctioneer inquired once more and called three times, he brought the gavel down decisively. 

"I finally secured it…" 

Upon hearing the word "sold," Fang Yi felt an immense sense of relief wash over him. For reasons unknown, this piece of ancient jade seemed to possess an inexplicable allure, even more potent than that of the 'Yongle Dadian.' 

"You're quite the spendthrift!" 

With the gavel's final strike, Man Jun released his grip. Now that the deal was sealed, reversing it was impossible, especially since a deposit of twenty thousand was still held by the auction house. 

"Man Ge, perhaps I've stumbled upon a hidden gem…" 

Fang Yi dismissed Man Jun's concerns with a cheerful grin. Even if the jade pendant held no commercial value, he was determined to possess it. After all, his spiritual awareness had been compromised only after probing this very pendant. 

"Stumbled upon a gem?" 

At Fang Yi's words, both Man Jun and the elder Yu exchanged incredulous glances before bursting into laughter. If finding a hidden gem were that easy, they would not be able to sustain themselves in this business. Those so-called experts would have already amassed a fortune, rather than relying on mere words to deceive others. 

"Young man, you have potential; focus on learning the craft; it's far more beneficial…" 

Elder Yu patted Fang Yi's shoulder. New entrants to the antiquities trade often shared Fang Yi's naivety, dreaming of unearthing a fortune, while their reality typically ended with disappointment. 

With no further items to bid on, Fang Yi relaxed. In the subsequent auction, although a twelve-panel zitan screen inlaid with jade fetched a staggering price of two million, it no longer concerned Fang Yi and his companions. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, after the auction, we have prepared a lavish buffet for you, and we hope you will join us…" 

Following the sale of the screen, the auction concluded. Under the guidance of staff members, the antiquarians and collectors who had won bids settled their payments on the spot. 

Smaller items were immediately handed over to buyers, while larger, cumbersome pieces were to be delivered to designated locations by the auction house. After settling the accounts, Fang Yi and Man Jun each received the ancient jade and several tattered rare books. 

"Damn it, forty thousand for these shabby books?" Gazing at the ancient texts housed in an exquisite wooden box, Man Jun felt a surge of despair, simultaneously harboring a grudge against Xie Qingyang. 

"Man Ge, shall we go for a meal?" 

Fang Yi, his heart brimming with joy as he caressed the jade in his pocket, sensed an enigmatic energy emanating from the ancient piece. However, he was hesitant to probe further with his spiritual awareness. 

"Of course, why not? Goodness, this hotel's buffet costs five hundred eighty-eight per person; we'd be foolish not to indulge…" 

Man Jun tucked the wooden box into his bag, raising two meal vouchers in his hand. "Come on, Man Ge will treat you to a grand buffet; by the way, I've only been here once." 

"Xiao Man, Fang Yi, wait a moment; this old man would like to join you…" Just as Fang Yi and Man Jun prepared to leave for the hotel restaurant, Elder Yu appeared from seemingly nowhere, toying with the cricket gourd he had just acquired. 

"Elder Yu, where are Mr. Su and that young lady?" Man Jun inquired, surprised to see Elder Yu. He had assumed Mr. Su would not be interested in the hotel buffet and would have left with Elder Yu. 

"They left ahead of me; I still owe this young man a favor…" Elder Yu replied with a smile. 

"Elder Yu, are you referring to Wang Shixiang?" Fang Yi was taken aback; he had not anticipated that what he had thought was a mere jest would be taken so seriously by the elder.