"Many thanks for your concern, Princess, but I would rather handle this matter myself!" Ning Wuque said with a smile.
Su Qingluan snorted. "Ungrateful!"
Right at that moment, Wen Guji had already selected his first item—a bronze statue.
It was a bronze statue of a Pixiu, remarkably lifelike and exquisitely crafted, especially its eyes, which shone as brilliantly as stars.
"Oh? That bronze statue?" Ning Wuque's pupils constricted slightly as his gaze fell upon the bronze Pixiu.
Wan Sanqian smiled. "Master Wen, have you chosen this piece?"
"Yes, and no!"
Wen Guji gave a mysterious smile, then pointed at the Pixiu's eyes and said, "I only want this pair of eyeballs!"
"What? You only want the eyeballs? This..."
Wan Sanqian hesitated. "If the eyeballs are gouged out, wouldn't this bronze Pixiu be left blind? Who would want it then?"
Ning Wuque, standing nearby, smiled. "How about... Master Wen takes the eyes, and you give the main body of the statue to me?"
Everyone was taken aback.
Ning Wuque shrugged. "How can a blind statue with its eyes gouged out still be sold? We shouldn't let Pavilion Master Wan take a loss just because of our wager, should we?"
Wan Sanqian cast a grateful look at Ning Wuque.
Wen Guji sneered. "Kid, I see you're trying to win favor with Pavilion Master Wan using this trick! But you're going to be disappointed. Pavilion Master Wan is renowned for his fairness and won't show favoritism toward you because of this. Since you like this blind, eyeless Pixiu, I'll let you have the main body!"
After that, Wen Guji spent three thousand taels of silver to buy the pair of eyes, while Ning Wuque spent five hundred taels to buy the Pixiu pedestal.
This caused Su Qingluan, standing nearby, to roll her eyes in exasperation. "You, you, you—you're really going to drive me to an early grave. Knowing full well this statue is eyeless and you still buy it, I think you're the one who's eyeless—no, you're just brainless!"
Ning Wuque smiled. "Keep calm, Princess. In a moment, you'll see who the truly eyeless one is!"
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Aside from the two gem eyeballs, Wen Guji had successively acquired an ancient painting and a jade bracelet.
In contrast, after getting his hands on that blind Pixiu, Ning Wuque had simply bought an ordinary-looking scroll and a black stone of unknown material.
In the inner hall of Chunqiu Hall.
Ning Wuque and Wen Guji placed their chosen items out on the table.
Wan Sanqian gave a light cough and said, "The treasures chosen by both gentlemen are right here. Master Wen's three treasures cost a total of nine thousand eight hundred taels of silver, while Young Friend Ning's total cost was two thousand eight hundred taels. Next is the appraisal of each party's treasures to determine the victor. Gentlemen, who will go first?"
Wen Guji let out a cold snort and stepped forward without yielding. "Elders first—naturally, I shall go first!"
Wan Sanqian looked at Ning Wuque.
With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Ning Wuque made a polite gesture of invitation...
Chapter 17: Anger and Embarrassment from Shame
"Serves you right for knowing your place, kid!"
Wen Guji smiled smugly. Like a victorious rooster, he puffed out his chest and walked up to the platform.
His gaze swept over everyone present.
He casually took out the pair of gemstone eyes pried from the bronze Pixiu, a triumphant smile on his face. "Pavilion Master Wan, according to the treasure appraisers of your Qizhen Pavilion, the eyes on this statue are Haiqing stones, am I right?"
"That's right!"
Wan Sanqian nodded. "Haiqing stones are native to the East China Sea and are quite valuable. A pair of this size would be worth about two thousand taels."
Wen Guji sneered. "Wrong, completely wrong! These are not Haiqing stones at all, but the far more precious Haiyan spirit pearls."
"What? Haiyan spirit pearls? How is that possible?" Wan Sanqian widened his eyes.
Su Qingluan beside him also wore a look of shock. "Haiyan spirit pearls? Legend has it that out of ten thousand Haiqing stones, only a single Haiyan spirit pearl is born! If these two are truly Haiyan spirit pearls, a single one is worth at least twenty thousand taels of silver!"
Mu Yunang was equally struck with disbelief.
Just two little beads like that were worth twenty thousand taels?
She couldn't help anxiously looking over at Ning Wuque, only to find that the latter still wore a calm and breezy expression, as if he had known the true identity of these two gems all along.
Wan Sanqian took a deep breath and said, "Master Wen, words alone are not enough. Do you have proof?"
"Haiyan spirit pearls and Haiqing stones are ninety percent similar and extremely difficult to tell apart. I dare say that throughout Nanjiang City, I am the only one who knows how to distinguish between a Haiqing stone and a Haiyan spirit pearl!"
Wen Guji spoke with arrogance. "Haiqing stones dissolve into nothingness when they meet water, but Haiyan spirit pearls, besides having this property, can also condense vapor into water. You need only fetch a bowl of clean water, place them inside, and wait a moment. If the water in the bowl increases, they are Haiyan spirit pearls; if the water level remains unchanged, they are Haiqing stones!"
"Quickly, bring water here!" Wan Sanqian said immediately.
A moment later.
A servant brought over a bowl of clean water, and Wen Guji placed the two Haiyan spirit pearls into it. After waiting a short while, they watched as the water in the bowl actually spilled over the rim!
"It, it really condensed vapor into water! These are Haiyan spirit pearls!"
"As expected of Master Wen, truly possessing eyes of fire and golden vision! This statue sat in my Qizhen Pavilion for over half a year without anyone paying it any mind, yet with a single glance you discerned that the eyes were Haiyan spirit pearls. Truly extraordinary!" Wan Sanqian exclaimed with emotion.
Ouyang Shang, sporting a face swollen like a pig's head, flushed red with triumph. He shot a provocative look at Ning Wuque. "Kid, did you see that? My master's appraising skills have already reached the ultimate realm, yet you actually dared to compete with him in appraising treasures? I think you're just like that statue—eyeless!"
"Don't rush, it's only just beginning!" Ning Wuque smiled.
"I think you're just a dying duck with a stubborn beak!" Ouyang Shang sneered.
Wen Guji let out a disdainful cold snort and picked up his second treasure, which was an ancient painting scroll. "This painting is an authentic work by Wuyuan, honored as the 'Painting Sage' and personally bestowed by the founding emperor of the Dayan Dynasty. Furthermore, it is one of his four most cherished works from his entire life—the long-lost 'Myriad Li Rivers and Mountains Map'!"
"The Painting Sage Wuyuan's Myriad Li Rivers and Mountains Map? This is authentic? Bu-but the appraisers at our Qizhen Pavilion said this was a counterfeit!" Wan Sanqian frowned.
Wen Guji sneered. "Your Qizhen Pavilion's appraisers couldn't even tell Haiqing stones apart from Haiyan spirit pearls; do you really think their appraising skills surpass mine? Just look right here—this character 'Yuan' hidden within the river currents is the proof!"
After a thorough inspection, Wan Sanqian's expression turned slightly ugly. He never imagined his own Qizhen Pavilion appraisers would consecutively misidentify two supreme treasures.
Yet now that the item had fallen into Wen Guji's hands, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Our Qizhen Pavilion appraised this painting as a counterfeit, which is why we only priced it at eight hundred taels. But now that Master Wen has proven it to be authentic, its value should be eight thousand taels of silver."
Gasp!
Everyone drew in a sharp breath of cold air.
Just two items alone already amounted to twenty-eight thousand taels of silver.
Wen Guji looked smugly at Ning Wuque. "Kid, if you admit defeat right now and kneel down to kowtow and beg for forgiveness, for the Princess's sake, I can let bygones be bygones. How about it?"
"Many thanks for Master Wen's kind offer, but the deer hasn't been slaughtered yet, so the outcome remains uncertain. It's still a bit early to concede defeat!" Ning Wuque smiled.
"Humph, seeking your own death! Since you insist on courting disaster, I will grant your wish!"
Wen Guji retrieved the jade bracelet. Out of the three items, this was the one he had spent a full seven thousand taels of silver on. He said in a deep voice, "According to Qizhen Pavilion's appraisal, this jade bracelet is a damaged first-grade spiritual treasure, its rank having dropped to half-step first-grade solely due to internal array patterns being ruined."
Spiritual treasures were items that could only be forged by powerful cultivators above the Xiantian realm.
Every single one of them was worth a king's ransom!
Wan Sanqian nodded. "That is indeed the case. However, hiring a formation master to repair the internal array patterns would require at least forty thousand taels of silver. We felt this deal wasn't cost-effective."
"True, hiring a formation master to take action is indeed not cost-effective. However..."
Wen Guji said with smug pride, "My Wen family has a family friend who is precisely a formation master. I can invite him to make repairs free of charge. Once repaired, it will be a complete first-grade spiritual treasure, worth no less than fifty thousand taels!"
Boom!
These words were like a thunderclap on flat ground.
They truly shocked everyone present beyond measure.
Amidst his shock, Wan Sanqian sighed with emotion, "As expected of a family of treasure appraisers, to possess such connections and foundation. That being said, Master Wen spent nine thousand eight hundred taels on these three treasures, and their value is ninety-eight thousand taels—a net profit of eighty-eight thousand two hundred taels."
Mu Yunshang widened her eyes, feeling as though there was an overwhelming mountain of little silver coins.
She cast a nervous look toward Ning Wuque.
Ning Wuque also gave a slight nod. "Master Wen certainly has quite an eye!"
Wen Guji smiled. "Kid, I can give you one more chance: kneel and apologize, and the wager is null and void. Otherwise, don't blame me for not showing face to the Princess!"
Su Qingluan also looked over at him.
Ning Wuque smiled faintly. "No rush, it's my turn!"
"Hmph, you really are a shameless wretch who refuses to accept kindness. Since that's the case, bring out your pile of garbage and let's calculate how much it's worth!" Wen Guji snorted coldly, crossing his arms with a victorious posture.
Ning Wuque shrugged, stepped forward, and picked up the bronze statue.
"This eyeless statue is just garbage my master discarded. Do you seriously think you can pick up a treasure leak right under my master's nose?" Ouyang Shang sneered.
Wan Sanqian also shook his head slightly.
Ning Wuque smiled. "Don't rush, just watch!"
Ning Wuque held the Pixiu high up and then fiercely smashed it down onto the ground.
With a crisp clatter, a series of fractures cracked directly across the surface of the bronze Pixiu.
Ouyang Shang suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahaha, are you angry out of shame? It's useless even if you smash it; you chose this yourself..."
"Shut your mouth!"
Wen Guji suddenly barked in a low voice, cutting Ouyang Shang off.
Ouyang Shang froze.
Only then did he notice everyone's gazes converging uniformly on the statue lying on the floor.
They saw that the surface of the bronze Pixiu was covered in dense cracks. At that moment, specks of dark golden light were bursting forth from the fissures. Along with the appearance of the dark golden light, the bronze on the statue's surface peeled away piece by piece like shedding skin.
When all the bronze outer layer fell away, what stood before everyone was a statue of dark gold!
The statue's surface gleamed with a dark golden metallic luster, and faint specks of starlight emerged, resembling a patch of dark golden starry sky.
"Th-th-this is dark gold star-meteorite?"
"That's right! Pitch-dark gold with starlight flowing across the surface—it is precisely the legendary dark gold star-meteorite!"
Wan Sanqian's voice was trembling. "The Dayan Dynasty Emperor's sovereign-guard sword was forged from a piece of dark gold star-meteorite the size of a fist, which the imperial family bought from my Qizhen Pavilion for one hundred thousand taels of silver back then! Th-this piece of dark gold star-meteorite is at least five times that size. Its v-value is at least five hundred thousand taels of silver!"
"This isn't real, this must be fake..." Wen Guji's face turned ashen as he staggered backward a few steps.
Ning Wuque smiled. "Real or fake, you can appraise it yourself!"
"I-I naturally must appraise it myself!"
With trembling hands, Wen Guji took the Pixiu statue. The more he looked, the more alarmed he became; the more he looked, the more his heart bled; the more he looked, the more he wanted to cry!
This was a piece of dark gold star-meteorite worth at least five hundred thousand taels of silver!
Not long ago, this very treasure had been right in his hands, playing with it—he only needed to have spent a few more hundred taels to buy it.
Yet in the end, he had chosen a pair of Haiyan spirit pearl eyeballs.
The moment he thought of his earlier complacency and his mockery of Ning Wuque being "eyeless," Wen Guji just wanted to dig a hole and bury himself.
Ning Wuque smiled. "Master Wen, the value of this first treasure of mine alone far exceeds the total of your three treasures. I suppose there's no need to continue this wager?"
"I, I..."
Wen Guji opened his mouth, tasting only bitterness on his tongue.
At this moment, he felt as though everyone's gaze directed at him was full of mockery.
He couldn't stay here for even a single second longer.
"Hmph, you just wait for me!"
In a fit of anger and embarrassment, Wen Guji let out a cold snort, flicked his long sleeve, and strode toward the exit of Chunqiu Hall with a dark face.
"Master Wen, I still have two treasures I haven't shown yet. Why are you leaving?"
Ning Wuque called out toward Wen Guji's retreating back.
Thud!
A tumbling sound suddenly came from ahead, followed immediately by a series of dull thuds, along with Ouyang Shang's cry of alarm: "Grandpa—Master, what's wrong with you... Are you alright..."
A moment later, a servant came running back covered in sweat, looking awkwardly at Wan Sanqian. "P-Pavilion Master, Master Wen tripped at the top of the stairs just now. I tried to catch him but couldn't hold on, and the old man tumbled all the way from the third floor down to the second..."
Chapter 18: Holding Grudges for Every Slight
"..."
Wan Sanqian's eye twitched violently. He waved his hand to dismiss the servant and looked at Ning Wuque, laughing bitterly. "Young Friend Ning, Wen Guji and his disciple are petty and narrow-minded. You've completely offended them today; I'm afraid they won't let this rest!"
"No matter. When soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we earth-dike it!"
Ning Wuque smiled and said.
"That... Wuque..."
Su Qingluan spoke with some awkwardness.
Ning Wuque glanced at her and couldn't help smiling slightly.
He naturally saw through Su Qingluan's thoughts. She had spent a large sum of money to invite Wen Guji to help her find a treasure, but now Wen Guji had lost the wager to him and run away in anger and embarrassment. With her own ability, she obviously couldn't appraise any treasures.
Yet for her—the proud Princess of the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate—to actively ask him for help was clearly a bit difficult to put into words.
Mu Yunshang gently shook Ning Wuque's arm. "Brother Wuque, please help my mother!"
"All right, all right!"
Ning Wuque affectionately ruffled Mu Yunshang's hair, then smiled at Su Qingluan. "Princess, you invited Wen Guji here to pick treasures, but now he's been driven away by my anger, and I'm partly to blame for ruining your important business. How about this? Today, Wuque will borrow flowers to offer to the Buddha and present this authentic work of Wuyuan to you as a gift. I hope the Princess won't disdain it!"
First, Su Qingluan was Mu Yunshang's mother, and thus Ning Wuque's future mother-in-law; he didn't want to make their relationship too stiff.
Second, although Su Qingluan was arrogant and looked down on him, she had at least intended to step forward and help him earlier.
That sentiment had to be remembered.
Because of this, Ning Wuque took the initiative to offer the Myriad Li Rivers and Mountains Map to Su Qingluan, using an apology as an excuse rather than presenting it as an unprompted gift.
This both saved Su Qingluan from embarrassment and delivered the item right into her hands.
Killing two birds with one stone!
Sure enough, a smile appeared on Su Qingluan's face for the first time since she met Ning Wuque. She accepted the Myriad Li Rivers and Mountains Map and said with satisfaction, "I told Yunang long ago that you're a sensible and good child. Not bad, not bad!"
Mu Yunshang stared with wide eyes, full of question marks: *You told her when?*
Ignoring her daughter, Su Qingluan gave a light cough to change the subject. "Wuque, I never expected you to have such mastery in the art of treasure appraisal, even being able to spot the dark gold star-meteorite hidden beneath the bronze. I just wonder what mysteries are hidden within the remaining painting and this stone?"
Ning Wuque paused, then smiled casually. "I just stumbled upon it by blind luck. After all, even if the eyes were made of Haiyan spirit pearls, it didn't make much sense for the main body of the statue to be mere bronze. I didn't expect to actually guess right; it was purely luck! As for the remaining two items, they were just bought to make up the numbers, nothing special..."
None of the people present were fools. Naturally, they could tell that Ning Wuque had no intention of exposing the true nature of the remaining two treasures.
Su Qingluan curled her lips in secret, but thinking of the Myriad Li Rivers and Mountains Map in her hand, she stopped questioning further.
Wan Sanqian wanted to keep asking, but felt a bit embarrassed, so he could only say, "Young Friend Ning's mastery in treasure appraisal is truly admirable. My Qizhen Pavilion happens to need a treasure appraisal consultant; I wonder if Young Friend would be interested?
Of course, this is merely a consultant position with no binding obligations. It's simply that if our Qizhen Pavilion's appraisers are uncertain about a treasure, we would need your help. Furthermore, serving as this consultant means that in the future, when Young Friend purchases treasures at my Qizhen Pavilion, you will enjoy a thirty percent discount, along with a monthly stipend of one thousand taels of silver!"
Ning Wuque was slightly startled.
A monthly stipend of one thousand taels of silver alone was enough to be tempting.
Not to mention a thirty percent discount on top of that?
Ning Wuque smiled. "Since Pavilion Master Wan thinks highly of Wuque, I would be impolite to refuse!"
"Hahaha, for my Qizhen Pavilion to gain Young Friend's assistance is like adding wings to a tiger!"
Wan Sanqian hastily said with a smile, then retrieved a consultant token from his bosom and handed it to Ning Wuque.
Ning Wuque put away the token, then handed the jade bracelet and the Haiyan spirit pearls to Wan Sanqian. "Pavilion Master Wan, I must trouble you to ask a formation master to help me repair this jade bracelet, using these two Haiyan spirit pearls to cover the cost. Once it's repaired, please have it delivered directly to the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate and give it to Yunshang!"
"Brother Wuque, why are you giving this to me? Th-once this is repaired, it'll be worth fifty thousand taels..." Mu Yunshang gasped, instinctively wanting to refuse.
Ning Wuque ruffled her hair and smiled. "This is the first gift I've ever given you, you're not allowed to refuse!"
"Alright then!"
Mu Yunshang nodded obediently.
Su Qingluan, watching from the side, rolled her eyes and thought to herself, *My daughter still carries a bit of her mother's imposing aura in front of outsiders, so why is she as obedient as a kitten in front of this brat? She has none of her mother's dominance at all—she must take after her father...*
Su Qingluan gave an "un-huh" sound to interrupt the lovey-dovey pair of Mu Yunshang and Ning Wuque, and said, "Yunshang, it's time for us to go back!"
"Mother, I want to stay and keep Brother Wuque company a little longer..." Mu Yunshang said.
Su Qingluan's face darkened. "Come back with me!"
Mu Yunshang looked unwilling.
Ning Wuque said quietly, "Go back with the Princess first. In a few days, we'll go together to Hongyi's apprenticeship banquet!"
"Alright then!"
Mu Yunshang nodded docilely, which made Su Qingluan's teeth itch with frustration. Ignoring the look Su Qingluan gave her that practically wanted to slice Ning Wuque to pieces, Mu Yunshang told Wan Sanqian, "Pavilion Master Wan, please urge the formation master to get the jade bracelet repaired as soon as possible!"
"Rest assured, Princess, it can be completed in three days at most!" Wan Sanqian replied hurriedly.
Mu Yunshang nodded, then bid a lingering farewell to Ning Wuque. "Brother Wuque, then I'll head back first. I'll come find you in a few days!"
Su Qingluan grabbed Mu Yunshang's small hand and strode away without looking back.
"Young Friend Ning, please wait here for a moment. Wan has something important to discuss with you!"