“Shao Feng, you’re joking. Mr. Lai, Li Feng wants to see that Lady Painting. Take it out for Shao Feng to have a look.”
Li Quan was momentarily stunned but quickly responded. Although Li Feng wasn’t impressed by these antiques, was there a Lady Painting? As long as there was something Li Feng was interested in, he could achieve his goal.
“The Lady Painting?” Mr. Lai’s gaze fell on Li Feng. “You can see the Lady Painting, but it’s not an ordinary item. If it gets damaged, can you afford to compensate?”
“Mr. Lai, why so much nonsense? Is there anything Shao Feng can’t afford? Hurry up and show the Lady Painting,” Li Quan said, displeased.
Mr. Lai hesitated, then took a small box from a safe. He carefully placed it on the table and gently opened it.
Li Feng stepped forward and saw a silk scroll inside the box.
“Shao Feng, this Lady Painting was bought by my grandfather from an antique dealer. It’s a rare treasure. The ladies on it are vivid, as if freshly painted, lifelike and vibrant,” Mr. Lai explained.
Li Feng reached for the painting, but Mr. Lai stopped him mid-air. “Shao Feng, be careful. If it gets damaged…”
“I’ll compensate you,” Li Feng said, picking up the silk scroll. Unrolling it, his heart surged with joy.
Before coming, when Li Quan mentioned this Lady Painting, Li Feng had his suspicions. Now, seeing the contents of the scroll, he confirmed his guess was correct.
This wasn’t the Lady Painting Li Quan and Mr. Lai claimed it to be. It was a martial arts manual, an inner cultivation technique for women.
In his previous life, Li Feng had seen many martial arts techniques, often preserved on such silk scrolls. When Li Quan described the painting, Li Feng suspected it wasn’t a painting but likely a cultivation technique.
In the era when martial arts flourished, obtaining a cultivation technique was difficult. In this scientific age, martial arts were dismissed as feudal superstition.
As someone from a future era, Li Feng didn’t believe martial arts were superstition. How could something passed down for thousands of years by ancestors lack profound meaning?
Li Feng came here because he wasn’t certain. Though he had many martial arts techniques in his mind, as a martial artist, who would complain about having too many?
Upon inspection, the scroll detailed a women’s cultivation technique called the Snow Jade Art. Though he couldn’t practice it, it was priceless to Li Feng. He had the Nine Heavens Heart Sutra and didn’t need other inner techniques, but Hu Yuanyuan could use it. As his woman, Hu Yuanyuan was destined to be extraordinary. With this technique, she could at least protect herself.
Moreover, cultivation had an unexpected benefit: longevity. Legends said reaching the Innate Realm granted centuries of life. Li Feng didn’t know what the Innate Realm was like, but he was confident he could reach it. If he achieved it, would he watch his woman age and die before him?
If she cultivated too, it would be different. Even if she didn’t reach the Innate Realm, cultivation would extend her life, allowing them to spend decades, even centuries, together.
Li Feng had other women’s techniques in his mind, but those were military techniques, fierce and domineering. He didn’t want his woman to become a tomboy.
This Snow Jade Art was different, a gentle women’s technique, not as aggressive as those in his memory.
The text on the scroll was the Snow Jade Art, written in ancient pre-Qin script. If Li Feng hadn’t studied similar texts in his previous life, he wouldn’t have understood it.
The “ladies” were actually cultivation diagrams, critical to the technique’s success, depicting women’s bodies. This led to the misidentification as a Lady Painting.
The silk wasn’t ordinary either; it was made of celestial silkworm thread, durable for millennia.
When Mr. Lai opened the box, Li Feng used his Nine Heavens Heart Sutra and sensed a strong spiritual aura on the scroll, far richer than his raw stones.
“Shao Feng, what do you think of the Lady Painting?” Li Quan saw Li Feng’s smile, a glint of pride in his eyes. He knew Li Feng would be hooked by such provocative images.
“Good stuff,” Li Feng said, looking at Li Quan. “Really good stuff. I haven’t seen such a treasure in a long time. I didn’t expect Old Mr. Lai to have something like this.”
Indeed, a cultivation technique for women that wouldn’t turn them into tomboys was invaluable to Li Feng, a rare treasure. This trip was worth it, and he was determined to get the Snow Jade Art.
However…
Li Feng glanced at Li Quan, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
“Hehe, as long as Shao Feng likes it,” Li Quan smiled. “But you know, this Lady Painting might be centuries old. Its value is probably…”
“How much?” Li Feng asked Mr. Lai.
“Since Li Quan brought you, I won’t overcharge. This amount.” Mr. Lai held up one hand.
“Five hundred thousand? No problem,” Li Feng said.
“Shao Feng, are you joking? This is a rare treasure. Five hundred thousand? How can you say that?” Mr. Lai sneered.
“Then how much do you want?” Li Feng frowned, looking impatient.
“Five billion,” Mr. Lai replied.
“Then sell it to someone else,” Li Feng sneered, putting the scroll back in the box. Five billion? For the Snow Jade Art, it would be a steal, but Mr. Lai and Li Quan thought it was just an old painting. So, he needed to get it at the lowest cost.
Hmph, Li Quan and Mr. Lai were up to no good. He would secure the Snow Jade Art at the smallest price.
“Mr. Lai, five billion is too much. Do you take us for fools? The ox-head bronze statue was bought back years ago for thirteen million. Do you think this painting is worth five billion?” Li Quan snorted.
“It’s different. How old is the ox-head statue compared to this painting? Can they be compared?” Mr. Lai thought for a moment. “Fine, for Li Quan’s sake, I’ll lower it to three billion.”
“Hmph, Li Quan, let’s go,” Li Feng snorted and turned to leave.
“Wait, Shao Feng. I have a way to make Mr. Lai sell to us,” Li Quan said quickly.
“Oh, really?” Li Feng looked surprised, excited. “Li Quan, if you can help me get this painting, I’ll grant you one condition.”
“Seriously?” Li Quan’s body shook. His goal in bringing Li Feng here was to trap him. Now that Li Feng was hooked, it was an unexpected gain.
“Of course,” Li Feng nodded with a smile, a sharp glint in his eyes.
“Shao Feng, wait a moment.” Li Quan approached Mr. Lai. “Mr. Lai, I’d like to discuss something…”
Their voices were low. Li Feng could have listened if he wanted, but he wasn’t interested. From the moment they entered the villa and met Mr. Lai, he suspected their relationship. After observing the villa, he was certain Old Mr. Lai didn’t exist. The so-called Hong Kong tycoon was just an antique dealer, dealing in fakes.
But that didn’t matter. He needed the Snow Jade Art. As long as it was real, fake antiques were irrelevant.
Honestly, Li Feng was somewhat grateful to Li Quan. Without him, he wouldn’t have known about the Snow Jade Art.
“Shao Feng, I discussed with Mr. Lai. He’s willing to sell the Lady Painting for fifty million, but you must buy two antiques worth two hundred million here,” Li Quan said, approaching.
“Fifty million is still too expensive.”
“Shao Feng, fifty million isn’t expensive. This painting is a top collectible. Miss this chance, and it’ll be hard to find another like it,” Li Quan said.
“You’re right,” Li Feng nodded, hesitating. “Fine, I’ll buy it.”
“Yes, buy it.”
“Then I need to pick two antiques carefully,” Li Feng said, scanning the room’s antiques. Most were fakes, but there were real ones. Even the best appraisers could err, let alone a dealer like Mr. Lai.
After careful selection, Li Feng chose a jade pendant and a small cauldron.
“These two. How much are they worth, Mr. Lai?” Li Feng asked.
“The jade pendant and cauldron are two hundred fifty million. With the Lady Painting, three hundred million total,” Mr. Lai replied.
“Fine, three hundred million. Li Quan, pay up,” Li Feng said, turning to Li Quan.
“What, Shao Feng, me pay?” Li Quan looked at Li Feng in disbelief. Three hundred million wasn’t a small sum. He could afford it, but…
“Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back,” Li Feng said calmly.
“Since Shao Feng says so, I won’t refuse,” Li Quan said with a smile, but inwardly, he sneered coldly. This painting is cursed. Those who see it die. Just wait for your death. Once you’re gone, your things will be mine.
