“You didn’t even bother to wipe off the fingerprints, and you still claim you haven’t touched anyone else during this time?”
Outside, the sunlight streamed brightly. With its aid, Xu Fei easily spotted the fingerprints. Old Liu was speechless, realising Xu Fei was someone who knew his stuff.
“But talk is talk, I won’t go back on our deal, though the price needs to be lower!”
Caught out by Xu Fei, Old Liu lost his earlier confidence, his tone now pleading.
“No problem, Mr. Xu. What price do you think is fair?”
Xu Fei slowly spread his hands, then flipped his right hand over.
“One hundred and fifty thousand is the highest I’ll go, take it or leave it!”
A fifty-thousand drop in an instant—Old Liu felt the sting.
Still, he forced a smile, gritting his teeth, “Fine, one hundred and fifty thousand it is, we have a deal…”
Before Old Liu could finish, the young man from earlier suddenly appeared, snatching the Phoenix Tail Jade Ring, halting the transaction.
“No way we’re selling for one hundred and fifty thousand! At least one hundred and eighty thousand, or it’s a no-go!”
“Oi, you little brat! I’m your father! Who’s in charge here, you or me? Give the jade ring back!” Old Liu was visibly furious, likely only restrained by the public setting, or he’d have slapped his son.
Xu Fei, unhurried, spoke calmly, “One hundred and eighty thousand is fine. The money’s in this card, password’s six ones. If you’re worried I’m scamming, you can check the balance at the bank downstairs before handing over the jade ring.”
Old Liu realised Xu Fei wasn’t angry and didn’t dare check the balance. He grabbed the card, thanked Xu Fei profusely, and left sheepishly with his son.
Xu Fei, holding the Phoenix Tail Jade Ring, stood by the café’s transparent floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze locked on the young man.
“He’s clearly just an ordinary person, so why does he have traces of true qi on him?”
The main reason Xu Fei agreed to the one hundred and eighty thousand deal was this young man—or rather, the murky traces of true qi on him.
Ever since mastering the Lingbao Tongtian Technique, Xu Fei could not only claim the true qi stored in treasures for himself but also trace its origins.
True qi exists naturally in the world. Antiques crafted from jade inherently have a strong affinity for it. Buried underground, they absorb vast amounts of true qi over time.
The ancients said raw jade had a spirit. Once unearthed, the true qi stored in these jade artefacts becomes murky, clinging to the person who dug them up.
This is what folklore calls the “filth” that clings to grave robbers.
Just as Xu Fei was about to seal the deal, the young man’s sudden appearance startled him, triggering his clairvoyant vision.
Through it, Xu Fei saw the young man enveloped in a dense cloud of murky true qi.
Instantly intrigued, Xu Fei agreed to the price hike from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and eighty thousand.
Later, Xu Fei sent the Phoenix Tail Jade Ring back to Tongtian Appraisal. Using his clairvoyant vision, he trailed the young man from a distance, watching him enter the Su family’s gates.
“Why is this young man entering the Su household? Does he have a connection to Su Hong, or is Su Hong tied to grave robbing?”
