Chapter Eleven: The Contest of Treasures

Lin Feng pursed his lips. If he hadn’t seen the shop owner acquire the Kunwu Sword for only a thousand yuan, he might have bought it at face value. But now, knowing the inside story, how could he let this shrewd businessman get his way?

“An ancient sword? Why would I need an ancient sword? There’s a birthday coming up for an elder in my family, and I’m out looking for a birthday gift. Swords and blades are too aggressive, they bring misfortune. I’ll take that gilded Buddha statue instead—perhaps it’ll bring some good luck.”

“A birthday gift, you say? That makes sense, swords aren’t suitable for elders. Ah, but look—this Buddha statue has been blessed by the abbot of Qinglian Temple, guaranteed to bring longevity and health. It’s perfect for a birthday gift!”

The shop owner was exceedingly enthusiastic; as long as there was money to be made, he didn’t care whether he sold Buddha statues or swords.

“Thank you for your purchase, a very fair price—ten thousand yuan.” The owner swiftly wrapped up the statue and handed it to Lin Feng.

Lin Feng took the statue, pretending to glance at the Kunwu Sword lying on the counter, and said calmly,

“Ten thousand yuan for a Buddha statue is a bit steep. How about this: throw in that ancient sword, and I’ll add another thousand yuan. Consider it a piece for my own collection.”

“This...”

The owner was a shrewd man. Though this deal would net him seven thousand yuan, the sword looked extraordinary. What if he sold it too hastily and made a mistake?

“Give me a clear answer—yes or no. If not, forget it. I won’t buy the statue either. There are plenty of shops on this street; surely I can find another Buddha statue.”

Lin Feng slipped his bank card back into his wallet, left the statue behind, and turned to leave.

He was gambling.

He was betting that the owner was extremely greedy and wouldn’t let such a lucrative opportunity slip away.

The owner hesitated at first, but Lin Feng’s feigned reluctance exposed his true nature. He quickly called after him,

“Wait, sir, please don’t go! All right, I, Liu Rengui, will give you a special deal—twenty thousand yuan, and you take both the Buddha statue and the ancient sword. How about that?”

“Uh... fine!”

Lin Feng pretended to hesitate, then decisively made the payment.

Once money and goods changed hands, he left the Buddha statue behind, collected the Kunwu Sword, and walked away.

“You... not taking the Buddha statue?”

“What use is a fake, gilded statue made of copper?” Lin Feng replied coldly, not even looking back.

“Damn it! I’ve been duped! That sword is absolutely extraordinary! The kid tricked me, afraid I’d raise the price, and deliberately misled me! Damn it!”

The owner suddenly realized the truth, gnashing his teeth in frustration. But with the transaction settled, there was nothing he could do.

However, just as Lin Feng walked out the doors of Half Moon Gallery, a middle-aged man in a gray Tang suit, with a dignified voice, stopped him and asked,

“Young man, may I take a look at the ancient sword you’re carrying?”

“No.”

Lin Feng refused coldly. The Kunwu Sword had been his companion for seventy thousand years; it was deeply sentimental to him and could not be handed over casually.

The man in the Tang suit wasn’t offended; instead, he smiled,

“Well then, how about this—I’ll offer one hundred thousand yuan to buy your ancient sword?”

“One hundred thousand!”

The shop owner of Half Moon Gallery overheard and was dumbfounded that someone would offer a hundred thousand for the sword he had acquired for only a thousand! In the antiques business, you could go three years without making a sale, and then one deal could sustain you for another three.

In the past six months, his little shop hadn’t sold a single piece worth a hundred thousand yuan!

This rascal tricked me out of the sword, and now someone is offering a hundred thousand for it—where’s the justice in that!

Liu Rengui’s beard bristled in agitation. He rushed from behind the counter, pushed Lin Feng aside, and eagerly blocked the Tang-suited man,

“Ah, esteemed guest, that sword was just purchased from my shop. To be honest, I have many swords of similar quality here. Please, come inside and take a look—I’ll even give you a ten percent discount!”

Liu Rengui glared fiercely at Lin Feng, clearly intent on sabotaging his deal and attracting customers to his own shop.

But he was completely misjudging the situation.

The Kunwu Sword had been Lin Feng’s companion for seventy thousand years; how could he possibly sell it for a mere hundred thousand yuan?

The man in the Tang suit glanced at Liu Rengui’s shop and instantly sized up the situation:

“A small shop like this, with eighty percent fake goods—this man is obviously a swindler. I suspect he was fooled by the young man and is now pestering him out of spite.”

He brushed aside Liu Rengui’s arm and continued, raising his offer,

“Young man, if a hundred thousand isn’t enough, I can raise it to two hundred thousand. What do you say?”

“Not for sale,” Lin Feng replied icily.

“How about five hundred thousand?”

Lin Feng remained silent and unmoved.

“One million! What do you think?”

Even at a million, the man persisted.

For soon, the Tang family would host a treasure duel between the elites of Binhai City and Chuzhou City.

With the reputation of Binhai’s prominent figures at stake, as the steward of the Feng family, he had to procure a genuine treasure, regardless of cost.

Seeing the man’s relentless pursuit, Lin Feng grew impatient and was about to shake him off when Liu Rengui suddenly, his face contorted in anger, grabbed Lin Feng and shouted,

“I’m not selling! I’m taking the sword back! I’ll return your twenty thousand—give me back the sword!”

A million yuan! That was a million yuan!

Running an antique shop, the net profit over three years wasn’t a million yuan! This kid snatched a million right from under my nose!

Liu Rengui’s eyes turned bloodshot, watching a million slip away was more painful than having flesh cut from his own body.

“Give me back the sword—I’m not selling! I’ll return your money!”

He pulled out twenty thousand in cash, hysterical and clearly blinded by greed, disregarding all business ethics.

The man in the Tang suit frowned slightly. “Money exchanged for goods, no returns” was a sacred rule in the antiques world.

If you make a mistake, you have only yourself to blame. Shamelessly reneging is disgraceful!

“Money exchanged for goods. Are you going back on your word, Mr. Liu?” Lin Feng said coldly.

“What money exchanged for goods! You tricked me out of the sword—it doesn’t count, it doesn’t count!”

Liu Rengui began shouting, and soon a crowd gathered around them, eager for drama.

“If you’re unwilling, then let’s settle it with a treasure duel! In the antiques business, when disputes arise, we settle it with a duel of treasures!”

Liu Rengui shouted loudly.

The onlookers, hungry for excitement, chimed in,

“Yes, a treasure duel!”

“A treasure duel...”

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. Liu Rengui was dead set on courting disaster.

“A treasure duel? How do we play?”

“Very simple. In half an hour, we each present an antique treasure and compare them. Whoever’s treasure is valued higher wins. I won’t bully you—you can pick anything from all of Phoenix Street. We’re testing discernment, not wealth. If you lose, you return the sword to me. If I lose, I’ll pay you a million yuan. Deal?”

“A million? Not enough. I want you to leave Phoenix Street for good and never deal in antiques again.”

“Fine! I accept! Let’s begin!”

Liu Rengui’s eyes narrowed, his voice loud and resolute, but in his mind, he was scheming:

“I know every shop’s prized possession on Phoenix Street. Besides, with no official judge and only a verbal agreement, even if I lose, I can play dirty. Hmph! On my own turf, this kid has no chance of beating me!”

Lin Feng seemed to see right through Liu Rengui’s nasty mind and said quietly,

“Wait. Since it’s a wager, we need a written agreement and an impartial judge.”

“That...” Liu Rengui hesitated, gritting his teeth.

At that moment, the man in the Tang suit stepped forward with a gentle smile,

“Allow me to serve as the judge. What do you think?”

“Who are you? What qualifies you as judge? I think Old Fang would be better suited,” Liu Rengui sneered.

“I am Qin Guanyun.”

The moment Qin Guanyun’s name was spoken, the noisy crowd fell instantly silent.

“Wow—he’s the antique tycoon of Binhai City, the city’s top steward, chief appraiser for the Tang family—Qin Guanyun!”

The crowd erupted. Such a figure was far beyond the likes of a mere shop owner.

Lin Feng smiled faintly, pleased that his guess had been right—the man was indeed extraordinary.

Only Liu Rengui’s face turned ashen.

Damn it, I’ve run right into a trap!