Even though Fatty Wang had long grown accustomed to Chen the Great Mystic's outrageous demands, he still stood there, stunned into silence, his eyes wide like a dead fish as he stared blankly at Chen Yi.
The onlookers around them erupted in a chorus of accusations, berating Chen Yi for his audacity and greed. The sympathy and pity they had felt for him moments ago vanished like smoke in the wind.
"What's the matter? Did I scare you?"
Chen Yi chuckled as he looked at the bearded man's astonished expression.
"Well, a bit," admitted Zhao Xuantan, the bearded man, with surprising honesty. "Actually, a million isn't entirely out of the question."
Hiss!
The sound of collective gasps filled the air, like the hiss of a punctured tire.
A million isn't out of the question?
Could it be that this kid had truly stumbled upon a treasure?
Everyone was thrown into chaos.
The Monkey Brothers and the white-haired old man looked as though they'd just lost their last shred of hope, their faces ashen, as if they were mourning the death of their father.
Their gazes locked onto the bearded man, searching desperately for even the slightest hint that he might be joking.
But to their dismay, Zhao Xuantan wasn't joking. In fact, he added a sentence that crushed their last vestiges of hope.
"If you're willing to sell, we can head to the bank and transfer the money right now."
Zhao Xuantan's nonchalant tone was like a dagger to the hearts of the Monkey Brothers.
A treasure worth a million, sold for just nine thousand?
A million! That was more than they had managed to swindle in ten years of shady dealings.
D*mn it! If I'd known I was holding onto something worth a million, why would I bother with these petty scams? Who wouldn't want to run a legitimate business? It's not like I enjoy being broke!
Business requires capital, and the antique trade even more so. A single item could sit unsold for two or three years, tying up funds indefinitely.
That's why people often say, "Three years without a sale, but one sale feeds you for three years."
"I'm not selling," Chen Yi said, his words leaving everyone around him dumbfounded.
Not selling for a million?
They had all seen how desperate and furious this kid had been just moments ago.
Could it be that he was playing the fool, deliberately putting on an act to secure these two items?
If that were the case, this kid could easily make it in Hollywood. Winning an Oscar for Best Actor would be well within his reach.
"Chen Yi, Chen Yi," Fatty Wu swallowed hard, pulling Chen Yi aside and whispering conspiratorially, "That's a million we're talking about! Are you sure you don't want to think it over? Don't push your luck too far—it won't end well if things turn sour."
Fatty Wu was genuinely looking out for Chen Yi, afraid that his greed might provoke Zhao Xuantan, leaving everyone empty-handed in the end.
"Sell? Are you sure?" Chen Yi asked, his tone laced with mockery.
"What do you mean by 'am I sure'? This is your stuff—you paid for it!"
Fatty Wu was indignant. I'm just trying to help you, and this is the thanks I get? Fine, consider my goodwill wasted.
"Alright, I'll sell it then. But just so you know, the Feng Shui in your shop will have to wait. Items like this are rare and can't be found just anywhere. Even with money, you might not come across one again."
Chen Yi shrugged, feigning indifference.
"Wait, what did you just say? Are you saying this is a Feng Shui artifact?"
Fatty Wu's eyes widened in disbelief, as if he'd just seen a pig sprout wings.
Chen Yi rolled his eyes. "Why else would I go through all this trouble with those three? Do you think I have nothing better to do?"
"Not selling! Absolutely not selling!"
The moment Fatty Wu heard the words "Feng Shui artifact," his attitude did a complete 180. His face changed faster than flipping a page, as if his earlier remarks had nothing to do with him.
Zhao Xuantan, growing impatient with their endless back-and-forth, finally spoke up. "Have you two made up your minds? I don't have all day to waste here."
Chen Yi cupped his hands apologetically and said, "Brother, I'm really sorry, but I never intended to sell these two items."
Zhao Xuantan's expression darkened, and he snorted coldly. "Hmph, so you weren't planning to sell, yet you haggled with me just for fun? Are you toying with me?"
From his demeanor, it was clear that Zhao Xuantan was a man accustomed to being in charge. Even without raising his voice, his presence exuded an intimidating authority.
"I just wanted to give those three a little taste of their own medicine. I wasn't trying to mess with you—it was a momentary lapse in judgment. I hope you can forgive me," Chen Yi said, gesturing toward the dejected Monkey Brothers.
Zhao Xuantan was momentarily taken aback, then broke into a faint smile.
The explanation was bizarre, but it made sense. Zhao Xuantan had seen how gleeful the Monkey Brothers had been earlier, and he held nothing but disdain for their kind.
What surprised him, however, was Chen Yi himself. He had initially dismissed him as a lucky kid, but now it seemed the young man was far more capable than he appeared. Even Zhao Xuantan had been unwittingly drawn into his scheme.
It wasn't often that someone managed to outmaneuver him, and even rarer for him to accept it willingly.
This kid was intriguing.
"Do you know what these two items are?" Zhao Xuantan asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Heh, I know a bit," Chen Yi replied. "This copper gourd is about a hundred years old. Its craftsmanship is average, its condition poor, and it has no connection to any notable figures, so it shouldn't be worth much. However, gourds hold significant importance in Feng Shui. They're used to dispel evil, attract wealth, ward off misfortune, and invite prosperity. That's why they're also called Feng Shui gourds..."
The crowd stared at Chen Yi, eager for him to get to the point. But as a born showman with a flair for theatrics, Chen Yi thrived on an audience. The more people gathered, the more he enjoyed showing off, his fortune-teller instincts taking over as he rambled on.
"...So, what's special about this gourd? First, it's an antique. Though only about a century old, it's considered relatively aged for a Feng Shui artifact. Second, it has endured over a hundred years of wind and rain, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. And third, most importantly, it was crafted by a master Feng Shui practitioner. Look at the patterns on its surface..."
As Chen Yi finally reached the crux of his explanation, everyone craned their necks to see the spot he was pointing to.
"These patterns are what make it valuable. They form a Feng Shui array, intricately carved onto the gourd. It's similar to the talismans we see drawn on yellow paper, except this array is etched onto the gourd itself, making it far more powerful than any talisman."
"Hmph, even if what you're saying is true, isn't the array already damaged? How can it still be effective?"
The Monkey Brothers couldn't stand Chen Yi's smugness and interrupted with a sneer.
"Boss, that's where your ignorance shows. Otherwise, you wouldn't have sold this as a throw-in item," Chen Yi retorted sharply, leaving the Monkey Brothers fuming. Then he continued, "Although the array's patterns are broken, it doesn't affect its functionality. Over time, the essence of the array has seeped into the gourd itself. As long as it's not physically destroyed, its ability to dispel evil and attract wealth remains intact."
Fatty Wu, visibly excited, asked eagerly, "So this can really neutralize the bad energy in my shop?"
"Of course. Hang it up, and within three days, your business will not only recover but thrive," Chen Yi assured him confidently.
"And what about this bracelet? Is it really the 'Dragon's Pearl'?"
"Dragon's Pearl? Nonsense. This is a dzi bead—a six-eyed dzi bead, handcrafted and blessed by a living Buddha."
"A dzi bead? A real dzi bead? The martial arts star Jet Li wears a dzi bead bracelet, and it's said to be worth millions!"
The moment Fatty Wu heard the word "dzi bead," he practically leapt into the air, as if someone had jabbed him with a sharp stick.
"Jet Li's is a nine-eyed natural dzi bead. This one is a six-eyed, handcrafted piece. Its value isn't as high, probably around six to seven hundred thousand."
Chen Yi spoke casually, but the crowd around him erupted in astonishment.
A dzi bead blessed by a living Buddha was an extraordinary item, said to bring immense benefits to its owner—not only calming the mind but also altering one's fortune.
The Monkey Brothers, who had sold it for a mere thousand yuan, looked as though they'd swallowed a bitter pill.
The white-haired old man, recalling a dzi bead passed down in his family that had been lost during the Japanese invasion, couldn't help but wonder if this was the same one.
Regret weighed heavily on him. This bead, nearly discarded, turned out to be worth a fortune. Even his life savings couldn't compare.
Sigh, such is fate.
"How can you be sure this is a real dzi bead?" the old man finally asked, unable to contain himself.
"Does anyone have some water? A quick wipe will reveal the truth," Chen Yi replied.
Someone quickly handed him an unopened bottle of mineral water.
Chen Yi poured the water over the dusty, grimy bead and began to clean it.
As the dirt washed away, the bead's true appearance was revealed—its surface adorned with eye-like patterns, both beautiful and mysterious.
"It really is a dzi bead!"
The crowd erupted into a cacophony of exclamations.
Unlike the Feng Shui gourd, which required expertise to appraise, the value of a dzi bead was apparent to all.
"Young man, may I have a closer look?" an elderly gentleman stepped forward, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Of course," Chen Yi said generously.
The old man put on his reading glasses and examined the bead closely, his expression growing more and more certain.
"It's genuine, absolutely genuine. I may not be much, but I know a thing or two about antiques. This is undoubtedly the real deal."
"If Elder Liu says it's real, then it must be. Young man, how about selling it to me for six hundred thousand?"
Liu Changchun, a respected antique dealer at the Medicine King Temple, had a reputation for fairness and expertise. His words carried weight, and soon others began bidding.
"Six hundred thousand? I'll offer eight hundred!"
"One million!"
Chen Yi's heart nearly skipped a beat. The temptation was immense.
If he didn't have a specific use for the dzi bead, he would have sold it without hesitation.
Feeling the urge to give in, he grabbed Fatty Wu and hurriedly left, afraid he might change his mind if he stayed any longer.
"Kid, I'm offering a million for that dzi bead, and you think you can just walk away after paying me a thousand?"
A towering man, as burly as a bear, blocked Chen Yi's path, his voice laced with menace.