Chapter 25: Incense Burner

Tang Wanhong's expression was indeed much more settled.

In fact, judging by Duan Rong's ability to identify the authenticity with just a single glance, he was clearly an expert.

Yet, he had absolutely none of the mannerisms of the antique trade.

In the antique business, everyone starts as an Apprentice and slowly grinds out their skills.

This trade has many ways and great rules; after staying in it for a long time, no matter how many sharp edges you have, they will be ground flat.

A style like Duan Rong's was clearly that of a scion of a noble family, learned from home since childhood.

Even if such a family falls, they often leave behind a foundation for their descendants to make a comeback.

This Lady Painting of Fan Yunlin's was likely the origin of that.

With just this one painting in hand, opening a shop on this street would be absolutely no problem.

Tang Wanhong smiled and said, "The item is fine, young friend, you name a price."

One does not speak in riddles before an honest person; Duan Rong was an expert, and it was an item passed down from his family.

If Tang Wanhong were to haggle over the item itself again, it would seem beneath him.

Duan Rong looked at Tang Wanhong with an expressionless face and said, "Eight hundred taels."

That Ink Chrysanthemum Painting from just a moment ago had a 6th Tier Spirit Tool, and the clerk said three hundred taels.

And this Lady Painting in his hand had a 6th Tier Spirit Tool; Duan Rong deliberately quoted high—if he quoted high, that fat Manager, who was clearly an old fox, would definitely haggle him down, but if he quoted too low, wouldn't he lose out big?

The muscles on Tang Wanhong's face twitched; eight hundred taels was not a small sum, but he still wore a troubled expression and said, "Eight hundred taels is not a small amount, my little shop doesn't have that much cash on hand right now, and besides..."

Before Tang Wanhong could finish his sentence, Duan Rong suddenly cut him off, saying, "No matter! Manager, you can pay whatever cash you have first, and for the rest, write an IOU and pay it in a few months when you have it; that's not impossible, is it? It's business, after all—give and take!"

Tang Wanhong's subsequent words were meant to drive the price down, but Duan Rong deliberately continued from his previous polite remarks, choking back Tang Wanhong's intended bargaining.

Upon hearing this, Tang Wanhong gave Duan Rong a strange look, as if his eyes were saying, why doesn't this kid play by the rules!

Just as Tang Wanhong was weighing his words, a figure walked into the shop.

It was a tall, thin man dressed like a farmer, with thick bones, calloused hands, and a pair of eyes that held a hint of craftiness and evasion.

As soon as the man entered, he looked at the three people in the shop and said in a hoarse voice, "Who is the Manager?"

Tang Wanhong looked the man up and down, and seeing him dressed in such a rustic way, said coldly, "What is it?"

The tall, thin man fixed his eyes on Tang Wanhong, darting them up and down before saying, "Manager, I have an item here, take a look!"

The tall, thin man then, without further ado, pulled a copper incense burner slightly larger than a fist from his bosom and handed it directly to Tang Wanhong.

Tang Wanhong was slightly taken aback; he saw that the fingernails of the rough hand the man handed it to him with were full of black grime, and a sense of disgust rose in Tang Wanhong's heart.

Usually, those country folk would also bring items to his shop, but they were basically all low-grade goods that couldn't be presented in polite society.

Therefore, when this man entered, Tang Wanhong hadn't paid much attention.

He glanced sideways at Duan Rong, also intending to leave Duan Rong hanging for a bit.

Tang Wanhong walked a few steps, reached out to take the copper burner from the man's hand, and examined it carefully by the daylight outside the door.

Tang Wanhong looked at it for a few moments, and his heart secretly gave a start. "This..."

What is going on today? Are good items crowding to be presented before my eyes?

This copper incense burner was not only finely crafted with exquisite carvings, but most importantly, it seemed to be the real thing!

Tang Wanhong walked two steps toward the door, looked carefully at the copper-green rust on the rim of the incense burner in the sunlight, and sniffed the scent inside the burner with his nose.

There was a musty smell of earth; Tang Wanhong turned back to look at the tall, thin man, who avoided his gaze somewhat unnaturally.

Tang Wanhong looked at the copper burner in his hand again; although his preliminary judgment was that it seemed to be a genuine article.

He felt something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it for a moment.

As Tang Wanhong was struggling with the copper burner, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Duan Rong sitting on a grand armchair to the side, leisurely drinking tea.

Tang Wanhong said, "Young friend, would you like to take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong put down his teacup, shook his head, and said, "It's your business. As an outsider, it's not appropriate for me to intervene."

Tang Wanhong smiled and said, "How about this, young friend, you take a look at this item. The painting will go for the price you said. How about that?"

Duan Rong was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself: It seems this painting is really worth eight hundred taels; I might have even quoted low.

But since the fat Manager had already said as much, if he refused again, it would be a bit heartless.

Duan Rong reached out and took the copper incense burner, silently chanting in his heart: "Spirit Reader."

Artifact: Broken Copper Incense Burner

Spirit Artifact Tier: 4th Tier (Damaged)

Devour Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 4 (Not Met)

Devour Effect: Smell and Identify Fragrance Level 4.

Duan Rong looked at the data before him, greatly puzzled.

"Broken incense burner?"

"Isn't this incense burner completely intact?"

Duan Rong's eyes suddenly lit up; he understood—this incense burner had been repaired to look complete.

Duan Rong put the incense burner down and shook his head to himself.

Tang Wanhong looked at Duan Rong's meaningful expression and asked, "Young friend, what..."

Duan Rong glanced at the tall, thin man and said, "This incense burner has been patched, hasn't it?"

The tall, thin man's face turned black instantly, and he raged, "You... what nonsense are you spouting!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Wanhong immediately picked up the copper burner, examined it carefully again, and then stuck his finger into the incense burner to feel the inside; after a moment, a strange expression appeared on his face.

Then he held the incense burner up to the daylight again, staring at that spot, and examined it carefully.

As soon as the tall, thin man saw the spot Tang Wanhong was staring at, he stepped forward, snatched the copper burner from Tang Wanhong's hand, wrapped it in a cloth, put it in his bosom, and said, "You don't know good goods, what kind of shop are you running? You might as well close down early!"

As the tall, thin man said this, he walked out, and just before leaving, he gave Duan Rong a fierce glare.

Seeing that the man had left, Tang Wanhong turned his head and looked at Duan Rong with a light chuckle.

The repaired area of that incense burner was not particularly large, and the technique was exquisite; he had been in the antique trade for decades and had almost been fooled, yet this young man before him had spotted it at a single glance.

What kind of cultivation level is this?

Tang Wanhong took three banknotes out from the Inner Room—two for three hundred taels and one for two hundred taels—and handed them to Duan Rong, saying, "These are promissory notes from Yunshui Bank; please count them, young friend."

Duan Rong took them, checked the denominations and the red seals, and immediately swallowed hard. "Eight hundred taels! I've struck it rich all at once!"

Yunshui Bank was a bank opened by the Taiyi Sect in Qingzhou; there were branches all over Qingzhou, and the Ya Men and larger shops in every locality accepted these promissory notes for transactions.

After all, with the backing of the Taiyi Sect—the masters of Qingzhou and one of the Eight Great Sects—it was basically the same concept as a state-owned bank.

Seeing Duan Rong finish counting and put them away, Tang Wanhong smiled and said, "Young friend, your family learning is profound, and your attainments in this antique trade are deep; I am not your equal. If it is convenient in the future, I hope you will offer this shop some guidance."

"That is easily said. If I have goods in the future, I will certainly come to your shop again," Duan Rong said with a modest smile.

Tang Wanhong chuckled happily and said, "That is good. If my little shop has any items we are unsure about in the future, I will also have to ask you to provide some guidance, young friend."

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong's expression stiffened slightly, and he thought to himself: This old fellow really knows how to climb the pole! Does he really think I am a pushover?

Seeing Duan Rong's reaction, Tang Wanhong immediately bowed and said, "Young friend, please do not misunderstand! In our trade, we would not let you look for free. For every item you help this shop verify, this shop will pay you a travel fee of thirty taels of silver."

"Thirty taels?" Duan Rong's heart skipped a beat, and he smiled, saying, "Ah... that is easily said! If the Manager truly has good items you wish to discuss with me, just send someone to the Yuanshun Escort Agency to find me. I am Duan Rong, an Apprentice Escort at the Yuanshun Escort Agency."

Tang Wanhong glanced at the mark on Duan Rong's Escort Waist Token and smiled, saying, "Yuanshun Escort Agency, a good job, a good job!"

Duan Rong cupped his hands in a salute and walked out of Guyue Studio.

Tang Wanhong watched Duan Rong leave, a deep light flashing in his eyes. "This person is not old, yet his responses are quite seasoned."

"He is a scion of a noble family after all; even if the family has fallen, his discernment remains, and he does not lack composure!"

He still had a rather favorable impression of Duan Rong; besides having completed a business deal, Duan Rong's ability to identify antiques also amazed him, and coupled with the young man's cleverness, he even began to harbor thoughts of cherishing talent.

(End of chapter)