章節 98: What is Ancient Jade?
"Fang Yi, are you alright?" Seeing Fang Yi's dazed expression, Man Jun asked with concern, "Is it possible that my previous collision with you left some lingering effects?"
Just moments ago, Fang Yi's demeanor on stage had indeed startled Man Jun; not only had he nearly stumbled, but his face was as pale as if he were gravely ill, and even now, his complexion had yet to return to normal.
"Brother Man, I assure you, I'm fine; I simply didn't rest well last night..." Fang Yi forced a wry smile, shaking his head. He couldn't possibly reveal to Man Jun that his weakness stemmed from overexerting his mental energy.
This was the first time Fang Yi had encountered such a situation; he had never anticipated that excessive use of his mental power could inflict such significant harm upon him. He estimated that without at least ten to fifteen days of recovery, he would be unable to summon his spiritual consciousness to unleash that particular ability again.
"Well, as long as you're fine..." Man Jun recognized that there was little he could do to assist. If Fang Yi were truly unwell, it was likely a remnant of that car accident.
"Brother Man, I need to nurture my spirit..."
At this moment, everyone on stage had descended, and the lighting around the venue had dimmed somewhat. Fang Yi settled into the sofa, crossing his legs and closing his eyes to cultivate and replenish his spiritual consciousness.
"Everything has its duality; it seems such abilities must be wielded with caution..."
Although Fang Yi practiced Taoist techniques that inherently nurtured his spiritual awareness, he did not possess any specific methods targeting it. After gauging his spiritual state, he couldn't help but sigh internally, realizing that the damage inflicted was even greater than he had previously estimated.
Originally, Fang Yi's spiritual awareness was on the verge of breaking through to the realm of introspection, yet now he found even circulating his internal energy around his meridians to be a challenge. After a brief attempt, he ultimately abandoned the effort, understanding that such an injury was not something that could be swiftly recovered from.
"Dear friends, I trust everyone has found their desired items. We shall now officially commence the auction, beginning with the bronze artifacts. The first piece is this four-legged square ding. As you all know, in ancient times, the ding was a significant national vessel. This particular one is certainly not an original, but it is a premium replica, meticulously crafted to emulate ancient techniques, and thus has a starting bid of ten thousand yuan..."
As Fang Yi was assessing his spiritual awareness, the auctioneer's voice resonated through the venue, bypassing any pleasantries and diving straight into the auction.
However, the first item, the four-legged square ding, was clearly a mere filler piece. Even without the auctioneer's explanation that it was a replica, the attendees recognized it could not possibly be authentic, resulting in only one person responding with a bid, evidently intending to purchase it merely as a decorative item for their store.
"Those participating in such auctions harbor diverse intentions..."
Fang Yi's previously acquired copy of the "Yongle Dadian" was item number twenty-two, so he held little interest in the preceding lots. Regardless of their authenticity, he could not afford them. Were it not for the unsuitable environment, he might have simply meditated in silence, as he was quite unaccustomed to the debilitating sensation that accompanied his spiritual awareness.
"Elder Yu..." Just as Fang Yi was preparing to circulate his energy again, a barely audible voice reached his ears, likely belonging to the officer sitting beside him, Officer Bai.
"There are indeed unearthed items, but they are of little use..."
Elder Yu's voice penetrated Fang Yi's consciousness. Despite the damage to his spiritual awareness, his hearing remained exceptionally keen, allowing him to clearly discern the near-whispers exchanged between Officer Bai and Elder Yu.
"Elder Yu, what do you mean by that?"
Upon hearing Elder Yu's words, Bai Chuxia felt both puzzled and anxious. She had volunteered for this mission, even having a relative make inquiries with the relevant departments on her behalf.
Although her superiors had instructed her to observe carefully without alarming anyone, Bai Chuxia was highly motivated. She aimed to uncover clues during this auction and subsequently dismantle the deeply concealed tomb raiding syndicate.
Thus, upon hearing Elder Yu's remarks, she grew increasingly anxious; if she could find no leads, her presence on this mission would feel utterly pointless, akin to a mere ornament with nothing to show for it.
"There is a piece of jade; its coloration clearly indicates it has been unearthed. However, there is simply too much jade that has been excavated, and the quality of that piece is merely average, not meeting the criteria for a cultural relic. This will not lead us to their trail..."
Elder Yu shook his head, explaining to Bai Chuxia that jade falls under the category of cultural artifacts. With his keen eye, he could immediately identify that it was a piece of unearthed ancient jade, resembling something from the Longshan culture.
As previously mentioned, not all ancient jade is valuable. The jade artifacts that have been buried underground for ages must be evaluated based on three criteria: the quality of the jade itself, the intricacy of the craftsmanship, and the appropriateness of the coloration—none of these factors can be overlooked.
The reasoning is straightforward; a piece of jade that can be purchased for five yuan in the market, regardless of its historical significance, holds little value. After all, stones on the mountain are ancient too, dating back billions of years; who would consider them as artifacts worthy of sale?
Moreover, the craftsmanship is a crucial determinant of a piece of jade's value. For instance, the Han Eight Knife technique yields jade carvings that are indisputably more valuable than ordinary sculpting methods, a consensus acknowledged within the industry.
As for coloration, it is even more critical in unearthed ancient jade. No matter how exquisite the jade or how masterful the craftsmanship, if it has been severely tainted by various infiltrations during its underground burial, it becomes utterly worthless.
Take, for example, the piece of ancient jade that Elder Yu observed on the display; its entire surface had been permeated by various stains, and even if it exhibited a myriad of colors from handling, it could no longer showcase the unique allure of ancient jade.
Furthermore, aside from the legendary He Shi Bi, such small jade artifacts do not qualify as national treasures and are not categorized as unearthed relics. Only with solid evidence proving their provenance from a burial site can they be considered as potential evidence for a case.
"Aren't there any other unearthed items?" Bai Chuxia inquired softly, unable to conceal her disappointment.
"Other items? Eight or nine out of ten are fakes..."
Elder Yu chuckled at her words. In auctions like this, even the most deeply concealed collectors would not present authentic items; the auction itself is merely a facade, while the true transactions occur behind the scenes.
However, for the police to delve into that realm of transactions is exceedingly challenging. Despite Su Shilun's substantial financial resources, his standing in the antique trade is still relatively new, and since he primarily collects miscellaneous cultural artifacts, tomb raiders would never approach him to offload national treasures.
"Chuxia, try to relax; consider today a learning experience..." Elder Yu remarked, amused by Bai Chuxia's flustered demeanor.
In truth, Elder Yu's attendance at the auction was largely due to his regard for Bai Chuxia; her family had close ties with Elder Wang. Had Elder Wang not personally called him, who in the domestic antique community could have compelled Elder Yu to attend?
"Elder Yu, I understand now. I hope to trouble you again tomorrow..."
Bai Chuxia, having previously been fixated on a narrow perspective, now grasped the situation. If this long-standing case were so easily resolved, it would have been solved long ago, leaving no opportunity for her involvement.
"Very well, I will accompany you tomorrow to take a look; I can introduce you to an old friend..."
Elder Yu nodded in agreement, saying, "There are far too many con artists in today's society, especially in the antique trade. It seems my old friend's apprentice has a penchant for collecting cultural artifacts; you can simply buy from him..."
In fact, upon arriving in Jinling yesterday and hearing Bai Chuxia mention someone selling a five-thousand-yuan string of large Buddhist prayer beads, Elder Yu had already dismissed the idea in his mind.
In the realm of cultural collectibles, Buddhist prayer beads are not particularly valuable, especially when compared to Hainan yellow rosewood or agarwood; the material itself dictates that items like these cannot fetch high prices. Even the finest quality beads, in good condition, would only be worth around twenty to thirty thousand yuan at most.
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