"Old Dynasty antiques? That’s a big category in the collectibles world. We keep them all piled together. Follow me," Meng Huaichuan said as he walked. "This Royal Mansion was originally an expansion of the Old Dynasty’s Prince Gongg Mansion, so it naturally has plenty of Old Dynasty items. Our family isn’t too interested in this sort of thing. My father and grandfather only like to collect Magical Treasures."
Meng Huaichuan said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, while the others struggled to keep their composure.
’Magical Treasures can be collectibles too?’
Li Qingxian said helplessly, "What’s that saying? ’Other people’s history is just the Royal Family’s genealogy.’ ’Other people’s treasures are just clutter in your Dingnan King Mansion.’"
"Ah, it’s just that the items in the Royal Mansion are preserved for a long time, while things on the outside get broken or lost. Over the years, these ordinary items become extraordinary. Take the famous Large Cyan Porcelain, for example. There were tens of thousands of pieces back in the day, but now you can’t even find a hundred. My family only has a dozen or so. You’d know if you used them—they’re nothing special. The porcelain made nowadays is actually better."
"Please, we wouldn’t dare use a porcelain vase worth over a hundred thousand taels of silver," Li Qingxian said.
Everyone laughed.
The group came to a corner of the courtyard, and Meng Huaichuan pointed ahead.
A thick blue cloth was spread on the ground, laden with objects of all shapes, sizes, and materials. There were wooden ornaments, gold, silver, and bronze vessels, porcelain and Jade Artifacts, and many exquisite everyday items—at least three or four hundred pieces in total.
"Those are all antiques from the Old Dynasty. I’d feel the loss if I gave them all to you, so how about this: take half," Meng Huaichuan said with an air of indifference.
Everyone gasped. Those things might not be much in the Dingnan King Mansion, but many of them were highly sought-after items in collectors’ circles.
Li Qingxian smiled. "I’ll just take a few pieces to amuse myself. Everyone, what do you think is the most valuable item here?"
"Definitely the Chi Dragon Boshan Furnace set! Even though the beast’s head has fallen off, it’s right there beside it and can be reattached. The quality is absolutely top-notch."
"That Hundred Birds Three-Legged Bronze Cauldron isn’t bad either. It’s slightly damaged, but Hundred Birds Cauldrons are rare. It has a solid foundation, definitely something from the imperial palace."
"I still like that set of Thirty-Two Kingdoms Emperor Coin Swords. The Emperor Coins are ancient, and it’s also a Daoist Magical Artifact. It might not be a Magical Treasure, but look at its quality—it’s a very difficult set to put together."
Li Qingxian looked towards the set of Thirty-Two Kingdoms Emperor Coin Swords. Thirty-two cross-shaped swords were lined up in a row, some large, some small. Each sword was made of stacked and strung-together copper coins. The black metal wire stringing the coins looked ordinary, but Li Qingxian recognized at a glance that it was mixed with Spirit Gold.
This thing was definitely a Magical Artifact used by a Great Fate Master. Although it wasn’t a Magical Treasure and had no Spiritual Power, its effect when setting up an Array was far superior to ordinary Emperor Coin Swords.
"Marquis Nanxiang, I won’t be polite then. Those Emperor Coin Swords are just what I need," Li Qingxian said.
"Good eye. I used to play with that thing when I was a child. There were originally forty-nine sets, but they were gradually lost over time. If you put your mind to it, you could try to collect a full set of Forty-Nine Kingdoms Emperor Coin Swords. With a bit of consecration, it would become a fine Magical Treasure." Meng Huaichuan had been around things of this level since he was young; his discerning eye was no less sharp than a master collector’s.
Li Qingxian set the Emperor Coin Swords aside and looked at the other items. After a while, he couldn’t resist and picked out several more pieces, setting them aside. All of these could be used to set up Arrays, and their effects were far better than ordinary items.
As Li Qingxian examined the items, he kept an eye on Ye Han’s expression.
Meng Huaichuan glanced at the items Li Qingxian selected. ’He isn’t picking the most expensive things, but the ones most useful to a Fate Master.’ He smiled and nodded. ’Putting Zhou Chunfeng aside, just the chance to befriend a future Great Fate Master makes giving all this away worthwhile.’
No matter how powerful the Dingnan King Mansion was, it had only managed to recruit two Middle-Grade Fate Masters, and both were in Nanzhou, not the Divine Capital. Those Upper-Grade Fate Masters would never stay long in a Royal Mansion.
Li Qingxian walked over to a porcelain vase, his eyes brightening. It was a standard Guan Ear Bottle in style, its body a simple, ancient gray, but it was covered in a rare ice crackle glaze. The most unusual feature was at its base, where white dragons were painted to resemble waves supporting the bottle.
Li Qingxian noticed a subtle change in Ye Han’s breathing. He bent down and picked up the one-foot-tall porcelain bottle. Sure enough, the Luck-Sensing Jade vibrated faintly again.
Meng Huaichuan smiled. "Qingxian, you have a good eye. I’ve seen this White Dragon Wave-Embossed Bottle since I was a boy. Unfortunately, for some reason, it slowly lost its luster and turned a dull gray. Some say it’s a Treasure concealing its own brilliance; others say it has reached the end of its life. My father found it inauspicious and was preparing to sell it. I heard many antique dealers have their eyes on this bottle; someone even offered fifty thousand taels of silver. Have you ever seen such a white dragon wave pattern? And that ice crackle glaze, as delicate as jade, is truly remarkable."
Li Qingxian nodded. "I was originally only interested in things related to Life Materials, but seeing this bottle today, I can’t help but admire the master’s craftsmanship. It’s breathtaking. I’ve taken too much today, so I’ll end with this piece."
Meng Huaichuan nodded in satisfaction.
Ye Han stared blankly at Li Qingxian, his face flushing and then darkening.
’I came to the Dingnan King Mansion for this very item, so how did Li Qingxian manage to snatch it away again?’
’This White Dragon Wave-Embossed Bottle is a famous Treasure from ancient times. Normally, you can’t tell at all. Only after it undergoes a period of self-concealment and loses its luster can its true nature be revealed.’
’This item is crucial for the Myriad Phenomena Map! How could Li Qingxian have taken it?’
’He stole my Jiang Youfei, stole my Song Yanxue, stole my Qiankun Ring, and now he’s taking my Guan Ear Bottle?’ Uncontrollable loathing rose in Ye Han’s heart, along with a subtle yet indelible hatred.
Ye Han suppressed his fury and forced an ugly smile. "This White Dragon Wave-Embossed Bottle is truly a masterpiece. I took a liking to it the moment I saw it. Senior Brother Qingxian, how about this? I’ll offer you double... no, triple the price. One hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver for your bottle. How about it?"
Everyone looked at Ye Han in surprise.
Meng Huaichuan showed a look of astonishment, then smiled and looked at the two of them without saying a word.
Li Qingxian held the Guan Ear Bottle and said helplessly, "Brother Ye, if you had spoken up earlier, I might have given it to you. Forget one hundred fifty thousand taels of silver, one tael would have been enough. But I already have a new home in mind for this item, so I really can’t part with it. How about this? You can pick any one of the remaining items, and I’ll pay for it. What do you say?"
Ye Han gritted his teeth. "Before she passed away, my mother adored Ice Cracked Ear Bottles, but she never had the chance to see one. Seeing this bottle reminds me of my failure in filial piety, and my heart is twisting in agony. I beg you, Qingxian, to part with it. I want to use this bottle to honor my late mother’s memory."
Everyone sighed softly, moved by Ye Han’s filial piety, and praised him one after another.
A flash of distaste crossed Zhou Chunfeng’s face before vanishing.
Meng Huaichuan was taken aback for a moment, then continued to watch Ye Han with great interest.
’Ye Han is ruthless,’ Li Qingxian thought. ’He’s pulling the dead relative card.’
"Brother Ye, I can’t give you this particular bottle," Li Qingxian said with a serious expression, "but I will help you find an Ice Cracked Ear Bottle immediately. In three days, at most, I guarantee I’ll place a list of every Guan Ear Bottle in the entire city before you. You can buy all of them to honor your late mother."
Meng Huaichuan turned his head slightly, trying hard to suppress his laughter.
Seeing Li Qingxian’s resolute attitude, Ye Han knew that pressing the issue would only expose his true intentions. He sighed. "There’s no need. It’s not like there are any others as good as this one in the world."
"As you wish..." Li Qingxian said.