The competition was about to begin, and the crowd below had all taken their seats and fallen silent.
They were quietly waiting for Feng Xiao to cruelly crush the overconfident young man from Jiangcheng under his heel.
"Both sides of the competition shall bring their chosen items to the stage. In each round, both parties will present one item. If one party cannot identify it, they will be deemed to have lost. If both parties identify it, the winner will be determined by the time taken. If neither party can identify it, it will be a draw."
Elder Lei announced the rules of the competition. Then, Feng Xiao had his items brought up.
There were three boxes, all sealed exceptionally well. It was clear that Feng Xiao had put a lot of effort into this competition.
Ye Fan's side was much simpler; he simply used three plastic bags to carry his items.
Although they were plastic bags, because they were black and opaque, outsiders still couldn't tell what was inside.
But when Elder Lei saw that Ye Fan had used plastic bags to carry the items, his expression immediately turned grim, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
This brat was truly wasting precious things.
Such valuable items were being carried in plastic bags. If not for his status, he would have stepped forward to reprimand Ye Fan.
Ye Fan naturally saw Elder Lei's reaction and smiled slightly, "They are all worthless trinkets, just for fun."
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Feng Xiao and Elder Zheng immediately frowned. He was here to compete with them, yet he claimed it was just for fun. This was nothing short of an insult.
The people below also began to shout angrily.
"This kid dares to insult Young Master Feng? I think he doesn't want to live anymore."
"Who does he think he is to dare oppose Young Master Feng in Jiangnan?"
"Let Elder Zheng teach him a good lesson."
These people were all speaking up for Feng Xiao and Elder Zheng.
But these words held no real meaning for Ye Fan.
Seeing Ye Fan's nonchalant demeanor, Elder Lei shook his head helplessly.
He raised his hand, quieting the crowd.
"The competition officially begins. Both sides, please present one item each."
A subordinate from Elder Zheng's side quickly brought out a box.
Feng Xiao said proudly, "These are all treasures collected by my Feng family over many years. Normally, I would never take them out, but today, I will let you witness the depth of my Feng family's heritage."
Feng Xiao indeed had the capital for such arrogance. After all, with the Feng family's long-standing heritage, collecting treasures was entirely within reason.
Let alone the Feng family, even a small family would have some hidden gems.
Hearing Feng Xiao's words, the crowd below cheered enthusiastically, cheering for Feng Xiao.
In contrast, Ye Fan casually tossed a plastic bag onto the table.
"Since we came from Jiangcheng, we are considered guests. Let Elder Zheng begin the appraisal."
Saying this, he took out the item from the plastic bag, and the plastic bag was directly discarded into the trash can.
Ye Fan had already made his plans. The three boxes prepared by Feng Xiao were quite good, made of huanghuali wood. He would take these three boxes later to hold his own treasures.
Looking at the item Ye Fan had placed on the table, everyone leaned forward, their eyes wide, eager to see what it was.
Elder Zheng laughed heartily after just two glances.
"What treasure did you think I had? It turns out to be a luminous pearl. Ye Fan, isn't it true that appraising items like this is my specialty? Did you not know that?"
Elder Zheng was full of confidence. He had dedicated himself to studying jade for many years, accumulating extensive experience. Let alone famous items like this luminous pearl, even some minor objects related to jade, Elder Zheng could appraise them with near-perfect accuracy.
"Is that so? Isn't that exactly what Elder Zheng excels at? Since Elder Zheng is so confident, please take a look."
With that, Ye Fan sat down and picked up his tea to drink.
This was indeed a luminous pearl, emerald green throughout, with a crystalline surface that shimmered with radiance.
Elder Zheng didn't take the item seriously. He merely glanced at it a few times and weighed it in his hand.
"The water content is good, transparency is average, the color is deep green, it should be a type of sea jade. It's not easy to grind it into such a large luminous pearl. Its value should be between three hundred thousand and five hundred thousand."
He casually gave his appraisal, and Elder Zheng snorted inwardly. If this was the quality of items Ye Fan possessed, then the next two rounds wouldn't even need to be fought; he was destined to lose.
Feng Xiao's lips were curved in a smile. The moment Ye Fan presented this luminous pearl, he knew Elder Zheng would win this round.
The crowd below was already beaming with joy. If Elder Zheng won, they could make a fortune.
Only Elder Lei and Jiang Zhong on the stage were staring intently at the luminous pearl.
Elder Zheng's appraisal was standard and showed no flaws, but Elder Lei knew that the luminous pearl Ye Fan had presented was far from simple.
One must remember, this was a "mingqi" (grave good), and an item taken from a tomb would never be ordinary.
Ye Fan, meanwhile, also wore a smile.
"Is this Elder Zheng's final appraisal?"
His expression was calm, and his words carried a hint of mockery.
Hearing Ye Fan's question, Elder Zheng was slightly taken aback but still snorted, "Yes, this is my appraisal. Ye Fan, there's no need for you to put on an act. I have seen at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, luminous pearls of this quality. There can be no mistake. If you are wise, you should quickly concede, to avoid further humiliation."
Given his status, he would naturally not be intimidated by anyone.
Ye Fan no longer paid him any mind and turned to look at Elder Lei and the others.
"Do you all have an answer in your hearts already? Should I be the one to explain this luminous pearl, or will one of you do it?"
A cunning smile finally appeared on Ye Fan's face.
Elder Lei gave a wry smile and glanced at the other appraisers. Seeing that they had no intention of speaking, he waved his hand, "Ye Fan, please tell everyone what this luminous pearl is. Is Elder Zheng's appraisal correct?"
It wasn't that Elder Lei and the others didn't want to speak, but even he couldn't understand this item.
Therefore, only Ye Fan could reveal the truth.
Hearing Elder Lei's words, Ye Fan nodded with a smile, then stood up and stepped forward, picking up the luminous pearl.
Ye Fan held the luminous pearl with both hands and gave it a powerful twist.
The next moment, with a crisp cracking sound, the luminous pearl was forcibly broken in half.
This scene utterly shocked everyone present, even Elder Lei and the others couldn't help but stand up from their seats.
"Ye Fan, what are you doing?"
Feng Xiao was the first to exclaim angrily.
"Do you know you are no match for Elder Lei, so you plan to destroy this luminous pearl and get away with it? Let me tell you, that's wishful thinking."
Feng Xiao's face was filled with fury. He didn't expect Ye Fan to be so cunning and devious, intending to destroy the appraisal item to achieve his ulterior motives.