The commotion caused by Ye Fan and Elder Chen had already attracted others, both those attending the appraisal convention and those invited to witness and appraise.
Elder Lei glanced at Ye Fan, seeing the determination in his eyes, and let out a helpless wry smile.
"Since that is the case, all those present shall be the judges. You two will compete in a best-of-three match. The items to be appraised will be randomly drawn from these yet-to-be-appraised objects. How does that sound?"
Elder Lei held the highest status here, aside from Elder Chen, so no one dared to object to his words.
"Since you all agree, the competition will begin immediately. I will now draw the first item for appraisal."
As he spoke, Elder Lei casually picked out a box from the pile of objects.
With Ye Fan's capabilities, Elder Lei had no doubt he would win, and it was likely Elder Chen who would lose.
Therefore, Elder Lei didn't care which item was chosen.
At this moment, both Ye Fan and Elder Chen had a fiery glint in their eyes. They were brimming with confidence, and in their opinion, this competition wouldn't even need three rounds; two would suffice.
In front of everyone, Elder Lei slowly opened the box.
Inside the box lay a jade pendant.
Elder Lei frowned slightly. He hadn't expected to see such an exquisite jade pendant in such a humble place; it was truly incredible.
However, the competition was paramount. Elder Lei said nothing more, quickly suppressed the surprise in his eyes, and calmly stated, "You two have ten minutes for appraisal. Begin now."
Both of them were masters, so ten minutes was more than enough for them.
Ye Fan and Elder Chen both smiled faintly and then looked at the jade pendant.
In just a few breaths, Ye Fan slowly closed his eyes.
Every detail of the jade pendant was now imprinted in his mind.
The information, bit by bit, gradually unfolded in his mind, then returned, cycling repeatedly, ensuring no detail was missed.
Seeing Ye Fan in this state, Elder Lei was stunned and grew even more shocked by Ye Fan.
This young man had another trick up his sleeve; it was truly remarkable.
To use such a method required not only exceptional memory but also formidable spatial decomposition abilities.
The surrounding crowd also noticed Ye Fan's condition and collectively gasped.
"What is this kid doing? Can he appraise this jade pendant from memory?"
"This jade pendant seems quite extraordinary. This kid is acting so presumptuously; he's likely to lose."
"It's all a charade. Elder Chen is from the Jiangnan Antique Association, and his skills are not comparable to this insignificant fellow."
…
A buzz of discussion arose, with most people not optimistic about Ye Fan.
However, Ye Fan paid no attention to their taunts, ignoring them completely as he continued to examine the jade pendant in his mind.
Eight minutes passed. Elder Chen sighed deeply and slowly stood up, a faint smile on his face.
In contrast, Ye Fan's eyes remained tightly shut, a bead of cold sweat on his forehead, appearing to be in great distress.
"Will this kid die here?"
"This is truly a bizarre tale. Appraising treasures and dying in the process; it would be a laughing stock if told."
"Judging by Elder Chen's demeanor, he has definitely won this round."
…
Elder Lei frowned, his eyes fixed on Ye Fan, not daring to relax for a moment.
Even he was starting to feel uncertain. What exactly was Ye Fan doing?
Unbeknownst to them, Ye Fan had already entered a state of "wu wo liang wang" (object and self forgotten). This was a state in appraisal, where by focusing on an object with one's entire being, all energy was poured into it.
When the mind and spirit completely merged with the object, this state could be achieved.
Of course, the prerequisite for doing so was that the object possessed a certain spirituality.
Coincidentally, this jade pendant was just like that. When in this state, one could communicate with the object!
"Time's up."
Elder Lei spoke solemnly, looking at the timer in his hand.
At that very moment, Ye Fan slowly opened his eyes. After a brief moment of confusion, clarity finally returned to them.
"Both have finished appraising. The judges will be the esteemed guests present."
Elder Lei announced solemnly.
Glancing at Ye Fan, Elder Chen sneered and spoke first, "Qingyang jade. Its luster is bright, its translucency is long, and it is carved with phoenix patterns. Judging by the craftsmanship, it should be from the mid-Qing Dynasty. Those who could use phoenix patterns were only royalty. Therefore, I conclude this must be a personal item of an empress from the mid-Qing Dynasty; its value is immeasurable."
Elder Chen's voice was met with rounds of applause.
"To be able to see so clearly in just ten minutes, truly worthy of Elder Chen, truly worthy of being from the Jiangnan Antique Association. His eyesight is exceptional."
"That's absolutely right. The Qing Dynasty placed great importance on etiquette. To be able to use phoenix patterns, one must have been from the imperial family."
"Elder Chen is bound to win. That Ye Fan is merely faking it, puffing himself up."
Such simple appraisal had garnered so much praise from people that Elder Chen became increasingly pleased with himself, his face filled with a triumphant smile.
Looking at Ye Fan, Elder Chen sneered, "I advise you to surrender. There is nothing left to appraise on this jade pendant."
In Elder Chen's opinion, he was guaranteed to win this round.
Even Elder Lei turned to look at Ye Fan, his gaze questioning.
Ye Fan, however, narrowed his eyes, swept his gaze across everyone's faces, and then said gravely, "Everything you said is wrong."
His statement stunned everyone, followed by an eruption of laughter.
"What did this kid say? Elder Chen is completely wrong? Did I hear that right?"
"He's truly boastful. Even a blind person could tell this is Qingyang jade, and he claims it isn't. That's hilarious."
"Without real skill, all he can do is create a spectacle."
…
Hearing their mockery, Ye Xuanyuan's expression turned grim. She had already been displeased when they attacked Ye Fan with words. Seeing them continue like this, the young girl could no longer suppress her anger.
"All of you, shut up! Do you appraise treasures with your mouths? Do you really think you're all experts? If that's the case, why didn't you step forward and challenge the one surnamed Chen earlier? You only know how to yap behind his back. Do you even deserve to be called appraisers?"
Regardless of the identities of these people in the crowd, Ye Xuanyuan cursed them fiercely, showing no regard for their reputation.
Since she was already an enemy to these people, she would naturally stand with Ye Fan, showing no fear.
"Sharp-tongued. When Ye Fan loses later, I'd like to see how you two siblings explain yourselves to us."
A boss sneered disdainfully.
Looking at their angry gazes, Ye Xuanyuan gritted her teeth in anger.