Elder Lei's face was tinged with a faint smile.
"Our appraisal fair will continue. Next up is the Antiquities Association. Although I am a member of the Antiquities Association, I assure you that I will not show any favoritism in this appraisal fair. The Antiquities Association has always upheld the belief of fairness and impartiality, and we will maintain absolute fairness in all matters concerning everyone."
Elder Lei first expressed his stance.
Following that, Jiang Zhong smiled, stood up, and walked onto the stage with a Buddha statue.
"The Antiquities Association, after all, is different from the various forces you represent; we have our own foundations. The Antiquities Association is more like a transient benefactor. While we have seen many treasures, we have only authenticated them and have never claimed ownership of these items. Therefore, we can only bring a relatively ordinary item to participate in the appraisal fair," Jiang Zhong said with a wry smile and a look of helplessness.
Jiang Zhong was not lying. Although the Antiquities Association had a great reputation, it was, after all, just an organization for appraising antiquities. Appraisal was their forte. They were not skilled in the business of dealing antiquities.
Ye Fan smiled, surprised that such a loyal and honest person as Jiang Zhong would say such things. However, when Ye Fan's gaze fell upon the Buddha statue, he was immediately stunned.
"Kama Buddha."
This Kama Buddha was not an item circulated domestically but originated from abroad. The design of this dual Kama Buddha was unique, differing from the commonly seen Kama Buddhas; it was in a reclining Buddha posture. The male body represented the Dharma, and the female body represented wisdom. Their combination symbolized wisdom and Dharma, an image that resonated with the heart.
"I never expected that the Antiquities Association would possess such an item; it is truly astonishing," Ye Fan said with a smile, winking at Elder Lei.
Hearing Ye Fan's teasing, Elder Lei gave a wry smile but was unconcerned. For him, as long as it was a good treasure, its appearance was not important. Jiang Zhong, on the other hand, was dignified and showed no signs of awkwardness.
"Everyone, let's begin."
This was an item they had studied for a long time, so both Elder Lei, Elder Han, and Jiang Zhong were very familiar with this Kama Buddha and had little else to examine. As for Feng Xiao and the others, including Elder Lu, they were all frowning. Unlike Elder Lei and the others, their eyesight was already far inferior to Elder Lei's. Furthermore, their recent failures had unsettled them internally. Therefore, they were currently unable to discern the authenticity of this item. Ye Fan, however, simply smiled faintly, not making things difficult for them.
Just as Ye Fan was feeling confident, Wang Feng slowly raised his hand from behind him and patted Ye Fan on the back.
"Mr. Ye, please help the Wang family."
With the remaining items dwindling, the competition among various forces became even more intense. For the Wang family to achieve an excellent ranking, they had to win this time. Thus, Wang Feng, in his helplessness, had to seek Ye Fan's help. In his eyes now, Ye Fan was a unique existence. As long as Ye Fan was willing to help, the Wang family would undoubtedly become one of the top families.
Hearing Wang Feng's words, Ye Fan smiled slightly. "There is more to this Kama Buddha statue; it contains a piece of fine jade." Ye Fan's lips curved into a smile, a smile filled with extreme confidence.
"More to it? What do you mean?"
Ye Fan's words piqued Wang Feng's interest. He had initially thought it was an ordinary item, but he never expected it to contain something more. How did Ye Fan figure this out? This was what Wang Feng was most curious about. Indeed, after hearing Wang Feng's words, Ye Fan's smile became even more mysterious.
"The Kama Buddha is a symbol of desire in Mahayana Buddhism. The concept of 'no desire, no craving' simply does not exist in the world. This is why Buddhism often says form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. The appearance of symbols like the Kama Buddha is the Buddhist idea of severing desire."
Ye Fan was not only knowledgeable about antiquities but also profoundly understood Buddhist teachings. To Wang Feng, these words were like gibberish. But Ye Fan spoke with great conviction.
"And the object useful for purifying desire is jade. Jade is the embodiment of purity and can purify all the impurities in the world. Therefore, this Kama Buddha must contain a piece of fine jade within it." Ye Fan naturally would not tell Wang Feng that he had seen it with his divine eyes. After all, he would never reveal the matter of his divine eyes to anyone. Even Shen Tianyin and Liu Piaoxu did not know about Ye Fan's divine eyes.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, especially the last few sentences, Wang Feng nodded as if he understood. "Mr. Ye's words make sense. In that case, our Wang family thanks you, Mr. Ye." Wang Feng smiled. This time, it was thanks to Ye Fan; otherwise, they would never have known that this Kama Buddha contained something more within it.
As time passed quickly, Elder Lei announced again, asking everyone to give their answers. Ye Fan and Wang Feng's answers were similar: both believed it was genuine and contained fine jade within. The other participants' answers were varied, ranging from genuine to fake. However, when they saw the answers given by Ye Fan and Wang Feng, they were all stunned.
"More to it? Containing fine jade? How is that possible? This Kama Buddha has a complex design; how could it contain fine jade inside? What kind of craftsmanship would that require?" Feng Xiao frowned and murmured. Elder Lu also knitted his brows. "The Kama Buddha is a deity in Buddhism; how could it contain ancient jade inside? What? Did the Kama Buddha give birth?" Elder Lu found it quite amusing and did not believe the answers given by Ye Fan and the others at all.
However, regardless of what they said, the final answer would still come from the Antiquities Association, as that would be the most accurate.
"It seems everyone has their own understanding of this Kama Buddha. I am very satisfied with your performance. Antiquities appraisal is like this; you must use your mind, observe meticulously in your best state, and not miss any detail." Elder Lei's voice was not loud, but every word was sonorous and powerful. With his status, such words would not be ridiculed. After all, Elder Lei's position was extraordinary, and in such circumstances, his words were convincing enough.
Hearing Elder Lei's words, Wang Feng and others nodded. "Thank you, Elder Lei." Only Elder Lu and others snorted coldly, clearly showing their disdain for Elder Lei's words. However, Elder Lei did not care about this; there were some people he simply did not take into account.
Subsequently, Elder Lei looked at Jiang Zhong. "You tell us about this Kama Buddha." In such an occasion, it was natural to give more opportunities to young people. With Jiang Zhong's ability, the position of president of the Antiquities Association would undoubtedly be his in the future, as there was no one in his generation who could surpass him. It could be said that Jiang Zhong was an absolute standout. Therefore, Elder Lei would deliberately let Jiang Zhong take the lead in many matters to increase his exposure and prepare him for taking over the Antiquities Association in the future.