"Mr. Li, can you let me go now? I've told you everything I know," the subordinate asked timidly after finishing.
"Of course, but before you go, I still have something to do!"
Li Yang looked at him, grabbed his neck, and said coldly, "You can betray the Longtian Society today, and if you're caught by them again, you'll betray me too."
"So, for peace of mind, you can't keep your tongue!"
"What? You want to cut out my tongue?"
The subordinate broke out in a cold sweat, quickly shaking his head and begging, "Mr. Li, I promise I won't betray you, please let me go."
"You must have said the same thing to the Longtian Society before."
As Li Yang finished speaking, he swiftly brought his hand down, instantly cutting out the man's tongue. He then threw him aside, where the subordinate writhed in agony, letting out continuous screams.
After dealing with him, Li Yang turned and left.
Now that Li Yang knew all the plans of these treacherous spies from Sakura Country, his next course of action was clear. He was determined not to let their wicked plot succeed.
Ten minutes later, Li Yang arrived at Jiang Long's antique shop.
The antique shop was named Haohan Lou, spanning seven floors and boasting a grand scale!
In the antique world, this building was rumored to contain everything imaginable; if you couldn't think of it, you wouldn't find it here.
Li Yang walked in and looked around. Countless antiques filled the space, with walls completely covered, creating a dazzling display.
The antique shop was bustling with business, with many people coming and going. Their conversations all revolved around their experiences of finding hidden gems in this very shop.
It was evident that Jiang Long, the antique appraisal master known as the God of Gamblers, had a very good reputation in the provincial capital.
"Who else!"
As Li Yang browsed the shop, admiring the various antiques, he suddenly heard a rough shout from a nearby corner.
Li Yang turned his head and saw a middle-aged man with a large beard, dressed in a Tang suit, holding a seven-story bronze pagoda. He was arrogantly shouting at the surrounding crowd.
Opposite him, a young man sat on the ground, blood seeping from his mouth, clutching his chest in apparent pain.
Besides them, many people were watching the spectacle, with sporadic applause echoing.
Li Yang became curious and walked over to join the onlookers.
Upon reaching them, he learned that this was a unique event organized by the antique shop, called "Haohan Sets Sail."
The general rules of the event were that appraisal masters would register to participate, then go through successive rounds of challenges and contests against other appraisers present. Whoever lasted until the end would win a treasure from the shop.
The treasure designated for today was the seven-story bronze pagoda he held in his hand.
This artifact, a product of the Western Zhou Dynasty, was crafted for royalty and was incredibly valuable. Li Yang observed a layer of faint green light emanating from its surface, immediately recognizing its extraordinary nature.
He decided then and there to acquire this seven-story bronze pagoda!
"As expected of Old Bai, he's already a three-time consecutive champion. That young man earlier was truly overestimating himself, daring to compete with Old Bai."
"Exactly. Old Bai is a master appraiser. How many people in the entire provincial capital can match him? Even Boss Jiang himself might not be able to defeat Old Bai, let alone us mere mortals."
"It seems Old Bai has already secured today's treasure. Anyone else who dares to challenge Old Bai will undoubtedly suffer the same fate as this kid, being severely injured by Old Bai's power."
Li Yang stood amidst the crowd, listening to the comments about the bearded middle-aged man, and felt a sense of surprise.
This person, who looked no older than forty or fifty, was actually referred to as "Old Bai"!
It was clear that his status in the antique world was indeed very high!
However, Li Yang remained completely unfazed, saying with a faint smile, "It seems that to get this treasure today, I have to beat him. This is also a very good opportunity for my development in the provincial capital."
With this thought, he saw that no one else dared to step forward to challenge. He took a step forward, walked directly to Bai Jingchang, and announced to the crowd, "Sir, I challenge you."
*Hiss!*
All eyes turned to Li Yang.
Following that, a wave of mocking laughter erupted from the crowd!
"Young man, you truly don't know your limits. We've never seen you before, yet you dare to rashly challenge Old Bai?"
"You should get down quickly. If Old Bai unleashes his power, be careful not to be injured and vomit blood on the spot. Don't be so reckless without sufficient strength; after all, you only have one life."
"Exactly, don't waste the opportunity. The slots for challenging Old Bai are limited; let those with prestige take on Old Bai."
The crowd whistled and urged Li Yang to step down.
Even Bai Jingchang sneered at Li Yang's appearance, shaking his head and saying, "Young man, your courage is commendable, but looking at your slender build, I fear you won't be able to withstand the true energy I release during appraisal."
"You should go down. Even if you understand appraisal, you're no match for me!"
"Old Bai, we haven't even started the competition yet, how can you know I'm not your match?"
Li Yang said dismissively and calmly, "I'd like to experience Old Bai's skill. If I win, will the bronze pagoda in your hand belong to me?"
"Of course. If you insist on competing with me, then this old man will indulge you today. However, let's be clear upfront: if you are injured by me or your life is endangered, this old man will not be responsible." Bai Jingchang stroked his beard and patiently explained.
"No problem. I am willing to compete with you, and I will bear the consequences of any outcome myself. Why doesn't Old Bai announce the competition rules, and we can start directly?" Li Yang said calmly.
"Alright, my competition rules are very simple. We will be blindfolded and have to select three genuine artifacts from the pile of antiques in front of us. Whoever selects items of higher value wins." Bai Jingchang pointed to the wall of antiques.
Li Yang's gaze swept over them, and he saw through all the antiques almost at a glance.
He turned back, smiled, and shook his head, saying, "Just this? I'm afraid Old Bai will lose miserably today. I advise Old Bai to change the rules; this way, I think it's unfair to you."
"What? Unfair to me?"
Bai Jingchang couldn't help but show surprise. He looked Li Yang up and down with contempt and couldn't help but laugh wildly, "You are the first young man to dare question my appraisal skills. I am a master appraiser!"
"There are only a few masters in the entire provincial capital. What right do you have to question me? If you truly have the ability to defeat me, I will personally deliver this item to your hands today."
"But if you cannot defeat me, you must apologize to me personally!"
"No problem, it's a deal then!" Li Yang said very readily.