"This brat is truly arrogant; it seems he's in for a rough time today."
"Looking at Elder Bai's expression, he's about to get serious with this kid. When Elder Bai gets angry, life and death are uncertain."
"Who could this kid have offended? He had to pick a fight with Elder Bai. He truly doesn't know the meaning of death."
The surrounding spectators all looked at Li Yang with disdain, thinking him disrespectful for daring to provoke Elder Bai, a grandmaster of antique appraisal.
Li Yang, however, remained unfazed. Since Elder Bai himself saw no need to change the rules, Li Yang saw no reason to persuade him further.
They each took a strip of cloth and covered their eyes.
Following this, they both walked to the wall lined with antiques and began to appraise them by touch.
As a grandmaster, Elder Bai possessed a unique skill: the Divine Five Fingers.
Any antique he touched could quickly reveal its authenticity and origin through clues from its shape, material, feel, and weight.
Ever since he made a name for himself in the antique world, this ability had been recognized and highly respected by everyone in the field.
Today was no different!
He reached for an antique from the first row on the wall, felt it briefly, and then confidently placed it back.
He had determined the first antique to be fake, rendering further appraisal unnecessary.
Next, he picked up the second antique and appraised it in the same manner. This time, he took a bit longer. After a moment, a satisfied expression appeared on his face, and he set one antique aside.
The audience members, witnessing Bai Jingchang's appraisal, gave him thumbs-ups, showing their approval!
In this competition, Bai Jingchang's appraisal speed was even faster than before. This meant Li Yang had very little time left.
After setting aside the selected antique, Bai Jingchang continued to appraise the second item. Judging by the sounds, he noticed Li Yang hadn't started yet and was standing aside, lost in thought. A mocking expression crept onto his face.
So, this brat knew nothing about antique appraisal and was just putting on a show earlier.
He only knew a little bit of the superficial knowledge, couldn't even appraise a single antique, yet he dared to challenge a grandmaster.
The audience also began to mock Li Yang, all believing that Li Yang's earlier request to change the conditions was due to his guilt, knowing he couldn't defeat Elder Bai.
Elder Bai, with a pleased expression, was about to pick up another antique to appraise by touch when he suddenly heard Li Yang move.
Moreover, he heard Li Yang's footsteps were extremely fast. In less than five seconds, he had found three items from the over a hundred antiques on the wall.
This scene utterly stunned the audience!
"What the heck is going on with that kid? How did he appraise the antiques so quickly?"
"He's just guessing. He didn't appraise them at all, just randomly picked three. He must know he can't beat Elder Bai, so this is his last resort."
"It must be like this. Challenging Elder Bai today was the biggest mistake this kid ever made in his life."
None of the audience believed Li Yang could win against Elder Bai.
About five minutes later, Bai Jingchang also selected three antiques. As he removed his blindfold, he glanced back at Li Yang. Upon seeing the three items Li Yang had chosen, he sneered, "Brat, you can still concede now if you want."
"The three items I've chosen are all worth over a million. This first one is a hairpin that Emperor Taizong of Tang gifted to Consort Wu. The carvings are of a purple dragon and jade phoenix, making it extremely precious."
"The second is a ceremonial sword once used by Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms, forged from a special alloy, making it indestructible."
"The third is a piece of calligraphy and painting personally written by Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. It's the only one of its kind in the world, and its value is immeasurable."
"Elder Bai truly is a grandmaster of antique appraisal! The three items he chose are simply incredible!"
After Bai Jingchang finished introducing his three items, a young spectator in the crowd couldn't help but praise him.
The other spectators beside him nodded in agreement.
However, Li Yang, standing opposite Bai Jingchang, remained calm, showing no sign of admiration.
After the crowd quieted down, Li Yang finally spoke, "Elder Bai, your three items are indeed not bad, but compared to mine, they pale in comparison!"
"Young man, there's a limit to bragging. You casually picked three items and dare to say you can beat me? Isn't that laughable?"
Bai Jingchang shook his head mockingly, looking at Li Yang's items. "The combined value of your three items is likely less than my single hairpin. What makes you think you can win?"
"Elder Bai, please take a closer look. Are you sure my three items are not as valuable as your one? I think the opposite is true."
Li Yang first presented his first antique. It was a small cloisonné ornament, appearing very exquisite and ancient in style. It was indeed a fine piece.
The crowd looked at it. Although it appeared exquisite, they didn't think it would be worth much.
At most, it would fetch ten to twenty thousand yuan!
However, Li Yang's next words shocked everyone present. "Everyone, please look. This cloisonné ornament is called 'Shoushan Stone.' Although it's small, its craftsmanship is the unique 'Jiang Shi' gilding technique."
"This gilding method is extremely difficult to master. In the current antique market for cloisonné, there are no more than three items that use this gilding technique."
"And the significance of this piece is even more profound than the other two, as it was used by a Tang Dynasty consort as a calming object for sleep."
"What? Such a small thing? It can even be used as a calming object? You're not bluffing, are you?"
A young spectator in the audience couldn't help but express doubt.
Li Yang, anticipating such a reaction, smiled slightly and continued, "Please, everyone, remain calm. If you have any doubts about the value of this item, the shop still has notaries. Moreover, with Elder Bai's appraisal skills, it shouldn't be difficult for him to discern its value."
"Now, I will hand this item over to Elder Bai for appraisal, and he will announce the result to everyone."
With that, Li Yang personally handed the item to Bai Jingchang.
This was a situation where Bai Jingchang would have to face-slap himself. If he lied publicly, his reputation would be ruined, so he could only tell the truth.
He had previously claimed this item was worthless. Now, after re-appraising it, if it turned out to be genuine, it would mean his voluntary concession.
Li Yang's move was truly miraculous!
As he handed the antique to Bai Jingchang, Li Yang wore a confident smile.
Bai Jingchang's expression turned serious. He took the antique and appraised it himself. Within seconds, his face suddenly changed drastically, and he looked at Li Yang with great shock!
"Elder Bai, what is the appraisal result? Is this item genuine or fake, and what is its value?" Li Yang asked with a faint smile after seeing him finish the appraisal.