Ning Lang's face turned slightly red at the remark.
Zhu Changjiang was right; he was indeed a defeated opponent. Having been tricked by him once, his judgment wavered, and his confidence faltered.
The antique trade had its own rules, vastly different from the brawls of the underworld.
This circle valued cultural heritage. Although most people lacked genuine culture, that's how it had been established since ancient times.
Thus, Ning Lang found himself temporarily speechless and unable to retort.
He could only say resentfully, "Zhu Changjiang, don't push it too far."
"Hmph, I don't even take you seriously," Zhu Changjiang sneered, glancing sideways at Li Chonglou with a mocking expression. "It's a shame you have no foresight and keep running into my hands."
"If you're going to find someone, find someone more senior. Why find such a greenhorn who knows nothing about antiques?"
He had dominated the antique world for decades, from Yong'an to the capital, and had studied under the renowned master Lu Weishen. His arrogance had accumulated over the years.
It was natural for him to dismiss Ning Lang, who was a latecomer to the field, let alone this unassuming young man, Li Chonglou.
The crucial point was that this kid had actually sought him out for trouble.
It was likely to avenge Ning Lang.
Unfortunately, he had run into a tough nut like himself.
Zhu Changjiang was inwardly triumphant, his face set in a defiant sneer.
Ning Lang's face was a mixture of blue and white, unsure how to respond.
He could only look at Li Chonglou helplessly.
He was no match for Zhu Changjiang with words alone, nor could he compete with his eyesight. He couldn't resort to force, could he?
If he were to use force, it would mean antagonizing the entire Yong'an antique circle.
From then on, everyone would shun him, Ning Lang.
Such a thing was absolutely out of the question.
Li Chonglou's expression remained calm, unaffected by Zhu Changjiang's taunting words. The hand rubbing the pipe stem never stopped.
This made Ning Lang's heart flutter like ants.
Just as he was about to prompt Li Chonglou to say something, he heard him speak indifferently, "A frog in a well, your worldly experience is limited to this."
"Since you studied under Lu Weishen, you should be familiar with coral agate, shouldn't you?"
"Open your eyes and see what this is."
With that, he held up the pipe stem in his hand.
Moving his hand away from the mouthpiece, the white alkali that had clung to it was gone without a trace, revealing the intricately patterned mouthpiece.
It was crystal clear like jade, its internal patterns visible, refracting colorful light in the sun, dazzling like a kaleidoscope.
"Wow..."
The crowd around them gasped in amazement.
Most of them were collectors, with a few merchants also present. They had seen many beautiful things.
But they had never heard of such a brilliant and dazzling agate.
This...
It was far more beautiful than Australia's national treasure, the opal.
Everyone had likely seen abalone shells. This was like an abalone shell meticulously polished, its iridescent colors amplified tenfold.
Then, after being sealed in resin, it formed a crystal-clear effect.
But one was natural, the other artificial – entirely different concepts.
"Cor... coral agate... This is impossible..." Zhu Changjiang's eyes widened abruptly, his face etched with disbelief as he stood dumbfounded.
As a descendant of a genuine antique lineage, although he specialized only in snuff bottles, calligraphy, and porcelain, he had systematically studied other major categories.
How could he not have heard of coral agate?
However, its existing quantity was extremely rare; it was exclusively used by royalty in the past, and commoners never even saw it.
Therefore, he had never had the chance to see it.
Seeing the dilapidated pipe stem reborn in Li Chonglou's hands, his mind went blank, unable to believe it.
Not only him, but even the stall owner who sold the item almost had his eyeballs pop out.
He stared intently at the pipe stem, wishing he could snatch it back.
Although he didn't know what coral agate was, based on the pipe stem's current appearance, it was undoubtedly worth a fortune.
Forget twenty thousand,
It could even be worth two hundred thousand!
But the money had already been collected, and he had no room for regret.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
Ning Lang's expression was peculiar, filled with surprise.
He knew of coral and agate individually, but he had never heard of them combined.
Did such a thing truly exist?
"Everything is possible in this world," Li Chonglou said, withdrawing the pipe stem with a flourish. "The formation conditions for coral agate are extremely harsh. It is formed when fossilized coral skeletons from the deep sea are encased in silica solution during submarine volcanic eruptions and then instantly cooled by seawater."
"It's like insect amber within amber. The only difference is that the coral skeleton remains undamaged under the high-temperature magma and forms a crystal-clear inclusion. This is a one-in-a-billion chance."
"Precisely because it forms in the deep sea, it possesses an anti-alkali property."
"Historically, there are only two documented pieces of coral agate that have surfaced."
"One was presented to the royal family by a Persian envoy during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. It was later made into an ornament and given as dowry to Princess Wencheng, who took it to Tubo."
"The other was acquired by Imperial Commissioner Li Hongzhang from the Ryukyu Islands during the Qing Dynasty, from which two pipe stems were made."
"One was presented to Empress Dowager Cixi, and the other was kept for his own use."
"The one in my hand is the one Li Hongzhang used himself!"
"Unfortunately, you only recognize old rosewood and are unaware of the secret of this pipe stem, yet you smugly flaunt your ignorance. How laughable!"
"You and Lin Ao are truly worthy of being fellow disciples. He was just as arrogant as you in Qin Province, but now he retreats three steps whenever he sees me."
"Hiss..."
His words caused the entire audience to gasp in unison.
Everyone's eyes were wide, listening to Li Chonglou's account as if it were a divine scripture.
No one dared to refute him because they had never heard of such a thing.
Zhu Changjiang was utterly shocked. His steps faltered, and he stumbled back several paces before someone steadied him.
His face turned pale, and sweat poured down his body, soaking his clothes in an instant.
His mind was a complete blank.
He could only stare fixedly at Li Chonglou.
That's right, coral agate had only appeared twice in history, just as Li Chonglou had said.
Because of this, how could he have imagined that the dirty, alkali-covered pipe stem he had acquired was a rare treasure?
At this moment, he could no longer discern truth from falsehood. He suddenly remembered that during their last phone call, his junior disciple Lin Ao had told him that he had been defeated by someone named Li Chonglou.
And had even lost his jade pendant.
Could it be...
"You... What is your name?" Finally, after a full five seconds, Zhu Changjiang regained his senses and asked with a trembling voice.
"Remember this, my brother's name is Li Chonglou. Don't talk about yourself, even if your master Lu Weishen were here, he might not be Chonglou's match!" Before Li Chonglou could answer, Ning Lang proudly replied for him.
Seeing Zhu Changjiang's current state, he felt an immense sense of satisfaction.
As expected of Li Chonglou, with just a few words, he had made Zhu Changjiang reveal such an embarrassing state.
It was beyond his wildest imagination.
"It really is you... It really is you!" Hearing the name, Zhu Changjiang acted as if he had seen a ghost. He pushed through the crowd and bolted, running away.
In a flash, he was no longer visible.
Li Chonglou looked bewildered.
This...
Did he not even need to verify the truth of his words?
This Zhu Changjiang was too timid.
Actually, he misunderstood. Zhu Changjiang wasn't timid; he had already heard of Li Chonglou's prowess from Lin Ao.
Someone who could surpass Lin Ao in terms of eyesight was not someone he could compete with.
Staying at the scene would only invite ridicule.
He couldn't afford to lose face.
His hasty retreat, however, caused the crowd to erupt.
"What's going on? Zhu Changjiang just ran off like that? He calls himself a master, but he's as skittish as a rabbit."
"An astonishing piece of news! The number one Master Zhu of Yong'an was actually defeated by Li Chonglou. This news will probably spread throughout Yong'an."
"Master Li, we were blind and failed to recognize true treasure. We misunderstood you. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against us..."
...
Immediately, many with sharp eyes began to offer apologies.
Even their address changed, and their tone became extremely respectful.
This was the way of the antique trade; talent was paramount, regardless of age. Li Chonglou's ability to scare Zhu Changjiang away with just a name spoke volumes about his capabilities.
Who wouldn't want to befriend such a person? It would be their loss.
"Master, then... how much is this pipe stem actually worth?" The stall owner was completely stunned now, asking nervously.
Even a fool knew that a treasure described so mystically couldn't possibly be worth only twenty thousand.
He had missed out on a great fortune, a colossal treasure.
But Li Chonglou was now highly respected, and he dared not go back on his word, lest he lose the right to do business in Yong'an in the future.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel curious and wanted to know the exact value.
"This item can no longer be measured by money; it is priceless," Li Chonglou said, knowing the stall owner's thoughts. He was forthright, "I found this treasure from you. In good conscience, I cannot let you suffer too much of a loss."
"However, I can't give you an exorbitant amount. I'll compensate you with another two hundred thousand as compensation for your loss."
"Thank you, Master! Master, you are truly my benefactor!" The stall owner was ecstatic at his words.
Two hundred thousand.
To just give him that much, what a gesture, what magnanimity.
He knew very well that if this item had remained with him, its maximum selling price would be no more than two hundred thousand.
Different platforms had vastly different values for the same item.
Li Chonglou's willingness to compensate him with two hundred thousand for free was like a pie falling from the sky.
What more could he possibly ask for?
Li Chonglou transferred the two hundred thousand, exchanged contact information and WeChat with the stall owner, declined invitations from the onlookers, and left the market with the pipe stem and Ning Lang.
In a corner of the market, a pair of eyes had been watching his retreating figure until he completely disappeared.
After leaving the market and getting into the car, Ning Lang finally couldn't help but ask, "You found the treasure through your own skill, yet you gave the stall owner two hundred thousand. Is it for future business?"
"Clever," Li Chonglou replied with a smile. "After all, I'm new here."
"To make a living in Yong'an, one needs to be capable in oneself and have extensive connections."
"As I'm in the business of opening a shop, I need a stable supply of goods."
"This twenty thousand, while appearing as compensation to the stall owner, is actually to build my reputation. When some people have items to sell, they will think of me first."
"After all, they know that if they give it to me, they won't lose too much."
Li Chonglou had seen a titan of the antique world in his previous life master this business principle.
He was merely borrowing from it.
However, in Ning Lang's eyes, it was truly admirable.
"Awesome! You gather true treasures and people's hearts. It's hard for you not to get rich!"