Chapter 106 The Black Square Ding
Seated on the right was a portly man dressed in a Tang suit, wearing a Rolex watch, a thick gold chain around his neck, and a thumb ring on his finger.
He reluctantly stood up, sighing, "I've already shown this thing to you hundreds of times. Do you genuinely want it, or are you toying with me? If not, I'll head back to Guang Province!"
"Boss Fu, please rest assured, we genuinely want it," said one of the big bosses present.
He was a prominent figure in Jiangbei, with billions in assets, ranking among the top in attendance.
"Then give face to the wealthy of Jiangzhou and Jiangbei."
Boss Fu nodded and signaled, having his subordinate bring a rustic pear blossom wooden chest from the back and place it on the eight immortals table in the hall.
Inside the ancient chest lay a black square ding. Its overall shape was symmetrical, the carvings exquisite, and the edges were etched with intricate runes and ancient inscriptions. Though not large, it exuded a grand and magnificent aura, clearly a remarkable artifact.
Crucially, as soon as the black square ding appeared, it was as if a breeze flowed through the entire hall, and the temperature dropped several degrees, feeling refreshingly cool like air conditioning.
Everyone's gaze shifted to the black square ding, their eyes revealing a hint of fervor.
Zhou Tiancheng stared at the black square ding, his expression fanatical, as if he were looking at a stunning beauty, his mouth watering.
"Hmm?"
Chen Xuan, who had been indifferent, felt a stir and suddenly looked at the black square ding, his expression becoming somewhat peculiar.
"Mr. Chen, what do you think?" Zhou Tiancheng asked nervously.
To avoid unnecessary trouble by calling Chen Xuan brother-in-law, he had deliberately changed his address.
In fact, he was now less optimistic about Chen Xuan. Although Chen Xuan possessed considerable ability, he paled in comparison to Master Lu, whom Zhou Tiancheng had brought.
Before Chen Xuan could speak, Fang Yaozu sneered sarcastically, "What do I think? Young Master Zhou, you're truly getting dumber with age. After seeing it so many times, don't you know if it's real or fake? You're actually asking a youngster if he can distinguish between an antique and a magical artifact?"
Chen Xuan felt like laughing but remained silent.
The moment he saw the black square ding, he had already recognized it as a ritual vessel used for sacrifices in the southeastern regions during the Song Dynasty.
The black square ding was inscribed with a formation that could mobilize the powers of heaven and earth, showcasing its might. It was indeed a magical artifact.
However, the southeastern regions were known for practicing gu breeding, with many gu masters, and the Song Dynasty was particularly prosperous in this regard.
The intended purpose of this black square ding was, therefore, self-evident.
Zhou Tiancheng's face darkened. He wanted to retort but didn't know what to say, only managing to grit his teeth.
Seeing Chen Xuan's silence, Murong Yuan turned to a middle-aged man in black Taoist robes behind him. "Master Yang, I'll trouble you to inspect it this time."
"Mr. Murong is too kind," Master Yang replied calmly, nodding.
The gazes of the wealthy patrons fell upon Master Yang, their eyes filled with a touch of reverence. It was clear that Master Yang was the reliance of Jiangbei's affluent.
Master Yang approached the eight immortals table, cupped the black square ding from the wooden box with both hands, and placed it on the table. He then took out an ancient compass from his embrace, walked around the table twice, muttering incantations with a solemn expression.
The wealthy guests held their breath, their gazes fixed on Master Yang, afraid of disturbing him.
Only Murong Yuan smiled and said, "This Master Yang is a renowned Feng Shui master in the Jiangbei region, with a profound understanding of Feng Shui artifacts. It was Master Yang who helped me acquire an Eight Trigram Mirror at an auction in the provincial capital. With this mirror, the prosperity of my Murong family has flourished!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression became incredibly vivid. They were surprised by the secret behind the Murong family's rapid growth and looked at the black square ding with even greater fervor.
If this black square ding could bring prosperity to their families, they would spend any amount of money!
Fang Yaozu let out a condescending smile. "Heh heh, Mr. Murong, aren't you exaggerating? Even if Master Yang is formidable, can he compare to my Master Lu? My Master Lu has helped me acquire two Feng Shui artifacts!"
Master Yang's face immediately showed displeasure. He put away his compass and snorted, "Judging by the inscriptions and overall style of this black square ding, it is an ancient artifact from the Song Dynasty in the southeastern region. I can confirm it is a magical artifact, but I'm unsure of its specific effects."
"Since Mr. Long speaks so highly of Master Lu, let Master Lu authenticate it for everyone."
With that, Master Yang flicked his sleeve and sat back down, his expression gloomy.
"Embarrassing!"
Master Lu, who had been resting with his eyes closed beside Fang Yaozu, suddenly opened his eyes. A faint white gleam flashed within them as he spoke disdainfully, angering Master Yang greatly.
Many wealthy individuals' expressions changed. These patrons relied on Master Yang, and this was akin to slapping them in the face.
Only Master Yang gritted his teeth in annoyance, watching Master Lu with a playful gaze.
Master Yang's ancestors had been Feng Shui masters for generations, tracing back over two hundred years, passing down the knowledge. His foundation in Feng Shui and Xuan Shu was profound; he was not some charlatan.
He had used his compass earlier to roughly deduce that the black square ding was a magical artifact.
He refused to believe that Master Lu could ascertain the origin of this artifact!
"It seems your skills are shallow. Let me enlighten you."
Disregarding the cold stares of the crowd, Master Lu approached the eight immortals table. He formed a hand seal, chanted incantations, and closed his eyes halfway, a faint light flowing within them.
"This..."
The wealthy patrons were astonished to see Master Lu's sleeves puff out as if blown by a powerful gust of wind. They were dumbfounded. Was he human or immortal?
This was not all. Master Lu paused, then bit his thumb, letting blood gush out. He pressed his thumb firmly onto the black square ding.
As the blood dripped onto the ding, it sizzled as if the black square ding had become extremely hot, and the blood instantly dried up.
He raised his hand and gently shook the black square ding.
Suddenly, the black square ding trembled violently and shot out three jade tablets, emerald green in color, suspending themselves in three directions around it. A subtle energy flowed between them, tightly connected.
As the three jade tablets appeared, the room immediately became vibrant and full of life, as if a warm current was nourishing their flesh and blood, filling them with vitality. Their faces involuntarily showed expressions of contentment, as if they had shed years off their age.
"Look! Look!" a wealthy patron suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone looked over, seeing a pot of unknown green plants placed on the windowsill, growing vigorously at a visible rate!
This potent vitality clearly possessed the effect of prolonging life!
"This..."
Everyone was dumbfounded, then reacted, their gazes fixated on the black square ding that was shaking intensely.
"It's definitely a magical artifact! And it has the effect of prolonging life!" shouted the Jiangbei tycoon from earlier.
Zhou Tiancheng slapped his thigh hard, his eyes gleaming, his saliva flowing, as if a scantily clad supermodel were seducing him.
Murong Bo couldn't help but tremble, his expression becoming complex, filled with excitement, greed, and longing.
The more powerful and influential one was, the more they feared death. If there was such a life-prolonging artifact, they could likely live several years longer, let alone someone like him, who was already half in the grave.
However, Chen Xuan stared at the pot of green plants with a peculiar expression, seeing something else entirely...