That evening, Er Zhu placed all the rare treasures in his bedroom. As wisps of spiritual energy continuously seeped into his body, his strength also advanced further!
For instance, his Heavenly Eye experienced another breakthrough, now capable of perceiving areas dozens of miles away!
While some areas remained blurry, he could discern the general situation!
Not only that, his physical strength and martial arts saw a qualitative leap. Now, he could kill five bulls with a single punch without any issue!
As his strength continuously climbed, his aura underwent significant changes, and even his appearance showed subtle alterations!
Of course, these changes were only perceptible to Er Zhu himself; ordinary people couldn't sense them.
*Hoo…*
Once all the spiritual energy from the antiques was absorbed, Er Zhu performed a finishing move and let out a long sigh of relief.
It was dawn now, and coincidentally, today was the day Miao Qing and others were scheduled to visit his antique collection. Er Zhu opened a room on the top floor of the villa, which was filled with various jade wares!
If Miao Qing and the others saw these jade pieces, their blood pressure would likely surge with excitement, yet Er Zhu remained as composed as ever.
While Er Zhu was arranging the antiques, Miao Qing had already prepared everything.
Today was his last chance to salvage his reputation!
He refused to believe that this fellow truly possessed so many Han Dynasty jade artifacts!
Even if, for the sake of argument, he did possess so many jade pieces, Miao Qing still couldn't believe there wouldn't be a single counterfeit among them!
Even if this brat had studied antiques since he was in his mother's womb, he wouldn't have achieved such mastery!
With this thought, a sinister smile crept onto Miao Qing's lips, and he gazed towards the direction of Shiliu Village with cold, sharp eyes.
In the blink of an eye, the influential figures of Liuzhen, led by Old Master Miao, arrived at Shiliu Village, causing a stir!
This small mountain village rarely saw even a nouveau riche, yet now, over fifty influential magnates had arrived at once!
Moreover, these people were all here for Er Zhu!
The villagers crowded at Er Zhu's doorstep, gazing at the impeccably dressed magnates with eyes full of admiration and envy.
Never mind these magnates; just knowing one of them would be a fortune!
"Er Zhu, hurry up and open the door so we can come in. The air here is so stuffy."
Miao Qing, holding Old Master Miao's arm, covered his mouth and disparagingly glanced at Shiliu Village, impatiently urging.
Although Shiliu Village was now the wealthiest village in Liuzhen, in the eyes of these magnates, it was still a poor and remote place, especially from the perspective of a rich second-generation like Miao Qing, who had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth.
As soon as Miao Qing finished speaking, the other magnates nodded in agreement. If it weren't for the antiques, they would never set foot in such a place!
"Qing'er, don't talk nonsense. I think the air here is quite good, and the village is full of two-story houses. Isn't that nice?"
Old Master Miao shot Miao Qing a displeased glance and then gestured to the surrounding Western-style houses, his eyes filled with surprise.
Er Zhu truly had a knack for things. Not only had he become the richest man, but he had also managed the village so well!
A young man with such capability was rare, not just in the countryside but even among affluent families!
Thinking of Er Zhu, and then looking at the disappointing Miao Qing beside him, Old Master Miao sighed and shook his head helplessly.
Indeed, comparing oneself to others leads to despair; comparing goods makes one want to discard them!
Seeing his grandfather's disapproving gaze, Miao Qing's hatred for Er Zhu intensified. If not for so many people present, he would have loved to tear down Er Zhu's house!
"Please come in, everyone." Just then, Er Zhu's voice came from across the way.
Seeing Er Zhu's calm demeanor, Miao Qing sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"My God, Er Zhu, you have more antiques than I do!"
"Heavens, these must be worth billions combined!"
"Hurry over and see! This entire wall is filled with Han Dynasty jade, at least a dozen pieces!"
...
While Miao Qing was lost in thought, he suddenly heard the magnates' exclamations of admiration and surprise. Standing in that room, these magnates looked like country bumpkins visiting the city for the first time, finding everything novel!
Looking at the dazzling array of antiques, Miao Qing's face turned ashen, as if he had swallowed a fly!
He had originally come to mock Er Zhu, but reality had slapped him hard!
However, it didn't matter. The richest man in three cities naturally had plenty of money; buying these antiques wasn't the main point. The crucial thing was to find a counterfeit!
With this thought, Miao Qing's expression brightened considerably. He meticulously examined each antique, afraid of missing any detail!
Genuine?
Genuine!
Genuine?
...
Miao Qing looked at an entire wall of antiques and found them all to be genuine!
At this moment, Miao Qing's face turned green. He furrowed his brow, his anger rising to his chest!
Impossible! How could this brat have bought only genuine pieces without having the Fiery Golden Eyes?
"Grandpa Tang, could you come here for a moment? I need your help with something."
Miao Qing was unwilling to give up. He waved to Old Master Tang nearby, suppressing his anger.
Perhaps he hadn't looked carefully enough. Once Grandpa Tang arrived, he was sure to find a counterfeit!
No more, just one would suffice!
"Qing'er, that's enough! If you continue to make trouble, don't blame me for being harsh!"
Before Old Master Tang could speak, Old Master Miao had appeared beside Miao Qing. His eyes were filled with fury!
As his grandson, whom he had raised himself, Old Master Miao knew Miao Qing's intentions all too well!
Miao Qing could envy Er Zhu's abilities, but he must not be jealous, let alone hate him for it!
"It's fine, Grandpa Miao. Let Miao Qing look. They're all genuine anyway."
Just as Miao Qing was about to retort, Er Zhu also walked over. He held Old Master Miao's arm and led him in another direction.
He had understood Miao Qing's intentions since that day at the Miao family's place. Since he wanted to search, let him search to his heart's content. This fool wasn't worthy of his attention if he wanted to see him make a fool of himself!
"Heh, what arrogance! Even Grandpa Tang wouldn't dare guarantee he wouldn't make a mistake, yet you dare to speak such boastful words, you brat, truly audacious!"
Miao Qing sneered, mocking Er Zhu, but Er Zhu didn't even turn back, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"You're too damn arrogant, kid, you just wait!"
Faced with Er Zhu's disregard, Miao Qing became even more infuriated. He gritted his teeth, his fists clenching with a cracking sound!
Old Master Tang looked at Er Zhu, then at Miao Qing, and guessed Miao Qing's intentions. He sighed and walked in another direction.
As an elder, he never interfered in the conflicts of the younger generation, especially when one of those younger generations was a fool!
"Grandpa Tang, don't leave, come and help me take a look."
Just as Old Master Tang was about to leave, Miao Qing, who had somehow appeared beside him, grabbed his arm before Old Master Tang could agree.
Out of respect for Old Master Miao, Old Master Tang did not get angry. He took the antiques handed to him one by one by Miao Qing, and could only utter four words:
All genuine!