"Lin, my young friend, I know the jade of this plate is of good quality, but can you identify the carvings on it, and this very special indentation in the middle?"
"I feel that the indentation on the plate was deliberately made by the designer, but I have searched through ancient books and found no record of such a plate."
Tang Jingde explained earnestly to Lin Xiaotian. Lin Xiaotian's gaze swept over the carved patterns and the indentation, and he too fell into confusion.
The patterns on the plate seemed to be three dragons coiling and growing, their eyes sharp and spirited, staring intently at the indentation in the middle, and there were traces of blood on their claws, extremely sharp!
The dragon bodies were lifelike, and each dragon scale was meticulously crafted by the carver, uniform in size, demonstrating extremely profound carving techniques.
Lin Xiaotian observed for a moment, a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and he patted Tang Jingde's shoulder, saying, "Old Tang, you are quite lucky. I have already identified the origin of this plate. It is a very famous Nine Palaces Dragon Jade Plate from the Later Qin Dynasty."
"The existing quantity of this Dragon Jade Plate is extremely small. I'm afraid that besides this one, it would take a hundred years to find another. Therefore, I can confidently say that it is absolutely the only Dragon Jade Plate in the world right now, and it is genuine."
"Nine Palaces Dragon Jade Plate? Is this the artifact of the Later Qin Kingdom recorded in the historical texts of the Later Qin Dynasty?"
Upon hearing Lin Xiaotian's explanation, Tang Jingde also showed surprise and exclaimed.
Lin Xiaotian nodded and said, "Indeed, it is. Although the historical records about this jade plate are not extensive, its authenticity is easy to discern."
"Currently, in the carving world, no one can carve the Nine Palaces Dragon pattern so lifelike. Even with machinery, it is difficult to achieve perfection in the details of some dragon horns and claws. Only the famous carving master Xu Shang of the Later Qin could achieve this."
"I never thought such a rare item truly existed in this world. If this plate were intact, its value would surely be in the billions. It's a pity..."
"Are you going to mention the issue with the indentation, Lin, my young friend?" Tang Jingde said deeply.
"Precisely. According to ancient records, there should be a Nine Palaces Dragon Pearl in this indentation, which is what the three true dragons in the pattern are guarding."
"Legend has it that the pearl contains strong spiritual energy and is priceless. It is precisely because of that pearl that the value of the Nine Palaces Dragon Jade Plate is fully realized. Now that the soul of the plate is missing, its value is likely to be greatly diminished."
Lin Xiaotian returned the plate to Tang Jingde and smiled calmly, "This special jade has no collection value, but it is suitable for grinding into powder to make a cosmetic with miraculous effects. Even someone disfigured could have their appearance restored."
"However, Old Tang, you probably wouldn't bear to sacrifice it, so keep it as a collector's item."
"Alright, thank you, Lin, my young friend, for appraising this item. Although this plate is missing the dragon pearl, perhaps one day I can find the dragon pearl, and this antique might have a chance to be restored."
Tang Jingde's face showed some disappointment, but his heart still held a glimmer of hope, unwilling to give up so easily.
After chatting with him for a while, Lin Xiaotian was about to leave when a staff member from outside knocked on the door and entered, saying, "Mr. Lin, someone is looking for you outside the antique shop."
"Looking for me? Who?" Lin Xiaotian asked curiously.
"He didn't say, only that he needed your help with something urgent," the staff member replied casually.
"Alright, I understand. I'll go down and see."
Lin Xiaotian finished speaking, bid farewell to Tang Jingde, and went downstairs.
He arrived downstairs and saw an old man in his sixties standing at the entrance of the antique shop, with a young child. They looked hurried, but Lin Xiaotian did not recognize them.
The staff at the antique shop heard that they were looking for Lin Xiaotian and treated them very warmly, offering tea and water, but the old man refused.
"Esteemed elder, I heard you were looking for me? May I ask what the matter is?" Lin Xiaotian asked as he approached the old man.
"Are you Master Lin? I was recommended to seek your help. You must help me. Something very strange has happened in my home. If it cannot be resolved, my grandson and I might lose our lives."
The old man grabbed Lin Xiaotian's hand excitedly and pleaded with him.
Lin Xiaotian looked confused and asked, "Elder, what exactly is going on? Don't rush, tell me slowly."
"Yes, I am an ordinary family living in the suburbs of Songzhou City. Recently, I have been hearing strange noises in the middle of the night. The sound is like someone hammering, but I have searched several times and could not find where it was coming from."
"Every time I approached the source of the sound, it would disappear. I suspected I was hallucinating and went to the hospital for a check-up, but the doctor told me I was fine. So I am sure I have encountered something evil."
"Then how did you know about me? Who recommended you to find me?"
Lin Xiaotian was very curious. He had not advertised his ability to exorcise evil spirits, so how did this old man find him?
"It was a young and beautiful girl. She was handing out flyers everywhere, advertising that you can exorcise evil spirits and that your powers are profound. I found you through that girl," the old man continued.
"A young girl? Is she well-built? With a melon-seed face, about 1.7 meters tall? And she looks lively and mischievous?" Lin Xiaotian asked curiously, stroking his chin.
"Yes, yes, yes, it was her, it was her who sent me here. Master Lin, you must help me. No matter how much it costs, I will pay you. I just don't want to be disturbed by this sound anymore. I am truly terrified."
The old man's anxious demeanor softened Lin Xiaotian's heart.
After a while, Lin Xiaotian readily agreed, "Don't worry, elder. This matter is on me. But I am a little curious, how much did you pay that girl to come find me?"
"I haven't paid her yet. She said she wouldn't charge if the matter wasn't resolved, and we could discuss the price after it was settled," the old man said frankly.
"So that's how it is."
Lin Xiaotian understood everything. It turned out that Ye Wantong, that girl, wanted to make money by exorcising evil spirits behind his back.
The key was that she didn't have to do anything, and he was the one doing the work.
In the end, she was the one who benefited?
Thinking of this, a surge of anger rose in Lin Xiaotian's heart. He thought that this time, he must teach her a lesson for her bad habit. She dared to use him, so she must pay the price!
"Elder, don't worry, our exorcism fees are not expensive, and there are even rewards. After completing an order, you can ask that girl for an eighty percent commission. As for the exorcism fee, you can pay me after it's done," Lin Xiaotian said with a smile.