The Black Cheat Divine Artifact!
Excellent, with the ultimate treasure appraisal ability, Ye Xuan could traverse all sorts of antique markets and auction houses with no equal.
Evidently.
The same applied here!
With this thought, Ye Xuan's lips curved into a subtle arc, which, however, caused Luo Tianyi, standing beside him, to frown slightly.
"Husband, what are you smiling so sinisterly about?"
Luo Tianyi rolled her eyes at the man beside her and said exasperatedly.
Seeing this, Ye Xuan's gaze landed on his stunning wife's graceful figure, and he shamelessly ogled her from head to toe. "Heh heh, of course, I'm thinking about our darling, tsk tsk~"
Evidently, with the addition of the Black Cheat, Ye Xuan was in a very good mood at this moment.
Luo Tianyi: "........"
"Pah, what nonsense are you talking about."
"Hmph hmph~~"
Luo Tianyi felt the gaze of a certain man and knew exactly what her husband was thinking. She huffed, knowing he was definitely recalling their 'intimate card flipping' from last night.
Even now, they could hardly believe how many times they had 'flipped cards' yesterday.
"300,000 US dollars!"
"500,000 US dollars!"
"800,000 US dollars!!"
As the bidding continued, the bronze cauldron was eventually purchased by a local tycoon for 2.3 million US dollars. Given the tycoon's stature, it was clear he bought it for his collection.
Next, the auctioneer on stage began the second, third, fourth items...
"Jun porcelain plum vase: Authentic Liao Dynasty. Height 36cm, mouth diameter 5.3cm, chest diameter 15cm, base diameter 8cm. The chest and abdomen exhibit irregular spots of rose-purple glaze, naturally formed during firing, with a subtle halo effect... Appraisal Price: 3 million US dollars!"
"Longquan celadon twin-handled vase: Authentic Song Dynasty. Mouth diameter 7.4cm, height 20cm, weight 0.4kg. This vase has a disc-shaped mouth, a slender neck with twin handles, a broad shoulder, a cylindrical body, and a ring foot. The entire body is covered in celadon glaze, full, lustrous, and bright, like ice and jade. There are some minor crackles on the neck... Appraisal Price: 3.5 million US dollars!"
"Ru ware painted ancient jar: Authentic Indian subcontinent..."
One after another, antique calligraphy and paintings from all over the world dazzled the eyes, and their quality was all top-notch. It could be said that each auction item was priced no less than a million US dollars.
Evidently, the Munich Auction House had its own bottom line. After all, putting up items of too low value would only diminish their prestige and waste the time of their esteemed guests.
Ye Xuan had not made a bid from the start until one particular item appeared.
"Gilt Buddha Head of Shakyamuni: Authentic Tang Dynasty. Height 40 centimeters, face width 26 centimeters, circumference approximately 120 centimeters. The Buddha's face is full and well-defined, with earlobes reaching the shoulders. Dignified and benevolent, possessing both form and spirit... Appraisal Price: Priceless! [Note: The exterior of this Buddha head is cast with special copper for high imitation, while the interior is the genuine article.]"
Oh?
Seeing the Buddha head of Shakyamuni on the auction stage, Ye Xuan felt interest for the first time. A priceless treasure from the Tang Dynasty, quite interesting.
Meanwhile, the auctioneer on stage had already announced, "Alright, the 23rd lot up for auction is titled 'Gilt Buddha Head of Shakyamuni'. Although it is a copper-plated imitation, the craftsmanship was top-tier even for its time, possessing significant collection value. The starting bid is 1 million US dollars, with each bid increase no less than 100,000 US dollars!"
"1 million US dollars!"
"1.1 million US dollars!"
"1.3 million US dollars!!"
Bids from various parties rose one after another. Everyone present was an expert. Although they did not know that the head was a priceless genuine artifact, the craftsmanship alone had piqued the interest of many.
"2 million."
A calm voice emanated from the auction seats, and all eyes turned to Ye Xuan. For a moment, many people retreated, as a direct jump of 700,000 US dollars had clearly exceeded their financial capabilities.
"2.1 million US dollars, I'll take it!"
As Ye Xuan's voice fell, Phil, who had been waiting impatiently beside him, curled his lips. This was his territory, Phil's territory. Even a dragon had to coil here.
"5 million."
The voice remained calm and unhurried. Phil snorted, "5.1 million US dollars!"
"10 million."
Woosh~!!!
Ye Xuan's bid once again caused a stir throughout the entire auction hall. This was the first time anyone had bid tens of millions for this Buddha head. But... was it truly worth it? This Buddha head was estimated to be worth no more than 2 million at most.
The auctioneer was also taken aback. He had previously heard that Chinese people were foolish and rich, and now he saw it was indeed true.
Phil was also stunned upon hearing this. Was that kid... a complete hothead?
With this thought, Phil's gaze towards Ye Xuan intensified with contempt. Clearly, he felt it was beneath him to compete with such a person.
"Are there any higher bids? For the Buddha Head of Shakyamuni, this gentleman's bid is 10 million US dollars for the first time!"
"10 million US dollars for the second time!"
"10 million US dollars for the third time!!"
*Clap* Da Feng Novel Network
As the hammer fell, the Buddha head was purchased by Ye Xuan for 10 million US dollars. In that moment, Ye Xuan was instantly labeled a spendthrift.
"Hmph~"
"I was actually beaten by such an idiot before. Hmph, what a joke~"
Phil glanced at Ye Xuan, then looked at the stunning beauty beside him. "Damn it, no wonder that woman is so devoted to him. Turns out he's quite rich."
"However, sometimes, it's not just about having money."
"Next up, the 24th lot: a rusted sword. Its texture is hard, and its origin is unknown. Appraisal Price: 1 million US dollars!"
"Bidding begins!"
On the auction stage, the auctioneer looked at the rusty sword covered in rust under the silk cloth. They had originally intended to withdraw this item from the auction, but as they had not been able to ascertain its origin, Munich had given up. Thus, they held onto a sliver of hope, thinking, 'What if it sells?'
One second!
Three seconds, five seconds!!
The entire hall fell silent, with only a glint of light in Ye Xuan's eyes. The Ta'a Sword, the sword of the First Emperor. Yes, this was indeed the true form of the rusted sword.
After more than half a minute, seeing no bids, the auctioneer smiled wryly. It seemed this rusted sword was going to be a no-sale.
"Since that is the case, I declare this auction item to be withdrawn from sale..."
"1 million, I'll take it."
The familiar voice echoed, and then everyone looked to see that the speaker was none other than the spendthrift who had just bought the Buddha head of Shakyamuni for an astronomical ten million US dollars. The ridicule in the hearts of the crowd intensified.
Luo Tianyi was also completely stunned by Ye Xuan's actions. "You big bad guy, what are you doing? That rusted sword, you're buying it for 1 million? Are you crazy?"
The previous Buddha head was one thing; although it cost ten million, Luo Tianyi had held a sliver of hope, thinking perhaps he had seen something. But this discarded rusted sword, apart from being hard, was completely useless. Feeling the gazes of the surrounding people, Luo Tianyi's face felt a little hot. Had this guy been mistaken for a fool by them? Sigh~~
For a moment, Luo Tianyi's emotions were extremely complex. However, she didn't say much, as this money was not a significant amount for her husband.