Chapter Seventy-Seven: A Scalding Treasure

“Hahaha, young Qin, you certainly have a keen eye!” Hong Tianba clapped his hands and laughed, though a subtle glint flashed in his eyes.

“However…”

Qin Feng suddenly changed the topic, pointing to the bottom of the jade pendant.

“There’s a faint crack at the base of this jade pendant. If you don’t look closely, you’d never notice it. This may very well mean…”

“What could it mean?” Everyone held their breath, tense with anticipation.

“It may well be… a forgery!” Qin Feng’s words hit like a thunderclap.

“What?!” Hong Tianba’s expression changed as he shot to his feet, pointing angrily at Qin Feng.

“Boy, do you have any idea what an antique is?”

“Master Hong, please calm down. I’m simply making a judgment based on my experience,” Qin Feng replied calmly. “If you don’t believe me, you can consult another expert.”

“Hmph! I’ve spent most of my life in the world of antiques—what treasures haven’t I seen? Do I need a youngster like you to teach me?” Hong Tianba huffed, clearly dissatisfied with Qin Feng’s assessment.

Dong Haichuan tried to smooth things over. “Come now, Brother Hong, why not let young Qin take a closer look? What if it really is genuine?” Sun Lutang also added his persuasion.

“Hmph!” Hong Tianba snorted coldly, sitting down with a flick of his sleeve, though his expression remained sour.

Qin Feng was unfazed by Hong Tianba’s anger. He gently set the jade pendant down, a playful curve at the corner of his mouth.

“Master Hong, there’s no need to lose your temper,” Qin Feng said unhurriedly. “Since I claim this pendant is a forgery, I have my reasons. Look at the dragon’s eyes here—the carving is lifelike, but the pupils lack that spark of vitality. They’re too dull.”

The others immediately picked up magnifying glasses to examine the piece, and indeed, as Qin Feng described, the dragon’s eyes, though vivid, lacked a certain spirit.

Hong Tianba’s face darkened, but he stubbornly argued, “That alone doesn’t prove my pendant is a fake. Perhaps the craftsman’s skill was simply lacking?”

“You’re right,” Qin Feng smiled. “This alone isn’t enough to determine authenticity. However, I made another discovery—would you care to hear it?”

“What discovery?” Hong Tianba’s tone remained tough, but uncertainty crept into his heart.

He cared so much for this pendant because he had spent tens of millions on it, buying it from a tomb raider who swore it was a priceless treasure passed down from the Han dynasty royal family. Don’t be fooled by appearances—not all who study martial arts are wealthy, and Hong Tianba, for all his status, didn’t have much money to spare, nor much need for it. The money he spent was mostly borrowed from his own son. If the pendant was a fake, his loss would be tremendous.

“Look here,” Qin Feng indicated the base of the pendant. “Though the material is top-grade Hetian jade, it’s almost too pure, lacking the patina of age. In fact, it seems more like…”

“Like…?”

“Like modern, artificially synthesized Hetian jade!” Qin Feng declared boldly.

“What?! Impossible!” Hong Tianba was flabbergasted. He snatched the pendant and examined it closely, his face growing gloomier by the second.

“This…this can’t be…this pendant is clearly old…” Suddenly, Hong Tianba stopped mid-sentence, as if realizing something, and his face turned even grimmer.

“Brother Hong, are you alright?” Dong Haichuan asked with concern.

“I’m fine…” Hong Tianba took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain composure. He looked at Qin Feng, a flicker of gratitude and resignation in his eyes.

“That’s enough, Hong. Let’s leave it at that,” someone said.

“I’ll take my leave then. To think someone dared to swindle me! They must have forgotten how I made my name back in the day!” With that, Hong Tianba turned and left without another word.

Once he was gone, the atmosphere in the room relaxed considerably.

“Young Qin, we truly owe you our thanks today,” Old Wu said with a smile. “Had it not been for you, Old Hong would have suffered a great loss.”

“You’re too kind, Master Wu,” Qin Feng replied calmly. “I only did what was right.”

“Young Qin, you’re so young and yet so discerning—it’s truly remarkable!” Dong Haichuan praised.

Sun Lutang nodded in agreement. “I have a family heirloom that I’ve long wanted appraised. Would you be willing to take a look at it?”

Qin Feng waved his hand and smiled, “You flatter me, Master Sun. I only have some humble knowledge—hardly worth showing off. How could I dare to appraise your family treasure?”

Stroking his beard, Sun Lutang’s eyes gleamed. “No need for modesty, young man. Your insight today impressed us all. What, are you afraid my treasure is too hot to handle?”

Qin Feng knew Sun Lutang was goading him, but he took no offense. Instead, he replied with a smile, “Since you put it that way, I’d be honored to oblige.”

Satisfied, Sun Lutang nodded and carefully produced a brocade box from his breast, opening it to reveal an ancient jade thumb ring.

The ring was a deep, lustrous green, its texture smooth and warm, with a faint, shifting glow—clearly no ordinary object.

Qin Feng took the thumb ring and examined it closely. The craftsmanship was exquisite; a five-clawed golden dragon, vivid and lifelike, was carved upon it. The dragon’s head was raised high, its claws sharp, its scales distinct, as if it might leap into the sky at any moment.

“What a treasure!” Qin Feng couldn’t help but exclaim. Through his own discerning eye, he could tell it was identical to the imperial green jadeite he himself had once cut.

The surface had developed a fine patina, indicating excellent care—truly a priceless artifact.

“Oh? You think so too, young Qin?” Sun Lutang’s eyes flashed with satisfaction.

“That’s right,” Qin Feng nodded. “This thumb ring is made of top-grade imperial green jadeite. Even disregarding its historical value, its material alone is worth tens of millions. With provenance and the right collector, it could easily fetch over a hundred million.”

This was no exaggeration—imperial green jadeite was one of the rarest and most precious of gems.