"Excuse me!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, pardon me."

Seeing the auction piece being brought onto the stage, just as the person on stage was about to speak, someone hurriedly came in from outside, clasping his fists and bowing:

"I had a last-minute issue, sorry for arriving late, please forgive me."

"Old Song!"

"This time I’ve brought some rather rare items, perhaps you could introduce them for me later and see if anyone here might be interested."

Fang Zheng looked at the newcomer, his eyes slightly moved.

He was certain he had never met this person before, but suddenly ripples arose in his heart, and the Celestial Secret Compass was stimulated to operate.

This feeling...

This person must have some sort of connection with him!

A Flawless Martial Artist with a perfect body and a sufficient Primordial Spirit would have extremely keen senses to the outside world, even possessing certain special perceptions.

A killing intent or Evil Qi would cause the body to react instinctively.

And even...

The Path of Ultimate Sincerity can grant foresight.

There are some people whom you’ve never met, yet your heart senses something unusual; it’s said that the Divination Skill of the Path of Divination originated from this.

Masters and Martial Sects can sense anything related to themselves.

He was not a Master,

yet with the Celestial Secret Compass passed down by Master Jiuyuan, his perception of the unseen was equally astonishing.

"This person is nicknamed Crippled John."

Seeing the unusual look in Fang Zheng’s eyes, Old Cui whispered:

"He’s an antique dealer who has emerged in Hai Province in recent years, occasionally presenting excellent pieces, and has some reputation in the circle."

"However..."

"The items he deals with aren’t very clean, not very likable."

"Crippled John?" Fang Zheng pondered, the Celestial Secret Compass in his Sea of Consciousness slowly turning, with many thoughts rising and falling within.

Until it stopped, a sudden realization came to mind.

Jia Family Village!

’So the connection with this person lies here.’

Fang Zheng squinted his eyes, thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone to send a message.

"The next auction piece is a Qing Dynasty Qianlong Period lotus pattern ’Ruyi’ ear small moon flask, with a ’Made during the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty’ inscription, standing 17.5cm tall..."

"Starting price, nine hundred thousand!"

"Increments must be no less than ten thousand!"

"Nine hundred fifty thousand!"

"Guest number seven, nine hundred fifty thousand..."

"One million!"

"Guest number sixteen bids one million..."

"Next auction piece, a Qing Dynasty Doucai Chi-Dragon Tea Set..., starting at eight million, increments not less than ten thousand each time."

"Eight hundred fifty thousand!"

"Guest number eleven bids eight hundred fifty thousand!"

"Daoist, although today’s auction is not large, quite a few fine pieces have appeared." In the auction pause, Old Cui whispered:

"Aren’t you bidding for a couple of pieces?"

Items at an auction might be overlooked deals, especially for those possessing the Qi Observation Technique, it’s easier to find the treasures among them.

It was this skill that allowed him to quickly establish himself in the antique business, earning a master’s title within a few years.

"I’m not that interested in antiques." Fang Zheng gently shook his head:

"I’m here more for the experience, but what about the person you mentioned who makes talismans, when can you make an introduction?"

"That person’s situation is a bit complicated right now."

Seeing Fang Zheng’s disinterest, Old Cui felt relieved, as having another person with the Qi Observation Technique enter the antique business wasn’t a blessing for him, and a few decades ago, he might have even had murderous intent.

He then continued:

"I need to contact him."

"Alright."

Fang Zheng nodded:

"Thank you."

"The next item, the Mother and Child Chicken Brush Pot, from Song Renzong’s reign, with exquisite craftsmanship and unique design, the pot body is thin and light..."

"Starting bid, eighteen million!"

"Twenty million!"

"Bidder twenty-one bids twenty million!"

For antiques priced over ten million, they can appear at any auction, and the sudden twenty-million price also excited the mood of those present.

Fatty Qin and Su Jin were breathless without needing to say more.

Dong Lin looked confused, feeling as if her feet were off the ground, her whole body floating as if in a fairyland, wondering what sort of immortal place this truly was?

In the millions, 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

are they just casually offered?

"Here’s a fact for you."

Old Cui said:

"Items that can fetch high prices nowadays were also rare and precious treasures in the era they were produced."

"Simply preserving something for a thousand years doesn’t always add value; some items from the Warring States period also don’t sell for much."

"Yes."

Su Jin acknowledged.

"The next auction item is a Zhong Kui Ghost-Catching Jar from the Tang Dynasty, adorned with nearly a hundred symbols, which experts deem may be writings from a region during the Yin Shang Period."

"The text is currently indecipherable, making this piece historically significant with great archaeological value."

"Starting price, twelve million!"

"..."

"Master." Su Jin whispered:

"Wasn’t Zhong Kui from the Tang Dynasty? How come there are writings from the Yin Shang Period?"

"Zhong Kui wasn’t documented in official records, so whether he truly existed is debatable." Old Cui shook his head explaining:

"There’s a theory suggesting that Zhong Kui’s name might originate from Zhong Hui, a famous wizard from the Yin Shang Period, which is also a relatively mainstream viewpoint."

"The presence of Yin Shang Period writings on this jar can serve as evidence."

As he spoke, a projection device was turned on, displaying the patterns and symbols on the jar for viewing.

Hmm?

Initially uninterested in the auction, Fang Zheng’s eyes widened upon seeing the screen, his gaze filled with a strange brilliance, and the aura within him abruptly surged.

How could it be?

This is...

Ancient Divine Text from the Otherworld!

Master Jiuyuan loved to explore ancient ruins, akin to modern-day archaeologists, although one might also call him a tomb raider.

He once asserted that there was a period in the Otherworld where humans and gods coexisted.