"The cicada's head is carved powerfully, with a curved tail that converges, a raised back line, and the eyes and wings crafted using a relief technique. The shape is upright, definitely employing the Han Eight Sabers technique," Mu Lao squinted his old eyes slightly and said with a smile.

"What a beautiful jade cicada."

Ruan Xinxue's beautiful eyes lit up slightly; women always find it hard to resist jade and jewelry.

"I say, this thing wasn't taken from a dead person, was it?"

Qin Yang's brows furrowed slightly.

This Han Dynasty Jade Cicada is devoid of Spiritual Energy and carries a bit of yin energy. Although it won't harm the human body, it offers no benefits either.

"Haha, young friend is right. To be precise, it should have been pried out of the mouth of a Han Dynasty deceased," Mu Lao said with a laugh, knowing immediately that Qin Yang didn't understand antiques or jade artifacts.

"Uh..."

Ruan Xinxue's pretty face tensed. Just a moment ago, she had a slight desire to buy this Jade Cicada, but after hearing Mu Lao's words, that thought vanished instantly.

"The cicada, envied for its purity, drinks dew without consuming food. The ancients crafted jade into the shape of a cicada to endow the deceased with a particular significance, implying that after death, one does not eat or drink, thus transcending impurities. In burial jade, it appears as a mouthpiece," Mu Lao explained with a smile.

"Xinxue, this little item on stage is quite exquisite and has significant collectible value," said Old Zhou with a chuckle.

"No way."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xinxue waved her little hand repeatedly, unable to stand the idea of something pried from a dead person's mouth, fearing nightmares later.

"Hahaha..."

Old Zhou seemed to understand Ruan Xinxue's thoughts and laughed aloud.

"This first auction item, a Mutton Fat Jade Cicada from the Han Dynasty, has a starting price of seven hundred thousand RMB, with each bid increment not less than five thousand yuan. The auction now begins!" the auctioneer struck the hammer.

"Seven hundred and twenty thousand!"

"Seven hundred and fifty thousand..."

"I offer eight hundred thousand..."

"..."

"Mr. 43 bids nine hundred and sixty thousand. Is there a higher bid? Guest 26 bids one million, one million. Okay, Mr. 77 bids one million twenty thousand..."

This first auction item was well-chosen. The competition was fierce, and the price quickly rose, breaking through the million mark.

"Everyone here has money to spare."

Qin Yang muttered; this Jade Cicada could serve as a collectible but wearing it often wasn't a good idea.

"One hundred and ten thousand."

"One hundred and twelve thousand!"

"..."

"I, as the old man, quite like this little item as well."

Old Zhou chuckled, raising his paddle.

"One hundred and fifty thousand."

Old Zhou gave a price he thought fitting, raising it by thirty to forty thousand, attempting to scare off other competitors.

However, things didn't go as planned. Seeing Old Zhou also participate in the competition, the briefly paused price of the Jade Cicada surged again. After all, Old Zhou was a jade realm expert; his involvement indicated the item's worth.

"One hundred and seventy thousand."

"One hundred and seventy-five thousand..."

"..."

Eventually, this Han Dynasty Jade Cicada was snapped up by a wealthy businessman for two hundred fifteen thousand.

"Sigh, these people. They have no idea how to let an old man like me have his way. The price over two million is a bit high,"

Old Zhou smiled bitterly, realizing that perhaps he shouldn't directly engage in auctions in the future.

"Old Zhou, just enjoy the show. No need to draw attention," Mu Yueshan chuckled, delighted to see Zhou Yihai get flustered in the auction.

With the first auction item ending on a high note, the auctioneer was more spirited, his voice growing more energetic and excited. After all, the auction's total sum was linked to his earnings.

"The previous auction item was an ancient jade artifact from the Western Han period. Next, we have a masterpiece from a modern jade carving master."

With these words, as usual, a hostess in a white qipao pushed a small trolley covered with a red cloth onto the stage.

The red cloth was lifted, revealing a translucent, flawless leopard-shaped jade carving to everyone's sight. The leopard-shaped jade carving was just about palm-sized, colorless and transparent, clear as ice, giving off a sense of crystalline purity.

"This work is called Ice Leopard. It is an early piece by our jade carving master Mr. Feng Siyuan. The raw material used is colorless icy jadeite. Master Feng, with extremely simple saber techniques, sculpted a sleek and graceful leopard, naturally forming. Please take a look."

After the auctioneer finished speaking, a 360-degree view of the leopard-shaped jade carving appeared on the electronic screen. Meanwhile, the hostess pushed the trolley among the guests, allowing them a closer look.

Qin Yang's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of joy appearing on his face. This jadeite carving indeed had some Spiritual Energy, though not as much as Ruan Xinxue's icy jadeite jade bracelet. Yet, it confirmed his suspicion to be correct. There was indeed usable Spiritual Energy in Earth's jadeite.

Unfortunately, he only had about ten thousand yuan on him, surely not enough to buy this jade carving.

After making rounds among the guests, the hostess pushed the leopard-shaped jade carving back to the auction stage.

"The leopard itself is an embodiment of an exorcism beast, carrying the beautiful meaning of warding off evil and turning misfortune into blessings. Moreover, its sound resembles 'embrace' and 'protect,' suggesting 'to bear a son' and 'to ensure safety.' For any guest here wanting to have a chubby baby boy, this jade carving is a must-have."

The auctioneer, full of energy, praised with a beaming smile.

"This guy really has a way with words, connecting it to even that," Ruan Xinxue found it amusing.

"Haha, Xinxue, you don't understand. 'A gentleman has no reason to let jade leave his side.' In ancient China, jade was a symbol of beauty and gentlemanly conduct. Every jade carving created carries its beautiful meaning, and indeed, the leopard-shaped jade carving has those two meanings he mentioned." Mu Lao explained with a laugh.

"Oh, there are so many nuances," Ruan Xinxue exclaimed in amazement, nodding.

"This jade carving masterpiece by Master Feng Siyuan starts at eighty-eight thousand, with each bid increment not less than ten thousand yuan. Now, the bidding begins," announced the auctioneer.

"Ninety thousand..."

"Ninety-three thousand..."

"..."

"Guest 83 bids one hundred and twenty thousand. Is there a higher bid? Hmm, this lady at number 56 bids one hundred and twenty-five thousand..."

"..."

In the hall, the auctioneer's high-spirited voice energized the entire venue, with the sound of bidding rising and falling. Eventually, this leopard-shaped jade carving was taken by a lady for two hundred sixty-eight thousand.

"Sigh, what a pity. This jade carving work is only from colorless icy jadeite material. If it were icy jadeite with green or emerald color, the price would be in the tens of millions," Old Zhou sighed softly.

"Old Zhou, your requirements are too high. This jade carving work is by Feng Siyuan in his youth. At that time, who dared let him carve such high-grade materials? Having icy materials for carving was already quite good," Mu Lao laughed.

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