Passing the stall where I last made a purchase, the owner was still lying languidly on his reclining chair next to a hand-held kettle, occasionally taking a sip, looking quite contented.

Scanning his stall, I felt a tinge of disappointment at not finding anything as peculiar as last time, but a rusty iron chunk caught my eye.

It was a piece of bronze, so poorly preserved that it had been compressed into a lump of metal. The rusting was severe, and though it was an antique, it seemed to have no research value. If it weren't made of bronze, maybe even a scrapyard wouldn't take it.

"Taking a break, boss?" Ling Zhenfei asked the owner.

The owner glanced at him sideways, clearly having forgotten him, face unchanged: "Want to buy, just ask the price. No need for small talk."

"Boss, have you really forgotten me? I bought something from you not too long ago."

Now the owner sat up and sized up Ling Zhenfei, feigning realization: "Oh, it's you, eh? How did it go—did you strike it rich with the bargain you found here? Don't worry, if you did get rich I won't be jealous. And if I misjudged its value, don't come looking for me. With antiques, everyone's at risk of overestimating their expertise."

Ling Zhenfei knew this guy had no idea who he was; he gave everyone the same spiel.

"Cut the nonsense, boss. I'm not here to hassle you. What's with the junk, selling scrap now?" Ling Zhenfei asked, pointing at the piece of waste bronze.

Seeing Ling Zhenfei asking about the bronze, the owner chuckled and said, "My friend, you don't understand. This is a bronze artifact, a treasure of the nation, you know."

Ling Zhenfei almost laughed at the owner's boast: "Come on, tell me what kind of 'treasure' is this?"

The owner looked a bit embarrassed but continued his pitch: "My friend, I can tell you have discerning eyes. This is genuinely a bronze piece. I might not know what it is, but that's because the ravages of time have been severe. Judging by this erosion, if it's not from the Western Zhou, it's something close. The severe weathering proves it's not fake. Interested in taking it off my hands? Since you're a regular, I'll give you a 20% discount."

"How much is that with the discount?"

"Antiques like this get more expensive the older they are. Original price is ten thousand, you can take it for eight," said the owner, feigning a distressed look.

"Nevermind, boss. I was just asking. You keep this treasure of the nation. I'm not flush with cash to waste on this junk. Can't display it, can't eat it—am I supposed to bring it home and worship it like an ancestral tablet?"

After saying that, Ling Zhenfei made to leave, but the owner quickly grabbed hold of him: "Brother, wait, let's talk—prices are negotiable."

"There's nothing to discuss. You guys in this business are too shady. Look, if you want to sell, drop a zero and I'll take it." Ling Zhenfei knew that if it weren't for him, nobody would buy it. Who would spend money on a worthless chunk of metal?

"Eight hundred? Brother, aren't you being a bit too ruthless? Offering eight hundred yuan for a bronze piece—you really have the gall to propose that."

"Not selling?"

"Selling!"

"Are you kidding me?" Ling Zhenfei was almost amused.

"If others don't sell it, they still have to sell it to you, right? Are you paying with a card or with cash?"

After paying, Ling Zhenfei got his hands on the damaged piece of bronze. The bronze's exterior indeed had no collectible value, but with his Zhiyi Realm cultivation plus the Perspective Eye, he was able to describe the original appearance of the damaged bronze artifact.

The item closely resembled a modern incense burner, but it was absolutely not for burning incense. Instead, an incense burner should have originally enshrined a seed. The seed was still inside; however, since the bronze had been flattened, the seed was trapped inside. Fortunately, the flattening had protected the seed, which hadn't been destroyed over the thousands of years.

Ling Zhenfei was interested in the seed inside, not the worthless bronze. The owner of the bronze artifact had claimed it was from the Western Zhou, but the Northern Spiritual Energy Ling Zhenfei felt suggested it was much older, at least from the Xia Dynasty.

The Xia Dynasty seed, wrapped in the bronze, must be remarkably special, but he would only know what kind of seed it was after planting it.

Continuing on, he came to the Jade Shop where he had gambled on stones last time. The owner was very good at business, and things were bustling, with a crowd gambling on stones, and others gathered around, making the entrance congested.

With living standards improving, the threshold for gambling on stones had become increasingly low. Formerly, only experienced individuals gambled on stones. Now, with more people having money, many pursued the thrill of going from rags to riches with a single cut of the stone, and most lost their money to the Jade Shop while doing so with a casual attitude.

Today was no different, and with one glance, Ling Zhenfei could tell that many were visitors who knew nothing about stone gambling. Although they used mini flashlights to inspect the stones, they were simply joining the excitement. Those who gambled on stones regularly each had their own set of experiences, judging by the shape of the stone, the cracks on it, or even by feel, and these methods were not always accurate. Even the regulars could not avoid misjudging at times.

"Boss, cut this one for me," said a college student in a casual sportswear after choosing two small stones to gamble on. The price wasn't high, clearly a tourist wanting to buy a couple to try their luck.

Although jade was found inside the two stones, the quality was very poor, serving only as souvenirs.

Ling Zhenfei was still very cautious. He was here to see the difference since his last visit. His Realm had improved a lot, and he hoped to see through the auspicious clouds encasing the jade stones.

However, when Ling Zhenfei picked up a stone and used the Perspective Eye, he was disappointed. Even though his Realm had increased, he still couldn't see through the outer shell, which seemed like a masterpiece of God, presumably only penetrable by God.

Jade naturally contained Northern Spiritual Energy, and perhaps the jade inside formed a protective layer that made it difficult for anyone to see through.

"It seems I can only use the method from last time."

The method he used last time for stone gambling was to use his own Spiritual Power to sense the jade's energy. Although it was difficult for the jade's energy to escape through the outer shell, he could still feel its strength or weakness.

"Brother, you're back again. You had such good luck last time, looks like you want to test your luck again." Although it was only his second visit, Ling Zhenfei didn't expect the shop owner to remember him, which explained why his business was so good.

"Yeah, I've come to try my luck," said Ling Zhenfei as he handed a stone he was holding to the owner. The stone was about the size of a fist and was priced at five thousand yuan. Ling Zhenfei could feel the flow of Spiritual Power within it.

Ling Zhenfei paid and waited for the owner to cut the stone, with everyone who was previously browsing now watching him, curious to see what would emerge from his stone.

The owner placed the stone on the machine and made a small cut. With one slice, jade was revealed, but the quality was poor, full of cracks, eliciting a collective sigh of disappointment from the crowd.

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