Cursed Antique

"That's not what I meant."

Xu Shouyang rubbed his forehead in pain.

"Although I'm old, I'm not some old fogey. I won't interfere with you young people's affairs. I'm just reminding you that you're still a student, and your main task is to study. After you officially graduate, if you want to talk to Xu Jun, as long as it's consensual, I won't stop you."

"Don't worry, Professor Xu, there's absolutely no such possibility. I only see her as a close brother."

Su Ti patted his chest loudly.

Xu Shouyang: "..."

What was this feeling of relief mixed with defeat?

Xu Shouyang shook his head, shaking off the thought.

"Since it's a misunderstanding, it's good that it's cleared up. I have quite a few antique collections at home. I wonder which dynasty's antiques you're specifically interested in."

Su Ti thought for a moment. He wasn't sure if the "energy" in antiques was related to the dynasty, because after absorbing energy the day before yesterday, he had visited several antique shops and stores in the city last night and this morning, but he couldn't find any antique that could provide potential.

After some consideration, he said.

"I'm very interested in the agate bracelet that Brother Xu wore the day before yesterday. I wonder if Professor Xu has any similar antiques at home."

Hearing this, Xu Shouyang's expression changed slightly.

"Why are you interested in that bracelet? Can you tell me the specific reason? Is it because of the dynasty, the style, or the material itself?"

If Su Ti were to say, he wouldn't know what to say. His true intention was not the wine, so he could only bite the bullet and answer.

"That bracelet gave me a very special feeling."

"Special? ...It is indeed special."

Xu Shouyang murmured twice, then stood up and said to Su Ti.

"Come with me."

Su Ti got up and followed Xu Shouyang to a room with a thick electronic door.

There was another anti-theft door installed inside the room, which showed the importance of the things inside this room.

Xu Shouyang pressed his fingerprint, and with a beep, the electronic door opened. After signaling Su Ti to come in, he closed the door again.

Inside the room, there were many shelves.

And on the shelves, there were precious antiques and artifacts from various dynasties, displayed one by one.

These antiques were all covered with glass covers, isolated from the outside, totaling over a hundred pieces.

And each piece had an introduction and origin of the antique.

Su Ti walked closer and saw that under one jade bracelet, it was written like this.

Hesia Ancient Dynasty, 32nd year, made in Huaiyin Town Longde Ward, 191 years ago.

"This is my private collection room. Most of the collections here are genuine and have a history. Only a small part of them, even I can't distinguish their authenticity and origin."

Seeing Su Ti step forward to observe, Xu Shouyang explained.

Su Ti's gaze shifted again, landing on a porcelain vase.

Qian Dynasty, Yude Years, Wutong Mountain Official Kiln, 631-652 years ago.

A beast skin book, the leather was tough, something seemed to be written on it, but it was severely burned and could no longer be deciphered.

Wu Dynasty Legacy Martial Book, product of the martial arts destruction period at the end of the Wu Dynasty, 800-811 years ago.

A finger bone of a special animal, like a human hand, but with only four fingers, and the joints were thick, twice the size of a human's.

Relic from the Mythical Era, unknown creature's metacarpal bone, 1000-1300 years ago.

Su Ti looked at them one by one, and soon his eyes showed shock.

Xu Shouyang had collected many items, not only from the Hesia Ancient Dynasty, Hundred Kingdoms, and Qian Dynasty, but even from the Wu Dynasty and the Mythical Era!

Some of these collections, if genuine, would have a certain degree of historical significance. Private collections like Xu Shouyang's were even illegal!

Xu Shouyang also realized this and coughed twice.

"Little Su, you can look at the things here, but don't talk about them. I know this hobby of mine isn't good, but before I die, I will donate all these things to the country. I still want to look at these things for two more years."

"Professor Xu can let a student see these things, I feel deeply trusted. Professor Xu, please rest assured, I, Su Ti, will absolutely not reveal a single word about the things in this collection room!"

Hearing this, Su Ti immediately said resolutely. The things here were enough for Xu Shouyang's second half of his life. The fact that he could let him see his private collection room at his daughter's request, besides Xu Jun's request, was probably also because of his identity as a Mingguang University student, which made Xu Shouyang want to help him.

Hearing Su Ti's guarantee, Xu Shouyang nodded slightly. If it were an ordinary person, he would never let them see it without a special relationship, but Su Ti was different.

"Professor Xu, can I touch these collections?"

Seeing so many genuine items, Su Ti was very eager. The antique shops he visited yesterday and this morning probably didn't have a quarter of the genuine items in Xu Shouyang's collection room combined. Most of them were modern crafts meant to deceive people.

Therefore, it was very likely that there were energy antiques among these antiques.

"Go ahead, but be careful not to break them."

"Yes, don't worry, Professor Xu."

Su Ti opened the cover and lightly touched a thumb ring from the Era of Hundred Kingdoms with his finger. According to the introduction, it was said to be a product of the Li Kingdom during the Era of Hundred Kingdoms.

He reached out and touched it, but no energy came through. He immediately withdrew his hand and moved on to the next item.

The next one didn't have any, so he switched again.

His speed was extremely fast, just touching and withdrawing. Xu Shouyang was a little surprised. He originally thought Su Ti would pick them up and admire them carefully, but it turned out he just opened the lid and touched them with his fingertips?

Before long, Su Ti had touched all the antiques here.

Su Ti's eyes showed disappointment. Among all the antiques, he had even touched those from the ancient Wu Dynasty and the mythical era, but there was no energy increase at all.

Yet, he clearly remembered that the agate bracelet on Xu Jun's hand was an antique from the Era of Hundred Kingdoms. Could it be that the source of energy wasn't the antique itself, but the agate crystal?

Minerals contain energy?

Had he been looking in the wrong direction?

Just as Su Ti was racking his brain, Xu Shouyang suddenly spoke.

"Su Ti, I see you don't really like antiques. You're looking for something similar to that Hundred Kingdoms bracelet, aren't you?"

After a moment of silence, Su Ti still nodded.

"Yes."

"In that case, I'll let you take a look at those similar items."

Xu Shouyang's eyes showed something inexplicable. He walked to a wall on the side and entered the password for the only safe. With a click, the safe opened.

Inside the safe, there were no gold bars or money, only three sealed lead boxes.

Xu Shouyang took out these three boxes and placed them on a desk in front of Su Ti.

"Take a look, but be quick. I have to put them back after you're done."

Seeing the other party being so serious, Su Ti couldn't help but feel a hint of curiosity about the contents of the boxes. He opened the first box.

And the moment he opened the box, the powerful senses of his perfected Dragon Shape Five Forms suddenly felt a chill.

This chill wasn't actual coldness, but a warning that sent a shiver down his spine, as if something bad had been released.

Su Ti frowned slightly and looked closely. Inside the lead box was a jade archer's ring.

He extended a finger to touch the ring. Boom!

A strong surge of cool energy frantically poured into his body, and the energy in the modifier began to skyrocket!

30%!

80%!

150%!

210%!

With just a brief touch, Su Ti's energy had risen to 210%!

However, although the energy within was fierce, it lacked staying power. After reaching 210%, it stopped and made no further progress.

And the chilling sensation behind Su Ti's back also disappeared after the energy was absorbed.

Su Ti's eyelids twitched slightly, and his face showed joy. This was too exhilarating.

He quickly opened the second box, which contained a silver necklace.

He reached out and touched it, and the effect was the same. The energy value surged!

290%!

360%!

480%!

The energy from this second antique was more than the first, bringing Su Ti's total energy to 480% before stopping. However, this also exhausted all the energy in the necklace.

Su Ti closed the lid and opened the third lead box, only to find that it contained the agate bracelet that Xu Jun had taken out the day before yesterday.

He touched the agate bracelet, but there was no reaction, no change in energy. Su Ti wasn't surprised, as the energy from this bracelet had already been absorbed by him the night before yesterday.

He couldn't help but look at Xu Shouyang.

"Professor Xu, what's the difference between these three antiques here and the previous ones?!"

Su Ti desperately wanted to know the answer. As long as he knew the characteristics of these three antiques, he might be able to find a way to increase his energy!

As long as the modifier had enough energy, combined with Ancient Martial Arts, Su Ti could quickly improve his strength!

Sigh.

Xu Shouyang sighed, carefully put away the three antiques one by one, and locked them back in the safe.

Only then did he speak to Su Ti, who was watching him.

"You might think that I keep these three antiques separately in the safe because they are precious and to protect them."

Su Ti was startled: "Isn't that the case?"

Xu Shouyang shook his head.

"Yes and no. The reason I package them in lead boxes and lock them in the safe is to protect the people who touch these antiques."

"These antiques are not ordinary antiques."

"Instead, they are cursed antiques that bring disaster and bad luck to those who come into contact with them."

"Cursed antiques? What are those?"

Su Ti was puzzled. Even as a history student who dealt with antiques to some extent, this was the first time he had heard of antiques of this nature.

"Alas, your pursuit of such things also indicates a strange destiny with them. Listen to me slowly."

Xu Shouyang sighed and slowly explained, quickly making Su Ti understand the origin of these antiques.

Cursed antiques are a very small category among numerous antiques.

Hesia has believed in Feng Shui since ancient times, believing that wearing certain items can bless and empower people, such as jade nourishing people, silver expelling poison, gold bringing wealth, and so on.

To seek such blessings, they even placed some jewelry in temples and Taoist temples for worship, seeking the blessing of divine power.

As the saying goes, where there is positive, there is strange; where there is yin, there is yang; where there is auspiciousness, there is inauspiciousness.

Cursed antiques are such things.

How they were born is no longer traceable, but every collector who has come into contact with them has met with misfortune.

"Take that agate bracelet from the Era of Hundred Kingdoms, for example. By the time it reached my hands, it had already caused the deaths of two previous owners."

"The first was a wealthy businessman who died of a sudden heart attack not long after collecting it."

"The second was a healthy young rich man who died in a car accident."

"Although their causes of death were different, they both did the same thing before they died: they were in prolonged contact with, or even wore, that agate bracelet."

Su Ti rubbed his chin, finding it a bit outrageous.

"This isn't scientific, is it? It could also be an accident."

"Scientific? Heh heh."

Xu Shouyang smiled.

"I just got that agate bracelet back the day before yesterday. I put it outside and wasn't paying attention, and as a result, Xu Jun stole it."

"That very night, something happened to her!"

Su Ti was startled. It was the incident with Dragon Bro that day. If he hadn't been there, Xu Jun would have been in trouble. She had just put it on and immediately met with misfortune. Thinking about it this way, it was indeed evil.

Xu Shouyang rubbed a thumb ring he was wearing and sighed.

"Xu Jun didn't know about cursed antiques, and I hadn't told her. It almost caused a great disaster."

Speaking of this, Xu Shouyang looked at Su Ti with a serious gaze and said.

"So, I want to thank you, Su Ti. Thank you for saving my daughter."