Copper Coin Appraisal, Relics of the Great Yan Dynasty

"This fortune-telling is really strange, could it be just a guess?"

Zhao Huai thought as he walked, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was off.

He knew a thing or two about these fortune-telling tricks. They were nothing more than staking out a spot, observing people's faces, and using a bit of psychology to deceive people.

Different people would be approached with different lines, and according to probability, they should get a few right. This kind of thing has zero cost anyway.

But this old man he met was really something, able to predict so accurately, perfectly forecasting his fortune. If it wasn't strange, it was just a lucky guess.

Zhao Huai walked for a while and returned to the pawnshop.

However, he noticed a luxurious jewelry carriage parked in front of Huai Pawnshop, and looking back, there was a whole row of wooden carts, surrounded by a large number of bodyguards.

Wasn't this the mysterious merchant caravan he had seen before?

"They really came?"

Yan Jing had predicted that this unscrupulous merchant would come looking for him, so Zhao Huai was somewhat mentally prepared.

He strode into the pawnshop and heard a conversation.

"Madam, trust me, this Night-Shining Pearl is definitely a peerless treasure. It's extremely old and has a very high collection value. You'll definitely regret it if you don't buy it!"

"Really?"

"Of course, it's real. It also has practical value. It can emit a dazzling light in the dark, which is definitely better than low-quality Spirit Stones."

Sitting opposite Yu Qinghan was Master Huang.

This man was wearing brocade clothes and a jade belt, and he was quite stout. His eyes were sharp, he should be that unscrupulous merchant, right?

Zhao Huai thought to himself.

"Ahem, so we have a guest."

Zhao Huai coughed slightly, interrupting the two and making his presence known.

"Husband, you're back."

Yu Qinghan saw the person at the door, smiled, and called out happily.

She had just woken up groggily in the morning and found that the other person was gone, leaving only a cup of hot goat milk on the table. She hadn't finished washing up for long when a guest arrived at the pawnshop, so she could only greet them temporarily.

"Husband, you talk to him. I don't understand these things. I'll go prepare the ingredients for lunch."

Yu Qinghan stood up gently and gave up her seat.

This merchant had introduced her to a lot of things as soon as he came, all kinds of rare treasures, gems, and antiques. How could she understand them? She was getting sleepy from listening. It seemed that the professional work still had to be left to her husband.

"Okay, I'll take care of it."

Zhao Huai didn't stand on ceremony, quickly stepped forward and sat down, looked at it for a moment, and said with a faint smile:

"This guest looks familiar, and the bodyguards outside are so tall, you must be a merchant caravan from the north."

Master Huang saw that the woman had retreated and a handsome man had taken her place. The other person saw through his origins at a glance. He thought to himself that this person should be the owner, and he seemed more difficult to deal with than the woman just now.

But the smile on his face remained unchanged: "The owner has good eyes. We came from the Capital City and traveled south just to do business. Let me introduce myself first."

"My surname is Huang, and I'm the fourth child in my family. My family calls me Fourth Master. I've been traveling north and south for many years, and I have a little reputation in the Liangjiang River Basin. I've been appreciated by my peers, and I've also earned the title of Master Huang."

"So it's Master Huang, nice to meet you."

Zhao Huai smiled lightly, but there was no ripple in his heart.

A normal person wouldn't bring up so much family history in an introduction. The more information revealed, the more it was just to give the other person a sense of security.

This was a common trick used by merchants.

Master Huang smiled and said, "Owner, I'll get straight to the point. I've already talked to the madam about this Night-Shining Pearl. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Zhao Huai picked up the Night-Shining Pearl and slowly examined it.

This Night-Shining Pearl was about the size of a fist, with a jade-green body and clear patterns. Even in the daytime, it emitted a faint light. At night, it should be even brighter.

But Yan Jing had said before that this guy was an unscrupulous merchant, how could Zhao Huai not be on guard?

His hand was under the table, and the golden copper coin in his palm was flipping up and down.

Soon, lines of text appeared before him.

[Misfortune and fortune depend on each other; let's take a look for now]

[Divination 1: Timely rain for the pawnshop, a money-delivering child. This is a stone that glows. Buy it, and the instruction you receive is "misfortune."]

Tracing Guidance: A bead made of Phosphorus Stone is far from a real Night-Shining Pearl.

[Divination 2: See through everything, even the slightest detail. Reject this Night-Shining Pearl, and the instruction you receive is "fortune."]

Tracing Guidance: A treacherous merchant. Reject him directly, and perhaps there will be other gains.

Zhao Huai smiled inwardly after reading this.

A treacherous merchant is a treacherous merchant. A dog can't change its habit of eating shit. He thought, Starting with such a big scam right away.

Zhao Huai had received nine years of compulsory education in his previous life and naturally knew what Phosphorus Stone was.

Phosphorus Stone is an extremely common mineral that oxidizes when exposed to air, emitting a faint glow. Pure Phosphorus Stone can emit a dazzling white light in the dark.

Most of the real Night-Shining Pearls on the market are made of diamond, with a value equivalent to modern large diamonds.

Some black-hearted merchants use pure Phosphorus Stone as Night-Shining Pearls and sell them to some vanity-seeking wealthy families.

If you are not an expert, it is difficult to see the difference, but after some time, the difference becomes clear.

A real Night-Shining Pearl can remain unchanged for a hundred years, is extremely stable, and has a very good lighting effect.

Although a Night-Shining Pearl made of Phosphorus Stone cannot be distinguished in a short time, the bead will become smaller and smaller and then disappear completely as the usage time increases.

Black-hearted merchants use this to carry out fraud. Anyway, when the bead is gone, you won't be able to find them.

"How about it?"

Master Huang's eyes narrowed with a smile as he watched Zhao Huai holding the "Night-Shining Pearl" and looking at it for a long time. He became increasingly anxious and couldn't help but urge him.

"Master Huang, isn't this bead a little too perfect?"

Zhao Huai put the bead back in its place.

His smiling eyes fixed slightly, and his gaze was extremely deep.

Master Huang's smile did not diminish as he gently tapped the table with his hand: "A Night-Shining Pearl is just this perfect. If the shopkeeper buys it, it will definitely be a treasure for the shop."

Zhao Huai's lips curled up, and he smiled: "Master Huang, you are truly a master at playing dumb."

"Shopkeeper, what do you mean by that?"

Zhao Huai said lightly: "Alright, stop pretending. Just say what you want to sell. I don't have time to beat around the bush with you."

"If you don't have anything good, then please leave."

His tone gradually became impatient, with a clear intention to issue an eviction order.

Master Huang laughed instead of getting angry when he heard this. The corners of his lips curled up, and an interested look appeared in his eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, he burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Let's not mince words. Shopkeeper, you have a discerning eye, unlike those mediocre talents. Then I won't hide anything."

"Shopkeeper, please come with me. I guarantee you won't be disappointed."

Master Huang stood up straight and walked towards the outside.

Zhao Huai did not hesitate and followed directly.

Outside, the strong and tall bodyguards surrounded them one by one, their imposing manner protecting Master Huang inside.

Zhao Huai glanced lightly, sensing the True Qi fluctuations on their bodies. He could already see the cultivation levels of these people.

Most of the bodyguards were around Qi Refining Level 1, and the head bodyguard was probably at Qi Refining Level 3.

However, the middle-aged man holding a sword next to him had a cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 4 and was the strongest among them.

"Master Huang, what are you going to show me?"

Zhao Huai was not flustered at all in the face of the gazes of many bodyguards and remained expressionless.

Master Huang smiled without saying a word and lifted a piece of rough cloth from the wooden cart, letting him see for himself.

Zhao Huai saw the things inside the wooden cart, his pupils slightly constricted, and he looked at Master Huang seriously, questioning:

"Where did you get these things from?"