[Third POV]

  Meanwhile, in the antique market square, the hustle and bustle was constant. Overpping voices and the faint scent of incense filled the air.

  In the middle of the square, a middle-aged man walked among the stalls accompanied by his daughter, carefully observing each dispy.

  "Dad, are you really sure Grandpa will appreciate something from this pce?" the young woman asked, slightly wrinkling her nose. "All I see is junk and some painted stones."

  The man let out a low chuckle without stopping.

  "Brat, don't be so stingy!" he scolded at once. "I'm telling you seriously: if we can't find a proper gift for your grandfather in this corner of the market, we won't find it anywhere else in the province."

  Around them, the merchants' cmor grew louder when they noticed the expensive clothing of the newcomers:

  "…Hey! Over here! Come take a look! I have red jades carved in the Han dynasty, true treasures that prolong life!"

  "…Sir, look here! I have a bronze mirror unearthed from an imperial tomb! Come!"

  "…Don't listen to those swindlers! Take a look at my calligraphy scrolls by Master Ming instead!"

  …

  …

  …

  "So annoying…" the young woman muttered, crossing her arms. "They're like vultures."

  "Xin'er, be patient, we're almost there. Old Gu isn't like these chartans," the man replied, quickening his pace.

  Finally, they stopped in front of a stall set in a slightly more secluded corner, where a sharp-eyed man waited for them with a sly smile.

  "Oh, Old Gu, you're here!" the shopkeeper said, rubbing his hands eagerly.

  "Mr. Wang," the middle-aged man replied with a slight nod. "Did you keep your word?"

  The vendor bowed slightly, lowering his voice just enough for father and daughter to hear.

  "Of course, of course… I've been waiting exclusively for you," he whispered, casting cautious gnces to both sides. "I moved heaven and earth, called in several favors, and even risked my contacts… but in the end, I got the piece."

  He paused briefly, savoring the anticipation before continuing with a conspiratorial smile.

  "I assure you it's something extraordinary. If it weren't for our friendship, this piece would have disappeared from my stall hours ago. So many collectors would kill just to y eyes on it."

  "Alright, enough preamble. Bring it," Gu Changfeng ordered, though his eyes betrayed his curiosity.

  The next instant, a heavy wooden box was pced on the table. Wang Bao opened it with slow, deliberate movements. Inside, protected by yers of silk and foam, rested a white porcein vase. The design showed a phoenix whose wings seemed to wrap around the body of the piece, so finely detailed that the feathers appeared to shimmer under the sunlight.

  "Ooh…"

  An involuntary sigh escaped from father and daughter alike. Even the skeptical Xin'er leaned forward, captivated by the piece's beauty.

  "This… this is…" Gu Changfeng murmured, extending his trembling hands.

  "Exactly! I see your keen eye hasn't lost a bit of its sharpness, Old Gu," Wang Bao excimed with a smile. "What you have before you is the legendary 'Eternal Phoenix Vase,' a lost relic of the Ming Dynasty. It's said that only a hundred were made for the imperial harem, and this is one of the few that survived the great pace fire. A piece that attracts fortune and stabilizes the home's feng shui!"

  Gu Changfeng nodded, absorbed.

  In Longcheng Province, everyone knew the members of the Gu family were direct descendants of Gu Nanfeng, a distinguished envoy of the Great Ming, so their obsession with relics was hardly surprising.

  "Mr. Wang, when you mentioned it to me on the phone, I admit my heart was full of doubts," Gu Nanfeng commented, regaining some composure. "But seeing it in person… you really do have deep contacts in the underworld!"

  "You said it," Wang Bao replied lightly.

  "May I examine it more closely?" Gu Changfeng asked.

  "Of course! Go ahead," Wang Bao replied, stepping back while inwardly counting the millions he pnned to swindle from him.

  Gu Changfeng took a small magnifying gss from his pocket and began inspecting the base of the vase, unaware that just a few centimeters away Wang Bao exchanged a quick gnce with one of his accomplices.

  …

  After a few minutes, he finally finished inspecting it. His brows rexed and a faint satisfied smile appeared on his face.

  "No doubt… the gze, the texture, the engraving… everything matches. It's authentic," he said confidently. "Alright, I'll take it."

  Wang Bao let out a breath discreetly.

  "Then, as we agreed," he added, rubbing his hands with a viper-like smile.

  Gu Changfeng took an elegant checkbook from inside his jacket. He pced the check on the table and uncapped his pen. The tip had barely touched the paper when a firm voice cut through the air.

  "Wait…"

  Gu Changfeng and Xin'er looked up, confused. Wang Bao, meanwhile, felt a chill run down his spine, but when he saw it was just a simply dressed young man, his expression turned to disdain.

  "What are you doing? Get lost, brat! Don't interrupt grown-ups' business," Wang Bao spat, pointing toward the exit with a sharp gesture.

  Without even sparing him a gnce, the young man kept his attention on the Gus. His posture was rexed, but his eyes held a depth that didn't match his age.

  "That's fake," he said bluntly.

  Wang Bao turned pale, thinking he had been exposed, and for a second cold sweat broke out on his neck, but he quickly regained his composure. Impossible, he thought. This replica was made by the best craftsmen on the bck market; even an expert wouldn't notice the difference. Surely the young man just wanted to cause trouble to draw attention.

  "Young man, I personally examined it thoroughly and it's authentic," Gu Changfeng said in a strangely patient tone, though slightly annoyed by the interruption. "I know my family's history, and this vase meets every detail."

  "That's because what you're looking at is—" Before the young man could finish, Wang Bao burst into shouting, smming the table.

  "Hey, brat, get lost and stop making things up!" the shopkeeper roared, trying to hide his nervousness with indignation. "Come on, Old Gu, ignore him. Young people nowadays have no sense of respect—how could they recognize true imperial craftsmanship? They only want cheap fame by ruining other people's deals."

  "Huh?" The young man let out a snort full of arrogance, and a thin, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips. "I, Lin Feng, have never seen anyone so shameless."

  He stepped toward the vase, and an invisible pressure seemed to fill the small stall.

  "Vendor Wang, since you're so certain your 'relic' is genuine, do you dare make a bet with me?" Lin Feng said with a disdainful smirk.