Before his death in his previous life, Chen Xiao drank a lot of medicine. Although the smell in the cauldron was very fragrant, it had a slight bitter taste. He would never forget the unique bitter taste of the medicine.
However, this cannot be used as evidence. What if this kind of spiritual incense burns like this? Since Pang Hemu didn't believe it, Chen Xiao didn't bring it up again.
So, he turned to another discovery. He said, "I saw the pattern on the upper part of the bronze tripod, and it felt familiar. I just observed it carefully and thought about it. I realized that I had seen similar patterns on the bodies of the immortal masters who came to the immortal gate to select disciples."
Pang Hemu choked on a mouthful of tea and coughed violently for a long time. He finally caught his breath and sobered up. He took the towel handed over by Chen Xiao and wiped off the tea that spilled on his shirt. He looked at Chen Xiao with a half-believing and half-doubting expression on his face: "Are you sure you didn't remember it wrong?" Chen Xiao nodded affirmatively: "I am sure that what I saw is a similar pattern."
Chen Xiao remembered it very clearly. After all, the sight of three people falling from the sky was too shocking.
He could still clearly recall that the three people from the Chongxuan Sect wore clothes of different colors, but they were edged in the same style and had the same pattern. Although the styles were slightly different, they could be seen at a glance to be from the same series. He once heard from a person who liked to play games with ancient backgrounds that this series of clothes was jokingly called "school uniforms." Chen Xiao felt that this style was similar to the three outer garments, and should be the standard uniforms of the Chongxuan Sect.
The border patterns he saw on their "school uniforms" did have some similarity to the ones on the bronze tripod. Compared to the patterns he had seen on other antiques, they were more complex, more mysterious, and more regular.
Pang Hemu stood up and walked around the bronze tripod twice. After thinking deeply for a while, he shook his head and said, "It is far-fetched to use this point to think that this tripod is an antique of immortals. The royal family of Zheng, like the royal family of Dai, is a family that has been transformed from the descendants of immortals. The utensils used in these people's homes are inevitably tainted with the habits of immortals and passed down as a custom."
Chen Xiao said, "Boss, what you mean is that this Duobao pattern is also the same? Did the Zheng royal family use it on the bronze tripod after seeing it on the artifacts of real immortal cultivators, and then it has been passed down to the present day?"
Pang Hemu's expression became more solemn. He did not comment, but only said, "It's getting late. You should go back too. Don't think too much. Get up early and go to work tomorrow."
Chen Xiao took his leave obediently. When he left, he could still see Pang Hemu standing in front of the bronze tripod with a heavy back.
He understood that although Pang Hemu said he didn't believe it, he had actually been persuaded by Chen Xiao. However, before the news was confirmed, he certainly would not show his inclination to agree with Chen Xiao's guess, so as to avoid leaking the news.
After all, if what Chen Xiao said was true, it would not only cause a sensation in the antique street of the county city, but even the entire collection community of Daiguo would be shaken. No one had ever seen such a large immortal antique like a tripod before.
The next day, when Chen Xiao came to work at Taxue Xunxian Pavilion, the bronze tripod was no longer placed in the center of the shop, but was moved to the back.
In addition to the room in the corner where Chen Xiao lived, the house facing the front belongs to the owner. He would stay in this room when he came to check the accounts or talk with the chief manager. On the side is the collection room with strict protection. The antiques that are truly considered to be the treasures of the store are placed here. Only when there are big customers will they be brought here by the chief manager to see them in person.
Anyone else who had heard about yesterday's lively scene and came here because of it was so popular were politely turned away. Only the old man with a goatee and the old man named Qi wearing a square hat were led into the backyard.
Chen Xiao was standing in front of the display stand he was in charge of. The shopkeeper who was in charge of the utensils and tripods had just been called in. Now he and another assistant were the only ones in this area. He was counting in his mind, and when he counted from one to more than three hundred, the shopkeeper came out. He looked at Chen Xiao with a complicated expression and said to him, "The boss asked you to come in. Think carefully before you answer."
Chen Xiao followed the shopkeeper and stepped into the main room in the backyard for the first time. The second room of the main room was a large study. At this time, the bronze tripod was placed on the ground, and several people were sitting or standing around it. They were Pang Hemu, the shopkeeper, the old man with a goatee, and the old man surnamed Qi.
When the head shopkeeper saw him coming in, he took the initiative to say, "Come forward." After Chen Xiao walked over and stood with his hands folded, he raised his hand to lead the two old men and said solemnly, "These two are Mr. Ma and Mr. Qi. They are the leading figures among the collectors in the county city."
Chen Xiao politely greeted the two old men, not at all moved by the words he just heard. He was used to occasionally hearing familiar idioms or allusions from the local natives. Obviously there was no Mount Tai or the Big Dipper here, so it seemed a bit strange to hear words like Mount Tai and the Big Dipper.
He could only think that this world had some kind of relationship with the time and space of his previous life in ancient times, or that this place evolved from a parallel world.
Old Ma looked Chen Xiao up and down. He was very thin, but he asked in a loud voice, "You were the one who suggested that this bronze tripod was an antique from an immortal? You may be young, but you are quite courageous. You dare to guess."
Chen Xiao replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Mr. Ma, you are a respected senior with profound knowledge. I have only been in contact with antiques for a short time, so my knowledge is shallow and my ideas are inevitably absurd. If there are any mistakes or omissions, please correct me."
Old Qi glared at Old Ma and said, "Don't delay the business." Then he walked up to Chen Xiao and grabbed his arm, pulling him over. He pointed to a book on the desk and said to him, "Look here, is there any pattern you have seen in this book?"
This entire atlas is filled with patterns, and it is a thick book with hundreds of patterns. The pages of the atlas are yellowed, and despite the careful preservation, the edges are inevitably worn out. Mr. Qi cherishes this atlas very much, and he doesn't even let Chen Xiao touch it, but carefully turns the pages one by one.
There is a pattern on each page, all kinds of them, there are lines evolved from animals, plants, utensils, etc. Turning to the end, it becomes a pattern similar to hieroglyphics. Chen Xiao has to say that these patterns are really complete. Almost all the patterns that have appeared on antiques can be found here. No wonder Mr. Qi is so careful and attentive. It takes a lot of thought and time to compile such complete information.
"Look carefully, is there any pattern on it that you have seen before?" asked Mr. Qi with a hint of nervousness in his tone.
Ma Lao beside him snorted: "Didn't we just flip through it twice? Don't you know if there are similar patterns?"
From the few words, Chen Xiao judged that before he came, the people in the room had already looked for a pattern similar to the multi-treasure pattern on the bronze tripod in this atlas. However, they did not find it.
Chen Xiao didn't find it strange at all. When he turned to the end of the booklet, the pattern transformed from the hieroglyphs was very close to the multi-treasure pattern on the bronze tripod, but it was far less exquisite and complex than the one on the bronze tripod.
The comparison between the two is like the ones in the book are simplified counterfeit products, while the ones on the bronze tripod are the original authentic ones.
Turning over the last page, Chen Xiao shook his head: "I don't see any pattern similar to the one I saw on the Immortal Master."
Pang Hemu laughed loudly: "It seems that there is no need to argue anymore. This bronze tripod is really an antique of immortals."
Old Qi took a deep breath, his hands shaking with excitement, but he still said, "I dare not draw such a conclusion. Maybe this is just a type that has not been included. Besides, there are many ancient artifacts sent from other lands that are very different from our country."
Ma Lao snorted again, "You are just kidding yourself! You argued with me yesterday until your face turned red. How could the distinct native characteristics of the beasts and flowers come from other lands?!"
Pang Hemu was so happy that he tried to mediate in a gentle voice: "Don't argue, we can talk about your concerns slowly. Mr. Ma, please tell me what you think."
Ma Lao twirled his goatee and said, "It is true that the beast pattern originated from the Zheng Dynasty. Since it was cast by an immortal, it is not surprising that the round flowers are lingering. When Lao Qi and I saw the multi-treasure pattern, we thought it was just to fill the gap. Now it seems that we are wrong. The beasts and round flowers are just to fill the gap, and the multi-treasure pattern is the key. The only person who could make such a bronze tripod at that time was the immortal cultivator of the Zheng royal family. I think this bronze tripod was left in the family after he left, and was sold by later generations as an ordinary sacrificial ritual vessel. Nephew Pang, congratulations, it is really a shocking leak."
As expected of a knowledgeable person, he was able to deduce the true owner of the bronze tripod based on just these clues.
After hearing what Mr. Ma said, Pang Hemu couldn't help but burst into laughter.
At this time, Mr. Qi said, "Nephew Pang, I have a request for you. Can you allow me to make a copy of the patterns on this bronze tripod?"
Pang Hemu hesitated for a moment: "This..." Once it is confirmed that this is really an immortal antique, the multi-treasure pattern on it will become a real treasure. Pang Hemu, a true fan of Xiuxian, naturally didn't want to spread it.
But looking at Mr. Qi's expectant and pleading eyes and thinking about the friendship between them, Pang Hemu still agreed.
After figuring out the origin of the bronze tripod, Pang Hemu decided not to sell it. It was his greatest reward in his pursuit of the immortals. He wanted to keep the bronze tripod as a family heirloom, so that his descendants could admire his great achievements.
Pang Hemu has always been a generous person. This time, he did not forget to give generous gifts to the relevant people. Not only did Mr. Qi, Mr. Ma, and the chief storekeeper receive generous red envelopes, but even Chen Xiao received a reward of the same amount. If it weren't for his words to wake people up from their dreams, everyone would have missed this treasure and let it go to waste.
The news that the bronze tripod newly acquired by the Taxue Xunxian Pavilion was an antique of immortals spread like wildfire. Pang Hemu had not intended to hide it, but he did not expect that the news would spread so quickly.
But soon after, Pang Hemu was questioned by several other shop owners of the same size on the Antique Street, who suspected that he was passing off a fake product as an antique from an immortal, in order to elevate the status of the Taxue Xunxian Pavilion. After all, there was no concrete evidence that the copper tripod was an antique from an immortal. And now the Taxue Xunxian Pavilion, a shop that had only been open for more than a decade, had become the most famous one on the Antique Street.
Pang Hemu was immediately furious after hearing these remarks.
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