Early the next morning, Zhang Shaozhong, carrying the heavy wooden bracelet, slipped out of the house like a thief.
There's an antique market not far downstairs!
After several days of training, Zhang Shaozhong was able to maintain a distance of up to 1,000 meters from his two ancestors!
Before leaving, he repeatedly instructed the two ancestors to lock the door and not to open it for anyone who knocked, unless he returned. They also had to give a secret code (he made up a code word, "Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger," and told them to reply "Turtle Stewed Chicken").
He first went to several small, seemingly unprofessional gold and silver jewelry recycling shops, but when they took the wooden bracelet, they weighed it in their hands and examined it with a magnifying glass, and finally threw it back to him with disdain.
"Young man, what kind of wood is this? It looks a bit strange, and it doesn't look like agarwood or sandalwood. It's worthless."
"We can't accept this because we don't have gold, silver, or jewels. Let's look elsewhere."
Zhang Shaozhong felt utterly disheartened.
Oh, fairy, your celestial treasure is not appreciated by the mortal world!
Just as he was feeling discouraged and wondering if he really had to sell his game account, a small shop with an old-fashioned facade and a sign that read "Boguzhai" caught his attention.
This shop looked different from the other recycling shops he had been to; it had a rather old-fashioned feel to it.
Let's try anything, even if it seems hopeless!
He gritted his teeth, pushed open the door, and went inside.
As soon as the door opened, a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with the smell of old paper wafted out.
The shop was dimly lit and filled with various old objects such as porcelain, wood carvings, and copper coins.
An elderly man with gray hair and reading glasses was sitting behind the counter, slowly wiping a vase.
"Look around as you like."
The old man didn't even look up.
Zhang Shaozhong nervously swallowed, walked to the counter, and carefully took out the wooden bracelet wrapped in soft cloth from his pocket:
"Boss... would you like to take this?"
The old man then raised his head, pushed up his reading glasses, glanced at him, and then glanced at the wooden bracelet.
He took the cloth bag, opened it, and picked up the bracelet.
The moment his fingers touched the bracelet, the old man suddenly stopped!
The casual look on his face vanished instantly, and his eyes sharpened.
He carefully stroked the bracelet's texture, then brought it to his nose to smell it, and even closed his eyes to feel it.
Zhang Shaozhong's heart was in his throat, and he didn't dare to breathe.
Is there a chance? Or has this old man discovered something is wrong?
After a long while, the old man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at Zhang Shaozhong:
"Young man, where did you get this thing?"
Zhang Shaozhong had prepared his speech in advance and recited it haltingly:
"It's...it's a family heirloom...They say it's an old item, but I don't really understand it...We urgently needed money, so..."
"Heirloom?"
The old man smiled meaningfully and tapped his fingers lightly on the counter.
“This ‘family heirloom’ is quite something.”
He lowered his voice and leaned forward slightly:
"This thing is neither metal nor wood, it is warm to the touch, and has a faint fragrance that lingers... What is even more rare is that its nature is neutral and peaceful, which is in harmony with the way of nature."
Young man, is there someone practicing spiritual cultivation in your family?
"Cultivation...?"
Zhang Shaozhong's heart skipped a beat, but he pretended to be clueless and said...
"Boss, what are you saying? I'm just an ordinary citizen..."
The old man, Uncle Chen, chuckled, not delving into the matter, but simply looking at him meaningfully:
“My surname is Chen. I’ve been running this shop on this street for decades. I don’t have any other skills, but I do have a good eye for things. This bracelet is definitely not an ordinary heirloom. The trace of ‘qi’ on it, though extremely faint, is very pure and cannot be nurtured by an ordinary person.”
Zhang Shaozhong's back began to break out in a cold sweat.
My goodness! This old man is a real expert!
The fairy's items are indeed extraordinary!
Did he figure something out? Should we run?
Uncle Chen saw that his face had turned pale with nervousness and waved his hand:
"Don't be afraid, young man. I mean no harm. It's just that I rarely see such an interesting old object, so I asked a few more questions. To be honest, the material of your bracelet is special, and it is probably very old. But its true value is known to those who understand it, and those who don't will just consider it a broken wooden ring."
He paused, looking at Zhang Shaozhong: "You just said you urgently needed money?"
Zhang Shaozhong nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, yes! Urgent! Very urgent!"
Uncle Chen pondered for a moment, then slowly said:
"This item is hard to value according to market prices for antiques. But if someone needs it... it's quite valuable. How about this, if you trust me, you can leave the bracelet with me as collateral, and I'll help you find a way to get it. As for the money, I can give you some advance for emergencies."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shaozhong felt both joy and worry.
The good thing is that it seems there really is a way, but the bad thing is that this old man is unfathomable and we don't know if he's reliable.
"Uncle Chen...who is the person you mentioned that you need?" he asked tentatively.
Uncle Chen smiled and pointed to himself:
“When I was young, I also followed a master and studied Taoist qi cultivation techniques for a few years, so I can barely be considered a semi-cultivator. That’s why I was able to sense the extraordinary nature of your bracelet. I know some friends who are very interested in these kinds of old objects that contain ‘pure qi’.”
Taoist practice of cultivating inner energy! A practitioner in spiritual cultivation!
Zhang Shaozhong's eyes lit up instantly!
What a stroke of luck! Could we have stumbled upon a hidden master?
He suppressed his excitement and asked cautiously:
"Well... Uncle Chen, besides accepting gifts, do you... do you do anything else? Like... help people solve... small problems?"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
