C7 The Calligraphy Sage Wang Xizhi

"Both of you, out of my house now! You're not welcome here," Liu Gaang burst out, witnessing his father's mix of helplessness and fury.

He understood his father, Liu Lei, all too well. The once unyielding man now reduced to begging—it was easy to imagine the agony it caused him.

"Gaang, show some respect!" Liu Lei chided, seeing his son's outburst.

Lee and Soong bristled at Liu Gaang's demeanor, their anger palpable. "Old Liu, this is the fine son you've raised. Very well, remember this—if the money isn't paid by tomorrow, you can pack up and leave."

"Lee, Soong..." Liu Lei began, but was sharply cut off. "Save it, your words are pointless now!"

"Get out!" Liu Gaang's voice was ice, his gaze even colder, as a formidable presence radiated from him, instilling fear.

Since acquiring his extraordinary powers, Liu Gaang hadn't fully grasped the extent of his transformation—not just physically, but in his very aura, now capable of making others quake.

"We'll see about that!" Feeling like prey under the watchful eye of a predator, Lee and Soong spat out a threat before storming off.

The living room fell quiet, leaving only Liu Gaang with his parents.

"Gaang, what's gotten into you?" his mother, Ho Lan, asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Mom, Dad already pleaded with them, and they still acted like that. What's left to say?"

"But..."

"Enough, Ho Lan," Liu's father interjected, his voice weary. "You've seen Lee and Soong's true colors. Even if Gaang hadn't acted, my pleading would've been in vain."

With a heavy sigh, Liu's father declared, "I'm exhausted. I'm going to rest," and retreated to his room, with Liu's mother quickly following.

Watching his parents ascend the staircase, Liu Gaang's resolve hardened. "Don't worry, I'll take care of the money," he vowed, despite knowing the near impossibility of gathering nearly ten million yuan in a single day. But Liu Gaang was determined not to give up, Heaven-defying powers or not.

If a heaven-defying superpower like that could exist, then truly, nothing is impossible.

Liu Gaang ascended the stairs and returned to his room, eager to dive into the book on antique basics he had just purchased.

Before he knew it, midnight had arrived, and by then, Liu Gaang had gained a solid grasp of antique fundamentals.

Antiques could be broadly classified into five main categories: ceramics, paintings, jade, metal wares, and miscellaneous items.

Beneath these categories lay numerous subcategories. For instance, paintings included calligraphy, artwork, ancient manuscripts, and limited edition prints, among others.

Ceramics were further divided into different types, such as Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain, famille rose, cloisonné, and glass.

Jade was categorized into jadeite, chicken blood stone, Tianhuang, emerald, agate, diamonds, and more.

Metal items encompassed gold and silver products, bronze artifacts, and others.

The miscellaneous category was vast, including items like yellow rosewood, golden nanmu wood, stamps, commemorative coins, medals, ancient coins, and so on.

There were also specific terms related to antiques.

Getting duped: Mistakenly buying a fake as if it were genuine.

Finding a bargain: The opposite of getting duped, it's when you encounter a seller who doesn't recognize the value of an item and you purchase it for far less than its market price, like the Republic-era bronze mirror Liu Gaang bought today.

Gaining insight: When novices learn from experienced masters.

Seeking expertise: Asking someone to help appraise an item, colloquially known as 'having an eye for it'.

...

In essence, the world of antiques is complex, yet in simple terms, it's all about having a keen eye. But for Liu Gaang, now equipped with his extraordinary ability, such challenges are trivial—being duped is an impossibility for him.

By seven in the morning, Liu Gaang was up and out early, grabbing a quick breakfast before hailing a cab straight to Antique Street.

Stepping out of the cab, Liu Gaang began to meander through the area.

"Modern craft imitation of Warring States period bronze ware. The craftsmanship is crude. Evaluation: Lacks any collectible value."

"Modern craft imitation of Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain. The craftsmanship is crude. Evaluation: Lacks any collectible value."

Liu Gaang had nearly turned over every item at the stall, only to find that the outcome was always the same—it wasn't easy to find a hidden gem among the leftovers. Just as disappointment was setting in, something caught his eye on the far side of the stall: an inconspicuous scroll of calligraphy. The signs of decay were unmistakable on its surface. Unless it had been artificially aged, it was certainly an antique.