C12 It Was the Noble Building Again

The next morning, Tantrum rose with the sun, his perception sharply heightened, infusing him with boundless energy. He could go several days without sleep and still feel refreshed.

After sharing breakfast with Xia Xingchen and Gu Qianqian, and dropping Xia Xingchen off at school, Tantrum made his way back to the Antique Market to meander through the stalls.

His mission was clear: to quickly amass his initial capital. This would lay the groundwork for opening his own antique store, where he could gather a collection of relics to aid in his training.

Scavenging in the antique world meant snapping up valuable pieces at rock-bottom prices, often from unsuspecting sellers. It's an industry term that paints a vivid picture of discovering hidden gems. Generally, it's considered a stroke of luck that can't be forced, requiring an exceptional amount of good fortune.

The market bustled daily with a mix of connoisseurs, hobbyists, and novices, all hoping to stumble upon overlooked treasures.

Even seasoned Appraisers from the shops would scour the market, eager to chance upon a rare find.

Take Elder Qi, for instance, who would wander the market each morning, content to simply look around. A successful find was a bonus, but not finding anything didn't dampen his spirits.

Then there was Yang Zun from Noble Building, who had once vied with Tantrum over a small cauldron. He too made his daily rounds with a birdcage in tow, a routine that had become second nature, a lifestyle.

In such an environment, even a Relic Arts Master like Tantrum, with his innate ability to discern the real from the fake, faced challenges in unearthing truly valuable items. Nonetheless, his odds of discovering a gem were significantly higher than most.

Indeed, even for industry veterans like Elder Qi and Yang Zun, who had spent decades honing their craft, their combined success in finding hidden treasures paled in comparison to Tantrum's.

Elder Qi might labor over an antique, examining it meticulously and even employing various tools for a good fifteen minutes before forming a preliminary opinion.

Tantrum, on the other hand, could instantly identify an antique with just a sweep of his perception.

What's more, appraisers of Elder Qi's caliber were well-known in the market. Whenever they showed interest in an item, sellers would often hike up the prices, aware of the attention it was receiving.

Even if they stumbled upon a genuine antique, buyers wouldn't part with it for a low price, defeating the purpose of finding a bargain. Tantrum, however, was a new face and had a better chance of acquiring valuable items at a steal.

After roaming the market for the better part of the morning, Tantrum's search yielded nothing. That's when he noticed an elderly man with a deeply lined face shuffling to a secluded corner of the market. The man spread out a grimy, colorless piece of linen on the ground and casually emptied several rusty iron pieces from a bag, the clanging sound drawing the attention of passersby who quickly gathered around.

"Sir, where did these come from?" someone inquired.

"Dug them up from the ground a few years back," the old man replied, puffing on a cheap pipe.

"And how much for these items?" another onlooker asked, interest piqued, as they picked up an iron piece to examine it more closely. Judging by their appearance, these items seemed to have some age to them.

The old man, dressed in the simple garb of a true farmer and not the guise of a professional counterfeit seller, seemed like a promising source for hidden treasures.

"No less than a thousand yuan each," he stated firmly.

"That much? Sir, I noticed you just came from the Noble Building. Why didn't you sell to them? Did the appraiser there deem them worthless?"

The old man continued to smoke in silence, his brow creased with worry. He had indeed just left the Noble Building, not because they refused his items, but because the price they offered was insultingly low. The Noble Building was only willing to pay five hundred yuan per piece, but his daughter lay in the hospital in need of a thirty thousand yuan operation. He had sold everything of value he owned and was still seven thousand yuan short.

He then recalled these iron pieces, which someone had once offered to buy for two thousand yuan each. His daughter, insistent they were valuable antiques, had forbidden their sale. Trusting his university-educated daughter, he had held onto them.

Now, with his daughter's accident and the mounting surgery costs, he had no choice but to sell. But the Noble Building's appraisers only valued them at five hundred yuan each, nowhere near enough to cover the medical expenses. Left with no other option, the old man had set up his makeshift stall on the ground outside.

He couldn't afford to let them go for less than a thousand yuan each; his daughter's surgery depended on it, and he was resolute in not selling for anything less.

Tantrum mingled with the onlookers, eyeing the old man's stall. While the authenticity of the items was still uncertain to the crowd, Tantrum had already recognized their legitimacy.

There were seven metal pieces in total, six adorned with faint red runes, and one with orange runes.

These were genuine antiques.

Upon hearing the old man, Tantrum's gears started turning. He approached, lifted the metal piece radiating yellow runes, and proposed, "Sir, I'll take this one. Would you accept a thousand yuan?"

He withdrew a thousand yuan from his dwindling funds and handed it to the old man.

A flicker of excitement crossed the old man's face as he nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, anything over a thousand yuan, and they're yours."

Tantrum pressed on, "Master, I'd like to buy them all, but I'm short on cash. If you're willing to wait, I can have a friend bring the money."

"Make it quick, I need to get to the hospital for my daughter," the old man urged.

Tantrum nodded, knowing full well he didn't have the funds, and Xia Xingchen was in the same boat. His mind raced to Elder Qi as a potential lender, or as a last resort, he'd have to endure Gu Qianqian's teasing to borrow from her.

Before he could make a call, a voice interjected, "Old man, I'll buy these. One thousand and one each, right?"

The old man's eyes sparkled with hope. Selling the six metal pieces meant six thousand yuan, plus Tantrum's earlier offer, he finally had enough for his daughter's surgery that afternoon.

"It's possible, but the young man just now..." The old man glanced at Tantrum with a troubled expression. Tantrum had already expressed his intent to purchase, yet lacked the full amount.

Tantrum was taken aback. He noticed the man had hurried from the direction of the Noble Building without so much as glancing at the items—a red flag.

"Isn't that Yang Qi from the Noble Building? They refused to buy these when the old man offered them earlier, and now he's come running to make a purchase..." A whisper reached Tantrum's ears.

Tantrum instantly got it and couldn't help but let out a cold, internal huff.

The logic was simple: Noble Building had confirmed the old man's item was authentic but aimed to snap it up on the cheap, offering a mere five hundred per piece.

But the old man wouldn't have it. He left Noble Building and set up his own stall outside.

With Noble Building's items nearly sold out, they were desperate to secure the old man's wares. Their eagerness to bid so decisively suggested that the value of the old man's items was likely far beyond the simple thousand yuan each.

Just yesterday, Yang Zun from Noble Building had tried to intercept Tantrum's small cauldron. Now, the idea that Noble Building could acquire the old man's iron pieces on the cheap was pure fantasy.

"I'll offer fifteen hundred each," declared Tantrum.