C18 Fake

As appraiser Liu Dongfeng was about to deliver his final verdict on the jade carving, Qi Xiao took a moment to survey the crowd. Aside from the Xue family patriarch, who seemed to have some inkling about the carving's provenance, the rest of the attendees were clueless.

Lin Cheng was taken aback by Qi Xiao's sudden interjection and shot him a look of pure bewilderment.

"Has Young Master Qi lost his mind?" he asked incredulously.

The guests around them shot angry glances at Qi Xiao. Master Liu Dongfeng's reputation in the West River's cultural relics community was impeccable, and here he was being challenged by a mere youngster!

Qi Xiao had initially planned to wait until Liu Dongfeng completed the appraisal before discreetly making his move to acquire the piece. But now that it was confirmed to be a fake, there was no need for such subterfuge. Still, the appraiser might have leads on the authentic item.

The crowd's attention shifted to Qi Xiao upon hearing his claim, and Liu Dongfeng was no exception.

"Oh? You're familiar with this jade carving?" Liu Dongfeng asked, squinting at Qi Xiao, his voice dripping with condescension.

He had little regard for martial artists, dismissing them as nothing more than fighters with no understanding of cultural relics.

Qi Xiao, perceiving Liu Dongfeng's scorn, made his way to the stage with measured steps.

The security guards, noticing Qi Xiao's advance, moved to intercept him but were halted by Xue Rensheng. It wasn't that he was siding with Qi Xiao; he was simply following his father's wishes.

The elderly gentleman with snow-white hair watched Qi Xiao ascend the stage with a spark of interest in his eyes.

Liu Dongfeng's disdain grew as he watched the young man's defiant approach. "My friend, you may be reckless with your diet, but you should be careful with your words. You claim this jade carving is a fake—on what basis?" he challenged.

The murmurs from the audience grew louder in response to Liu Dongfeng's challenge.

"Where did this kid come from? Weren't all the attendees of this treasure evaluation convention supposed to be distinguished? Why is he dressed like a beggar?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's just a freeloader who snuck in," someone speculated.

"Hmph, do you really think a couple of books make you an expert in appraisal? To challenge Mr. Liu's expertise is to show a complete ignorance of your own limitations!"

Qi Xiao paid no heed to the murmurs from the crowd, his palm outstretched, his voice steady:

"Your inability to discern the true from the false doesn't mean everyone else lacks vision."

The audience was taken aback. How could this young man dare to address Mr. Liu in such a manner?

Liu Dongfeng's expression turned stormy as he fixed a steely gaze on Qi Xiao.

"Young man, appraisal isn't for just anyone. I've been in this field for over forty years, and never before have I been judged so brazenly!"

Qi Xiao chuckled and replied:

"What's the matter? Can't handle being told you've made a mistake? There's great virtue in admitting and correcting errors!"

Liu Dongfeng, openly mocked before the crowd, wore an expression of sheer embarrassment, his words coming out through clenched teeth:

"I've dedicated my life to the study of ancient artifacts. I won't claim I'm infallible, but I have a profound knowledge of ancient Han relics. I do not err lightly!"

"Oh, so confident? How about we put that to the test with a wager?"

Liu Dongfeng let out a disdainful snort. His initial impulse was to reject the challenge outright. Why would a renowned appraiser like himself stoop to gamble with a nonentity?

But then he reconsidered. This young upstart was under the protection of Director Xue, untouchable in private. Yet, if he were to be humiliated publicly, even Director Xue would have no grounds for objection. Plus, this brash youth surely knew nothing of the art of appraisal.

"Fine, what's the wager?"

Qi Xiao, seeing his opportunity, said with a smile:

"We'll bet on whether this jade carving is a genuine Han Dynasty relic. As for the stakes..."

Before Qi Xiao could finish, Liu Dongfeng interjected:

"I won't be too harsh on you. If you lose, simply kneel and give me three resounding kowtows right here on stage. How does that sound?"

Below, Lin Cheng burst into applause, shouting his support:

"Excellent! Kneel and admit your mistake to Master Liu!"

The audience echoed their agreement.

Xue Rensheng's face soured. Liu Dongfeng knew full well that Qi Xiao was his guest, yet he chose to put him on the spot. It was as if he didn't regard Xue at all.

The crowd expected the young man on stage to be seething with anger after such an insult, but Qi Xiao simply smiled, his eyes sweeping over the audience before he said, "Fine, but if you lose, bow three times to Director Xue, Xue Rensheng!"

Surprise and a flicker of panic crossed Liu Dongfeng's eyes, but he quickly masked it and passed the jade carving to Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao accepted the jade carving, running his fingers gently over its surface. It was a counterfeit, yet the creator had clearly dedicated effort to it. The craftsmanship and aging were meticulous. Unfortunately, the truth couldn't be faked!

Qi Xiao had sensed from the start that the jade carving wasn't an ancient Han Dynasty relic but a mere imitation. He would have recognized an artifact from the Heaven Sect otherwise.

He flipped the carving over to reveal the bottom, which bore the inscription "Daoist Zhao Chen." There it was—the giveaway.

"The appraisal is complete. It's definitely a fake."

Many in the audience snickered. Even Mr. Liu, the master appraiser, had scrutinized the jade carving for quite a while before confirming its material. And Qi Xiao? A couple of glances, a brief touch, and he knew it was a sham. Did he take them for fools?

"You say it's fake just like that?"

Qi Xiao didn't reply. Instead, he handed the jade carving back to Liu Dongfeng. "Take another look. See if my words hold true."

Liu Dongfeng's expression darkened as he took the carving and examined it once more, still convinced it was a genuine Han Dynasty artifact.

"Kid, looks like you can't leave today without bowing," Liu Dongfeng said.

Qi Xiao just smiled and countered, "Since you claim to be a master appraiser, tell me, what type of jade was primarily used in ancient Han Dynasty artifacts?"

Liu Dongfeng scoffed. Did Qi Xiao really think such a question would trip him up? He was clearly out of his depth.

"Primarily, it's Pengshan Jade that's prevalent, but there's also a significant number of artisans who craft jade artifacts from Qingtian Jade."

"Pengshan Jade is characterized by its uniform color and a cool, smooth texture, while Qingtian Jade is renowned for its clarity and translucence, correct?"

Qi Xiao folded his arms and turned to Liu Dongfeng.

Liu Dongfeng nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, the jade used for this carving is Qingtian Jade, and there are no issues with it."

Qi Xiao smiled and continued.

"The jade's quality is certainly not in question, but Master Liu, are you aware of the inscription on the bottom of this carving?"

Upon hearing Qi Xiao's query, Liu Dongfeng seemed to suddenly remember something, flipping the carving over to inspect the engraved words.

"No need to check; I've already examined it. Although the forger replicated the engraving process perfectly, he made one critical error!"

Liu Dongfeng, realizing the gravity of the situation, began to sweat profusely.

"The style of the characters reveals he used clerical script. It's true that clerical script became popular during the Han dynasty, but it was used on bamboo slips, not jade. Decorative jade and bronze artifacts were inscribed with small seal script, not clerical script!"

As Qi Xiao's emphatic words echoed, beads of sweat rolled down Liu Dongfeng's forehead.

A hush fell over the crowd!

Though few understood Qi Xiao's explanation, they could all see the predicament. The esteemed appraiser, Liu Dongfeng, was speechless, clutching the jade carving, in stark contrast to the eloquent Qi Xiao.

Below the stage, Lin Cheng was utterly astonished.

Yet Qi Xiao simply smiled and asked:

"Well, Master Liu, am I correct?"

Despite being soaked in cold sweat, Liu Dongfeng stubbornly retorted:

"That doesn't prove that folk jade carvings never used clerical script!"

"Haha, folk?"

Qi Xiao let out a laugh and countered:

"Are you truly ignorant, or are you feigning ignorance? Surely, I don't need to elaborate on the symbolism of the pine and crane jade carving, right? Besides, this carving is clearly the work of a Daoist, and you claim it's folk art? It seems your prestigious title might be a bit unwarranted!"

His face was etched with despair as his hand slipped, and the jade sculpture he was holding tumbled to the ground, shattering into dust.

"Master Liu, unless I'm mistaken, isn't it time for you to kowtow to Director Xue?" Qi Xiao's eyes twinkled mischievously as he watched Liu Dongfeng. But to Liu Dongfeng, Qi Xiao might as well have been a demon incarnate!

As the crowd was just shaking off their initial shock, and it seemed certain that Liu Dongfeng would never agree to such a disrespectful demand, to everyone's surprise, he gave a strained nod.

"Fine, I'll kowtow!"