Return of the Celestial King

All the family heads in the audience nodded along.

”Exactly! Who could a Blinding Technique like that fool, anyway?”

”Heh heh, and here I was thinking it was a treasure. Turns out it’s just trash. I almost got taken in!”

Hearing these overlapping comments, Wu Qihao found himself in an awkward position.

He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment and said,

”In that case, let’s just move on. We will now begin the auction for the second item in the collection!”

Then, a staff member solemnly wheeled out the second item.

After the fiasco with the first item, Wu Qihao was clearly ready to bring out the real deal.

The item was a bronze mirror that looked ancient. It exuded a simple, antique aura, causing everyone to frown deeply.

Everyone silently wondered what kind of item this was and what its origins could be.

Wu Qihao spoke in a hushed, mysterious tone.

”All of you, pay close attention. This is a rare treasure indeed. It is the very bronze mirror once personally used by Yang Guifei!”

His words immediately sent an uproar through the entire audience.

Many antique enthusiasts’ eyes went wide, and they stared intently at the bronze mirror.

Even the heads of the major families couldn’t contain themselves, their faces betraying their greed.

Even the appraisal masters hired by the various families wore extremely grave expressions, observing it carefully without blinking.

Master Ma looked utterly stunned and couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration,

”Elder Zhu, this is a truly fine piece!”

Hearing even Master Ma say so, Zhu Guirong was now certain that the bronze mirror was a genuine treasure.

He resolved then and there to do whatever it took to win the bid for it!

Seeing everyone’s astonished reactions, a look of smug satisfaction appeared in Wu Qihao’s eyes.

His expression turned serious as he announced sternly,

”The starting bid for this item is ten million, with minimum increments of one million!”

However, the moment he finished speaking, someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

”I bid twenty million!”

At those words, the entire room erupted.

Everyone realized at once that the bronze mirror had sparked a bidding war.

The bid had doubled in a single breath. It was clear the VIPs in attendance were prepared to fight tooth and nail for Yang Guifei’s bronze mirror!

In the crowd, an expert beside Liu Zhenghai took a deep breath and said earnestly,

”Mr. Liu, this is a genuine antique treasure. It’s worth acquiring, even at a high price!”

Convinced by the old man’s enthusiastic persuasion, Liu Zhenghai nodded and smiled.

”Since you’ve given your word, sir, I can bid with confidence!”

Then, he too joined the bidding war.

”The Liu Family bids thirty million!”

Liu Zhenghai shouted, immediately drawing the attention of the crowd.

Seeing that even the Liu Family had entered the fray, many people felt their hopes sink and prepared to quietly back out.

After all, given the Liu Family’s influence and wealth in the Capital City, the vast majority of those present were no match for them.

As the bids went back and forth, the price for the item quickly shot up to fifty million!

Watching this from the side, Wu Qihao was grinning from ear to ear, his heart pounding with excitement.

Master Ma suddenly glanced at the adjacent Zhu Guirong and asked curiously,

”Elder Zhu, what are you waiting for? This is a genuine treasure. It would be a disaster if someone else snaps it up.”

Zhu Guirong nodded, his face alight with excitement as he chuckled.

”Don’t worry, Master Ma. I’m just waiting to drop a knockout bid that will scare everyone else off!”

So, Zhu Guirong’s plan was to let the others drive up the price for a bit before he swooped in for the kill.

But beside him, Qin Tuo frowned slightly and couldn’t help but interject,

”Elder Zhu, I’d advise you to give up on it.”

Seeing Qin Tuo once again advising him not to bid, Zhu Guirong was completely bewildered.

’Even Master Ma is urging me to bid,’ Zhu Guirong thought, ’so why is Qin Tuo still so against it?’

So, he asked curiously,

”Mr. Qin, so many people are bidding on it. This bronze mirror must be a real treasure!”

Nearby, Kong Lianqing and the others were just as confused. They all looked at Qin Tuo, awaiting his explanation.

Qin Tuo gave a cold smirk and said,

”There’s no point in you buying this thing. In fact, it will bring you harm. Believe me or not, that’s up to you.”

Hearing this, a conflicted look appeared on Zhu Guirong’s face.

But Master Ma, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but sneer mockingly.

”Kid, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? If you can’t even tell this is a genuine article, then you have no business being here showing off your incompetence.”

However, Qin Tuo wasn’t the least bit angered by this. He simply replied calmly,

”Of course it’s a genuine piece. But it’s filled with resentful energy. At best, it will disturb your mind. At worst, it will influence your destiny and prospects—it could even be a matter of life and death!”

Hearing this, Master Ma was dumbstruck. He never imagined Qin Tuo would say something like that.

Zhu Guirong was also startled, and a sense of unease began to creep into his heart.

Qin Tuo continued coldly,

”Elder Zhu, if you want to buy this mirror only to have tragedy befall your household, then I certainly won’t stop you today!”

With that, he said no more.

Zhu Guirong’s heart began to pound. The warning in Qin Tuo’s words left him deeply unsettled.

Ouyang Tianqi also chimed in urgently,

”Elder Zhu, what Mr. Qin says makes a lot of sense. I learned that same lesson the hard way!”

Zhu Guirong’s curiosity was piqued. He asked,

”Oh? Elder Mr. Ouyang, what do you mean by that?”

Ouyang Tianqi explained earnestly,

”I once purchased a dragon robe at auction that was filled with an ominous aura. Afterward, my old family home became saturated with resentful energy. I hired many masters, but none of them could figure out the problem. In the end, it was Mr. Qin who dispelled the curse for me. If not for him, the consequences would have been unthinkable!”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Guirong became more convinced. His resolve began to waver, and he fell silent.

But Master Ma, feeling he had lost face, immediately cut in with a sarcastic laugh.

”If you ask me, this kid is just spouting nonsense to stir up trouble. He’s probably just trying to trick you all!”

Qin Tuo shook his head and sneered, dismissing Master Ma as nothing more than a contemptible buffoon.

Master Ma continued to urge,

”Elder Zhu, you must seize this precious opportunity and win this item! A treasure like this doesn’t come around often. If you miss it, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!”

Under his repeated urging, Zhu Guirong began to hesitate.