Imperial Treasure

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There are always variables in trading, it's a common occurrence. As long as the outcome is pleasing, Sui Yi isn't in a hurry. He just raised his eyebrows and sat calmly, saying, "This has nothing to do with me. Now, if you choose to break the agreement with the boss, then this deal is no longer the original deal. You might continue to discuss it with the boss... so, I'm leaving first."

Clearly, Sui Yi's reaction was not what Hei Pi had anticipated. He suddenly stood up, blocking Sui Yi's path, his hand pressing on the black bag, and scoffed coldly, his voice menacing like a wolf sharpening its teeth, "What's the rush... I'm not canceling this deal about the jar, and I do want the money, but it's not going to be the amount we initially agreed upon."

Was it dissatisfaction with the trade amount? A case of greed? Sui Yi endured patiently, his gaze briefly sweeping over the several scars on his hand, marks... likely made by a sharp weapon.

This situation was indeed tough, no wonder Elder Tang was so anxious to find her, showing no reluctance towards the offer of three thousand.

.....

"You know I'm not in charge, whether the jar was previously used as a night pot or for feeding pigs, I have no idea. Since you're not satisfied with the money, you should still discuss it with the boss,... preventing me from leaving is pointless."

Sui Yi leaned against his chair, appearing nonchalant for the time being.

Hei Pi looked at the girl who was about the same age as his niece and thought to himself, Are all the city girls this astute and composed? Even more seasoned than old hands! But he had heard that some city girls were as dumb as pigs, while others were even smarter than foxes...

Damn it, his little niece could hardly recognize a few characters, only knew about washing clothes, cooking, and herding cattle...

Compared to this girl, not to mention just appearances, the difference in demeanor was vast.

"I know this, but speaking to your boss is too tiresome; he's too timid, constantly saying this and that won't work, always afraid that I'd swindle him... I have some other merchandise here, brought to get rid of..."

Hm? Was he planning to add more items to the deal?

But indeed, Elder Tang loved to dawdle and wasn't straightforward, so the other party's complaint wasn't unjustified.

As soon as Sui Yi thought this, Hei Pi had already picked up another bag. He pulled open the chain, and clinking bottles and jars, caked in soil, and what seemed like jade pieces... came into view.

Sui Yi found this turn of events rather troublesome.

Truth be told, such an unexpected change was not something she could decisively handle, and the fact that the other party suddenly revealed the merchandise by opening the bag, whether by the conventions of this trade or the person's style, he virtually forced her to take the goods, much like compulsory buying and selling. In such matters of dubious ethics, righteousness does not exist.

Once the goods had been seen, you were implicated – in the knowledge, the responsibility, everything mingled together as if aboard a thief's ship; after all, this was a profession officially prohibited...

If she didn't handle this matter, they would definitely not let her leave this private room peacefully, and at the very least...

There'd always be a settling of accounts after the fall harvest.

That's the nature of these wild, tomb-raiding types – brutish!

This man looked brutish!

Sui Yi, feeling helpless, could only sit still, feigning expertise as she extended her hand with a few tissues wrapped around her fingers toward the bag...

Some unsorted local goods should not be touched directly, not only to preserve the ancient charm but also to avoid the bad luck associated with freshly excavated items. This was common knowledge in the antiques trade.

Although Sui Yi wasn't very experienced in this field, it didn't mean she was completely clueless. This action immediately softened the fierce look that Hei Pi secretly held in his eyes.

He too was just gambling – if Sui Yi truly knew nothing about this trade, she definitely couldn't make decisions and was just a pawn. He indeed had to reconsider confronting her...

The scars on his hand were definitely not from cutting vegetables carelessly!

Sui Yi wasn't interested in these sundry local items. She reached further into the bag, directly touching a clump of soil.

A small piece, blade-like, elongated hexagonal, very thin, a third of a centimeter thick...

It was covered with a thin layer of fine brown soil.

As Sui Yi pretended to scrutinize the small shard held before her, her gaze focused, her demeanor poised and elegant, she certainly looked the part of a master antiquities appraiser.

Seeing this, not only did Hei Pi feel assured, but he also internally smiled and began to dig into his beef noodles...

"May I wipe it?" Sui Yi asked.

Hei Pi was startled, then nonchalantly waved his chopsticks, "No problem, we don't have your taboos; just don't damage the item."

Sui Yi really wanted to say, even if it's just a shard or even ancient Qing porcelain, it's still a shard. It might even have been a porcelain urinal in ancient times!

How much worse could it get?

She pulled out a few more tissues and began to wipe the soil off. The soil seemed oddly adhesive, difficult to clean, almost like glue.

Sui Yi felt something strange as soon as she touched it, but she kept her expression neutral, soaked a tissue in some water, and, indeed, it cleaned better. Soon, the brown dirt was wiped away layer by layer...

In fact, if an expert were there, they would have severely criticized Sui Yi, knowing that freshly unearthed artifacts mostly should not come into direct contact with water....

For fear that some attached decaying matter would be washed away, like with paintings, which especially should not come into contact with water.

—Luckily, Hei Pi didn't know this either!

A flat piece with uneven patterns, slightly darker in color, dark silver, resembling fragments of auspicious clouds, yet also like remnants of flowers, and upon closer inspection, it appeared to be limbs of some exotic beasts... It was ice-cold to the touch.

Bizarre.

This was Sui Yi's first reaction to it.

As she ran her fingertips over it, the back side felt much smoother. Sui Yi glanced at Hei Pi who was feasting voraciously across from her, and with a faint expression, she flipped the piece over.

Upon turning it over, she saw an eye.

It felt familiar, cold and sharp, staring directly at her. Startled, she felt a jolt in her mind and suddenly saw a flash of white light, her eye stinging momentarily.

That feeling was strange, making her quite uncomfortable, yet it felt... familiar!

A strange sensation.

When she came to her senses, she looked down again at the impeccably smooth silver-white surface, which seemed like quicksilver. The eye she had just seen was actually her own.

—This was a piece of a mirror!

"A piece of a mirror?.... Really rare," Sui Yi exclaimed in surprise.

The fragment had a defined edge, a small piece roughly the size of a palm, similar to those little round mirrors that female students secretly use for makeup in contemporary classrooms.

Did the ancient times already have mirrors of this size?

It seems the historical records never mentioned that these ancient ladies would carry such small round mirrors with them. If at home, prominent families that could afford mirrors would definitely not prefer "small" items and were strictly disciplined, not to mention items buried with the deceased.

Speaking of which, mirrors account for a niche market in the antiques world. In China, bronze mirrors were already in existence over 2000 years ago, and in world history, Egypt had even earlier periods concerning mirrors.

However, due to the fragile nature of mirrors, their difficulty in being preserved, and some secretive and obscure curse rumors, they have never been popular, resulting in very few being handed down through history.

The craftsmanship and quicksilver surface of the mirror in front of her made Sui Yi feel very strange.

At first glance, she would have thought it was a modern product, rather than emerging from an ancient tomb... Could it be... forged by Hei Pi and his crew?

That would be quite deceitful...

Sui Yi covertly glanced at Hei Pi, and at that moment, she suddenly furrowed her brows, feeling that something was off...

What could it be?

The mirror piece seemed to be stuck to her palm... With her palm facing down, it did not fall. She quietly tried to pry it with her thumb, but it didn't budge, as if it had grown onto her flesh, firmly nailed into her palm..

Sui Yi's lips compressed into a straight line, at that moment, she was somewhat panicked because the fragment was too bizarre.

It had been smooth and even just a moment ago, how come now... it stuck?!!

A mirror piece stuck in the palm?

This was very strange!

And, very ominous!

Suppressing the shock and unease in her heart, Sui Yi looked towards Hei Pi across from her, and to her shock... Hei Pi had finished eating.

Looking up, "How does it feel? But don't just focus on that tiny piece, I have other items here that are quite good, genuine ancient jade..."

He mumbled, his eyes fixed on Sui Yi, brows knitted together, a lump formed between them, looking suspicious.

He sensed something strange...

(,