126: Chapter 126 The way you look at me is getting weirder and weirder.

Hu Tian said in a low voice, "Professor Su says it is genuine, while Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui says there is an issue with the patina. He did not directly call it fake, but that is the direction his implication leans. Elder Zhou Bo cannot make up his mind, and since the three of them cannot convince each other, they are just stuck in a stalemate."

At this moment, Elder Zhou Bo carefully lifted the dagger-axe, placed it back down, turned to Professor Su Hongru and Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui, rubbed his hands together, and asked, "Gentlemen, what do you two think about the price of this item?"

It turned out that the argument between the three of them was not just about authenticity, but also about the price.

Professor Su Hongru took a look at the dagger-axe. "It is a bronze weapon from the late Western Zhou Dynasty. It is well-preserved and has clan emblem inscriptions. Such items are rarely seen on the market. If it goes through a formal auction, the reference price would be at least eight million, and it would not be surprising if it reached over ten million."

Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui had no objections this time and nodded. "Professor Su Hongru's reasoning is sound. Eight million is the baseline, with room to go higher."

Hearing this, Elder Zhou Bo's brows relaxed, and he looked towards Hu Tian. "Little Hu, what do you think?"

Hu Tian thought for a moment. "Professor Su Hongru's range is correct, but specifically, it depends on which auction house it goes to, which channel it takes, and whether its provenance is clear. If the excavation records are complete and it is registered, the price can go higher. If the origin is unclear, buyers will have concerns, and the price will have to be discounted."

Elder Zhou Bo pondered for a moment. "The provenance is indeed a bit vague. It was acquired from an old collector who claimed it was a family heirloom, but the specific history is not very clear."

Hu Tian nodded and said nothing more.

Professor Su Hongru turned his gaze to Hu Tian at this moment and pondered for a moment. "Hu Tian, you mentioned earlier that this belonged to someone above the middle-ranking nobility. Besides the decorative specifications, is there any other basis for this judgment?"

"Yes," Hu Tian said. "The ratio of the blade's width to thickness is the standard for mid-to-high-level foundries of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Privately cast items often have thinner blades or slight deviations in the width-to-length ratio because of limited materials. However, the casting precision of this dagger-axe is something private casting could not achieve. It is a product from an official foundry, and the status of the owner corresponds to the specifications of the foundry."

After listening, Professor Su Hongru was silent for quite a while.

He lowered his head to examine the dagger-axe again, then stood up. There was a bit more seriousness in his eyes as he looked at Hu Tian. "How long have you been studying bronze ware?"

"It is hard to say," Hu Tian said. "On and off. I just look at them when I am interested."

Professor Su Hongru stared at him, as if trying to discern something from his face. After a long while, he slowly said, "Some things, even people who have studied them for twenty or thirty years, might not be able to explain them so clearly."

When this was said, Elder Zhou Bo laughed from the side. "Professor Su Hongru, this kid Hu Tian is not ordinary. Whenever you are unsure about something, finding him is always the right choice."

Professor Su Hongru did not respond to this, but simply put his hands behind his back and looked at Hu Tian again, his expression thoughtful.

Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui was straightforward; he waved his hand. "Alright, I have seen it today. Young man, your eye for this is genuine. I admire it."

Cousin Zhang Fei stood to the side and could not help but whisper, "These two old seniors are actually quite easy to talk to."

Hu Tian glanced at her and said nothing.

Elder Zhou Bo ushered them into the inner room, poured tea, and said with a smile, "It is rare for today to be like this, with both Professor Su Hongru and Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui here. Little Hu, you sit down too, let us have a good chat."

Cousin Zhang Fei quietly tugged at Hu Tian's sleeve, leaned in, and whispered, "Cousin, are we still going to browse elsewhere?"

Hu Tian looked down at her. "What is the rush?"

Cousin Zhang Fei pursed her lips and had no choice but to sit down.

The tea was served, steam curling up. Professor Su Hongru held his cup, took a slow sip, and let his gaze fall back onto Hu Tian, his tone becoming more casual. "Hu Tian, what do you usually collect?"

"Everything," Hu Tian said. "It depends on fate."

Professor Su Hongru gave a soft "Hmm." "Have you ever thought about going deeper into this industry, doing research, or working in appraisal?"

Hu Tian shook his head. "I have never thought about it. I just like it."

Professor Su Hongru was noncommittal, put down his teacup, and looked out the window, as if thinking about something.

Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui turned his teacup and looked at Hu Tian. "Young man, I have a question, though I am not sure if I should ask."

Hu Tian said, "Please go ahead."

"How old are you this year?"

"Twenty-six."

Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui clicked his tongue, said nothing, and looked down at his own palm, thoughtful.

Cousin Zhang Fei, standing nearby, whispered in a voice only Hu Tian could hear, "Cousin, why does the way those two old seniors look at you seem increasingly strange?"

Hu Tian picked up his teacup and took a sip. "What kind of look?"

Cousin Zhang Fei thought for a moment. "It is like they have seen something rare, but they are not quite sure."

Hu Tian put down his teacup and did not answer her. He simply raised his eyes to look at the bustling Antique Street outside the window, his gaze calm.

Inside Jubao Pavilion, the fragrance of tea was faint. The few people sat around, and the Western Zhou bronze dagger-axe, lying quietly on the velvet cloth, shimmered with a deep, aged color under the light, silently witnessing it all.

Elder Zhou Bo had not spoken much this whole time. He sat in his chair holding his tea, but his eyes were fixed on the cloth bag placed beside him.

The bag was not large, tied loosely at the opening, and rested next to the chair leg. It looked bulging and had some weight to it.

The elder could not hide his personality. After glancing at it for a long time, he finally could not hold back anymore. He set his teacup on the table, leaned over, and spoke with a smile.

"Hu Tian, the moment you walked in the door, I spotted that bag of yours."

Elder Zhou Bo pointed at the cloth bag, his eyes shining. "Did you pick this up today as well?"

Hu Tian looked down at it and replied calmly, "I just picked up a few things."

Upon hearing this, Elder Zhou Bo immediately perked up and slapped his thigh. "Just picked up a few things? You children always speak so lightly."

Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui also turned his body, swept his gaze over the bag, and said slowly, "Since you brought it, why not take it out and let us have a look?"

Professor Su Hongru did not move while holding his tea, but his gaze also fell silently onto the cloth bag and paused for a moment.

Three old men, six pairs of eyes, all in unison.

Cousin Zhang Fei sat next to Hu Tian, looked at the three of them, then quietly looked at Hu Tian, the corners of her mouth curving up. She whispered, "Cousin, you cannot escape this today."

Hu Tian ignored her and raised his eyes to scan the room. Seeing the expressions of the three men, he knew he could not refuse, so he did not waste any more breath. He leaned over, lifted the cloth bag, and placed it on his lap.

He untied the rope at the mouth of the bag unhurriedly. His movements were steady, without a hint of showing off. With one hand supporting the bottom of the bag, he took the items out one by one and placed them on the table.

The first to come out was the xuande incense burner.

He placed the burner directly in the center of the table, without any velvet cloth underneath, just setting it there.

The bronze burner was not large, but the body was thick and solid, heavy in the hand, with a deep patina. It was wrapped in hundreds of years of age. That layer of color was not fabricated; it was worn out by time. From within, it radiated an understated luster, as if it had been thoroughly steeped in the old days.

Next was the she inkstone.

The inkstone was unwrapped from the cloth. It was Longwei stone, with a delicate texture and a dark, greenish-black color that faintly shimmered. The ink-grinding surface was flat, and upon close inspection, subtle brush-like patterns were visible. The edge of the inkstone was carved with inscriptions; the handwriting was neat, the knife technique steady, and fine, old ink had accumulated in the carvings, releasing a sense of antiquity mingled with the coolness of the stone.

Finally, there was the cyan-white jade pendant with the double-dragon playing with a pearl pattern.

Hu Tian took the jade pendant out of his pocket and placed it on the corner of the table.

The jade was warm and moist, with cyan and white intermingled. The double-dragon patterns were fluid, winding across the jade body, with the pearl in the center. The relief work was intricate, with rounded and powerful lines. The edges of the jade body were slightly translucent. When held under the light, that unique precious aura characteristic of old jade quietly emanated.

The three items lay across the table.

The eyes of Elder Zhou Bo, Professor Su Hongru, and Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui all fell upon them almost simultaneously.

The moment their eyes fell, the area around the table went silent.

It was not the kind of polite pause, but a true silence; even breathing became light.

Professor Su Hongru was the first to move. He reached out, pulled a pair of white gloves from his jacket pocket, and put them on one by one. His movements carried the habits cultivated over many years—practiced and solemn. He lowered his body, brought his eyes close to the xuande incense burner, and began to examine it meticulously.

Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui followed by pulling gloves from his chest pocket and putting them on. His gaze had already landed on the she inkstone. He extended two fingers, gently placed them on the edge of the inkstone, and slowly caressed it.

Elder Zhou Bo was the slowest. He set his teacup aside, took gloves out from the bag he carried, unfolded them, and put them on meticulously. Only then did he lift the cyan-white jade pendant from the table, hold it up to the light, tilt the angle, and examine it closely.

The three men, each guarding one item, immersed themselves in them, and none of them spoke.

Cousin Zhang Fei sat to the side. Seeing this spectacle for the first time, she could not help but hold her breath. She gently nudged Hu Tian's arm. Hu Tian looked down at her, then calmly picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The silence lasted for quite a while.

Professor Su Hongru turned the xuande incense burner over to face the base mark, squinting at it for a long time. He gently rubbed the base with his thumb, then turned the burner right side up again. He cradled the belly of the burner in his palm, felt its weight, and slowly raised his head. The expression on his face had already changed.

It was no longer the casual banter from before; that layer of relaxed smile was gone, replaced by a restrained seriousness, and something was sinking deep into his eyes.

He looked at Hu Tian, his voice lowered. "From the xuande era, an official burner."

It was not a question; it was a confirmation.

Hu Tian did not deny it, just nodded slightly.

Professor Su Hongru let out a breath, gently placed the burner back in its original spot, paused for a moment, and then spoke again. "This burner, the color of the bronze on the burner body, is not like the imitations on the market. It is a wax-tea color. This color cannot be faked; the fakes look light and airy. This one is solid; it is truly solid."

He paused. "The characters on the base mark were not engraved later; they are from the same period as the burner body. It is a cast mark, not an engraved mark. Can you tell?"

This was asked to Hu Tian.

Hu Tian said, "I can."

Professor Su Hongru said nothing more, lowered his head, and looked at it again. Something was rolling in his expression, as if he had words stuck in his throat that he could not get out for the moment.

Over there, Antique Dealer Qiao Yougui had already examined the she inkstone over and over again. At this moment, he placed the inkstone back on the table, took off his gloves, and folded them. He raised his head, his eyes shining. "Longwei stone. This material—the quarry is correct."

He pointed to a corner of the inkstone. "Here, look, the stone eye—a 'living eye.' The pupil is clear; it is not a 'dead eye.' Longwei stone with a 'living eye' is already scarce in production. Just the material of this inkstone is valuable."

He paused and added, "The inscription—do you know whose handwriting it is, Hu Tian?"