53: Chapter 53 is practically a "human treasure hunt"!

Hu Tian had just tucked the bronze mirror under his arm when a sudden "buzz" echoed in his mind. The familiar system notification sounded right on time, like an invisible window opening, as a stream of clear information unfolded in the depths of his consciousness.

[Item Name: Tang Dynasty Sea Beast and Grape Pattern Bronze Mirror] [Condition: 70% new; slight wear on the mirror surface, patterns are clearly discernible, natural patina; the grape vine patterns and sea beast motifs on the back are intact]

[Era: Kaiyuan Period of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (approx. 720-730 AD)] [Provenance: Originally a funerary object for a prominent family in Xi'an, Shaanxi; unearthed by tomb raiders in the early years of the Republic of China; passed through three hands before circulating among the public; moved to the Jiangnan region; recently acquired by a middleman from an old house slated for demolition; finally entered the antique market]

[Estimated Market Price: 800,000 RMB]

[Extracted Spiritual Resonance Energy: +80 points] [Current Total Energy: 1,246,535 points] [Note: Surviving bronze mirrors of this type from the Tang Dynasty are rare. The sea beast and grape pattern is a typical motif of the High Tang period and possesses high collectible value.]

Hu Tian didn't even bat an eye, his face maintaining that calm and breezy expression, but his heart was blooming with joy: "Buying something worth hundreds of thousands for five hundred bucks... this trip is definitely worth it. Plus, I picked up 80 energy points. It's practically 'getting something for nothing.' Sweet!"

He kept walking without stopping, moving naturally. Zhou Waner followed closely by his side, her eyes fixed on the bronze mirror tucked under his arm. She couldn't help but ask again, "Brother Hu Tian, what kind of good stuff is this exactly? How much is it worth? Don't just focus on acting profound; be careful not to strain your back!"

Hu Tian turned his head slightly, his smile somewhat enigmatic, as if looking at a naive child. "Let's walk a bit further before talking. In a place like this, there are many eyes and ears. Even walls have ears. What if that fat boss chases us down to 'silence' us?"

Just as he finished speaking, the voice of the fat stall owner, who was in an excellent mood, came from behind as he hollered to greet the next batch of customers. His tone was thirty percent enthusiastic and seventy percent shrewd—a true master of "changing faces": "Come, come, come! Take a look! Every piece is genuine, fair prices for all! Don't pass by and miss out..."

Zhou Waner curled her lip and muttered softly, "Hmph, so mysterious, acting like some old immortal."

Hu Tian didn't respond. He pulled the bronze mirror a bit closer to his chest and continued walking at an unhurried pace, as if what he held wasn't a bronze mirror but a peerless secret manual.

After walking for a while and getting about ten meters away from the stall, Zhou Waner leaned in again. She asked in a low voice, her eyes full of curiosity like a walking encyclopedia of questions, "This bronze mirror? Didn't you say earlier they were all fakes?"

Hu Tian was in no rush to answer. He glanced at her sideways, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. His voice was extremely soft, tinged with a hint of doting, "I never said *all* of them were fake. This one happened to be the 'fish that escaped the net.' Just a small pick-up, no big deal."

Hu Tian lowered his head slightly, leaning close to Zhou Waner's ear. His voice was hushed, carrying a faint, warm breath as he spoke slowly. His voice was so magnetic it could make one's ears tingle: "This bronze mirror is a Sea Beast and Grape Pattern Bronze Mirror from the Kaiyuan period of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. It's nearly thirteen hundred years old. Look at the patterns on the back—vines intertwining with sea beasts roaming among them. This is the most typical craftsmanship of the High Tang. Very few have survived among the people. In the antique world, it's known as the 'Panda of the Mirror World'..."

Zhou Waner froze in place, as if she had been petrified. He was leaning too close; she could even feel the slight warmth of his breath on the edge of her ear. Her earlobes traitorously began to burn first, the heat spreading all the way to her cheeks until they were pink and tender, like they had been dyed by the colors of an early spring sunset. She looked exactly like a cooked shrimp.

Passersby glanced over and then looked away. To them, they were likely just a young couple whispering under the cover of night—nothing unusual, at most just a bit of "public display of affection."

Hu Tian was completely oblivious to the ambiguity. He continued talking to himself, his tone as calm as if he were introducing a history textbook, entirely unaware that he was "flirting": "It was originally a funerary object for a prominent family in Xi'an, Shaanxi. Tomb raiders dug it up in the early Republic years. After that, it changed hands several times and flowed into Jiangnan. Later, a middleman bought it for a low price from an old house being demolished, and finally, it landed in the hands of that fat stall owner. He didn't even know what kind of goods he was holding..."

Seventy percent of what entered Zhou Waner's ears was wind, and only thirty percent were words. Her head was buzzing, and her heart was beating like a drum. She quietly raised her hand and pinched her palm with her fingertips, telling herself to stay calm, stay calm. This was just about a bronze mirror; Brother Hu Tian was just teaching her about antiques, nothing more. But...

But why did his voice sound so good?

Yet, right at that moment, she vaguely heard a number.

"...Market price is roughly around eight hundred thousand."

Zhou Waner whipped her head around, her eyes widening into circles. Her voice rose uncontrollably by half a notch: "How... how much?! Eight hundred thousand? You're saying this old mirror is worth eight hundred thousand?"

Hu Tian unhurriedly straightened up and moved half a step away. His expression was perfectly natural as he calmly repeated himself, as if commenting on the nice weather: "That's just the base price. If we estimate high, it could break a million. After all, this is a 'rare specimen' with very few surviving examples."

Zhou Waner's small mouth hung open slightly. For a moment, she couldn't say anything, just standing there stunned. It took a long while before she squeezed out a sentence, her voice carrying a shock that was hard to digest, as if her worldview had been overturned: "You... you bought something worth eight hundred thousand for five hundred? Isn't... isn't that just robbery?"

"Mm."

Hu Tian responded breezily. He tucked the bronze mirror further into his embrace and started walking again, thinking to himself: "How is this robbery? This is 'picking up a leak through skill.' The fish bit the hook of its own accord."

Zhou Waner followed him, her mind still racing. She suddenly remembered the fat stall owner's expression earlier—gnashing his teeth and slapping his thighs. Thinking about it now, she felt an indescribable sense of irony. That fat owner only thought he had lost a single deal; if he knew the truth, he'd probably cry himself unconscious behind his stall tonight, or maybe even go run into a wall.

She stole a glance at Hu Tian walking beside her. His face remained as calm as still water in the night, as if he had just casually picked up a fallen leaf.

Zhou Waner pursed her lips, a thought quietly surfacing in her mind: Just how many secrets is Brother Hu Tian hiding?

He’s practically a "human Treasure Hunting Radar"!

Zhou Waner certainly didn't know that when one begins to want to understand a person deeply, that is the moment they start falling into the web of love. This is the so-called "love arises without one knowing where it comes from, yet it grows ever deeper."

The two walked slowly. Zhou Waner's gaze fell on Hu Tian from time to time. That face, which had been somewhat blurry in her heart, was now becoming clearer and clearer. Even the occasional flash of focus between his brows made her think he looked inexplicably handsome.

The bustle of the night market gradually receded, and the street ahead became a bit quieter. The shops on both sides changed from floor stalls to storefronts, many of which were antique shops that looked quite old, exuding a mysterious sense of being "great hermits hidden in the city."

Hu Tian's footsteps paused slightly. He stopped in front of an unremarkable-looking shop, his gaze like that of someone seeing an old friend not met for many years.

A mottled wooden plaque hung over the shop entrance, with the three characters "Yan Chi Zhai" written in seal script. The ink had faded significantly, showing the shop had clearly been open for many years, resembling a weather-beaten old man.

Looking through the display window under the dim yellow light, various porcelains, jades, and paintings were packed tightly. One could feel the stale air even through the glass; it was practically a "retirement home for antiques."

"This is it."

Hu Tian said plainly and stepped inside. His aura was as if he were going there to acquire the entire shop.

Zhou Waner hurried to follow. As soon as she entered, she heard the crisp "ding-ling" of a doorbell. The shop owner looked up from behind the counter, his gaze as sharp as if he were looking for a thief.

He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties, wearing a pair of reading glasses and a faded Sun Yat-sen suit. He was currently using a magnifying glass to study something, as if he were authenticating the Heirloom Seal of the Realm.

Seeing customers enter, he didn't rush to get up and greet them. He merely nodded slightly as a greeting, his attitude as cold as "buy it or don't."

Hu Tian's gaze had already swept across the shop. The Treasure Hunting Radar in his mind accurately locked onto the position of a green halo—located on an inconspicuous wall near the window side of the shop. That light was practically brighter than a searchlight.

Hu Tian didn't head directly in that direction. Instead, he casually picked a different path, slowly strolling toward the inner area of the shop. His expression was relaxed, like someone purely there to kill time, while in reality, he was calculating how to "win by wit."

Zhou Waner didn't understand what was going on, but she followed him anyway like a submissive little sidekick.

The low cabinets near the door were mostly filled with porcelain—blue and white, famille rose, monochrome glazes. Large and small pieces packed the cabinet. A few pieces were in decent condition, but Hu Tian gave them a glance and his brow twitched slightly. He didn't say much, thinking to himself: "Just 'common goods,' they won't catch my eye."

Zhou Waner leaned against the glass of the counter and peered inside. She pointed at a round-bellied blue and white jar and asked him, her eyes full of curiosity, "This one is pretty. Is it an old piece? It looks a lot like the jar my family uses to pickle vegetables."

Hu Tian leaned in closer, his voice very low, as if he were whispering in her ear. The intimate posture drew a sideways glance from the owner. "It's a replica. Look at the glaze; it's too glossy, too bright. Old porcelain goes through the years, and the glaze luster will sink inward. This one floats on the surface; you can tell at a glance it's a new item made to look old."

Zhou Waner gave an "oh" and tilted her head to look seriously. She still couldn't see the logic, but that didn't stop her from nodding thoughtfully as if she were half an expert herself: "Mm, indeed. The glaze luster is too floaty. You can tell it's had too much 'hyaluronic acid' injected."

Hu Tian glanced at her and didn't expose her. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he chuckled inwardly: "This girl learns quite fast, though her metaphors are a bit bizarre."