Chapter 30: Ghost Market

The so-called Ghost Market naturally had "ghosts." However, these ghosts were not spirits or souls; rather, the term referred to scammers and swindlers. Consequently, the market was teeming with counterfeit goods, items of dubious origin, and illegal contraband.

When Lin Jian arrived at the Ghost Market, the sky was still pitch black. Standing at the intersection, he saw countless silhouettes milling about the street, illuminated by the erratic beams of various flashlights. There was a bustling crowd, and a vast array of street stalls had already been set up.

Lin Jian walked inside, his curiosity piqued. Naturally, he also activated his "cheat"—he swept his Thought across everything within a thirty-meter radius.

"Huh? This is different," he murmured.

As he continued forward, his Thought suddenly revealed that the items displayed on the stalls all possessed distinctly different auras. He could clearly perceive them through his Mind Sensing. For instance, he noticed several old porcelain bowl fragments at one stall that exuded a very ancient aura. It was a sensation that was difficult to describe, but within his Thought, he could distinctly differentiate the old from the new.

A moment later, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Through his Thought, he spotted a bronze lion. Its surface was incredibly smooth, a clear sign that it had been frequently handled and played with over the years, and its base was perfectly flat. However, the real reason it caught his attention was that it actually caused the Dao Tree to emit a faint, radiant glow. It had the exact same effect as the jade he had seen at the old bank manager’s home!

Putting on a casual facade, he crouched down and sifted through the items before picking up the bronze lion. The moment the lion rested in his hand, the Dao Tree’s glow flashed. A stream of Qi instantly drilled into his body through his palm and was rapidly absorbed by the Dao Tree.

Once the absorption was complete, the Dao Tree returned to its original state without any visible changes! However, when Lin Jian looked at the bronze lion again, its ancient aura had completely vanished.

"Hey, buddy, this Golden Lion Paperweight has been around for a long time. It’s a genuine antique. If you want it, it’s yours for eight thousand!" the stall owner pitched.

"Eight thousand?" Lin Jian hurriedly set the bronze lion back down. He hadn’t brought nearly that much cash with him. Besides, he had already absorbed all of its ancient aura.

"Could this ancient aura be the legendary Spiritual Qi? After enduring for so many years, ancient items must slowly absorb the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, which is exactly why this type of Qi has an effect on the Dao Tree," Lin Jian deduced. As a quick thinker, he instantly grasped the truth of the matter.

"Oh? This Golden Lion Paperweight..."

Just as Lin Jian set the lion down, a man suddenly crouched next to him and began examining the item closely with a flashlight. Lin Jian wasn’t in a rush to leave. He knew the lion was definitely a genuine antique, but he had no idea how much it was actually worth. Eight thousand sounded pretty steep.

"Eight thousand?" the man asked, glancing up at the stall owner a moment later.

"Eight thousand, no haggling," the stall owner firmly confirmed.

"Done. I’ll take it!"

The man didn’t even attempt to bargain. As he stood up, someone behind him immediately counted out eight thousand in cash and handed it to the stall owner. This guy had actually brought an entourage.

Lin Jian took a closer look at him. He wore a crisp white shirt and wire-rimmed glasses, holding a magnifying glass in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Standing behind him weren’t just one, but two assistants—a man and a woman. The man was burly, possessing the unmistakable bearing of a trained martial artist, while the woman wore a tailored blazer and glasses. The muscular man was also carrying a leather suitcase, which was likely stuffed full of cash.

Noticing Lin Jian sizing him up, the man in the white shirt suddenly smiled. "Young man, you just missed out on a fantastic piece."

Lin Jian chuckled in response. "I don’t know the first thing about antiques. I just thought it looked nice. But tell me, sir, is this paperweight really a genuine antique? Care to share some insights?"

"Haha!" The man in the white shirt let out a hearty laugh. "There’s no harm in telling you. I’ve finally managed to unearth a real treasure today. This Golden Lion Paperweight is a relic from the Ming Dynasty. It’s in pristine condition and features exquisite craftsmanship. As for who originally owned it, I’ll need to do some further research once I get back. It’s too dark out here to examine it properly."

"Sir, is it really an authentic Ming Dynasty piece?" the stall owner chimed in, utterly dumbfounded. If it was a genuine Ming Dynasty artifact, there was no way he should have let it go for a mere eight thousand.

The man in the white shirt smiled. "I shouldn’t be mistaken!"

"Oh, damn it..." The stall owner slapped his thigh, overwhelmingly consumed by regret.

By this time, the man in the white shirt had already led his assistants further down the street. Still lost in thought, Lin Jian turned back and asked, "Boss, if that Golden Lion Paperweight really is from the Ming Dynasty, how much is it worth?"

"Well, that depends on the exact era and who used it. If an emperor used it, it’d be priceless! But even for an ordinary paperweight from that period, it wouldn’t sell for anything less than a hundred thousand or so. I took a massive loss on this one!"

"Over a hundred thousand?" Lin Jian audibly gulped.

If he had just gritted his teeth and bought that paperweight for eight thousand, wouldn’t he have been able to flip it for over a hundred thousand?

"Right, why didn’t I just buy it? I can clearly tell what’s real and what’s fake!" Lin Jian aggressively slapped his own thigh. He had just missed out on a massive payday, letting that four-eyed guy in the white shirt walk away with a huge bargain.

Excitement began to bubble within him. He released his Thought to its absolute limits and soon discovered another antique at a nearby stall. It was a small, lidded tea bowl resting on a porcelain saucer. This was a traditional *gaiwan*—the type of teacup ancient people used, utilizing the lid to skim the tea leaves off the surface. The bowl itself was perfectly preserved, but the saucer beneath it lacked any trace of an ancient aura, suggesting it was a later addition.

Lin Jian crouched down. The moment he closed his eyes to sense it, the ancient aura from the teacup travelled up his arm and was swiftly absorbed by the Dao Tree.

"How much for this teacup?" Lin Jian asked, keeping his expression perfectly neutral.

"Hey, you’ve got a great eye!" The stall owner gave him a thumbs-up. "It’s not expensive. Just fifty thousand!"

"Goodbye." Hearing the price, Lin Jian instantly lost all interest. The stall owner likely knew the lidded bowl was authentic too; why else would he ask for fifty thousand?

"Hey, at least make an offer!" the stall owner called out around the cigarette dangling from his lips, actually encouraging Lin Jian to haggle as he turned to leave.

Lin Jian scratched his head, then held up four fingers.

"Forty thousand? Deal!" the stall owner immediately agreed, moving to finalize the transaction.

"Boss, I meant forty bucks." Lin Jian blinked innocently. "You can get a whole set of these little teacups at the supermarket for forty."

"Kid, are you messing with me?" The stall owner instantly flared up. This little punk was seriously offering forty bucks? He might as well be committing highway robbery!

"Didn’t you say I could haggle? Then you should give a counteroffer," Lin Jian said, feigning complete ignorance.

"Fine. Final price, four thousand. Take it if you want it. I haven’t even made my first sale of the day yet."

The stall owner had genuinely dropped the price to a reasonable level. Lin Jian hadn’t expected the antique trade to allow for such ruthless haggling, but this also finally confirmed his suspicion: the stall owner had no idea the teacup was an actual antique.

"Four thousand it is. Can I pay with a card?" Lin Jian asked, gritting his teeth.

"A mobile transfer is fine. All my goods are sourced legitimately, so I’m not afraid of any inspections," the stall owner guaranteed, proudly patting his chest.

"Perfect. Find a box to pack it in for me, and I’ll scan your code."

A moment later, with the lidded bowl safely in his possession, Lin Jian felt absolutely giddy. He couldn’t help but wonder just how much this teacup could sell for.

"Oh? Jade Artifacts."

After walking a little further down the street, he finally spotted a stall selling Jade Artifacts. However, while the pieces on display were of decent quality, they lacked that distinct ancient aura and failed to elicit any glowing reaction from the Dao Tree.

"I see. Not just any jade ornament will work. The two pieces of jade at the old bank manager’s home must have been Ancient Jade or Top-Grade Jade, which is why ordinary jade still has no effect on me," Lin Jian realized.

"Huh?"

Just then, two men suddenly brushed past him. One of them was carrying an army-green backpack. When Lin Jian casually swept his Thought over them, he was shocked to discover that everything inside the backpack radiated an intensely rich ancient aura—mingled with a distinctly musty, moldy scent.

They were all genuine antiques! Among them was a Jade Horse, and the aura it emitted actually caused the Dao Tree to flare with a radiant glow even brighter than before.

He was completely taken aback. But why would the items smell so musty?

"Wait, those two are both carrying guns!" Lin Jian’s inner voice cried out.

Through his Thought, he suddenly realized that one of the men had a handgun concealed inside his jacket, while the other had a pistol tucked into his waistband. The pair hurried past him. A few dozen meters down the street, they ducked into a storefront.