Chapter 218: Chapter 218: The Prince’s Jade Token_1

Some time had passed when the hostess gracefully walked out of box number six and, after speaking briefly with Wang Fangtong in the center of the stage, continued with the upcoming auction.

Several items worth over ten million appeared in the meantime, including unique calligraphy and paintings by masters, a massive bronze cauldron from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and a rounded beast-head relic that was said to be plundered from Dragon City by past invaders and taken overseas, all snapped up by the wealthy in the hall. By rough calculation, the auction had not yet drawn to a close and had already fetched nearly one hundred and fifty million in sales.

In other words, by the three percent commission rule of Wang Fangtong, he had earned four million five hundred thousand in less than an hour on stage.

And the most valuable showstopper of the auction had not yet made its appearance.

Now, the auction was at its peak of popularity, and many people could sense that the final item was about to be presented.

Clearing his throat, Wang Fangtong addressed the crowd, “Coming up next is the second piece of our entire auction, also a very interesting item. Everyone, polish your eyes and stay tuned!”

With a tease, Wang Fangtong watched as the tall, slender-legged beauty in a cheongsam walked onto the stage, holding the penultimate item for auction.

Gently lifting the Shu Brocade that covered it, a pristine white Jade Token was revealed.

People’s eyes widened in anticipation to catch a glimpse of the treasure.

For all previous items, Wang Fangtong had carefully held them in white gloves to show to the audience. However, he did not do so with this item. Many in the audience, restricted by their view, could not see what was on the tray on stage and stretched their necks like giraffes reaching for leaves, straining to get a better look.

“No need to worry, ladies and gentlemen, our director and cameraman will soon present the true appearance of this jade piece!” Wang Fangtong said with a slight smile, courteously addressing the audience.

“Master Wang, aren’t you an expert in jade? Why don’t you introduce this piece to us personally?”

“Yeah, Elder Wang, when it comes to jade, you are the most authoritative collector in Yan Country. Don’t keep us in suspense, come on, show us!”

“Could it be that this jade can’t be touched by hand and must only be viewed through the camera?”

The audience was buzzing with comments.

Hearing this, Wang Fangtong’s eyes lit up and he said with a smile, “This boss really has sharp eyes. You hit the nail on the head. Indeed, this piece of jade cannot be touched by hand, and as for why, I’ll explain after I introduce its background.” As Wang Fangtong finished speaking, the camera was ready, projecting the image of the exquisite Jade Token onto the large screen.

The Jade Token was the size of a deck of cards, surrounded by very fine carvings. The image carved on it was of the Eighteen Arhats in a brightly flowered Buddha hall, surrounding the Buddha and listening to his teachings.

Because the carvings were so intricate, once magnified by the camera lens, the viewers could even clearly see the folds in the clothing of the Arhats.

The craftsmanship of the ancients was indeed formidable. Even with the best of today’s machinery, it isn’t guaranteed that one could achieve such intricate carvings. This piece of jade had already reached such an exquisite level of carving hundreds of years ago.

“Everyone, please look. On the front of this piece of jade is the story of Buddha preaching, while the back bears the name of a Prince from the Nan Chen era. This Jade Token was a gift from the emperor to his three-year-old son, a protective talisman to bless him with health and longevity, wishing him a hundred years of life.”

Wang Fangtong spoke eloquently, revealing the origins of the Jade Token.

The people below brightened up. The general’s seal had been purchased, and the emperor’s wine pot had found a buyer too. Getting a Jade Token of the Prince didn’t seem like a bad idea either.

While the crowd was eagerly rubbing their hands, preparing to bid aggressively, Wang Fangtong’s next words thoroughly doused their enthusiasm with a bucket of ice water.

“As you all saw just now, why I didn’t dare to touch this Jade Token directly is because its owner, the prince of the Nan Chen Kingdom at that time, was eventually poisoned and killed by a treacherous official out for power and profit. Because of this, a grudge has entangled this Jade Token. Despite it being a thousand years old, the resentment within the jade has been unable to dissipate. Whoever touches this Jade Token will instantly be entangled by the vengeful spirit within. The lighter consequences include hallucinations and severe illness; more serious effects could be family turmoil or even the destruction of one’s household,” Wang Fangtong said solemnly to the crowd below.

“Damn, you can’t be serious. They actually put this haunted item up for auction. The organizers must be crazy for money!”

“Where are there ghosts in this world? I bet it’s just a gimmick to sell it at a higher price.”

“Elder Wang is held in high esteem and definitely wouldn’t joke about such a matter!”

“But this claim is too far-fetched to stand up to scrutiny. How can a jade token be haunted? Perhaps someone wanted to steal the jade and deliberately killed the original owner, leading to this tall tale through exaggeration!”

The chatter amongst the crowd below grew noisy. After all, it was now an age of science, and there wasn’t much market for such things as ghosts and spirits anymore.

Seeing the commotion below, Wang Fangtong cleared his throat into the microphone and said, “Everyone, please quiet down for a moment!”

After the noise in the hall subsided, Wang Fangtong slowly resumed speaking, “I know some of you may have doubts about what I’ve said, but although we are now in the age of technology, there are still things in this world that technology can’t explain. As the host of the auction and an old-timer in the collecting field, I naturally have to clarify the nature of things.”

“If there is anyone in the audience who doesn’t believe what I’ve said, you’re welcome to come up on stage and experience it for yourself. Of course, touching this Jade Token won’t cause much of an issue; at most, it might induce some hallucinations. If anyone doesn’t believe it, feel free to come up and give it a try,” Wang Fangtong finished speaking and stretched out his hand towards the crowd, making a classic “come up if you dare” gesture.

The people below looked at each other. Even though most of them didn’t believe it, none had the courage to go up on stage to personally verify whether the ancient jade was truly as Wang Fangtong described, with vengeful spirits lingering.

“Are there no brave souls among so many bosses here who have weathered great storms? Does nobody have the courage to come up?” Wang Fangtong spoke again.

“Humph, who says there’s no one brave? I, Li Yixuan, am quite willing to give it a try. Let’s see what this Jade Token you speak of can do to me!”

A businessman in his thirties slowly made his way to the stage.