Mr. Tyler shook his head wryly. He had forgotten his own identity. As an expert in jade appraisal, his participation in the auction was, in a way, proving the value of this antique. Consequently, it inadvertently added considerable value to the jade carved Pixiu.
“One million eight hundred and fifty thousand!”
“One million nine hundred thousand!”
…
In the end, the jade carved Pixiu was sold to a middle-aged man for the price of two million two hundred thousand.
“Ah, foolish people with too much money, truly ridiculous. The value of this jade carved Pixiu should be around one million eight hundred thousand, but it has been overpriced by four hundred thousand,” Mr. Tyler sighed. He had started it himself.
“Mr. Tyler, you should be more mindful of your identity. What are you meddling in? It’s purely a contribution to the organizers,” Mr. Kipling teased, seeing Mr. Tyler’s frustrated expression.
With the auction of the first item concluded, the auctioneer became even more excited. After all, the total amount raised in this auction directly affected his remuneration.
The higher the total amount raised, the higher his commission. Just thinking about it made him a little excited.
“Let us once again congratulate the gentleman who won the jade carved Pixiu earlier. Up next, we have a masterpiece from a master, an absolute treasure. Now, please welcome our lovely hostess!” The auctioneer pointed to the etiquette lady pushing a cart.
The etiquette lady stood beside the auction platform, slowly unveiling the antique covered with a red cloth.
On the large screen, the image of a tiger-shaped jade carving appeared.
The translucent jade carving of the tiger was about the size of an adult’s palm, giving the impression that it was made of ice.
“This exquisite piece is called ‘Ice Carved Jade Tiger.’ It is a masterpiece by the renowned jade carving master Ivan Jasper. The jade used for this piece is colorless jadeite, known as ‘water jade.’ It is well known that Mr. Jasper’s carving technique is extremely concise. This ferocious and lifelike ice carved jade tiger was sculpted using only 108 strokes.”
As the auctioneer spoke, the majority of the audience couldn’t help but exclaim. To create such a vivid and mighty ice carved jade tiger with only 108 strokes was truly remarkable. It showcased Mr. Jasper’s profound mastery of his craft.
The etiquette lady began to push the ice carved jade tiger up and down the aisles in the guest area, allowing the guests to have a close-up view of this exquisite jade carving.
Leo’s gaze naturally fell upon the ice carved jade tiger. Unlike others who were observing its appearance, his main focus was on whether there was any spiritual energy within.
Indeed, there was spiritual energy contained within the jade tiger, confirming Leo’s previous speculation that jadeite and similar materials did possess spiritual energy.
After a complete circle in the guest area, the etiquette lady pushed the ice carved jade tiger back to the auction platform.
“With the changes and transitions of history, the tiger totem culture gradually evolved into a well-known symbol representing warding off evil, power, and strength. It is widely used in various art and cultural expressions, closely intertwined with people’s culture and daily lives.”
“In the field of jade artifacts alone, the tiger totem can be seen in tomb guardians. Now tiger culture entered ordinary households and became a common artistic theme in jade pendants, ornaments, and decorations, standing the test of time.”
“Master Jasper carved this jade tiger based on the ‘tiger culture.’ For those in attendance who were born in the Year of the Tiger, this treasure is not to be missed.”
One had to admit that the auctioneer had a way with words.
In Leo’s opinion, even if it were something worthless, it would probably become a priceless treasure after passing through the auctioneer’s mouth.
“The starting bid for this ice carved jade tiger, a masterpiece personally sculpted by Master Jasper, is 900, 000, with increments of no less than 10, 000. Now, let the bidding begin!”
As soon as the auctioneer’s words fell, someone raised their bidding card and called out, “950, 000!”
“One million!”
“One million one hundred thousand!”
“Lot 78 bids one million one hundred thousand. Do we have any higher bids? Lot 79 bids one million two hundred thousand!”
“One million three hundred thousand!”
“One million four hundred thousand!”
…
Driven by the auctioneer, the atmosphere in the venue became more intense. Bids were being shouted one after another, and some were purely driven by competitive spirit.
Finally, the ice carved jade tiger was sold to a plump middle-aged man for the price of two million eight hundred thousand.
Mr. Tyler commented in a low voice, “If this ice carved jade tiger had been carved from colorless ice jade, its price would have easily surpassed tens of millions. Unfortunately, it’s just made from water jade.”
“Old Tyler, your comment is a bit inappropriate. Didn’t the auctioneer mention that this is a masterpiece by Mr. Jasper? It brought him fame. In other words, before he became famous, who would dare to give him a colorless ice jade to carve?” Mr. Kipling said.
“Well, that’s true,” Mr. Tyler surprisingly agreed with Mr. Kipling’s statement.
The auction continued fervently. After the ice carved jade tiger, the following auction items were all exquisite ancient jades, ranging from 1000 to 2000 years ago.
However, most of these ancient jades originated from ancient tombs, and as a result, their spiritual energy had long dissipated. Thus, Leo’s interest waned.
Leo sipped his coffee, admiring the beautiful etiquette lady, eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the jade auction to move on to the gambling on stone.
As the clock approached half-past eleven, the lady once again brought out another auction item.
When she unveiled the item, Leo’s initially lazy gaze suddenly focused and locked onto the item on the cart.
That gaze was akin to a beggar seeing a million dollars.
“This auction item is of ancient origin and believed to be from 2000 yeas ago. It is a blood jade dagger, a rare find among jade antiques, particularly in such well-preserved condition.”
“Everyone, please look at the large screen.” The auctioneer spoke as the image of the dagger on the large screen was magnified. “This blood jade dagger measures approximately five inches in length, entirely crafted from red jade resembling blood. Its blade is extremely sharp, and the surface of the blade is engraved with symbols resembling ancient script. To this day, no one has been able to decipher the meaning behind these symbols.”
“Here, I must also share with you the legend of this blood jade dagger. An assassin used this blood jade dagger to assassinate the king 2000 years ago.” The auctioneer dropped another bombshell.
“Old friend, do you think the legend mentioned by the auctioneer could be true?” Mr. Tyler asked Mr. Kipling.
Mr. Kipling replied, “Who knows if it’s true or not. Blood jade is an ominous thing. In any case, I’m not particularly interested in it.”