Although Leo is not a master appraiser, under his spiritual sense, distinguishing between antiques and counterfeits is easy, as the latter have nowhere to hide.
He unfurled a hemp cloth, revealing a blue and white porcelain small bowl to the two. The vendor smiled mysteriously, “How about this small bowl?”
Leo’s spiritual sense quickly discerned the age of the blue and white porcelain small bowl. It was indeed an antique, though not particularly old.
Antiques held no special allure for Leo. He aimed to find an ancient artifact with geomancy properties, which this blue and white porcelain small bowl lacked.
Preparing to leave with Sophia, Leo’s peripheral vision caught something on the vendor’s cloth spread.
There were jars, wine goblets, porcelain bottles, paintings, and many copper coins, some still caked with mud as if freshly excavated.
These muddy copper coins piqued Leo’s interest.
He focused his spiritual sense on them, his brow furrowing slightly.
He exerted his spiritual power directly onto a few of the coins.
A peculiar scene unfolded under his spiritual sense. The seemingly dusty copper coins emitted glimmers of luster-dark golden, purple-gold, and grey-forming a colorful array invisible to the naked eye. Though intriguing, Leo quickly shifted his attention away from the coins and casually picked up a porcelain bottle to examine.
Meanwhile, Sophia received the blue and white porcelain small bowl from the vendor, showing keen interest. She appreciated the piece despite not being an antique collector herself, influenced by her father Martin, an antique enthusiast.
Sophia thought of buying the blue and white porcelain small bowl as a gift for Martin.
The vendor, sensing Sophia’s interest, began to eloquently describe the bowl’s fascinating history, seemingly apt to fool an unsuspecting novice.
“Sir, this small bowl is indeed antique. If I’m not mistaken, it’s from the Tongzhi period. Name your price,” Sophia said, handing the bowl back to the vendor dismissively.
The vendor was surprised by Sophia’s insight; it turned out she wasn’t just a pretty face.
The vendor showed five fingers, but Sophia countered with two.
As they haggled, Leo casually picked up a muddy copper coin, inspecting it like testing a silver dollar, blowing on it and holding it to his ear.
The vendor noticed Leo’s actions, labeling him a novice. A faint smile played at Leo’s lips as he placed the coin back and rustled the pile, finding another interesting piece-a Kaiyuan Tongbao. This was his true target; his earlier actions were mere distractions.
Kaiyuan Tongbao, a medieval coin, was widely circulated and used for a long time. Its reasonable size and controlled supply, combined with intricate craftsmanship, made it popular among citizens. It’s part of the “Five Emperor Coins” and believed to ward off evil and attract wealth.
When spiritual power was applied, the worn-looking Kaiyuan Tongbao shimmered with purple-gold on one side and dark gold on the other, split distinctly along its edge.
Leo couldn’t understand this phenomenon, as normal observation wouldn’t reveal such changes. Through his spiritual sense, he confirmed the coin wasn’t a spiritual weapon.
Setting the coin aside, Leo searched for more Kaiyuan Tongbao and quickly found another.
Holding both coins close, he discreetly applied spiritual power, witnessing a strange interaction where their colors intertwined momentarily, creating a unique aura.
Leo, puzzled, reversed the coins and observed the increased brightness and coverage of their glows, now intensifying further without blending.