“This is Amethyst Yin-Yang Koi?” Leo wondered, astonished, while continuing to search the coin pile. Contrary to his expectations, he found no more Kaiyuan Tongbao. He randomly grabbed a Zhengde Tongbao and placed it with the two Kaiyuan Tongbao, forming a triangle before releasing his spiritual power.
This time, the two Kaiyuan Tongbao did not emit any glow; all three coins remained dull. Clearly, the Zhengde Tongbao disrupted the phenomenon between the two Kaiyuan Tongbao.
Picking up the two Kaiyuan Tongbao, Leo scrutinized them closely. Both coins had crescent-shaped marks on their backs-one aligned with the front character “Kai,” the other with “Yuan.”
Feeling lucky for discovering such valuable items inadvertently, Leo couldn’t help but smile.
Sophia, having completed her negotiation, noticed Leo’s smile and asked in a whisper, “Did you find something good?”
Leo handed her the coins for an assessment. Sophia examined them before stating, “These coins are in decent condition. If I’m not mistaken, they are likely replicas with limited collectible value.”
“Miss, you are mistaken. These are authentic, from a medieval excavation,” the vendor insisted, lowering his tone for emphasis.
Sophia remained unimpressed. “Even if they are genuine medieval coins, their value isn’t high, not rare enough to be extremely valuable.”
Caught off guard, the vendor shifted his focus to Leo. “Hey, buddy, I swear these are genuine. Look, I like you. Give me a fair price and they’re yours.”
Leo definitely wanted the coins but kept his eagerness in check.
After a brief pause, Leo glanced hesitantly at Sophia.
Without a second thought, Sophia offered two fingers.
The vendor feigned pain, gritting his teeth. “Alright, let’s settle on twenty thousand.”
“No, you misunderstood. I meant two thousand,” Sophia responded nonchalantly.
Astounded, the vendor grabbed the coins back, agitated. “Two thousand? That’s ridiculous. Just pay for the blue and white porcelain bowl. I’m not selling the coins.”
Sophia, still calm, proposed, “How about five thousand for the two coins, plus thirty thousand for the bowl, making it thirty-five thousand total?”
The vendor resisted, “Ten thousand for each coin, take it or leave it.”
Shrugging, Sophia began to walk away, “Fine, I don’t want the bowl either.”
Panicking at the potential sale loss, the vendor quickly backtracked, “Alright, how about fifteen thousand for the coins?”
Sophia skillfully countered, “I’ll raise it to six thousand.”
“Nine thousand. Final offer,” the vendor declared stubbornly.
“Deal,” Sophia agreed.
Finally, they bought the blue and white porcelain small bowl and the two Kaiyuan Tongbao for thirty-four thousand altogether.
After walking a distance, Leo finally laughed and said, “Sophia, you really impressed me today.”
Sophia gave a sly smile, “Bargaining while shopping is a natural skill for women. You should learn from me!”
As they talked, they headed towards the exit of Antiquities Bazaar. When passing by an antique shop, Leo paused for a moment.
To combine the two Tongbao coins into a Yin-Yang Coin, a piece of aged red thread was needed. This antique shop might have such a red thread.
After explaining his intention to Sophia, they walked into the antique shop.
“Welcome, esteemed guests,” said the shop owner as they stepped in.
The owner appeared to be in his fifties, rotund, and was rotating two metal balls in his right hand. Seeing Leo and Sophia come in, he greeted them with a warm smile from behind the counter.
Sophia seemed startled upon seeing the shop owner, as if recalling something. She pulled Leo’s left hand and whispered, “This is Gilberto Gardner, a renowned appraiser from Langstel. Let me test him first before you say anything.”
“Gilberto, what brings you to open an antique shop in Seattlemere?” Sophia asked with a smile.
“Oh, do you know me?” Gilberto replied with a broad smile.
“My dad used to buy antiques from you often. I visited your shop with him on Langstel Antique Street,” Sophia replied.