"Hmm? Interesting..."
Zhuang Rui didn't touch them, but instead scanned the "swords" with his eyes and found that they all contained spiritual energy, albeit a weak one. Some of them were so weak that they were almost undetectable without careful sensing. Zhuang Rui guessed that this was because the antiques had been damaged so badly that the spiritual energy had leaked out.
However, there was a broken stick about two feet long, covered in copper rust, which contained abundant and very thick purple-gold spiritual energy, unlike the other swords and blades which showed signs of spiritual energy leakage.
Zhuang Rui focused all his attention on the object that should be a "sword," and his spiritual energy instantly seeped into it, but it penetrated deeper and deeper, starting from the copper rust and seeping in bit by bit.
"Good stuff, really good stuff..."
When Zhuang Rui's eyes peered through the patina, he discovered that the sword was covered with exquisite and intricate patterns, like a spider web, resembling swirling clouds or a cascading waterfall reaching the tip. The blade even gleamed with a cold light, suggesting that it must have once been a deadly weapon.
"Boss, how much is this iron rod?"
Zhuang Rui is a regular at the antique market and knows all too well the ins and outs. If you want to buy something, you absolutely must not just pick it up and ask, otherwise the other party will definitely quote you an exorbitant price.
"Hey, boss, if you're not going to buy it, then forget it. These are antique swords and knives I got from Hebei, not just some iron rods..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the stall owner's face turned ashen, as if someone had died, though his eyes showed no sign of anger. Seeing Zhuang Rui stand up, he quickly added, "Seeing that you're an expert, I won't charge you much. If you like that 2000 yuan item in your hand, just take it..."
"2000 yuan and you're still asking for more? Dude, let's get real. If I were to go digging up old houses myself, I definitely wouldn't get more than 50 yuan a bunch of these. If you're really serious about selling, give me a fair price, and I'll buy a few more..."
Zhuang Rui calmly put down the object that should have been a knife. Although the wooden handle was rotten, there was a hole on the back of the blade, which was of course blocked by rust.
However, the fact that Zhuang Rui was able to open it suggests that it was a hole for a metal ring, and if Zhuang Rui wasn't mistaken, the knife should be an iron ring-pommel knife from the Eastern Han Dynasty.
This thing is a good item, but its condition is too poor. Although it contains slightly more spiritual energy than the other ones, it has almost dissipated. Zhuang Rui wants to buy them all to do a small experiment and see if the spiritual energy will increase after maintenance.
"Boss, 50 yuan was the going rate a few years ago. Now, if you don't have 500 yuan, nobody will even talk to you. They'll just keep it at home like a treasure..."
As the stall owner spoke, he observed Zhuang Rui's expression. Seeing that Zhuang Rui remained expressionless, he realized he had truly encountered a seasoned professional. His usual tricks of deception and cheating were useless. Finally, he bluntly stated, "600 yuan a bunch, I'll keep 100 yuan as a service fee, that's the bottom line..."
"600? Okay, I'll take two, and you can buy this one too..."
Zhuang Rui pretended to hesitate for a moment, and under the stall owner's expectant gaze, he finally nodded, counted out 1200 yuan from his handbag, and handed it over.
"Brother Zhuang, what are you doing buying things here?"
Just as Zhuang Rui took the two swords wrapped in newspaper from the stall owner, he heard the sound of a monkey. He didn't know where the kid had come from, but he was wearing a melon-shaped hat and a long robe, and he was singing an old Beijing song, which was quite fitting for the occasion.
"Hey, monkey, never mind what I'm doing, what's going on here?"
When Zhuang Rui saw the monkey's appearance, he couldn't help but recall the time when the two first met. However, the material of this outfit was much better than the yellow jacket he wore back then.
"Brother Zhuang, Panjiayuan is having a cultural month, and they want to promote our country's traditional culture. They've mandated that all the shops wear these kinds of clothes. And believe it or not, they still charged each person 200 yuan for these shabby clothes..."
The monkey didn't want to dress like that, because as soon as he came out, some foreign friends would definitely ask him to take pictures. Da Xiong had just joked that if they put up a sign behind the monkey that said "Photos cost 50," business would definitely be good.
There's a saying that wearing a dragon robe doesn't make you look like a prince. But this monkey, dressed like this, doesn't look like a waiter from ancient times at all. It's quite theatrical. As Zhuang Rui was talking to him, quite a few tourists were pointing and whispering.
"Heh, you dare to run around like that? Be careful the city management officers catch you. I just bought something, come on, let's go back to the store..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled and joked with the monkey. Of the two items in his hands, one was a treasure. He had found a bargain early in the morning, and Zhuang Rui was in a good mood.
Chapter 608 Swords and Blades (Part 2)
"Brother Zhuang, take your time going back. How much did you spend on these two items?"
The monkey grabbed Zhuang Rui, looked at the stall owner, and said, "Old Zhou, this is my boss, a famous antique appraisal expert who has been on CCTV's treasure appraisal program. You can't just ask for a random price..."
"Hey, monkey, what are you saying? I, Old Zhou, have been doing business in Panjiayuan for a long time, and I'm absolutely honest and fair, buying and selling on a completely transparent basis. If you don't believe me, just ask this teacher..."
After hearing what the monkey said, Old Zhou put on an expression as if he had suffered a great injustice, but in his heart he was filled with regret. Damn it, if I had known he was an expert, I would have sold it for at least 5,000... no, at least 10,000 yuan.
What Lao Zhou didn't know was that one of the two swords was worth more than 10,000 yuan, even 100,000 yuan. If Zhuang Rui only bought something worth 10,000 yuan for 600 yuan, would he feel like he got a bargain? He didn't care about such a small amount of money.
"What expert? You monkey! Stop spouting nonsense, let's go back to the store..."
Zhuang Rui raised his hand and slapped the monkey on the back of the head, then turned and walked away. The monkey, bewildered by the blow, quickly followed.
"Hey monkey, I'm telling you, you've been wasting your time hanging around Panjiayuan all this time, haven't you?"
When Zhuang Rui saw the monkey following him, he held up the sword wrapped in newspaper and pretended to scare it.
"Brother Zhuang, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"
The monkey didn't know why Zhuang Rui had suddenly gotten angry, and he felt a little uneasy. Although he knew that Zhuang Rui was easy to talk to, he knew that if a boss ever didn't like you, he would have plenty of reasons to get rid of you.
Monkey was having a wonderful time in Beijing. He lived in a high-end neighborhood, drank alcohol all day, and could even go to the gym with Da Xiong, who loved to exercise, to flirt with lonely young women. He was living a very carefree life and had no desire to go back to Pengcheng to sell pets.
When Monkey saw Zhuang Rui buying things, he felt he had become well-known in Panjiayuan and wanted to give Zhuang Rui face. However, he didn't expect that his flattery would backfire, and he was dumbfounded.
"I'm telling you, kid, you're getting less and less discerning as you get ahead..."
Seeing that Monkey's face had turned pale with fright, Zhuang Rui knew the kid was timid, so he softened his tone and said, "Monkey, if you want to find a bargain at Panjiayuan, you have to pretend to know a little bit, so that the sellers won't dare to fool you too much, but they'll still want to take advantage of you a little. That's how you find good stuff. If you act like an expert, they'll just ask for the absolute highest price..."
"Oh dear, brother, look at my brain..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the monkey suddenly realized what was going on and slapped its head. It was indeed true. These days, an expert's words can be worth money. An appraisal certificate can increase the value of an item many times over, not to mention the things that are favored by experts. Who knows, even if the price is set too high, some stall owners might not sell them.
"Alright, if you want to survive in this industry, you need to learn how to play dumb. You'll definitely do better than someone who pretends to be shrewd..."
Zhuang Rui patted the monkey on the shoulder, and thought of Old Tang, the "Trap Master," who had set a trap for the broker Xiao Fang. Old Tang's skill in pretending to be stupid was absolutely masterful; most people couldn't outsmart him. If Zhuang Rui hadn't seen the few replica antique chairs in the inner room, he wouldn't have been able to expose the scam.
Later, Lao Bai stepped in and apparently got some money back for Xiao Fang, maybe only 100,000 yuan. This was a lesson learned the hard way: don't think you're the only smart person in the world and treat everyone else as fools. Often, you'll be the one who gets taken advantage of by fools.
Since appearing on CCTV, Zhuang Rui has visited Panjiayuan a few times, but he only managed to exchange a few words with the stall owners before being recognized by them. People in this line of work are bound to pay attention to these treasure appraisal programs.
After this happened several times, Zhuang Rui got annoyed and deliberately cut his long hair into a buzz cut so that no one would notice him. Otherwise, with CCTV's terrifyingly high ratings, he would probably have to go overseas to find bargains. Zhuang Rui also vowed that he would never appear on TV again.
"Brother Zhuang, I understand. Do you think I'm alright?"
After thinking for a while, the monkey finally understood the implications. Its shrewd expression, which had been on its face, now gave off a rather dull feeling, which amazed Zhuang Rui.
"Hey monkey, what are you doing wandering around outside instead of being in the shop?"
Zhuang Rui suddenly realized that the stall where he encountered the monkey was two streets away from "Xuanrui Zhai".
The monkey scratched its head, its silly expression becoming even more convincing, and said, "Brother Zhuang, didn't you tell me to go into these crowds whenever I had free time? I'm here to hear a story..."
"Oh, I forgot about that. Hey, kid, stop pretending in front of me..."
When Zhuang Rui saw the monkey's appearance, he couldn't help but laugh and cry. "You can pretend when you're trying to fool people. Aren't you tired of looking like a fool all the time?"
"Hehe, just practice more often. By the way, Brother Zhuang, if you like antiques like swords and knives, I know a shop in Panjiayuan that specializes in these things..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui didn't seem angry with him, Monkey felt relieved. He had been flirting with a young woman from the gym for the past few days and was about to make her move. If he were sent back to Pengcheng, Monkey would feel like committing suicide.
"Specializing in antiques and swords?"
Zhuang Rui stopped in his tracks. There were some good items, but most were from overseas. The swords and sabers of emperors and generals back then were all looted by those foreign devils. But it wouldn't hurt to take a look; they had nothing better to do anyway. So he said, "Let's go take a look..."
"Hey, I'll lead the way..."
The monkey struck a funny pose, making the tourists around it laugh. Zhuang Rui shook his head and followed.
"Toukensai? That's an interesting name..."
After crossing a street, the monkey led Zhuang Rui to the entrance of a shop and said to him, "Brother Zhuang, the owner knows me. I haven't quite mastered pretending to be stupid yet, so I won't trouble you. Please go in by yourself..."
"Haha, alright, you can keep wandering around, I'm going back to the shop later..."
Zhuang Rui was amused by the monkey. There are some people in this world who can make people laugh whether they are talking or not. In Zhuang Rui's opinion, if the monkey could appear on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, it might become a comedy star. It has such a great comedic talent.
Zhuang Rui looked up at the plaque again before walking into the shop. The plaque was also written by a calligrapher from China, but it was sharp and menacing, making people feel intimidated at first glance.
However, this also fits the mood of the shop. Swords are witnesses to the bloody wars and conflicts during the period of cold weapons in China and abroad. You could say that every antique sword is a history book engraved on metal.
Don't underestimate these two seemingly insignificant iron bars you're holding. They might have been deadly weapons, stained with blood, used by a great general hundreds of years ago or even just a couple of years ago.
Upon entering the shop, Zhuang Rui noticed that there weren't many customers, only two or three people examining the items displayed on the sword racks, with a person who appeared to be the owner behind them, providing explanations.
"Sir, please feel free to look around..."
When the shopkeeper saw the shape of the object wrapped in newspaper in Zhuang Rui's hand, his eyes lit up. He quickly came over to greet him. Judging from the shape of the object in Zhuang Rui's hand, it was definitely a sword or similar item.
"Sir, my shop has everything from bronze weapons from the Western Zhou to the Qin and Han dynasties, to antique swords and knives from the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. Whatever you're interested in, I can find it for you, and I guarantee it's genuine..."
The boss spoke in a low voice, glancing left and right, before continuing, "I have connections that specialize in this, and I can guarantee these things are absolutely genuine..."
"Okay, let me take a look first, boss, you go ahead and get busy..."
Zhuang Rui nodded noncommittally, his eyes falling on the rows of swords and knives displayed on the shelves.
"Alright, if you see something you like, just tell me. I can tell you you're an expert, so to be honest, everything on this half of the shelf is genuine, while the rest are antique swords and knives. Don't be fooled by their good appearance, they're all fake..."
The shop owner seemed honest, which gave Zhuang Rui a good impression. Of all the antique shops he had visited, this was the first person to admit that his shop had fake items. Other shop owners would have loved to say that all the items in their shops were taken from the Forbidden City.
Zhuang Rui didn't know much about miscellaneous items like swords, but he did know the most basic knowledge. Ancient swords were all forged by hand, and the craftsmanship was extremely exquisite. Some of the techniques are still impossible to replicate today.
However, due to the limitations of the materials used in swords, they are all made of copper and iron and have no anti-corrosion measures. After thousands of years, they will inevitably develop copper and iron rust. Even famous swords that have been passed down through the ages, such as Longquan, Tai'a, and Yuchang, are no exception.
Zhuang Rui started by looking at the replica swords that the shopkeeper had mentioned. Sure enough, although the swords had an antique design and were so bright they were almost reflective, a closer look revealed many traces of modern craftsmanship. Although Zhuang Rui was a layman when it came to these things, he could still see some clues.
"The owner of this place is a kind and honest person..."
After using his spiritual energy to identify them, Zhuang Rui gave the shop owner a review and then turned to look at the shelves of what the shop owner called antique swords and knives.
The swords on the shelves on the left are noticeably less shiny, and many of them are covered in heavy rust. Just by looking at them, one can almost hear the neighing of horses and the clanging of swords on the battlefield thousands of years ago!
Chapter 609 Swords and Blades (Part 2)
Instead of immediately using his spiritual energy to investigate, Zhuang Rui took out a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on. He then picked up the Japanese sword closest to his body, which was in its sheath, and began to examine it carefully.
In appreciating antiques, hands-on experience is extremely important. As the master of Chinese studies whom Zhuang Rui once met, and who was also Mr. Jin's teacher, once said: "The reason I can point out the authenticity of an antique is because I know where the real ones are, and I've seen them before. The more I see, the more I can distinguish between the real and the fake..."
This master's words illustrate that with rich hands-on experience, one can sometimes naturally distinguish between genuine and fake items, because fake items lack that heavy sense of historical vicissitude. Of course, these subtle differences are something that newcomers to the field cannot appreciate.
The samurai sword Zhuang Rui is holding now is a typical Japanese sword. Zhuang Rui measured the length of the sword, including the scabbard, and found that it was almost 1.7 meters long, reaching from the ground to his shoulder.
The katana is decorated with exquisite ornamentation. The clasp of the scabbard is inlaid with pure silver, and one side of the scabbard is engraved with samurai figures, flowers, insects, and birds.
The figures on the scabbard are somewhat blurred, as if they have been handled frequently and worn down to the point of being difficult to discern.
On the other side of the scabbard, there was an engraving of a Japanese woman loosening her clothes and widening her belt, exuding charm and allure. Of course, in Zhuang Rui's eyes, it was incredibly seductive.
"Damn it, this has always been a tradition in island nations..."
Judging from the style of this samurai sword, it should be from the era of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 15th century. It has been preserved for five or six hundred years. If this sword is genuine, it is indeed very valuable.
With a "whoosh," Zhuang Rui drew his katana a few inches longer, and a bright light immediately came into view. The blade was covered with a famous flat, fragmented, multi-layered dark light pattern, which looked extremely delicate.