Chapter 3: The Once-in-a-Millennium Qi-Gazing Eye

"What nonsense are you spouting! This is an authentic piece by Master Baishi, I have verified it beyond a doubt! How dare you question me, a treasure appraisal master with two million followers?"

"Stone, I’ve told you a thousand times, don't go around embarrassing yourself with the superficial tricks you learned from Third Master! Do you think you know more about this business than I do? Look at this fine brushwork, look at the ink, look at the paper—and you’re telling me it’s fake? Are you questioning my judgment?"

"Kid, I’ve already warned you once. If you dare spout nonsense again, I won't let you off! Third Master, he’s daring to babble in your presence—not only is he trying to frame me, but he’s also showing total disrespect to you! Just leave him to me..."

Third Master remained expressionless, tapping his pipe gently against the tea table. The room went dead silent. He stood up, walked to the long table, and looked at me. "Are you sure?"

I had already put on my sunglasses and nodded at him.

Liang-ge said anxiously, "Third Master, don't listen to him, he’s just pretending to know what he doesn't! He didn't even look at it carefully just now; he’s just using that blind eye of his to fool you! You’re an expert in this field yourself—why don't you take a look? Could this possibly be a fake?"

Third Master ignored him, stepped in front of me, and reached out to remove my sunglasses. I stood motionless, offering no resistance. However, I saw the other three people staring at me, their eyes wide, expressions of horror dawning on their faces.

The fat boss pointed at me and cursed, "What the hell is wrong with this guy? Why are his eyes so red?"

Third Master's face also held a look of agitation. Suppressing his emotions, he turned to Black-ge and said, "Go call in your younger brothers!"

"Yes!" Black-ge replied, turned, and walked out. Soon, all of Third Master's disciples were inside.

The second disciple, Zhao Xiangbo, nicknamed Pockmark; the fourth, Cai Lei, nicknamed Six-Fingers; the fifth, Deng Zhiyong, nicknamed Limping Deng; and the sixth, Ning Wei, nicknamed Little Monkey. Everyone stood silently beside Black-ge; no one dared to speak.

Third Master ignored them, simply bending over and pressing his palm onto the long table. As he curled his five fingers, the painting crumpled into a ball in his grip.

"Third Master, what are you..." The fat boss’s face turned pale. He frowned and said, "This is a family heirloom! How can you do this? If this is how it’s going to be, then I have to assume you’re the one who set this trap..."

Before he could finish, Third Master suddenly raised his pipe and struck him hard on the head with its metal end!

"Ah!" The fat boss clutched his head and collapsed to the ground, screaming as blood began to trickle through his fingers. Teacher Haiqing was so terrified that his face turned deathly pale, and he shook like a sieve.

Third Master didn't let him off; he beckoned to Black-ge. Black-ge walked over, and with a few swift strikes, beat the man into a pile of pulp.

"That's enough!" Third Master spoke, and Black-ge immediately stopped, turning back to stand behind him. I and the rest of the disciples watched the scene with indifference, having witnessed such things countless times before.

Third Master picked up a cup of tea that Liang-ge had poured for him earlier. Without drinking it, he poured it onto the table and said, "Liangzi, you know my rules. I’ll give you two choices now."

"Break your hands and sever our master-disciple bond; from this day forward, you can strike out on your own."

"Or, break your legs and keep your status, but you will go and work under Number Five from now on."

When these words were spoken, all the disciples' faces changed! I was also shocked; this punishment was truly ruthless! Liang-ge studied treasure appraisal; without his hands, he would lose most of his methods, and his value would plummet. Furthermore, without Third Master’s protection, it would be impossible for a cripple to make a living in Haizhou!

The second option was even worse! Limping Deng managed most of the beggars in Haizhou—all of them were minors, and all of them were either missing limbs or crippled! I’ve said it before: Third Master is no philanthropist. The children he takes in are there to make money for him. Where do the children who can’t sense the 'Qi' go? Just look at the disabled beggar children at the Haizhou train station and you’ll know!

Liang-ge fell to his knees with a thud, weeping as he cried to Third Master, "Master, Wenliang has been with you since I was twelve; it’s been twelve years now! I can never repay your great kindness in this lifetime! I only wish to serve by your side forever, to show you loyalty and filial piety! Now you want to cast me out—though I am untalented, I know the saying: 'A teacher for a day is a father for life.' I only ask that you consider our history and give me justice! I am your disciple! I have studied under you for twelve years! As for him, he isn't even qualified to be your disciple! Yet you believe his words over mine—I cannot accept this!"

The other disciples, including Zhao Xiangbo, glared at me fiercely. They understood what was happening now and naturally assumed I was babbling nonsense, yet Third Master, who had always favored me, had chosen to believe me once again!

The fat boss, lying in a pool of blood, also glared at Third Master with a swollen face and hissed, "Third Master, if you play it this way, you’re breaking the rules of the trade! If you don't give me an explanation for today, I won't let this go, even if it costs me my life!"

Third Master ignored him, saying calmly, "Little Monkey, bring a chair for Stone."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked on in utter disbelief! Zhao Xiangbo pointed at me and shouted at Third Master, "Master, what does he have to be proud of! A half-blind kid—is he qualified to sit by your side?"

Little Monkey, though bewildered, didn't say anything; he just ran over and brought a chair for me. Third Master glanced at his disciples and snorted. "Stone, tell them why you said that painting was a fake!"

I looked at Liang-ge with a calm expression. "Because there was no 'Dead Qi' on that painting—it was filled with 'Living Qi.' Genuine antiques, whether recovered from tombs or passed down through generations, will always carry some trace of the 'Dead Qi' from those who came before after so many years. That painting, however—even its 'Living Qi' was only added within the last two months."

"That's pure nonsense!" The fat boss wiped the blood from his face, gnashing his teeth as he pointed at me. "What Dead Qi, what Living Qi? You’re just making this up! How could you possibly distinguish that kind of Qi?"

Third Master snorted coldly, looking at him. "Because he possesses a 'Qi-Refining Eye.'"

As soon as these words were spoken, the room went quiet. Everyone stared at me with wide eyes, as if they had seen a ghost. Third Master looked at the fat boss. "Zhao Shangde, you have practiced Qi yourself; you should know what a Qi-Refining Eye is! Do you dare say his words are false? Do you really think I’ve grown so old that I can't smell the 'white atractylodes' used to artificially age that paper?"

The fat boss’s face turned ashen; his body went limp, and he slumped onto the floor.

Third Master turned to me. "Stone, half a year ago, your sister told me there was something wrong with your eyes, that they would bleed sometimes. I suspected that because of your Qi training, your eyes might have undergone a change. From the first time I saw you, I knew you were born different. Your source of Qi is powerful; you were born for it. Your future achievements might reach a height none of us could ever touch."

"But I never imagined you would possess a 'Qi-Viewing Eye,' something others spend a lifetime practicing and never achieve. A Qi-Refiner is easily found in a hundred years, but a Qi-Viewing Eye is rarely seen in a thousand. Stone, you’ve always wondered why I wouldn't take you as a disciple. Now I’ll tell you: It’s because I’m not worthy."

He stood before me, placed his hands on my shoulders, and gently pressed down, forcing me into the chair!