Huo Sining’s understanding of the pottery figurines was really too limited. Most of the books about treasure appraisal she had read were related to porcelain, seldom involving pottery figurines, not to mention Tang Sancai which she knew even less about.
But knowing that the tri-colored Tang Horse was dangerous, Huo Sining was determined not to let Zhou Shitao and Ji Kun take the stage. Seeing Zhou Shitao about to rush onto the display first, Huo Sining could no longer care for much else and hurriedly stopped him.
"Master, don’t go!" Huo Sining urged in a low voice.
"What’s wrong?" Seeing that Huo Sining’s expression was somewhat off, Zhou Shitao felt a pang of apprehension and couldn’t help but look at Huo Sining and ask.
Huo Sining showed a bitter smile, was silent for two seconds, considered her words, and then spoke, "This tri-colored horse might come from the same place as that galloping tri-colored horse from Taicheng."
Zhou Shitao and Ji Kun had never seen that galloping tri-colored horse from Taicheng, but they had heard about a series of bizarre incidents that were discovered afterward.
Zhou Shitao had lived for most of his life, was neither an idealist nor a materialist, but he approached such matters with the attitude of "better to believe it exists than not." Hearing Huo Sining say that there might be problems with the galloping horse, he lost most of his enthusiasm to go up and touch and look.
"Are you sure?" Zhou Shitao and Ji Kun exchanged a glance, a flicker of shock and uncertainty in their eyes.
Huo Sining shook her head, "I’m not certain, but I am about fifty to sixty percent sure. Don’t go up for now, I’ll go up first; a closer look should confirm it."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shitao immediately frowned, "If you go to look, won’t it be just as dangerous?"
Huo Sining smiled, "I won’t make direct contact, just close enough to take a look. There shouldn’t be any problems."
Zhou Shitao fell silent, then after a while, he said, "Then be careful."
Huo Sining nodded her head.
Because Tang Sancai was seldom seen, and this standing tri-colored horse was well-preserved, everyone in the audience was itching to get closer. At the sound of gongs and drums from behind the curtain, a wave of people began rushing upwards, each more agile than the last.
Seeing so many people taking the stage, touching and picking at the tri-colored horse, using magnifying glasses to inspect its front, back, left, right, top, and belly area, almost sticking their heads into the horse’s mouth, Huo Sining subconsciously furrowed her brow.
She didn’t intervene because she knew very well that even if she said that the tri-colored horse had issues, others would not believe her.
Moreover, this wasn’t the place for her to say such things; if she did, she would likely be thrown out by the event staff for causing a disruption.
Wei Yanli was lined up in front of Huo Sining. When it was his turn to examine the horse figurine, he didn’t reach out immediately but walked around it instead.
However, he seemed unable to discern anything special. After walking around the table once, he wanted to ask Huo Sining who was behind him for her opinion, but as Huo Sining’s eyes were fixed intently on the standing tri-colored horse, she didn’t pay him any attention, so he stepped off the platform somewhat frustrated.
When it was Huo Sining’s turn, she did not touch the horse figurine either. She stopped less than ten centimeters from the horse and without reaching out, she could feel a chilling aura emanating from it.
Huo Sining also did not dare to jump to conclusions. She reached out to grasp the edge of the table where the standing horse was placed, then used her Heavenly Eye Skill to look through it.
Indeed, as Huo Sining had predicted, there wasn’t a hint of Purple Spiritual Qi on that horse, and its originally white glazed body was surprisingly enveloped in a shroud of black Qi.
A sinister sensation crawled up from the depth of Huo Sining’s heart, causing her entire body to uncontrollably shiver slightly.
Hurriedly stepping down from the platform, Huo Sining returned to her seat with a pale face. Seeing Huo Sining’s behavior, Zhou Shitao and Ji Kun needed no further explanation and secretly felt fortunate that they did not go on stage. As for the Tri-colored Tang Horse, they no longer had any interest in it.
Wei Yanli softly asked, noticing that Huo Sining wasn’t looking well, "Are you feeling uncomfortable? Your complexion doesn’t look good."
Because of Wei Yanli’s question, others had started to notice, which made Huo Sining feel inexplicably guilty. She forced a smile and shook her head, "It’s nothing, just feeling a bit dizzy all of a sudden, probably from standing too long. I’ll be fine after resting for a bit."
After saying this, Huo Sining turned around, left the exhibition stand, and returned to her seat.
By the time everyone had seen the Tri-colored Tang Horse and returned to their seats, Huo Sining’s complexion had regained its previous rosy hue, and her facial expression appeared to show nothing amiss.
However, Wei Yanli gave the Tri-colored Tang Horse figure on the exhibit stand a thoughtful look, his gaze flickering slightly.
Perhaps influenced by Huo Sining, although Zhou Shitao and Ji Kun were initially quite interested in the Tang Sancai piece, they remained silent in the end and ultimately didn’t go to pick up a bidding sheet.
Upon seeing the starting price, Zhou Shitao couldn’t help but shake his head; five million was simply an astronomical sum. Moreover, with the secret bids driving up the price, he feared that even ten million might not be enough to win it. Even without Huo Sining’s warning, Zhou Shitao wouldn’t spend ten million on a ceramic figure.
On the other hand, Wei Yanli casually filled out a bid sheet, intending to hand it to the staff afterward.
Seeing Wei Yanli’s action, Huo Sining felt a surge of tension in her heart. That black malevolent Qi was no good thing; just a brief touch could bring misfortune, let alone long-term contact after purchasing it. If the black malevolent Qi infiltrated a person’s body, it might even endanger their life.
Huo Sining wanted to caution Wei Yanli, but the words stuck in her throat as she struggled, unsure how to alert him without provoking too many questions, so he might give up bidding for the Tang Sancai.
It was at this moment that Wei Yanli suddenly looked up at Huo Sining. Seeing her staring intently at the bid sheet in his hands, seemingly quite anxious, his movement paused, as he couldn’t help but ask with a laugh, "What do you think of this Tang Sancai?"
Many people recognized Zhou Shitao and, seeing Wei Yanli question the female apprentice by his side, pricked up their ears to listen in on the commotion in the front row.
Hoping to hint at Wei Yanli yet fearing to arouse suspicion from others, Huo Sining blinked at Wei Yanli:
"The real cannot be fake, and the fake cannot be real. Isn’t it all in the mind, whether true or false?"
Wei Yanli was taken aback, his mind flashing back to Huo Sining’s unnatural expression earlier, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. His face bore a probing look, subtle yet evident:
"That’s an interesting statement. But setting aside its authenticity, whether I can win the bid is still in question."
Huo Sining couldn’t help retorting, "Well, you’re rich, so just add a zero to the back. That way, you’re guaranteed to get the piece, and you certainly won’t miss out!"