He gave Jiang Zhitao a look, and Jiang Zhitao immediately understood, a cold smile curving his lips.
He walked slowly behind the middle-aged man, then suddenly raised his hand, and slapped the middle-aged man hard across the face.
*Smack~*
The slap was crisp and loud. The middle-aged man had not expected anyone to dare lay a hand on him at such a moment and was stunned on the spot.
Immediately after, Jiang Zhitao's displeased voice rang out, "Damn it, everyone is here watching the appraisal quietly, but you're the only one babbling nonsense. You really think you're something? Let me tell you, this is Jiangcheng. Here, dragons must coil and tigers must crouch. If you dare to be slow-witted again, I'll seal your mouth shut and suffocate you."
Jiang Zhitao put on a ferocious look, his aura quite formidable.
The middle-aged man was instantly scared stiff by Jiang Zhitao's demeanor, trembling and not daring to say a word.
He was merely an appraiser and had never encountered a dandy like Jiang Zhitao. Thus, this slap completely subdued him.
Elder Chen intended to speak up for the middle-aged man, but Ye Fan coldly stopped him, "I advise Elder Chen to not say too much. My brother has a bad temper. If you anger him, it's unknown whether you can safely leave the Jiangcheng Antiques Association."
Elder Chen suddenly looked up, frowning at Ye Fan.
But Ye Fan showed no fear, his gaze towards Elder Chen filled with amusement.
"Hmph, I want to see what else you can say," Elder Chen said angrily, no longer looking at the middle-aged man.
Ye Fan smiled, then pointed at the porcelain bottle and said faintly, "San Die Cai. Have you heard of it, Elder Chen?"
San Die Cai? Hearing Ye Fan's words, everyone present was stunned.
The term was completely unfamiliar to them; they had never heard of it.
Elder Chen also frowned.
Only Elder Lei gave a start, then asked, "Is it the Die Cai recorded in old literature?"
Ye Fan smiled and nodded, "Elder Lei is indeed knowledgeable. It is indeed Die Cai. In the Song Dynasty, there was a special glazing technique where different glaze colors were painted onto porcelain bottles. This is Die Cai. However, due to its complicated craftsmanship, Die Cai only lasted for over two hundred years before disappearing into the river of history. This porcelain bottle is a San Die Cai porcelain bottle."
Elder Chen's mind was blank regarding what Ye Fan said. He was an expert in porcelain appraisal, but he had never heard of this Die Cai.
Feeling indignant, he said, "Words are not proof. Ye Fan, you say this is San Die Cai, but do you have any evidence? If you can't provide evidence, then you are just spouting nonsense."
As a master appraiser of porcelain, he could not admit that anyone was better than him.
This was his most proficient field.
Ye Fan sneered, "If I can prove this is San Die Cai, does that mean Elder Chen loses?"
Ye Fan asked coldly, showing no regard for Elder Chen's reputation.
Elder Chen's brows were tightly knit, his expression gloomy, changing again and again.
Although he did not want to agree, he had no other choice at this point.
Helplessly, he had to brace himself and say, "As long as you can prove this is what you call San Die Cai, I will concede defeat."
As these words were spoken, the surrounding crowd gasped.
"Elder Chen's confidence suggests Ye Fan is talking nonsense."
"Elder Chen is an expert in porcelain; he hasn't heard of it, so it must not exist."
"If you ask me, Ye Fan must have known he was going to lose and made up a lie."
These people were deceiving themselves but still hoped Ye Fan would lose.
Ye Fan glanced at them dismissively, then smiled, "Elder Chen is indeed a master; this spirit is admirable. However, since you've said so, if I don't satisfy you, wouldn't that mean I'm ungrateful?"
Then, Ye Fan ordered someone to bring out the porcelain.
"This porcelain is named by its appearance: San Die Cai Figure Flower Vase. Everyone, please look at the mouth of the bottle."
Saying this, Ye Fan picked up a porcelain rod from the side and gently tapped the mouth of the bottle.
Instantly, the porcelain bottle emitted a crisp sound.
But then, the sound came again.
*Ding*
*Ding*
*Ding*
...
After one tap, it actually rang three times.
Ye Fan smiled, "Because of the different glazing, this has created a layered effect on the surface of the porcelain bottle. If you tap it a few times, it will echo."
Hearing Ye Fan's explanation, everyone looked thoughtful.
Elder Chen's face was gloomy, like ice and water, his eyes carrying a cold chill.
He argued defensively, "This echo alone can prove it's San Die Cai? It's ridiculous. Many ancient porcelain pieces incorporated special techniques. Echoing after being tapped is not strange."
As long as Ye Fan couldn't produce conclusive evidence, he could deny Ye Fan indefinitely.
Hearing Elder Chen's words, Ye Fan frowned. This old man was clearly being unreasonable.
However, without absolute proof that it was San Die Cai, he really couldn't do anything to this old man.
Elder Lei also frowned at this moment, unable to help but worry about Ye Fan.
"Ye Fan, are there any other ways to prove it?"
Ye Fan smiled slightly, "There are ways, of course, but I'm afraid Elder Chen will not be able to bear it then."
Hmm?
Elder Lei was confused, looking at Ye Fan with doubt.
Ye Fan walked up to Elder Chen, smiled slightly, "Since Elder Chen is an expert in porcelain appraisal, you should know of a method to test the thickness of the glaze, the crude steaming method. As long as we use the vinegar steaming method, we can wash off the glaze. In this way, it will be clear how many layers of glaze this porcelain has. I wonder if Elder Chen dares to let me try?"
This was no small matter, and this porcelain piece was very valuable. If anything went wrong, perhaps no one could bear the consequences.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Elder Chen's legs suddenly trembled, and his face showed an unnatural expression. Clearly, he was already guilty.
From the moment Ye Fan mentioned San Die Cai, he knew he had already lost.
It was just that, for the sake of face, he was unwilling to admit it.
But now, the method Ye Fan proposed would definitely prove how many layers of glaze were applied to this porcelain. At that time, he would not only lose face but also face huge compensation.
He slowly closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and Elder Chen finally stopped quibbling. He coldly said, "I lost."
*Boom~*
As Elder Chen's words fell, everyone around felt a deafening explosion in their minds.
Elder Chen actually admitted defeat. How was this possible?
The pride of the antique world, the leading figure in porcelain appraisal, had actually been defeated by Ye Fan, a rising newcomer. If this news spread, it would surely cause a huge uproar in the antique world.
"No, this is impossible! Teacher, you can't lose! It must be Ye Fan playing tricks, it's definitely him! I'll kill him!"
The middle-aged man's eyes were bloodshot. He took out a short knife from his pocket and suddenly lunged towards Ye Fan's chest.