Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO

When Master Jintong scolded him harshly, many in the crowd sneered.

This guy from Tianhai comes to Sui City and acts so brazenly, and he even has the gall to disrespect Master Jintong. It's about time he learned his lesson! If you offend Master Jintong, nobody can save you, even if you grovel at Xie Jiancheng's feet.

Shi Hongda was all smiles as he said to the Yin-Yang Elders, "It seems our trip here was well worth it."

Xu Ke's declaration that "the Bronze Wine Chalice is real," which had so offended Master Jintong, was entirely due to Shi Hongda's taunts. Naturally, Shi Hongda believed that Xu Ke had cornered himself like this because he, Shi Hongda, had shown up at the auction. If he hadn't come, no one would have pushed Xu Ke into offending Master Jintong.

Bai Qian'er and Xie Jiancheng were suddenly frantic.

"You have to stop him! He's just spouting nonsense now," Bai Qian'er urged, looking at Tang Yingchang. Xu Ke had just infuriated her, so she didn't want to speak up for him herself.

But Tang Yingchang firmly shook his head. "Mister Xu has his reasons for this decision. We just need to wait and see."

While that's what Tang Yingchang said aloud, he was thinking to himself:

Just a mere Master Jintong? So what if Xu Ke offended him! If the future Medical Saint has to fear offending every person he meets, wouldn't that tarnish his title?

Hearing Tang Yingchang's response, Bai Qian'er's eyes widened. How could this guard be even more confident than his master?

Xie Jiancheng wasn't caught up in such peculiar thoughts. He stood up and walked over, intending to smooth things over, but Xu Ke stopped him once again.

Xu Ke looked at Master Jintong and smiled. "I know who you are. You're Master Jintong!"

"But are you aware," Master Jintong said, his face dark, "that even I wouldn't dare proclaim an antique authentic after examining it for less than two minutes? Are you?"

In reality, as an expert appraiser, it wouldn't take him more than a few minutes to determine if an antique was real or fake. He said this only to knock Xu Ke down a peg. A young man shouldn't speak nonsense about things he doesn't understand.

However, Xu Ke just smiled. "Master Jintong, I respect your expertise, but I have my own basis for being certain it's real. If you don't believe me, let's wait until you've examined it."

He wasn't one to flaunt his abilities, but he was already incensed by Shi Hongda's incessant clamoring. Now this Master Jintong had come up and challenged him without even glancing at the artifact. He wasn't a pushover, so naturally, he had to fire back with a few sharp words.

Feeling he had been slighted again, Master Jintong gave a furious laugh. "It seems you still don't know your place. Antique appraisal requires a vast amount of knowledge. It's not something you can claim just because you say you're confident.

"After I finish my appraisal, I will announce my conclusion.

"If it's a fake, you will immediately apologize for your erroneous statement.

"If it's real, I want you to provide your reasoning and show me the basis for this so-called confidence.

"If you have no reason, and this was just a case of a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, I will still require you to apologize!"

If Xu Ke couldn't provide a valid reason today, he would make him take full responsibility for his words. As an expert, he could not tolerate his knowledge-based profession being desecrated.

Xu Ke nodded. "Agreed!"

Seeing Xu Ke agree without a moment's hesitation, Xie Jiancheng grew anxious. "Mister Xu..."

Spending money to save his own dignity was one thing, but why did Xu Ke have to risk his own reputation as well?

"Excellent, Xu Ke! You've really got guts." But Shi Hongda was clapping with a smirk, clearly eager to see Xu Ke suffer a humiliating downfall.

Seeing Xu Ke's agreement, Master Jintong snorted coldly. "Fine. You're brave enough. In that case, it's my turn."

Just as Master Jintong was about to begin the appraisal, Xu Ke interjected, "Master Jintong, wait!"

"What is it now? Do you want to concede defeat early?" Master Jintong sneered upon hearing Xu Ke call for a halt.

The crowd below shared his sentiment, their faces filled with scorn.

"No." But Xu Ke shook his head under everyone's gaze and said, "I just want to ask, if I provide my reasoning, what will you do?"

At these words, Master Jintong's expression shifted. He realized then that Xu Ke hadn't stopped him to surrender but to raise the stakes.

"You..." Fury flashed across Master Jintong's dark face.

"The great Master Jintong apologize to a nobody like you? Xu Ke, have you lost your mind?" Shi Hongda, the instigator, arrived right on cue.

Xu Ke shot him a cold glance. "Of all the dozens of people here, why are you the only one who can't shut up? You haven't stopped running your mouth from the very beginning. Why don't you come up here? You can have the auctioneer's microphone. How about you be the auctioneer?"

Shi Hongda's veins bulged with rage. "Xu Ke!!"

Him, a master of the Innate Great Perfection realm, serving as an auctioneer? What an insult!

"Have you considered my question, Master Jintong?" After completely infuriating Shi Hongda, Xu Ke turned his back on him and addressed the master appraiser.

Master Jintong's face was grim. "...Fine. I agree to your terms."

His words caused an uproar.

Xu Ke smiled faintly. "Very well. Please begin, Master."

Standing to the side, An Zhidong and Lin Fang felt their bodies go numb. Was Xu Ke not courting death by making an enemy of Master Jintong? Moreover, as staff who had done nothing to mediate the situation, they were surely doomed.

Subsequently, Master Jintong picked up the Bronze Wine Chalice and began his appraisal.

While waiting, Xu Ke glanced at Shi Hongda, then over at Xie Jiancheng.

Xie Jiancheng sighed. Though he said nothing, his look of resignation spoke volumes.

Xu Ke smiled.

Just then, Master Jintong placed the chalice back on the red cloth inside the glass case. "Alright, I've finished the appraisal." His dark, old face was unreadable as he spoke in a flat tone.

"Then please announce the results, Master Jintong!" An Zhidong exclaimed with a nervous chuckle. A careful observer could see beads of sweat on his forehead.

"No hurry," Master Jintong replied, his words directed at An Zhidong but his eyes locked firmly on Xu Ke. "Xu Ke, I want you to do something."

"Please speak, Master," Xu Ke responded politely, his tone laced with a hint of humility.

But after seeing Xu Ke's previous audacity, Master Jintong sneered at this sudden show of humility and wasn't buying it for a second. With a cold, stern face, he commanded, "Bring two sheets of paper. We will each write down our conclusion and our reasoning. Then, we will reveal them at the same time."

This was his way of finding out what the true source of Xu Ke's confidence was.

"Okay, no problem," Xu Ke agreed readily.

The people in the audience scoffed.

Xu Ke is just making a last, desperate struggle. Now, not only will he have to accept that the Bronze Wine Chalice is a fake, but he'll also be publicly humiliated by Master Jintong. He's losing both his credibility and his dignity.

They truly couldn't fathom why this man from Tianhai would come all the way to Sui City just to engage in such a disgraceful and pointless act.

Having failed to stop Xu Ke at every turn, Xie Jiancheng finally gave up on trying to change the hopeless outcome. He shook his head and had someone bring two sheets of paper.

Soon, Xu Ke and Master Jintong finished writing.

"Here is Master Jintong's reasoning," An Zhidong announced, picking up the master's paper. He took a deep breath and began to read, "This Bronze Wine Chalice..."

But he had barely uttered two words when his eyes bulged and his lips began to tremble.

"Is real?!"

At that moment, the entire hall fell dead silent, with everyone wearing the expression of someone who had just watched their own house collapse...