Chen Deyan was a good man!
Fan Li wanted to simply give him Xue Susu’s painting for free. Unfortunately, that would be incredibly suspicious. So, he had to follow the proper procedures.
“This is difficult…” Fan Li said, feigning reluctance. “Grand Master Xue just gifted me this painting last night. Now, this morning, I’m selling it to the Top Scholar? If word of this gets out, everyone will mock me for being a vulgar merchant, only interested in money, not appreciating art and romance.”
Chen Deyan sensed that Fan Li’s refusal wasn’t firm. There was hope! He forced a smile.
“Master Fan, you’re wrong. Merchants value profit above all else. Entertainers are fickle. This is the way of the world. You should stick to your principles and prioritize profit!”
Fan Li nodded. Was this the eloquence of the Great Ming’s Top Scholar?
He sounded incredibly punchable.
“So, Master Fan, you’ve agreed?” Chen Deyan asked excitedly.
Fan Li sighed. “Alas, it seems I’m unworthy of Grand Master Xue’s masterpiece. Very well! As the saying goes, a treasured sword should be paired with a hero, clear water with towering mountains. I must find a worthy owner for this painting.”
Chen Deyan was overjoyed. “Then please, Master Fan, name your price! To be honest, I’m quite wealthy. I won’t let you suffer a loss.”
This was going too smoothly. Chen Deyan was even boasting about his wealth.
If he didn’t extort him, it would be a disgrace to the Fan Clan Trading Company’s reputation.
Fan Li pretended to ponder. “Top Scholar, asking me to name a price is difficult. Art and romance are not my forte. How could a vulgar man like me possibly determine the value of Grand Master Xue’s painting?”
Chen Deyan nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes! You’re absolutely right!”
Fan Li resisted the urge to roll his eyes and continued, “In my opinion, only someone with noble character, refined taste, vast knowledge, and great talent can truly appreciate and appraise Grand Master Xue’s painting. And I believe, Top Scholar, you are such a person.”
Chen Deyan’s face flushed with excitement. He puffed out his chest, resembling a proud rooster.
“Master Fan, you flatter me. I’ve simply studied diligently for many years and was fortunate enough to be selected as the Top Scholar among tens of thousands of Confucian scholars. There are many great scholars in the world, such as Marquis Wenxin of Lu City and the reclusive Guiguzi. They are my role models. I still have much to learn before I can compare to those truly virtuous and wise individuals.”
Good heavens! This kid was getting a bit ahead of himself. A few words of praise, and he thought he was the greatest scholar in the world?
Among all the Confucian scholars, he only acknowledged Marquis Lu and Wang Ban?
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“Then, Top Scholar, please name your price,” Fan Li said, his face aching from smiling. He just wanted to end this extortion, ah, this transaction.
Chen Deyan pondered. He was indeed wealthy. He could afford to purchase the painting with gold or silver, or even exchange it for top-grade pills and spirit treasures.
‘I’ll offer him a ninth-rank Earth-grade spirit treasure,’ he decided.
Out of the four grades of treasures, a ninth-rank Earth-grade treasure was considered quite valuable to ordinary people.
Moreover, in his eyes, Fan Li was just a Chu merchant, of even lower status than a Ming merchant.
A ninth-rank Earth-grade treasure was a suitable exchange.
“Master Fan, what do you think…”
Chen Deyan reached into his right sleeve. Hidden inside was a ninth-rank Earth-grade spirit treasure called the “Frost Banner.”
This banner could only be used once. When facing an enemy, it could be unfurled to summon a small snowstorm.
The snowstorm wouldn’t harm the enemy, but it could obstruct their vision and movements, buying time for escape.
Before Chen Deyan could retrieve the Frost Banner, a small white porcelain bottle with a red cloud pattern, fell from Fan Li’s sleeve.
Fan Li exclaimed, feigning alarm, and quickly squatted down to pick it up.
His interruption forced Chen Deyan to stop. He asked with feigned concern, “Master Fan, are you alright? What did you drop?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I usually use these first-rank Earth-grade Red Cloud Pills to reward my servants. I accidentally dropped one from my sleeve. I thought it was something important.”
First-rank Earth-grade pills, used to reward servants?
Chen Deyan had heard that the Great Chu was wealthy, and the Fan Clan Trading Company was even richer. But he hadn’t expected that a mere representative, stationed in the Great Ming, would be so generous.
The ninth-rank Earth-grade Frost Banner in his sleeve suddenly felt inadequate. He discreetly pushed it further inside, preventing it from falling out.
“Haha, just a bottle of Red Cloud Pills. You’re so nervous, Master Fan.”
Chen Deyan tried to save face, chuckling awkwardly and pretending to tease Fan Li for overreacting.
“Yes, just a bottle of Red Cloud Pills.”
Fan Li tucked the bottle back into his right sleeve, then, in front of Chen Deyan, retrieved another bottle from his left sleeve.
“I thought I had dropped this bottle of sixth-rank Earth-grade Soaring Pills. Oh, I was so scared! Soaring Pills are precious. Even with my status in the company, I only receive three pills every month.”
Hearing the words “Soaring Pills,” Chen Deyan’s body trembled.
Soaring Pills were produced by the Great Ming’s Celestial Master’s Mansion. The Celestial Master, Lan Daoxing, personally supervised their refinement. Only two hundred pills were produced every month. They were highly sought after by the Great Ming’s elite, from nobles to high-ranking officials.
The Fan Clan Trading Company’s branch in the Great Ming was wealthy enough to use Soaring Pills as monthly salaries for Fan Li. Three pills at that! This shocked Chen Deyan.
Fan Li carefully tucked away the Soaring Pills and looked at Chen Deyan with feigned confusion.
“Top Scholar, what’s your offer for Grand Master Xue’s painting?”
Chen Deyan opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
Could he even afford to make one?
Chen Deyan was a wealthy young master from a prestigious family in Jiangnan, but he couldn’t afford to consume three Soaring Pills every month!
Seeing the Top Scholar’s predicament, Fan Li didn’t rush him. He slowly retrieved a small card and handed it to Chen Deyan.
“Fan Clan Loans. Instant Approval. Enjoy a Better Life Every Day!”
Chen Deyan stared at the loan application card in his hand, then at Xue Susu’s painting, within reach. He swallowed hard and asked with difficulty, “How do I apply?”
“Collateral required.”
Fan Li’s eyes crinkled with amusement. Outside the room, guests passing by heard strange sounds coming from within.
“Eaten by insects, gnawed by rats, a worn and tattered robe!”
Half an hour later, the guests waiting to disembark were surprised to see the Top Scholar, Chen Deyan, emerge from a private room. He wore only a thin undergarment, a scroll tucked in his arms, his body hunched over.
“Isn’t that the private room of Young Master Fan from the Fan Clan Trading Company? But I heard that Grand Master Xue spent the night in his room. Why is it the Top Scholar now?”
“Hey, I didn’t see Grand Master Xue, but I definitely saw the Top Scholar without his clothes.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I never imagined the Top Scholar would be such a person…”