Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 1237: Chapter 903: Who Is the Wooden Club?

While Gu Changsheng and Zhou Mu were standing aside, examining the dramatically transformed Basan Night Rain Painting after its peeling, not far away, the peddler who sold the painting was contentedly showing off the two hundred taels silver note to nearby stall owners.

“Look, over there, those two tall guys, they’re the suckers who bought that painting!” The peddler pointed in the direction of Gu Changsheng and Zhou Mu, speaking with disdain, “Two hundred taels of silver, and they think they can buy an authentic piece from Master Mo? Where in the world would one encounter such a stroke of luck? It’s just another one buying a high-quality fake to give as a gift for show, just unfortunate for whoever’s going to end up related to such people!”

“Buddy Li, you’re being quite unkind here. In this business of ours, dealing in resales, we shouldn’t be deliberately scamming people, it cuts down on your luck!” An old man with a kerosene lantern at his stall chimed in, puffing on his pipe in admonishment.

“How am I scamming anyone? I clearly told them it was just a high-quality fake, but they insisted on buying it. What could I do? It’s not like I can just push away money delivered to my doorstep, right?” said the peddler named Li, shrugging, and continued conversing softly with the fellow stall owners, “Check them out, those two wooden clubs, easy to scam and wealthy. When they come over to your stalls, don’t hold back, make sure to ask for high prices!”

The peddler’s voice wasn’t too loud, but still loud enough relatively speaking.

Coincidentally, Gu Changsheng and Zhou Mu weren’t exactly hard of hearing!

So…

Being just over ten steps away, it was genuinely difficult for them to pretend they heard nothing.

“Hey, you two young folks, first time wandering the Dark Market? Be more cautious. Here, striking gold relies only on your eyes. If you end up buying fake goods, blame your own misfortune!” A passerby uncle, looking at Gu Changsheng and Zhou Mu standing by the roadside, said sympathetically.

Clearly, he had also overheard what the peddler said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Changsheng and Zhou Mu’s faces immediately turned quite colorful.

“Damn it! That peddler is too much!” Understanding the situation, Gu Changsheng suddenly bristled, without saying another word, he took the canvas Zhou Mu had already put away, and rolled up his sleeves, heading back towards the direction of the peddler.

Damn!

Selling something requires integrity, and the peddler had clearly told them the painting was a fake initially, which she had appreciated, but as soon as they turned around, the peddler declared them as lambs waiting to be slaughtered!

In this Dark Market dealing with resales, just one person saying such a thing ensured that Gu Changsheng and Zhou Mu would not find anything priced decently tonight!

Ridiculous!

Knowing they and Zhou Mu were foolish and rich, which stall owner wouldn’t raise their prices sky-high? Do you think people are stupid?

Seeing Gu Changsheng striding back with a look of seeking justice, the peddler at the stall paused, quickly preemptively saying, “I’ve already stated upfront! Once purchased, no returns! Coming back to find me is useless! Blame only yourselves for your poor eyesight!”

“I’m not here to talk about you scamming me out of silver! I’m simply here to discuss the matter of who exactly is the wooden club!” Gu Changsheng glared with Phoenix Eyes and grabbed the peddler by the front of his shirt.

“What do you intend to do? Is there no law? Let me tell you, the Dark Market is a place governed by the law. The deal is done; if you make a scene here, aren’t you afraid of being thrown into Licheng City’s jail to eat prison meals?” As his feet left the ground, many of the peddler’s items got kicked into disarray, prompting him to shout in panic, looking around nervously.

Per usual, in the Dark Market, if even a tiny hint of trouble emerges, the patrolling Persons in Black would appear like ghosts, rapidly.

Why hadn’t the patrol come to rescue him from this predicament?

Could it be they were delayed by something?

The peddler guessed correctly; the patrolling Persons in Black indeed were delayed!

They were initially spread out in various paths of the Dark Market, invisibly patrolling, preparing to respond as soon as they saw Gu Changsheng causing a commotion!

But just as they were about to move, someone stopped them!

It was their own chief who stopped them!

Wang Buer looked down at his mistress who was asserting dominance over a small peddler, feeling like crying.

He had only come down out of caution, intending to take a glance, and unexpectedly ended up witnessing such a scene!

Had their mistress just entered the Dark Market for less than the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, and already butted heads with a petty dealer?

“Wang Buer, why are you stopping me? I’m on duty here! Let me go handle that troublemaker causing a ruckus in the Dark Market who has no eyes!”

“On duty my foot! Handle it my foot! My Licheng jail can’t contain such a big Buddha, don’t drag me into this!” Wang Buer retorted, immediately smacking the forehead of his subordinate.

Ridiculous!

Throwing their mistress into Licheng City’s jail?

It seems that Gu Changsheng and Yan Qingcheng should wash their necks and wait. There’s no doubt they will die!

If these two really get thrown into jail, not even Dowager Empress Xiao herself could get them out!

“Uh… boss, what about that woman who is obviously looking for trouble? Are we just going to let her go?” The patrolling Person in Black, slapped across the face, looked at his superior in utter confusion.

“Handle it? Can you handle it? They’re wrecking their own place, making a fuss at home, and we’re just hired hands guarding this place. We might as well wash up and go to sleep early!” Wang Buer grimaced as he spoke, waving his hand with an expression of pained reluctance, “Pass the word down: as long as those two with half masks aren’t causing trouble, you secretly protect them. If they are causing trouble, just pretend you don’t see them. Overall, make sure they’re alright. Even if they intend to turn the Dark Market upside down, just hand them the tools to do so!”

“Boss?” The patrolling Person in Black was stunned by the words.

“Enough! Let’s leave it at that! This heart of mine, it’s feeling really cold! I have a bad feeling that my biggest Dark Market here at the Border Pass is in for a disaster today!” Wang Buer said, waving his hand as he walked towards a secluded spot, “You all help me watch those two masters. My heart hurts a bit, I need to find a place to calm myself…”

“Master? Boss! At least explain yourself before you leave!” The patrolling Person in Black, watching his boss with unsteady steps departing, had question marks swirling over his head.

Then, before the patrolling Person in Black could think much more about it, he was stunned by the commotion nearby!

“Godfather! The Basan Night Rain Painting of Master Mo! It’s truly the Basan Night Rain Painting of Master Mo!”

“This is the genuine work! It’s a genuine work! The Southern Dynasty’s Master Mo, who stayed in Basan for ten thousand years, was inspired during a night rain, and sketched this Basan Night Rain on a brocade handkerchief. He was so satisfied with this painting, claiming that his life of countless paintings began with the pen and ended with Basan!”

“Yes! This is the final masterpiece by the Southern Dynasty’s Master Mo. It’s the Basan Night Rain Painting on a brocade handkerchief!”

“From afar, mountains are layered; up close, rain pummels the banana leaves; listen closely, banana leaves in the night rain, the tale of life under the eaves of the wine house, it’s this painting! The genuine work! It’s this painting! Oh heavens! In this lifetime, I have actually seen the final genuine work of Master Mo! Heaven! Heaven!”

“Who would have thought, who would have thought, Master Mo was so ashamed by this painting that he never dared pick up a brush again, knowing he could never surpass it. This was his most favored work in his lifetime; only this piece exists! His earlier paintings that were preserved have been sold at exorbitant prices. Wouldn’t this final Basan Night Rain Painting be priceless?”

“Who wouldn’t think so? It was unexpected that such a family heirloom was sealed within a counterfeit, which is why it never appeared in the public’s eyes…”

“…”

Gu Changsheng leisurely shook the brocade handkerchief in her hand. As she moved, the ink wash landscape on the handkerchief seemed to come alive, shimmering and revealing a scenic view, incredibly realistic…

A multitude of people gathered around, their eyes following the motion of Gu Changsheng’s wrist, swaying with the handkerchief, faces filled with anxious concern. They were truly afraid that if this woman let it slip, this priceless piece of artwork would touch the dust!

Standing in front of Gu Changsheng, the Waiter who sold the scroll to Zhou Mu was now stunned as if struck by lightning!

His eyes filled with disbelief and a sense of defeat!

The counterfeit he sold for just two hundred taels of silver had turned into a treasure of inestimable value overnight?

The discrepancy was too great for him to accept!

“Fellow Daoist, would you consider selling this masterpiece? Although I’m not highly talented, I do enjoy collecting and would like to offer one hundred thousand taels for this final work of Master Mo, the Basan Night Rain Painting!”

“How stingy you are! I’ll offer one hundred and twenty thousand taels!”

“One hundred and thirty thousand taels!”

“One hundred and thirty-five…”

Gu Changsheng was startled by the clamoring bids around her, her mouth forming an “O” shape that she couldn’t quite close!

In just a blink of an eye, the ragged piece of cloth in her hand had risen from one hundred thousand taels to two hundred thousand taels!

Ahxi! Could it be she doesn’t know enough wealthy people to realize money could be spent like this?

This… although it’s a painting, it can’t be eaten like a meal or drunk like soup!

“Evildoer, are these people idiots?” Gu Changsheng looked at the crowd of old and young, each with eyes like they were on fire, fixed on the piece of cloth in her hand.

Their intense stares made her want to throw this painting on the ground and run away if she were not brave enough!

Fortunately, she had the courage; otherwise, this situation would be hard to handle!