Imperial Treasure-Chapter 1101 - 652: Picking a Fight

Downstairs, Elder Gu had already left the store, looking at several strong men on horseback who had stopped at the gate.

First of all, inside Sui Tang Square, most of the people had little martial arts skills. The only ones with some degree of skill were agile, but lacked Inner Strength, thus their combat power was low. However, each of them had high morale and were now standing behind Elder Gu.

Facing such imposing momentum, they did not retreat.

"This gentleman accuses us of selling counterfeit goods at Sui Tang Square. I wonder which item it is? Everything we sell at Sui Tang Square is meticulously recorded. If it truly is identified as a fake, we will compensate tenfold. Sui Tang Square stands by its word."

Elder Gu’s firm words silenced the whispers of nearby shopkeepers and customers alike—is it really tenfold compensation?

This promise was not trivial.

The man was briefly speechless, then angrily retorted, "Of course, you say this now! But when you sold the fake, you took the money and called it a day."

"There’s no point in debating! Please produce the item in question, and we at Sui Tang Square will examine it. If necessary, we will invite several masters from Changan to appraise it and determine its authenticity."

If it is a fake, Sui Tang Square will honor its promise without a word. If not..."

Elder Gu slightly narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at the other party, and said coolly: "Although Sui Tang Square doesn’t have any Peerless Masters, we can still spend thousands of taels to summon a few first-rate masters for a counterattack."

Is this a threat? Certainly not.

Everyone knows that Sui Tang Square has a great reputation and wide connections. Many nobles and socialites of Changan City have good relations with it. Considering a few first-rate masters is courtesy, with just a rallying call, even several Minor Grandmasters could be summoned.

However, this speech from Elder Gu did not intimidate these individuals, whose martial arts skills were not particularly high, but instead made the man’s face turn grim as he shouted angrily: "This is indeed a case of a big shop bullying its customers. Now you’re threatening me? Brothers, come on! Smash this rotten shop!"

These people were exceedingly savage, shouting as they prepared to rush to the shop to smash it.

Elder Gu’s expression remained steady, while the dozen people behind him were angry yet restrained.

Suddenly.

"Where is the item?"

Many people heard the voice from the second-floor balcony and looked up in unison.

The second-floor balcony was made of redwood. A person wearing wooden clogs had appeared there silently, leaning against the railing, surveying the muscular men on horseback below with a calm expression and indifferent brows and eyes.

"Anyone accusing others of selling counterfeits should have the item in question present. Where is the porcelain?"

The voice was clear and crisp like pearls falling on a jade plate. Initially taken aback, people wondered who this person was.

But the man had already snapped back to his senses, gritting his teeth and sneering, "Of course I brought it!"

He untied a bundle from his back, opened it, and, behold, it was a Celadon Vase.

Elder Gu glanced at it, frowning. Indeed, there seemed to be such a vase, but the person who bought it was not this man. It seemed someone had set up a scheme in the middle.

Ha!

"Whether it’s fake or not, you can test it and find out."

The man appeared quite confident that the item was a fake.

Elder Gu pondered, certain it was genuine when sold. The opposing party’s confidence indicated the creator of this counterfeit was highly skilled. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

If that’s the case...

"I have no interest in whether it’s genuine or not,"

Sui Yi’s words caught everyone by surprise, "as long as it can be proven not to be from Sui Tang."

"Every item sold at Sui Tang Square bears a special badge of my making. It can be revealed through a Secret Technique, like so."

Sui Yi looked up at the strong men, pinched the teacup he had been holding. Its bottom changed color strangely, revealing a dark golden pattern. The onlookers were shocked—there it was!

The strong men were all astonished, their expressions shifting repeatedly. Sui Yi’s eyes were deep, and he casually said: "If this is not from Sui Tang, then your motives are clear. There are rules in this industry, and those who don’t abide by the rules face severe consequences."

What rules?

The antique trade in Changan is like its modern counterpart—encompassing both black and white dealings. For those who disregard the rules, being buried alive might be considered lenient.

Moreover, these people not only broke the rules but framed the shop—a suicidal act. Unless they have powerful backing, they won’t just fail to leave Changan Street today; they won’t even keep their bodies intact!

At that moment, swish, swish, swish!

Several silhouettes shot out from various corners of the street, including Blade Guests and Swordsmen, either leaping onto rooftops or standing at both ends of Changan Street, eyes set sternly, ready to move.