The Almighty Mystic Just Wants A Quiet Life - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

This punch came out of nowhere. Bo Nan’s first reaction was to wrap himself in his Qi field, just in case a knife followed the fist.

The neighboring vendor had been grinning, enjoying the sight of two wealthy young masters clashing. He never expected a fist to fly straight into his face.

“Old Chen!” The vendor flipped backward, falling hard. The vendor who had just closed the deal with Bo Nan cried out in shock and rushed over to help him up.

Young Master Qian’s smile carried a nauseating, high-handed mockery. He rolled his wrist and stepped forward, kicking the vendor’s stall over. Trinkets, curios, and stationery flew everywhere. Almost all the onlookers instinctively backed away—getting hit by those flying metal bits and stones was no joke.

“Old Chen, I, Qian Cheng, actually trusted you,” Qian Cheng sneered. “You said that Ming Dynasty small celadon flower-waterer was worth two million. I didn’t ask you to drop the price by a single cent; I paid cash on the spot. And what did you give me? If you think this account is settled just like that, think again!”

Old Chen was helped up, clutching his right eye. His other eye gleamed with a cold light. “Young Master Qian, what is the meaning of this! You said you wanted a Ming celadon piece, and I found it for you. It’s authentic! What are you playing at today!”

“What am I playing at? What are you playing at!” Qian Cheng flicked his finger. A bodyguard nearby opened a gift box, and Qian Cheng pulled out a celadon vase barely the size of two palms. He grabbed it by the neck and swung it at the man’s head without a word. With a crisp crack, the vase shattered against Old Chen’s shoulder. “I bought this for the Old Man’s birthday, and you gave me a damn chamber pot!”

It wasn’t that Qian Cheng had missed the head; Old Chen had dodged just in time, so it only hit his shoulder. Old Chen hissed in pain but didn’t make a sound. Instead, he stood tall. “Young Master Qian, I respect your Old Man as a prominent figure. Business is a mutual agreement. I told you—it’s a flower-waterer! You said it didn’t matter, so I let you take it! What are you doing making a scene now?”

“A flower-waterer that’s actually a urinal! Is that my fault?!” Qian Cheng retorted.

He had specifically chosen to come this morning to ruin this man’s reputation in broad daylight, ensuring he would never dare do business in S-City again.

Cruel as the scene was, Bo Nan couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Flower-waterer” hua jiao was simply an elegant euphemism for a portable urinal used by the nobility of old. Disdaining gold and silver as too vulgar, they commissioned them in fine celadon. High-quality celadon was as white as jade, and the sound of liquid entering it was clear and pleasant—fitting for high-ranking officials.

Because the name “chamber pot” was unrefined and the spout of the vessel was shaped like a water drop, resembling a gardening tool, it was renamed a “flower-waterer.”

The term was obscure and hadn’t been widely used for long, so few people knew the truth.

When the celadon piece was brought out earlier, Bo Nan had found it odd; hearing the name “flower-waterer” made everything click.

Where were they? An antique market!

The surrounding experts weren’t few. Hearing those words, they began to snicker like Bo Nan. Even the laypeople, after being enlightened by those nearby, couldn’t stop themselves from bursting into laughter.

Laughter is contagious. Once one person starts, it’s hard to stop. The waves of chuckles filling the air caused a flash of humiliated rage to wash over Qian Cheng’s face. “You—!”

The bodyguards rolled up their sleeves in unison. Most people stopped laughing immediately. Not only was the vendor, Old Chen, unable to fight back despite having his stall trashed, but those bodyguards were clearly not people ordinary citizens could afford to offend.

Bo Nan’s eyes flickered. Others didn’t dare laugh, but he did. “Young Master Qian, isn’t it a bit much to blame others for your own lack of culture? If you didn’t like the item, you could have just returned it. Now that you’ve smashed it, you have to pay medical bills, lost wages, and stall damages. Isn’t that a bit counterproductive?”

Moreover, by the rules of the antique world, once the money and goods have changed hands, the deal is final. Even if Qian Cheng had bought a genuine flower-urinal—or even a modern fake—he had to own it. Coming here to assault the seller only proved he had left his brain at home.

Besides, if a vendor like Old Chen could produce a genuine two-million-yuan item, he likely had backing. The elite circles of any profession are narrow; what Qian Cheng did today would likely be known by his entire social circle by tomorrow.

“Bo Nan, if you don’t speak, no one will think you’re a mute!” Qian Cheng whirled around to glare at him. Bo Nan simply gestured with his phone. “I recorded a video. Or would you prefer to see your face on the local news tonight?”

Qian Cheng instinctively looked left and right, realizing most people were indeed filming him. The veins on his forehead pulsed. Fighting wasn’t a big deal as long as no one died or ended up crippled, but his cousin was currently in politics and at a critical juncture. If this blew up, it would provide leverage for his rivals. He glared at Bo Nan; if Bo Nan hadn’t taken the lead, the others wouldn’t have dared meddle.

As for hitting Bo Nan—that was out of the question.

If it were just the two of them, it might be fine, but Qian Cheng knew he couldn’t beat Bo Nan in a fight. If he let his bodyguards do it, it would no longer be a simple case of two young men clashing.

“Bo Nan, you’re good… just you wait. I’ll see how long you can stay arrogant. Don’t come kneeling and begging me later!” Qian Cheng spat through gritted teeth. “Old Li, pay him!”

The bodyguard behind him grunted, pulled a stack of cash from his pocket, and threw it at Old Chen’s feet. It looked to be about fifty thousand yuan.

Bo Nan replied leisurely, “Sure. Shall we do tea or golf next time? As long as Young Master Qian is paying, I’ll surely give you face.”

Qian Cheng turned and left, not bothering to acknowledge him further.

Bo Nan watched his departure with a deep gaze. The malice in Qian Cheng’s final look wasn’t just the annoyance one feels toward a rival. Normal people might wish for a rival to get into a fight or experience some bad luck… but Qian Cheng’s look was different.

He had seen that look too many times. Those who looked at him like that wanted him dead. No exceptions.

And Qian Cheng was no exception.

He retracted his gaze and looked at Old Chen. There was a touch of ferocity in Old Chen’s eyes, though it was well-suppressed. Bo Nan noted that the man had spirit and offered a warning: “Find a place to lay low for a few days. Qian Cheng isn’t a magnanimous man.”

“Many thanks, Young Master Bo.” Old Chen nodded without saying more, leaning down to pick up his scattered things.

The onlookers finally started gossiping—some cursing Qian Cheng’s lack of etiquette, others his bullying. Some helped Old Chen gather his items. Bo Nan also leaned down to pick up a bronze piece near his feet. He subtly slipped a business card infused with his Qi field back to Old Chen along with the bronze and departed.

The day’s goal was achieved. He could go home.

That night.

Old Chen was packing while on the phone. “Yes, Master Yu, that’s what Young Master Qian said… Yes, a young man named ‘Bo Nan’ stepped in to help. Qian Cheng called him ‘Young Master Bo,’ they clearly know each other.”

“I know about the Qian family’s situation; they’ve made quite a fool of themselves.”

An aged voice came from the other end. “Bo? Likely one of the Bo family kids. I know his father. I didn’t expect a ‘bad bamboo’ to produce such a ‘good shoot’… You’ve suffered. Go to Jinling; Liu-zi will pick you up.”

“Thank you, Master Yu.” Old Chen thanked him sincerely.

He just had to swallow this grievance and blame his bad luck. Heaven be his witness, Qian Cheng hadn’t said what he wanted the item for, and Old Chen had repeatedly stated it was a “flower-waterer.” He assumed someone coming to him would know the jargon.

Now, taking the compensation and leaving town to lay low was the best outcome. If Bo Nan hadn’t been there, he might have been crippled today with no way to seek justice.

Even if bystanders had video, it mattered whose hands those videos ended up in.

He finished packing, and a car was already waiting outside.

“Old Chen, let’s go!” The one picking him up was the vendor who had sold Bo Nan the “junk” earlier. As he helped with the luggage, he grumbled, “What a mess this is…”

“Bad luck.” Old Chen was efficient. “Old Liu, why are you the one picking me up? Aren’t you afraid of trouble?”

“Pah, we’ve been neighbors for seven or eight years. If I chickened out over this, I wouldn’t be a man!” Liu moved the last piece of luggage into the car and started the engine. They planned to hit the highway overnight, drop Old Chen in the neighboring city, and have him take the first high-speed train to Jinling at dawn.

Old Chen looked at the passing streetlights and sighed. Fortunately, he had no wife or children, or he wouldn’t know how to run.

“Alright, stop sighing. I have an empty apartment in Jinling. I was worried the things inside would get moldy anyway. You can look after it for me…” Liu said, flicking the turn signal to enter the highway toll station.

Just then, a deafening horn blared in their ears. Both instinctively looked to the right. A royal blue truck had already occupied their entire field of vision. Its high beams were like the eyes of an evil dragon, blinding them instantly.

BOOM—!

The small van was crushed under the truck’s wheels and dragged for over ten meters. Sparks flew everywhere. In the moment of impact, two figures were thrown through the shattered windows, flying in an arc before hitting the ground hard. Their fate was unknown.Bo Nan let out a soft breath and put down his carving knife.

The fish has taken the bait.