Hearing these words, Min Ziqiong's mother shivered instantly.
She seemed to see again the scene of Ying Chen pinching her mouth and feeding her spoonfuls of bronze powder.
That feeling, she would never forget in her life!
Moreover, the secondary damage caused by going to the hospital for a gastric lavage afterward was even more unforgettable for her throughout her life than the initial injury!
She never wanted to experience it a second time!
"No, I won't eat it... Don't come any closer!"
Min Ziqiong's mother retreated step by step, her face ashen.
However, Ying Chen did not seem to intend to let Min Ziqiong's mother go and slowly approached.
He beckoned.
A surge of energy was generated, wrapping a large amount of powder from the ivory jade bottle and falling into Ying Chen's palm.
Looking at the large lump of powder in Ying Chen's hand, Min Ziqiong's mother's mental defenses completely collapsed.
She slumped to the ground with a thud, her face full of fear and unease, just shaking her head and saying, "No, no, I really don't want to eat it..."
"You made the meal yourself, you have to finish it even if you cry. If you don't eat it, do you expect me to eat it? Or your husband?"
Ying Chen came before Min Ziqiong's mother, looking down at her, and said leisurely.
At the same time, Min Ziqiong's father, hearing this, was instantly jolted.
"No, no, no, I don't want to eat it either."
"Ying Chen, let's talk nicely, don't resort to force right away! How about this? How much is this ivory jade bottle? We'll compensate you. Just don't force your aunt to eat those messy things, okay?"
Min Ziqiong's father, however, proposed a compromise.
But Ying Chen only responded with a cold laugh: "Aunt? Heh heh."
Let alone whether Min Ziqiong's mother was qualified to be called "Aunt" by Ying Chen, the age difference between them was already immense.
Ying Chen was over two thousand years old, and Min Ziqiong's mother was over fifty.
Even if Min Ziqiong's mother kowtowed to Ying Chen a few times and called him great-grandfather, Ying Chen might not have been willing to agree!
To want to be Ying Chen's aunt was like putting a halo on her own head?
"Yes, yes, compensation, compensation! We can compensate you at the original price! Whatever you say the price is, it's fine!" Min Ziqiong's mother, with her survival instinct fully activated, quickly said.
In her opinion, this ivory jade bottle would cost at most a few hundred thousand.
Although she was extremely unwilling, a few hundred thousand was not a large sum for the Min family.
She could afford to compensate!
But to their surprise, Ying Chen looked at the two with a sarcastic smile and said something that made their faces turn pale with shock.
"This bottle is a Dharma artifact. Are you sure you can afford to compensate?"
"..." Min Ziqiong's parents exchanged glances, their faces turning ashen.
A Dharma artifact?
As everyone knew, such items were priceless and rare, hard to come by even for the wealthy.
As soon as an ownerless Dharma artifact appeared on the market, a swarm of people would immediately rush forward and compete for it.
If it were a Dharma artifact of lower rank, the price would be somewhat acceptable;
But if it were a Dharma artifact of higher rank, the price would be astronomical!
Min Ziqiong's parents knew that a mid-to-low grade Dharma artifact had once been auctioned in Jianghai City for an astonishing one hundred million yuan!
At that time, they were both sighing and incredulous, thinking why such a small talisman could be auctioned for such a high price.
It was only later that they learned that the talisman not only could ward off evil spirits but also temper one's qi and blood and prolong one's life if kept for a long time.
One hundred million yuan suddenly seemed not so expensive.
"Excuse me... you said this ivory jade bottle is a Dharma artifact, so what is its grade?" Min Ziqiong's father asked cautiously.
"Not high," Ying Chen replied casually.
Min Ziqiong's father breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
But in the next second, he was struck by lightning and stood there dumbfounded.
"It's only mid-to-high grade."
The price of a mid-to-high grade Dharma artifact would likely approach ten billion, right?
After all, Dharma artifacts were rarer the higher their grade, and a mid-to-high grade could be considered a treasure of a sect in some smaller factions.
Ten billion might even underestimate its value!
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Who would leave a mid-to-high grade Dharma artifact at home without any care? If we hadn't come, it would have been stolen and you wouldn't even know!"
Min Ziqiong's mother shouted excitedly.
Ying Chen, however, looked at Min Ziqiong's mother with a half-smile: "If you hadn't come, it wouldn't have shattered."
"..." Min Ziqiong's mother instantly fell silent.
The scene suddenly became dead silent.
Min Ziqiong's mother had the look of a dead pig not afraid of boiling water, her expression clearly saying: Kill me! But asking me to compensate ten billion is impossible!
Min Ziqiong's father, on the other hand, scanned the powder of the ivory jade bottle back and forth, a hint of doubt flickering in his eyes.
He was clearly questioning the truthfulness of Ying Chen's words.
"Ying Chen, it's not that Uncle doesn't believe you... it's just that this matter is indeed hard to believe. Even if you call the police, they need evidence. How can you prove that this bottle is a Dharma artifact? And how can you prove that it is a mid-to-high grade Dharma artifact?"
Whoosh!
Min Ziqiong's mother's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
She immediately cast an appreciative glance at Min Ziqiong's father.
This old man is quite something today, he's actually wised up!
Right, the bottle is shattered into powder, how can it be proven to be a Dharma artifact?
It's clearly a case of no evidence, no proof!
Since there's no evidence, why should they compensate?
Not a single cent!
"Exactly! How do you prove this is a Dharma artifact? You need evidence when you speak! With this pile of powder, if you tell me it's a Dharma artifact, do you think I'll believe you?"
"I've heard that Dharma artifacts are sentient. If it really is a Dharma artifact, will they respond if you call them?"
"If they respond, I'll admit it's a Dharma artifact!"
Min Ziqiong's mother pointed at the powder on the ground, saying righteously.
There was a hint of smugness in her tone.
As if she had grasped Ying Chen's weakness.
Ying Chen, however, looked at the couple calmly. After a long pause, he suddenly chuckled.
"You're feeling guilty, aren't you? You can only use laughter to cover your embarrassment. Hmph, believe it or not, we'll call the police and accuse you of slander and extortion?"
Min Ziqiong's mother, however, threw all pretense of shame aside and directly attacked back.
Ying Chen, unhurriedly, said leisurely, "You said it yourself. If I can make this pile of powder respond, you'll admit it's a Dharma artifact."
"So, are you ready?"
Min Ziqiong's mother, who was originally triumphant, felt a pang of unease upon hearing Ying Chen's words for some reason.
However, she stubbornly insisted, "That's right, I said it! I don't believe this pile of powder can actually respond!"
Ying Chen didn't explain, but with a mocking expression, he shouted at the powder on the ground: "Ivory Ruyi White Pure Bottle, someone doesn't believe you are a Dharma artifact. Prove it to her."
As Ying Chen's voice fell, the atmosphere in the room instantly became tense and heavy.
Min Ziqiong's parents both stared nervously at the powder on the ground, afraid that it would really speak.
However, after a few seconds, the powder showed no reaction.
Min Ziqiong's parents both breathed a sigh of relief.
Min Ziqiong's mother was even more eager to mock: "See, you're just a big liar! You just want to frame and extort us! Maybe this bottle was broken long ago, and you deliberately placed it there waiting for us, and as soon as we touched it, it fell apart, and then you took the opportunity to blackmail us!"
"Old man, call the police! Call the police immediately and arrest him! We absolutely cannot let such a shameless person who corrupts social morals get away with it!"
In an instant, Min Ziqiong's mother became the embodiment of justice, standing on a moral high ground to accuse Ying Chen.
Ying Chen did not refute, but quietly stared at Min Ziqiong's mother.
When Min Ziqiong's mother finished speaking her last word and was about to close her mouth, Ying Chen suddenly said, "Now!"
In the next second, the powder from the broken bottle on the ground all flew up, like rain flowing upstream, surging towards Min Ziqiong's mother's mouth!