Chapter 471: Sleight of Hand

Besides, everyone felt the price wasn’t really that high. If they missed this chance, they would regret it forever!

Immediately, the crowd began bidding frantically, afraid of being left behind.

The major families, in particular, pulled out all the stops, trying to intimidate others into backing down with their staggering bids.

But just then, the silent Master Ma suddenly stood up without warning, interrupting the bidding.

He pointed directly at Qin Tuo in front of everyone and said with a sneer:

"Listen, everyone. This kid just questioned whether this Compass is a Dharma Artifact, claiming it’s just a worthless piece of wood. What do you all think about that?"

Master Ma’s words instantly sent the entire room into an uproar.

No one had expected Qin Tuo to say such a thing.

In an instant, Qin Tuo became the public enemy of the entire auction hall.

Zhu Guirong, his face a mask of shock, quickly grabbed Master Ma’s hand, trying to get him to stop talking.

But Master Ma’s face was full of scorn. He wanted to see how Qin Tuo would explain himself this time.

Throughout the auction hall, many people looked at Qin Tuo with hostility in their eyes.

Liu Zhenghai, in particular, didn’t even bother to hide the killing intent radiating from him.

He knew Qin Tuo was finished this time. Everyone would be coming after him!

Sure enough, Wu Qihao, the host of this auction, looked slightly surprised at first, then asked with a cold smile:

"Kid, from the sound of it, are you saying my treasure is a fake?"

His tone was clearly brimming with displeasure.

Many others also began to jeer loudly, thinking Qin Tuo was just some country bumpkin who was blind to true quality and dared to spout such nonsense here!

Some even started shouting for Qin Tuo to get out of the auction hall so he wouldn’t ruin their mood for bidding on treasures.

Seeing this, Master Ma’s face filled with schadenfreude. He watched Qin Tuo, waiting to see how he would ultimately make a fool of himself.

He laughed inwardly, gloating, ’Kid, let’s see how you explain yourself now!’

Yet, facing the hostility of so many people, Qin Tuo remained perfectly calm, not looking the least bit anxious.

He smiled and said unhurriedly:

"That’s right, that is what I think. This so-called Dharma Artifact is, in fact, just an ordinary, worthless piece of wood!"

His words fell, once again sending a wave of shock through the entire audience.

They couldn’t believe that even in the face of so much ridicule, Qin Tuo was still so stubborn!

"Kid, what are you trying to pull? Watch your mouth! You can’t just say whatever you want!"

On the stage, Wu Qihao’s expression had turned quite ugly. His gaze was ice-cold as he stared intently at Qin Tuo.

He was sure Qin Tuo was here to cause trouble today. If he didn’t get this kid under control, it could have a negative impact on the event.

Qin Tuo, however, explained with perfect composure:

"It’s simple. I don’t feel any aura of the Laws of Heaven and Earth from this Compass!"

As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Qin Tuo with even greater disdain.

"Heh, kid, you think someone with your judgment can sense the aura of the Laws of Heaven and Earth? Get outta here!"

"Exactly! What kind of judgment do you have? What makes you think you can sense the aura of the Laws of Heaven and Earth? You dare say this isn’t a treasure based on that alone? What nerve!"

Clearly, not a single person in the entire venue believed a word Qin Tuo said.

The Liu Family, in particular, jeered at him relentlessly and without restraint, further stirring up the crowd’s emotions.

Liu Zhenghai even shouted loudly in front of everyone:

"You ignorant brat! If a Dharma Artifact could reveal the aura of the Laws of Heaven and Earth so easily, wouldn’t such precious items be a dime a dozen? Am I right, everyone?"

Immediately, many people in the hall began to shout in agreement.

The crowd was in an uproar. They all wanted Qin Tuo to shut up and get out so he wouldn’t spoil everyone’s enjoyment.

However, in the face of so many accusations, Qin Tuo remained perfectly calm and composed.

Beside him, however, Zhu Guirong, Zhu Zifeng, and the others couldn’t hide their embarrassment. They hung their heads in shame, unable to face the rest of the hall.

They silently prayed that Qin Tuo wouldn’t say anything more and cause an even bigger scene.

Seeing Qin Tuo remain as steady as a mountain, Liu Zhenghai was inwardly vexed.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he shouted:

"Boss Wu, since this kid refuses to accept it, why don’t you invite Master Qi Wuqi out to give a personal demonstration for everyone? That should make him give up for good, how about it?"

Wu Qihao didn’t even have to think about the suggestion before nodding in agreement.

"Fine. Since this young man doesn’t know what’s good for him, I’ll be the one to put him in his place!"

Wu Qihao sneered and immediately ordered someone to bring Master Qi Wuqi out from backstage.

After a short while, Qi Wuqi finally arrived at the auction hall, led by bodyguards.

The moment they saw him, everyone knew that Qin Tuo would be left speechless!

After all, this precious Dharma Artifact had been personally authenticated by Master Qi Wuqi. How could it possibly be fake?

Qi Wuqi came to the front of the stage, and after being briefed on the situation, he sneered inwardly.

Then, he sized Qin Tuo up carefully and asked in a cold voice:

"Young man, on what grounds do you question this Compass? Didn’t someone just test it and prove that it’s a genuine Dharma Artifact?"

As Qi Wuqi spoke, his eyes were incredibly cold, emitting a threatening aura.

However, Qin Tuo simply ignored his threatening gaze.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Qin Tuo said with great composure:

"That’s right, the Compass did react just now. But that’s all it was. It didn’t reveal any of the Laws of Heaven and Earth. I wonder, was it because Master Ma failed to activate it properly, or was it just a Blinding Technique that nobody noticed?"

After speaking, Qin Tuo shot a pointed, yet seemingly casual, glance at Master Ma.

His meaning was crystal clear: he was mocking Master Ma, implying he had only used a Blinding Technique instead of successfully activating the Dharma Artifact.

Targeted by Qin Tuo like this, Master Ma’s face turned incredibly ugly. He opened and closed his mouth but couldn’t get a word out.

In front of so many people, Master Ma’s confidence wavered, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to refute Qin Tuo’s words.

But after hearing Qin Tuo’s explanation, many of the more discerning people in the audience calmed down considerably, frowning as they began to think it over carefully.