Chapter 643 - 643: Perfect in All Five Forms, Rare as a Phoenix Feather

Jin Wang's brow furrowed slightly.

He had been quite excited when he heard Zhao Yuan mention having some good medicinal herbs for auction. But after seeing the black plastic bag in the Bone Woman's hand, his interest instantly evaporated.

'Isn't that a trash bag? How good can any herbs packed in that be?'

In fact, he wasn't the only one thinking along those lines. Wen Hua, Song Ming, and the others all had similar thoughts.

'Never mind whether it's possible to cultivate good herbs in just over two months. Even if you could, you wouldn't just stuff them into a random black plastic bag, would you?'

'Forget an auction—even in a regular medicinal herb market, any high-priced herb comes packed in an exquisite, beautiful brocade box, right?'

The crowd's already low expectations plummeted even further.

Fang Yi, however, was unfazed. He had seen Zhao Yuan use a similar bag for Soul-Stabilizing Incense before. Instead of being disappointed, he was curious. 'What kind of herb has he cultivated that gives him so much confidence it could go to auction?'

So he asked, "Chairman Zhao, what kind of herbs do you have in that bag?"

Zhao Yuan answered, "Mainly Ginseng. Isn't that the most expensive stuff at auctions? Besides that, there's also some Polygonum multiflorum, Angelica sinensis, Sichuan Red Flower, and other herbs."

As they spoke, the Bone Woman walked up to Zhao Yuan and handed him the black plastic bag.

Zhao Yuan opened the black plastic bag, rummaged around inside for a moment, and then pulled out a stalk of Ginseng. He placed it on the coffee table and said with a smile, "Here, Brother Fang, have a look for me. See if this Ginseng is qualified to be sent to auction."

"This Ginseng..."

The moment he saw the Ginseng Zhao Yuan produced, Fang Yi's eyes went as wide as Copper Bells. He tried to compose himself, but his trembling hands and voice betrayed his utter shock.

Fang Yi wasn't the only one; Wen Hua had the exact same reaction.

Both he and Fang Yi had been in the medicinal herb business for decades. They knew herbs like the back of their hands. Now, with just a single glance, even without knowing the Ginseng's weight or age, they could tell from its shape and appearance alone that it was extraordinary.

The Ginseng was large and full-bodied, with its leaves and rootlets perfectly intact. At first glance, it looked like a brilliant, golden little person. It was stunningly beautiful.

To the laymen in the room, like Jin Wang and Song Ming, the Ginseng was merely impressive. Although they regularly consumed Ginseng, they didn't know how to properly appraise it. They could only tell that this stalk was very good-looking; its root, stem, leaves, and rootlets were all excellent, so it must be a pretty decent specimen.

But in the eyes of the two experts, Fang Yi and Wen Hua, the quality of this Ginseng was immeasurably better than they could have ever imagined.

After a brief moment of shock, Fang Yi shot to his feet and rushed toward his office.

Zhao Yuan was baffled by his behavior and asked in confusion, "Where are you going? I'm still waiting for you to appraise the Ginseng."

"I'm grabbing something. I'll be right back," Fang Yi answered.

A moment later, Fang Yi returned to the reception room, holding a silk mat and several pairs of white gloves.

After putting on a pair of gloves, he gingerly lifted the Ginseng from the coffee table and shot Zhao Yuan a reproachful glare. The look sent a shiver down Zhao Yuan's spine and gave him goosebumps.

Fang Yi said reproachfully, "How could you just toss such a fine Ginseng onto the coffee table like that? There's spilled tea and leaves on here! What if it got damaged?"

Zhao Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. 'That scared the hell out of me,' he thought. 'For a second, I thought Brother Fang's preferences had changed. Thank god that's not it.' Out loud, he said, "It's just a stalk of Ginseng, isn't it? Does it need to be treated so delicately?"

Fang Yi shot him another glare, huffed twice, and then ignored him, cradling the Ginseng to begin his careful observation and appraisal.

Seeing this, Zhao Yuan swallowed the shocking words he was about to say.

He had been about to say that at his medicinal herb cultivation base, Ginseng like this was everywhere. This particular one was just something he'd dug up casually; in terms of quality, it was far from the best and could only be considered average.

It was a good thing he didn't say it out loud, or Fang Yi would have definitely accused him of bullshitting.

Wen Hua couldn't sit still either. He took a pair of gloves, put them on, and joined Fang Yi in appraising the Ginseng.

Zhao Yuan wasn't in a rush, content to let them study it at their own pace.

Although Song Ming, Jin Wang, and the others were no experts, seeing the ever-increasing shock on Wen Hua and Fang Yi's faces and hearing their breathing grow heavy, they realized that the Ginseng Zhao Yuan had produced was no ordinary specimen.

They didn't think for a second that Wen Hua and Fang Yi were just putting on a show to flatter Zhao Yuan. 'Seriously, with acting skills like that, they could win a goddamn Oscar!'

"Director Jin, you're a man of the world. How old do you think this Ginseng is?" Song Ming nudged Jin Wang with his elbow and asked in a low voice.

He had no idea how to appraise a stalk of Ginseng, but he knew one thing: the older it was, the better it was, and the more expensive it would be!

"I have no idea," Jin Wang said, shaking his head. "But based on its appearance alone, even if it's not that old, its medicinal potency must be incredible. I've never seen a Ginseng of this quality before."

Overhearing their conversation, Yang Cai'Er, Li Xin, and the other members of the entourage also grew intensely curious about the Ginseng Zhao Yuan had presented. They all wanted to know just how good it really was.

At that moment, Wen Hua and Fang Yi were completely absorbed in their appraisal of the Ginseng.

The two of them were examining it with intense focus, drawing upon every bit of knowledge they had accumulated over their lifetimes.

After a long while, Wen Hua took off his glasses, rubbed his tired, dry eyes, and sighed in amazement. "The rhizome buds are dense and interlocking... the shoulders and neck are perfectly rounded, with date-pit nodules... the skin is taut, with fine wrinkles and a bumpy texture... the rootlets are long and distinct, like leather thongs, with 'pearl-like' dots beneath them... This... this is a Wild Ginseng of five-fold perfection!"

Wen Hua's voice trembled uncontrollably as he spoke.

"Most Wild Ginseng only exhibit one or two of these characteristics. A specimen with three is considered a premium grade. One with four is exceedingly rare on the market—an absolute treasure among treasures. But as for one with all five perfect forms..."

At this, Wen Hua swallowed hard, struggling to suppress the overwhelming shock in his heart.

Then, his voice hoarse with excitement, he declared, "A Wild Ginseng like this is beyond rare—it's practically a legend! I have spent my whole life dreaming of seeing a Wild Ginseng with all five perfect forms just once. I never imagined that today, right here, that lifelong dream would come true!"