Chapter 9: Back To The Antique Market

Words : 1808 Updated : Oct 23rd, 2025

"I'm going downstairs." With that, Gabriel placed the noodle on the floor and headed downstairs. "Afraid you'll be too conspicuous?" Madison murmured. Watching him go, her gaze held something she couldn't quite name. In that moment, Gabriel had changed. He was no longer the cringing pushover from before. Beneath his calm now lay a quiet, unmistakable pride. After tidying up, Gabriel went back to his room, the cramped storage space in the corner. It didn't bother him. He might have come from a powerful family, but he was never as pampered as the usual trust-fund kids. As a Jauncy, he'd trained in martial arts since he was a kid. To become a true warrior meant shouldering pain most people could not begin to imagine. He sat on the bed and swallowed a Bone Cleansing Pill. The man barely slept that night. As the pill took effect, he guided his inner energy through his body again and again. He opened one acupuncture point after another, power surged through him, quick as rain swelling a river. At dawn, he checked his progress and nodded, satisfied. "This martial technique is truly exquisite. It won't be long before I regain my former level, maybe even surpass it." He had once been a Martial Grandmaster. If someone had not crippled his Martial Foundation, he would likely have reached the Martial Peak in these three years. When Madison woke and saw him, she blinked, taken off guard. If last night had hinted at a change, then this morning he looked reborn. At breakfast, seeing Lauryn's stony face, Gabriel quietly carried his bowl and cutlery to his usual spot in the kitchen. He had no desire to endure Lauryn's never-ending nagging. A twinge of regret pricked Madison. If she had not laid out the truth last night that Gabriel's rescue of Pedro had been a coincidence, Lauryn would not have turned even colder than before. "Gabriel, come eat at the table," Madison called toward the kitchen. Lauryn glanced up, ready to snap back, but Madison's look stopped her. "We're family," Madison said softly. "If anyone sees this, they'll laugh at us." "Hmph. I've never treated him as family," Lauryn muttered. "Gabriel, come eat at the table," Madison said again. He had no choice. He carried his bowl to the dining table. What could he do? He loved Madison. At least her attitude had softened. "This morning, go to the bookstore and pick up some books on skincare and beauty," Madison said evenly, "Study a bit more. You could find a job at Ades Corp. Stop chasing pie in the sky. In traditional medicine, who makes a name for themselves before they go gray? You've only read a few books. How could you possibly master it overnight?" Though her words sounded flat and dismissive, Gabriel still heard concern under the surface. "Alright," he said with a nod. "What's the point of him reading?" Lauryn cut in., "Your standing at Ades Corp is already slipping. What could he possibly do there?" Madison knew her own situation perfectly well, yet she said, "Even if I'm not high up, if Gabriel works hard, he could start as a sales rep. It's a job." "Sales rep?" Gabriel murmured to himself. "She still doesn't believe in me." He smiled. After three years as a failure, what hope could he expect her to hold? "You still have the nerve to smile? Were you raised on crap?" Lauryn snapped. She had not calmed down since last night. She'd dreamed of hitching their wagon to the Warth family and making it big overnight, only to learn Gabriel had merely crossed paths with Pedro by chance. It was a blessing that the Warth family did not return to cause trouble; as for instant glory, forget it. Worse, she had bragged to her card-playing friends while shopping yesterday that her son-in-law was about to rocket to the top-and in no time it went from sky‑high to rock bottom. How could she not be furious? Seeing Gabriel smile shamelessly only stoked her temper, so out came the scolding. Gabriel said nothing. He simply lifted his gaze. The iciness in his eyes sent a chill through Lauryn's bones, and she fell silent. Madison stared, puzzled. Her mother, cowed by a single look from Gabriel? Before, if he had dared meet Lauryn's eyes like that, he would have been cursed six ways to Sunday. He had been acting strangely these past two days. After breakfast, Madison went to work, and Lauryn headed out, as usual, to play cards. Gabriel left the house as well and went to the bookstore. He did not buy any beauty manuals; instead, he chose two translated classics on traditional medicine. Then he headed back to the antique market, hoping to try his luck and find a set of silver needles. As for golden needles, that was the kind of treasure one stumbled on once in a blue moon. These days, most practitioners of traditional medicine use steel needles, which require no special technique. As a result, even acupuncturists with over a decade of experience often did not dare use silver needles. Steel needles were easy to master but more painful for patients. Silver needles only sting for a moment going in, and work better; golden needles are better still. Many traditional needling methods had been lost, in large part because steel needles became the norm. When Gabriel reached the market, something surprised him. Unlike his last visit, he now saw a faint energy around each piece. He picked up a piece with a relatively light glow and examined it closely. It turned out to be the work of a well-known contemporary craftsman, not an antique. After several comparisons, he worked out a pattern. The stronger the aura, the older the piece, and the more valuable. But in a market like this, most items were replicas. The best were the works of the modern masters. Finding a genuine antique was no easy feat. He covered nearly half the market without finding anything he liked. He was about to turn away when a small stall in a corner caught his eye. On it sat an object. A dense surge of energy shot straight up, as striking as lightning in the night. In the entire market, it shone the brightest.

Chapter 9: Back To The Antique Market

Comments (0)