The auction hall smelled of polished wood and incense. Lacquered screens divided the rows, and quiet runners carried slips between bidders and the auction table. Yan sat near the side aisle while Bai checked the lot number against the catalog. Gu studied the small drawing of the Thousand Fractures Core cover.
“There,” Gu said, pointing to the broken corner. “A seal might have been attached here.”
The seller’s clerk stood beside the display case, holding a waxed inventory sheet. “The mark was already missing when the lot arrived.”
“Was the cover damaged in transit?” Bai asked.
“The intake note says no. It came to us like this.”
“Is the intake note available to bidders?”
“Not today.”
Bai thanked him and wrote the answer beside the freight tag number. He did not accuse the seller of hiding anything. The catalog was clear that the provenance was uncertain.
