Truth be told, Xu Anqiao considered himself knowledgeable but he had never heard of a Yin River big carp before.
This was also the disadvantage of most beast appraisers.
Many beast appraisers relied on books or compiled encyclopedias to obtain information on various beasts.
However, encyclopedias weren't all-encompassing. They weren't omniscient and only contained a small portion of the beasts.
Xu Anqiao understood this principle.
That was why he had a bad premonition. Today's incident was going to be disastrous.
Maple City's association had used their connections to apply for an increase in the number of official beast appraisers, harming their interests. That was why they brought their men to oppress Maple City's association. Who would've expected the situation to develop in a disadvantageous direction?
Xu Anqiao had also appraised Ding Hong's scale and his conclusion was similar to Ding Hong's. It was most likely the scale of some aquatic flood dragon.
If it wasn't, did that mean he was wrong as well?
At that moment, a few merchants from the north had already received the scale. One of them smiled and said, "That's right, this is the scale of the Yin River Big Carp. However, this is the solid scale of the carp. It's the hardest part of the carp's body."
Xu Anqiao's heart sank.
Ding Hong refused to believe it.
"How is that possible? How could a carp's scale be so tough? I don't believe it. "
Ding Hong shook his head. It was obvious that he was suspicious of the identities of these northern merchants. In fact, he even believed that these northern merchants were hired by Maple City's association to act as pawns.
The Northerners were tall and had a straightforward personality.
They were here to help but when they heard Ding Hong's doubtful gaze and denial, the northern merchants were immediately displeased.
"There's no need to lie to you. If it is, then it is. If it isn't, then it isn't. We're businessmen and we don't lie."
Ding Hong said sarcastically, "Who knows? The northern countries are thousands of miles away from here. Who can prove that what you're saying is true? What if you've been bribed to come here and spout nonsense? I even suspect that there's no such thing as a Yin River big carp. "
These words infuriated the northern merchants.
"How can you say that? Who are you saying is talking nonsense? "
It was obvious that the northerners were furious.
Ding Hong sneered.
He didn't believe it at all, or rather, even if it was true, he couldn't believe it.
If he believed it, wouldn't he lose?
This exchange of pointers was, in fact, a battle. What were the stakes in a battle between two associations? For the sake of their own reputation and reputation, they could only win and not lose.
As long as they insisted, the northerners wouldn't be able to prove that this was the Yin River Big Carp.
However, what the northern merchant said next left Ding Hong dumbfounded.
"Didn't we get two big carps this time? Go and pull him over. Let him see if we're talking nonsense. "
A few of the northern merchants were immediately enraged. Some of them immediately went out to fetch the fish, and no one could stop them.
Lin Jin didn't stop them. He didn't expect there to be merchants from the northern countries in Maple City, nor did he expect the Yin River big carp to be among the fish they were selling.
Tan Lin also heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at the current situation, it wasn't a big problem.
She stole a curious glance at Lin Jin.
After all, she had never heard of the Yin River big carp, a fish found in the rivers of the northern countries.
Soon, the sound of a wooden cart could be heard from outside. The northern merchants were yelling for them to go out and take a look.
The group exited the hall and saw a wooden cart outside. On top of it was a large carp that hadn't been completely dismembered.
This carp was huge, almost ten feet long. However, it must have been frozen in ice as the ice shards could still be seen.
At the sight of such a large carp, Xu Anqiao knew he was in trouble. Ding Hong, on the other hand, was dumbfounded, speechless.
He couldn't speak, but the enraged northern merchants had no intention of letting him go.
"Come, come, come over here. Compare the scales and see if they're the same. Are we talking nonsense? "the northern merchant said angrily, forcefully dragging Ding Hong over.
What was there to compare?
As long as one wasn't blind, they could tell that the scales Ding Hong brought over were identical to the carp's scales, be it the texture, size, or texture.
Now, everything was clear.
Even if Ding Hong wanted to deny it, he had no choice.
His mind was in a daze.
Was there really a Yin River big carp?
But these scales were really similar to a flood dragon's. How did Lin Jin tell?
Xu Anqiao was still the sly old fox. His eyes darted around before he said, "Appraiser Lin is truly knowledgeable. The northern lands are thousands of miles away from here but Appraiser Lin knows even the fishes there like the back of his hand. That's impressive. We've learned a lot from you this time."
In short, he turned a big problem into a small one.
As for their previous doubts and disbelief, it was as if nothing had happened.
Ding Hong came back to his senses, musing, 'Chief Xu is still the most experienced.' Now that Lin Jin's appraisal was fine, there was no point in dwelling on this matter.
After thanking the northern merchants, Lin Jin and the others returned to the beast appraisal hall.
Green River City's beast appraisers were no longer as haughty as before. On the other hand, Maple City's side felt much more exhilarated.
Tan Lin then invited the two newcomers they were competing for to enter.
What happened next was simple. Zhang Ze and Mo Huan were asked if they wanted to join Green River City's Beast Appraisal Association or stay in Maple City.
For a moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the two of them.
No matter what they chose, they would offend one of the parties. There was no doubt about that. But sometimes, this was how things worked in this world. When it was time to pick a side, one had to pick a side. There was no room for ambiguity. If one tried to please both sides, they would only end up suffering the consequences.
These two weren't idiots. They could tell how dangerous this was so their choice became even more important.
If they made the wrong choice, their future would be ruined.
A few minutes later, the beast appraisers from Green River City's association bade them farewell with grim expressions on their faces. Their plan to snatch these newcomers had clearly failed.
After some hesitation, Zhang Ze and Mo Huan chose to stay in Maple City's association.
There could be many reasons, but one of them was definitely related to Lin Jin. If Lin Jin hadn't suppressed Ding Hong in front of everyone and was more skilled, these two might have made a different choice.
After Gao Jiang left in a hurry, Tan Lin called out to Lin Jin.
She was curious as to how Lin Jin was able to determine that it was a 'Yin River large carp' from a single scale.
Although the evaluation report was interesting, she didn't believe it could be that accurate. After all, forget her, even her father, a Rank 3 beast appraiser, Tan Xun, might not be able to do such a thing.
After some thought, he said, "Actually, I saw those northern merchants unloading their goods on my way here this morning. Out of curiosity, I took a look at the Yin River big carp they were hauling in. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to tell just from a single scale alone."
Having said that, while Tan Lin was still in a daze, Lin Jin took the opportunity to escape.
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