Chapter 133: Too Thrilling

The old man squinted, glanced at the green-skinned jar, and chuckled. "Ziyu melon-skin green; judging by the patina, it’s a decent piece. A hundred thousand or so—good enough to play with."

He then took the jar, held it near his nose, and sniffed. "The jar has been conditioned quite well. Insect tea, bait tea, pomegranate peel, silkworm excrement. The last three are easy to find, but real insect tea is hard to come by. Serious collectors fight over it; demand far outstrips supply. It’s the top choice for treating these jars."

Yu Qian hurried to sit down, fawning, "Would you mind enlightening us, sir?"

"Well, since you're sincere, I don't mind chatting." Old Master Liu slowly straightened up, turning the green-skinned jar in his hands. "You boil the raw materials in a large pot, then strain the broth through gauze. Put the pure liquid back into the pot with the right amount of water and bring it to a boil. That’s when you add the dried-out jars. Boil them for two hours, take the pot off the heat, and let it steep for a day. Remove the jars and let them air dry. The goal is a finish that is black and glossy."

"If one round isn't enough, repeat it. The result is absolutely superb. Jars treated with this ancient method are not only beautiful but also perfect for the crickets. If you put the work in, the cricket will look vibrant until the day it dies, with no hint of greasiness."

He stood up, picked up a few more jars from the corner of the courtyard, and displayed them. "I have seven or eight Ziyu jars myself. They aren't the absolute best, though. The Ming dynasty people were the real connoisseurs, especially when it came to Xuande cricket jars—those are treasures of the world!"

Zhuang Chen had read about this. Among all the cricket jars throughout history, those fired at the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln during the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty were the most renowned. The Xuande Emperor was obsessed with cricket fighting. When those above have a passion, those below pursue it with even greater zeal, leading to a flourishing culture of cricket fighting across the empire.

To satisfy the court's need for fighting crickets, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Kiln to produce a massive number of jars. With the unprecedented development of porcelain manufacturing in Jingdezhen during the Xuande period, combined with exquisite craftsmanship and novel, diverse patterns, these jars became legendary.

Of the 1,174 pieces of old Xuande imperial porcelain preserved worldwide, cricket jars are incredibly rare. The Palace Museum in Taiwan doesn't have a single one. The Palace Museum in Beijing possesses only one Ru-glaze style cricket jar from the Xuande period of the Great Ming, a true rarity.

According to scholars, there are only three authentic Xuande cricket jars in existence: the yellow-ground blue-and-white melon-leaf pattern jar with a seated lid auctioned at Sotheby's in 1989; the flat-lid jar with scrolling peony patterns at the Jiangnan Museum, which is missing its lid; and the flat-lid jar with a Pegasus pattern held by the Toguri Museum of Art in Japan, which has a replacement lid.

Seeing Old Master Liu in a good mood, Yu Qian seized the chance to flatter him. "Old Master Liu, you are the real legend. You sold an entire siheyuan just to bid on that Xuande jar at Sotheby's!"

Zhuang Chen gave a thumbs-up—impressive!

Old Master Liu laughed heartily, brimming with pride. "I won't claim much else, but when it comes to crickets, if I’m number two in Beijing, no one dares call themselves number one!"

"Cricket fighting began in the Tianbao era and remained popular until the Republic of China. Ancient classifications divided them into five major colors: green, yellow, purple, red, and black, though the primary ones are green, yellow, and purple."

He pointed a finger at a massive black cricket. "The 'Cricket King' grade colors are: true green, true yellow, true purple, true red, true white, and true black—representing the purest shades of each."

"Once you get into mixed colors, like heavy green, black-yellow, grassy purple-yellow, black-green, green-hemp head, red-hemp head, or red-sand purple, the quality varies. Generally, the purer the color, the healthier the cricket and the stronger its fighting spirit."

Zhuang Chen mused to himself that every trade has its own mysteries. He had only ever heard of checking the pedigree of a dog; he never imagined crickets were the same.

Old Master Liu picked up another jar containing a smaller insect. Crickets are nocturnal, and this one was lively in the night air. Upon seeing people, it raised its antennae, bared its large mandibles in a threat display, and rubbed its wings together, chirping to claim its territory.

"This one is from Ningcheng. Northern Lu has always produced fine insects. The land is rich, and the crickets are fierce. Don't let its size fool you; it's agile and loves to fight. In the jargon, we call it 'spirited'."

"Look at the head shape. According to the cricket manuals, it’s 'large, high, and round,' with 'tight joints,' 'heroic ferocity,' and 'heavenly length.' It has rare fighting instinct. If trained well, it has the potential to become a General!"

Zhuang Chen couldn't help but ask, "Old Master Liu, do all you enthusiasts recognize these standards?"

The old man rolled his eyes and snorted. "We don't have an official organization, but the circle is very tight-knit. Whoever has a good insect and wins a match, the whole city knows within days."

"No one dares to bluff about this. If you brag that yours is a General and it gets crushed by a common soldier, it's not just humiliating—you won't even have the face to step out of your house."

"Besides, the true 'Cricket Kings' are in the hands of a few people. They rarely fight. Everyone knows the strength of the others at that level, so they don't waste them on fights. It’s not worth the risk of losing. Nowadays, you can't even dream of getting a perfect specimen for less than several hundred thousand."

Zhuang Chen was speechless. A bug that only lives for a hundred days can sell for hundreds of thousands?

Money makes people reckless!

"Good insects are becoming scarcer. You might not see one in months. I found this one by chance last month." He held up the jar. "My criteria for judging are clear: first, a large head and mandibles, then the right measurements, and a well-proportioned body. Six sturdy legs, a good stance, pure color, and finally, it must have high-level fighting filaments."

He suddenly sighed with regret. "Actually, even if a cricket had all these traits, it could only reach the rank of General. It could never reach the level of a King."

"In the kingdom of crickets, the hierarchy of the males is strictly enforced, just like the social classes in feudal society. There is only one Emperor, just as there is only one King."

"The traits I mentioned guarantee strength and ferocity, but they lack the most important element for a King: Aura!"

"Have you ever seen a cricket in a fight that bares its teeth and flutters its wings but never dares to engage? Or worse, one that drops its antennae in fear the moment it hears the opponent’s call, or jumps frantically to escape the basin, refusing to fight again?"

"It’s like commoners in ancient times who wouldn't dare look up when meeting the Emperor. Those who can't stand the sound of another cricket’s call are always just Generals. The true King is the one whose call makes all others tremble."

He picked up the final jar and said confidently, "This top-tier General has a bit of that aura. Look, its antennae aren't stiff, its mandibles aren't the largest, and it rarely chirps. But many times, the moment its antennae touch another insect, the opponent gets scared and retreats. It often wins without a fight."

He couldn't help but sigh, "Thousands of Generals can be found, but the King is unrecognized. When will I ever find a true King?"

Words weren't enough, so he brought out several jars to demonstrate on the spot. "Don't let the variety of this 'Hemp-Head Green' fool you. Its bite is lethal—standard large plate-mandibles. One bite can snap a leg. It’s fierce."

"And this 'Jujube-Kernel White-Green'—the fighting filaments are thick, white with a faint green tint. It’s a mutation, very powerful. A rare find."

He produced a professional fighting box, figure-eight shaped with a partition in the middle. He placed the crickets in their respective sides and used a blade of grass to provoke them. When the partition was lifted, they saw their enemy and charged immediately, mandibles locked.

The two insects collided, biting and rolling across the floor. Everyone held their breath, watching with intense focus.

"Hemp-Head Green, get up! Bite! Bite its antennae..."

"Don't back down... bite... bite it to death..."

Yu Qian’s roars echoed in his ears, and Zhuang Chen felt his own blood heating up. Cricket fighting had lasted for thousands of years for a reason. From royals to commoners, once on the battlefield, social status vanished. It was all about the strength of the insect.

Only when you are there in person can you feel that intense thrill and tension!

"Hemp-Head Green, don't run! Oh, no..."