"Working in the county seat?" Old Man Cao nodded, asking casually. "No, I'm in the Porcelain Capital," Wang Guan replied evasively, lowering his head as if admiring the inkstone, but in reality, he was subtly activating his special ability, focusing intently. For a moment, Wang Guan's eyes cleared, his gaze falling upon the contents of the box, and what he saw there startled him.

With his special ability engaged, the image Wang Guan perceived became three-dimensional. Each block of ink inside the box appeared incredibly distinct, as if viewed under a high-powered magnifying glass, every detail brought out in sharp relief.

However, what truly astonished Wang Guan was the treasure light emanating from the blocks of ink; each one differed from the others. Some radiated a faint white, others silvery-white, white tinged with yellow, or yellow mixed with pale gold…

All manner of radiance layered and intertwined, like the starlight in the heavens, intensely brilliant and dazzling.

Examining them closely, Wang Guan grasped the pattern in these lights: moving from pale white to bright yellow, eventually culminating in a brilliant golden luminescence—a clear progression, a connected advancement.

Vaguely, a realization dawned on Wang Guan: "Could the color of the treasure light indicate the age of the ink block?"

But Wang Guan knew this was not the time for verification. With a shift of thought, a slender, gossamer thread of golden light immediately shot out from between his brows, wrapping around those blocks of ink emitting the treasure light.

Simultaneously, streams of energy, varying in strength, poured upward. The aura was cool, like water, coiling and gathering at his brow, bringing Wang Guan a sudden clarity of mind, as if he had consumed the legendary Ginseng Fruit. Every pore in his body relaxed, leaving him feeling light and ethereal, like an immortal.

Yet, after absorbing sufficient energy, Wang Guan felt a sudden burning heat on his brow. The slender golden thread snapped back instantly, constricting and transforming rapidly within his forehead. The golden thread shifted unpredictably, weaving all manner of marvelous images, like wind, or like clouds, drifting without fixed form.

Finally, after a period of evolution, the gossamer threads piled together, forming a coin that was transparent in appearance, radiating a pure, reddish-yellow treasure light. This coin was not fully materialized, caught between the ethereal and the solid, yet its light was as intense as the sun.

"Buzz!"

Before Wang Guan could react, the coin suddenly moved, emitting a reverberation that sounded to him like the booming of a great bronze bell. In the silent void, it descended from the heavens and instantly stunned him into numbness. For an instant, Wang Guan felt nothing; his mind was a complete blank, his thoughts entirely halted.

After a moment, Wang Guan slowly regained his senses, only to be immediately engulfed by immense pain. Without any buffer time, his eyes felt like they were splitting, causing him to cry out involuntarily. In that moment, Wang Guan almost believed his eyeballs were shattering.

The entire process, from the mutation of the gossamer golden thread to Wang Guan feeling the searing pain in his eyes, occurred in a mere few dozen seconds.

Thus, Old Man Cao, standing nearby, found it extremely strange that Wang Guan was shouting for no apparent reason.

At that precise moment, Wang Guan experienced something else entirely. The intense pain in his eyes flickered and vanished swiftly. Afterward, streams of cool energy surged from his brow, completely enveloping his eyeballs. Wang Guan immediately felt the bitterness give way to sweetness; the cool current not only soothed his pain but also brought him profound comfort.

In a short while, the pain completely dissipated, and Wang Guan was amazed to discover that the energy flowing into his eyes was actually golden-yellow. Covering his pupils, it turned the color of his irises to pure gold.

"Surely, nothing is wrong..." Noticing the abnormal situation, Wang Guan felt a prickle of fear.

"Hey, hey, say something! Why are you closing your eyes, sleeping?" Just then, Old Man Cao sounded dissatisfied, reaching out to pat Wang Guan’s shoulder.

"Oh…" Wang Guan awoke as if from a dream. Fearing that Old Man Cao would notice the color of his eyes, he immediately focused his concentration. Fortunately, the golden-yellow flow covering his eyes had not escaped his control; it retreated instantly like a tide, returning to his brow.

Only then did Wang Guan feel some relief, understanding that this was not the time to investigate the cause. Feigning the action of rubbing his eyes, he complained, "There’s so much dust here, it’s irritated my eyes."

"It’s an old house, they’re all like this." Seeing Wang Guan’s eyes slightly red, as if tears were welling up, Old Man Cao suspected nothing and instead sighed sentimentally, "My father built this house; it’s been over sixty years…"

"Living in it a long time, you must have deep feelings for it," Wang Guan said casually, having often heard that some elders refuse to leave the homes they have lived in their entire lives.

"Feelings… If you moved into a house like this, let’s see how many days you’d last," Old Man Cao scoffed. It was clear from his tone that he felt no attachment to the structure; rather, there was a faint hint of distaste.

Wang Guan was momentarily speechless, taking in the ash-gray bricks and the roof beams that looked ready to collapse. He could barely endure one or two nights here; any longer, and he’d declare himself relieved of the duty.

"Young nephew, I like you, so I won’t hide it from you." Old Man Cao sighed. "My son is working far away and has taken a liking to a girl. He plans to bring her back during the New Year. But look at this house—how could it possibly please his fiancée?"

"He’s met several girls before, but as soon as they saw this house, they stopped contacting him."

Old Man Cao worried deeply, "The boy is filial; he knows I have some good things, but he hasn't pressed me. But what modern girl would agree to marry someone with no house and no money? I’m already old, and I haven’t even held a grandchild yet; I’m anxious."

"If there’s no other way, I’ll have to sell the heirlooms passed down through generations to get some money, build a new house, and buy some appliances for him to use for his wedding…"

Old Man Cao sighed and shook his head. "Those few who came just now knew about this situation. They figured I was desperate for cash, so they’ve all been pressing the price down, trying to take advantage of me. They had no sincerity whatsoever; how could I sell my treasures to them?"

Wang Guan nodded repeatedly, asking calmly, "Then, what are your intentions, Old Man?"

"You seem honest, and we’re related by acquaintance…" Old Man Cao hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, "If you have the money, I can sell these things to you. Good things shouldn't leave the family circle, right? We should sell them to our own people cheaply, not let outsiders snatch them up."

Wang Guan was inwardly delighted, but outwardly, he forced a bitter smile. "Old Man, you know I’m just a worker. Even if I have some savings, I’m afraid it’s not enough."

"I haven't told you about the inkstones," Old Man Cao gestured with his chin. "I’m talking about these inks. Since you work in an antiques shop, you must have a way to sell them. Name a price, and if it’s suitable, I’ll sell them to you."

Hearing this, Wang Guan hesitated. He naturally knew that antique ink was valuable, but he had no precise concept of its actual worth. If he bid too high, he’d certainly suffer a loss, which he naturally wanted to avoid. But if he bid too low, it felt like he was letting Old Man Cao down. Moreover, despite the nice words Old Man Cao was uttering, Wang Guan understood that this old man was no easy mark; he wasn’t going to let Wang Guan gain a significant advantage. ....................... This chapter is scheduled. Please support it to climb the new book charts. Seeking collections and recommendations.