Gao Dequan fretted, "I am not an expert in ink appraisal after all. I can only judge that this item is quite old; whether it is a rare piece by Li Tinggui or a later imitation, I cannot discern."

After all, if the item was genuine, it would be fine, and even if he were wrong, it wouldn't cause him any substantial loss. However, misjudging it would be a significant blow to his morale.

Moreover, this item was too rare; only one was known to exist worldwide until this one appeared. Even Wang Guan himself harbored some doubt as to whether it might be an imitation of Li Tinggui ink crafted by a master artisan.

It was common for master craftsmen to imitate the works of earlier masters. Some virtuosos could replicate them to the point of near perfection, making them indistinguishable from the genuine article. Sometimes, the imitation even fetched a higher price than the original—the paintings by Zhang Daqian imitating Shi Tao, for instance.

However, Li Tinggui's ink was different. Li Mo’s fame was too immense; heralded as the finest ink under heaven, the founder and progenitor of Huizhou ink, it had become legendary. No matter how skillfully later generations attempted to copy it, even if their resulting ink was superb, it could never reach his zenith.

Although Wang Guan could perceive a brilliant purple-gold radiant aura emanating from the ink ingot, without a concrete reference point, he dared not assert that this ingot possessed a thousand years of history.

Wang Guan vaguely recalled that the Northern Song Dynasty was established in 960 AD, while Xiande was a reign title of the Later Zhou, meaning it definitely predated the Northern Song, placing it over a thousand years in the past.

A millennium was enough time to reduce ordinary objects to dust. Yet, this ink ingot retained its vivid luster, remained hard as jade, and possessed delicate graining, inevitably fostering doubt.

"Ink from the Ming Dynasty is already incredibly rare," Gao Dequan sighed, "let alone this Li Tinggui ink from before the Northern Song. After a thousand years, only one piece remains, housed in the Taipei Palace Museum."

"No one dares to be one hundred percent certain that this one is also genuine."

"Is there no other way?" Yu Feibai inquired.

"There is."

Gao Dequan nodded, then shook his head, "However, it is the most direct, and frankly, the most barbaric method."

"Uncle De means grinding this ink for use," Wang Guan understood, frowning instinctively.

"How could that be allowed!"

Yu Feibai exclaimed, "If this thing is real, it's simply an unparalleled treasure, priceless. Never mind using it—even grinding off a tiny piece would be agonizing."

"You speak the truth," Gao Dequan concurred. "Legend says true Li ink can shave wood and cut paper. But that's only achievable after the ingot has been ground down to create a sharp edge."

"Alas... then there's truly no way," Yu Feibai sighed deeply.

Wang Guan also felt a sense of helplessness. He was almost certain this was genuine Li ink, but the ingot couldn't speak for itself, leaving him unable to fully convince others of its authenticity. In essence, such a treasure would have to be enjoyed solely by him.

"Wait, that’s right."

At that moment, Wang Guan suddenly realized. He would never part with such a fine acquisition. Therefore, whether the item was fake or real ultimately didn't matter; as long as he knew the truth, that was enough.

Having reached this conclusion, Wang Guan immediately smiled. "Uncle De, stop worrying. I don't intend to sell it anyway. Even if this piece turns out to be fake, I will treat it as authentic in my collection."

"Hmm..."

Gao Dequan looked up in surprise, pausing for a long moment before shaking his head and exhaling. "I am truly obtuse; you see things more clearly. That's why I say misjudging things isn't a matter of ability, but of mindset. In truth, I am ninety percent certain this is Li ink. But because the item appears too new and too perfect, I can't let go of that lingering ten percent worry."

"Uncle De, don't you often say that some objects that look fake are actually real?" Yu Feibai said optimistically. "I believe this is genuine Li ink. Wow, Wang Guan, your luck is against the heavens; you’ve stumbled upon another massive bargain."

"That’s right," Gao Dequan said, a hint of envy in his smile. "Congratulations, Wang Guan. Judging by the ingot's weight and spirit, even if it lacks a thousand years of history, it must possess the sediment of five or six hundred years. Even if it's not Li Tinggui ink, it's certainly from the Ming Dynasty or earlier."

"A masterwork of this quality," Yu Feibai laughed, "even if it doesn't break the four-million-plus record set by Qianlong's inscribed West Lake Ten Scenes Ink, it won't be far off. If ink connoisseurs knew you had something this good, they’d swarm here."

"It’s all luck, coincidence," Wang Guan smiled. "I’ve decided: this ink ingot will be the first piece in my collection. I won't sell it to anyone."

"What if Old Qian wanted to buy it?"

Yu Feibai suddenly interjected, "Would you sell it, or give it away?"

"That..."

Wang Guan paused, hesitating slightly.

After all, this wasn't a celadon bowl, which existed in abundance; if he gave one away, he could find another. But Li Tinggui ink was extremely rare—apart from the one in the Taipei Palace Museum, this was the only one in existence. Wang Guan wasn't generous enough to simply give away a treasure that was virtually unique.

"Feibai, what kind of person do you take Old Qian for?"

At this point, Gao Dequan sounded slightly displeased, not wanting to put Wang Guan in a difficult position. He interrupted Yu Feibai's question, saying lightly, "It's a shame Old Qian was invited to attend a treasure exchange meeting a few days ago. Otherwise, we could have taken the ink there to ask for his appraisal. His vision is far superior to mine; he should be able to determine the origin of this item."

Yu Feibai had only spoken casually, not truly meaning it. Instead, upon hearing about the treasure exchange meeting, he immediately became energized and pressed for details. "Uncle De, tell me quickly, what exactly is this treasure exchange meeting about?"

"Collecting cannot be done in isolation; exchange and learning are crucial aspects of antique collecting," Gao Dequan explained. "Therefore, this treasure exchange meeting is an informal gathering held periodically by established collectors from various regions. During these meetings, everyone exchanges knowledge and learns from one another, striving for mutual improvement."

Yu Feibai was intensely interested and immediately complained, "How come I never knew about this? Uncle De, why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"Telling you wouldn't have changed anything," Gao Dequan chuckled. "I already said it's a treasure exchange meeting. Since you don't have any treasures, you naturally don't qualify to attend. If you showed up, you probably couldn't even get past the main door."

"I could borrow some," Yu Feibai mumbled. Even if he didn't own treasures himself, with his capabilities, borrowing a piece or two wouldn't be impossible.

"Enough. When the meeting was held last year, you knew nothing; taking you would have just been embarrassing."

Gao Dequan waved his hand dismissively and turned to Wang Guan. "Right, Wang Guan, there will be many master collectors and experts at the exchange. They might be able to accurately date your ink ingot."

"Uncle De means..." Wang Guan asked tentatively.

Gao Dequan smiled. "Each participant is allowed to bring two guests according to the rules. Would you like to come along?"

"Absolutely!" Wang Guan quickly nodded. Even if the ingot's age couldn't be definitively determined, the exchange meeting would undoubtedly be filled with rare collections. He could not only absorb the aura of precious items but also learn more about collecting experience and knowledge. It was a win-win situation; he had no reason to refuse.

................... There is a survey regarding the female protagonist in the book pages; I hope everyone can participate. Finally, please recommend and add this to your collection; I ask for everyone's support.