Yu Feibai returned first, not long after. Seeing his jaunty, satisfied demeanor, one could tell his evening had been fruitful.

“Back so soon?” Wang Guan was slightly surprised, having assumed Yu Feibai might be staying out all night.

“Heh, where did your mind wander to? I just invited her out for a drink,” Yu Feibai chuckled, a slight flush indeed coloring his cheeks. Beyond that, there was genuinely no scent of lipstick or powder about him.

However, Wang Guan remained half-convinced, his eyes darting around, trying to find Yu Feibai’s “evidence.”

Just then, Gao Dequan returned. Seeing Yu Feibai’s state, he frowned. “You went out drinking.”

“Just a couple of small ones,” Yu Feibai replied, perfectly lucid, smiling. “I didn’t expect Wang Guan to have such a high tolerance; he doesn’t show any hint of being tipsy.”

Wang Guan smiled and didn't press the issue or expose Yu Feibai’s white lie. Moreover, Gao Dequan seemed disinclined to ask further. After chatting briefly with Wang Guan and Yu Feibai, he retired to his room to rest.

“Thanks. I’ll really treat you to drinks next time,” Yu Feibai offered with a smile.

“You came back early; otherwise, I wouldn't have managed to keep my secret either,” Wang Guan waved his hand dismissively. After watching a few shows and finding them utterly tedious, coupled with the deepening night, he decided to head to bed as well.

Nothing notable happened overnight. The next morning, the three of them woke up, washed their faces, brushed their teeth, ate breakfast, and then set out to pay their respects to Elder Qian.

Fang Mingsheng’s villa wasn't very far from the Longhu Mountain Visitor Center. The three hailed a taxi, and about half an hour later, they pulled up before a magnificent structure.

It was indistinguishable from other high-end villas; this building was also encircled by tall iron railings, with security guards visible patrolling nearby from time to time. Near the main gate, in the guardhouse, they even kept several fierce and menacing wolfhounds.

Seeing the approaching party, the dogs began to bark fiercely, their savage display—even tethered by chains—instilling a sense of trepidation in onlookers.

The three stopped. Gao Dequan directly dialed a number on his mobile phone.

A short while later, Wang Guan could see from a distance that a group of people was coming out to greet them from within the villa. Leading them was a middle-aged man dressed in a crisp, impeccably tailored, and rather distinguished Sun Yat-sen suit.

Upon seeing him, the guards quickly pulled the aggressive hounds aside and opened the iron gates.

“Brother Gao, it has been a long time, yet your spirit remains unchanged,” the middle-aged man approached, his speech slightly archaic and formal, possessing a touch of classical refinement.

“Boss Fang.”

In contrast, Gao Dequan was much more direct, greeting the middle-aged man warmly with a smile.

This must be Fang Mingsheng, the man behind Taihe, Wang Guan thought to himself.

Wang Guan observed him from the side, noticing that this Fang Mingsheng did not carry the nouveau riche air Gao Dequan had described. His build was neither fat nor thin, and the straight lines of his Zhongshan suit lent him an almost scholarly elegance.

After a moment of pleasantries, Fang Mingsheng ushered the trio toward the villa.

Upon entering, while momentarily stunned by the sheer spaciousness and luxury of the interior, Wang Guan finally understood why Gao Dequan had labeled Fang Mingsheng a parvenu.

The walls of the entire villa hall were lined with an array of paintings. Not only were there traditional Chinese landscapes, birds, and figure paintings, but also Western sketches and oil works. This blend of East and West covered most of the wall space; at a glance, there was hardly any gap left.

In the corners beneath the walls, or along the corridors, stood numerous display pieces—vases, meiping, yaolingzun—each varying in shape and style.

The entire villa was saturated with light—hanging, suspended, and floor-mounted fixtures. Under the illumination of these variously colored lamps, the paintings and ceramic objects exuded a dazzling, prismatic sheen.

This sense of opulence, the sheer sparkling extravagance, felt even more potent than stepping into a high-end jewelry store.

“Boss Fang’s taste remains as unique as ever,” Gao Dequan remarked casually as he walked, observing. “It seems the paintings on the walls have been rotated again. This collection could practically open its own museum.”

Whether he couldn't detect the subtle irony or genuinely took Gao Dequan’s words as a compliment, Fang Mingsheng seemed somewhat pleased with himself and chuckled, “Not at all, not at all. Compared to you, Brother Gao, I still have a long way to go.”

Clearly, Fang Mingsheng failed to grasp the concept of excess. The great number of items crammed into the main hall made the space feel not only cluttered but verging on the vulgar.

Meanwhile, Wang Guan felt a surge of inner calm and excitement. Hadn't waiting for this moment been the entire point of attending the exchange convention? He couldn't possibly miss such a prime opportunity; he immediately activated his special ability.

However, when his spiritual energy extended out and touched those paintings and ceramics, Wang Guan was greatly disappointed and thoroughly confused. He could sense barely any Bao Qi (Treasure Aura) emanating from these artworks and artifacts.

“What’s going on? Are they all fakes? It can’t possibly be this bad?” Wang Guan wondered, his eyes secretly focusing intensely. He noticed that the paintings and ceramics emitted only a faint, almost imperceptible shimmer.

Suddenly, Wang Guan focused on the signatures. Many were inscribed in simplified characters, marked with dates from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and some even bore 21st-century notations.

It was then that realization dawned: these were all works by celebrated artists from the modern and recent past. Even if every piece was genuine, without the long accumulation of years, they naturally wouldn't hold much Bao Qi.

“Sigh…”

Wang Guan felt a touch of resignation, shifting his focus entirely to the porcelain. But as he walked, what he saw were either pure white glows or very pale white auras; some pieces barely registered any light at all.

From this, Wang Guan could definitively conclude that the porcelain Fang Mingsheng displayed was either late Qing Dynasty or Republic Era, and some were likely outright counterfeits. Not a single piece dated back to the Jia Ding or Daoguang reigns, and they were all common wares, thus holding little inherent Bao Qi.

Amidst his disappointment, Wang Guan also gained a certain clarity: “No wonder Fang Mingsheng didn’t bother with much security, displaying everything so openly. Even if something were lost or broken, with his immense wealth, he wouldn't feel too heartbroken.”

It was only human nature; truly valuable items were cherished and guarded against the slightest mishap.

“It seems I’ll have to wait until the official Treasure Exchange starts to absorb any real Bao Qi,” Wang Guan comforted himself. Only a few more days; he just needed to hold out.

After walking a short distance and passing through a long corridor, the view suddenly opened up into a garden-style courtyard.

The courtyard appeared to have been meticulously designed by a master craftsman, its layout and architecture deeply rooted in classic Jiangnan garden style. There were rockeries, running water features, and small pavilions, dotted with shade trees and flower clusters—exquisite and detailed. The cascading waterfall over the rocks, the gentle murmur of the stream, the interplay of breeze and shadow created a composition of balanced beauty, where movement resided in stillness, and stillness within movement.

“So that’s why Elder Qian is living in this somewhat vulgar villa—there’s a hidden world within,” Wang Guan mused, a sudden realization hitting him. He also became secretly alert; perhaps his initial assessment of things had been too superficial.

.................... New month approaching, seeking collections and recommendations. Please support this work generously.