It was at this moment that Fang Mingsheng took the opportunity to ask, "Are these two young talents your newly accepted apprentices?" "Heh, no." Gao Dequan shook his head and smiled as he introduced them, "This one is Yu Feibai, the child of a friend of mine. This is Wang Guan, an employee at Jigu Zhai.

They are interested in antique collecting, so I specifically brought them to this year's exchange meeting to broaden their horizons and learn a few things along the way." "Yu..." Fang Mingsheng’s expression shifted slightly, and he immediately laughed, "It's good to learn more. I'm afraid in just a few years, the young generation will become the backbone of the collecting world." "How can it be that fast?" Gao Dequan chuckled.

"Antiques are a lifelong pursuit, a lifelong lesson, a lifetime of trade and collection. They still need tempering." While the two were talking, Wang Guan picked up the Zisha teapot and began to observe it closely.

The shape of this Zisha pot was exquisitely refined, and the lines on the body were remarkably simple. Touching the wall of the pot, it felt exceptionally smooth and delicate under his fingers.

Below the rim, the teapot body was inscribed with the eight characters Juān fèn qù kě, méi shòu wú gē (Dispelling annoyance and quenching thirst, longevity without cuts). Furthermore, Wang Guan noticed a small seal beneath the handle, engraved with the two characters Peng Nian.

Wang Guan gently turned the pot over to inspect the base, revealing the four characters Ā Màn Tuó Shì inscribed there. Recalling Chen Mansheng, whom Gao Dequan had mentioned earlier, Wang Guan thought hard, feeling a faint flicker of recognition.

"This is a Qing Dynasty master Zisha potter's work, a Hehuan pot from the eighteen styles created by Chen Mansheng," Yu Feibai whispered at the same time. "Chen Mansheng, whose real name was Chen Hongshou, courtesy name Zigong, sobriquet Mansheng.

He mainly lived during the Kangxi period, excelled at ancient prose, was skilled in carving, and gained fame through his calligraphy and seal carving, being one of the renowned Eight Masters of Xiling of that time." Hearing Yu Feibai speak fluently, Wang Guan knew he had been consulting reference materials again. At this moment, Elder Qian, Gao Dequan, and Fang Mingsheng raised their cups to sip tea, engaged in lively conversation, paying no mind to the two whispering youngsters.

However, Yu Feibai lacked discretion. He glanced at his phone before continuing, "At that time, he befriended the renowned pot-making masters Yang Pengnian, Yang Baonian, and the siblings Yang Fengnian, designing numerous pot styles and handing them over to the Yang siblings for production.

These are what are known as the eighteen styles of Mansheng pots. The characters Peng Nian beneath the handle refer to Yang Pengnian." "Chen Mansheng was a devout Buddhist and named the chamber where he kept his Zisha collection Ā Màn Tuó Shì.

Later, designing new pot styles within this room fundamentally changed the traditional practices of Yixing Zisha craftsmanship. He actually placed his own large seal, Ā Màn Tuó Shì, where the craftsman's seal was traditionally placed in the center of the pot's base, moving the potter's seal either inside the lid or on the lower part of the handle." Yu Feibai narrated volubly, pausing at the end to state firmly, "Therefore, the full name of this Zisha pot should be: Yang Pengnian Marked Chen Mansheng Inscribed Zisha Hehuan Pot." "Authentic or counterfeit?" Wang Guan asked, as that was the crux of the matter.

"This..." Yu Feibai hesitated, pausing uncertainly, "It should be real." "What do you mean, 'should be'?" Wang Guan said helplessly. "Can you be more certain?" "I am certain, it's real." Yu Feibai’s tuition fees over the past two or three years hadn't been wasted after all; he had indeed learned some real skills.

He picked up the Zisha pot and began his assessment one point at a time: "There are four methods to identify a Zisha clay pot: sight, smell, sound, and touch." "Sight, which is observing the color of the Zisha clay. Smell, which is sniffing the pot's aroma; a new pot usually carries the scent of the kiln fire.

Sound, which involves gently running the lid over the mouth of the pot; if it's a genuine Zisha pot, the sound should be resonant and crisp, like jade. As for touch, that is feeling the surface; new pots generally feel somewhat dry and rough, whereas old pots are very lustrous." After testing all four methods, Yu Feibai declared decisively, "This is the genuine article." "Is that so?" Wang Guan was half-believing, half-doubting.

He looked at the exquisite Zisha pot, and it seemed that what Yu Feibai said was quite accurate, yet for some unknown reason, he felt that something essential was missing from this pot. After scrutinizing it repeatedly, Wang Guan finally couldn't resist using his special ability.

The reason he had held back until now was that Wang Guan wanted to train himself. After all, no matter how powerful the special ability was, it could only determine authenticity—true or false.

Specific craftsmanship, period characteristics, cultural implications, and so on, all required Wang Guan to understand through his own effort. Unearthing the intrinsic value of cultural relics was largely where the joy of collecting antiques lay.

Moreover, establishing whether an object was real or fake needed evidence, a logical explanation, otherwise, how could anyone be convinced? At this moment, to confirm his suspicion, Wang Guan focused his gaze intently on the Zisha pot.

"As expected..." Seeing the light radiating from the pot's body, Wang Guan felt reassured. He continued to stare, and under the enveloping layer of qi, every minute detail, inside and out, became perfectly clear, like a three-dimensional geometric pattern feeding directly into Wang Guan's mind.

After a while, Wang Guan stopped looking, having retracted his special ability, and reverted to observation with his naked eye. Looking left, right, front, and back, turning it over and over, he examined it for several minutes before finally setting the Zisha pot down.

Only then did Gao Dequan put down his teacup and say lightly, "Finished looking? Then tell us what you think." "You go first," Wang Guan deferred.

Yu Feibai made no objection, his eyes scanning the room, and he stated frankly, "I believe this is an authentic pot." "Reasoning?" Gao Dequan asked with a smile. Elder Qian and Fang Mingsheng on the side looked as if they were listening intently, remaining impassive, revealing not the slightest hint of their thoughts on their faces.

Yu Feibai seemed slightly disappointed as he explained, "When the lid is gently rotated, there is absolutely no friction with the mouth of the pot. Furthermore, the spout, the base, and the handle form a perfect straight line, indicating extreme precision in the craftsmanship." "In addition, based on characteristics like the pot’s color, aroma, and level of smoothness, I can conclude that this is a Mansheng style Hehuan pot designed by Chen Mansheng and produced by Yang Pengnian of the Qing Dynasty." Yu Feibai elaborated point by point, truly exhibiting the air of a Zisha expert.

Gao Dequan offered no affirmation or denial, then asked, "Wang Guan, what is your assessment?" "This pot is very well made." Wang Guan pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "However, I feel that it lacks a certain spiritual resonance, failing to reach the heights of a true Mansheng pot." "What!" Everyone was startled, especially Yu Feibai, whose brow furrowed, his gaze holding a measure of incomprehension. Based on their few days of contact, Wang Guan was not someone who would say outrageous things just to attract attention.

Why would he suddenly utter something so seemingly baseless? In truth, Wang Guan also felt helpless.

This 'spiritual resonance' was merely a feeling, lacking any concrete evidence. How could he expect others to be convinced?

The problem was that the pot was simply too perfectly executed; even with the aid of his special ability, he couldn't find a single flaw, forcing him to speak vaguely. At that moment, Wang Guan realized with a jolt that his special ability was not omnipotent.

Throughout history, countless masters of forgery had managed to imitate objects so flawlessly they were indistinguishable from the originals. Even if Wang Guan could discern true from false, what did it matter?

The feeling of being the only sober man in a world of drunks was the most stifling sensation of all. ..................

The female protagonist's investigation only involves a few dozen people; the data set isn't detailed enough. I hope everyone will participate more actively.

Finally, please support with collections and recommendation votes.