Lost in this confusion, Wang Guan listened distractedly to Gao Dequan and Yu Feibai chatting, occasionally drifting off. Fortunately, after a while, a phone call came in; it seemed someone was asking Gao Dequan to meet them somewhere.

"A fellow collector who came for the exchange event," Gao Dequan said with a smile after hanging up. "It's been a long time since I last saw him. He invited me out for tea. Are you two interested in joining?"

"We’ve been walking around for half the day; we’re a bit tired," Wang Guan politely declined.

"Me too," Yu Feibai nodded. "I argued with the shop owner for ages. My tongue is practically cramping."

"If your tongue is cramping, why did you talk so much?" Gao Dequan stood up, remarking casually, "In that case, you two rest up."

Seeing Gao Dequan leave, Yu Feibai immediately picked up the box containing the jade belt and chuckled, "Going out for tea with Uncle De? That would be suffocating. I'd rather go back to the room and sleep. Besides, after buying such a fine piece, I haven't even thanked that pretty lady yet."

As he spoke, Yu Feibai carefully placed the jade belt away, then grinned and walked out. "Wang Guan, I'm stepping out for a bit. Call me if anything happens..."

Thanking the lady is probably an excuse; chasing girls is the real reason, Wang Guan thought with some disdain. He carefully picked up the Three-Legged Golden Toad and returned to his room to examine it closely.

Actually, Wang Guan felt perplexed himself. The material and craftsmanship of the Three-Legged Golden Toad were clearly mediocre, so why was it emitting a splendid treasure light, brilliant as the rosy clouds of dawn?

"Truly strange."

Seizing the opportunity while no one else was around, Wang Guan immediately focused his attention on observing it.

In an instant, a purple, flame-like treasure light flared into Wang Guan's eyes. The dazzling radiance nearly forced his eyes shut; he couldn't look directly at it, let alone ascertain the true nature of the Three-Legged Golden Toad.

However, sensing the rich and robust aura contained within the toad, Wang Guan felt a surge of comfort and excitement. He simply closed his eyes and reached out to press his hand upon the Three-Legged Golden Toad.

At that moment, Wang Guan's intent stirred. The treasure energy hidden within the golden toad began to move slowly, gradually merging into the center of his brow. It was then completely absorbed, drop by drop, by the Red Gold Coin nestled inside his pineal gland.

"Buzz!"

At this instant, for some inexplicable reason, Wang Guan felt a sound like a great bell resonating through the boundless void again. Fortunately, he possessed some resistance, preventing his thoughts from being utterly scattered.

Upon careful discernment, Wang Guan realized the sound was emanating from the Red Gold Coin itself. Having now absorbed all the treasure energy from the toad, the Red Gold Coin exhibited subtle changes.

The reddish-gold luminosity of the coin grew more pronounced, and the markings upon it became even clearer and more intricate. Moreover, Wang Guan sensed that the connection between his own consciousness and this Red Gold Coin had grown significantly tighter.

Suddenly, a thought flickered in Wang Guan's mind, and the Red Gold Coin immediately split into two streams of golden-yellow energy, completely enveloping his eyes. The cool, refreshing sensation made his eyes feel exceptionally comfortable.

Wang Guan then opened his eyes. Tendrils of vital energy spread outward, originating from his body and sweeping forward in a ninety-degree fan shape for nine meters. Within this area, everything Wang Guan saw appeared as three-dimensional and microscopically detailed.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan was astonished to feel that his gaze seemed capable of penetrating the cover of a magazine to see its contents. It could even pass directly through several magazines before bouncing back from the tempered glass surface of the table.

Wang Guan understood inwardly that his special ability had been strengthened further. Previously, he could see through items of low density, such as water or silk fabric. Seeing through paper now was hardly strange. If his ability advanced further, he should be able to see through wood, stone, or metal objects next.

Wang Guan pondered this internally, then his gaze shifted, settling upon the Three-Legged Golden Toad.

At this moment, even though the toad still shone with a purple luminescence, Wang Guan’s vision could pierce through the light, allowing him to see the object's true substance. He could see far more clearly what was generating that magnificent purple glow.

It was a spherical bead. Wang Guan couldn't make out its exact shape, but looking through the ceramic clay of the toad, he discovered that the "bead" held in its mouth was merely an outer shell; something else was wrapped inside it.

If the clay hadn't been loose and insufficiently dense, Wang Guan’s special ability might not have penetrated it, and he never would have discovered the hidden complexity within the toad's 'bead-spitting' feature.

"I wondered why that spitting bead looked so odd," Wang Guan thought, somewhat belatedly. He reached out to gently touch the mouth area of the Three-Legged Golden Toad. He observed that most of the bead held in the toad’s mouth was concealed within the body, with only about a third of its area protruding into the air.

"Can I take it out?" Wang Guan frowned slightly. He nudged the bead lightly with his finger, only to find it immovable—firmly embedded in the toad's mouth. This meant that removing the bead would inevitably require breaking the toad's mouth.

Discovering this situation, Wang Guan hesitated.

At this moment, he finally understood why the Three-Legged Golden Toad was made of ceramic clay and only half-baked. The intent was to conceal the treasure while the clay was still semi-soft, then trim it with a knife to create the appearance of a golden toad spitting a bead.

As long as the Three-Legged Golden Toad remained intact, the hidden treasure would be perfectly concealed, undiscoverable by anyone. The problem was how to explain the situation afterward if he smashed the toad to retrieve the treasure now.

"Never mind, I'll just claim I accidentally dropped and broke it later." After a moment of hesitation, Wang Guan succumbed to temptation. He glanced around the room but found no tools like a hammer or pestle. If he simply let it fall from a height, Wang Guan worried that not only the Three-Legged Golden Toad but also the bead inside might shatter.

After a brief consideration, Wang Guan resorted to the most tedious method: using a small fruit-peeling knife, he gently prodded and picked at the Three-Legged Golden Toad piece by piece. Progress was remarkably smooth; after several centuries, the structure of the clay had become very loose, almost approaching the consistency of mud.

Wang Guan even suspected that if the knife in his hand had been sharper, a single swing could have sliced the toad in two. Even now, as he slowly picked away, flakes of mud from the toad kept falling off with a rustle.

Soon, Wang Guan easily cut open the head of the Three-Legged Golden Toad and successfully retrieved the bead held in its mouth.

"Others kill the hen to get the egg; for me, it's breaking the toad to get the bead," Wang Guan murmured to himself with a wry smile. He first tidied up the messy floor before turning his attention with immense curiosity to the round object in his hand for a detailed examination.

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