“In fact, it’s not entirely lost to history. At least during the Song Dynasty, authentic works by Xue Ji were still extant. Even the great Song painter Mi Fu once said that throughout his entire life, he only admired the paintings of Xue Ji.”

At this point, Old Qian sighed softly: “But it’s a pity. After the Southern Song period, records of Xue Ji’s paintings become scarce, especially after the Yuan Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing periods, they were completely lost. As the saying goes, rarity dictates value. Even though the painting Wang Guan holds is a rubdown copy, in a certain sense, it is considered akin to an original, and thus naturally quite valuable.”

“Of course, the same thing that makes him wins also makes him lose.”

Wang Guan also chuckled lightly at this moment: “It’s considered original, yet it’s ultimately not original, and certainly not an ancient tracing. This piece is just a twenty-year-old reproduction made via rubdown; it’s truly not worth much.”

“Then is it worth anything or not?” Qiao Yu felt a little dizzy.

“The benevolent see benevolence, and the wise see wisdom,” Old Qian chuckled heartily. “In the hands of someone who doesn't understand it, it’s naturally worthless. But in the hands of someone who loves it, it becomes a treasure beyond price.”

“Little Qiao, how much it’s worth isn’t the key point. What matters is whether you like it. A treasure worth a thousand pieces of gold cannot buy what pleases the heart. Especially in our line of work, the amount of money involved is never subject to a single standard of measurement.” Wang Guan smiled. “A single page of Lu Xun’s manuscript can sell for over a million. Do you think that’s a loss or not?”

Qiao Yu nodded vaguely. Since Wang Guan didn’t feel it was a loss, she had no reason to care.

“Wang Guan is absolutely right.”

Old Qian agreed wholeheartedly at this point: “Value is divided into economic value and artistic value. Things with high economic value aren't necessarily convertible into realized assets, but the reverse is much easier to achieve. This painting has very high artistic value and would be immensely helpful for the general study of Xue Ji’s figure paintings. Some major museums would certainly be willing to pay a premium to acquire it and fill a gap in their collections.”

“Oh.”

Qiao Yu pondered this, though she still didn't fully grasp it. She quietly asked Bei Ye, and after seeing the latter shake her head, she was quite satisfied: “I don’t quite understand either, but it sounds incredibly impressive.”

Old Qian overheard this, shook his head with a soft sigh, and returned to admiring the picture. A moment later, he suddenly looked up: “Wang Guan, are you planning to go to Hong Kong?”

“Yes.” Wang Guan nodded. “Feibai told you? I heard that the Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu…”

“I know about that,” Old Qian interrupted, waving his hand with a smile. “You don’t actually need to make a special trip for this.”

“What do you mean?” Wang Guan blinked, guessing: “Does that painting have some strange twist?”

“You’re overthinking it,” Old Qian laughed. “What I mean is, the subject of the Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu is also Wu Zetian. You already possess portraits of her in your collection; there’s no need to join that fray. After all, once one person knows about it, others with good sources will certainly make a move. You can imagine the auction will be a fierce battleground…”

“Your money isn't gained easily,” Old Qian advised. “There’s no need to fight others over this.”

Old Qian was worried that Wang Guan, having never participated in a major auction, might impulsively bid an astronomical sum out of pride, which would be far from worth the cost.

“Don’t worry, Old Qian, I know my limits,” Wang Guan smiled. “I’m just going to look; I won’t necessarily make a move.”

“It’s good that you think that way.”

Old Qian still had considerable faith in Wang Guan’s self-control. After offering a few more pointers, he suddenly smiled: “Actually, it’s good that you’re going to Hong Kong now; you might catch the Jiaowei Qin touring exhibition.”

“Hmm?”

Wang Guan started, then immediately snapped back to attention. It seemed the news of the Jiaowei Qin's reappearance had caused such a sensation that it ignited widespread curiosity. Thus, under the strong invitation of "people from all walks of life," the Palace Museum decided to arrange a touring exhibition. This included not only major cities domestically but also the regions of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“It’s not just the areas across the strait,” Old Qian smiled faintly. “I hear some foreign friends are also very interested in the Jiaowei Qin and are currently consulting with the Palace Museum about specific exhibition dates. It’s likely Director Wang will be looking for you to reconnect soon.”

“Whatever,” Wang Guan shrugged indifferently. “As long as the item isn’t lost or damaged, let them fuss over it. Everyone is just looking for something new. Once this initial wave passes, I doubt anyone will still be interested.”

“Quite the opposite,” Old Qian shook his head, smiling. “Once this initial wave passes, you might face more trouble. Because the onlookers will disappear, and only those who are truly interested will show up.”

“That does make sense… but it doesn’t matter. Trouble for later is for later,” Wang Guan took things as they came, believing some things didn't need long-term worry, lest it invite unnecessary distress.

What followed required no further description. After accompanying Old Qian to view a few treasures, lunchtime arrived swiftly. After eating, Wang Guan took Bei Ye and Qiao Yu out to wander the bustling, thriving commercial streets of the capital.

After a serious spree of shopping, the few of them returned to the grand residence late that evening, laden with bags.

The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, after bidding farewell to Old Qian, the group boarded a plane. After nearly four hours of flight time, they finally arrived at their destination.

“This way…”

As soon as they exited the airport, Pi Qiushe raised his hand in greeting. His imposing build made him difficult to ignore.

“Brother Pi!”

Wang Guan went up to meet him with a smile, and naturally, there was an exchange of warm greetings.

“Let’s go. I’ve prepared a feast to welcome you and wash away the dust of travel,” Pi Qiushe said with a smile a moment later. “Oh, speaking of which, it’s quite a coincidence. On the way here, I ran into…”

Before he could finish speaking, several other people rushed over and greeted someone respectfully: “Eldest Miss!”

Pi Qiushe paused, his intended words cut short. He turned back and saw that the person leading the group was beaming. “The Old Master sent us here to…”

“I know, I know,” Qiao Yu waved him off impatiently. She knew without even thinking that her bodyguards must have leaked her whereabouts. Moreover, she understood that once these people found her, she couldn’t evade them.

With that realization, Qiao Yu grabbed Bei Ye, turned to Wang Guan, and said, “You guys go eat. Xiao Ye and I are going shopping; we’ll find you later.”

“Fine,” Wang Guan smiled helplessly, watching Qiao Yu link arms with Bei Ye and stride off under the escort of a phalanx of bodyguards.

“New friends?” Pi Qiushe was also curious.

“University classmates,” Wang Guan explained, then smiled. “Never mind them. Who did you say you ran into?”

“Heh heh, I’ll keep you in suspense. You’ll know when we get there,” Pi Qiushe grinned, leading Wang Guan toward the parking lot outside and straight into a BMW.

After buckling his seatbelt, Pi Qiushe drove off immediately. While navigating turns and corners, he also took the opportunity to explain the local geography to Wang Guan.

“Brother Pi must come here often; you’re too familiar with it otherwise,” Wang Guan remarked.

“Only two or three times a year, not that often,” Pi Qiushe chuckled. “But Hong Kong isn’t big. Once you memorize the main streets, there’s no chance of getting lost…”

As he spoke, Pi Qiushe wound his way through the streets and stopped in front of a large, bustling teahouse.

The teahouse was sizable and vibrant. Even though he was approaching middle age, the seating areas on the first and second floors still had very few empty spots; many patrons were still enjoying their morning tea and delicious dim sum.

However, Pi Qiushe didn’t stop on the first or second floors. He took Wang Guan directly up to the third floor, where there were a series of private rooms. The environment was more refined, and the soundproofing was better; the noise from downstairs didn’t carry up.

Simultaneously, Pi Qiushe walked a few steps down the third-floor corridor, pushed open the door of one room, and then turned back with a smile: “Brother, come in. You absolutely won’t guess who the guest inside is.”

“Someone I know… could it be the great boss, Li Yifeng?” Wang Guan joked, stepping into the room. The décor was exquisitely elegant. Upon entering, the first thing visible was a row of folding screens, effectively obscuring the interior.

Before Wang Guan could walk around the screen, a clear voice emanated from within: “Patron Pi, is Patron Wang here?”

“Master Banshan.”

Wang Guan froze for a second, then immediately reacted, stepping forward with a mixture of surprise and joy. He saw the Monk Banshan, who should have been guarding a trove of precious artifacts in his monastery in Singapore, sitting in a private room in a Hong Kong teahouse.

“Patron Wang, long time no see. How have you been recently?”

At this, Monk Banshan also stood up, bowing with a smile. Dressed in a simple monk’s robe, prayer beads hanging from his wrist, his face was filled with a friendly and benevolent smile, naturally exuding an air of detachment from the mundane world.

“How could he not be well, when he finds treasures every day?” Pi Qiushe said with a laugh, quickly ushering Wang Guan to sit and signaling a waiter to bring a fresh pot of tea.

After ordering two baskets of tea snacks, Pi Qiushe smiled: “It’s quite a coincidence, actually. I got your call this morning, knew your flight time, and estimated I’d be heading to the airport to meet you. But just as I left, I ran right into Master Banshan.”

“Heh heh, it is said that destined people meet across a thousand miles,” Monk Banshan said with a beaming smile. “To be able to gather here proves that the karmic affinity between the three of us has not ended. Our reunion is only natural.”

“It’s good that it’s karmic affinity,” Pi Qiushe joked. “If it were a request for alms, we’d have to respectfully decline.”

“Patron Pi jokes,” Monk Banshan’s smile remained unchanged. “We disciples of the Xian Zong sect have always been self-reliant and never solicit alms. However, if Patron Pi proactively offers incense money, this humble monk would not refuse…”

“Huh.”

Hearing this, Wang Guan and Pi Qiushe were somewhat surprised. In their impression, Monk Banshan was a very upright, perhaps even rigid, person. When had his disposition changed to the point where he could crack a joke?

“Master Banshan,” Pi Qiushe asked seriously after a moment of thought, “Have you encountered any trouble recently?”

“Amitabha, Patron Pi is indeed perceptive,” Monk Banshan smiled again, but this time it was a bitter smile. “However, the trouble is not mine, but that of the temple where I reside.”

Reside was a polite way of saying that monks, detached from material possessions, had no permanent property, making the monastery merely a place of sojourn. Yet, everyone knew this was mere polite formality, not to be taken literally…