When Half-Mountain Monk mentioned the trouble befalling the temple where he was staying, Pi Qiu-Shi immediately frowned and quickly asked, "Master, what difficulty have you encountered? If there is anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask. As long as it is within our power, we certainly won't stand idly by."

"It's a long story."

Half-Mountain Monk shook his head lightly. "Some matters are hard for this poor monk to speak of. It's better left unsaid, better left unsaid."

Wang Guan and Pi Qiu-Shi could naturally tell that the monk was not trying to whet their appetite but genuinely reluctant to elaborate, so after exchanging a glance, their curiosity deepened.

"Master, no matter how difficult it is, there is always a solution," Pi Qiu-Shi urged again. "As the saying goes, three cobblers can outwit Zhuge Liang. Whatever troubles you have, just tell us, and perhaps we can lend a hand."

"The Buddhist path is meant to be one of purity, yet some unsightly things have occurred, how can I possibly speak of them?" Half-Mountain Monk gave a helpless, wry smile. No matter how much Pi Qiu-Shi persuaded him, there was no further response.

Seeing this, Pi Qiu-Shi resigned himself but still said earnestly, "Master, if you truly need help, please do not be reserved. We might not be able to offer much, but we hope to contribute whatever small effort we can."

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Benefactor Pi."

Only then did Half-Mountain Monk’s expression relax into a smile. "Having the thought is enough. This poor monk appreciates it deeply and is very grateful."

With the conversation having reached this point, Pi Qiu-Shi felt it was inappropriate to press further. However, Wang Guan, being more astute, poured the monk a cup of tea and took the opportunity to probe indirectly, "Master, are you in Hong Kong for travel or to visit a friend?"

"Hmm?"

Pi Qiu-Shi immediately caught on and looked up at Half-Mountain Monk, who was listening intently.

"Amitabha," Half-Mountain Monk shook his head. "Neither travel nor visiting a friend. I was invited by someone to come and establish a good connection."

"Master," Wang Guan said with a degree of exasperation, "could you be a little clearer? What kind of good connection are you establishing?"

"It's nothing much, similar to the matter Benefactor Wang entrusted to me previously," Half-Mountain Monk smiled. "I was requested by a lay devotee who has deep ties with my master, so I had to make this trip."

Half-Mountain Monk was not just a monk devoted to vegetarianism and chanting; he was also a master craftsman of superb skill. Hearing him say this, it was clear he had come to carve something for someone. Wang Guan had originally asked him to help fashion beeswax, but due to an accident, the beeswax turned into a Buddha statue, which in turn gave Wang Guan the chance to acquire the Jiaowei Qin.

Considering he had made a huge unexpected profit, Wang Guan was very polite to Half-Mountain Monk and thus probed indirectly about the trouble he faced, knowing he wouldn't stand by if he could help.

Pi Qiu-Shi shared the same sentiment and asked in detail upon hearing this, "What did that devotee ask the Master to do? Was it also carving beeswax?"

"No, this poor monk is not entirely clear either," Half-Mountain Monk admitted frankly. "The devotee called and asked me to come over, so I came."

"Uh."

Wang Guan and Pi Qiu-Shi were momentarily stunned, exchanging wry smiles while feeling a degree of admiration for the monk's straightforward sincerity.

Of course, this sincerity was relative to the recipient. At the very least, it indicated that this devotee was undoubtedly a close friend of Half-Mountain Monk's master, otherwise the monk would not have traveled from Singapore to Hong Kong so readily without asking for details.

Just then, a mobile phone rang.

Wang Guan and Pi Qiu-Shi naturally looked at each other, certain it wasn't their phone ringing. Yet, in the next second, they watched Half-Mountain Monk unhurriedly pull out an elegant mobile phone from the pocket of his monastic robe.

Seeing this, Wang Guan and Pi Qiu-Shi felt relieved and found nothing strange about it—it was simply keeping up with the times; after all, there was no rule stating monks couldn't carry cell phones...

The monk did not try to hide the call from the two men and answered it openly. After a brief exchange, he put the phone away and smiled. "My apologies to both benefactors, I'm afraid I can't continue our tea session."

"What is it?" Pi Qiu-Shi was startled, then realized, "The devotee's call?"

"Precisely," Half-Mountain Monk smiled. "He knows I've arrived in Hong Kong and is sending someone to pick me up now."

"Then there's no rush," Pi Qiu-Shi said with a smile. "Let's wait until the person arrives before we talk about leaving. For now, let's continue with tea and snacks..."

Under Pi Qiu-Shi's warm invitation, Half-Mountain Monk graciously accepted, taking only small sips and bites. Years of Buddhist cultivation had brought the monk's Dhyana concentration to a profound level, so he naturally cared little for the pleasures of the palate.

After chatting for seven or eight minutes, Half-Mountain Monk received another call. After he specified the location of the private room in the teahouse, someone soon walked in from outside.

"Master Half-Mountain?"

The voice reached Wang Guan and the others from beyond the screen before the person even entered. In that instant, Wang Guan felt the voice was somewhat familiar. When the person finally stepped inside, Wang Guan was extremely surprised: "Han Lang!"

"It's you..."

Han Lang, having walked in from outside, was equally astonished to see Wang Guan. However, he had not forgotten the unpleasant encounter in Jinyang. While he wouldn't resort to uncouth insults, there was no expectation of him offering a warm reception either.

Although displeased internally, Han Lang didn't let it show on his face. His gaze flickered over Wang Guan briefly before settling on Master Half-Mountain. With only three people in the room, and only one of them a monk, there was no doubt he was the person he had come to meet.

Realizing this, Han Lang dared not be slow, quickly stepping forward with a measure of deference. "Master Half-Mountain, my grandfather sent me to bring you over."

"Thank you for your trouble, Layman Han," Half-Mountain Monk joined his palms together, then turned to Wang Guan and Pi Qiu-Shi. "My two benefactors, this poor monk must excuse himself for now. We shall converse again when we have time."

Wang Guan and Pi Qiu-Shi naturally had no objections. They immediately stood up to escort Half-Mountain Monk downstairs from the teahouse. After a courteous farewell, they watched him get into Han Lang’s car and drive away.

They then returned to the teahouse's private room. Pi Qiu-Shi asked with some curiosity, "Brother, do you have some kind of history with that Han Lang? He didn't seem too pleased to see you."

"Heh heh, we have indeed crossed paths before," Wang Guan chuckled lightly, then changed the subject.

Pi Qiu-Shi didn't press further. With his extensive experience, he naturally understood that Wang Guan must have gotten the better end of the deal, or at least not suffered a loss. Otherwise, it would have been Wang Guan showing displeasure toward Han Lang, not the other way around.

After a few more pleasantries, Wang Guan finally steered the conversation to business: "Big Brother Pi, any progress these past few days? Have you managed to see the Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu?"

"I haven't gone to see it, afraid of drawing undue attention from the auction house," Pi Qiu-Shi shook his head, then smiled. "However, I managed to acquire many high-definition photographs through some connections."

As he spoke, Pi Qiu-Shi produced about twenty to thirty photos. It was clear the photographer was skilled; every picture was taken exquisitely, showing the full view, side views, back views, and close-ups, encompassing every detail of the painting.

Wang Guan glanced at one photo and immediately frowned. "The colors are so dim."

"That's quite normal. Think about it—if it's a Song dynasty copy, it's nearly eight hundred years old. Having survived eight centuries of vicissitudes, it's already a feat that the painting has been passed down intact; you can't expect the colors to be dazzling."

Pi Qiu-Shi smiled, a touch of regret in his voice. "Furthermore, the piece was lost overseas during the Republic era. Foreigners don't cherish things the way we do. After being tossed around for a hundred years or more, it's a blessing it wasn't damaged to pieces."

"Mm," Wang Guan nodded slightly and continued looking at the photos.

The Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu (Empress Tang's Procession Picture) was the work of Zhang Xuan, a court painter of the Tang Dynasty, depicting Empress Wu Zetian on an excursion surrounded by a retinue of palace maids and guards. Thus, the painting is also known as the Empress Wu's Procession Picture.

The certainty that the Empress Tang was Wu Zetian stems from the fact that the Empress in the painting wears the Sun and Moon Robe. According to the strict conventions of Tang court attire, only the Emperor was qualified to wear such an outfit. Therefore, at that time, it's likely only Wu Zetian would dare to have the sun and moon motifs embroidered on both shoulders.

Of course, that wasn't the main point. The crucial aspect was the age of the work.

After all, Zhang Xuan was a major painter, and his works have always been subjects for later generations to copy. Copies appeared even during the Tang Dynasty, let alone in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing eras. Even in the Republic of China period, people still imitated his work, and due to the close resemblance, some imitations were even included in the collections of the Palace Museum.

Hence, for any famous transmitted painting or calligraphy, besides the original authentic piece, there will always be numerous copies circulating. Even if these copies are not the original, they still possess immense value.

While carefully examining the photographs, Wang Guan casually asked, "Big Brother Pi, what do you make of this painting?"

"Before you arrived, I discussed it with several peers," Pi Qiu-Shi smiled. "They think, given the authoritative documentation and orderly provenance, it is highly likely to be a Song dynasty copy."

Though his tone lacked absolute certainty, that was merely the customary reservation of experts. Nothing is ever confirmed with one hundred percent certainty in this field, and stating it as "highly likely" indicated that Pi Qiu-Shi and the others viewed the Tang Hou Xing Cong Tu favorably.

Wang Guan nodded lightly, then shook his head. "Alas, even though the photos are clear, there's always a layer between us. Not being able to handle it in person never feels entirely reassuring."

"Indeed," Pi Qiu-Shi agreed wholeheartedly. No matter how certain they were, a sliver of doubt always remained before seeing it with one's own eyes. It was similar to online shopping; no matter how much the seller boasted, one could never guarantee the item would be exactly as described.

Especially since this was a copy, which would inherently possess some differences from the original, making precise dating even more challenging.

At this juncture, some might wonder: Aren't copies the same as originals, so how can there be differences?

First, everyone should know that a copy is not a simple reproduction. Thus, copies and originals differ, and the rarer and more valuable the copy, the greater the variance from the original often is. This stems from the arrogance of literati and connoisseurs; when they copied the original, they frequently incorporated their own artistic flair...