At that moment, Yu Feibai exclaimed, laced with a touch of confusion, "But didn't Elder Qian only have five of those Blue and White Polychrome Twelve Flower Deity Cups? When did they become a complete set?"

"Perhaps Elder Qian managed to complete the set recently," Wang Guan said with a smile, observing closely.

Just then, on a small display stand at the front of the room, accompanied by bursts of classical music, a set of twelve exquisite cups rose slowly into view, arranged in three neat rows.

"Alright, everyone, please come closer to admire them," Elder Qian chuckled. "We can discuss and explore them in detail afterward."

As his words fell, everyone except Elder Zhou and Elder Zhang, who were seated beside Elder Qian, rose. Following the pre-arranged order, they began approaching the display in small groups to view the cups.

Although there was no strict time limit, each group was remarkably disciplined, only spending two or three minutes before yielding their spot to the next group. They would then return to their seats to ponder or exchange quiet words with their neighbors.

Soon enough, it was Gao Dequan’s turn. He walked lightly toward the small stand, bringing Wang Guan and Yu Feibai with him.

Given Gao Dequan’s relationship with Elder Qian, he had certainly admired this set of Blue and White Polychrome Twelve Flower Deity Cups before, so there was no need for him to scrutinize them again. After a cursory glance, he gestured, "You two take a look."

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai nodded slightly, positioning themselves on either side to examine the pieces.

Wang Guan had already put on his white gloves, but he didn't rush to touch them. Instead, he stepped back a couple of paces, maintaining a distance to observe carefully.

Upon first sight, Wang Guan immediately felt that this set of Blue and White Polychrome Twelve Flower Deity Cups was exceptionally fine. The porcelain body of the cups was as white as jade, crystal clear as snow, decorated with underglaze blue and overglaze polychrome depicting twelve different flowers: narcissus, magnolia, peach blossom, peony, pomegranate, lotus, orchid, osmanthus, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, Chinese rose, and plum blossom.

After watching for a moment, Wang Guan vaguely recalled that the Twelve Flower Deity Cups represented one flower for each month, often accompanied by corresponding poetic inscriptions—hence the name 'Flower Deity Cup.' A complete set of twelve, these pieces have long been regarded as masterpieces of the official kilns of the Kangxi period. They are exceedingly rare and valuable, representing, in a certain sense, the zenith of ceramic craftsmanship of that era.

However, after observing them for a while, Wang Guan vaguely sensed that while the set was indeed exquisite, something felt amiss.

"Perhaps they look too new; they don't feel like genuine Kangxi pieces," Wang Guan mused internally. He steadied himself and carefully reached out to pick up one of the cups, turning it over to scrutinize it intently.

Wang Guan happened to pick up the cup representing the eleventh month, themed around the Chinese rose (Yueji).

Yet, because China boasts so many famous flowers, several flowers can represent any given month. Therefore, although the Twelve Flower Deity Cups form a set, the specific flowers depicted on each set can sometimes vary. The common flower deities for November are often plum blossom or camellia. The Chinese rose, on the other hand, is a relatively rare motif among the Flower Deity Cups.

Furthermore, on one side of the cup, the Chinese rose was depicted swaying in the breeze, its red blossoms vying for attention; on the reverse side, a line of poetry was inscribed in kaishu (regular script) using underglaze blue.

“Bu sui qian zhong jin, du fang yi nian hong.” Wang Guan softly recited the line, struggling to recall its source.

This was understandable, given the immense number of ancient poets and poems—a sea of literary work. Since this was not a universally recognized classic line, being unaware of its origin was perfectly normal.

Later, Wang Guan learned from Gao Dequan that not only was he unaware of the line's origin, but even literary circles were still searching for the author, confirming it was an unknown piece.

While Wang Guan was studying the cup in his hand, Yu Feibai approached lightly and whispered, "Wang Guan, what do you think?"

"I think they look somewhat new; perhaps they are later reproductions," Wang Guan hesitated before finally offering his honest assessment. Although he possessed easier, more direct methods for verifying the authenticity of the Flower Deity Cups, Wang Guan preferred to hone his own eyesight, as it provided a greater sense of accomplishment.

"I knew your eye was good."

At this, Yu Feibai’s eyes flickered, and he chuckled softly, "Elder Qian let me handle the genuine Flower Deity Cups before, and the feeling is distinctly different from this set. So, I can confirm, this set must be a fake."

"Mmm..." Wang Guan nodded slightly, feeling a quiet satisfaction that his intuition was correct.

However, the thought immediately dissolved into confusion: was this feeling based on his accumulated experience and intuition, or was it influenced by his special abilities?

A complex thought flashed by, and Wang Guan decided to dismiss it. He felt that pondering such a philosophical conundrum—the chicken or the egg—was something best left alone, as overthinking it would only lead to pointless mental anguish.

"Let's go."

The time was about up. Gao Dequan gently beckoned, leading Wang Guan and Yu Feibai back to their seats.

As soon as they sat down, Gao Dequan asked, "How were they?"

"They are reproductions," Yu Feibai stated first, and Wang Guan nodded in agreement beside him.

"Not bad," Gao Dequan praised slightly, then fell silent.

A short while later, the others in the room had largely finished their viewing and returned to their places.

Simultaneously, Elder Qian smiled and asked, "Now that everyone has seen them, what do you think of my set of Twelve Flower Deity Cups?"

The crowd remained silent for a moment. A middle-aged man, seemingly on good terms with Elder Qian, spoke up directly and playfully, "Elder Qian, you’re being dishonest, using a set of fakes to fool us."

"Exactly."

"This set is just too new; the lights hitting them practically blind us."

"They have a greedy glare; the heat hasn't even dissipated yet."

Seeing someone take the lead, others began to complain good-naturedly.

"Hahahaha..." Elder Zhou laughed loudly, gently raising his hand, which quieted the room slightly. He spoke unhurriedly, "Actually, everyone has misunderstood Brother Lingxi. Bringing out a set of fakes is for everyone's own good."

It had been mentioned earlier that Elder Qian’s given name was Qian Lingxi, which many present knew. However, as Elder Qian aged and gained increasing respect, few dared to call him by his name directly. Elder Zhou, however, was different; his relationship with Elder Qian was close, a contemporary and intimate friend, so such formality was unnecessary.

At this moment, however, the crowd was utterly confused as to why presenting a set of reproductions would be "for their own good."

Under some questioning, Elder Zhou explained with a smiling face, "Don't you remember? At the last two exchange gatherings, the treasures you brought were simply not on the same level as what Brother Lingxi presented. Later, we felt this overshadowed everything else—it was a bit too much. So, this time, we decided to bring out some trinkets just to make a point, so we wouldn't steal your thunder again."

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