At this point, regardless of what Wang Guan knew, Master Banshan could no longer conceal things. He could only offer a wry smile and say, "In truth, I don't know much either. The outcome might disappoint Benefactor Wang."

"It's fine," Wang Guan stated decisively. "Worst case, I'll just offload it back to Jiade Company at a loss; I imagine they'd be happy to take it. As long as the loss doesn't exceed ten million, I can accept it."

"If that's the case, why did Benefactor buy this pagoda in the first place?" Master Banshan seemed genuinely astonished.

"I simply trusted the Master," Wang Guan replied with a smile. "The moment I saw the pagoda, I was urgently compelled to acquire it. There must be some hidden story behind it."

"Amitabha," Master Banshan bowed slightly. "Isn't Benefactor afraid that I was simply moved by immediate infatuation? After all, as a disciple of the Buddha, seeing a sacred treasure before one naturally stirs the Zen heart."

"Others might have their Zen hearts stirred, but Master, having cultivated for many years, would not lose composure so easily," Wang Guan said with a chuckle. "That’s why I was certain the pagoda was extraordinary."

Of course, he absolutely would not admit that the moment he sensed Master Banshan’s abnormal emotional state, he had secretly cheated. Only after learning the hidden secret of the golden pagoda did he fully commit to purchasing the item. However, he couldn't appear too clairvoyant; thus, Master Banshan naturally became the key figure in unlocking the golden pagoda's secret.

At this juncture, Master Banshan ceased his pretense and looked up with a wry smile. "Benefactor believes I wouldn't have my Zen heart stirred, but in reality, my Zen heart has already been breached."

"That's alright; it's quite normal," Wang Guan consoled him with false sincerity. "As long as one hasn't attained Buddhahood, there will always be the Seven Emotions and Six Desires. It’s merely a matter of more or less... Speaking of which, is there something unusual about this pagoda?"

Master Banshan answered with a question instead of a direct reply. "How much does Benefactor Wang know about the origins of this pagoda?"

"Qing Imperial Collection. In the thirty-eighth year of Qianlong’s reign, to celebrate his mother’s eightieth birthday, he specifically ordered it painstakingly crafted as a ritual object for praying for blessings. It only circulated among the populace in the early years of the Republic, and after passing through several hands, it ended up as a possession of the Jia family," Wang Guan recited Old Man Qian's words, then asked curiously, "Or perhaps Master knows of some other history for the pagoda?"

"Benefactor is correct; the origin of the pagoda is accurate, and there are no other histories."

Master Banshan hesitated briefly before finally speaking the truth. "However, it happens that one of my ancestral masters was summoned by Emperor Qianlong back then to enter the palace and pray for the Empress Dowager. He saw this pagoda and learned a secret."

"What secret?" Wang Guan immediately pressed. The pagoda cast in pure gold was right there; no one could take it away, so the story behind it was naturally far more captivating.

Since the truth was out, Master Banshan held nothing back and began to narrate: "I do not know if this matter is true or false, but after reviewing the notes and jottings passed down by my ancestral master, I learned that in order to pray for his mother, Emperor Qianlong summoned high monks from across the realm to hold a grand Dharma assembly."

"During this event, he summoned several of the most venerable masters among the high monks, particularly those skilled in calligraphy, to enter the palace, preparing to copy the Sutra of Immeasurable Life as a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager..."

Here, Master Banshan paused, a hint of awe in his voice. "According to my master's account, Emperor Qianlong, wishing to demonstrate his sincerity, personally melted down ten thousand taels of gold to create gold powder, which was then mixed into specially prepared cinnabar paste. He then instructed several highly virtuous masters to use this special pigment as ink, spending ten days and ten nights to complete the task."

"And then?" Wang Guan asked with keen interest. "The situation afterward is the key, isn't it?"

"Benefactor has sharp perception."

Master Banshan smiled and continued: "After completing the task, Emperor Qianlong richly rewarded the high monks, and on the day of the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, he presented both the sutra and the pagoda to her. The Empress Dowager was naturally delighted and treasured both items, making offerings to them day and night with incense and fire..."

"And then?" Wang Guan pressed again. "Since it's a secret, it surely wasn't that simple."

"Naturally, it wasn't simple."

As he spoke, Master Banshan stood up and walked over to the golden pagoda, examining it closely. He observed that the pagoda was composed of three main parts: the base, the body (stupa-vase), and the finial.

The base was styled as a Sumeru pedestal, intricately carved on all four sides with auspicious symbols like the baoxiang flower, lotus petals, and the vajra for warding off evil. Furthermore, various natural gemstones were inlaid sporadically between the lotus petals, creating an air of extreme opulence.

Above the base was the stupa-vase. The vase featured a square door, exquisitely carved with refined patterns. Most importantly, atop the lotus seat within the vase housing, rested a golden statue of the Buddha, radiating brilliant light, its majesty utterly solemn.

The uppermost part was the finial, which included the umbrella, the sun and moon discs, and the crowning jewel. The sun and moon discs were adorned with natural red agate and Kawa material, respectively, while the jewel atop the spire was ground from turquoise. Under the lamplight, it projected auspicious radiance and boundless Buddha light.

Master Banshan circled the pagoda once, then suddenly turned back. "Benefactor Wang, you don't mind if I verify something, do you?"

"I couldn't ask for anything more," Wang Guan responded, eager.

"Very well..." Master Banshan steadied his mind and cautiously extended a hand into the stupa-vase, carefully feeling around the golden Buddha statue.

After a moment, everyone heard a crisp crack. Immediately, the front face of the pagoda base—the side intricately carved with the baoxiang flower pattern—suddenly split open, dropping down like the drawbridge of an ancient city gate.

"This is..."

Wang Guan’s delight was palpable, while Elder Qian also showed surprise and rose to observe.

"Amitabha, what the ancestral master’s notes recorded is not false. The pagoda indeed conceals mysteries within," Master Banshan sighed, a hint of joy now on his face. He stepped back two paces, yielding the spot. "Benefactor Wang, this is a momentous opportunity; please cherish it."

"Cherish it? I certainly will," Wang Guan nodded quickly, stepping forward without hesitation and squatting down slightly. After a brief look, he saw a square storage space inside the pagoda base, within which a cloth-like object was neatly folded.

Wang Guan gently retrieved the item. Though he had an idea of what it was, the sensation felt through his special ability was clearly different from viewing it with the naked eye.

To Wang Guan’s touch, the square cloth object felt very soft, like silk, exhibiting the dark gold hue of sutra paper. Under the light, it emitted threads of brilliant golden radiance—its condition was extraordinary.

"Is this the Sutra of Immeasurable Life copied by those highly virtuous masters?" Meanwhile, Elder Qian also peered over curiously and touched the square cloth. He immediately exclaimed in astonishment, "This feels like Gold-Silk Brocade!"

"Gold-Silk Brocade?" Wang Guan blinked, puzzled. "What is that?"

"It involves integrating powdered gold and jade through special means into fine silk threads, which are then meticulously woven into cloth," Elder Qian explained. "After this gold-silk brocade was successfully developed, the initial intention was to use it to make the Emperor’s dragon robes. However, due to the tedious and complex process, and because dragon robes made from gold-silk brocade were of a single, purely refined color, they couldn't be interwoven with other colors. If one insisted on adding other elements like copper or silver threads or peacock feathers, the robes became extremely uncomfortable to wear. Thus, the Emperor disliked them, and the technique for creating gold-silk brocade gradually fell into disuse."

"Oh."

Wang Guan nodded. He had merely asked in passing and had no intention of digging deeper. After all, compared to the craftsmanship of the gold-silk brocade, he was far more interested in the Sutra of Immeasurable Life in his hands. He recalled that what he saw with his special ability differed slightly from Master Banshan’s description.

Master Banshan claimed the sutra was copied by high monks using gold powder and cinnabar paste. However, what Wang Guan sensed from the gold-silk brocade did not look like it had been copied...

With this thought, Wang Guan no longer hesitated. He immediately called out to Master Banshan, then delicately picked up a corner of the gold-silk brocade and gently unfolded it, suspending it in the air.

Though the folded gold-silk brocade was not large—about the thickness of an elementary school textbook—when spread out, it could almost cover half the wall of the living room.

Of course, the expansive size was secondary; the main thing was that once unfolded, the contents of the gold-silk brocade were clearly visible.

"Wait!"

Wang Guan and Master Banshan were engrossed in unfolding the gold-silk brocade, caught in the moment, but Elder Qian, standing aside, saw things perfectly clearly. He suddenly cried out, his voice laced with inexplicable excitement, waving his hand. "Don't hold it close to the wall; bring it near the window to see!"

"The window?" Master Banshan was naturally puzzled, but Wang Guan understood a bit more and immediately followed Elder Qian’s instruction, swiftly moving to the location near the window.

Just then, the gold-silk brocade hung beside the window, with a large portion immediately exposed to the sunlight. In that instant, a dazzling, brilliant light erupted, like the brightest stars in the night sky, shimmering with spectacular, flowing colors.

"How beautiful..."

At this moment, not only was Wang Guan mesmerized, but Master Banshan, glancing over, was momentarily stunned speechless. If he hadn't been holding a corner of the gold-silk brocade, he might have immediately knelt down right there.

This was no joke. At this point, Master Banshan used a small clip to fasten a corner of the gold-silk brocade to the rope hanging from the window curtain, then stepped back a few paces, adjusted his monk's robe, and began to worship with solemn reverence.

Wang Guan secured the gold-silk brocade as well and retreated beside Elder Qian, understanding why Master Banshan was prostrating. He wasn't bowing to the gold-silk brocade itself, but offering homage to the Buddha.

Though Wang Guan was not a Buddhist, at this moment, he respected Master Banshan's faith and remained silent, watching quietly. After a long time, he finally whispered, "Elder Qian, the characters on the cloth are Sanskrit, right?"

"Yes, they are Sanskrit," Elder Qian nodded slightly. "The Sanskrit version of the Sutra of Immeasurable Life."

"But it’s more than just a sutra..." Wang Guan murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the gold-silk brocade, watching the marvelous light and shadow formed by the sunlight projection. He couldn't help but marvel once more.