As he spoke, Elder Zhou ascended the display platform, donning white gloves, and casually picked up the ancient ink cake, giving it just a brief glance. In an instant, the weight and the texture of the ink visibly altered his expression.
Elder Zhou’s demeanor immediately shifted to one of profound seriousness, his movements during the appraisal almost painfully meticulous. He then retrieved a collection of magnifying glasses, varied in size and design, from his pocket and arranged them in a neat row on the platform, inspecting the artifact under each one sequentially.
A few minutes vanished in this manner, and Elder Zhou’s unusual focus naturally drew the attention of everyone present.
“Old Zhou…”
Elder Zhang called out, a spark of curiosity in his voice. However, Elder Zhou seemed utterly immersed, deaf and blind to the outside world, offering no reaction whatsoever.
At this point, even the most obtuse observer understood. The ancient ink cake Elder Zhou was examining was likely no ordinary piece.
“Could it be a famous piece from the Ming Dynasty!” someone ventured to guess.
After all, while Qing Dynasty ink cakes were rare, they weren't nonexistent; with patient searching, one could always acquire one. But Ming Dynasty ink ingots, due to their greater age, were significantly scarcer. Sometimes, even if you sought them out, you might never discover one.
Hearing the murmurs, Yu Feibai leaned close to Wang Guan’s ear and chuckled quietly, “Let them be careless and dismissive of old ink. If they knew that this ingot up there might be a rare treasure by Li Tinggui, they’d be stunned silly.”
Wang Guan smiled faintly and nodded, keeping an eye on Elder Zhou’s examination. Whether it was indeed a Li Tinggui ink would depend on the elder’s final verdict.
Another few minutes passed in the blink of an eye, with Elder Zhou still engrossed in his authentication on the platform.
At this stage, it wasn't just the crowd below who were astonished; even Elders Zhang and Qian were beginning to grow restless. They exchanged a few quiet words and then both stood up, walking onto the display stage.
Seeing this, Wang Guan quietly asked, “Uncle De, you didn’t tell Elder Qian about this ink, did you?”
Gao Dequan smiled and explained, “While the exchange meeting is ongoing, Elder Qian is acting as a judge; we cannot reveal information about the collection items to him beforehand.”
“That’s for the best,” Yu Feibai quipped cheerfully. “Telling him in advance would spoil the surprise.”
Meanwhile, Elder Zhang reached the stage and directly questioned, “Old Zhou, what exactly is it that has held your attention for this long?”
“Ah…”
Only then did Elder Zhou seem to snap back to reality. He stabilized himself and chuckled lightly, “This ancient ink cake… it is extraordinary. You all should take a look.”
“What ink could possibly…”
Glancing at the ingot, Elder Qian froze momentarily, then quickly took the cake, examining it repeatedly, tapping its body now and then, scrutinizing the grain patterns, and studying the inscription.
After several minutes, Elder Zhang reluctantly handed the ink ingot over to Elder Qian for his appraisal.
“Old Zhou, what are your thoughts?” Elder Zhang inquired.
Elder Zhou smiled, turning the question back: “And what are your feelings on it?”
“Me…” Elder Zhang hesitated, then sighed and shook his head. “I dare not jump to a conclusion.”
“I never expected the decisive and sharp Elder Zhang Da Pao to have moments of indecision,” Elder Zhou remarked with a laugh.
“What’s so strange about that?” Elder Zhang didn’t mind at all, speaking frankly, “Appraising ancient ink has never been my strong suit. If I don’t understand it, I don’t pretend to.”
“Truly, Brother Dongfeng, always straightforward and never pretentious,” Elder Zhou chuckled.
“Naturally,” Elder Zhang nodded curtly, then asked, “Old Qian, what’s your take?”
Elder Qian then set the ink cake down, letting out a soft sigh. “I’m ninety-nine percent certain, but that last one percent of doubt lingers, so I dare not commit easily.”
“That’s still far better than me,” Elder Zhang admitted openly. “I only have ninety percent confidence—nine points less than you.”
As they spoke, both men turned their gazes toward Elder Zhou. Among everyone present, it seemed only Elder Zhou possessed the certainty to deliver a hundred percent affirmation.
Elder Zhou fell silent, continuing to examine the ingot repeatedly. After a moment, he sighed softly. “Gold is easily found, but Li’s ink is hard to acquire. I never imagined that, aside from the Hanlin Fengyue in the Taipei Palace Museum, there would be another genuine piece in existence.”
“Li Ink!”
At that moment, the faint sound of Elder Zhou’s words reached the crowd, many of whom gasped in astonishment.
The collectors present were extremely knowledgeable in antiques; hearing the words “Li Ink,” they instantly understood the significance. Even those who reacted slowly realized the gravity of the situation after a prompt from their neighbors.
“The ink of Li Tinggui from the Southern Tang?”
“Is that true? Wasn’t the only known surviving piece of Li Ink housed in the Taipei Palace Museum?”
“It must be real. Three masters—Elder Zhou, Elder Qian, and Elder Zhang—all confirming it together. How could they all be mistaken?”
Amidst the discussions, excitement bloomed on many faces. A genuine Li Tinggui ink cake was regarded as a peerless, singular treasure; before this moment, it was considered unparalleled in the world.
And now, here at this exchange, another Li Ink had surfaced. If this item proved authentic, then everyone present was fortunate enough to have witnessed and borne witness to this event.
“Elder Zhou, might we also be permitted to feast our eyes upon this treasure?”
At the same time, several people mustered the courage to request an inspection. After all, when the ink cake was first displayed, they had been dismissive; their sudden reversal of attitude felt somewhat embarrassing.
“Everyone come up and take a look,” Elder Zhou said with a smile, feeling a sense of fortune that he had made the trip for this exchange. Regarding other items, he wasn't sure, but the Jade Buddha and this piece of Li Ink alone were sufficient reason for his journey.
Soon, others came forward. After careful observation, one commented, “The legendary Li Ink, said to be as hard as jade, its grain like a rhinoceros horn, possessing a rich, smooth texture, and a luster like lacquer—this indeed matches the characteristics of this ink cake.”
“The two coiling dragon patterns appear opulent, yet the execution is highly restrained, lacking any aggressive, menacing power, which aligns perfectly with the atmosphere of a declining Southern Tang state.”
“The characters ‘Xiande Sixth Year, Mid-Autumn, Gui’—the information revealed by these inscriptions perfectly matches the historical background of that era.”
Half an hour passed. Seven or eight collectors took turns examining it, murmuring their observations from every minute detail of the ingot, only to find the object incredibly genuine, matching the historical records of the legendary Li Ink precisely.
However, even when all the evidence was synthesized, they could only confirm the ingot was very likely a genuine Li Ink. Not a single person dared to state it with absolute one-hundred-percent certainty. A slight doubt plagued everyone’s minds. After all, this was a rare, singular artifact that had survived over a thousand years with only one known copy in existence. The sudden appearance of a second naturally bred apprehension.
“What, no one has anything more to say?”
Seeing the crowd hesitate, Elder Zhou chuckled lightly. “Then let me ask you this: are there any signs of forgery? Do all the details conform to the characteristics of that era?”
“It is exceedingly real; we can’t find any place where it’s fake…”
“Whether it’s the weight, the grain, the scent, the patterns, or the script—it all aligns with the written records about Li Ink,” the voices rose in a chorus, their minds now almost certain the item was genuine. Yet, perhaps because it was too genuine, it made them hesitant to finalize their belief.
One person even voiced the final lingering doubt: “Elder Zhou, look at the vermilion inscription on the ink cake; it’s already quite faint. Do you know what might have caused that…”
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