At this moment, Elder Chi spoke with great solemnity, "It's not just you all; we are also very eager to tell everyone directly: this complete scroll of the Odes to the Red Cliffs, front and back, is an authentic original…"

"That's wonderful." In that very instant, Elder Ji hurriedly interrupted, exclaiming, "Brother Chi has spoken—the item is authentic! Everyone, applaud!"

"Clap, clap, clap, clap…" Led by Elder Ji, the others reacted, quickly joining in with applause and celebration, which left Elder Chi and his group looking speechless and slightly exasperated.

"Brother Ji, stop causing trouble," Elder Tian interjected with a light chuckle a moment later. "Are you trying to deceive yourselves?"

"Ah…"

Upon hearing this, Elder Ji immediately sighed, and the applause instantly ceased. The disappointment on the faces of the others was clearly evident as well.

"What's with the sigh? We never said it was a fake," Elder Tian quickly soothed. "To tell the truth, if this item weren't so incredibly precious, demanding extreme caution, I would have already…"

Under the expectant gazes of Elder Ji and the others, Elder Tian ultimately left his sentence unfinished. Instead, he turned and asked, "Wang Guan, you can speak now. How exactly did you acquire this item?"

Under the circumstances, Wang Guan felt it inappropriate to conceal anything further, and he immediately laughed, "Speaking of this matter, it actually has something to do with Elder Xing as well."

"I'm involved?" Elder Xing was utterly astonished.

"Yes," Wang Guan chuckled lightly. "To be precise, it should be said that you elders, including Elder Xing, were being quietly watched, with plans to set a trap for you."

"What? Such a thing happened?"

Elder Xing frowned, hurriedly urging, "What exactly happened? Hurry and tell us…"

"This is rather complicated; let me start from the beginning," Wang Guan said.

Wang Guan narrated smoothly, beginning with how he first commissioned Old Master Liu to cast the bell, thus avoiding the impression that Elder Tian and the others might have that he was consorting with scoundrels. Next came his volunteering to go to Ezhou to resolve the issue, and then his chance encounter with Xing Qiu…

"That was the prelude. You all know the rest of the situation," Wang Guan continued. "We all went to eat together. Remember I received a call then? It was Liu Liang, saying a friend had something good and invited me to take a look. I couldn't refuse out of politeness, so I agreed and went first thing this morning."

"But I never expected that inviting me to see an item was just a guise; the real purpose was to pull me into a scam," Wang Guan said, shaking his head lightly before laughing. "As for how they planned to pull off the scam, I believe you elders, like Elder Tian, should have some idea."

"Hmm, an old trick—assisting a tyrant," Elder Tian nodded slightly, well aware of the dirty dealings within the antiques circle.

"What is assisting a tyrant?" Elder Xing had a vague understanding but still wanted full clarity.

"It means exploiting everyone's trust in me, then having me falsely identify an imitation as genuine, recommending these fakes as authentic treasures, thereby causing you all to be cheated," Wang Guan explained simply, instantly illuminating the minds of some present.

"A shill!"

"Yes, a shill!"

At this point, Wang Guan smiled, rather pleased. "Originally, I intended to refuse them righteously and scold them soundly. But suddenly, I realized they were blind—they treated this long scroll as a fake! Although I couldn't be absolutely certain it was the genuine article, I was certain it wasn't a forgery. So, an idea struck me: I'd play along with their scheme and seek Xing Qiu’s help…"

Under Wang Guan's narration, everyone finally grasped the entire sequence of events, and they couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"Young man, you did nothing wrong. That's precisely how it should be—let those swindlers taste what it's like to be cheated."

"Trying to cheat others only to be cheated themselves—that’s karma!"

"Truly, their cleverness led to their own undoing."

Amidst the murmurs, some voices held unconcealed envy. They envied Wang Guan for acquiring a complete Odes to the Red Cliffs, very possibly the genuine work of Su Dongpo, for only 250,000.

From the words and actions of Elder Tian and Elder Chi, everyone could largely grasp that the likelihood of the item being authentic was very high. Even if it wasn't the original, it had been confirmed to be an ancient imitation of exceptionally high quality.

As long as it wasn't a mere forgery, such a fine piece could absolutely not be bought for 250,000. In short, Wang Guan had made a massive profit.

Of course, envy alone wouldn't secure such a fortune. First, one needed the discerning eye to determine the item's true value. Second, one needed the sheer luck to stumble into such a scheme and manage to turn the tables.

Regardless, the provenance of the object had been explained, though it didn't immediately help finalize its status. Perhaps even the person who first discovered it believed it was a fake, which is why it was sold off as such, eventually passing into the hands of Little Duan, leading to the layered scheme Wang Guan orchestrated to easily bring this treasure into his possession.

"Your luck, as always, is astonishing," Elder Tian remarked with deep feeling at that moment. "It can be considered a reward for good intentions."

"Good intentions? This hardly qualifies as 'good intentions.' Moreover, if there were more of these 'good intentions,' why haven't I encountered any…" Many people grumbled inwardly, though they outwardly nodded in agreement.

However, after the exclamations subsided, the gaze of the crowd shifted back to Elder Tian and Elder Chi. There was still no definitive conclusion on whether the item was genuine or not; they had no patience for anything else.

Just then, Elder Chi paused in thought and immediately waved his hand, "Back to the provincial capital!"

"What?" Everyone was momentarily stunned, failing to grasp his meaning.

"Back to Wuchang," Elder Chi stated with seriousness. "The Provincial Museum has specialized testing equipment and numerous experienced appraisers who can conduct a detailed and comprehensive evaluation."

"No!"

In an instant, Elder Ji flatly refused.

"What's wrong?" This time it was Elder Chi's turn to be perplexed. "Weren't you the loudest one demanding action just now? Why are you disagreeing now?"

"Have you forgotten the Cultural Festival is tomorrow?" Elder Ji reminded them. "How can we miss tomorrow's grand event with something like this in hand?"

"That's right."

The others immediately realized this and nodded in agreement. If they hadn't known about it before, it would be one thing, but now that they knew such an artifact existed, how could they let it slip away under their noses?

"You want to exhibit something whose authenticity hasn't even been confirmed?" Elder Chi found the situation somewhat laughable.

"What do you mean 'not confirmed'?!" Elder Ji shot back. "You old fellows just don't want to take responsibility and dare not utter the word 'genuine.' As long as it's not a fake, we'll treat it as genuine!"

"Exactly, exactly…"

The others echoed his sentiment. Elder Xing also proposed, "Let's exhibit it first, let everyone appreciate the artwork. At worst, we can point out that the work is somewhat questionable when displayed."

"There's no need for doubt," Elder Ji waved his hand. "It is one hundred percent authentic!"

"Brother Ji, don't stir up more trouble," Elder Chi said with helpless amusement. "Even if you say it’s real, you need to provide convincing proof."

"We certainly have proof," Elder Ji stated solemnly. "Based on my thirty years studying Su Dongpo's calligraphy, I can stake my entire reputation on the fact that these are his words."

"I can vouch for it too…" Two or three other elders immediately stood up in support. They were all senior members of the Huangzhou Calligraphy and Painting Association, having dedicated their lives to studying Su Dongpo's script, achieving profound mastery. However, it was a regrettable fact that they belonged to the academic school of scholars.

Everyone knew the weakness of academic scholars: their theory often outweighed their practical skill. If they were to discuss theory, they could speak for three days and nights without repetition, but when it came to practical application, they were often lacking.

Precisely because he understood these shortcomings, Elder Chi felt deeply helpless but dared not show it. He could only persuade them gently not to be so dogmatic.

Elder Ji and the others were naturally displeased, leading to a stalemate. Seeing this, Elder Tian pondered for a moment, then stepped forward to mediate, "Let's stop arguing. I have an idea; I wonder if it will work."

"What idea?"

Under everyone's gaze, Elder Tian smiled slightly, "The Cultural Festival is tomorrow, but the exhibition segment probably won't start until noon. This means there is at least another day, which should be enough time. Have Brother Chi and the others take the item to the provincial capital for testing now, and once the results are back, send it over. If everything goes smoothly, it should arrive in time."

"Hmm?"

Everyone felt this idea was quite good, but Elder Ji still harbored some doubt. "Brother Chi, can you guarantee you'll have the results before tomorrow?"

"We can," Elder Chi thought for a moment and nodded. "We'll go all out—rush the process overnight. We will send the item back before noon tomorrow, results or not. That should suffice, right?"

"That would be best," Elder Ji finally nodded, satisfied. Not entirely trusting, he also arranged for a few members of the Calligraphy and Painting Association to go along and supervise.

The group of elders acted with impressive decisiveness. Once the decision was made, there was no more idle talk; they left immediately to drive away. From beginning to end, no one had asked for Wang Guan’s opinion, as if the item had nothing to do with him.

What recourse did Wang Guan have other than a wry smile?

There was little more to say about the ensuing events. One contingent left with Elder Chi for the provincial capital, while the other group chatted together for a long time before finally dispersing, still feeling unfulfilled.

The next morning, led by Xing Qiu, Wang Guan arrived near the Dongpo Red Cliffs in Huangzhou. The scene was one of overwhelming crowds and vibrant activity. People and cars moved in a continuous flow, bustling about as if attending a massive market, incredibly noisy.

"Is the Cultural Festival always this lively?"

Wang Guan was somewhat surprised. He had always heard that Su Dongpo held great influence, but he hadn't felt it substantially until now. He finally understood the immense charm of Su Dongpo. Looking out, the masses formed a dense sea of heads that seemed endless. Considering the scorching weather, sweating profusely was an understatement.

"More or less," Xing Qiu replied, completely unfazed, beaming. "It used to be lively, but in the last two years, it's gotten even more so. People come to participate not just from all over the country, but from overseas as well."

"Oh," Wang Guan nodded, knowing Xing Qiu wasn't lying, as he had indeed spotted quite a few foreigners among the crowd…