"That's easy for you to say when you're not the one looking."

At that moment, Xing Qiu pouted, "I haven't seen a trace of the Sky-Blue Clay I've been searching for these past few days, yet you've managed to buy quite a few things. You've made quite a haul."

"Just luck," Wang Guan replied.

Mentioning this, a smile also touched Wang Guan's face. "They're all just trinkets, not worth mentioning."

"Hmph, don't be coy." Xing Qiu shot back, annoyed. "You weren't talking like this the day before yesterday."

"What did I say?" Wang Guan blinked, unable to recall every word he'd spoken over the past few days.

"You said your luck was overflowing, and even if you couldn't find the Sky-Blue Clay material, discovering a piece of Stone Yellow would still make the trip worthwhile." Xing Qiu snorted. "Now I feel like this journey isn't you accompanying me, but me accompanying you."

"It makes no difference," Wang Guan said cheerfully. "At worst, I’ll have someone craft the Stone Yellow into a pot later and give you one."

"I don't care for it!" Xing Qiu pouted.

"You said that, so don't regret it later," Wang Guan kindly reminded him. "If Sky-Blue Clay is the top-tier variety of Zisha clay, then Stone Yellow can certainly be counted among the top varieties as well—extremely rare and seldom seen."

Wang Guan wasn't exaggerating. One had to know that Zisha clay, a type of ceramic earth, originated from sedimentary deposits in inland lakes and coastal swamps. It formed mineral deposits through external forces and was buried deep within mountain cores.

As mentioned before, Zisha clay is the collective term for red clay, green clay, and purple clay. Although they are all Zisha clays, their quality is subdivided into several categories. The most common is Jiā Ní (, armor clay), which has the largest reserves. Furthermore, purple clay is a layer embedded within the armor clay, and green clay is a layer within the purple clay, giving rise to the saying 'clay within clay, rock within rock.'

Green clay is not produced in large quantities. Its texture is softer, and its fire resistance is lower than purple clay. Generally, it is used as a powder or coating on the exterior of the body of the pottery to make the colors of the Zisha wares more vibrant.

As for Stone Yellow, it is a variety of tender clay and is the fundamental source for the coloring of red clay. In the Zisha industry, it has long been commonly referred to as red clay, and historical records sometimes call it Zhū Ní (, cinnabar clay).

In any case, Zisha teapots made from this quality of material—where the pot’s color is brilliantly vibrant yet subdued, solid yet not gaudy—are called Dà Hóng Páo (, Great Red Robe) and are universally acknowledged as the finest type of supreme red clay.

It is quite unfortunate, however, that this material is too scarce. Apart from a batch of small ritual pots made during the Republican Era, which used this material for the body, this precious clay was generally only used as a slip or cosmetic coating applied to the raw Zisha clay body to achieve a cinnabar-red effect during kiln firing. Still, this result is certainly far inferior to the supreme Dà Hóng Páo.

True Dà Hóng Páo Zisha teapots possess a finish as fine as slick fat, their entire body tenderly moist. Not only is the quality of the pot body superior, but the mere appearance is enough to intoxicate the heart and mind. Failing to find Sky-Blue Clay but obtaining a piece of Stone Yellow is definitely an unexpected joy, and it’s no wonder Wang Guan felt the trip was worthwhile.

"This young friend."

Just as Wang Guan was feeling smug, a person approached them with a genial expression. "Perhaps I am being presumptuous, but I must ask—did the two of you just mention Stone Yellow?"

"Hm?"

Wang Guan looked up. The person appeared neither entirely old nor exactly middle-aged; somewhere in his early fifties, with silver streaks faintly visible at his temples, yet his eyes were remarkably bright, possessing the vitality of a young man.

"This gentleman..."

Wang Guan hesitated slightly, pondering the appropriate form of address. However, Xing Qiu beside him reacted faster and laughed directly, "Uncle, did you overhear us talking?"

"My apologies, I happened to catch a few words as I passed by," the man said with an apologetic smile, then continued pressing, "Did you really discover Stone Yellow?"

"Well," Xing Qiu fell silent, looking toward Wang Guan instead. After all, the item belonged to Wang Guan, so he couldn't say much. Perhaps Wang Guan intended to keep it secret and might deny it outright.

However, Wang Guan wasn't inclined toward secrecy. He just chuckled casually, "We only found something suspected to be Stone Yellow; it may not actually be it."

"Could you let me take a look?"

Perhaps sensing his request was too bold, the man added, "Of course, I can come over to look if that's easier."

The intention was the same: he wanted to see the item in Wang Guan's possession to confirm if it was Stone Yellow. If it wasn't, they could part ways amicably. If it truly was Stone Yellow, he certainly couldn't let it slip by easily.

Under the man's expectant gaze, Wang Guan considered for a moment, then nodded readily. "Sure. The item is back at the inn. If Uncle is interested, why don't we go take a look together?"

By this time, the two had finished breakfast. They paid the bill and immediately led the man back to their inn room. Although they had stayed at the inn for a week, they had been out from early morning till late evening; thankfully, the room hadn't descended into utter chaos thanks to the cleaning staff.

As for Wang Guan's spoils from his excursions into the countryside, they were naturally locked away in a cabinet. After inviting the man to sit, Wang Guan opened the cabinet, revealing the collection gathered over five or six days, somewhat haphazardly piled up in the reasonably spacious space.

There were a couple of small pots and some ceramic ornaments. The most eye-catching item was naturally a stone at the bottom of the cabinet: its outer shell was dark brown and hard as iron, encasing a mineral that looked remarkably similar to a hard-boiled egg yolk. Weighing nearly thirty or forty catties, Wang Guan felt a bit strained just moving it out.

Setting the stone down, Wang Guan smiled. "Uncle must be an expert; please take a look and tell me if this is Stone Yellow."

"Let me see..."

In fact, the moment the man saw the stone, a flicker of delight crossed his eyes. After crouching down to examine it closely, he became even more certain. Still, he needed to clarify: "Young friend, where did you discover this item?"

"It’s quite a coincidence, actually," Wang Guan said, feeling relaxed and having no intention of hiding anything. "We were visiting various households in Zhao Village while checking out old residences in the countryside. We happened to pass by a dilapidated house. We were tired, so we decided to rest on the remnants of the broken walls."

"I was bored at the time and casually used a bamboo pole to tap and knock against the ruins. As I was tapping, I suddenly felt this stone was unusual," Wang Guan said, a broad smile spreading across his face. "After careful examination, I felt this stone might be Stone Yellow. It had just been used by someone as an ordinary stone, mixed with mud to build a house. It only saw daylight again after the house fell into ruin."

"No wonder the surface of the stone has so many mud stains."

The man suddenly understood, his eyes lighting up. "Besides this stone, there was nothing else?"

"Probably not," Wang Guan pondered. "Even if there were more, they might have weathered away under the wind and sun. Only this stone was lucky enough to have material piled on top of it and be encased in mud, which prevented it from disintegrating."

Hearing this, the man felt a deep sense of regret. After all, once Stone Yellow disintegrates and mixes with other soil, it is genuinely difficult to refine. Especially without knowing the exact quantity, mobilizing significant effort to refine it might not be worth the trouble.

Of course, regardless, thirty or forty catties of stone would yield a decent amount of refined Stone Yellow. If used as a cosmetic slip, it could last for quite some time. Even if all of it were used to make Zisha pots, it could yield two or three pieces.

The man was clearly moved. After studying the Stone Yellow again, he immediately looked up. "Young friend, are you willing to sell this Stone Yellow? I can offer a high price for acquisition."

"Sorry, the item is not for sale," Wang Guan smiled. "I plan to keep it to have a craftsman make a pot for me."

Instantly, the man quoted a price directly: "One million."

"Oh!"

Wang Guan was somewhat surprised; this price was genuinely sincere. Even teapots made by contemporary master craftsmen might not fetch this price. Everyone should know that the material is a cost, plus the skill of the master craftsman, so it is normal for Zisha pots to be expensive. The issue is that the cost of the material, no matter how high, shouldn't exceed the price of the finished teapot.

Thinking of this, Wang Guan became thoughtful and then inquired, "May I ask Uncle’s name?"

"Pei!"

The man introduced himself: "Pei Hongquan. I'm a craftsman, so I couldn't help but be excited when I saw it. I hope young friend can fulfill my wish."

"Pei..."

Just then, Wang Guan exclaimed in astonishment, "Master Pei, the Lion Ball King?"

"Heh heh, that's just the flattering nickname given by colleagues in the trade; it shouldn't be taken seriously," Pei Hongquan smiled modestly. "Compared to my ancestors, I still have a long way to go."

"Pei, Pei, Pei..."

At the same time, Xing Qiu seemed to recognize Pei Hongquan too, his eyes wide, almost stuttering. His reaction was similar to that of a fan meeting an idol they deeply admire.

Seeing this scene, Pei Hongquan felt a small measure of self-satisfaction. After all, being revered by others naturally brings joy, which is understandable and not objectionable. However, he was more concerned about the Stone Yellow: "Young friend, what do you think of my offer? If you feel the price is unsuitable, I can consider adding a bit more."

Pei Hongquan had the standing to say this. He wasn't worried that an expensive material would inflate production costs because whatever he created, even if the cost doubled, could easily sell for a high price.

After all, masters have different tiers. Take the Titan of Pot Art, the late Mr. Gu Jingzhou. His carefully crafted pots only sold for two or three hundred yuan in the seventies and eighties, but now they break tens of millions. At the Autumn Auction in 2011, his 'Ti Bi Group Pot' set sold for over seventeen million, setting a new world record for Zisha teapot transaction prices.

Of course, Gu Jingzhou was a modern master craftsman, and his Ti Bi set comprised eleven pieces, so the price per piece wasn't exorbitant. The most expensive single Zisha pots are works by ancient masters. For example, the 'Quán Niǔ Pot' made by Shi Dà Bīn of the Ming Dynasty auctioned for a staggering thirteen million-plus yuan.

There was also the 'Pumpkin Pot' made by Chen Mingyuan of the Qing Dynasty, which sold at auction for over eight million Hong Kong dollars...

Although Pei Hongquan was also a master, he certainly couldn't be ranked alongside those figures. However, his title 'Lion Ball King' wasn't acquired for nothing; it was the accumulation of three or four generations.

The first generation Lion Ball King was Jiang Zuchen, a skilled potter from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic era. He was excellent at imitating ancient vessels, particularly renowned for his bas-relief decorative skills. The series of pots he created—Lion Ball, Lion Lantern, and Lion Seat—were highly favored by his contemporaries, which is how he earned the title Lion Ball King.

The second Lion Ball King was Pei Hongquan’s grandfather, Pei Shimin, often lauded as the 'Second Chen Mingyuan'...

(To be continued.)