After racking his brain for a long time, Wang Guan still couldn't figure it out, failing to grasp any secret of the cup.

He studied it for a while longer, then gave up, consoling himself that even the great Master Pei Shimin had spent most of his life studying it without unlocking its secret; it was only natural that he, an amateur, couldn't discern its marvels.

Of course, Wang Guan’s so-called giving up was only about abandoning conventional methods; he was prepared to take an unconventional path. He wasn't rigid, knowing full well when to adapt, so he immediately activated his special ability.

At first glance, a dazzling burst of treasure light erupted. Wang Guan instinctively narrowed his eyes, concentrating intensely as he examined it closely. Purple clay artifacts were already somewhat porous and breathable, but now the cup became utterly transparent, leaving no hidden mystery concealed—it was completely exposed.

“I never expected this, never in a million years…” Wang Guan was utterly astonished, his eyes blazing with excitement.

However, a few minutes later, the excitement in Wang Guan’s gaze instantly dimmed. He couldn't help but scratch his head: “The object is magnificent, exquisitely wonderful, but the problem is that only I can see it. It’s a solitary beauty, hardly a treasure…”

“No, something must be wrong.”

For a moment, Wang Guan frowned in deep thought: “It feels like a semi-finished product, incomplete, as if it’s missing the final, most crucial step. Otherwise, it shouldn't be like this…”

Wang Guan couldn't figure it out. He worked until late at night, and when his father saw the light on in his room and came to remind him to rest, he still hadn't solved the puzzle. Nevertheless, he obediently went to sleep, tossing and turning with heavy doubts before finally drifting into a hazy slumber.

The next morning, Wang Guan woke up rather late. After washing up, he realized it was already past eleven o'clock. Descending the stairs into the hall, he caught a rich, fragrant aroma immediately, drawing him toward the source, which led him to the kitchen.

At that moment, his mother was cooking—or more accurately, brewing something. In any case, the intoxicating fragrance he smelled was emanating from the pot.

“Awake?” His mother glanced back and smiled instantly. “Just wait a bit longer, lunch will be ready soon.”

“What are you cooking?”

Wang Guan asked curiously, moving closer to look. In the pot were glistening, fatty pig trotters, accompanied by traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients like red dates, Codonopsis root, Goji berries, and dried longan.

“We’re eating this for lunch?” Wang Guan was taken aback. “Isn't that a bit too greasy?”

“It’s not ready yet,” his mother chuckled. “This is for dinner. It’s been simmering since eight this morning and won't be done until six this evening. By then, you won't find it greasy.”

“Oh.”

Wang Guan nodded, gazing at the pig trotters in the pot. He felt a vague, almost premonitory sensation, though when he tried to focus, he couldn't quite grasp what he was sensing.

“You’ve been out wrestling with things for a week; you’ve lost weight and gotten a tan,” his mother continued. “The experts on TV say pig trotters are full of collagen or protein, which is good for whitening the skin. Eat plenty tonight.”

“Alright, as long as it’s not greasy, I’ll take one whole one and gnaw it clean,” Wang Guan smiled, then reminded her, “It looks like the soup in the pot is a bit low; perhaps you should add some water.”

“No rush,”

His mother said casually. “You can’t just keep adding water. It needs to cook slowly to really bring out the flavor. I saw a feature on TV about a huge pot of soup in a famous restaurant that’s been simmering without ever being extinguished for decades; I wonder how fragrant that must be.”

“Simmering?”

In an instant, the feeling Wang Guan had became slightly clearer.

“Yes, slow simmering,” his mother said with a smile. “Simmering it with Chinese herbs to make a Ten-Tonic Restorative Soup.”

“Simmering it with Chinese herbs…”

Suddenly, a flash of insight illuminated Wang Guan’s mind, and his expression became joyous. “I understand! Perhaps it needs to be done like this… Mom, thank you…” As he spoke, Wang Guan excitedly ran toward his room. Seeing this, his mother frowned slightly and called out, “What’s wrong? It’s almost time to eat. Don’t run so fast, careful you don’t fall. You’re such a grown man, yet still so rash…”

Wang Guan no longer heard these words; he was already back in his room, taking out the Peach Cup for a close, detailed examination. A moment later, he made a firm decision: “I’ll treat this as a last resort. Even if it fails, there probably won’t be any loss involved.”

Having made up his mind, Wang Guan made a few phone calls, ordering some items. After lunch, several deliveries arrived, much to the surprise of his parents.

“Why on earth did you buy a huge vat?” his mother asked, bewildered. “And so much firewood too.”

“To cook something,” Wang Guan laughed. “It’s not a vat; it’s a large earthenware pot, just bigger in size.”

“What do you plan to cook?” His father also sounded curious.

“Tea…”

Wang Guan gave a mysterious smile. That evening, the premium tea he had ordered arrived—a full few hundred jin of the finest Xihu Shifeng Longjing. At such a volume, the supplier thought he was in the wholesale business and even gave him a 20% discount to secure the major client.

Regardless, everything was prepared. Wang Guan immediately built a makeshift stove in the backyard, set the large earthenware pot atop it, poured all one hundred-plus jin of premium tea into the pot, filled it with high-quality spring water, and finally lit the pine firewood…

With all preparations complete, Wang Guan carefully placed the cup into the pot, closed the lid, and settled in to wait.

The fire burned fiercely, and soon the spring water boiled, releasing a fresh, enchanting tea fragrance. At first, it was a faint scent, but it grew stronger and stronger until it nearly enveloped the entire villa. His parents naturally smelled it too and came to the backyard, where, amidst their astonishment, they couldn't help but grumble and criticize Wang Guan for wasting valuable goods.

“I have a reason for doing this, and I guarantee you’ll be astounded when you see the result…”

Wang Guan argued, his appearance full of confidence, though internally, he felt a significant lack of certainty. After all, he wasn't sure if this method would work. If it did, everyone would be happy; if not, he would truly be branded a profligate son.

In any case, the matter was past the point of no return. With Wang Guan’s insistence, his parents let him proceed. His mother even advised him that the water was boiling too violently and that he should switch to a gentler heat for slow simmering.

Wang Guan readily accepted the advice, pulling out several fiercely burning logs and continuing the slow brew.

One day passed. More than half the water in the pot had evaporated, but the Peach Cup remained unchanged. This was expected. Wang Guan added more water and continued to cook, filling the villa surroundings with the scent of tea, even making nearby neighbors curious enough to inquire what was happening.

Wang Guan naturally found an excuse to brush them off.

Frankly speaking, although the tea fragrance was incredibly rich, it lacked any harsh or irritating odor, nor did it constitute air pollution. Thus, even if the neighbors suspected Wang Guan wasn't telling the whole truth, they had no reason to press further.

Besides, brewing tea was his business. As long as it didn’t violate any laws or disrupt normal public order, others had no grounds to stop him. Moreover, the tea aroma was quite pleasant; some people enjoyed it and would certainly not discourage the process.

Another day passed, and the Peach Cup was still the same—dark and lifeless.

However, the tea fragrance had faded considerably, as evaporation naturally occurred through repeated steaming. Under his parents' suspicious gaze, Wang Guan gritted his teeth and persisted, adding another few dozen jin of tea to the pot.

Fortunately, Heaven rewards the diligent. On the fourth day, the Peach Cup finally showed a slight, visually discernible change. The color, which had resembled charcoal black, had actually faded a bit, and the rough surface exhibited a slight sheen.

Discovering this, Wang Guan was nearly moved to tears, so excited he almost jumped up. Changes were a good sign; changes meant his speculation was correct, and continuing on this path would surely lead to success.

Of course, in his parents’ eyes, this slight change in the Peach Cup looked no different from before. But since their son said so, they weren't going to argue. After all, they had grown accustomed to it over several days, thinking that once the tea was ruined, the spring water evaporated, and the firewood burned out, their son would finally give up.

Yet, by the sixth day, his parents were amazed to find that Wang Guan seemed to have been right; the Peach Cup truly had undergone a significant transformation. Not only was its color shifting toward tea-yellow, but its rough surface also appeared less coarse, even possessing a fine luster.

“What a strange cup,”

On this day, Gao Dequan arrived after hearing the news, exclaiming in astonishment, “Wang Guan, what is going on with this thing?”

“Keep it a secret for now; you’ll know in a few more days,” Wang Guan said, beaming. The hard work had paid off, and he was naturally overjoyed.

“Still waiting a few more days?” Gao Dequan asked, confused. “How long do you have to boil it until it’s done?”

“I don’t know. The heat isn't quite right yet,” Wang Guan replied with a mysterious smile. “Uncle De, be patient. In my feeling, this cup is definitely not simple.”

“Fine, I’ll wait patiently. I want to see just how extraordinary this thing is,” Gao Dequan laughed, trusting Wang Guan’s “intuition” to a degree.

“I want to know too,” Wang Guan replied earnestly.

The conversation ended, and the steaming process continued. All the hundreds of jin of tea Wang Guan had purchased were consumed in the large earthenware pot, and the wall-like pile of firewood was completely burned by the ninth day.

At that point, Wang Guan stopped buying firewood. Instead, he sealed the large earthenware pot and allowed it to cool naturally. This cooling process took a full day until he could touch the pot wall and feel absolutely no residual heat. Only then did Wang Guan decide to open the lid and carefully lift out the Peach Cup.

At this moment, the tea leaves inside the pot had been reduced to waste residue, and the remaining tea liquid looked as murky as yellow mud water. Hundreds of jin of premium Shifeng Longjing had been squandered like this, costing at least over a million in monetary value.

However, Wang Guan felt every bit of it was worth the price, because the Peach Cup he retrieved from the pot had undergone a complete metamorphosis, transforming into an entirely different object…” (To be continued)