"However, the saying goes, 'If the Dao is one foot high, the devil is ten feet tall.' At this moment, Wang Guan couldn't help but sigh a little: 'Some people think tin nails are difficult to fake, so they habitually use tin nails to verify the authenticity of objects. But what they don't realize is that there’s a fake method involving 'new porcelain, old tin' in the world.'"

“'New porcelain, old tin'?”

Ouyang started, then immediately grasped the implication, exclaiming in shock, "It can be done like that?"

“As long as there's money to be made, people will come up with any trick.”

Yu Feibai remarked casually, “I heard Old Qian talk about this. The collecting world first discovered this technique in the early 19**s. A blue-and-white porcelain vase was identified as Yuan Dynasty, selling for tens of thousands of RMB abroad. At that time, experts saw that the tin nails were from the Ming Dynasty and assumed the vase’s age was fine. Only after careful investigation did they discover it was a forger’s method.”

“The forger breaks up newly made porcelain, then connects the shards together using ancient tin nails. Most collectors see the Ming Dynasty tin nails and deduce the object must predate the Ming Dynasty, making them easy to deceive.”

As he spoke, Yu Feibai chuckled, “I was curious back then and specifically inquired. I found out that Ming Dynasty tin nails weren't cheap—they were selling for several hundred yuan each. Mind you, each. This row alone must have twenty or thirty, so the cost of the tin nails alone exceeded ten thousand. They really spare no expense.”

“You can’t catch the wolf without sacrificing the child,” Wang Guan laughed. “As long as the item sells, the profit will be massive.”

“True.”

Yu Feibai nodded, ignoring the wryly smiling Ouyang, and pondered, “Wang Guan, I’ve examined this closely, and I don’t see Mr. Zhu Da’s unique secret mark anywhere. Don't just stand there; hurry up and help me look.”

“No need to search,”

Yet, Wang Guan waved his hand and smiled, “Actually, the secret mark isn’t that well hidden. Are you really unable to find it?”

“Obviously?” Yu Feibai blinked, thoughtful for a moment. After a beat, he clapped his hands and pointed at a row of tin nails. “You think the secret mark is in the crack?”

“High probability,” Wang Guan nodded. “After all, compared to the main body, the blue-and-white painting on the plate is relatively simple. If the mark isn't in the painting, it must be hidden in the seams.”

“We'll know once we pry off the tin nails.” Yu Feibai was always a man of action; he immediately found a pair of pointed pliers and began extracting the nails one by one.

Soon after, the main plate split back into two halves. Yu Feibai eagerly scanned the two fragments, quickly discovering a spiderweb-like mark at the center of one side.

“Just as expected.”

Taking one look, Yu Feibai’s suspicion vanished entirely, his expression growing even colder as he snorted, “Truly these rats that dare not see the light of day…”

“Enough, don't let it sour your mood,” Yu Fangkai interjected, waving a hand. “You two should go back now; leave the rest to the professionals.”

Wang Guan offered no objection and led Yu Feibai away. Along the way, Yu Feibai undoubtedly launched into another round of curses, which Wang Guan occasionally agreed with, before they returned to the manor.

It was getting quite late, and Yu Feibai was worn out from venting. He bade farewell to Wang Guan and returned to his room to rest.

Just as Wang Guan was about to head to his own room, he suddenly felt as though he had forgotten something. After concentrating hard for a while, he finally remembered the jade he had left in the living room. It wasn't far, so he naturally turned back and headed briskly toward the parlor.

He had only reached the doorway when Wang Guan noticed a pristine, luminous white color filling the hall—【Qihang's Most Handsome Little S House】—a radiant glow. At first, he didn't think much of it, subconsciously assuming the living room light hadn't been turned off, planning to switch it off once he retrieved the jade.

However, the moment he stepped inside, Wang Guan gasped in astonishment. The luminous white he saw was not from a lamp; it was moonlight, white as snow, its brilliance like frost.

On the northwest grasslands, the daytime sky is clear for miles, and the nights are rarely cloudy, so the moonlight is as clear as water, exceptionally pure. Such clean, unadulterated moonlight is rarely seen elsewhere.

But what truly stunned Wang Guan wasn't the moonlight itself, but a shimmer of indescribable clarity spreading across the table under the beautiful lunar glow. The two lights were similar yet distinctly separate. The moonlight was slightly hazy, as if covered by a thin, sheer veil, whereas the light on the table was sharper, so clear it was almost comparable to an incandescent bulb.

Of course, similar—it certainly couldn't compare to an incandescent bulb, otherwise, Wang Guan still wouldn't have clearly discerned what object was radiating that light on the table even now.

With a touch of doubt, Wang Guan reached out and flipped the living room light switch. In an instant, both the moonlight and the clear shimmer vanished, melting away like snow under the spring sun.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan’s gaze snapped to the table. He saw only a glass cup containing water, and floating in the water was a small, smooth, pure white stone. Nothing else.

“Huh.”

Wang Guan froze momentarily, a mix of surprise and delight crossing his features. Even with his slowness, he should realize by now that the little stone in the cup was no ordinary thing.

“Looks like I’ve stumbled upon another treasure.”

Thinking this, Wang Guan hurried over. As he picked up the cup, preparing to scoop out the smooth stone, he was suddenly hit by a rich aroma of wine.

“Wine?”

Wang Guan paused again, his nostrils twitching, and immediately detected the wine scent emanating from the cup. Yet, looking closely, he found the liquid inside was perfectly clear—it should be plain water. “Of course, it could be strong liquor…” Wait, water… wine… Night-Luminous Cup… White Jade Essence…” In that very instant, a flash of insight struck Wang Guan, recalling a secret history Old Qian had shared with him not long ago.

The legendary Night-Luminous Cup, the legend went, functioned similarly to the Sage Clay Cup. While the Sage Clay Cup could transform plain water into fragrant tea, the Night-Luminous Cup could turn clear water into fine wine.

Given their similar functions, Old Qian had speculated boldly that perhaps the Sage Clay Cup contained the same special substance as the Night-Luminous Cup, which allowed it to absorb the essence of tea and convert water into tea.

As for the Night-Luminous Cup, the reason it could turn water into wine might be that someone had soaked the cup in fine wine until it absorbed the essence, granting it that capability. According to Old Qian, the root of everything lay in that special substance, known as the White Jade Essence.

The White Jade Essence certainly wasn't ordinary white jade. It was merely that the ancients, lacking a thorough understanding of the world, often named things based on their imagination. For instance, they called crocodiles long (dragons), pheasants feng (phoenixes), tigers with albinism 'White Tigers,' and when they saw a snake crawling on a turtle’s back, it became the Black Tortoise of the North.

The White Jade Essence was much the same—it was probably structurally similar to white jade, but because of this peculiar function, the ancients felt it couldn't simply be called white jade and needed to be distinguished from common jade, hence the name White Jade Essence.

In reality, this was all conjecture, but at this moment, Wang Guan realized Old Qian’s deductions were close to the truth.

“White Jade Essence?”

Wang Guan carefully fished out the smooth, pure white jade stone. Whether it was his imagination or not, the stone appeared even brighter and more lustrous. Moreover, having stirred it like this, the wine fragrance in the cup became much more pronounced, rich and intoxicating.

“Weren’t you all calm and collected? Why are you suddenly drinking to steady your nerves?”

Just as Wang Guan was closely examining the stone, Yu Feibai’s voice came, and he strolled into the hall, feigning mockery but actually showing concern. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“What could happen to me?” Wang Guan had heard the footsteps and wasn't startled by the sudden sound, but was even more amazed by the intensity of the wine aroma, which even Yu Feibai outside the hall could smell.

“Putting on a brave front.”

Yu Feibai pouted. “If you’re fine, why aren’t you sleeping? Why are you drinking?”

“I’m not drinking…” Wang Guan trailed off. “Forget it. You turn off the light, and then you’ll see what’s going on.” He intended to explain but decided it was simpler just to show him the facts.

“Why turn off the light for no reason?” Yu Feibai was puzzled, muttering, “Just to be clear, I’m not into that stuff, so don't try any night attacks on me…”

“Get lost,”

Wang Guan snapped back. “I was going to show you a treasure, but if you’re not cooperating, then forget it.”

“A treasure?”

Yu Feibai paused—【Qihang's Most Handsome Little S House】—then, without another word, turned and hit the switch, plunging the hall into immediate darkness, causing both their eyes to temporarily lose sight.

After a moment, their eyes adjusted. It was then that the mercury-like moonlight poured in through the window, illuminating Wang Guan’s palm.

Instantly, a softer, brighter light bloomed in Wang Guan’s hand. The glow was incredibly clear, as if it could absorb the moonlight and then reflect it back like a mirror, making the light even sharper, prettier, and more magnificent.

However, just when Wang Guan expected Yu Feibai to rush forward and snatch the object as he had done before, he saw him remain unmoved, his tone tinged with disdain. “It’s just a night-luminous pearl, what’s the big fuss about? Didn’t you get one before? Where did you find another one? Showing off now?”

As he spoke, Yu Feibai casually turned the lights back on and offered well-meaning advice. “It’s a decent fluorite, but it contains some radioactive elements. Even if it might not be harmful, it’s best to minimize exposure.”

“Who told you this is a night-luminous pearl?”

At the same time, Wang Guan felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. “You truly don’t recognize fine gold when you see it. Such a rare treasure you dismiss as a common, worthless night-luminous pearl. You are the epitome of being blind to value.”

“A rare treasure?”

Yu Feibai was taken aback, naturally half-believing, half-doubting. “What rare treasure? Are you sure you’re not pulling my leg?” (To be continued)