With a sigh of acknowledgment, Wang Guan felt a touch of regret.

After all, if he hadn't been preoccupied with salvaging treasures from the seabed that day, but had instead helped Mr.

Gao find a boat, perhaps Zhu Da Xiansheng's entire gang could have been wiped out.

Of course, regret now was futile.

“Don't be disheartened,” At this moment, Elder Zeng encouraged him, “There is no truly airtight wall in this world.

If Zhu Da Xiansheng remains hidden, we naturally have no way to deal with him.

But the moment he makes a move, no matter how careful he is, he will leave some trace.

What we need to do now is follow these faint clues, and then trace them back to the source…” What Elder Zeng said echoed the philosophy of Elder Qian.

This was mainly because they had experience in this area; more than twenty years ago, when they were still relatively young, they too, under the guidance of their seniors, had managed to crush Zhu Da Xiansheng’s arrogance.

Although they didn't achieve total success, they secured twenty years of stable peace.

Even though the current situation was growing increasingly complex, they believed that as long as everyone united, no difficulty would be insurmountable.

After Wang Guan facilitated the connection, the two elders spoke on the phone, one from the north and one from the south, their voices brimming with optimism, as if the issue of Zhu Da Xiansheng were merely a minor skin ailment, hardly worth worrying about.

Following their discussion, they decided to coordinate remotely, north and south, forming a pincer movement, advancing and retreating together… Wang Guan listened from the side, always feeling that something was amiss.

This sounded less like tracking Zhu Da Xiansheng’s movements and more like marshalling troops for a formation.

However, seeing how enthusiastic the two elders were, Wang Guan felt it was best to remain silent.

After a long, long while, Elder Zeng finally hung up, clearly reluctant to end the conversation, his face alight with excitement.

Perhaps having been idle for too long, finally having something substantial to busy himself with naturally brought a certain degree of agitation.

Regardless of the outcome, having Elder Zeng’s support was certainly a fortunate thing.

Even if they discovered nothing, the trip itself was worthwhile; he even managed to save on dinner expenses, leaving Elder Zeng’s home fully satisfied after a feast.

“Do visit often.” After a considerable time, as Elder Zeng saw them off, Wang Guan and Fang Mingsheng bid farewell.

“Let’s go back.” After getting into the car, Fang Mingsheng waved his hand, recited an address, and then turned to Wang Guan, “You’re planning to head back now, aren't you? It’s quite late.

Why not stay at my place tonight? There’s no rush to leave tomorrow.” “…That works too.” Wang Guan nodded; having been away for several days, staying one more night wouldn't matter.

Wang Guan had surmised that Fang Mingsheng must have a residence, or perhaps a retreat, in Chaozhou, and his guess turned out to be correct.

The driver focused on the road, and twenty minutes later, they arrived at a rather elegant villa in the suburbs.

While this villa wasn't as opulent as those near Longhu Mountain or in Jieyang, it was certainly dozens of times more comfortable than an ordinary apartment building.

Especially when Fang Mingsheng invited him in and Wang Guan surveyed the décor of the main hall, he immediately felt transported into the mansion of an ancient official.

Putting aside the exterior, which had its limitations in terms of historical recreation, the interior decoration was entirely antique.

At least, it appeared to be designed according to the structural layout of ancient dwellings.

Not only were the floors covered in wooden planks, but even the doors and windows were purely wooden constructions.

These were then meticulously treated with intricate carvings by highly skilled artisans, making them appear exceptionally magnificent.

Of course, purely handmade doors and windows were inherently magnificent, but once coated with a layer of gold dust, they became truly resplendent.

It was indeed a magnificent splendor, not the gaudy flashiness of common gold.

This was the style of Chaozhou Gold Lacquer Woodcarving, whose application of gold lacquer had reached an almost supernatural level through centuries of evolution, giving off an aura of tasteful elegance.

To stand out among so many schools and become such a renowned hallmark, Chaozhou Woodcarving naturally possessed its own unique mastery.

Moreover, since Fang Mingsheng had heavily invested to hire top experts in this field to create this place, Wang Guan naturally couldn't find fault.

Nor did he intend to find fault; he was simply admiring the meticulously carved patterns, finding the sight deeply pleasing.

“It’s decent, isn’t it?” Fang Mingsheng spoke with feigned modesty, but underlying it was a clear sense of pride.

“The larger furniture is made of fir, while the smaller items use camphor wood.

The only drawback of Chaozhou woodcarving is its preference for layered, intricate, and transparent carving techniques, which requires wood with a certain degree of flexibility.

The materials themselves are merely adequate, hence the need for lacquer coating and gold leaf application—not only to resist dampness and pests but also to elevate the taste and cater to the masses…” Hearing this, Wang Guan subtly pursed his lips, suspecting the appeal was less about catering to the masses and more about pleasing the powerful and noble.

After all, in ancient times, only local gentry and powerful families had the means to commission such brilliantly gilded lacquer woodcarvings.

Of course, it couldn't be denied that with the changing times and modern living environments, Chaozhou woodcarving had lost its original context.

Furthermore, as traditional customs faded and items like ancestral shrines and pavilions disappeared from daily life, the functional use for Chaozhou woodcarving gradually diminished.

However, now that people's lives had become more affluent, they had begun to yearn for these traditional handicrafts.

Setting aside extravagantly refined tycoons like Fang Mingsheng, even ordinary citizens, provided they had a little extra money, would likely be happy to purchase these exquisitely detailed woodcarvings to display at home.

Whether for collection or pure appreciation, Chaozhou woodcarving had deeply rooted itself in the public consciousness and would not easily vanish into legend.

“Have a seat.” Fang Mingsheng then gestured for him to sit and, without pretense, settled himself onto a throne-like chair.

It was a genuine dragon throne, with a golden dragon coiled around the backrest, fangs bared and claws extended, projecting extraordinary majesty.

The armrests on either side were sculpted as dragon heads, opening their mouths to expel pearls, looking incredibly imposing.

The entire chair was coated in gold powder and overlaid with gold leaf; under the illumination of the lights, it appeared to be cast from solid gold, exuding an overwhelming sense of dominance.

“Show-off, such a terrible show-off.” Watching Fang Mingsheng sit on the dragon throne, casually crossing his legs, Wang Guan couldn't help but mutter inwardly, feeling contempt and mentally labeling him as vulgar, while firmly refusing to admit he felt a twinge of jealousy.

“Oh right, I almost forgot, wait a moment…” After settling Wang Guan down and having someone bring over some fine tea, Fang Mingsheng slapped his forehead, seemingly remembering something, and then stood up, heading deeper into the house.

Soon, he returned, holding a square brocade box in his hands.

“I mentioned earlier that I wanted to give you a gift.

I think you’ll really like this one.” As he spoke, Fang Mingsheng pushed the brocade box toward Wang Guan, wearing an expression that suggested Wang Guan absolutely could not refuse.

“Boss Fang, it was just a small matter; you really don't need to be so polite.” Despite saying this, Wang Guan reached out to open the box.

If he didn't like it, he would firmly decline.

If the item was good, then… to refuse would be impolite.

“Oh?” The instant Wang Guan opened the brocade box, a brilliant flash of golden light erupted.

“What is this?” Wang Guan narrowed his eyes to examine it, seeing something resembling a figure sculpture in the box.

Once he saw it clearly, he was slightly startled: “The Eight Immortals?” When the Eight Immortals are mentioned, most people’s first thought is the Eight Immortals of the Outer Caves from Journey to the West—the eight transcendent beings, including Han Zhongli, Tieguai Li, and He Xiangu, led by Lü Dongbin, who crossed the sea, each displaying their unique powers; they punish the wicked, uphold justice, bring good fortune to the mortal world, and help people avert disaster.

However, it was a great pity that the Eight Immortals Wang Guan referred to were not the group led by Lü Dongbin.

In fact, the Eight Immortals commonly known today only fully crystallized in the Ming Dynasty before rapidly spreading and influencing traditions up to the present.

While the average person might not be aware, there was more than one set of Eight Immortals.

Besides the Ming Eight Immortals, there were also the Han Dynasty Eight Immortals, the Tang Dynasty Eight Immortals, and the Song and Yuan Eight Immortals.

The so-called Han Dynasty Eight Immortals were actually the Eight Sages of Huainan, who were mentioned in the Huainanzi, authored by Liu An, the Prince of Huainan.

The Prince of Huainan was obsessed with alchemy and immortality, and later generations mythologized him as an immortal, causing the Eight Sages to gain favor and become known as Eight Immortals.

In reality, they were eight literary scholars with no connection to religion.

As for the Song and Yuan Eight Immortals, they included Daoist figures like Chen Tuan and Liu Haichan, alongside Lü Dongbin and Han Zhongli, but excluded figures like Zhang Guolao and He Xiangu; however, they were already somewhat similar to the Ming Eight Immortals.

Given this context, the astute observer would know which era of Eight Immortals the object before them represented.

Precisely, the Eight Immortals of the Tang Dynasty! Yet, similar to the Han Eight Immortals, the Tang Eight Immortals initially had little connection to religion.

Even today, people don't truly regard them as genuine immortals, merely perceiving them as possessing a certain ethereal freedom akin to immortals.

The title "Tang Dynasty Eight Immortals" might not be widely known, but mentioning the "Eight Immortals of Wine" (Yin Zhong Baxian) would likely cause many to suddenly realize and exclaim, “Ah, it’s them!” Speaking of the Eight Immortals of Wine, one must then inevitably mention Du Fu’s poem, The Song of the Eight Immortals of Wine.

“Zhi Zhang rides his horse as if on a boat, his vision blurred, he sleeps at the bottom of a well… Zongzhi is a handsome youth, so carefree, raising his cup with a sidelong glance at the blue sky… Li Bai sleeps in Chang'an taverns, requiring only a dou of wine for a hundred poems… Zhang Xu, after three cups, masters the cursive script, removing his cap before princes to show his bare crown…” This Song of the Eight Immortals became an immortal piece, widely circulated, and is a rare lyrical poem among Du Fu’s realistic works; it also serves as a testament to the friendship between him and his peers.

However, due to the disparity in fame, most people only remember the lines describing Li Bai, leading them to develop rich fantasies and frantically excavate the untold stories between the two… Getting ahead of ourselves, let us return to the topic at hand.

Discovering that this was the group of the Eight Immortals of Wine, Wang Guan felt quite curious.

After obtaining Fang Mingsheng’s permission, he gently lifted the object out.

Judging by the feel, he was certain it was a wood carving.

Not only was the form substantial, but the composition was exquisitely intricate, and the carving craftsmanship was superb—a rare piece of artistic treasure! The woodcarving depicted the theme of the Eight Immortals of Wine, so it naturally carved the images of the eight individuals.

Wang Guan examined it closely and immediately noticed that the eight figures were both individually distinct and cleverly integrated, forming a single, seamless whole, clearly carved with great care upon the gnarled branches and complex knots of a single old tree root.

Not only were the expressions, clothing, shoes, hats, tables, and wine vessels vividly lifelike, but even the unrestrained moods of the figures during their revelry were carved with minute detail, achieving a quality so true to life that it seemed one could hear the witty banter exchanged at the scene, perhaps even smell the rich aroma of fine wine wafting through the air.

In short, this item was extraordinary; it truly deserved to be called a magnificent gift…