At this moment, Wang Guan sighed with a hint of helplessness, "It's not just you; I've never seen the Luan Glue either. Other than direct physical verification, I don't have any good options."

"Hmph, you're dropping the ball at a critical moment," Yu Feibai grumbled. "You're usually so capable; how come you're uncertain now? That's quite disappointing."

"Disappointed about what?"

Wang Guan smiled and casually reminded them, "Actually, I think you're overcomplicating things. This item looks quite nice. If we can confirm it's an antique, even if it's not the Luan Glue, it still holds some value for collection or research. Since that's the case, why not just buy it? Whether for verification or collection, the decision is entirely yours."

"That's true."

Qin Yue immediately saw the light when she heard this. She wasn't short of money anyway, so she might as well consider buying the item. The main reason was that this object resembled the Luan Glue too closely—more convincingly than anything she had seen before. It might be worth taking a gamble.

At the same time, Old Man Jin beamed, swearing emphatically, "This thing is definitely ancient. Even if I don't know precisely what it is, it certainly won't be subpar. You won't lose out buying it."

"Whether we lose or not depends on how you price it," Yu Feibai asked. "How much?"

"Not expensive, a hundred thousand!" Old Man Jin grinned, his teeth, yellowed by smoke, actually flashing a golden sheen under the sunlight.

One hundred thousand yuan was practically pocket change for Qin Yue. Just as she was about to nod in agreement, Yu Feibai interjected, shaking his head decisively before she could speak. "Too expensive, far too expensive. I say, at most thirty thousand."

"Let me be frank,"

At this opportune moment, Yu Feibai launched into an eloquent speech. "Your box is quite decent; that alone could be worth a few thousand. As for what's inside the box, we genuinely can't ascertain if it's what we're looking for. There’s significant risk involved in buying it. If it’s cheaper, we’ll take it. If it’s too expensive... we dare not take the chance."

"Thirty thousand is too low..." Old Man Jin was shaking his head too, but his underlying meaning showed he agreed with Yu Feibai’s assessment and was willing to compromise.

What followed was a back-and-forth negotiation. With Pang Yue offering conciliatory words on the side, an agreement was quickly reached: the transaction was finalized at sixty thousand yuan. Upon exchanging the cash for the item, it became Qin Yue's property.

"Old Jin!"

Just as Old Man Jin was happily counting his money, a call sounded from outside the courtyard.

"Who is it?" Old Man Jin peered out and was instantly surprised. "Professor Liu! Didn't you say you were coming in the afternoon? Why are you here so early?"

"Changed my mind temporarily; decided to stop by here first," the person outside laughed. He sounded like a VIP, as Old Man Jin immediately dropped everything and went out to greet him without a second thought.

Taking advantage of the momentary absence, Yu Feibai leaned in and whispered, "Wang Guan, how sure are you?"

"Sure about what?" Wang Guan looked a bit bewildered.

"Sure about confirming it's Luan Glue," Yu Feibai said with a sly smile. "Don't play dumb. If you weren't reasonably confident, why would you let Qin Yue buy it?"

"It really is Luan Glue?"

Qin Yue was overjoyed; her long-held wish was about to be fulfilled, and she was naturally ecstatic and excited.

"I never said it was Luan Glue. I was being completely honest just now,"

At this point, Wang Guan couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and amusement. "In my feeling, this item should be quite good, but whether it's the Luan Glue you want, I truly cannot be certain."

"Oh."

Instantly, Qin Yue's delicate eyebrows furrowed in clear disappointment. However, after gently pressing her slender fingers against the elastic substance in the box, her expression softened, and she smiled. "You were right. The item is excellent, and the possibility of it being Luan Glue is very high."

"In that case, let's go back and verify it..."

As they spoke, led by Old Man Jin, an elderly man with grayish-white hair and a thinning top emerged. After surveying the scene, he chuckled, "Old Jin, you have quite a few guests today. I haven't interrupted anything, have I?"

"Not at all, not at all," Old Man Jin grinned broadly. "The important negotiations are already settled."

"That's good!"

The newcomer was clearly the Professor Liu Old Man Jin had mentioned. Dressed in clothes resembling a Zhongshan suit and wearing spectacles, he exuded an air of scholarly refinement. It was unclear which university he taught at.

"Eh."

Just then, Professor Liu's gaze shifted and landed on the box in Qin Yue's hand. His heart stirred, and he couldn't help but approach, a gentle smile forming on his face. "Little lady, might I take a look at that item?"

Qin Yue did not hand it over, instead asking, "Does the old gentleman know what this is?"

"Hmm?"

Professor Liu paused, then suddenly turned and smiled at Old Man Jin. "Old Jin, is this yours?"

"It was, but not anymore."

In an instant, Old Man Jin grew nervous and asked, "Professor Liu, what is this thing? How much is it worth?" He had reason to be tense; he feared Professor Liu might name a high price, proving he had sold it too cheaply, which would surely lead to immense regret.

"A step too late,"

Professor Liu sighed faintly, then continued with a smile, "Old Jin, don't be anxious. This is a type of ancient tree resin. Although somewhat rare, it is ultimately just a resinous gum and not worth a tremendous amount."

Hearing this, Old Man Jin visibly relaxed, relieved that he hadn't been cheated out of a fortune. However, after letting out his breath, he felt a bit awkward. Looking guiltily at Qin Yue, he quickly changed the subject. "Professor Liu, please have a seat. I'll go fetch something."

With that, Old Man Jin scurried away as fast as he could, afraid Qin Yue might call him back to demand a refund.

Yet, Qin Yue wasn't unreasonable. Since the transaction was concluded, she accepted whether it was a profit or a loss. She was only truly disappointed upon hearing it wasn't the Luan Glue.

"You call this resin?"

Meanwhile, Yu Feibai frowned, skepticism evident. "What kind of resin? Rubber tree resin?"

Professor Liu skillfully avoided the direct question, merely smiling lightly. "My surname is Liu. I'm just a humble teacher at a school in Chang'an. And you all are...?"

"Hello, Professor Liu,"

Pang Yue was the first to react, quickly standing up and offering his business card with a warm smile. "I'm Pang Yue, just call me Xiao Pang. If you need anything in the future, please take care of me."

"Zheng Gu Tang... running a shop at such a young age. Truly promising," Professor Liu praised, tucking the card into his pocket.

Seeing this, Pang Yue beamed even wider. He had met many people who, upon receiving his card, would glance at it and set it on the table, or hold it briefly before casually discarding it once he turned away. Very few people actually kept it.

Even if they kept it, it might just be tucked away indefinitely. But Pang Yue was genuinely pleased. Putting the card away demonstrated basic respect, and a lack of even that fundamental courtesy was a truly pathetic state of affairs.

Of course, it couldn't be denied that seeing a professor solemnly accept his business card also provided a significant boost to his ego, naturally making Pang Yue smile broadly and feel elated.

At this moment, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai had no time to pay attention to the exchange between Pang Yue and Professor Liu; they were focused on consoling the disappointed Qin Yue, urging her not to dwell on it.

"I'm fine. I'm used to it," Qin Yue shook her head slightly, regaining her composure, and even jested self-deprecatingly. "Speaking of which, resin is also a colloid. In a sense, I suppose I bought the right kind of substance."

"Don't be discouraged; persistence is victory," Yu Feibai consoled her.

"I really am fine," Qin Yue laughed. "After all, the item has been lost for hundreds or even thousands of years; it wasn't going to be easy to find. I was mentally prepared for that..."

"What are you looking for?"

At this opportune moment, Professor Liu asked out of curiosity. "Tell me about it; perhaps I can help."

"Luan Glue. Do you have any?" Yu Feibai shot back with a trace of impatience. "Or rather, do you even know what Luan Glue is?"

"Luan Glue?"

Professor Liu looked surprised. "The Luan Glue mentioned in the Records of the Ten Continents Beyond the Seas—the solidified paste made by boiling the phoenix beak and Qilin horn from the Phoenix-Qilin Continent in the West Sea, sometimes called 'String-Mending Glue' or 'Gold-Joining Mud'?"

"It’s good that you know," Yu Feibai nodded, then cut straight to the chase. "Do you have any? If not, please save your breath."

"I do not,"

As expected, Professor Liu chuckled and shook his head. "The Records of the Ten Continents Beyond the Seas is naturally just legend, not to be taken as gospel. However, it is rumored that during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, an envoy from a Western kingdom presented Luan Glue that could mend crossbow strings. But after the Han Emperor, there are no further records of it. If you are trying to find Luan Glue, it will likely be very difficult..."

"We don't need you to tell us that," Yu Feibai replied stiffly. He had been comforting Qin Yue, and Professor Liu saying it was hard to find felt like undermining him deliberately.

"Heh heh, what I meant to say is that I don't possess the Luan Glue."

At this turn, Professor Liu casually added, "However, I possess the formula for Luan Glue."

"What?"

In a sudden reversal of fortune, a dazzling ray of hope illuminated their path, stunning Wang Guan and the others. The turn of events was so abrupt that they found it hard to believe, their eyes filled with suspicion.

Yes, suspicion. They suspected Professor Liu had an ulterior motive.

They shouldn't forget that Wang Guan and Yu Feibai operated in the antique market; they had seen every trick in the book. Although Professor Liu hadn't shown his hand obviously, both of them sensed that he was likely eyeing the substance in the box. While they couldn't be certain what the contents were, they were sure it was far more than the simple resin Professor Liu claimed.

Empty talk leading to demands wasn't a new tactic; they used it themselves frequently.

With that thought, Yu Feibai calmed down and curled his lip. "It's not just you who knows the formula; I know it too. Isn't it just the horn of a Qilin plus the tip of a phoenix beak? Simple enough."

"Haha, young friend, you think I'm lying to you?" Professor Liu smiled, gently shaking his head, though his expression became serious. "If I told you that I am actually a descendant of the Han Imperial Family, which is why the formula has been passed down, you probably wouldn't believe me either."

"Han descendant?" Yu Feibai's brow furrowed, then he sneered. "Don't think that just because your surname is Liu, you can impersonate a member of the Han lineage like Liu Bei during the late Han dynasty. If what you say is true, then the Big Uncle next to you, this Uncle Li, must be a direct descendant of the Great Tang's Li clan."