At the gesture of Professor Liu, the group made their way to the doorway. Just then, Wang Guan suddenly turned back and asked, "Professor Liu, forgive my presumption, but where is your ancestral home?"

"Uh?" Professor Liu was startled, not understanding why Wang Guan was inquiring about that, but he answered truthfully, "In Hanzhong!"

"Celing Village in Hanzhong?"

"How did you know?" Professor Liu was extremely surprised.

"Haha, just a guess," Wang Guan smiled, swiftly turning and getting into the car. He waved to Professor Liu through the window, and the driver immediately engaged the engine, speeding away like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"We hit the jackpot, we really hit the jackpot!" Meanwhile, Yu Feibai was gesticulating wildly inside the car, his face beaming. "It's like looking for iron shoes everywhere only to find them with no effort!"

"Don't celebrate too soon," Wang Guan remained relatively calm. "It's only a conjecture; whether it's true still requires further study."

"Feigning modesty. If it wasn't true, would you have bought it?" Yu Feibai gave him a disdainful look, then drew the ancient sword and began examining it. He too harbored some doubt. "But then again, is this sword really Chixiao?"

"Chixiao?" Qin Yue exclaimed in surprise. "This sword is Chixiao?"

"Possibly. It's unclear right now. We’ll verify it slowly later." As he spoke, Wang Guan smiled sincerely. "Congratulations, you’ve finally gotten what you wished for—the recipe for the Luan Jiao..."

The recipe was certainly more precious. Giving a man a fish feeds him for a day; teaching him to fish feeds him for a lifetime. With the recipe, or rather, mastering the production technique recorded within, they could continuously refine Luan Jiao, which was naturally far better than simply finding the actual substance. Qin Yue understood this principle well, so she was equally delighted, her face blooming into a radiant smile. "Actually, I have to thank you both for your help. It’s only thanks to you that I was able to successfully obtain the formula."

"It was nothing," Yu Feibai waved his hand, then frowned. "But having only the recipe isn't enough. We still need to decipher the meaning of the formula's cryptic notations; that’s no simple matter."

"It’s fine. We’ll slowly look through reference materials and ask others for leads; we’ll figure out what the hidden text means," Qin Yue was very optimistic. "I’m confident that after a period of diligent research, we can successfully restore the ancient method."

"Mm," Wang Guan nodded. "We believe you have the ability. If you run into any difficulties, remember to give us a call."

"There will certainly be times I need to trouble you..." Amidst these polite exchanges, the car slowly approached Xianyang Airport. It wasn't Qin Yue flying back to Shuchuan; rather, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai intended to depart. Having found what might be the Chixiao sword, the two naturally had no desire to linger in Chang'an. They were burning with impatience to rush back and research whether the ancient sword was truly Chixiao. Their plans to visit the Terracotta Army, Daming Palace, and Huaqing Pool had long been forgotten. Business first; the architecture wouldn't run away, after all, and they could visit later when they had time...

For these reasons, after leaving Professor Liu's residence, the two simultaneously signaled the driver to head to the airport. However, a disagreement surfaced when they went to buy tickets.

"What? You're going back to the Porcelain Capital?" Yu Feibai was aghast. "Aren't we returning to the capital to seek advice from Elder Qian?"

"I certainly have my reasons for going to the Porcelain Capital," Wang Guan replied casually. "Besides, we can't rely on Elder Qian for everything; we should learn to think independently and solve problems ourselves." As he spoke, Wang Guan directly purchased two tickets to the Porcelain Capital, then turned back to bid farewell to Qin Yue.

"Keep in touch when you have time..."

"Have a safe trip, take care!" After saying goodbye, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai boarded the plane. After more than two hours of flight, they successfully landed at the Porcelain Capital Airport. Without stopping, they took a car, and less than fifteen minutes later, they were back at the villa.

"I'm home," Wang Guan called out habitually upon returning, but hearing no response from his parents, he immediately felt a sense of strangeness. "Where is everyone? Where did they go?"

"They probably went out shopping," Yu Feibai suggested carelessly. "Don't dawdle; let's take out the ancient sword and start researching it."

"It's in the suitcase; can't you get it yourself?" Wang Guan gestured, then deliberately went to the back garden but couldn't find any sign of his parents. Seeing this, he simply dialed his father's number and learned that they had already returned to their hometown in Jiangzhou.

"Why did you go back so suddenly?" Wang Guan felt a touch of concern. "Did something happen with my older brother?"

"Your brother is fine, perfectly well," his father reminded him. "I think you’ve been too busy. Mid-Autumn Festival is in a few days; we came back to make preparations. Are you coming back for the festival?"

"I'm already home," Wang Guan suddenly realized. He had been so preoccupied that he’d completely forgotten it was almost Mid-Autumn; time truly flew.

"It's good that you're home. We thought you'd forgotten," his father said with some satisfaction. "Then make time to come over. We’re celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival at the old place again this year."

"Got it..." After a few more pleasantries, Wang Guan hung up the phone. Returning to the living room, he saw Yu Feibai had already taken out the ancient sword and was trying to wipe the rust spots off the blade with a cloth. However, these rust spots were stubborn, clinging deeply to the sword, refusing to budge no matter how hard he scrubbed.

"Wang Guan, I think you might have bought the wrong thing this time," Yu Feibai frowned. "This sword might be a Han sword, but it doesn't seem to be Chixiao."

"How can you be so sure it's not?" Wang Guan countered.

"I inspected it carefully. This layer of yellow rust isn't a disguise; it's genuine corrosion. Moreover, I haven't found any inscription on the blade, so we can't confirm it's the Chixiao sword," Yu Feibai analyzed, then stated gravely. "Most importantly, the condition of this sword is abysmal. It completely contradicts the legends describing Chixiao’s blade as perpetually like frost and snow, radiating light. Seeing this mottled, rusty appearance, even if this were the real Chixiao, I wouldn't acknowledge it."

"You, you only judge by appearance," Wang Guan shook his head. "Don't you understand the principle that you can't judge a person by their looks, nor can you measure the ocean with a bucket?"

"Hmph, what if I do? How many people actually manage to live by that rule?" Yu Feibai scoffed. "Besides, I’m not judging the person; I’m judging the sword by its appearance."

"It’s pretty much the same thing; both are unreliable," Wang Guan said, reaching out. "Your judgment is flawed. Let me see."

"If you're so great, make it transform!" Yu Feibai pouted, handing the hilt over. Wang Guan took the ancient sword and immediately pointed to the indentations on either side of the hilt. "Look, there are gaps on both sides, indicating it once held round beads or similar inlays. That matches the description of Chixiao."

"Not just Chixiao; other treasured swords also had jade inlays on their hilts," Yu Feibai argued. "That's the most common decorative technique; it can't be conclusive proof. The key is the inscription—the seal script inscription of the two characters Chixiao."

"The inscription might be obscured by the pervasive rust spots," Wang Guan pulled out a magnifying glass and scrutinized the blade closely. The reddish-yellow rust patches clung tenaciously to the sword, like stubborn stains, completely obscuring its true appearance.

"Being covered up proves how severe the corrosion is," Yu Feibai stated seriously. "So calling this Chixiao is practically an insult to Chixiao. I resolutely reject it."

"Facts speak louder than arguments. Your rejection won't change anything." Despite saying this, seeing the ancient sword whose very edge was riddled with rust marks, Wang Guan couldn't help but mutter that such a Chixiao was perhaps too disappointing. It was no wonder Yu Feibai refused to accept it was Chixiao after his fantasy was shattered. The problem was, Wang Guan was absolutely certain that even if this ancient sword wasn't the legendary Sword of Imperial Destiny, Chixiao, it was likely a treasure of comparable status.

At this very moment, Wang Guan had activated his special ability. Viewing the ancient sword in his hand through this heightened perception, he immediately saw layers of brilliant, purple-gold light emanating from it, radiating with a brilliance as fierce and glorious as the sun. This dazzling brilliance was enough to prove the sword was extraordinary. Of course, the splendor of the light was secondary. What Wang Guan truly wanted to know was whether there was an inscription on the sword, or if that thick layer of rust could be cleaned away.

With this thought, Wang Guan slightly narrowed his eyes, and his supernatural energy slowly permeated the rust spots. Instantly, he glimpsed a streak of pure white light, alongside two dazzling seal characters. In that moment, Wang Guan felt a wave of relief, letting out a soft sigh, a relaxed smile gracing his features.

"How is it?" At the same time, Yu Feibai asked with a measure of impatience. "Did you find any clue?"

"It’s hard to say." Hearing this, the smile instantly vanished from Wang Guan's face, replaced by a furrowed brow as he pondered. It was the same dilemma: knowing the sword was a treasure was useless if the rest of the world remained oblivious. It was more meaningful for gold to shine in one's lifetime than for an artist to be recognized decades after death, like Du Fu, compared to Li Bai, who gained fame in life. This principle applied across disciplines—fame should be seized early.

This was the crux of the matter: how to make others recognize the sword's profound nature was giving Wang Guan a serious headache.

"What's so hard to say?" Yu Feibai grumbled at this point. "I hate people who talk in halves. Say what you mean directly; don't stutter, hide things, or be so indecisive and hesitant..."

"I know," Wang Guan nodded, yet felt helpless internally. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak; it was that he couldn't.

"You can’t just nod! Are you going to tell me or not?" Yu Feibai urged. "Hurry up and tell me, is this ancient sword Chixiao or not?"

"If I say yes, you won't believe it, so what's the point?" Wang Guan spread his hands. "Unless I grind off the rust, then we should be able to see the inscription. But doing that would destroy the sword’s venerable, antique appearance, which is a cardinal sin in ancient metalware collecting." Most people would never touch ancient metal objects, no matter how rusted, because the patina was the natural mark of passing time and a testament to the era, holding immense aesthetic value...

"Nonsense about aesthetic value!" Yu Feibai scoffed at this. "Isn't it just because cleaning the patina makes the object look worse that people leave it alone?" (To be continued...)