The brushwork of the Qiū Shēn Tiě (Deep Autumn Scroll), from the initial stroke to the final flourish, displays an unrestrained freedom in sentence structure and an artful disarray in composition. Upon study and appreciation, one discerns a concealed method behind every starting stroke, every pause, and every motion, yet this method is woven so subtly that it appears formless—the calligraphy has truly reached a level of consummate mastery, reaching the realm of the divine.

At this very moment, Elder Zhang critiqued it with endless admiration: "As is widely known, ancient calligraphy specimens, apart from literary poems and prose, were mostly letters. The Qiū Shēn Tiě is no exception; it is a letter written by Zhao Mengfu in the voice of his wife to an elder relative."

"As the season was deepening into late autumn, the letter expressed their deep concern and longing for their elder. It also recounted visits among family members. Within the text, there was a line saying the air grew gradually colder in the deep autumn, which is why everyone eventually named this correspondence the Qiū Shēn Tiě."

Speaking of which, Elder Zhang couldn't help but chuckle: "However, perhaps because Zhao Mengfu was in such high spirits, feeling quite unrestrained, he habitually signed his own name at the very end. But because this handwritten note was so exquisitely beautiful, he couldn't bear to destroy it, so he made a slight alteration to the signature."

"Look here," Elder Zhang gestured toward the closing signature at the bottom of the scroll page. "The script is somewhat indistinct. Although it is signed with the name of his wife, Guan Daosheng, it is immediately apparent that it has been altered." He pointed: "Zhao Mengfu's given name was Zǐ’áng. If one pays the slightest attention, one can see the character Zǐ () was modified into Dào (), and Áng () was revised into Shēng ()."

"Ah."

Fang Mingsheng immediately observed closely and suddenly realized: "No wonder."

It was common for a husband and wife to pen letters on behalf of the other, especially when writing to an elder. Therefore, the alteration wasn't considered impolite. Based on this reasoning, and further synthesizing the calligraphic style of the handwriting, everyone could confidently conclude this was the hand of Zhao Mengfu himself.

"I am enlightened," Fang Mingsheng said, completely convinced. After bowing respectfully, he asked a question that sounded rather commonplace: "Then, what is the approximate value of this calligraphy scroll?"

"Hard to say," Elder Zhang wasn't annoyed, merely shaking his head. "It has never been auctioned, so its exact worth is unknown. But you can take reference from Zeng Gong's Jú Shì Tiě, or the Sòng Míng Xián Tí Xú Cháng Shì Zhuàn Shū Zhī Jì; in any case, it is certainly no less valuable than those, and likely exceeds them."

In an instant, Fang Mingsheng grimaced. As someone who frequently monitored the trends of the auction market, he naturally knew exactly what Zeng Gong’s Jú Shì Tiě and the Sòng Míng Xián Tí Xú Cháng Shì Zhuàn Shū Zhī Jì were.

Zeng Gong needed no further introduction. As one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, although not as famous as Su Dongpo, Wang Anshi, or Ouyang Xiu, his academic thought and literary essays were certainly not inferior to the others. Otherwise, posterity would not have grouped him with the others as one of the Eight Great Masters.

Few calligraphy specimens by Zeng Gong have survived, and the Jú Shì Tiě features slender character structures and crisp, vigorous strokes, making it a rare masterpiece among existing works. Such an item's value would naturally be extraordinary.

As for the Sòng Míng Xián Tí Xú Cháng Shì Zhuàn Shū Zhī Jì, it involved Xu Xuan writing an inscription in Seal Script based on Xiangwang Pavilion Fu. During its transmission, it received endorsements and colophons from famous masters of the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, and was subsequently collected privately through the Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republican periods.

Xu Changshi was Xu Xuan, a noted scholar of the Five Dynasties and early Song period. This man was originally an official writer and scholar in the Southern Tang court, later serving as Minister of Personnel. He followed Li Yu to the Song Dynasty, eventually attaining the position of Remonstrance Official. He excelled in calligraphy, being highly proficient in the Small Seal Script of Li Si. He and his younger brother Xu Kai were both famed for their literary talent, collectively known as the Two Xus. He was also mentioned in the same breath as Han Xizai, earning the appellation of Han-Xu in the Jiangdong region.

A figure of such stature, combined with the endorsements of illustrious figures across generations, naturally made the scroll extremely precious.

In any case, both pieces had an unbroken chain of provenance. Thus, at the 2009 auction specializing in calligraphic works spanning the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, separated by only a single day, they fetched hammer prices of 108 million RMB and 100.8 million RMB, respectively, shattering the domestic auction record for Chinese calligraphy.

This record only fell in 2010 to Huang Tingjian’s Dǐ Zhù Míng scroll. Even so, it did nothing to diminish the achievements of those two works; it was, after all, from their time that the value of ancient Chinese calligraphic scrolls formally entered the era of hundreds of millions—a milestone that could not be ignored.

"Of course, the money isn't the crucial part,"

At the same time, Wang Guan frowned, "The key is that both items are excellent; it's hard to choose between them."

"Right, it really puts one in a dilemma," Fang Mingsheng agreed wholeheartedly, deeply understanding Wang Guan's predicament, as he himself was still wavering over which magical implement to select.

"Then you take your time to weigh the pros and cons,"

At this point, Elder Zhang laughed heartily: "I can't help you with something like this; you two must decide yourselves. I'm tired now; I’ll step out for a cup of tea and ask someone to prepare dinner for you later."

"Elder Zhang, please go ahead; we will follow shortly."

As he spoke, Wang Guan watched Elder Zhang depart, with Zhang Qing certainly accompanying him out. Fang Mingsheng also followed them down to the second floor, continuing to wrestle with his choice of magical artifact. For a moment, Wang Guan was the only person left on the third floor, which conveniently allowed him to act as he wished.

Of course, this supposed convenience was not intended for any illicit theft.

A person must know their own limitations. Wang Guan was fully aware of his skill in appraising calligraphy and painting. Although he had gained entry, barely reaching a level of competence, there was still a vast gulf between him and true masters of appraisal.

Furthermore, there were too many items here, dazzling the eyes and easily distracting his focus, increasing the chance of error in judgment.

Under these circumstances, Wang Guan felt it necessary to employ his unique ability to verify the authenticity of the Qiū Shēn Tiě and the Yú Fù Tú (Fisherman Painting), lest he walk away with a mere imitation or outright fake and suffer a huge loss. Naturally, this provided an opportunity to casually check if there was anything even better among the items on the third floor...

With that thought, Wang Guan immediately took action, activating his special ability to scan the room.

Instantly, streams of precious light shimmered into existence between the various cabinets and chests, intertwining and merging in the air, like a splendid firework display, breathtakingly beautiful. Every time he witnessed such a scene, he felt a certain intoxication, never tiring of watching it.

"What is this? It’s actually a replica."

Wang Guan focused his gaze on the Qiū Shēn Tiě and was immediately filled with disappointment. Although the scroll glowed with a pale yellow precious light, it hovered only on the surface. It was clear that the artifact lacked sufficient intrinsic depth; it could never be the genuine article.

"No wonder such a treasure was donated; it turns out to be a Ming Dynasty imitation," Wang Guan mused.

He shook his head, sighed for a long moment, then composed himself and moved on to examine the Yú Fù Tú. At first glance, a radiant purple light immediately caught his eye. This purple precious light floated and soared in the air, even drifting towards the ceiling. Without a doubt, this was genuine.

Seeing this, a smile broke out on Wang Guan’s face: "Elder Zhang is more reliable than I thought; he recommended a genuine piece to me."

"Mm, if there isn't anything else better, I'll owe Elder Zhang this favor."

Wang Guan's gaze then shifted, scanning cabinet after cabinet. The precious light within each chest varied in intensity, and some items showed no light at all—these were absolute fakes. But setting aside the fakes, among the numerous genuine items, only one or two displayed a precious light that could rival that of the Yú Fù Tú.

Wang Guan had no desire to get entangled over items of equal value, so he naturally passed them by.

In a short time, after examining over a dozen large chests, Wang Guan moved towards another container. The energy signature of his ability seeped inside, and at that very instant, a burst of brilliant purplish-gold precious light erupted.

"Uh..."

The purplish-gold light was too dazzling. Unprepared and without any mental defense, Wang Guan instinctively shut his eyes. After a long moment, he recovered, realizing he might have struck it lucky, finding a rare treasure hidden among the gravel.

"What could it be?"

Wang Guan was suddenly filled with mixed feelings of surprise and joy. Just as he was about to examine it closely, he suddenly heard the voices of Fang Mingsheng and Zhang Qing conversing from downstairs. He immediately made a decisive move, swiftly walking over, opening the chest, and rummaging through it until he successfully pulled out the item.

"It seems to be..."

Wang Guan studied it, growing increasingly surprised, overwhelmed with joy.

"Venerable Wang,"

A short while later, Zhang Qing ascended to the third floor and casually inquired, "Well, have you made a decision?"

"I've decided. I'll take this one."

As he spoke, Wang Guan decisively packed the item, box and all, and leisurely headed downstairs.

"Huh?"

Zhang Qing was stunned, looking slightly puzzled. Since the Qiū Shēn Tiě and the Yú Fù Tú were still there, Wang Guan’s choice of a different object naturally left him confused and bewildered.

However curious he was, Zhang Qing didn't immediately pursue him for answers. Instead, he began to clean up the mess, carefully organizing the items Wang Guan had disturbed, securing the chests before finally leaving the attic.

Moments later, Zhang Qing arrived at the reception hall where guests were hosted on Dragon Tiger Mountain. Wang Guan, Elder Zhang, and Fang Mingsheng were already seated, sharing drinks and savoring the exquisite meal meticulously prepared by the head chef. It seemed that the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage didn't adhere to vegetarianism or abstinence from alcohol. Since they permitted marriage and children, eating meat and drinking wine was certainly permitted.

Thus, the table was laden with aromatic dishes, which the group enjoyed immensely. Truthfully, having only had some refreshments since morning, they were all quite hungry and showed no restraint, devouring large portions in the few minutes before the formal meal began.

It was only after three rounds of drinks and tasting the main courses that they slowed down.

At this juncture, Elder Zhang sipped some of the longevity wine unique to Dragon Tiger Mountain and then smiled gently: "Wang Guan, I still haven't asked, which item did you finally choose?"

"...The treasure," Wang Guan replied, his voice slightly muffled as he was gnawing on a spicy chicken leg.

"The Yú Fù Tú?"

Elder Zhang tentatively asked, seeing Wang Guan shake his head in denial, and then frowned slightly: "Then it must be the Qiū Shēn Tiě?"

"...That's not it either."

Wang Guan swallowed the meat, then brightened up and smiled: "When you went out, Elder, I continued rummaging through the chests and discovered another excellent item that truly suited my taste. So I just picked that one."

"Another item?"

Elder Zhang was momentarily startled and quickly asked, "What item was that?"

"...We can discuss that when we get back," Wang Guan said with a mysterious, endearing smile. "If I tell you now, I'm afraid some people might regret it."

"Hearing that, it sounds like the item is even more valuable than the Yú Fù Tú?" Elder Zhang frowned, murmuring to himself, "There was something like that on the third floor? How come I didn't know?"