At this moment, Yu Feibai spoke eloquently: "Hang it up in your room at night, and if a thief breaks in and sees something like this, he'll surely be scared witless and flee for his life immediately."

"That's certainly a possibility."

Wang Guan nodded repeatedly, but also took the opportunity to deflate the balloon: "But I think the greater possibility is that the thief recognizes it as a rare treasure and, while fleeing, won't forget to pocket it on the way out..."

"...Are you deliberately trying to antagonize me?" Yu Feibai shot him a sideways glance, clearly annoyed.

Wang Guan's smile remained, returning the words verbatim: "No, I'm just stating a fact."

"Hmph, too lazy to bother with you." Yu Feibai snorted, then broke into a smile again: "Elder Qian, it’s settled then, the item is mine."

"Good." Elder Qian smiled and nodded, adding a timely remark: "However, you were also right earlier; the item is best viewed at night, especially appreciated under the moonlight—that's when it truly shows its charm."

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai nodded slightly, understanding the implication of Elder Qian's words. The moonlight was softer, and the dim surroundings at night would certainly make the radiance of the calligraphy character much clearer and more pronounced.

"By the way, Elder Zhang mentioned that the shelf life of this thing might only be a few decades or a hundred years at most."

At the same time, Wang Guan kindly reminded him: "You had better be mentally prepared for this, or perhaps in a few decades, the light within the character will fade."

"What? It has an expiration date?" Yu Feibai was stunned.

"Nonsense. This is plant resin; it’s bound to volatilize. How could it possibly not have a shelf life?" Wang Guan rolled his eyes: "Did you think it was a diamond, something that lasts forever?"

"No wonder I've never seen physical examples of things like this passed down from antiquity."

Just then, Yu Feibai had an epiphany, though tinged with disappointment: "Only a few decades of longevity? Isn't that a bit too short?"

It wasn't hard to understand why Yu Feibai thought so, as compared to calligraphy pieces that often boasted histories spanning hundreds or thousands of years, a mere few decades seemed insufficient for appreciation.

"A few decades or a century is just an estimate; perhaps the time could be longer," Wang Guan laughed. "Of course, it might also be shorter than anticipated. In other words, this calligraphy piece is essentially a test subject. Since you're taking it for collection, remember to examine it periodically and document the changes over time."

"That sounds so bothersome," Yu Feibai frowned. "Why should I be the one doing this? Don't you have a box of that resin? I don't believe you won't use it."

"I will definitely use it, but I'm still considering how to use it,"

Wang Guan hesitated. "When I was at Mount Longhu, I encountered a master calligrapher who specialized in copying the 'Exchange of Geese' stele. His rendition of the copybook was breathtakingly skillful, truly superb—even better than reproductions by famous masters of old. I originally intended to ask that person to create a piece using the resin, but I worried his work might be too rigid and overly technical."

"Your statement is contradictory," Yu Feibai frowned. "You say his calligraphy is divine, yet you also say his writing is stiff and mechanical. Those are completely opposite evaluations."

"He isn't wrong."

At this juncture, Elder Qian mused thoughtfully: "The person you're referring to must be Daozhen, right?"

"Yes, that's him,"

Wang Guan quickly nodded. "Elder Qian knows of him?"

"Not only do I know him, but I've also chatted with him; he even gifted me a copy of the Huang Ting Jing."

Elder Qian’s voice was full of regret: "His Huang Ting Jing copybook is indeed exquisitely done. But every piece is strikingly similar, lacking variation, which naturally makes it appear rigid and overly practiced."

It had been mentioned before: a master imitating a famous work never remains static; instead, they incorporate their own insights and subtly inject personal elements. But Daozhen was a hundred-percent imitation, devoid of anything uniquely his own. Thus, no matter how skilled or fluent his characters were, they were forever trapped by the shadow of the original manuscript.

"The more I listen, the more confused I get," Yu Feibai scratched his head at the side. "That person sounds incredibly capable, yet Elder Qian’s assessment seems lukewarm."

"There is a reason for that," Wang Guan offered an explanation. "Mainly, that man is too 'singular' in his focus..."

Under Wang Guan's explanation, Yu Feibai finally understood: "Mount Longhu harbors such an eccentric master? I hadn't heard of him before. It seems I must pay him a visit when I have the chance."

Daozhen had dedicated over two decades to intense calligraphy practice, focusing solely on the 'Exchange of Geese' stele. Calling him an eccentric was hardly an overstatement, though he belonged to a rather niche, non-mainstream category of genius.

"But it's not necessarily him, is it?"

At this point, Yu Feibai suggested: "There are plenty of master calligraphers in the Capital. If you ask any of them to help write a piece, they certainly wouldn't refuse. They might even get agitated if you didn't ask them."

"We'll see. I'll think about it more," Wang Guan said casually. "After all, the initiative is mine; no need to rush. Actually, it doesn't necessarily have to be a calligraphy piece; painting one would be excellent too."

"...That makes sense," Yu Feibai's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "A painting that can emit radiance would absolutely be far more dazzling than a simple calligraphy piece."

"That's why I'm hesitating," Wang Guan sighed, a picture of enviable, enviable distress. Yu Feibai certainly felt that way, vehemently condemning this behavior of gaining an advantage while still pretending to struggle.

"Alright, stop fooling around, come have some tea,"

At this moment, Elder Qian beckoned them over to calm the atmosphere, then smiled and asked, "Wang Guan, you mentioned selecting an item from Mount Longhu earlier. With your eye for artifacts, whatever you chose shouldn't be subpar, right?"

"Yes, yes! I've been asking him about it the whole way here, but he's been coy," Yu Feibai's attention shifted immediately, urging him on: "Now that Elder Qian has spoken, hurry up and show us the item."

"I already took it out. Didn't you see it?" Wang Guan smiled, his expression utterly mysterious.

"What?"

Yu Feibai started, his eyes narrowing with suspicion: "Who are you trying to fool?"

"I'm not fooling anyone; I'm simply telling the truth," Wang Guan said with a pleasant smile, gesturing with his hand: "The item is on the table. Do you truly not see it?"

"Wow, I never knew your nearsightedness was this severe."

Just then, Wang Guan teased: "If you're nearsighted, you should get it corrected, or wear glasses. Don't delay treatment for the sake of some imagined handsome demeanor..."

"Get lost."

Yu Feibai spat out the word as if grinding his teeth, then lowered his head to examine the surface closely. He could tell Wang Guan wasn't lying; the item must genuinely be on the tabletop. But why couldn't he see it? Was it transparent and invisible? Yu Feibai was utterly baffled. Fortunately, the tabletop wasn't large, and after careful scrutiny, he immediately spotted the situation.

"What is this?"

Seeing a tube-shaped object on the table, Yu Feibai immediately reached out and grabbed it. In that instant, the object changed color, startling him so badly he nearly threw it across the room.

"Don't get agitated,"

Seeing this, Wang Guan urgently said: "That is an exceedingly rare treasure; please, don't break it."

"Treasure?"

Yu Feibai calmed down at this, looking intently, then was taken aback: "Isn't this a brush? ...Wait, something seems off. It wasn't this color just a second ago."

In a flash, Yu Feibai reacted, hastily setting the brush down. He immediately saw the process of the brush changing color, which left him dumbfounded: "No way, is this a color-changing pen?"

"It’s not a color-changing pen; it’s the Five-Color Brush."

At the same time, Elder Qian's eyes flashed, and he exclaimed with delight: "This is the Wuse Hao that literati throughout the ages have dreamed of possessing."

"Five-Color Brush?" Yu Feibai was momentarily stunned. "I think I’ve heard of that somewhere."

"You definitely have. The anecdote about Li Bai dreaming of a brush sprouting flowers mentioned the Five-Color Brush," Wang Guan casually reminded him. "This is considered the Immortal Brush or Divine Brush by writers of all eras. If one dreams of this brush, they are sure to experience a surge of literary inspiration and become a great writer."

"Right, that's the one." Yu Feibai realized, then picked up the Five-Color Brush, weighing and examining it repeatedly while murmuring in wonder: "Strange, how does the material change color?"

"It doesn't change color itself; rather, it is inherently pure and transparent, possessing no inherent hue of its own."

Wang Guan recited Elder Zhang's research findings: "So, when it nears something with a distinct color, it merges with that color, much like a chameleon."

"Transparent and pure?" Yu Feibai pondered. "Is it crystal?"

"Not crystal, but even more translucent than crystal, with a slight texture reminiscent of mutton-fat jade," Wang Guan scratched his head. "As for the exact material, Elder Zhang studied it for several days but couldn't identify it."

"How mysterious," Yu Feibai heard this and immediately held the Five-Color Brush high. Illuminated by the sunlight, the handle was indeed highly transparent, almost invisible, leaving only a faint outline. Simultaneously, the brush absorbed enough sunlight to emit a dazzling, multicolored sheen. Perhaps this was the true origin of the name 'Five-Color Brush.'

"A treasure, truly a rare and precious find,"

At this moment, Yu Feibai was utterly amazed. "The people of Mount Longhu must have been kicked in the head by a donkey. How could they bear to use such a treasure as rent payment? Could it be that their mountain treasury is filled entirely with rare marvels of this caliber, and they've grown indifferent to them?"

Wang Guan smiled and asked, "Do you think that’s possible?"

"It's precisely because I know it's impossible that I think their minds are addled and they've gone completely mad," Yu Feibai sighed. "To not properly safeguard such a treasure, but to be willing to give it to you—that’s too extravagant."

"There is certainly a reason for that," Wang Guan explained the matter of the brush within a brush, which naturally made Yu Feibai sigh again over his own lack of such good fortune.

After admiring it for a while longer, Yu Feibai handed the Five-Color Brush to Elder Qian: "Take a look, old man, what substance is this handle made of? Oh, and the bristles—they are incredibly pliant and smooth, full of elasticity. Most importantly, they also change color—truly wondrous."

"Indeed wondrous."

Elder Qian nodded gently, taking the Five-Color Brush and examining it closely. After a long pause, he mused thoughtfully: "The material of the handle is very likely what ancient texts referred to as Shuijing (Water Essence/Crystal)."