"What era of Mingguang armor is this?" Wang Guan examined it for a moment, curiosity piqued. "I recall the Mingguang armor being most famous in the Tang Dynasty, though it seems it existed even before then."

"It was around since the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, I believe."

Old Mr. Qin chuckled warmly. "After they showed me the photographs, I looked up some material, and found records of Mingguang Jia dating back to the Cao Wei period of the Three Kingdoms. As for physical evidence, that came from terracotta figurines of warriors unearthed during the Northern Wei era of the Northern and Southern Dynasties; they were wearing this very style of Mingguang armor."

"But Young Friend, you are also quite right. By the time of the Tang Dynasty, the crafting technique for the Mingguang armor had reached its zenith. However, the process was overly complex; historical records indicate that forging a single suit of iron armor required nearly two hundred days, and repairing one suit demanded forty-one artisans."

As he spoke, Old Mr. Qin sighed with a sense of wonder. "This alone shows that the production of Mingguang armor was approaching an assembly-line efficiency. It's a pity that following the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the Song Dynasty favored culture over military strength. Perhaps only high-ranking officials and generals in the early Song still possessed a suit of Mingguang armor; later on, the item gradually vanished from records. Or perhaps it was a deliberate neglect by the court, causing it to naturally disappear into the river of history."

"That's often the way of things." Wang Guan let out a faint sigh. "The bronze chariots and crossbows of the Qin Dynasty, the Huan Shou Dao (ring-pommel sword) and armored cavalry of the Han, the Mingguang armor and the renowned Tang Saber of the Tang Dynasty. Every piece of weaponry that left such a massive imprint on history was, without exception, the most formidable instrument of war in its time. Regrettably, these artifacts always disappear for various reasons, leaving behind only legendary whispers for the world to admire."

"Why the sudden melancholy over such things?" Yu Feibai remarked casually. "I think the immediate priority is figuring out precisely what era this armor belongs to."

"That's true." Wang Guan’s expression cleared, and he smiled. "Since Old Mr. Qin has studied Mingguang armor, you must already have a solid idea, right?"

"Heh, I have a few insights." Old Mr. Qin immediately smiled. "In fact, you young friends should also be able to guess. Only during the Tang Dynasty, when the craft of Mingguang armor reached its peak, could such exquisite yet functional armor have been produced."

"As far as I know, Tang Dynasty Mingguang armor can be categorized into five types in chronological order," Old Mr. Qin began enumerating. "The helmet and armor of the late Sui era, the early Tang, high Tang, middle Tang, and late Tang."

"Each period's armor is broadly similar, but there are subtle differences in detail."

"What differences?" The others naturally leaned in with curiosity.

"That’s hard to say." Old Mr. Qin shook his head. "It depends on the ornamentation variations on the helmet, the cuirass, and the spaulders. Each period saw minute changes; it’s not something that can be summarized quickly."

"That’s fine, just tell us which period this armor is from." Yu Feibai showed keen interest. "I’ve long heard of the fame of Tang Dynasty Mingguang armor. I’ve seen reproductions before, and I was fortunate enough to see an excavated actual piece once. But it was rather tattered. This set, however, is complete and astonishingly well-preserved."

"Indeed. A Mingguang armor set this complete can be considered unique." Old Mr. Qin meticulously examined every detail of the armor, not even missing a single scale plate, touching each one carefully to confirm, before finally saying with satisfaction, "I believe this piece is from the High Tang period."

"What's your basis for that?" Yu Feibai was curious, and the others shared a similar desire to listen intently.

At the same time, Old Mr. Qin explained with enthusiasm, "Let me summarize; it’s actually quite easy to distinguish. The armor of the early Tang, as the economy was in a recovery phase, featured simpler designs. However, during the High Tang period, driven by the affluent societal atmosphere of the time, the armor naturally leaned towards the ornate."

"This suit clearly reflects that. The detailing is exquisitely fine and deliberate; it no longer emphasizes sheer heaviness and imposing might, but rather projects an air of noble elegance, serving to highlight the rank and status of the wearer."

As he spoke, Old Mr. Qin mused, "This type of armor has excess splendor but insufficient martial ferocity. I suspect this is the remnant of a general from the Palace Guard, rather than something belonging to a fierce warrior who campaigned on the battlefield."

"That makes sense." Wang Guan nodded thoughtfully. "I remember hearing someone say that one shouldn't wear overly ornate clothing in battle, lest they become a priority target for the enemy."

Everyone nodded in agreement; after all, wearing highly conspicuous attire on the battlefield was like being a firefly in the dark—not only drawing attention but becoming an obvious target. Who wouldn't shoot at you?

"Let’s check, there should be an inscription." Old Mr. Qin began searching inside the armor at that moment. "The Tang Dynasty had a specific department responsible for armor production, something like the Jia Fang Shu (Armor Workshop). Additionally, the Beidu Junqi Jian (Northern Capital Armament Bureau) also housed such an arsenal. Regardless of the workshop, items like this armor were considered high-grade military supplies in antiquity; they must have serial numbers."

"Exactly." Wang Guan nodded. "Ancient armor and crossbows were like modern firearms and ammunition; civilians were forbidden from manufacturing them privately. If anyone dared to conceal armor, the court would surely treat it as an act of treason, with execution being the lighter penalty; annihilation of the entire clan was quite common. If the hidden quantity was large, execution by beheading the entire lineage wouldn't be questioned."

"That's natural," Old Mr. Qin nodded and smiled. "But what you speak of applies more to the Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods. It wasn't so severe in the Tang Dynasty. Concealing one or two pieces might only result in caning and exile at most, but possessing too many would certainly lead to being cut in half."

"It shows that whether ancient or modern, human nature remains the same." Yu Feibai pursed his lips slightly, then suddenly gestured. "I think the inscription might be inside the abdominal plate..." It must be said, Yu Feibai's intuition was often uncannily accurate, hitting the nail on the head.

"There is indeed an inscription." Old Mr. Qin flipped open the abdominal plate and discovered a few lines of simple text. He squinted to decipher it: "Jia Fang Shu, Southern Quarters Right Qianniu Guard..."

"Huh?" For a moment, Wang Guan and the others froze, exchanging glances, a sense of strangeness dawning upon them. Their peculiar expressions immediately drew the attention of Dage, who looked over.

Wang Guan recovered quickly, expressing genuine surprise. "Isn't it the Jia Fang Shu? How is it connected to the Qianniu Guard?"

"Right, the two departments seem unrelated," Yu Feibai matched his tone seamlessly. "One is an arsenal, and the other is the famously renowned Palace Guard unit."

"I speculate that the Jia Fang Shu must have manufactured this armor specifically for the Qianniu Guard," Old Mr. Qin pondered for a moment, chuckling softly. "Perhaps it was custom-made for a specific general within the Qianniu Guard."

"Hmm, not impossible..." Wang Guan nodded and said no more.

"Old Mr. Qin," At this point, Dage felt an inexplicable, severe twitch in his eyelid, making him slightly unnerved. Having no time to dwell on the cause, he urged instinctively, "You've examined it, and there’s no need for me to elaborate on its authenticity, is there? If you find it suitable, buy it. If you're not satisfied, we'll take it away immediately, and we won't delay you from entertaining your friends."

"Wait just two more minutes." Old Mr. Qin smiled faintly, then said softly, "My two young friends, what do you think of the piece?"

"It's good." Yu Feibai reached out to touch the Mingguang armor and nodded without hesitation. "It must be authentic. Especially the leather thongs lacing the scales—they show signs of decay and breakage. Look at the faint rust patina subtly emanating from each scale; I can confirm it’s an ancient item. As for whether it's Tang Dynasty armor, you should know better than me."

"It is genuine," Wang Guan affirmed as well. "If it were just the armor plates, authenticating it would be difficult, but since it’s a complete set, identification is relatively easier. After all, tampering with two or three thousand individual scales is definitely not an easy task, and any flaw would be easily spotted."

"Besides," Wang Guan continued, smiling slightly, "whether the item is real or fake, Old Mr. Qin, you likely already have a clear idea in your mind; there’s no need to ask us." Although laced with a touch of flattery, it couldn't be denied that Old Mr. Qin’s research over the past few days hadn't been wasted; at least he was intimately familiar with the armor's historical context and capable of applying theory to practice. In some ways, he was indeed superior to Wang Guan and the others.

"Heh, I was just cramming temporarily, but if you all agree the piece is correct, then there shouldn't be an issue," Speaking thus, Old Mr. Qin let his smile fade, stating calmly, "I want it. Name your price."

"Two million." Dage and the younger man beside him inwardly rejoiced, immediately quoting the price they had negotiated.

"Too expensive. Two hundred thousand," Old Mr. Qin said lightly. Despite his age, he showed no mercy when bargaining. Dage and his group were not surprised by this; they had started with a ridiculously high offer and never expected to get two million. But two hundred thousand was certainly below their expectations, meaning there was room to negotiate.

While the two parties haggled, Wang Guan and his companions did not linger to watch the show. First, they understood the unspoken rule and needed to maintain distance. Second, they had other matters to discuss.

"How is it?" Yu Feibai whispered. "Are they the ones?"

"Almost certainly," Wang Guan gestured. "If you look closely, you can spot traces of the metal scales being polished. Combined with the inscription pointing to the Qianniu Guard on the abdominal plate, I think the probability is very high. Otherwise, wouldn't that be too much of a coincidence?"

"There are many coincidences in this world, but not one this perfectly tailored," Yu Feibai chuckled softly. "It’s like finding something after searching everywhere for it—effortless reward. If we report this now, do you think we’ll receive commendation?"

"That's certain..." Wang Guan pondered for a moment, then spoke quietly, "Let's inform Officer Yang. Though it might be slightly unfair to Old Mr. Qin, a quick pain is better than prolonged suffering. This way, if things come to light later, Old Mr. Qin won't be implicated."

This matter was easy to handle; a phone call was too noticeable, so a text message would suffice. Many hands make light work; the group stood together, obscuring Dage and his men from view, sending a short message completely unnoticed... (To be continued...)