Others might splash water and at least hear a sound. But Wang Guan spending tens of thousands on a dilapidated house, not for residence, but to dig it up hoping for buried treasure—in Elder Duan's eyes, this seemed utterly unreliable, a guaranteed loss.

“Young people are like this, making decisions on a whim…” Elder Duan secretly shook his head, but seeing as they weren't close, he couldn't pry too deeply. With a helpless sigh, he said no more.

Not long after, the three finished their morning exercises and slowly returned to the village. Villagers immediately pulled them to their homes for breakfast—simple fare like steamed buns, yet the three ate heartily.

After they were full, Elder Duan smilingly relayed Wang Guan’s intent, immediately causing a flurry of surprise and joy among the villagers. After all, they had been debating where to sell the wild ginseng; they never expected someone to take it off their hands so quickly, and at such a high price.

Of course, the villagers weren't fools; they understood Wang Guan was helping out of kindness, so they didn't intend to swindle him. They certainly wouldn't ask for the full thirty thousand; ten thousand would suffice. The simplicity of the villagers, especially contrasted with Kong Chao’s insatiable greed and outrageous demands, made Wang Guan sigh, truly illustrating that comparison is the thief of joy.

However, if they only offered ten thousand, it would be meaningless. Under Wang Guan’s insistence, with Elder Duan and Elder Yan pushing gently from the sidelines, the villagers finally accepted Wang Guan’s goodwill, agreeing to transfer the wild ginseng to him for twenty thousand.

Once settled, Wang Guan immediately urged the villagers to head to the nearest county town to transfer the funds.

“Wait, Boss, wait…”

Just as Wang Guan was about to drive off, Kong Chao appeared from seemingly nowhere, looking frantic and rushing to catch up: “Boss, I found it, all the paperwork is complete…”

“Follow along yourself,” Wang Guan said casually, driving forward. About half an hour later, they arrived at the nearby county town. They found a bank and waited patiently.

Moments later, Kong Chao arrived, rushing in full stride, his face blossoming into an incomparably bright smile upon seeing Wang Guan.

While waiting, Wang Guan had already asked the bank staff to print out the drafted contract. Seeing Kong Chao arrive, he cut the pleasantries short, simply pushing the contract forward: “Take a look. If you think there are no issues, just sign it.”

“Oh.”

Kong Chao collected himself and first located the transaction amount, carefully counting every zero before comfortably continuing to review the content. The contract terms were quite simple yet meticulously detailed, containing no traps—a straightforward exchange of money for property, perfectly fair and reasonable.

After a quick read, Kong Chao hesitated, then couldn’t help but ask: “Boss, could you tell me what you plan to do with my house after buying it?”

“Finished reading?” Wang Guan didn't answer, merely stating coolly: “Then sign it.”

“Boss…”

Kong Chao was persistent and tried to inquire further. But Wang Guan grew impatient, waving a hand: “Agree and sign, or step aside. If you don’t want to sell, I might not be eager to buy either.”

“That’s true.”

At that moment, Elder Duan chimed in: “Wang Guan, I think you shouldn't buy it. That old house isn't that great; why waste the money?”

“You old fellow!”

Hearing this, Kong Chao cursed Elder Duan inwardly and shot him a covert glare. He immediately made up his mind and quickly took up the pen to sign. He handed the contract to Wang Guan, awaiting his signature and the payment.

Wang Guan was equally swift, signing the contract casually, then giving a slight wave. Bank staff naturally came over to escort Kong Chao to count his money.

“Thank you, Boss, thank you, Boss.” Kong Chao, elated, hurried off to collect his funds, forgetting even about his copy of the contract. When he emerged, he was astonished to see several villagers also grinning widely, clutching several thick bundles of red notes. The sheer volume of the notes in their hands was considerably thicker than his own.

“What’s going on?”

Kong Chao was momentarily stunned. After inquiring, he learned that Wang Guan had just paid twenty thousand for the wild ginseng. At this, a sense of imbalance washed over him: why was his ancestral home worth only seven thousand, while a piece of ginseng barely half a finger’s length was worth twenty thousand?

“It’s not fair,” Kong Chao fumed internally, wanting to confront Wang Guan for an explanation, but the man had vanished. After asking around again, he learned Wang Guan had already left.

“You can’t run away from the temple just because the monk fled,” Kong Chao muttered to himself. “I want to see exactly what you plan to do with my ancestral home…”

Vaguely, Kong Chao sensed there was some deeper implication behind Wang Guan buying his house. Therefore, after receiving his few tens of thousands, he didn't splurge immediately but returned to the village to wait.

However, after waiting two or three days, Kong Chao never saw Wang Guan, nor did he see anyone come to take possession of the house.

On the other hand, the villagers, now flush with twenty thousand, immediately contracted the mountain lands surrounding the village, with thousands left over, enough to rent machinery and purchase fertilizer and seeds.

Instantly, the young and strong men in the village became busy, working intensely on the mountains every day. While everyone else toiled, Kong Chao lounged around the village, naturally drawing conspicuous attention. Amidst the scornful glances of the villagers, Kong Chao grew bored, and the money in the bank kept itching in his pocket.

After watching for two or three days, Kong Chao finally couldn't hold back and rushed off toward the bustling world…

This departure was something Kong Chao would later regret so deeply that his guts turned green, even wishing for death. Because shortly after he left, a large contingent arrived at the mountain village from the provincial capital.

“Eye-opening, truly eye-opening,”

At this moment, Wang Guan was driving, with Elder Yan and Elder Duan behind him. They were still reeling from the treasures exhibition. Even though the viewing was yesterday, the exotic artifacts were so marvelous they were worth savoring for days.

“Old Yan, I now somewhat understand your thinking,”

Amidst the admiration, Elder Duan stated solemnly: “Your idea is correct. You must find the Rainbow Grass to create a Grandmaster-level piece. Since the sages of the past achieved it, you have no reason to fail.”

Wang Guan understood that Elder Duan was referring to the Zhong Kui Subduing Demons painting. Some things seen on television are fundamentally different from witnessing them in person. It was like bungee jumping: watching people on TV, one could never grasp why they screamed and hesitated to jump. Only when one personally experienced the sport did they understand the terror.

The Zhong Kui Subduing Demons painting was like that. On television, it was just a flat image, no matter how high the definition, there was always a layer separating the viewer. But viewing it up close revealed its dimensionality, allowing one to truly feel its exquisite mastery.

However, upon hearing Elder Duan, Elder Yan gave a wry smile: “This sort of thing isn't achieved just by talking about it. It depends not only on fate but also on one’s state of mind while painting. Of course, the prerequisite for everything is finding the Rainbow Grass; otherwise, dreaming of a Grandmaster-level work is pointless.”

“Elder Yan…”

Just then, Wang Guan suddenly spoke: “Have you ever heard of Fluorescent Tree Sap?”

“What?” Elder Yan froze for a moment, then reacted, his expression a mixture of surprise and delight: “The fluorescent tree resin, lustrous as jade, blooming with faint light at night?”

“It’s good that Elder Yan knows about it,” Wang Guan chuckled softly: “What do you think about painting with Fluorescent Tree Resin?”

“It would be wonderful, of course,” Elder Yan nodded repeatedly, a look of anticipation and tension on his face: “Are you saying you have such a thing on hand?”

“I happened upon a box of it unintentionally.”

Since the topic was brought up, Wang Guan saw no reason to deny it. He nodded and smiled: “I originally intended to find someone to help create a piece of calligraphy, but I don't know if it can be used for painting.”

“It can, why not?” Elder Yan nodded quickly, hastily explaining: “Fluorescent Tree Resin can dissolve into ink and water, but because of its luminescent effect, it is best suited for gongbi (meticulous) painting. Amidst brilliant colors, flecks of fluorescence would emerge, complementing each other, fully displaying an aura of luxuriant splendor.”

“Hmm, that makes sense,” Wang Guan agreed. After all, ink wash painting emphasizes purity and elegance; adding lavish colors might be overdoing it. It would be better to add icing to the cake than to spoil the original flavor.

“Hey, you two, don’t have a private chat!”

At this point, Elder Duan also grew curious: “Tell me, what exactly is this Fluorescent Tree Resin?”

“It’s not just anything; it’s a special plant similar to Rainbow Grass,” Elder Yan explained. “Its resin is quite peculiar; it emits a soft glow at night, like a firefly…”

“Is that true? So magical?”

Elder Duan immediately expressed some doubt: “Why haven't you mentioned it before?”

“This thing was lost even earlier than the Rainbow Grass, and its origin isn't around here, so telling you was useless anyway.” While speaking, Elder Yan looked at Wang Guan: “Do you really have Fluorescent Tree Resin?”

“Certainly,” Wang Guan nodded affirmatively: “I’ve already arranged for someone to bring the materials over. I’ll let you verify them later.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you,” Elder Yan quickly shook his head. “It’s just… I’m a bit too excited, yes, excited.”

Elder Yan had reason to be thrilled. After failing to find the Rainbow Grass, obtaining the Fluorescent Tree Resin felt like a sudden turn of fortune—a feeling akin to arriving at a dead end only to find a bright village ahead.

“Elder Yan,”

Wang Guan smiled at the same time: “I will give you this material to use free of charge, but for the work you create, I have the right of first refusal.”

“Agreed,” Elder Yan accepted without hesitation: “Once I finish painting, the work belongs to you.”

Elder Yan understood clearly what he needed. The purpose of using Rainbow Grass or Fluorescent Tree Resin was essentially to break through his own bottleneck. In other words, improving his skill was the key; the resulting artwork was secondary.

It was simple logic: for a painter, technique is the foundation. As long as the skill remains, one can continuously create more works—this is the difference between fishing and being given a fish. Elder Yan naturally understood the priorities and trade-offs involved.

Wang Guan was quite pleased with this arrangement and promised to hand over the Fluorescent Tree Resin immediately upon returning so Elder Yan could begin painting…

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