"It is rumored that the Dragon Stele bears a dragon engraving drawn by the Patriarch himself, and initially, the dragon lacked eyes. Then, one day, on a whim, the Patriarch dotted the eyes."

At this very moment, Lu Chongming’s expression was strange: "What happened next, you probably already know. The dragon, once given sight, came alive, soaring right out of the stone stele and into the sky. All that remained on the stone was its shadow, which, after several hundred years of transformation, devolved into simple, etched lines of a dragon pattern..."

"Ahem!"

The other three exchanged glances. What an overly familiar anecdote—it was clearly the classic tale of 'dotting the eye of the dragon,' copied verbatim without a single alteration. It was too blatant.

"Such legends," Lu Chongming chuckled, "are best listened to and forgotten; there’s no need to take them seriously." "However, this is the only object in our village that can be linked to the Patriarch. And I've studied it closely; the stele certainly appears ancient, and claiming it's from the Ming Dynasty is quite plausible. The only mystery is whether the stele preceded the Patriarch or vice versa. I suspect it’s because the Patriarch’s name is so resonant that people forced a connection."

"That’s hard to say; perhaps it’s true," Boss Hu reacted quickly, immediately laughing. "They say it’s unprovable, so who knows if there isn't some real connection."

It was clear from Boss Hu's words that he was speaking against his better judgment. Lu Chongming smiled and steered the conversation away: "Whether the Dragon Stele is real or not isn't important, because there is a genuine item at the exhibition."

"Indeed."

Boss Hu wholeheartedly agreed: "That yellow jade thumb ring absolutely demands meticulous appraisal."

"In comparison, I’m more interested in the Changhua stone," Song Youdao interjected at this point. "Now that is something that captures the very essence of creation, the supernatural craftsmanship of nature..."

Amidst their exclamations, Boss Hu’s wife approached, signaling that they could proceed to dinner. It had only been twenty-odd minutes, yet lunch was ready. This didn't suggest carelessness on her part; rather, she had simply ordered from a restaurant, ensuring prompt service.

Of course, these were trivial details. Under the warm hospitality of the Hu family, Wang Guan and the others felt completely at home, soon eating their fill, and then retiring to the living room for a brief period to digest.

"Boss."

Just a few minutes later, a clerk from the downstairs shop hurried up. A customer was at the door, insisting on purchasing a rather valuable piece of jade. Since they couldn't agree on the price, the clerk couldn't make the decision and naturally had to seek Boss Hu's ruling.

Seeing this, Wang Guan and his companions tactfully took their leave. Boss Hu couldn't prevail upon them to stay longer and reluctantly saw the three men out before returning to the shop to haggle with the customer...

Simultaneously, as they walked along the bustling, prosperous street, Wang Guan felt a strange sense of familiarity. Focusing his gaze, he realized the street ran right next to the Antique Market—a place he had visited once during his last trip to Shanghai and recognized instantly.

Wang Guan wasn't the only one who remembered.

Just as Wang Guan and his group passed by the Antique Market, a man suddenly rushed out, flashing a brilliant smile at him: "East Owner Wang, long time no see."

"Uh..."

Wang Guan blinked, studying the newcomer closely. His memory clicked into place, and he returned the smile: "Why, it's Shopkeeper Xie. How has business been lately?"

This Shopkeeper Xie was one of the merchants whose shops were gathered around when Wang Guan had discovered the Black Ding ware porcelain on the Antique Street previously. They had exchanged business cards back then, and Wang Guan, possessing a good memory, certainly recalled the interaction.

Relatively speaking, Shopkeeper Xie’s memory was far sharper. After all, he had never forgotten that Black Ding bowl, always hoping that one day Wang Guan would call and say he was ready to sell it. Unfortunately, that call never came; instead, the man himself had arrived.

Since they had run into each other, and with nothing pressing to attend to, Shopkeeper Xie naturally had to extend a greeting. As an antique dealer with over a decade in the trade, he understood perfectly that opportunities aren't handed down from heaven; they must be actively created. With this thought, Shopkeeper Xie made an immediate decision, rushing out to greet them while simultaneously inviting Wang Guan and his companions into his shop for a rest.

"What do you think?" Wang Guan sought the opinions of Song Youdao and Lu Chongming. If he were alone, accepting the invitation was inconsequential, but with two others in tow, he couldn't decide for them.

"Let's take a look," Lu Chongming expressed interest. Seeing this, Song Youdao also offered no objection.

The three men were thus led by Shopkeeper Xie into his establishment. As soon as he stepped across the threshold, Wang Guan scanned the room casually and was immediately surprised: "Shopkeeper Xie, you specialize in bottles? So many bottles."

"...Can't be helped; it's the trend," Shopkeeper Xie mumbled, a hint of awkwardness in his manner.

Wang Guan’s surprise and Shopkeeper Xie’s embarrassment had a clear reason: most of these bottles shared a similar appearance—cream-colored, slightly coarse porcelain jars. This specific form was reminiscent of the 'Withered Tree Meets Spring' vase. Clearly, following the sensation caused by the treasure exhibition, imitations had sprung up like weeds after the rain.

Still, this was entirely expected. Wang Guan felt no particular emotion, instead examining the bottles with genuine interest, picking one up to look closer. A moment later, he couldn't help but nod: "They are quite convincing..."

"East Owner Wang, you are a true master; please don't mock me."

Shopkeeper Xie made no attempt to hide the truth now: "These items are purely decorative. We sell them for a few dozen or a hundred yuan. There's absolutely no intention to deceive anyone."

Shopkeeper Xie’s words were genuine. If he intended deceit, he should have displayed only one piece. After all, when a cluster of nearly identical bottles is displayed together, anyone can recognize them as reproductions, and no one foolish enough to be cheated should be surprised if they are.

Therefore, Wang Guan responded sincerely: "I am not mocking you, but rather praising Shopkeeper Xie's integrity."

"Integrity is too grand a word. I simply know which money is worth earning and which money I’d feel guilty about making," Shopkeeper Xie chuckled, then solicitously invited the three into the tea room for a sit-down.

"No need for tea," Wang Guan smiled. "We just left a friend's place, and I'm already full of tea. Compared to Shopkeeper Xie's fine brew, I am far more interested in the treasures in your shop. Do you have any prized collections you could show us to broaden our horizons?"

"East Owner Wang is trying to make me look bad," Shopkeeper Xie quickly waved his hands. "No matter how good the items in my shop are, they don't amount to even a fraction of the value of Wang East Owner's Black Ding ware."

"That's an exaggeration," Wang Guan shook his head, daring not to underestimate anyone. Having experienced much, he knew that hidden treasures could reside in the most unremarkable shops.

Moreover, Shopkeeper Xie’s antique business had been running for at least fourteen or fifteen years. To operate for that long without securing a few absolute showpieces was simply unbelievable to Wang Guan. If Xie didn't produce any, it could only mean their acquaintance wasn't deep enough for him to feel comfortable displaying them.

While the two were chatting, Song Youdao and Lu Chongming browsed the shop casually. However, upon reaching a corner of the establishment, Lu Chongming suddenly let out an exclamation of shock upon spotting an object.

"What is it?"

Wang Guan, startled by the sound, glanced over, asking with a smile: "Found something good?"

"Not a good thing, but..."

Lu Chongming paused, then beckoned: "Come look at this item, everyone..."

Hearing this, the others grew genuinely curious and gathered around. A moment later, Wang Guan focused his eyes and saw that the object was, in fact, a broken stele. The arch-shaped stone was covered in marks left by the ravages of time, along with some messy, carved lines, giving it a very aged and worn appearance.

"Oh."

However, after a single glance, Wang Guan understood Lu Chongming’s astonishment. The linear carvings on the stele surface were actually arranged in a dragon-scale pattern, identical to the fragmented stele he had just described in his village.

"It looks the same," Wang Guan commented with a smile. "Could it be from your village?"

Wang Guan was joking, but his words served as a prompt for Lu Chongming. He immediately crouched down and turned the broken stele over to examine the back. At first glance, his expression changed drastically.

Noticing Lu Chongming’s reaction, Wang Guan also looked down. The reverse side of the broken stele was equally pitted and uneven, covered in numerous messy lines etched into it—so bad they were an affront to the eyes, like a child’s scribbles.

Yet, amidst the chaotic graffiti, there were some skillfully executed designs, such as a small turtle. This one was deeply carved with a sharp tool: the plates of the carapace, the half-extended head, and the vivid four limbs were all rendered so lifelike it was an exquisite miniature masterpiece.

"I carved this."

Lu Chongming ran his finger over the image of the small turtle, his expression a mix of nostalgia and profound confusion. "That’s right, the fragmented stele must be from the village. How did it end up here?"

Hearing this, everyone froze, but the realization dawned quickly: it wasn't just similar; it was the same object. But this introduced several layers of complexity. Lu Chongming’s village artifact couldn't just turn up inexplicably in an antique shop, could it?

For a moment, the others turned their gaze toward Shopkeeper Xie, their eyes questioning, hoping he could provide an explanation. This wasn't an accusation, merely a request for clarification.

"This item is from your village?"

Shopkeeper Xie showed a flicker of surprise, yet he didn't doubt Lu Chongming’s sincerity, mainly because the broken stele was genuinely unimpressive; there was no point in lying about such an object to extort anything. Understanding this, he also began to explain seriously: "Strictly speaking, I didn't acquire this from a regular source; someone brought it in to sell."

"But the item was too poor quality and held no real value. I didn't want to take it, but the person was incredibly persistent, leaving the thing here and refusing to leave until I dealt with it. To stop him from disrupting my business, I casually handed him a few dozen yuan and sent him packing. The item was left behind, and I never got around to disposing of it."

As he spoke, Shopkeeper Xie sighed helplessly. "The stone is too heavy. Even if I put it by the garbage heap, the sanitation workers won't bother moving it."