Since the Qin Dynasty, following cultural unification, the subsequent Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties each possessed distinct cultural characteristics that served as defining hallmarks. For instance, the Han Rhapsodies, Tang Poetry, Song Ci, Yuan Drama, and Ming/Qing Novels.

Of course, this isn't to suggest that no other noteworthy achievements existed outside these cultural spheres during those eras. The categorization is based on broad strokes, which naturally leads to such conclusions. Take the Song Dynasty, for example; people certainly continued to compose poems, but compared to Ci poetry, verse was less frequent and simply could not surpass that of previous masters, so it naturally failed to become the representative form.

Some have summarized the rule by saying that cultural trends shift because it is unavoidable; when predecessors have pushed a certain art form to its zenith, succeeding generations must pioneer new paths. As long as one digs diligently, achievements can always be found.

However, this pattern changed significantly in modern times. Due to the intermingling and collision of Eastern and Western cultures, cultural variety has become increasingly diverse. This has, in turn, left people feeling adrift; even after decades of exploration, a suitable path for development has yet to be found.

Wang Guan was powerless to assist with this situation, as he was not a scholar specializing in cultural studies. Yet, he knew that if the current state of affairs remained unchanged, the slogan of building a great cultural nation would remain nothing more than a joke.

While Wang Guan pondered this, Yu Feibai was not idle. He immediately brought out the box containing the parchment scrolls and handed them to Elder Qian for examination. Elder Qian appeared quite absorbed, suggesting he might be able to decipher them.

Seeing this, Wang Guan grew curious: "Elder Qian, you understand Hebrew?"

"No," Elder Qian chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm just examining these parchments. Don't assume everything written on parchment is an antiquity. Remember, just as China has its fake relics, counterfeiting is not uncommon in the West either."

"That's true."

Instantly, Yu Feibai deeply agreed: "Never mind parchment; some even artificially age papyrus scrolls."

Wang Guan certainly knew what papyrus was.

As early as 3000 BCE, Egypt had begun using papyrus to record writings. This paper was made by tearing reeds and laying one layer vertically over another horizontally. The natural gum in the reeds would bond the two layers together, forming continuous rolls of papyrus.

It is said that Western writing habits were established at this time. Because papyrus naturally has horizontal striations, it was invariably easier to write following the horizontal grain. Over the years, this writing custom was preserved.

In China, however, since people were accustomed to carving characters onto bamboo slips, even after paper was invented, the ancients retained the habit of writing vertically. Could it be that the origins of Eastern and Western cultures are largely dependent on the local flora?

Furthermore, because the Egyptian climate was dry, papyrus rolls could be preserved. But in damper regions, this type of paper did not last long, leading to a switch to materials like leather as a substrate.

Regardless of the specifics, the ancient reverence for culture far exceeded modern imagination. They devised every method possible, hoping that cultural knowledge could be passed down. That is why today we see every region and ethnicity possessing its own unique forms of cultural expression. Some have been passed down intact, some unfortunately suffered breaks in continuity, and others fused to become entirely new cultures.

Because preserving ancient writings is inherently difficult, cultural research institutions or expert scholars are willing to pay high prices to acquire ancient scrolls. Seeing potential profit, some naturally conceived malicious ideas, beginning to forge various papyrus rolls, parchments, and linen scrolls, scribbling nonsense characters upon them.

Indeed, such deceptive items frequently fooled many. As scientific authentication technology continuously advanced, news would occasionally emerge from major world museums: a certain manuscript or original draft was authenticated as a forgery from that period, naturally becoming a laughingstock.

Of course, this situation is not limited to foreign countries; in China, it is even more common. Legend has it that someone took a piece of baked flatbread, intentionally cracked its surface, and then pressed it onto paper to create seemingly profound linear patterns, claiming it was ancient Jindingwen (Bronze Inscriptions). Astonishingly, some believed it and bought it for study. Even after being exposed, the researchers stubbornly refused to admit their error.

All these incidents demonstrated that Elder Qian’s concerns were not superfluous; investigating these parchment scrolls was indeed necessary.

"It doesn't look like an intentional aging job."

Yu Feibai scratched his head at this point. "There’s no particular smell, and the wear seems very natural. And these cracks are the result of natural aging—crazing..."

"Precisely."

Elder Qian also nodded in agreement. "You can tell by the stitching marks. Truly ancient parchment is not a single hide as people imagine, but rather carefully cut and sewn pieces of refined sheepskin. Especially when writing, one had to laboriously rule horizontal and vertical lines to ensure every row was perfectly aligned."

"Right," Yu Feibai interjected, signaling. "Look, several pieces of skin are stitched together and then cut into individual pages. The craftsmanship is quite complex; modern people probably lack the patience for such detailed forgery."

"That's hard to say," Wang Guan chuckled. "Forgeries range from cheap street junk to high-end products. Street junk is obviously shoddy, but high-end items intended for huge profits surely require some genuine effort. If they lack even that patience, how can they make money?"

"Hey, judging by your tone, it sounds like you almost wish the things you bought were the genuine article," Yu Feibai exclaimed, surprised. "Or are you suggesting you think these are genuine?"

"What? Can't I just be cautious?" Wang Guan shrugged, then turned his attention away from the parchments to examine the small box they came in. The box appeared very old; the wood showed signs of slight decay. If not for the iron strapping around the corners, the box might have fallen apart long ago.

Of course, that wasn't the main point. The focus for Wang Guan was that the box seemed unusual in some way. At this moment, he reached out, lifted the box, tested its weight slightly, and even tapped the sides.

In that instant, Yu Feibai’s eyes lit up. He snatched the box with lightning speed and asked with surprise, "Is there a false bottom?" As he spoke, Yu Feibai began tapping as well, but he heard no echo. In fact, every wooden panel sounded solid, as if there were absolutely no hidden compartment.

"The panels must be too thick," Yu Feibai concluded, unwilling to give up easily. He immediately fetched tools and began dismantling the box. During the forceful disassembly, some wooden planks couldn't withstand the violence and shattered into pieces.

A moment later, the box was reduced to a pile of splinters and some embedded iron strips. It was clear there was no false bottom.

"You tricked me again," Yu Feibai glared, appearing genuinely angry.

"When did I say the box had a false bottom?"

Wang Guan said, stifling a laugh, "I merely wanted to check what kind of wood the box was made of. Who knew you’d be so hasty and start tearing it apart without a word?"

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Yu Feibai retorted righteously. "You could have advised against it while I was taking it apart. Since you didn't object, I naturally kept going."

"I figured you wouldn't listen even if I said something, so I just didn't bother," Wang Guan stated as a matter of fact.

Yu Feibai would never concede this point, instead huffing in dissatisfaction. Then, magnanimously, he forgave Wang Guan for the small matter, deciding not to press the issue further.

Wang Guan was used to Yu Feibai’s stubbornness; even Elder Qian merely offered a faint smile and chose not to engage. Yu Feibai knew he had been wrong, so he quickly tried to compensate by actively sweeping up the wooden shavings and fragments on the table.

"Wait..."

Just then, Wang Guan pulled out a thin sheet of metal from among the wood splinters. This piece had been embedded in the base of the box, acting as a support to prevent the panels from cracking. After Yu Feibai pulled this metal sheet away, the box base immediately disintegrated.

At first glance, the metal sheet appeared quite thin, perhaps one to two millimeters thick. However, due to its age, it was covered in a layer of rust, lending it an ancient, weathered patina.

Wang Guan then found a rag and carefully wiped away the rust dust. Faint etchings became visible on the metal.

"Huh."

Yu Feibai, noticing from the side, immediately abandoned his sweeping and hurried over to look closely. "What is this?"

"Must be writing," Wang Guan observed, then shook his head. "Similar to the script on the parchments—in any case, I can't read it."

"Could it be an explanation of the origin of these parchments?" Yu Feibai squinted at it but gained no insight. However, he suspected the content on the metal strip might be even more valuable than that on the parchment.

"Let me see."

At the same time, Elder Qian grew curious. He took the thin metal sheet handed over by Wang Guan, weighed it briefly, studied it carefully for a moment, and immediately declared, "This isn't iron; it's some other kind of metal. If it were iron, this thin, it would have oxidized and rotted away long ago. Besides, judging by its weight alone, it is considerably heavier than iron sheeting."

Of course, the material was secondary; the content was key.

As he spoke, Elder Qian closely examined the markings on the thin metal plate. The characters were clearly engraved onto the surface, and their alignment and spacing were precise and orderly, possessing a distinct rhythm. Unfortunately, due to cultural differences, even Elder Qian could not decipher the meaning of these characters.

"Feibai, give me a call..."

When in doubt, ask. Elder Qian made no pretense of understanding and immediately gestured for Yu Feibai to open the address book and contact specialized scholars in this field.

While Yu Feibai made the call, Elder Qian continued to study the thin metal plate, probing it repeatedly, unable to precisely determine its composition, which felt like some sort of alloy.

"To cast something this thin yet possess such toughness instead of being brittle—the craftsmanship is not simple," Elder Qian praised. Ancient Western metallurgy, especially before the Middle Ages, was quite primitive; producing metal this thin and resilient was certainly no easy feat...