Wang Guan froze, not understanding why Elder Yang was holding him back.

"Go find someone to remove the painting's covering," Elder Yang said excitedly. "I know a master restorer of calligraphy and painting whose skill is exquisite; he can absolutely remove the overlay from this painting without causing any damage."

"That's right."

At this moment, Yu Feibai also forgot his earlier concerns and quickly nodded. "I too want to see what the authentic work of the great Bamboo Painting Master, Wen Tong, actually looks like."

"Then we'll trouble Elder Yang to lead the way."

Hearing this, Wang Guan smoothly agreed, going along with the suggestion.

Since the portly middle-aged man had already paid, the three left the teahouse, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and headed directly to the address Elder Yang had mentioned.

Half an hour later, the taxi stopped in front of an ordinary private residence within a complex.

After paying and alighting, Wang Guan looked around. He noticed that the complex was planted with many flowers and trees and was set away from the bustling commercial streets, giving it a quiet and elegant air.

The courtyard before them, in particular, resembled the layout of a siheyuan (courtyard house). In the front yard, a bamboo shed had been erected, and numerous climbing hydrangeas clung to the fence. The lush green vines swayed in the breeze, vibrant and eye-catching.

"Ding-dong..."

Elder Yang casually pressed the doorbell.

A moment later, a young woman who looked like a housekeeper emerged from the residence. Seeing Elder Yang, she immediately smiled, "Elder Yang, you've come."

Elder Yang nodded and casually asked, "Is Elder Huang around?"

"Yes, he is," the housekeeper replied with a smile. "But someone from a certain company visited earlier, and the old master found him bothersome, so he's hiding in his studio reading."

"Heh heh, Elder Huang has a good temper. If it were me, I would have been truly annoyed and simply chased the person away," Elder Yang chuckled. "Go tell Elder Huang that I'm here, and I've brought something special."

"Understood." The housekeeper nodded cheerfully and turned to go back inside.

It was clear that Elder Yang was very familiar with this place; he didn't need guidance but led Wang Guan and Yu Feibai confidently through the passageway and into the living room, as if it were his own home.

Meanwhile, in the living room, a middle-aged man dressed impeccably in a Western suit sat quietly on the sofa, flipping through a magazine with boredom. Seeing Elder Yang enter, he quickly looked up in pleasant surprise and rose to greet him.

"Elder Yang, you've come to see Elder Huang." The middle-aged man was exceedingly warm.

However, Elder Yang didn't seem to know this person, or perhaps chose not to engage, only giving a perfunctory nod. "I'm here on important business with Elder Huang." The implication was clear: you irrelevant person, be on your way.

Yet, whether the middle-aged man was thick-skinned or simply didn't understand, he continued with a beaming smile, "Please, Elder Yang, have a seat. Elder Huang is busy, but he will surely be delighted to know you are here."

Although he had intended to send such people away, Elder Yang truly felt helpless when faced with someone so shamelessly persistent. Furthermore, the man's respectful demeanor and constant smile made it genuinely difficult to speak harshly.

After all, it’s hard to strike a smiling face.

Besides, while the middle-aged man was bothersome, he hadn't yet reached a level of annoyance that made him unbearable.

During those two or three minutes, Wang Guan could sense that this middle-aged man was witty, well-read, and possessed a certain charisma that naturally sparked an interest in conversation.

It wasn't surprising that even Elder Huang, despite finding the man irritating, would only hide away rather than outright kicking him out.

Wang Guan mused that someone with such strong communication skills was likely a liaison manager for some company.

"Younger Brother Yang, what wind blows you in?"

Just then, an elderly man with silver hair and beard slowly descended from the second floor.

Wang Guan observed that although the old man walked slowly, his steps were remarkably steady, and his eyes were piercingly bright, occasionally flashing with the vibrancy of a young man.

"Elder Huang," Elder Yang hurried forward to greet him.

The two elders sat down in the hall. The housekeeper brought in several cups of tea, placed them before everyone, and then retreated.

"Younger Brother Yang, what treasure have you unearthed now to let your old brother have a look?" Elder Huang asked with a smile, taking a sip of tea, his face alight with curiosity.

"Young man, take out the item and let Elder Huang open his eyes too," Elder Yang said with a smile. "But let's get the unpleasantness out of the way first: after Elder Huang has seen it, I'm afraid I'll have to impose upon you to show us your master skill."

"Oh? Then I must take a careful look at what treasure this is," Elder Huang smiled, not giving it too much weight.

"An ancient painting, for Elder Huang's appraisal."

At the same time, Wang Guan picked up the scroll and presented it with both hands.

"Good..."

Elder Huang nodded, ceremoniously putting on white gloves before accepting the scroll. He casually untied the cord and spread the painting open to both sides. But before the scroll was even half-opened, Elder Huang exclaimed, "This... this seems to be Song-style mounting."

Wang Guan didn't understand much, but he gathered that this was likely a method of mounting calligraphy and painting.

Elder Yang, however, asked what he didn't know. "Elder Huang, what is this Song-style mounting?"

"The techniques for mounting Chinese calligraphy and painting began very early; this scroll format appeared during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. By the Song Dynasty, due to the unprecedented prosperity of calligraphy and painting samples, many mounting techniques emerged," Elder Huang explained with a smile. "Among them, the most famous in the Song Dynasty was probably the Xuanhe style, which had strict dimensions and specifications. However, it was also the most complex style."

"As for that specialized knowledge, as long as you, my brother, are clear on it, that's enough," Elder Yang said with a half-understanding chuckle. "Mounting is just auxiliary; look at the painting first."

"Who says mounting is just auxiliary? As the saying goes, three parts painting, seven parts mounting. Without the protection of mounting, those ancient paintings passed down to us today would already be utterly ruined," Elder Huang countered.

"Brother, I was wrong. Let's not debate this; look at the painting, look at the painting," Elder Yang quickly conceded. He had almost forgotten that Elder Huang, as a master craftsman of mounting, would never tolerate someone downplaying this art form.

Seeing Elder Yang yield, Elder Huang nodded contentedly and continued examining the scroll.

After observing for a moment, Elder Gong lightly nodded. "Mmm, it is Song-style mounting. However, it is imitated Song-style mounting. The mounting material for true Song-style mounting should be silk damask, but this is Xuan paper. Judging by the craftsmanship, this is likely the work of our Southern School from the Ming or Qing dynasties."

"Elder Huang, you can study the craftsmanship slowly; the main thing is the painting itself," Elder Yang said with a wry smile.

However, Wang Guan, standing beside them, felt a surge of astonishment. When he observed it with his special ability, only the heart of the ink bamboo painting radiated a purple divine light. The outer edges of the mounting, however, glowed with a pale yellow light.

This suggested that Wen Tong's authentic ink bamboo painting was likely covered by a layer of disguise applied using mounting techniques during the Ming Dynasty, intended to deceive the eye. Yet, Elder Huang, without any special ability, could deduce the probable truth just from the mounting style—a feat truly deserving of respect.