QT- I’m Almost Died
Chapter 253. Major Catastrophe, Chaotic Future
Song Rui’s concerns were also Chief Yan’s concerns. If the mastermind could replace even the treasures in the Central Museum, then taking action against the precious items in other museums would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Without delay, the group took a private jet that very night and traveled to various museums to check on the situation. In order to save as much time as possible, Fan Jialuo ignored all the other exhibits and went straight to the museum’s prized possessions upon arrival. He sensed each of them several times, including the gold-embroidered robe, the jade coffin, and even the thousand-year-old mummy.
After seven or eight days of this arduous journey, the group finally returned to Beijing, bringing extremely bad news to the special task force established by Meng Zhong.
“Almost all the museum’s prized possessions have been replaced. Those that weren’t replaced are artifacts that cannot be replicated using modern technology.” Chief Yan said with a heavy heart at the case analysis meeting.
Teacher Fan had long predicted that the swapped artifacts would suffer the fate of being weathered into sand. Therefore, everyone in the conference room bowed their heads in silent mourning for those treasures, whether already lost or not. This was not the most shameful moment in Chinese history, but without a doubt, it was one of the most catastrophic moments in the history of Chinese civilization. To be capable of personally severing one’s own roots, forsaking one’s native soil, and cutting off one’s own lineage, just how utterly deranged must the mastermind behind this be?
“For those in the Taoist sects, this isn’t called being heartless or insane, it’s called severing all emotions and love, cutting off worldly ties, and it’s the only way to become a god.” Fan Jialuo said, shaking his head.
These words completely enraged Chief Yan, causing him to slam his fist on the table, “He can’t even be a decent human being, and he thinks he can be a god? If Heaven lets a person like him become a god, then it must be blind!”
“Chief, please watch your words.” Meng Zhong was no longer an atheist, so he nervously patted his old superior on the shoulder and glanced at the top of his head, as if God was really watching.
Chief Yan was seething with anger and wanted to lash out, but he held back. Undoubtedly, this incident had instilled in him a deep-seated hatred for the Taoist sects.
“We’ve confirmed that all the treasures nationwide have been swapped. What about the privately owned collections?” Song Rui asked calmly.
Meng Zhong immediately opened his notebook and reported in detail, “We investigated well-known collectors in the country and discovered a very interesting phenomenon. Four families——the Cheng family, the Yu family, the Xia family, and the Zong family——have been aggressively acquiring antiques for the past nine years. During these nine years, whenever a rare artifact appeared on the art market, it would inevitably fall into the hands of these four families. What’s even more interesting is that the artifacts they bought would then disappear from the art market altogether. Even when national museums contacted them to borrow them for exhibition, they would be refused. However, this situation has undergone a shift within the last five years, as the technology for crafting replicas has matured to such a degree that it can now successfully deceive both the trained eyes of experts and the scrutiny of high-tech detection equipment.”
Meng Zhong took out a stack of photos and continued, “So in the past five years, these four families have begun to lend their rare collections to museums in China for exhibitions, and they have very close relationships with major museums. Teacher Fan, these are all from their collections. Can you see anything wrong with them?”
Fan Jialuo examined the photos one by one, shaking his head and saying, “I can’t see the light of spiritual qi, nor can I sense the ancient aura. They might be fake. But my senses are weakened by the photos, so I can’t be 100% sure.”
“I’ll find a way to let you see the real thing for yourself.” Chief Yan said immediately.
Song Rui followed up with his analysis, “These four families might be helping the mastermind behind the scenes collect antiques.”
Meng Zhong nodded and said, “I have already sent people to keep an eye on them. In addition, Elder Liang and Elder Lu also reported a situation to me.”
He spread out photos of the counterfeit national treasures on the table, pointing at them with his finger, “Look at these fakes——they are crafted to be absolutely identical to the originals. Were it not for destructive testing, we would never in our wildest dreams have suspected that they had been swapped out. This demonstrates just how extraordinary the forger’s skills truly are. He managed to replicate the mold lines on those two tripods without missing a single one, and he executed the intricate, elaborate carvings with such precision that they are utterly indistinguishable from the real thing. What level of mastery is that?”
Song Rui nodded, “The forger is a genius.”
Meng Zhong slammed a photo on the table and continued, “This photo was provided by Elder Liang. Look at this man, his name is Yi Jiangnan, he is 27 years old this year, a high-functioning autistic patient, and he is Elder Liang’s student. He has the highest level of expertise in the fields of cultural relic appraisal, sculpture, painting and calligraphy. Elder Liang described him as a genius and said that if anyone could create a national treasure that is indistinguishable from the real thing, it would only be him.”
Chief Yan immediately pressed, “Where is he? Has he been arrested?”
Meng Zhong shook his head, “No, this person disappeared nine years ago.”
“Another nine years.” Song Rui mused.
Fan Jialuo’s eyes flickered slightly, as if he had made a connection to something.
Meng Zhong continued to slam photos onto the table, “Look, these are X-ray photos taken by the Central Museum’s appraisal center in recent years of those national treasures. Doesn’t it look as though every single one of these photos is different? In reality, they are not. If we simply adjust the borders, we discover that they are all old photographs dating back nine years, merely by tweaking the angle slightly, they were repurposed and reused as if they were new. In other words, the Central Museum’s routine inspections of these artifacts ceased nine years ago, that is why such a glaring flaw in the bronze turtle’s hollow interior went undetected and remained concealed right up until now.”
“There’s a mole inside the Central Museum.” Chief Yan wasn’t surprised by the news, but suppressed his anger and asked, “Has the person been caught?”
“Already arrested him.” Meng Zhong had barely finished speaking when he received a text message from Zhuang Zhen with a photo attached. After reading it, his face tightened slightly, and he finally pushed the phone to Chief Yan’s hand, saying weakly, “The head of the Cultural Relics Appraisal Center of the Central Museum committed suicide, and two other technicians also jumped off a building at the same time. Neither of them could be saved.”
While Meng Zhong was speaking, Zhuang Zhen sent a series of text messages, all of them bad news. Similar to the situation at the Central Museum, the suspects at the local museums were also disappearing or committing suicide, and no one with any information was found by the police.
Seeing the blood-soaked scene in the photo, Chief Yan felt a tingling in his teeth, “Besides those four families, have all the other leads gone cold? Eliminating so many informants at once, the person behind this really has a big hand!”
“Those four families aren’t really any leads. If they just claim to be victims who didn’t know when their collections were switched, and we can’t produce any evidence to accuse them, the case can’t be investigated further. The person behind this is like a ghost, appearing and disappearing without a trace, and would never openly maintain contact with these four families.” Song Rui poured cold water on the situation.
“Damn it, who is this person behind all this? So vicious and so powerful! If we hadn’t discovered their actions, would our country have been turned upside down in a few years? The metaphysic society’s people always say they want to live in seclusion, but when we need their help, we often have to be subservient to them. We’ve given them all the benefits and support they deserve, and what’s the result? Is this how they live in seclusion? Stealing the nation’s fortune from the shadows? Damn it, a bunch of beasts!”
Chief Yan slammed his fist on the table in exasperation, then sighed helplessly, “The people of metaphysic society are too mysterious. To this day, we haven’t even figured out their basic situation. How are we supposed to investigate this case? The suspects are involved in the entire Taoist Sects, and almost all of them are hiding in the shadows. We simply can’t find them.”
Fan Jialuo arranged the photos with his fingertips, his tone calm, but his words invigorated everyone, “I’ll point you to two suspects.”
Chief Yan and Meng Zhong’s eyes immediately burned with intense desire.
Song Rui understood after a moment’s thought.
“Investigate this person.” Fan Jialuo pushed his phone to the middle of the table.
Chief Yan looked at the image on the screen and exclaimed in surprise, “It’s her again!”
Meng Zhong craned his neck to take a look and was immediately stunned. This person was actually the junior sister from the Tianshui Sect, who acted impulsively, causing Ma You to flee and resulting in the deaths of many innocent citizens. She was so brainless, she didn’t seem like the mastermind behind everything.
Song Rui also showed the two photos he had secretly taken, “She is indeed very suspicious. Look, this is what she looked like after being affected by the backlash of the formation, and this is what she looks like recently. Isn’t the difference huge?”
Chief Yan and Meng Zhong nodded repeatedly, their faces filled with shock. The difference wasn’t just big, it was downright unbelievable! One was balding, toothless, and on the verge of death, the other had shoulder-length black hair, straight teeth, and was radiant with youth——it was as if she had been reborn.
Fan Jialuo slowly explained, “Hair loss and loose teeth, the loss of life force——such backlash is irreversible. To recover, one must find a highly skilled person to bestow upon them an initiation. An initiation means that this person must transfer their lifespan, spiritual power, cultivation level, and luck entirely to the person suffering from the backlash. The more they transfer, the faster the recovery. To recover to this extent——”
Fan Jialuo tapped Lin Nianci’s incomparably beautiful face with his slender fingertips, and said with certainty, “Even if I used half my cultivation, I probably couldn’t do it. Moreover, as far as I know, no master within the Taoist sects bestowed any initiation upon her. She was reborn overnight, and when I saw her again, her aura of luck was practically sky-high, perhaps even surpassing that of an emperor. Furthermore, nine years ago, to cure her ailment, the Tianshui Sect sent her abroad for recuperation, and since then, no one has received any news of her.”
Fan Jialuo clasped his hands together and looked around at everyone, “Nine years, does that number seem familiar?”
Chief Yan stared intently at Lin Nianci’s photo and guessed, “Teacher Fan, are you saying that she started plotting in the shadows nine years ago? But she looks only in her early twenties, and she was only thirteen or fourteen years old nine years ago. Could she have done something so big?”
“Her current physical body is over seventy years old.” Fan Jialuo said with a half-smile, “And her mental age may be over two hundred.”
Chief Yan was shocked. His eyes darted around slightly before he ordered, “Investigate her thoroughly! Monitor her 24/7! How come there are Tianshui Temples everywhere? Oh, right, they are the number one sect in metaphysical society. That Taoist Zhi Fei also has a nickname, ‘Old Immortal.’ They dream of becoming gods and immortals and don’t treat ordinary people like human beings at all. It’s not surprising that they would do something like switching national treasures.”
He took out his phone and made a call, his tone extremely harsh, “How’s the demolition of Tianshui Temples going? Demolish it now, demolish all, even if there are legal permits. I’ll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!”
After making that call, he called the Religious Affairs Bureau and said sternly, “Add Tianshui Temple to the list of cults. They are not allowed to recruit any more followers, and they are not allowed to hold any public events.”
The person on the other end meekly agreed, and Chief Yan’s expression softened slightly. After hanging up the phone, he gritted his teeth and muttered, “Damn it, I’ll turn your fake reclusion into real reclusion. If you look down on ordinary people, you can stay in the deep mountains and forests for the rest of your lives!”
After Chief Yan let out a sigh of relief, Fan Jialuo continued, “Another suspect is the Zhang family. Su Fengxi was trained by them. They seem to be exploring the path to godhood as well.”
Chief Yan was in a dilemma this time. After hesitating for a long time, he said in a low voice, “Teacher Fan, I consider you one of my own, so I’ll give you a heads-up. The Zhang family is currently cooperating with the country. They have developed a drug that can stimulate the potential of ordinary people, enabling them to mass-produce humanoid weapons and even cultivate Esper. Su Fengxi was actually their test subject. It has been certified by the higher-ups, so the Zhang family’s crimes have been cleared.”
“Oh, so taking that kind of potion can make you an Esper?” A ripple appeared in Fan Jialuo’s calm eyes.
“Yes, the agents of the Special Security Department have all volunteered to join this experimental program and have made great progress. If, after long-term observation, it is confirmed that this drug has no side effects, our army may promote it on a large scale. Therefore, the Zhang family cannot be investigated.” Chief Yan waved his hand helplessly.
Fan Jialuo closed his eyes, his heart churning with emotion.
After a long, long silence, he slowly said, “Chief Yan, the great upheaval I spoke of has indeed begun. People are constantly walking the path to godhood, and you ordinary people have long since become their stepping stones, yet you are unaware of it and instead add fuel to the fire. That potion is definitely not a good thing, those who take it will inevitably suffer a backlash someday. I don’t know what that backlash will be yet, but if you have the ability to stop this, please do not let it go unchecked.”
Chief Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he said urgently, “But this experiment has entered its later stages, and the number of participants has expanded to two thousand. The level of participation is far beyond my management authority. I can’t manage this matter, I can only mention it verbally, but whether the higher-ups will listen to me is still unknown.”
Two thousand——this number may seem insignificant, but if they were to calculate it in terms of lives, it would be a colossal disaster.
Fan Jialuo opened his unfocused, pitch-black eyes, releasing all his thoughts as he desperately tried to grasp that elusive glimmer of light. Then, he slowly uttered a prophecy, “I see multitudes of people making their way toward a place utterly devoid of light——their bodies dissolving into the void, turning to dust and mist. I also see the mad grow madder, the vile grow viler, and the dark grow darker…… Everything is spiraling toward the worst possible outcome……”
His voice was like a cold wind blowing across a glacier, or a scorching wind sweeping across a wasteland, making people feel both hot and cold, and filled with fear.
A few seconds later, he blinked, letting the divine light return to his blurred pupils, and then said, word by word, “If you don’t stop it, this world will descend into chaos.”
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Chapter 252. Not Even A Human, Yet Dreaming Of Godhood
TN:- Bronze is an alloy made up of copper and tin.
Chief Yan went to a quiet corner to make a phone call.
Knowing which supreme leader he was speaking to, everyone in the lab fell silent. Even Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu, who were both angry and anxious, pursed their lips and dared not utter a sound. However, deep down, they were still praying that Chief Yan’s call for instructions would not be approved by the higher-ups.
Those are the Nine Tripod Cauldrons, national treasures, symbols of stability for the country, the heavens, and the people. Who dares to drill into them? Who has the heart to drill into them? The supreme leader should know the gravity of the situation. The experts and laboratories have already released their findings, wouldn’t it be better to just suppress the case like this?
A glimmer of hope flickered in their hearts, but upon seeing the solemn-faced Fan Jialuo, they were suddenly struck by the vision of the future he had described. One person becomes a god, and all things wither. This nation will no longer be able to nurture talent, this land will become a desolate wasteland, what a terrifying prospect!
If the supreme leader’s judgment is clouded by these words, he might actually agree to drill into the Nine Tripods.
Thinking of this, Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu couldn’t help but shudder. Neither of them realized that their mindset had long since changed, from initial resolute disbelief to wavering, and now to vehement denial and self-deception. Why were they so eager to suppress this case? Naturally, it was because they sensed that those national treasures had indeed been replaced.
For some, national interests come above all else, however, for others, their own interests are paramount.
Everyone had already seen through the two directors’ thoughts and character, and now they were all looking at them with disdain.
Chief Yan was on the phone from a great distance, constantly shielding his face with his hand to prevent others from reading his lip movements. This was a habitual action of his, so no one could hear what he was saying or see his expression.
Fan Jialuo listened intently for a moment, a knowing look appearing in his eyes. He then put on gloves and ordered, “Give me a newly made bronze cauldron, a hammer, a chisel, and a high-temperature blowtorch.”
The lab director immediately sent a technician to prepare the supplies, and then asked curiously, “What do you need all this for?” After witnessing this man’s bizarre abilities, he found it really difficult to face him with the same nonchalant attitude he had before.
“We’ll need it later.” Fan Jialuo pulled out a tissue and wiped the dust off the electronic scale.
Just as the technician placed the items on the table, Chief Yan walked over with his phone in hand and said seriously, “Teacher Fan, Leader would like to see how you make new copper grow rust roots, is that alright?”
Everyone glanced furtively at his phone screen, then their hearts skipped a beat. Wasn’t that the face they saw on the evening news every day?
“Okay.” Fan Jialuo nodded politely to the person on the other end of the phone, “Hello, Leader.” His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and he remained very calm.
The person on the other end of the phone greeted him warmly and said a few more words.
Only then did the lab director understand why Teacher Fan had asked him to prepare these things. He had anticipated the supreme leader’s request and, to avoid neglecting him, had arranged everything in advance. He truly was always one step ahead. He said that since birth, his eyes had never misjudged a person, thing, or event——was that really true?
Thinking this way, the lab director felt an even greater sense of fear about the case. If the mastermind behind it all had truly become a god, would ordinary people like them still have a chance to survive?
Not only was the lab director afraid, but everyone in the laboratory was inevitably filled with apprehension.
Fan Jialuo seemed completely oblivious to the somber atmosphere, slowly turning the newly made bronze cauldron, its color still a clear, golden yellow, and calmly explaining, “This is a new cauldron that I had prepared, weighing 98.76 kilograms.”
He picked up a hammer and chisel, chipped a notch in the handle of the bronze cauldron, and continued, “You can see that it is indeed made of bronze.” Then he picked up a high-temperature blowtorch, put on a heat shield, and melted the notch into molten copper.
After watching the process, the supreme leader nodded and said, “This is indeed a bronze cauldron.” He believed that no one would dare to fake it under his nose, and it couldn’t be faked over a video call.
Fan Jialuo removed his mask, hovered his hands on either side of the new cauldron, closed his eyes, created a transparent space, filled it with a magnetic field, and then continuously compressed it. Thus, the new golden cauldron, like the previous piece of new copper, quickly became covered in rust and slowly disintegrated into a pool of black dust.
It was placed on an electronic scale by Fan Jialuo. The display initially showed 98,760 grams, but the number rapidly decreased with each passing second until it became a negligible 78 grams. Such a heavy cauldron was transformed into a handful of dust weighing only a few dozen grams in just a few minutes. Such a change is not only shocking but also chilling.
The supreme leader stared at the pile of black dust for a long time without saying a word, so everyone held their breath and waited silently.
A deathly silence filled the laboratory. The fact that the supreme leader didn’t speak indicated his continued hesitation, if he hesitated, whether the case could ultimately stand was still a question. Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu’s tense expressions began to relax, their lips trembling as if they wanted to laugh but held it back.
However, the next second, the supreme leader’s authoritative voice came from the phone, “Yan Quanling, I have already given you the highest authority. I am now granting you a further mandate to facilitate your operations. As long as you can catch the mastermind, you can make any decision yourself. You don’t need to keep reporting to me through the layers of bureaucracy, as that will affect the efficiency of solving the case. I stand by what I said, we will never show leniency toward those who seek to undermine the very foundations of the country!”
Chief Yan immediately nodded in acceptance, but hesitated at the end, saying, “Leader, I already told you, those national treasures are probably……”
The supreme leader fell silent again, and after a long while, he sighed and said, “Just do your best. I only have one request for you, you must catch the person behind this!”
“Yes, Leader!” Chief Yan saluted.
The supreme leader offered him a few words of encouragement, sincerely thanked Fan Jialuo, and then hung up the video call.
Despite having had face-to-face exchanges with such important figures, Fan Jialuo showed no sign of embarrassment, nor did he use it as a weapon to attack Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu. He simply picked up a velvet cloth and silently cleaned the black dust off the electronic scale.
On the contrary, Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu trembled, hesitant to speak, appearing as if they wanted to defend themselves but had been suppressed and could only endure the humiliation. Their clumsy performance caused the experts and scholars who had initially sided with them to show their disgust, and they no longer dared to stand with them, all keeping their distance.
Chief Yan looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, “You all heard the Leader’s instructions, right? All the cultural relics that have been appraised before, now re-appraise them. Whether it’s non-destructive testing or destructive testing, as long as it can be 100% accurate, use it. I will take responsibility if anything goes wrong.”
Everyone present had been thoroughly humiliated by Fan Jialuo, so naturally they dared not refute him and returned to their posts to bury themselves in their work.
Chief Yan slowly stepped back and stood in a row with Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu. He didn’t say a word, but the chilling aura emanating from him was enough to make the two men tremble with fear and break out in a cold sweat.
After cleaning the workbench, Fan Jialuo removed his gloves and waited quietly.
Song Rui leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Do you hate gods that much?”
“I do not hate the gods.” Fan Jialuo shook his head.
“No, you do. I’m sure your purpose in waking up was to eliminate everyone who tries to become a god, right?” Song Rui stared deeply into the man’s eyes.
“You’re right. In this world, everyone who tries to become a god is my enemy.” Fan Jialuo readily admitted, but then gently shook his head, “But I don’t hate gods.”
Song Rui chuckled twice, neither confirming nor denying.
Fan Jialuo looked deeply into his eyes and asked, “Do you know which god is my favorite?”
“You also have a favorite god?” Song Rui was quite surprised. He had always thought Fan Jialuo was a staunch atheist. Yes, he was a Psychic and had resolved many paranormal phenomena that science couldn’t explain, but strangely, he believed that there shouldn’t be a god in the world. His so-called atheism wasn’t about not believing in God, but rather about not allowing God to exist. He was truly contradictory.
“Why can’t I believe in gods?” Fan Jialuo lowered his eyelids and spoke slowly, “In the beginning of all things, the world was a chaotic void. The primordial god Pangu created the sky and earth with his own power. His left eye became the sun, and his right eye became the moon; his hair and beard became the stars and planets in the sky; his torso and limb became the five sacred mountains; his blood formed the rivers and oceans, and his muscles became fertile soil; his breath became the wind and clouds, while his voice became thunder; his fur became bushes and forests; his bones became valuable minerals; his bone marrow became precious jewels; his sweat became rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became animals.”
Fan Jialuo looked up at the dazzling lights overhead, “He was born of solitude, and he died of solitude. Like a whale fall, he gave everything back to the world. From that moment on, he would never again feel the pangs of solitude; for all things came into being and acquired a living spirit through him; the sun, the moon, and the stars revolved at his behest; and the very heaven, earth, and time became imbued with sentiment because of him. What manner of divine realm do the later Three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor inhabit? It is a place where Heaven and Earth remain detached, treating all creation as mere straw dogs, and where the sages rule without favor, viewing the masses with absolute neutrality. They exist without emotion or love, devoid of self and form. Yet, compared to the primordial god Pangu, what do they truly amount to? Can a lifespan of endless millennia ever compare to a single, glorious flash of eternity?”
“A lifespan of ten thousand years cannot compare to a moment of eternity.” Song Rui pondered these words repeatedly, then shook his head and said, “I don’t know why, but hearing you say that makes me feel very uneasy.”
Because in the eyes of Fan Jialuo, he saw the same loneliness and solitude as that of the primordial god Pangu.
Such a great God, yet he split the sky and the earth because of loneliness, and sacrificed himself because of loneliness. Does this ending foreshadow anything?
“I’m just speaking from the heart, don’t overthink it.” Fan Jialuo held Dr. Song’s hand, gently tapping the back of his hand with his fingertips, and whispered, “If this world can successfully survive the catastrophe, I hope I can become an ordinary person, taste the flavor of food, see the world outside, and die peacefully and naturally.”
Despite being such a powerful Psychic, his wish was the same as that of an ordinary person, to die peacefully and at a ripe old age.
These words deeply touched Song Rui’s heart, causing him to echo in a hoarse voice, “My wish is also to die peacefully in my old age. Of course, it would be even better if you could add three more words.”
“Which three words?” Fan Jialuo asked curiously.
“Together, with, you.” Song Rui said slowly, emphasizing each word.
Fan Jialuo was stunned. It took him a long time to tear his gaze away from Dr. Song’s vortex-like eyes, and he hastily averted his gaze. His thin lips twitched slightly, as if he wished to speak, yet ultimately, he chose to remain silent. Before the dust had settled, before the matter of life and death was resolved, he lacked the capacity to bear the weight of those three words.
Even without receiving a reply, Song Rui wasn’t disappointed. His life had been barren to begin with, and he was already content to have a glimmer of hope.
While the two were whispering, the trace element test results for the famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase finally came back. Counterfeiters can make the chemical composition of their imitations exactly the same as the genuine articles, but when the content of these components is accurate to one part in millions or even tens of millions, they are powerless.
Furthermore, the central laboratory has long possessed the trace element ratio data of various ancient porcelain kilns and has established a database based on this data. This database serves almost identically to a DNA comparison library. Technicians only need to place the collected samples into the testing chamber, and the main control program will immediately analyze and compare their trace elements, making it immediately clear whether it is an antique or a fake.
“Chief Yan, this famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase is fake!” The technician held up the steaming appraisal report, his voice filled with panic and helplessness, “Based on the analysis of trace elements, it is indeed produced in Jingde Sub-district, but it is a new object from the last ten years.”
Chief Yan took the report and examined it repeatedly, his expression gradually becoming serious.
Dozens of experts and scholars who had previously asserted that the vase was genuine have now all fallen silent.
However, this was only the beginning. The more than twenty treasures that were brought in and subsequently identified as genuine, starting with the famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase, fell like dominoes. After undergoing more accurate destructive testing, they were all determined to be fakes.
“Chief Yan, this ivory seated Buddha is fake.”
“Chief Yan, this flying goddess painting is fake.”
“Chief Yan, this human-shaped palace lantern is fake.”
“Chief Yan……”
One bad news after another brought the atmosphere in the laboratory to a freezing point. When the lead isotope analysis of Yong tripod and Qing tripod was also completed, this freezing point was shattered by a thunderbolt.
A technician stood up hastily, his hand holding the authentication report trembling, his voice shaking as he said, “Chief Yan, these two bronze tripods are also fake! We couldn’t find the highly radioactive lead isotopes in their bodies. We are absolutely certain that they were not cast before the Shang and Zhou dynasties.”
Chief Yan hurried over, took the authentication report, his mind a jumbled mess, unable to think straight. He had prayed to God hundreds and thousands of times, begging him not to let such a tragic fate befall these national treasures, but he never expected that the worst would still happen.
Who was behind this? Was it a foreign agent or a Chinese national? Teacher Fan said this case was committed by someone from the Taoist sect, meaning the person who switched the artifacts must be Chinese. How vicious must they be? They’re practically inhuman!
“MF, they don’t even deserve to be human, yet they want to become gods?!” Only at this moment did Chief Yan reveal his deep hatred for the mastermind behind the scenes. He then pointed at Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu and loudly ordered, “Arrest them both and take them away for interrogation!”
The moment Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu saw the report, they knew they were doomed. So many national treasures had been switched, and they had been completely unaware. Calling them traitors to the nation wouldn’t be an exaggeration. They couldn’t shirk this responsibility, after the interrogation, they would definitely be imprisoned.
“We……we really didn’t know! Chief Yan, this has nothing to do with us……”
The two men’s explanations quickly faded outside the door. Song Rui reminded them, “Check all the museums in the country, and also the treasures held by famous collectors. The person behind this has immense power and the ability to plunder all the treasures imbued with abundant spiritual qi and luck. To cast two such bronze tripods, and then to replace them discreetly, would require at least four or five years of planning and preparation. We only realized this now, and it’s probably too late, we don’t know how many artifacts can still be saved.”
Chief Yan felt dizzy and nearly suffered a heart attack. How did this case get so big?!
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
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Chapter 251. The Sinister Road To Godhood
TN:- 3 Chapters today!!! 7 Chapters tomorrow(If no issue arise), I’m almost done.
Everyone in the lab was stunned by Fan Jialuo’s incredible feat. He simply cupped his hands over the new copper, and it had transformed into its current rusty state. How did he do it? Utterly unbelievable!
However, the fact was right before their eyes, and no matter how shocking or unbelievable it was, no one could deny it.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu immediately snatched the piece of greenish-brown rusted copper and examined it inch by inch with a magnifying glass, their faces filled with indescribable fear. Everyone knew what they were panicking about and what they were afraid of. In fact, not only them, but the entire atmosphere of the laboratory had been subtly altered by the discovery of this piece of rusted copper.
The exhilarating, relaxed, and pleasant atmosphere had completely vanished at this moment, leaving only a suffocating silence.
The two technicians responsible for testing the famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase immediately returned to their workbench and intensified their sampling and measurement work, while the technician responsible for testing the two bronze tripods hovered his hand above the electronic scale, imitating the gesture of Fan Jialuo during his psychokinesis.
He tried to understand the underlying principles, but his mind was a jumbled mess, he couldn’t find a single scientific theory to explain what had just happened. All those years of schooling seemed to have been for nothing! It turned out that some people’s abilities transcended the ordinary and beyond imagination, abilities that ordinary people, unless they witnessed them firsthand, could never comprehend in their entire lives.
These technicians all knew that Fan Jialuo had helped the police solve Ma You’s case, and they knew he had some real skills, but they didn’t know his abilities were this bizarre. Was he really just a Psychic? Even a Psychic couldn’t possibly do this, could they?
Fan Jialuo also said that if people who deal with these antiques can do this much, what would the world be like because of the existence of people like them?
A profound sense of crisis suddenly welled up in everyone’s hearts, making their throats tighten, their hearts leap into their throats, and they tremble with fear.
The young expert who had previously mocked and belittled Fan Jialuo had somehow shrunk to the back of the crowd, pursing his lips and not daring to utter a word. The other experts also chose silence in the face of the irrefutable facts, and made no mention of writing the joint letter.
After carefully examining the rusty copper, Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu were still not convinced and questioned, “Are you absolutely sure your lab didn’t conspire with Fan Jialuo to pull some kind of stunt here? With technology being so advanced these days, who knows what you guys have laced this thing with!”
They knew that if they couldn’t suppress Fan Jialuo now, Chief Yan would definitely continue testing the two tripod cauldrons.
If the test results prove they are fake, the responsibility will fall entirely on the Central Museum. As the custodians of these national treasures, even if the mastermind behind the scenes apprehended, they would still face imprisonment for dereliction of duty.
No one knows better than them just how valuable these national treasures are. If their sentences were to be measured by that value, they might spend the rest of their lives in prison. They cannot, and should not, bear that responsibility!
So they resolutely denied what they had seen with their own eyes, and even tried to smear the laboratory.
The technicians, who had previously held the two scholars in high esteem and believed they had been greatly wronged by Fan Jialuo, now glared at them furiously.
“Mr. Sun, Mr. Liu, we are scientists with integrity. We may make mistakes, but we would never falsify data,” The lab director immediately retorted.
“Anyone can say such high-sounding words.” Director Sun turned his head away, ignoring the lab director, and continued to break the rusty copper piece in his hand, trying to prove that it was fake.
Unfortunately, the truth is the truth, and it cannot be faked. Even covered in rust, this piece of copper remains as hard as ever and cannot be broken no matter what.
Deputy Director Liu chimed in, “We’re all literature majors, we don’t understand your convoluted stuff. We only know that a piece of new copper could never turn like that in just a few minutes. Whether this thing is actually made of copper or not, we don’t have a microscope, so we don’t know.”
Their shameless words angered the technicians and extinguished their sympathy for them. After such a major incident, instead of investigating the truth and finding the mastermind, they only tried to evade responsibility and shirk their duties. No wonder so many national treasures were replaced while they remained oblivious.
The two museum directors should bear the greatest responsibility for how things have developed to this point!
Thinking of this, Chief Yan felt a surge of anger and immediately questioned, “Aren’t you supposed to be appraisal experts? If you can’t even distinguish the material composition of an antique, what kind of experts are you? If you can’t tell the difference between a piece of iron and a piece of copper when they’re placed side by side, then I’d say there are serious questions to be raised regarding both your professional competence and your credentials!”
Yes, they can’t even distinguish between basic things like copper, gold, silver, and iron. How did these two people even get by in the world of cultural relics?
In an instant, everyone looked at them with disdain.
Song Rui added insult to injury, “Elder Lu, you just said that eye based connoisseurship can never be replaced by machines, but just look at this, these two renowned experts in connoisseurship can’t even identify copper. Is this the highest level of your connoisseurship? No wonder the antique market is in such a mess, it’s all because of people like them.”
Elder Lu blushed with embarrassment, then turned to look at Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger.
“Do you even know what you’re saying? There’s a limit to shirking responsibility and escaping reality. You’ve been in the industry for decades, claiming to be experts and authorities, yet you can’t even identify copper. Aren’t you ashamed? The damage is done. Can’t you face it and find a solution? The responsibility you should bear can’t be shirked with a few empty words. If you dared to step forward and take full responsibility, we might respect you a little more. But your current attitude of refusing to take responsibility only makes us despise you!” Elder Lu pointed at Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu’s noses and began to berate them.
Elder Liang sighed, “With people like you in charge, it’s no wonder such a big thing happened at the Central Museum.”
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu were so humiliated that they couldn’t lift their heads, feeling that their lifelong reputation and dignity had been ruined on this day. But they dared not admit it, nor could they admit it! Admitting it would mean a lifetime of imprisonment! Since the incident hadn’t happened to the others, they could, of course, speak without a care in the world.
The two men tried to argue, but Chief Yan interrupted them first, “I’m too lazy to listen to your nonsense. Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. Since Teacher Fan has a way to turn new copper into antiques, then the person behind the scenes must also have a way. The authentication results of these two tripods are not reliable now and must be re-appraised!”
His face twitched for a while before he cursed viciously, “Damn Taoist sects! Our country has been supporting them all these years, making their appetites grow bigger, hasn’t it? How dare they lay a hand on the national treasure! Find the person behind this, and LaoZi will skin him alive!”
Standing with him were Elder Liang, Elder Lu, and other experts and scholars, all of whom wore expressions of shared indignation. As protectors of cultural relics, they were most capable of understanding the extreme pain of such a severed heritage and destroyed civilization.
Even the lab director couldn’t guarantee that his test results were 100% correct. He lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, his lips twitching slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he held back.
Everyone was secretly observing Teacher Fan with awe, their burning gazes fixed on his magical hands. Only Song Rui noticed the lab director’s unusual behavior and, after a moment’s thought, understood the other party’s concerns. So he said directly, “If you want to make the authentication results absolutely accurate, I know another way.”
The lab director’s eyes flickered slightly, and he dared not respond.
Chief Yan immediately pressed for details, “What method?”
“Bronze artifacts from my country’s Shang Dynasty contain a specific lead isotopic composition characterized by high radiogenic content——a composition that vanished entirely after the Warring States period. To date, the technology required to replicate this specific lead isotopic composition has not been developed anywhere in the world, consequently, the very notion of forging such artifacts is simply out of the question.”
Song Rui pointed to the Yong tripod, the Qing tripod and continued, “According to research, these two tripods are products from before the Shang Dynasty, so they must contain lead isotopes with high radiogenic origin. We can determine their authenticity by doing a lead isotope analysis.”
Chief Yan immediately gave the order, “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!”
Song Rui added, “But there is still one problem left for you to handle.”
“What problem? Tell me,” Chief Yan urged.
“To do this analysis, we need to take samples, which will inevitably damage the integrity of these two tripod cauldrons. How do you think we should solve this problem?” Song Rui asked the question that the lab director dared not ask.
If it were any other cultural relic, taking a sample wouldn’t be a problem, but the symbolic significance of these two tripods is extremely important, and no one can damage or even desecrate them.
Chief Yan was now in a dilemma. He stood there stiffly, speechless for a long time.
The lab director then admitted frankly, “Dr. Song is right. If we want to determine the age of these two tripods, we must conduct destructive testing.”
Director Sun seemed to have seized a major weakness and immediately shouted, “You actually dare to damage the integrity of the Yong tripod and the Qing tripod, drilling holes in their surfaces to take samples? How dare you? As long as I’m here, no one is allowed to touch them. I’ll report this to my superiors immediately and let them judge this matter!”
Director Sun knew all too well the importance of these two tripods, so he immediately made a phone call to his direct superior, chattering away on speakerphone.
The superior’s voice was filled with anger, “No one is allowed to touch these two bronze tripods! Anyone who does is a traitor to the nation! The appraisal results are out, what are you still doing? Quickly transport the national treasures back! Quiet down, all of you, stop causing trouble!”
Everyone nodded in agreement, not daring to object. Even Chief Yan hesitated, thinking, should we just let it go? Teacher Fan’s suspicions were merely conjecture, but the laboratory’s findings were clear and the evidence conclusive. Besides, Teacher Fan was so powerful, could the mastermind really have the ability to make bronze artifacts grow rust? Probably not. That possibility was actually very small. How many people in the world are like Teacher Fan?
Thinking about it this way, Chief Yan couldn’t help but waver.
Fan Jialuo saw through his thoughts, so he picked up the rusty copper on the table, held it in his palm, and said gently, “Chief Yan, do you know what the consequences are of letting the mastermind behind the scenes get away with it?”
“What is it?” Chief Yan asked instinctively.
“It is its ever-growing strength and the continued destruction of you ordinary people.” Fan Jialuo weighed the rusty copper in his hand and said seriously, “You will see what destruction means.” As his voice fell, the rusty copper gradually became fluffy, cracked, and scattered in his palm, turning into a cloud of black powder that leaked through his fingers.
This incredible scene stunned everyone.
Fan Jialuo’s tone turned icy, “See? This is how the mastermind treats those national treasures. They may have already turned to dust and scattered in the wind. You can guard these fake things and admire them through your fantasies for a lifetime. But have you ever thought about how powerful the mastermind would become if the abundant spiritual qi and luck accumulated over thousands of years were completely absorbed?”
Chief Yan’s heart clenched, and his voice trembled, “How powerful will he be?”
Fan Jialuo gently blew the dust from his palm and said, word by word, “I can tell you the truth, it will seize all of China’s magnificent purple aura, its vast national fortune, and its spiritual qi. This land will no longer be able to nurture wise people, nor will it be able to support its lush forests and vast grasslands. Without people, without vegetation, only sand and gravel will remain. You can imagine what this country will become.”
Chief Yan’s cheek muscles bulged out, clearly showing that he was extremely afraid and extremely full of hatred.
Dozens of experts, scholars, and technicians were thrown into turmoil and terrified by Teacher Fan’s description. If this matter were truly suppressed and ignored, wouldn’t this country gradually become a dead end? Like that piece of new copper before, it would slowly rust and eventually weather into dust!
Who is the mastermind behind this? Why did they want to destroy China? This is absolutely vicious!
Fear gripped everyone’s throats, except for Director Sun, who screamed hoarsely, “Impossible, you’re just exaggerating! Things aren’t as serious as you make them out to be! Luck of nation, aura, spiritual qi, it’s all a lie!”
However, faced with a blanket of black dust, his words carried absolutely no weight.
Song Rui glanced at him and said coldly, “I suspect the situation is more serious than you imagine. Since the mastermind dared to steal the national treasure, have they targeted museums across the country? As far as I know, almost every major museum has its own prized artifacts. Could they also possess spiritual essence? Could they have been switched as well? If so, then this case is a major case with nationwide implications, and it cannot be suppressed!”
Fan Jialuo added, “If the mastermind really did sweep away all the spiritual treasures in the country, then I’m sure their goal is to become a god.”
He stared intently at Chief Yan and asked, “Do you know what price a piece of land needs to pay to give birth to a God?”
Chief Yan asked with fear and unease, “What price will it have to pay?”
“Becoming a god means seizing the creative forces of heaven and earth and encroaching upon the mysteries of the cosmic clock. The words ‘seize’ and ‘encroach’ perfectly encapsulate the lethal peril and absolute wickedness of this path. To put it bluntly, the path to godhood is a path of slaughtering all living beings. Think about it, the creation of this land was originally meant to nurture all things, but now it has been monopolized and plundered by this one who seeks godhood. What space is left for other people, other animals, and other plants to survive?”
Chief Yan opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak, but his throat was terribly dry.
Fan Jialuo shook his head and sighed, “It won’t happen anymore. This land will never again nurture wise people, nor grow beautiful trees, nor breed vibrant animals. Even the diamonds in the coal and the jade in the old mines will disappear, leaving only dust and desolation. If in the beginning of all things, this world still had great potential, then it didn’t matter how one became a god. But in this degenerate age of spiritual depletion and decay, becoming a god is tantamount to slaughtering people. Right now, only some national treasures are disappearing, later, tens of millions of ordinary people will die. The great change I was talking about is about to begin.”
Chief Yan’s legs went weak, and he slumped into his chair.
Director Sun, panting heavily, shouted, “I don’t believe you! Anyway, nobody understands this, so you can just make things up as you please! What great change, what becoming a god, it’s utterly absurd!”
Chief Yan glared fiercely at Director Sun, then immediately dialed the number of the supreme leader. Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance that Teacher Fan’s prediction of the future would come true, he had to report it! Tolerating the mastermind behind the scenes was tantamount to the destruction of this country!
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Leave a Comment
Chapter 250. Fan Jialuo: My Judgment Has Never Failed
After the pen holder entered the scanning chamber, a dark blue cylindrical object appeared on the scanner’s display screen.
No one knew what the two were up to. The technician in charge of the machine ran over angrily, slammed the power button, and made the conveyor belt return the pen holder.
Fan Jialuo slowly put on white gloves, picked up the pen holder, and sensed it slightly.
Song Rui pointed to the display screen and said, “A beam of light shines on it, revealing a deep blue color——porcelain is an inorganic material, and inorganic materials will appear blue when exposed to X-rays. The scene that Teacher Fan saw during his spiritual communication corresponds to an X-ray scanner.”
“So what? Does the X-ray scan have anything to do with the results of this assessment?” The technician took out a piece of velvet cloth and carefully wiped the machine’s control panel, as if the machine would be defiled if Song Rui touched it.
Fan Jialuo took a pack of disinfectant wipes out of his pocket and handed it to Dr. Song, saying gently, “Wipe your hands.” Finally, he handed the pen holder to another technician, saying calmly, “Give it a thermoluminescence analysis.”
The technician didn’t take the pen holder; instead, he retorted sarcastically, “What right do you have to order me around? The stuff in our lab isn’t your toy.”
Fan Jialuo showed no anger whatsoever, and slowly said, “Would you believe me if I said this pen holder is four thousand years old?”
“Huh? Are you out of your mind? How about we send a car to take you to the mental hospital? Our lab will cover all the expenses.” The technician spoke very politely, but his expression was anything but. He raised his eyebrows, his lips drooped, and his eyes, hidden behind his eyelashes, were full of disdain and contempt.
Fan Jialuo’s expression remained calm. He turned to Chief Yan and said gently, “If you want the truth, have someone test this pen holder. I’m right here, can’t run away. After the test, I’ll take full responsibility.”
Chief Yan was moved by the sincerity in his eyes. Others might not know what kind of person Teacher Fan was, but he did. Words like alarmist, making a mountain out of a molehill, and seeking fame were completely irrelevant to him. On the contrary, he was a broad-minded, pure-hearted, and sincere person who would never utter a lie.
Anyway, it’s just a test, it won’t take much time.
With that thought in mind, Chief Yan waved his hand and said, “Test it!”
He had the highest authority in the laboratory, and although the technician was full of complaints, he could not refuse any longer. He could only take the pen holder and put it into the machine’s scanning chamber.
“A pen holder with a four-thousand-year history this joke is enough to make me laugh for a whole year. Look what’s written on it———’The harder you work, the luckier you get.’ So this motivational saying was already popular four thousand years ago? Hahaha……”
While awaiting the test results, the technician spoke with nothing but sarcasm. Director Sun and the others also curled their lips into disdainful smiles.
“The combined expertise of dozens of experts, along with dozens of state-of-the-art appraisal machines, can’t compare to a single sentence from you. Who do you think you are? A god? Do you know the immense risks involved in transporting so many national treasures around? How much manpower, resources, and money will it cost? Perhaps you are indeed capable, but don’t overestimate yourself. Ultimately, whether your abilities are genuine remains to be verified——”
The technician’s incessant chatter abruptly turned into an unspeakable silence when the test results appeared. He stared wide-eyed and mouth agape at the display screen in disbelief.
Director Sun and dozens of experts stood behind him. When they bent down to take a look, they all gasped in shock.
The display screen showed a number that no one could have imagined——four thousand years! The modern-looking pen holder, engraved with ‘The harder you work, the luckier you get,’ had inexplicably acquired a history of four thousand years after being scanned by the machine!
“How……how could this be?” The technician was so shocked that his tongue almost flew out.
“No, no, the scan results must be wrong! I bought this pen holder at the supermarket. There were dozens of them in a row. It’s a wholesale product, definitely not an antique!” The pen holder’s owner hurriedly explained.
Chief Yan was stunned, dozens of experts were stunned, and the smug expressions on Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu’s faces were completely frozen.
Fan Jialuo casually handed a ceramic water cup from the desk to Dr. Song and said gently, “Try scanning another one.”
Song Rui placed the water cup on the conveyor belt and pressed the start button.
A few dozen seconds later, Fan Jialuo picked up the water cup, sensed it, and handed it to the technician whose jaw was almost falling off, saying calmly, “Do you believe me if I say this cup is three thousand years old?”
The technician couldn’t utter a single sarcastic remark, he simply took the water cup with a blank expression and placed it into the testing chamber.
Not long after, the test results came out. The water cup, which was covered with pink pigs and had the word ‘sweety’ written on it, was found to be three thousand years old according to the machine test.
Fan Jialuo could accurately report the machine’s identification result simply by touching the pottery with his hand, even though both pieces were clearly products of modern industry and had absolutely no possibility of originating from antiquity. So, is this machine reliable? Why would it come to such an absurd conclusion?
Everyone was stunned, except for Song Rui, who pointed to the X-ray scanner and calmly revealed the answer, “When exposed to X-rays, the thermoluminescence dating results are interfered with. The pen holder was exposed to X-rays for forty seconds and was found to be four thousand years old, the water cup was exposed for thirty seconds and was found to be three thousand years old. This shows that placing porcelain under X-rays can age it by a hundred years in just one second. If you master this technique, as long as you make the imitation 100% realistic, put it in the X-ray scanner, and set the appropriate time, it can pass the thermoluminescence test without any problems.”
Song Rui slowly walked to the famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase and sighed, “The counterfeiters have already cracked what you call the most advanced technology. Whether this vase is real or fake still needs further examination.”
Fan Jialuo picked up another water glass and said calmly, “Would you like to try it a few more times?”
Faced with the undeniable facts, these technicians, who had been so arrogant, including the experts who had spoken with absolute certainty, were now speechless, panicked, and disoriented.
“No, no need to try anymore. We’ll conduct further testing on this porcelain vase immediately. But the problem is, we’ve used all the non-destructive testing methods available, yet we still can’t get a definitive result.” The technician, who had just been 100% confident in his judgment, now denied all the previous assessment work.
He glanced at Fan Jialuo, his eyes filled with unspeakable awe. To be able to capture so much hidden information simply by sensing with his hand, even surpassing the world’s most advanced scientific instruments, was this person even human? His abilities were simply terrifying!
The technician looked away, composed himself, and continued, “To further determine the authenticity of this porcelain vase, we must examine its trace elements. However, trace element testing requires sampling, which necessitates destroying the vase’s integrity. We do not have the authority to do that.”
After saying that, he looked at Chief Yan.
Chief Yan gritted his teeth and thought for a moment before finally saying decisively, “Collect samples—conduct trace element analysis!” Without a certain amount of courage, he wouldn’t have reached his current position.
“Okay.” The technician, already awestruck by Fan Jialuo’s divine prophecy, buried himself in taking samples. Another technician, who had contributed a water cup and a pen holder, volunteered to be his assistant.
While the two men were busy, Fan Jialuo approached the two bronze tripods cauldrons and asked, “Why are you so certain that they are genuine?”
The technician in charge of testing the two bronze tripods had long since suppressed his disdain and contempt, explaining, “We took a sample of the rust, analyzed its chemical composition, and determined that it is exactly the same as bronze tripods from the same period.”
“Where did you get the rust from?” Song Rui pressed.
“From the handle.”
Song Rui’s eyes flashed, and he was about to speak when the expert in charge of visually authenticating the two tripods interrupted him, “I know you’re going to bring up the issue of them being pieced together and fake again, but you’re overthinking it. These two tripods are absolutely genuine. We have complete data on them, including thousands of photos and hundreds of videos.”
“We compared these data and conducted an extremely detailed examination of the two tripods. The result is definitely correct. They were cast using the mold-making method, and many mold lines are left on their surface. We compared each mold line with a magnifying glass and found no errors.”
“Their weights are 876.23 kg and 696.71 kg respectively, exactly as recorded in the data, and their volume remains unchanged.”
“The most direct evidence is these rust spots. If you wipe them with a cotton swab, you’ll find that they all have rust roots, completely integrated with the body of the tripod, rather than just a layer on the surface. You should understand what that means, right?”
Song Rui was very knowledgeable and naturally understood what the expert was saying.
Seeing that Fan Jialuo was completely clueless, he couldn’t help but curl the corners of his lips and explained, “What he means is that these two tripods are definitely original. The presence of a distinct mold line is a positive sign, indicating that the objects were cast from an original mold. A feat that counterfeiters can achieve, though it presents a significant challenge.”
“Look at their weight. Due to thousands of years of oxidation and corrosion, bronze artifacts of the same volume would definitely be lighter than them. This is something no counterfeiter could do.”
“For counterfeiters to ensure that the size of the imitation is the same as the genuine article, they cannot maintain the weight, to ensure the weight is the same, they must increase the volume. These two things cannot be done at the same time, thus eliminating the possibility of counterfeiting. Look at these X-ray scans. The density of these two tripods is very uniform, without any cavities. Chemical element analysis also shows that they are indeed made of bronze. The density is fine, the material is fine, so they are genuine.”
Fan Jialuo understood and asked further, “Of two bronze artifacts of the same volume, the one with a longer history will definitely be lighter than the one made more recently. This is something that cannot be achieved without the polishing of time, right?”
“That’s right.” Song Rui nodded and continued, “Look at this rust. It grew out of the body of the tripod little by little, like a tree. Even after wiping away the bark, you can still see the inside. It has taken root. But imitation bronzes can’t do this because the greenish-blue rust on their surface is dyed with corrosive chemicals. It can be wiped off with a single touch, without any roots.”
Dozens of experts and scholars had already gathered around the two bronze tripods. Upon hearing Song Rui’s words, they immediately added, “The growth of rust is like the growth of trees, it must go through the accumulation of time. Tree roots grow once a year, while the rust on bronze artifacts grows once every hundred years. Such thick rust could not have been achieved without thousands of years of accumulation, which is why we dare to conclude that these two bronze tripods are genuine.”
Only then did the ever-silent Elder Lu sigh, “Although the development of science and technology has indeed enriched the methods of authenticating antiques and cultural relics, the skill of visual inspection will never be lost. The judgments made by our eyes are often irreplaceable by machines. Teacher Fan, you really misjudged this time.”
Fan Jialuo gently stroked the rust roots deeply embedded in the cauldron with his fingertips clad in white gloves, and shook his head, saying, “My eyes, from birth until now, have never misjudged a person, thing, or event. I have always trusted my own judgment.”
“You’re being way too arrogant! We might have mistaken that porcelain vase, but we’d swear on our lives that these two tripods are absolutely genuine! Their weight, size, and patina alone are enough for us to make that judgment. The entire academic community of cultural relics agrees on this point. You’re just an amateur, you can’t even understand what we’re saying. What gives you the right to question us?” The young expert, who had just been stunned by the authentication results of the pen holder and water cup, now stood up again, retorting defiantly.
Fan Jialuo slowly removed his gloves and said slowly, “If I said I could make a piece of new copper grow rust that would take thousands of years to form in just a few minutes, would you believe me?”
The young expert initially intended to belittle or ridicule him, but then suddenly remembered his two earlier questions ——If I said this pen holder is four thousand years old, would you believe me? If I said this cup is three thousand years old, would you believe me?
Nobody believed it at the time, but after the results came out, everyone’s faces burned with embarrassment.
The young expert gasped for breath, unable to refute this utterly absurd statement.
Director Sun pushed him away and sneered, “I don’t believe it! You try it and show us! Making a piece of new copper grow rust that’s thousands of years old in just a few minutes, do you think you’re a god?”
Fan Jialuo was not annoyed, but instead stretched out his hand to Chief Yan, “Give me a piece of new copper, preferably 1 Kg.”
Chief Yan immediately ordered preparations to be made.
A dozen minutes later, a technician brought over a piece of new, bright yellow copper.
Fan Jialuo took it and asked, “Do you have an electronic scale?”
Another technician immediately brought over an electronic scale.
Fan Jialuo placed the square copper block on the electronic scale, bent down to look at the display screen, and reminded, “Look carefully, it weighs 1000 grams now. I will not only make it grow rust roots that take thousands of years to form, but I will also control its weight to 988.88 grams.”
His words were utterly absurd, drawing skepticism from everyone. Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu even snorted, their expressions utterly disdainful. They were waiting to see Fan Jialuo make a fool of himself!
Fan Jialuo didn’t care about the reactions of others. He simply used Ma You’s ability to create a transparent space, envelop the new copper, and then poured his own magnetic field into the space, gradually compressing it.
His magnetic field was inherently corrosive, its effects no less than those of rain, snow, wind, and frost in nature. Due to the confinement and pressure of space, it maintained a certain concentration and thickness, pushing this destructiveness to a level that had existed for thousands of years in just a few minutes.
Thus, in everyone’s eyes, the new copper was visibly growing green rust. It spread inch by inch, thickening layer by layer, overlapping each other, and soon merged with the copper block, becoming a rust root that could never be removed.
Meanwhile, the numbers on the electronic scale’s display screen were decreasing little by little, first to 999.99, then to 999.98…… When the number reached 988.88, Fan Jialuo withdrew his hands, and the copper block remained unchanged.
A few minutes ago, it was a bright, shiny, and solid yellow, a few minutes later, it was covered with the marks of time. Its entire body was covered with greenish rust, and it had lost its former luster, also losing some weight due to oxidation and corrosion.
Without seeing the truth firsthand, nobody would have believed that it’s actually just newly cast copper
The experts and technicians were all speechless at that moment, their mouths agape and eyes wide, unable to utter a single word. The facts were undeniable, leaving them no room for disbelief or rebuttal. When a person’s power surpasses technology, imagination, and common sense, ordinary people can no longer judge them using their own ways of thinking, or even have the right to converse with them.
Chief Yan’s heart sank, knowing that something terrible had happened.
Fan Jialuo gently stroked the rusty bronze block and asserted, “See? Only someone like me can create bronze artifacts that are indistinguishable from the real thing. Therefore, the mastermind behind this case must be someone from the Taoist sect. What you consider impossible can become possible here.”
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Leave a Comment
Chapter 249. Your Judgment Has Failed, Teacher Fan
The laboratory’s test results were in, and they were very encouraging. Everyone was very happy, except for Fan Jialuo, who insisted that the technician had made a mistake.
Upon hearing his baseless words, Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu were furious and almost abandoned their scholarly image to hurl insults at him on the spot.
Chief Yan is a meticulous person, and having had close contact with Teacher Fan in previous cases, he knows his character well. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t talk much, but when he does, his words are always profound and unequivocal. If you take his words lightly or ignore them, you will definitely pay an unimaginable price.
The prophecies he posted online are still being frantically shared to this day and of all those who engaged in psychic communication with him, not a single one has managed to escape the predetermined fate he foretold.
What Chief Yan found even more unforgettable were the 256 innocent victims who died unjustly. If he had listened to Teacher Fan’s advice and kept the disciples of the Tianshui Sect in check, preventing them from acting on their own, the outcome would not have been as tragic as it became.
Thinking of this, Chief Yan felt a pang of pain in his heart, so he immediately reached out and invited, “Teacher Fan, let me take you to the laboratory to see those cultural relics.”
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu were the ones most eager to settle things peacefully. Seeing that Chief Yan was still willing to believe this charlatan, they hurriedly chased after him, constantly sarcastically saying, “Do you know where these cultural relics were sent? They were sent to the Central Laboratory, which is the most technologically advanced laboratory in our country. All the equipment and personnel are the best in the world. The results from that assessment are absolutely infallible. Who do you think you are? You lack the necessary knowledge and professional qualifications, how can your assessments be more accurate than those of experts and scientific equipment?”
Fan Jialuo continued on his way without saying a word.
Song Rui spoke with a half-smile, “To the best of my knowledge, the current art authentication market in China can only be described as rife with chaos. So-called experts are nothing more than money-driven brokers. As long as the owner pays enough, a counterfeit costing only a few dozen yuan can be appraised by these experts as a priceless treasure worth tens of millions, resulting in the Chinese art market being flooded with counterfeits. The art of connoisseurship, as a technique of authentication, relies on subjective judgment and so-called reputation and qualifications. If you experts say an antique is genuine, then it is genuine, other people’s opinions are completely disregarded. Your monopoly on this knowledge is tantamount to a monopoly on the market. Whether your judgment is accurate or not, you should know best. Foreign collectors have withdrawn from the Chinese art market in recent years, leaving it to your own devices. You surely know why, don’t you?”
The reason, of course, is that the appraisal market in China is too chaotic. Appraisal experts here don’t have specialized professional licenses, and they don’t bear any legal responsibility for appraisal errors, nor does it affect their reputation. As a result, many experts have been bribed to compromise their conscience and spout nonsense. In contrast, appraisal experts abroad are licensed, and they bear full responsibility for appraisal errors, so they dare not act recklessly.
When you pit a group of rule-abiding people against a group of rule-breakers, the outcome is bound to be unpleasant. After being scammed too many times, foreign art collectors have abandoned the Chinese market.
Outsiders have a hazy understanding of the chaos in the art market, but Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu are well aware of the inside story. So, they blushed and refrained from making any more sarcastic remarks. Anyway, once they arrived at the lab and saw the definitive authentication results, they’d have plenty to talk about.
Fan Jialuo was not a person who liked to argue, consequently, so when he was misunderstood, questioned, or even insulted, he rarely spoke up for himself. But things are different now. He has Dr. Song, and so, much like those silent treasures, he has found his own voice. Dr. Song could hear the voices within him, Dr. Song could speak the words he left unspoken. This man had long since transformed into a suit of armor, enveloping him layer upon layer.
Fan Jialuo’s hurried steps suddenly stopped, then he turned to the side, staring intently at Dr. Song. When Dr. Song got close, he grasped his hand and never let go.
When the young man took his hand for the first time, Song Rui’s expression showed a hint of surprise, but he quickly recovered, lowered his eyes and smiled, and closed his fingers.
Feeling the unwavering strength emanating from Dr. Song’s fingertips, Fan Jialuo gently stroked the back of his hand with the pad of his thumb, then used the conductivity and locking properties of the magnetic field to steal a bit of his body heat, warming his own palms that he had never been able to warm no matter what.
To feel warm, to feel secure, and to walk life’s path together——maybe that is exactly what it means to be alive.
When Meng Zhong saw the two of them suddenly holding hands, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Chief Yan was also somewhat surprised, but he didn’t inquire much about it. It was their private matter, and he had no right to interfere.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu felt their disdain and loathing for these two individuals deepen yet another notch. Just wait until we get to the laboratory and secure the irrefutable evidence, they vowed inwardly. We will engage them in a verbal duel, humiliate them completely, and, ideally, provoke such intense displeasure in Chief Yan that he has them dragged into court!
The group, each with their own thoughts, arrived at the central laboratory, only to find Elder Liang and Elder Lu each holding a magnifying glass, examining a famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase. They didn’t speak, but nodded frequently, their expressions relaxed. It was obvious they both believed the artifact to be genuine.
After observing their expressions, Director Sun suddenly felt no pain in his heart or weakness in his legs. He straightened his back more than ever before, strode over, and asked knowingly, “Two Seniors, is there anything wrong with this artifact?” As he spoke, he glared fiercely at Fan Jialuo and Song Rui.
“The rim, glaze, pigments, base, and degree of calcification are all fine. We can guarantee it’s genuine.” The two elders said in unison.
Fan Jialuo did not know this, so he remained silent.
Song Rui questioned, “Today’s counterfeiters use high technology. With just a few photos and a video, they can make imitations that are exactly the same as the real thing. Let alone the external features that are easy to identify at a glance, such as the rim, glaze, pigments, base, and degree of calcification, they can even replicate the chemical composition of the internal porcelain perfectly. You two experts must have seen many of these indistinguishable imitations. How can you guarantee its authenticity 100% by sight alone? Among the antiques on the market today that are identified as genuine, a 60% accuracy rate is considered very good. You two should be well aware of this situation, right?”
Neither Elder Liang nor Elder Lu felt offended. Instead, they produced an authentication report and earnestly explained, “Dr. Song, you are right. Visual examination is indeed a very subjective discipline with a very high error rate. But this result is not only the result of the dozens of experts present, but also the result of the world’s most advanced appraisal technology. If you don’t trust our eyesight, you should at least trust science, right?”
With a stretch of their arms, the two elders encompassed dozens of experts and dozens of advanced scientific devices scattered throughout the laboratory.
These experts, each examining a cultural relic, looked up at Song Rui’s words, their expressions displeased. They were all top talents in their field, possessing both integrity and experience, their excellent reputations having stood the test of time. When had they ever been questioned like this before?
They all put down the artifacts and glared angrily at Song Rui and Fan Jialuo.
“Elder Liang, are these the two people who filed a false report, making us work for nothing?” The youngest expert stepped forward, his tone very cold and hard, “Do you know that because of your words, these cultural relics are at risk of being moved by various machines? If they are accidentally damaged during the moving process, can you afford to compensate for it? You will go to jail for this.”
The young expert held up the appraisal report in his hand and said sarcastically, “You all have eyes, can’t you see for yourselves? The report clearly states that the composition of the bottom of the porcelain is the same as that of old porcelain from the same period.”
Fan Jialuo, unfamiliar with high technology, looked at Dr. Song.
Song Rui did not disappoint him, retorting, “As far as I know, there is a forgery method called ‘assembling,’ which involves using the base of an old porcelain piece to attach to a new porcelain piece, easily fooling the machine’s authentication.”
A vein throbbed at the young expert’s temple, he slammed his hand down on the report and abruptly raised his voice, “Are you trying to pick a fight with me? Can’t you read? Take a good look at this final paragraph. We employed one of the most advanced technologies currently available in the world to date this porcelain vase. This technique is called thermoluminescence, by analyzing the timing of the object’s last exposure to fire, it can precisely determine when the artwork was fired in the kiln. Its accuracy rate stands at a staggering 100%, while the margin of error for the estimated date falls within a mere 5 to 10 percent. This single machine alone costs upwards of ten million, it is the latest equipment we have imported from abroad, used worldwide. How could it possibly be wrong? You claim that visual assessment is too subjective and refuse to trust the collective judgment of dozens of our experts. Surely, then, you must place your faith in the power of science and technology?”
Song Rui stared intently at the last paragraph of the report, reading it carefully, without responding to the young expert’s questions.
Chief Yan also received a report, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he read it.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu gazed at the room filled with experts, their inner excitement all but inexpressible. Not only were Elder Liang and Elder Lu national treasure-level caliber, but the other dozens of experts were also renowned figures in the cultural relics field, their expertise and reputation absolutely trustworthy. They had all signed the authentication report, reaching a unanimous conclusion, this famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase was definitely genuine! With their combined expertise, how could they possibly be wrong?
Moreover, this place has the world’s most advanced scientific equipment, and its identification results will be more accurate than those obtained manually. This report can be described as definitive and unshakeable, even if you bring together all the big names in the cultural relics field, they would not be able to utter a single word in rebuttal.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu were completely relieved. Their tight and dry throats suddenly relaxed, and they immediately burst out laughing.
Fan Jialuo stepped forward, hovered his hand above the porcelain vase, lowered his eyes to sense it for a moment, and said firmly, “From it, I can’t feel the weight of history or the accumulation of years, only a lingering coldness. It is new, yet it is also dead.”
“Mr. Fan, I know you’ve become quite famous lately, but everyone has their own expertise. Your fame isn’t a tool to mislead others. You should cherish your reputation more. You know, reputation is something that can be quickly squandered if it’s not carefully protected and managed.” The young expert threw the report at Fan Jialuo’s face and said angrily, “Here you go, although I don’t expect you to understand it.”
While the two were talking, the two Nine Tripod Cauldrons, which were being appraised in a hurry, also yielded definite results.
A technician waved the authentication certificate, still warm from the printer, and exclaimed excitedly, “Both of these bronze vessels are genuine!”
“Let me see the report.” The young expert immediately went over.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu quickly followed.
The group passed the appraisal report around and then eagerly handed it to Chief Yan.
Chief Yan carefully examined all the data, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He grinned and laughed heartily.
Seeing his delight, Director Sun pressed on, saying, “Chief Yan, so many precious treasures have been moved around, increasing the risk of damage. You can’t just turn a blind eye and pretend this never happened, can you? We accept that the bronze tortoise was indeed replaced, but these are all national treasures. How can they be arbitrarily accused of being counterfeit by some random person? Now even the highest leader has been alarmed. You should at least give your superiors an explanation, shouldn’t you?”
As he said this, his eyes were fixed on Fan Jialuo, as if he wanted to burn several holes through the man.
The fact that the case turned out to be a hoax is indeed cause for celebration, however, drafting the official report on the matter is proving to be a tricky business. A national treasure is not something just anyone can move, even when foreign nations wish to borrow one for an exhibition, they must submit applications through layer after layer of bureaucracy, a process that often culminates in a personal phone call between heads of state to address security protocols.
However, they hastily transported this batch of national treasures based solely on a few baseless remarks from Teacher Fan. The higher-ups will surely be furious upon learning the truth. Who will bear this responsibility?
Chief Yan wasn’t the type to kick someone when they’re down, but he knew that even if he wanted to take full responsibility, the higher-ups wouldn’t let Teacher Fan off the hook. Teacher Fan’s hard-won reputation would be ruined in an instant, and he would be severely reprimanded by the national leadership, making it very difficult for him to survive in the country.
In his heart, Chief Yan really liked Teacher Fan and couldn’t bear to see him fall into that situation. However, he couldn’t find a way to exonerate him, and a layer of sweat broke out on his forehead.
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Director Sun said confidently, “Very well, it seems you want to protect Fan Jialuo and cover for him. Then I will write this report. I have connections with several leaders, and I will definitely make them deal with it seriously. This matter has had a very bad impact on our Central Museum, and we will never let it go!”
Deputy Director Liu echoed his sentiments, insisting that his name should also be added to the report.
The dozens of experts hastily gathered together, except for Elder Liang and Elder Lu, all surprisingly gathered around, demanding that they jointly write a letter of accusation. Fan Jialuo’s irresponsible actions had put these national treasures at enormous risk and nearly destroyed the entire cultural relics field, they absolutely had to teach him a profound lesson.
Seeing the increasingly agitated group of experts and scholars, Meng Zhong secretly felt a chill for Teacher Fan.
Meanwhile, Fan Jialuo, who was in the eye of the storm, was still intently holding his hand up, sensing the porcelain vase.
“I saw a beam of light shining on it, giving it a deep blue hue. It was originally new, but it gradually aged within this beam of light, acquiring the marks of time. This beam of light is somewhat similar to my magnetic field, possessing both radiation and penetrability, it is right here.” Fan Jialuo opened his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over the machines placed in the laboratory, finally locking onto an X-ray scanner.
Hearing his inexplicable words, everyone thought he was making a last-ditch effort. Only Song Rui strode towards the scanner, looked around, then put a ceramic pen holder from a technician’s desk into the scanning chamber and pressed the start button.
“Hey, what are you doing! Don’t touch the machines in our lab. Can you afford to pay for them if you break them?” A technician shouted angrily.
Meanwhile, Fan Jialuo and Song Rui stood calmly beside the machine, awaiting the scan results. No one knew what trick they were up to.
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Leave a Comment
Chapter 248. Stripped Of Spiritual Luck
Chief Yan didn’t understand what Teacher Fan was saying. Shouldn’t it be a great thing that the Sovereign Sword of the Eight Horizons wasn’t replaced by a counterfeit? Why would Teacher Fan say there was a problem?
“Teacher Fan, what do you mean by that?” Chief Yan immediately pressed.
“Let’s go check out the other exhibition halls first, and then we’ll discuss it later.” Fan Jialuo walked towards another exhibition hall.
“Alright, alright, we’ll talk about it later.” Chief Yan followed closely behind him, holding a crumpled piece of tissue paper that was already soaked with sweat.
Director Sun, lying on a mobile stretcher, still ordered the medical staff to move him over immediately. He wanted to keep a close eye on Fan Jialuo the whole time, to see how much trouble he could cause. If the authentication results showed that the artifacts were genuine, he would definitely use his influence to make this man pay the price! Moving so many national treasures at once, did he think this was a child’s playground?
After viewing all nine exhibition halls, Fan Jialuo finally picked out five counterfeits, two scrolls of court beauties from separate dynasties, a celestial-blue Ru ware ceramic vase, a statue of the six-armed guardian deity Mahakala, and a pair of gilded ornaments featuring twin dragons clutching pearls. While not classified as national treasures, they were nonetheless peerless masterpieces of unparalleled rarity
Xiao Li compiled a list of all the replaced cultural relics and handed it to Chief Yan and Director Sun for review. The two men stared at the dense text on the list, feeling as if their heads were about to explode.
To their absolute horror, a closer look revealed that the corruption ran far deeper, the swapped artifacts altogether reached a staggering total of twenty-two pieces. Among them, a staggering nine were national treasures——specifically, the Yong tripod, the Qing tripod, the bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, and the golden human mask, a golden phoenix ornament, a piece of mythical black jade of Mountains and Seas, an ivory Shakyamuni relic stupa, a scroll of dragons surging across a vast sea, and a tree sculpted entirely from pristine crystal.
There are thirteen treasures handed down through generations, namely—— bronze tortoise, ivory seated Buddha, bronze sword, a human-shaped palace lanterns cast from solid gold, a scroll depicting flying celestial goddesses, famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase, and a bronze tripod cauldron adorned with mythical beasts, an inscribed oracle bone, two scrolls of court beauties from separate dynasties, a celestial-blue Ru ware ceramic vase, a statue of the six-armed guardian deity Mahakala, and a pair of gilded ornaments featuring twin dragons clutching pearls.
If all these cultural relics are identified as counterfeits, then the Central Museum, as Deputy Director Liu previously stated, could truly go bankrupt. For a national-level cultural relic protection unit to embezzle and replace so many national treasures is far more serious than Ma You’s rampage of murders in Beijing.
“What has happened to this world? Why has it become like this?” Chief Yan asked from the depths of his soul, clutching the list with trembling hands.
“The great upheaval has already begun.” Fan Jialuo said slowly, “Long ago, the world began to change quietly, but the undercurrents were hidden beneath the calm surface, and no one could detect them. But those who were meant to awaken have now awakened, and they will stir up the deep waters, raise the undercurrents to the surface, and unleash a raging storm. This case of artifact switching is just the beginning.”
Chief Yan said in disbelief, “Even this kind of case is just the beginning, and a small wave before the storm. What will happen next? Teacher Fan, what exactly did you see? What do you mean by the great change you mentioned? By the way, do you know the inside story of this case?”
“I just have this feeling, but I can’t say for sure what the specifics are.” Fan Jialuo slowly walked towards the central exhibition hall, stopped in front of the Sovereign Sword of the Eight Horizons, and continued, “I don’t know the details of this case, I’m just making reasonable inferences based on the existing evidence.”
This phrase was Dr. Song’s favorite saying, which he put into practice.
Chief Yan immediately said, “Please tell me your speculation.”
Director Sun, lying on a mobile stretcher, said angrily, “The forensic results aren’t out yet, what case are you analyzing? There’s no case for you to analyze right now!”
Song Rui adjusted the drip rate of the IV drip for Director Sun and said calmly, “It seems you’ve forgotten about that counterfeit bronze tortoise? Isn’t its value enough to warrant a case? So, it’s lost, and that’s it? You certainly are generous, aren’t you? And you stand so tall and unyielding, one would think you represent the entire nation.”
Director Sun was trembling with anger, but he couldn’t utter a single word in rebuttal. He had almost forgotten that the bronze tortoise had already been identified as a fake by Fan Jialuo on the spot.
After taking the statements, Meng Zhong handed over the museum staff to the military for control. Then, he and his subordinates rushed over to listen to Teacher Fan’s case analysis. As usual, they took out notebooks and pens and surrounded Teacher Fan and Dr. Song in a circle.
Fan Jialuo stared at the sword lying quietly on the shelf and said slowly, “Everything in the world has a spirit. Heaven and earth have spirits, people have spirits, animals have spirits, plants and trees have spirits, and even stones have spirits. These cultural relics naturally have spirits as well.”
Chief Yan and the others nodded repeatedly, but they did not understand the purpose of his words.
Song Rui walked to the display case, stared intently at the sword that had weathered thousands of years of wind and frost yet remained as sharp as ever, and said with certainty, “You mean, this sword contains spiritual qi.”
Fan Jialuo shook his head and said, “It’s not just about spiritual qi, it’s also about luck. The Sovereign Sword of the Eight Horizons has an aura of spiritual luck soaring to the heavens.”
This wasn’t the first time Fan Jialuo had mentioned the phrase “aura of spiritual luck soaring to the heavens,” so Song Rui’s eyes flashed, as if he had made a connection to something.
Chief Yan and Meng Zhong, among others: ? ? ?
Fan Jialuo continued, “To my shame, my eyes are accustomed only to divine herbs and heavenly treasures, I have never once beheld an artifact that anchors a nation or a masterpiece passed down through generations.”
Chief Yan and Meng Zhong: ……No, no, no, you don’t need to feel ashamed. We haven’t even seen a glimpse of any rare and precious herbs!
“Before I came here, I had expected that the so-called national treasures and legacy must be full of spiritual essence and great fortune. But when I entered this exhibition hall full of treasures, I only felt the weight of history and the accumulation of time, but I could not feel the fluctuation of spiritual essence and fortune. It was not until I saw this that I finally confirmed my guess.”
Fan Jialuo pointed to the sword in the glass display case and said slowly, “If those genuine artifacts hadn’t been switched, the feeling they gave me would be the same as this sword, a vast and boundless spiritual sea, a magnificent purple aura, an overwhelming divine charm, and a sharpness that rivals the creation of heaven and earth. If I were fortunate enough to commune with them in spirit, it would be an honor I would never forget for the rest of my life.”
“But sadly, they have all vanished, leaving only this legendary sword, lying here forlornly. I can feel its sorrow and loneliness.” Fan Jialuo said in a low voice as he released his magnetic field, “Listen, this is it’s crying.”
A gentle magnetic field, like a spring, enveloped everyone in the exhibition hall. Through the influence and connection of the magnetic field, they could vaguely hear a long and sharp metallic sound, like the sound of a sword breaking, ice shattering, or the aftersound of lightning striking the sky.
Director Sun was the first to break down, covering his ears and wailing. The sound he heard seemed sharper than anyone else’s, because he was supposed to be the protector of these national treasures, yet he had failed to fulfill his duty in the slightest.
Fan Jialuo removed the magnetic field, and in an instant, the sound that seemed like weeping and shouting disappeared. Everyone looked at each other, their eyes reddening without them realizing it, and their hearts were filled with a sorrow that was hard to dispel and hard to let go of.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu, who had previously insisted that all the national treasures were genuine, were now speechless. Although they still did not believe Fan Jialuo’s words, they dared not speak recklessly again.
“Can you sense its spiritual essence?” Fan Jialuo asked in a deep voice.
“We felt it!” Everyone nodded in unison, a strange shock still lingering in their chests.
“Not all cultural relics can generate spiritual essence and luck.” Fan Jialuo further explained, “Only objects that gather the fortune of a nation, the fortune of an emperor, and the fortune of an outstanding person can generate spiritual essence and luck. Look at this list.”
Fan Jialuo took the list from Chief Yan’s hand.
Song Rui also took the list from Meng Zhong’s hand.
The two seemed to have noticed the problem, but the others remained confused.
“The nine national treasures, when gathered together, represent the fortune of the nation,” Song Rui guessed.
“That’s right, like the Sovereign Sword of the Eight Horizons, they possess spirit and fortune, that’s for sure.” Fan Jialuo pointed to the list and asked, “What is a luminary of the age?”
Chief Yan and others took out their phones and searched on Baidu.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu knew about it, but they didn’t want to talk to Fan Jialuo, that troublemaker.
Song Rui replied, “A luminary of the age is someone with a brilliant mind or figure who lights up an entire era.”
Fan Jialuo nodded and said, “That’s right, a luminary of the age are those with exceptional talent and wisdom. Look at the artifacts on this list. They were either created by outstanding individuals, such as the Sage of Calligraphy, the Sage of Painting, or the Sage of Craftsmanship, or they were carried by outstanding individuals for many years, such as the Buddha, the Great Shaman, or the enlightened monk. I know without seeing the originals that their spiritual essence and aura are comparable to the finest natural treasures. Now, do you see the problem?”
Chief Yan and others pondered intently.
Song Rui understood after a moment’s thought, “The person behind this switch case seems to only want cultural relics with spiritual essence and good fortune, they didn’t even look at any that lacked such qi and good fortune.”
Deputy Director Liu seemed to have discovered a major bug, pointing at the Sovereign Sword of the Eight Horizons and shouting, “Then how do you explain why this sword wasn’t switched?”
Director Sun glanced at his old partner, a look of embarrassment crossing his face. However, he knew that the other man had only said such foolish things out of anger.
But others didn’t seem to think this statement was foolish, so they all pressed on, asking, “Yes, all the treasures with spiritual essence were switched out, so why wasn’t this sword switched out?”
Song Rui glanced at Meng Zhong and explained, “Because this sword is impossible for counterfeiters to replicate. Its alloy composition is beyond the analysis capabilities of our current scientific technology. Thousands of years have passed, yet it remains rust-free and sharp as ever. The entire blade is covered with a dark blue grid pattern, resembling water ripples and ice cracks. No metal can achieve this effect. Its forging technique has been lost. If a fake were to be made, the flaws would be immediately apparent, so counterfeiters have given up on targeting it.”
Song Rui held back for a moment, but still managed to ask, “Don’t any of you read history books?”
Chief Yan’s face flushed slightly, but Meng Zhong retorted, “Are you expecting us to treat that as common knowledge?”
Song Rui turned his head and continued to stare at the legendary Sword, too lazy to talk to these ignorant people.
Fan Jialuo placed his palm on the glass display case and said in a deep voice, “Yes, it is precisely because of its uniqueness that it escaped disaster. These cultural relics are all treasures of China, either national treasures or legacy. Even if they were taken to the outside world, they would be impossible to sell because no one would dare to buy them. Whoever buys them would be an enemy of China. So what was the purpose of the person who tried to steal them?”
“Yes, why?” Chief Yan was stumped by the question.
Director Sun said angrily, “That’s why no one dares to mess with these cultural relics, they are all genuine!”
Fan Jialuo didn’t even spare Director Sun a glance, but stared at the sword for a long time before continuing, “Judging from the counterfeiters’ motives, I can roughly guess who they are.”
“What are their motives? What kind of people are they?” Meng Zhong stared intently at Teacher Fan’s back.
“Rare and precious herbs also contain a lot of spiritual essence, so do you know what their function is?” Fan Jialuo asked without turning his head.
Chief Yan and Meng Zhong are both veteran cadres and lack knowledge in this area. Aren’t rare and precious herbs only found in fantasy novels?
Xiao Li, a typical otaku, quickly raised his hand, “I know, rare and precious herbs can cleanse the marrow and transform one’s body!”
“That’s right. The spiritual essence contained within rare and precious herbs can instantly break through the shackles of mortal form and transform an ordinary person into a spiritual being. A spiritual being is someone like me.” Fan Jialuo’s hand gently traced the blade of the sword within the glass case as he spoke in a deep voice, word by word, “Therefore, these artifacts, like rare and precious herbs, can elevate people to another level, which is what is called transcending the mundane world. However, the spiritual essence within artifacts is not like that of rare and precious herbs, which can be obtained simply by consuming them, it requires special methods. Therefore, I am certain that the person who committed this crime must be a member of the Taoist sects, and their motive was to plunder the spiritual essence within these artifacts for their own use.
“It’s the Taoist sects again!” Chief Yan was furious at the mention of those two words. He had recently fallen out with the Taoist sects, and almost every day cultivators would come to visit him, just to plead on behalf of the Tianshui Sect.
Meng Zhong immediately wrote this down in his notebook.
Song Rui, however, astutely grasped the key point, “What would happen to these cultural relics if their spiritual essence were plundered?”
Fan Jialuo turned around, his face colder than ever before. He walked to a display cabinet, removed a lily from the vase, and said in a deep voice, “Do you see this flower? Why is it so beautiful? Because the life force within it has not completely dissipated. Life force and spiritual essence operate in the same way, in a sense, they are not even different.”
Fan Jialuo stroked the lily with his slender fingers, his movements so gentle, yet his words were utterly cold, “When I rob this flower of its life, it will turn into dust.”
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu both let out a sneer. Plundering life force and spiritual essence? Is Fan Jialuo telling a fairytale?
However, the next second, their indifferent expressions froze on their faces. Fan Jialuo’s porcelain-white fingertips brushed from top to bottom, and the delicate lilies withered, dried, broke, and scattered inch by inch under his caress. They were then turned into fine dust by the gentle breeze from the air conditioner and drifted into the unseen void.
This bizarre scene stunned everyone, except for Song Rui, who immediately grabbed Fan Jialuo’s wrist and stared at his abdomen with worried eyes.
Fan Jialuo had already reinforced the space inside his abdomen with layers of defenses to prevent the vine from taking effect, so he shook his head slightly to indicate that he was fine.
Song Rui couldn’t let go of his wrist, and a layer of fine sweat involuntarily seeped from his palm.
Chief Yan and his entourage, recovering from their shock, belatedly felt an indescribable fear. If flowers robbed of their vitality turn to dust, then wouldn’t cultural relics stripped of their spiritual essence also shatter into pieces?
Thinking of the consequences, Director Sun immediately clutched his chest and shouted hoarsely, “No, you’re talking nonsense! You’re exaggerating! The artifacts in our museum are definitely genuine! They have absolutely not been replaced!”
Having worked in this industry for decades, he had never been so afraid.
By this point, everyone was more inclined to believe Director Sun’s judgment. Those cultural relics were genuine, absolutely genuine, they would never turn to dust and disappear from this world forever! They were the heritage of China! The wealth left to the entire nation by our ancestors! Who could bear to do such a cruel thing to them?
Just then, the lab called and said cheerfully, “Chief Yan, we conducted an appraisal on that famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase, and it’s genuine. The other artifacts are still being authenticated, but the experts have all confirmed they’re authentic. This case should be a false alarm.”
Chief Yan made the call over the loudspeaker, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu even laughed heartily, their expressions extremely cheerful.
Fan Jialuo shook his head and said, “Your assessment is wrong. I’ll go and see for myself.”
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Leave a Comment
Chapter 247. The Case Escalates
If Fan Jialuo hadn’t spoken up, who would have ever thought that the national treasure kept inside the Central Museum could be a fake?
Unbelievable, truly unbelievable! Who would possess the audacity to tamper with cultural relics of such magnitude? To do so is undermining the nation’s heritage, its civilization, and even its very foundations! Should this scheme be exposed, the fate awaiting the perpetrator would undoubtedly be far more gruesome than that of Ma You, who was summarily executed just a short while ago!
It is no exaggeration to say that the person who did such a thing is a sinner against the country and the nation, and deserves to be engraved on the pillar of shame and be infamous for ten thousand years!
“I can’t believe something like this could happen in our museum, I absolutely refuse to believe it!” Director Sun quickly rallied from the devastating blow, stating emphatically, “Those of us in this line of work understand the meaning and value these artifacts represent better than anyone else. We cherish them more than our own lives. Two years ago, there was a fire in the museum, and one of our staff members risked his life to save over a dozen artifacts, but he himself was burned beyond recognition. When we visited him in the hospital afterward, guess what the first thing he asked me was?”
Director Sun, tears streaming down his face, sobbed uncontrollably, “He asked, ‘Director Sun, were those artifacts damaged in the fire?‘”
“I told him, look, you’re practically burning up right now. Drop this whole thing already and go get some sleep.”
“He said he couldn’t just ignore it. The thought of those national treasures being mercilessly destroyed by fire made him want to give his own life in their place. Seeing how worried he was, I told him that all the artifacts were safe and had been rescued. He burst into tears on the spot, not because of his extensive burns and disfigurement, but because he was overjoyed!”
“As long as the cultural relics are safe, he can completely forget the pain he suffered. In his heart, the nation’s heritage, civilization, and treasures are more important than life itself. Every staff member in our museum shares this belief, we care for these cultural relics as if they were our own children. Let me ask you this, how could we possibly abuse our positions to steal from within? How could we take our own children and sell them off? Especially since these two bronze tripod cauldrons are so significant. They stand here like two pillars supporting the sky, stabilizing our country, our continent, and our land. We could never touch them, absolutely not!”
As Director Sun spoke, he wept bitterly. His sincere and heartbroken expression moved many people, bringing tears to their eyes as well.
Fan Jialuo stood silently before the display case, not even glancing at Director Sun. His heart seemed made of stone.
Song Rui adjusted his glasses and said calmly, “It’s not uncommon for parents to sell their own children, in fact, it happens quite often. So nothing is impossible.”
Director Sun, who was weeping bitterly, suddenly found himself unable to continue crying.
Chief Yan was even more ruthless than Song Rui, and waved his hand directly, saying, “Open the display case and send these two tripods to the laboratory for authentication.”
Director Sun didn’t believe Fan Jialuo’s judgment at all, but Chief Yan represented the state and had far more authority than him, he had no choice but to agree. So the huge display case was quickly opened. Elder Liang and Elder Lu had already notified their teams to take over the artifacts, and they strictly forbade the staff of the Central Museum from touching them again.
Before the case was fully investigated, everyone here, including the cleaning staff and the elderly gatekeeper, was taken into custody by the military. Those who had direct contact with the artifacts had to be registered one by one, then summoned to the police station for separate interrogations.
Because the National Museum of China has numerous cultural relic protection institutions and a large number of people who have had direct contact with cultural relics, this investigation is extremely complex and challenging.
While Elder Liang and Elder Lu’s teams were busy devising a plan to move the two tripods, Meng Zhong had already taken the staff to an empty meeting room to take statements.
Fan Jialuo continued to sense the remaining artifacts.
Seeing him move forward, walking from one display case to another, each containing legendary national treasures, Chief Yan broke out in a cold sweat. If the final authentication results showed that Teacher Fan’s judgment was correct, then this case wouldn’t just be a sensational scandal, but it would have shaken up the entire Nine Provinces!
Who exactly is the forger? Why is he so audacious? Is he really Chinese? What Chinese person would do something so ungrateful and utterly immoral?
Chief Yan was lost in thought when Dr. Song whispered in his ear, “Tell me, what did the person who swapped those two tripods were after? Everyone knows these two cultural relics are national treasures. If they were lost abroad, the whole country would do everything in its power to recover them. They can’t sell them, so what, are they just going to display them at home for show?”
“It’s probably some foreign forces trying to create chaos in our country.” Chief Yan shook his head immediately after saying that, “I still don’t believe those two tripods are counterfeits. Who would dare to touch cultural relics of this level? Let’s wait for the authentication results before we talk about it.”
Song Rui said softly, “Escaping reality is useless. You should prepare yourself for the worst.”
Chief Yan: ……
I understand the logic, but could you please stop talking like that? It’s really annoying!
As the two whispered among themselves, Fan Jialuo stood before a bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, his palm resting on the glass display case. He closed his eyes, sensing the surroundings, and slowly said, “If it’s an ancient artifact, my magnetic field, once released, will flow like a river into the ocean, stirring up a profound echo and surging tides. If it’s a replica, my magnetic field will only sense a cold, silent, lifeless object. This is just a lifeless object.”
Chief Yan’s knees buckled, and he almost knelt down, but fortunately Song Rui caught him quickly.
Director Sun quickly pressed a nitroglycerin pill under his tongue, his voice muffled but his tone resolute, “Impossible!”
Impossible! The origin of this bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts is extremely mysterious. It comes from an ancient kingdom in Sichuan that has long since vanished from history and has no written records whatsoever. Its craftsmanship is superb, and its fantastical and exquisite design is truly a masterpiece of nature. There are even rumors that this mysteriously disappeared ancient kingdom was a civilization from outer space, and these artifacts were gifts from extraterrestrial visitors. This demonstrates the immense heights of their artistic achievement and value!
This bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts is a top-tier cultural relic that is in no way inferior to the Yong tripod and Qing tripod, it is also a national treasure! Who would dare to replace it?
Director Sun waved his hands repeatedly in denial, saying only one thing, “As long as you are a descendant of the Chinese nation, you would never do such a heinous thing!”
Song Rui said coldly, “During the war against Country R, there were countless Chinese descendants who became traitors for Country R. Nothing is impossible.”
Director Sun: ……
Who is this person? Why is he talking so rudely? He’s really going to hit someone!
Chief Yan waved his hand and said, “Open the display case and send this bronze cauldron to the laboratory for authentication. Also, investigate all the laboratory staff. Anyone who has worked at the Central Museum must recuse themselves and be investigated!” His breathing became increasingly rapid, his tone increasingly cold, and his composure was clearly on the verge of collapse. To say this case was “world shattering” was insufficient to describe its severity, someone was attempting to destroy the very foundation of China!
Elder Liang and Elder Lu responded in trembling voices, their hearts clenching uncontrollably. They sensed that a catastrophe was sweeping through the cultural relics world, and also engulfing this great nation with thousands of years of civilization.
Fan Jialuo’s face was as cold as ice in the dead of winter, yet he had to continue walking. He knew that no one could accept reality, and they would rather cover it up as if it had never happened. But others could pretend not to hear, he couldn’t. If even he didn’t speak up for these treasures, then who would be aware of their quiet passing?
Cultural relics are antiques, and antiques equal money, this is a consensus among everyone. They only see their added value, but they are unaware of the true meaning they represent.
They are not inanimate objects, not money, but the crystallization of civilization. Civilization is a country’s most precious yet most intangible wealth, the bond that unites a nation, and it must never be shaken! The most terrifying thing is not the destruction of civilization, but that it destroys its people, its country, its homeland, its roots, and yet remains unaware, even indifferent.
There will always be one or two things in the world that are more important than life itself, and civilization is one of them!
Unusually, tears welled up in Fan Jialuo’s eyes as he stood before the bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, remaining motionless for a long time.
Song Rui walked to his side, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered, “They have no way to call for help, and you are their only voice. You must persevere.”
Fan Jialuo naturally understood this principle. At this point, he knew Chief Yan must have regretted it, because even someone as powerful as him couldn’t cover up such a shocking case. Suppressing the case was in everyone’s interest, even in the country’s interest. As long as the outside world didn’t know, these fakes could continue to substitute for the genuine articles, after all, they had no practical value, they were just there for people to admire.
But who will continue the traditions that this country has lost? If a nation can turn a blind eye even to its own ancestors and the very roots of its lineage, does it still hold any hope of flourishing once again?
Fan Jialuo also had the blood of the Chinese people flowing in his veins, so he continued to the next display case. Even if everyone else remained silent, he would not.
“This one is fake too.” He spoke in a deep voice after sensing it for only a moment.
Director Sun stared intently, and another sharp pain shot through his heart. This artifact, like the previous bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, also came from the mysterious ancient kingdom of Ba-Shu. It was an exquisitely crafted golden human mask, with bulging eyes, a high nose, and wide ears, its appearance strikingly different from that of a human. It was discovered in a massive ancient tomb, covering the face of a mummified corpse, whose identity was later confirmed to be the king of that ancient kingdom.
Because it’s unclear whether the mask is exaggerated or realistic, rumors circulate that the ancient kingdom was created by an extraterrestrial civilization. Its artistic and archaeological value is extremely high, making it a national treasure.
Director Sun clutched his chest and collapsed, his face deathly pale and his lips turning blue-purple, unable to bear it any longer.
“Don’t try to scare this old man! This is no joke! If the final appraisal proves that these artifacts are genuine, I will sue you! I will put you in jail!” Director Sun transformed his fear into hatred for Fan Jialuo.
If Fan Jialuo were a timid person, he would have chosen to remain silent upon seeing the bronze tortoise. Therefore, he ignored Director Sun’s threats and continued walking towards the next display case.
“Fake.”
“Fake.”
“Fake.”
……
He walked back and forth through the exhibition hall where the national treasures were kept several times, and pointed out a total of ten counterfeits. Aside from the Yong tripod, the Qing tripod, the bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, and the golden human mask, the list included an inscribed oracle bone, a golden phoenix ornament, a piece of mythical black jade of Mountains and Seas, an ivory Shakyamuni relic stupa, a scroll of dragons surging across a vast sea, and a tree sculpted entirely from pristine crystal.
Director Sun was so angry he lay down on the stretcher, his arm still attached to an IV drip, but he absolutely refused to be taken to the hospital. He wanted to see what other outrageous things this Fan Jialuo would come out with, stirring up such a massive commotion, yet showing absolutely no fear of being held accountable by the state!
Chief Yan dispatched a fully armed army to escort the national treasures. He originally intended to wait for the authentication results before reporting to his superiors, but the case had now become so serious that he could not act on his own. Moreover, his authority was simply insufficient to cover this matter.
Those two Nine Tripod Cauldrons alone were more important than his General’s title. In that era of war and chaos, tens of thousands of people sacrificed their lives to safely move them to the rear.
The higher-ups were indeed alarmed, and even the highest-ranking leader personally called to inquire.
Chief Yan originally thought they would work together to suppress the case and prevent further investigation, because everyone was not stupid and knew very well that the person behind the scenes who could reach into the Central Museum and replace so many national treasures must have tremendous power.
But the leader told him firmly, “I’m giving you the highest authority. Just investigate and see it through to the end! Anyone who shakes our nation’s civilization and heritage will not be tolerated! Anyone who tries to cover this up is an enemy of our country!”
Chief Yan’s tears immediately fell, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement. However, he also understood that while an investigation was necessary, confidentiality had to be maintained. If the public learned of this news and it spread abroad, their country would truly lose face.
After hanging up the phone, Chief Yan’s tone hardened considerably, and he sternly rebuked, “What are you all standing there for? Take all the cultural relics that Teacher Fan pointed out away! I’ll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!”
The administrator, who had been holding the key to the display case but hesitated to open the door, finally unlocked it with trembling hands.
While everyone else was busy, Fan Jialuo was standing in front of a glass display case, gazing intently at the artifact inside.
Chief Yan was filled with apprehension as he watched him remain motionless and silent.
Director Sun lay on the stretcher, his neck stretched out, and as he made out the items in the display case, his vision blurred. Without a doubt, this was another national treasure, named the Sovereign Sword of the Eight Horizons, the sword of the first emperor in Chinese history to unify the nine provinces. Despite having weathered the vicissitudes of thousands of years, its blade remains resplendent with a cold, gleaming light, capable of slicing through iron without a sound and severing a strand of hair with a mere breath.
Its value is in no way inferior to the two Nine Tripod Cauldrons. With one stabilizing the land and the other stabilizing the state, their sheer importance is undeniably clear.
Seeing that Fan Jialuo’s lips twitched slightly as if he was about to speak, Director Sun hurriedly shouted, “Quickly give me an injection of a heart stimulant, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold on!”
Knowing the seriousness of the situation, the doctor standing by immediately opened his medical kit, took out a large syringe, and was ready to administer the injection at any time.
Chief Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his upper and lower teeth chattering uncontrollably as he spoke, “Teacher Fan, what problem have you spotted this time?”
Fan Jialuo nodded and said, “There is indeed a problem.”
Chief Yan and Director Sun both felt dizzy for a moment.
Fan Jialuo added, “This legendary blade is genuine.”
Chief Yan and Director Sun almost fainted from shock due to his dramatic pause.
Fan Jialuo glanced at them and said solemnly, “It’s precisely because it’s genuine that there’s a problem.”
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Leave a Comment
Chapter 246. The World Shaking Case
Both Elder Liang and Elder Lu are leading experts in cultural relic appraisal, otherwise, they wouldn’t have taken on the important task of restoring the Ziwei Palace. And coincidentally, they themselves unearthed this bronze tortoise, conducting an extremely thorough appraisal at the time. The data is still clearly stored in their minds, so they would never mistake it.
But now, with just a light tap, Fan Jialuo shattered their lifetime of reputation and experience. Deputy Director Liu and the others felt a profound sense of impending doom. They were responsible for the safekeeping and restoration of these artifacts, if anything went wrong, they would bear full responsibility!
“How is this possible!” Deputy Director Liu rushed forward, trying to snatch the bronze tortoise whose belly was still continuously flowing with sand.
Fan Jialuo sidestepped to avoid his collision, then placed the bronze tortoise on the open glass case.
Elder Lu and Elder Liang quickly raised their magnifying glasses and examined the artifact again. They simply couldn’t believe that they could be so mistaken.
Hearing that the police had arrived, Su Zhenrong had the security guards grab the father and son and ran to the Legacy Hall to file a complaint. When he saw Meng Zhong, his cheeks flushed, and he was even a little afraid to face him.
The two had been friends for over a decade, knowing each other inside and out, sharing resources and support, and maintaining a very good relationship. Having heard that this auction could potentially impact Su Zhenrong’s entire career, Meng Zhong, seeking to provide him with an extra layer of security, proposed asking Teacher Fan for assistance.
Su Zhenrong outwardly agreed, but behind his back, driven by his own petty thoughts, he completely disregarded the warning. Now that the painting is ruined and his career is over, he truly doesn’t know how to explain the whole story to Meng Zhong, it would be such a betrayal of his good intentions.
Su Zhenrong’s hurried steps suddenly stopped, and then he slowly walked over with an extremely ashamed face. His gaze swept over the open glass case and he saw a bronze tortoise with a hole in its belly and sand flowing out of the hole. He was immediately stunned.
“This, what’s wrong with this?” In his fear, his tongue was tied in knots.
“Zhenrong, you’ve come at the right time. We’d like to access your surveillance footage. Could you please cooperate? Teacher Fan discovered that this bronze tortoise is a fake,” Meng Zhong immediately requested.
“Okay, I’ll have security check the security footage right away. Our auction house staff didn’t touch these artifacts at all, the Central Museum handled everything themselves. This has nothing to do with us.” Su Zhenrong replied while wiping the fine sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, he caught sight of Teacher Fan standing under the light, his skin almost translucent white, as if he were radiating an ethereal aura. He immediately regretted his actions.
He only knew that Teacher Fan had a great reputation, but he didn’t know that his abilities were even greater than his reputation! If he had listened to the other party’s advice earlier, none of this mess would have happened now!
Su Zhenrong felt increasingly distressed as he thought about it, and his fake smile was almost impossible to maintain.
Meng Zhong glanced at the emergency call log from the command center and asked, “By the way, your auction house also called the police. What happened?”
Su Zhenrong’s pale face suddenly turned purplish-red, and he stammered incoherently for a long time. His assistant, thinking he was anxious, quickly explained the whole situation to him.
Meng Zhong was stunned for a while before he came to his senses. He subconsciously looked at Teacher Fan and saw that he was not paying attention to the situation here, but instead walked to a display case and focused on sensing. Only then did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
“You, ah, you, I don’t even know what to say to you.” Meng Zhong pointed at his old friend with his index finger, his tone full of helplessness, “I told you long ago that Teacher Fan is 100% trustworthy, and I told you to listen to his advice carefully, but why didn’t you listen? Would I betray you? Teacher Fan is the pillar of our Special Cases Investigation Department. He can even handle a murderous monster like Ma You, so how could he not handle a few small antiques? Don’t you even use your brain? If you could trust the experts, would this bronze tortoise have been replaced with a fake?”
His voice unconsciously grew louder, causing Deputy Director Liu’s face to flush red with embarrassment. Elder Liang and Elder Lu also coughed awkwardly and walked a little further away, carrying the bronze tortoise.
In just twenty minutes, Su Zhenrong had become emaciated and barely recognizable. After being scolded by his old friend, he was so dejected that he couldn’t even lift his head. He pointed at the father and son and said in a hoarse voice, “If I sue them in court, can the company’s losses be recovered?”
“You’ll definitely win the lawsuit, but the financial losses will be hard to recover. The price you marked on the exhibits was the starting bid, right? You said it was 50 million, and with bidding at the auction, it would easily reach 100 million. But the court won’t take that premium into account when they appraise it. Your company will definitely have another lawsuit with the owner of the exhibits. Old Su, you’d better prepare yourself.” Meng Zhong patted his old friend on the shoulder, his face full of helpless frustration.
Su Zhenrong wiped his face, his voice trembling with tears, and said, “I understand, I’ll consider the worst-case scenario. Old Meng, this time it was my own fault for messing things up, it’s not your fault, I should thank you for your kindness. You introduced Teacher Fan to me for my own good, if I had listened to Teacher Fan, I, I wouldn’t have ended up like this……”
At this point, Su Zhenrong’s throat tightened, and he almost burst into tears.
Meng Zhong couldn’t bear to see him in such a disheveled state, so he waved to a police officer and said, “Take Director Su to the side room to take his statement.”
“Yes, Director Meng.” The young officer led Su Zhenrong and the anxious father and son away. As he stepped out of the hall, he glanced at Teacher Fan with reverence and whispered, “You can invite a great figure like Teacher Fan, so why don’t you believe him? Do you have any idea how many people are currently clamoring to consult with Teacher Fan? Wealthy tycoons are already bidding astronomical sums online just for the chance to meet him or share a meal. Would he really bother using a painting worth tens of millions just to pull your leg?”
Su Zhenrong touched his trousers, really wanting to unbuckle his belt and hang himself on the spot!
There were many people even more terrified than Su Zhenrong. After examining the bronze tortoise repeatedly, several experts from the Central Museum were slumped in their chairs, barely able to hold their magnifying glasses.
“Judging from its appearance alone, this bronze tortoise is absolutely flawless! If we didn’t crack open its belly, we would never have been able to tell that it was a fake,” Elder Liang exclaimed in amazement.
Elder Lu further explained, “However, while the surface appearance can be perfect, the internal cavity can never be exactly the same. The genuine bronze tortoise was cast using the lost-wax casting method, a relatively primitive technique. Therefore, the internal cavity was not fully formed, but rather partially filled with molten copper. However, the lost-wax casting method has been lost, and forgers cannot replicate the technique of that time. They can only use the more advanced lost-wax casting method, making the internal cavity perfectly fit the outline of the bronze tortoise, thin and regular. Naturally, the weight is much lighter than the genuine article. Those sand and copper beads were probably used to make up for the weight. Because museums maintain these cultural relics every once in a while, weighing is a necessary procedure. If forgers do not want to be exposed, they must make the weight of the counterfeit exactly the same as the genuine article.”
Elder Liang chimed in, “Yes, if I’m not mistaken, these grains of sand are to prevent the copper beads from rolling and making noise. These copper beads are weights used for precise weighing.”
Meng Zhong and others took careful notes, while Song Rui immediately grasped the key point, “To be able to make the bronze tortoise look so real and to know its weight so precisely, this forger must be a professional who works at the Central Museum, has had frequent contact with the bronze tortoise, and has all its data. This case must be investigated from within the Central Museum.”
Meng Zhong nodded and said, “That’s right, it would be impossible for someone other than an insider to replace the bronze tortoise. Xiao Li, is there a problem with the auction house’s surveillance system?”
Xiao Li, who was engrossed in fiddling with his laptop, immediately said, “Director Meng, these cultural relics were placed directly into the display case by security personnel from the Central Museum, and no one has touched them since, so the problem is definitely not with the auction house.”
Meng Zhong put down his pen and scanned the experts sent by the Central Museum with a scrutinizing gaze. These people had already turned pale and their faces were twitching, as if they were about to have a heart attack at any moment.
However, the matter was not over yet. Standing alone not far away, Fan Jialuo pointed to several display cases and calmly dropped a bombshell, “These are all fake.”
Meng Zhong was so frightened that he dropped his pen. If his eyesight wasn’t off, these cultural relics were all national treasures featured in documentaries, any one of them could represent the wisdom and crystallization of thousands of years of brilliant Chinese civilization, they were priceless, unparalleled, and exquisitely crafted masterpieces! Who the hell would dare to replace these things with counterfeits? Did they think having just one life isn’t enough to be executed?
“Teacher Fan, you’re not seeing things, are you?” Meng Zhong’s voice was trembling.
Deputy Director Liu struggled to his feet, leaning back in his chair, and shouted, “Impossible! These cultural relics absolutely cannot be fake! What do you take our Central Museum for? If we can’t even protect these national treasures, we might as well just close down! We are a national institution, we are the inheritors and protectors of Chinese civilization, we would never do such a heinous thing!”
However, the bronze tortoise had indeed been replaced, so no matter how he tried to justify it, his righteous words lost credibility.
Meng Zhong didn’t even look at him directly, he simply took out his phone and decisively dialed Chief Yan’s number.
Chief Yan has been promoted and has now assembled an army specifically to deal with supernatural beings or extremely serious paranormal events. He originally thought he could finally take a good rest and catch his breath, but before he could even settle into his new position, Meng Zhong reported a major case.
Seven national treasures were secretly replaced with fakes. If the news were to reach the outside world, it would shock the entire nation and tarnish its reputation. Imagine, if a country cannot even protect its own civilization, how can it have any legacy? How can it have a future? How can it maintain national cohesion and pride?
Thinking of the tangible and intangible losses, Chief Yan broke out in a cold sweat.
“Bring these cultural relics back immediately for authentication. I will report the situation to my superiors.” Chief Yan slammed his hand on the table.
Meng Zhong readily agreed, but unexpectedly, Teacher Fan suddenly walked up to him and said in a solemn tone, “Let’s go to the Central Museum first. I suspect that more relics have been replaced.”
Meng Zhong’s phone fell to the ground with a thud.
Deputy Director Liu stammered that it was impossible, then slumped back into his chair, clutching his chest as if overwhelmed by the weight of the situation.
Meng Zhong quickly picked up his phone and reported Teacher Fan’s guess to Chief Yan.
Chief Yan remained silent for a long time before saying, “Have Teacher Fan investigate, investigate each case one by one! This kind of thing absolutely cannot be tolerated! Those are our country’s priceless treasures, the wealth left to us by our ancestors, and no one can take them away!”
“We’ll go investigate right away!” Meng Zhong waved his hand, and all the police officers surrounded Fan Jialuo, leaving in a grand procession.
Although Su Zhenrong’s case involved tens of millions of yuan, it was just a drop in the ocean compared to the museum’s case, and was immediately handed over to another investigation team.
The police arrived at the Central Museum as quickly as possible. As soon as they got out of the car, they saw Chief Yan leading a heavily armed army waiting at the entrance, accompanied by a terrified Director Sun.
Director Sun kept insisting that such a thing was absolutely impossible, even raising his hand to swear a solemn oath. He then summoned all the museum’s staff to the scene to cooperate with the police and military investigation. He knew all too well that if the artifacts pointed out by Fan Jialuo were indeed fakes, let alone the Central Museum being a national-level institution, even if it were a world-class one, they couldn’t bear the responsibility.
Chief Yan completely ignored his explanation and forbade the experts from the Central Museum from touching any more artifacts. Seeing the handsome, exceptionally refined young man step out of the car, he immediately went to him and said solemnly, “Teacher Fan, I have to ask you for help with this case. The higher-ups have given a strict order, investigate to the end and find the national treasure.”
Fan Jialuo frowned, his tone grave, “I have a very ominous feeling. You should prepare yourself for the worst.”
“What do you mean?” Chief Yan’s voice trembled.
“No, nothing. Let’s go in and take a look.” Fan Jialuo’s thin lips parted slightly, but he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of a definitive answer.
Chief Yan felt a pang of unease, and his head suddenly throbbed with pain. If these national treasures couldn’t be recovered, he would be a sinner against the country! But now was not the time to think about that, he should first assess the true magnitude of this case, even though it had already reached a point of widespread outrage.
The group walked with a shaky gait, their hearts filled with anxiety and unease. Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu, in particular, were sweating profusely as they walked, as if they were in a furnace.
Fan Jialuo skipped the other exhibition halls and went straight to the central hall where priceless treasures were stored. He walked along the outermost glass display cases, his hand hovering over each one, sensing their weighty history and ancient atmosphere. Calligraphy, paintings, bamboo slips, gold and silver artifacts, burial objects, he could sense the profound sense of age and rich antiquity emanating from them simply by casually brushing his hand over them.
In just a short time, he had examined more than half of the artifacts in the exhibition hall, but none of them could make him stop and look at them.
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu’s hearts, which had been pounding with anxiety, slowly eased. As long as the case didn’t escalate further, that was the most comforting news for them. Besides, only the bronze tortoise had been confirmed as a fake, the other six had been sent to the laboratory, and no one could say for sure whether they were counterfeit or genuine. What if they were genuine?
It must be genuine! Thinking this way, the two curators looked at each other and felt much better.
However, at this very moment, Fan Jialuo, whose steps were slow but never faltered, suddenly stopped. His unfathomable eyes stared intently at a huge display case in front of him, which contained the sole surviving pair of the Nine Tripod Cauldrons crafted by Yu the Great——The Yong Tripod and The Qing Tripod.
In the early years of the Xia Dynasty, Yu the Great divided the country into nine provinces, appointed governors for each province, and ordered all the skilled craftsmen in the world to jointly cast nine tripod cauldrons. Famous mountains and rivers, scenic spots, and strange objects were engraved on them, representing the unification of the country, the supremacy of imperial power, the mandate of heaven, and the symbol of the Chinese nation.
Just as the saying goes——All lands under heaven belong to the sovereign, and all people across the land are his subjects. From that moment forward, ‘Nine Provinces‘ came to represent the Chinese nation, while ‘Setting the Tripod Cauldrons‘ was established as a specialized term signifying the rise and consolidation of a state power.
The other seven tripods were lost during the changes of dynasties, with only two remaining, the Yong Tripod and the Qing Tripod. It is no exaggeration to say that even if most of the cultural relics from all dynasties were combined and valued together, they would still not match the value of these two tripods, because they are symbols of the Chinese nation’s transition from a barbaric era to a civilized era, and are the source of history.
If they are also replaced……
Director Sun and Deputy Director Liu hurriedly dismissed this terrifying thought, but their wildly beating hearts were tearing at every nerve.
Chief Yan, Meng Zhong, Song Rui, and others were all familiar with this history, so they involuntarily held their breath and stared intently at Fan Jialuo’s back.
Time ticked by, and the hall was so quiet one could hear sweat dripping onto the floor. Finally, Fan Jialuo lowered his raised hand and said, word by word, “They are fake.”
A collective gasp filled the hall, and Director Sun’s legs buckled, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Even the national treasure is counterfeit? How is that possible!
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Leave a Comment
Chapter 245. Counterfeit Cultural Relics
TN:- While translating this chapter, I found out that I’ve missed some texts in previous chapter. I’ve edited it that chapter now. It’s after Fan Jialuo entered the auction house. Please check it. This arc was a bit difficult, so I didn’t do daily posting. I have accumulated the chapters to make it sure I don’t make the same mistake.
Posting 6 chapters today.!!!!
In the auction industry, Qingcheng Chunqiu is a relative newcomer, having worked hard for many years to finally connect with the Central Museum and co-organize this antique auction. Led by the cultural relics department, the antiques collected for this auction are naturally extraordinary. There are seven or eight items priced as high as 50 million yuan, and each one can be considered a priceless treasure.
The painting 《Listening to the Zither Amidst the Sound of Pines》, which was singled out by Fan Jialuo, is one of them. It was painted by Yuan Qingzi, a painting saint of the Song Dynasty. Its brushstrokes are delicate, its style is extraordinary, and its elegance and spirit are clear. Not to mention experts, even ordinary people can easily appreciate its extraordinary artistic conception.
Su Zhenrong went to great lengths to acquire such an item for auction, so he placed it in the most conspicuous place and dispatched many security personnel to patrol the vicinity, keeping a close eye on it.
Therefore, when Fan Jialuo told him to hang the painting elsewhere and even predicted that it might be damaged, Su Zhenrong absolutely refused to believe it. But even the most stubborn man couldn’t withstand Fan Jialuo’s unwavering conviction. Sure enough, not long after the prediction was made, before the heat of the prediction had even dissipated, 《Listening to the Zither Amidst the Sound of Pines》had already met its tragic end.
Upon hearing the staff’s words, Su Zhenrong was momentarily incredulous, and several experts also wore expressions of disbelief, as if asking, are you kidding me?
The staff member’s eyes were red with anxiety, and he said in a trembling voice, “Director Su, please go and take a look first, I’ll explain everything to you on the way.”
“Let’s go!” Su Zhenrong stood up so suddenly that he felt dizzy for a few seconds, his vision blurred, and he almost fell. He grabbed the staff member’s hand and staggered towards the calligraphy and painting hall.
The experts looked at each other and quickly followed suit.
Before the group even stepped into the calligraphy and painting hall, they heard a commotion and the heart-wrenching cries of a child, interspersed with excuses such as, “Don’t go too far,” “We didn’t mean it,” and “The child doesn’t understand.” Once inside, they finally understood the truth, and their heads spun again.
This was a really strange story.
The calligraphy and painting hall arranged by Su Zhenrong was open to all guests attending the auction, allowing them to freely tour and admire their favorite items up close, giving them more confidence when bidding later. This arrangement was very thoughtful, and the security measures were also very thorough.
The trouble lay in the fact that Su Zhenrong had overlooked one crucial detail, guests attending the auction were permitted to bring their families. Consequently, one guest brought along his five-year-old son, once inside the hall, he became so engrossed in the surroundings that he neglected to keep an eye on the child, allowing him to wander unchecked right up to the painting 《Listening to the Zither Amidst the Sound of Pines》
The security guards in the hall were only focused on the adult guests, fearing that suspicious individuals might be mixed in, and were not particularly wary of a small child. Unexpectedly, the child had very good motor skills. At first, he stood at a distance and watched, but suddenly he went crazy and rushed up like a bull, tearing the painting to shreds in a few strokes, and then stomping on it a few times.
Security guards noticed the child’s unusual behavior, but unfortunately they were standing too far away and it was too late to rush over and stop him.
The child’s father, who was invited to the auction, was not a wealthy man who could easily spend tens of millions to buy a painting. He had initially promised to compensate, but upon seeing the price tag on the painting, he immediately changed his mind and was now arguing with the security guards.
Upon entering the hall and seeing the priceless ancient painting torn in two and covered in footprints, Su Zhenrong’s mind went blank. This painting wasn’t the auction house’s property, it had been entrusted to them for auction by an internationally renowned collector. Now that this had happened, they still had to give that collector an explanation.
Compensation cannot solve the problem. The value of this painting was not how much it can be sold, but in that it was the inheritance of Chinese civilization, the condensation of beauty, the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients, and the only unique thing in the world that cannot be copied. If it is destroyed, it will be completely destroyed, no matter how much money it costs, it will not be made up for it.
Su Zhenrong was also someone who cherished calligraphy and paintings. When he saw this scene, tears welled up in his eyes. He remembered that the collector treasured this item even more than he did. At first, the collector was unwilling to consign it, and it was only after he used some means that the collector reluctantly agreed. Now, how could he explain this to the collector?
If this matter blows up, the reputation of Qingcheng Chunqiu Auction House will plummet, and it will probably be difficult for it to gain a foothold in this field in the future.
Su Zhenrong’s mind became increasingly confused. He walked over and pushed away the persistent father and son, shouting in a hoarse voice, “Call the police! Let the police handle this! I don’t care how old your child is or whether he understands anything. You damaged this painting, so you must take responsibility! I’m too lazy to waste words with you. Call the police, and we’ll go to court and sue you directly. Let’s see how the court rules.”
The exhibition hall was full of security cameras, making it very easy to collect evidence. The parent knew they were in the wrong and would definitely lose in court, so they stopped making a scene and just kept pleading for leniency while holding their child.
Su Zhenrong wouldn’t listen to a word. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the painting, and Teacher Fan’s prophecy echoed repeatedly in his mind——Hang this painting in the highest place…… Simply move it as instructed. Should this painting remain unscathed by the end of the auction, I shall never again speak of viewing the bronze tortoise.
If he hadn’t been dismissive or stubborn at the time, and had instead immediately listened to Teacher Fan’s advice and moved the painting to the highest position, wouldn’t this situation be avoided? He had seen Teacher Fan’s prophecies online, one by one, all of which had been verified. It’s just a pity that this didn’t happen to him, he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation and made the same mistake as those fools, ignoring Teacher Fan’s warnings.
The higher-ups will definitely hold him accountable for this, and as the organizer of this event, the best outcome for him is being fired, while the worst outcome will likely be having to pay some compensation. He’s just an ordinary person who worked his way up to where he is today, where will he get so much money for compensation? How will he repay his car loan, mortgage, and children’s tuition fees?
Everything that happens in life is interconnected, often, a sudden storm can lead to a whole host of troubles. The more Su Zhenrong thought about it, the more panicked he became, and the more panicked he became, the more regretful he felt. The man in his forties actually shed tears on the spot.
The security guards, who had failed to protect the ancient painting, also felt apprehensive and uneasy.
The father and son were even more terrified and had huddled together in a corner.
This matter originally had nothing to do with the experts, but their expressions were even more grim than Su Zhenrong’s, simply because Fan Jialuo had said that if the painting could be preserved, he would never mention the bronze tortoise again. Conversely, if the painting was ultimately destroyed, his earlier statement that the bronze tortoise was a fake would most likely be true.
The experts had never believed in superstitions, but since things had already happened right before their eyes without any warning, they had no choice but to believe it.
This is the epitome of accurate prediction. Fan Jialuo isn’t arrogant, he truly possesses exceptional skill!
“Director Liu, what do you think of this matter……” One of the experts said, his face pale.
“Let’s take a closer look at that bronze tortoise, but not now. We’ll talk about it when we get back.” The leading expert was the deputy director of the Central Museum, and if anything went wrong while leading this team, he would be fully responsible. Deep down, he naturally didn’t want to.
“How could something stored in a museum be fake?” He said, emphasizing his point.
The experts understood immediately, nodding in agreement, their initial surprise fading. To absolve themselves of responsibility, they knew that even if the bronze tortoise was fake, they had to portray it as genuine. After all, they were the authorities in this field, possessing knowledge that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend, whether an artifact was real or fake was entirely up to them to decide.
This is the benefit of knowledge monopoly.
With this in mind, their chaotic hearts settled down and became calm.
They were still worried about the bronze tortoise and impatient to listen to Su Zhenrong arguing with the father and son, so they went to the Legacy Hall. There they saw Fan Jialuo standing in front of the glass cabinet containing the ivory seated Buddha, his fair hands pressed against the sides of the cabinet, his eyes lowered as he sensed it.
Song Rui stood aside, carefully observing the seated Buddha, unsure if he could discern anything from it.
Hearing footsteps, Fan Jialuo turned around and said calmly, “This seated Buddha is also fake.”
Several experts: !!!
Fan Jialuo slowly walked to the glass case containing a bronze sword, shook his head and said, “This is fake too.”
“Fake, fake, fake, fake.” He walked slowly along the glass display case, pointing out several cultural relics with his slender fingertips, a human-shaped palace lanterns cast from solid gold, a scroll depicting flying celestial goddesses, famille-rose ‘God of Longevity’ porcelain vase, and a bronze tripod cauldron adorned with mythical beasts. Every single item was a timeless masterpiece, steeped in history and worth a fortune
Several experts practically wanted to grab him by the collar and yell: Are you ever going to stop?!
“We will have these cultural relics appraised by experts after we get back. Teacher Fan, you are not an authority in this field, so we find it hard to believe your one-sided account.” Deputy Director Liu forced an awkward smile.
“There’s no need to take it back for expert evaluation. I’ve already called the police, and they’ll send someone to investigate.” Song Rui waved his phone, his ambiguous smile deeply stinging the eyes of the experts.
“Why didn’t you discuss it with us before calling the police……” Deputy Director Liu roared angrily.
Song Rui casually interrupted him, “Protecting cultural relics is everyone’s responsibility. Given that these artifacts were substituted while in your museum’s custody, allowing your team to conduct the follow-up authentication seems like a major procedural violation, doesn’t it?”
Deputy Director Liu understood that Song Rui suspected them of embezzlement. He was initially annoyed, but then realized that if these artifacts were indeed fake, then they, as experts who had easy access to artifacts on a daily basis, would be the prime suspects and could potentially face serious charges.
Thinking this, his knees buckled, and he almost lost his balance. The other experts were also terrified, their faces turning pale and their hearts filled with apprehension.
“These cultural relics cannot be fake. We conduct a detailed inspection every once in a while and have also kept video and photographic records. You can check the records if you don’t believe me!” Deputy Director Liu shouted as if he had grasped a lifeline.
“Yes, yes, yes, we have surveillance footage in our museum, as well as information files on the artifacts. You can check whether they are real or fake. These artifacts are definitely genuine!” The other experts immediately echoed, their panicked minds gradually calming down.
Ultimately, they still refused to believe Fan Jialuo’s words, even though his reputation outside was already at its zenith.
Song Rui smiled and nodded, saying gently, “The police will investigate thoroughly. We can’t take anyone’s words for granted right now.”
Fan Jialuo had no time to pay attention to these people. He simply walked slowly along the display stand, his pale hand hovering above the glass cases, sensing each exhibit one by one. Every time he stopped to carefully examine an exhibit, the experts’ hearts would pound for a moment, fearing that he would say something shocking again.
Fortunately, he didn’t say anything more before the police arrived.
Meng Zhong hurriedly entered the exhibition hall with several national treasure-level experts, followed by a long line of police officers. Seeing this, Deputy Director Liu broke out in a cold sweat. He had thought the police would at most come to take a look, take some photos, and then contact their museum’s experts for authentication, little did he expect they would actually bring in a titan of expertise.
This shows how much the police valued Fan Jialuo’s words! But this is not surprising, as Ma You’s case has only just ended, and as the biggest contributor, Fan Jialuo’s relationship with the police is at its closest.
Deputy Director Liu hurriedly went to greet them, extending his hand from a distance, and said with great embarrassment, “Elder Liang, Elder Lu, I really didn’t expect the police to bring you two here.”
Two elderly men with gray hair and vigorous spirits casually shook hands with him, and then walked straight to Fan Jialuo, taking turns shaking hands with him and reminiscing warmly.
After listening to a few words, Deputy Director Liu learned that Fan Jialuo had actually participated in the reconstruction of the Ziwei Palace and was a close friend of the two bigwigs despite their age difference.
Seeing the situation growing increasingly unfavorable, Deputy Director Liu was trembling with fear, despite the cold weather, beads of sweat wouldn’t dry on his forehead. The other experts also sensed something was terribly wrong, and their faces showed expressions of alarm.
Unexpectedly, after opening the glass case and carefully examining the bronze tortoise, the two seasoned experts confidently stated, “This artifact is genuine. Teacher Fan, are you perhaps mistaken?”
Deputy Director Liu’s heart skipped a beat, and he almost collapsed to the ground. He quickly steadied the person beside him, a wide grin spreading across his face, a smile that was both smug and triumphant. This was a false police report, their museum could hold Fan Jialuo accountable!
He was about to shout a few words to embarrass Fan Jialuo when he saw the other man put on white gloves, pick up the bronze tortoise, turn it over, bend his knuckles, and forcefully strike the weakest part of its shell.
Elder Liang and Elder Lu were horrified and rushed to stop him, but it was too late. With a crisp clang, Fan Jialuo’s finger struck a hole in the belly of the bronze tortoise. With a slight tilt of his hand, fine sand and a few copper beads flowed out of the hole.
The copper bead fell to the ground and rolled around. Its surface was polished very smoothly and shone like gold. It was obviously a new thing that had been made no more than five years ago.
Song Rui put on gloves, picked up a copper bead, and rubbed a grain of sand between his fingers. He said in a calm tone, “The bronze artifacts of the Western Zhou Dynasty and modern bronze artifacts will have differences in composition. Take these beads to be tested, and the results should be available soon. The composition of the sand can also be tested, and the place of origin is not difficult to find.”
He handed the evidence bag to the forensic technician and instructed them to get the results as soon as possible. But everyone knew that doing so was just to solidify the evidence and wasn’t really necessary. Everyone present knew that a real bronze tortoise couldn’t possibly contain sand inside, the cultural relics bureau had already conducted an X-ray scan when it was unearthed and confirmed that it was semi-solid and semi-hollow.
Without a doubt, the real bronze tortoise has been replaced with a fake!
Deputy Director Liu looked at the yellow sand covering the ground, then at the other artifacts that Fan Jialuo had pointed out were fakes, and felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
Now, things are really getting out of hand!
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
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Chapter 244. Teacher Fan’s Divine Prophecy
Once the seed sprouts, Fan Jialuo’s magnetic field will have no effect on it, instead, it will become fertilizer, causing it to grow stronger and branch out. Ma You’s spatial isolation power will be of great help, firmly imprisoning the wildly growing vines within his dantian. As long as he strengthens it with one layer each day, there shouldn’t be any major problems in the short term.
However, Fan Jialuo had no idea how to remove it.
He stared at the mountain valley where a sliver of golden-red sun was peeking out, watching the thin mist gradually dissipate as the dawn broke. His voice was so faint it seemed it might dissipate at any moment, “Do you know? Ever since I woke up, I’ve been asking myself almost every moment——Fan Jialuo, are you doing the right thing? Is the path you’re taking the path to your destination?”
He paused for a moment, then said, “Only today have I finally confirmed that I am right, and I must continue down this path. As long as I live, this world cannot be handed over to anyone else. It belongs to no one, yet it belongs to everyone.”
At this point, he chuckled softly, rubbing his forehead, “I suppose the pain has made me lightheaded, I can’t even speak clearly anymore. Can you understand what I’m saying?”
Song Rui handed him a pack of disinfectant wipes and instructed, “Your hands are covered in blood, and your face is dirty too.”
Fan Jialuo took the tissue and wiped the blood from his forehead.
Song Rui took off his own coat and handed it over as well, “Patch up the wound on your abdomen.”
Fan Jialuo crumpled his coat into a ball and used it to cover the wound. Both remained entirely calm from start to finish, neither shed a tear nor let out a single groan of pain. This atmosphere rendered the deadly crisis——so grave in itself——seemingly mundane and inconsequential, yet at the same time, it filled them with courage.
Fan Jialuo sniffed the faint sandalwood scent emanating from his coat and, for some reason, felt a little like laughing.
Song Rui glared at him fiercely and warned, “Save your energy and don’t cause trouble.”
Fan Jialuo tilted his head to look at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, his eyes crinkling, his gentle demeanor like that of an innocent young boy. Only in front of Song Rui would he reveal his most authentic and vulnerable side.
Song Rui glanced at him quickly, and for some reason, his nose felt a little sore.
“I understand what you’re saying.” He said in a hoarse voice, “You’re trying to say that this world belongs to everyone, right?”
“Yes.” Fan Jialuo nodded weakly, then his expression turned cold as if he had thought of something, “Yet, there are always those who suffer from a god complex, believing they control the world and are superior to the rest of humanity. If we were to let them run unchecked, ordinary people would have no way to survive. Just now, did you get a clear look at Lin Nianci?”
“I see clearly, she’s back to normal.” Song Rui turned up the air conditioner temperature. Regardless of whether Fan Jialuo needed it or not, he would always subconsciously consider his needs.
“Restoring her shattered life force to what it was moments ago demands a sacrifice of no less than thousands of souls.” Fan Jialuo’s tone grew colder with each word, “Her black hair was soaked in the blood of ordinary people, her teeth held the souls of countless wronged souls, her smooth skin had plundered the vitality of others, and her fortune was enough to sever a region’s land and water, turning it into a wasteland. I don’t know what method she used to restore her original appearance, but I know that the price she had to pay was unimaginable to ordinary people. If there were a few more people like her in the world, ordinary people would lose their space to survive.”
Song Rui pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, “If that’s the case, it means there’s a bloodbath involving thousands of people hidden behind her. With so many people dying in such a short time, it’s impossible for the police not to have noticed at all.”
“You’re right.” Fan Jialuo said, closing his eyes in thought, “She is now not only full of spiritual qi and vitality, but also has incredible luck. Vitality can be plundered from ordinary people, but spiritual qi and luck are not things that can be easily obtained. Otherwise, those people in the Taoist sects would have achieved enlightenment long ago. Her path to gaining faith has been cut off. Where can she find spiritual qi and luck? What is her source?”
After pondering for a long time, Fan Jialuo finally shook his head and sighed, “So many years have passed, and my ShiJie seems to have gained a little more brains.”
Song Rui asked curiously, “What kind of person was she originally?”
“She was well protected by my Shifu. She was innocent, kind, and naive, yet she was also arrogant and ambitious.”
“A naive and kind-hearted ambitious person?” Song Rui chuckled and shook his head, “It’s quite contradictory. Such a person is like a child. Once they are no longer under the supervision of their parents, they will do some mindless things without restraint. Due to their lack of independence and judgment, they can turn good things into bad things.”
Fan Jialuo nodded and said, “As long as Shifu is alive, she will never grow up, nor does she need to. No matter how many troubles she gets into, Shifu will always cover for her.”
At this point, Fan Jialuo clasped his hands together, forming a pyramid shape, and pressed them against his chin, pondering, “Tell me, does my Shifu know that Lin Nianci is Song Enci?”
After a moment’s thought, Song Rui decisively denied it, “He doesn’t know. According to you, since your Shifu cherishes Song Enci so much, he would never leave her out alone and go into seclusion by himself.”
“Is that so?” Fan Jialuo said, lost in thought, then chuckled softly, “I suddenly find myself looking forward to meeting my Shifu.” ——
Fan Jialuo appeared to be badly injured. He returned to the Fan family’s old residence, slept on the dragon’s mouth for one night, and fully recovered the next day.
The vines were contained within his dantian using a small spatial technique, temporarily preventing them from causing trouble. Lin Nianci and her group also left Longyin Temple, hiding in a corner of the capital, not daring to confront him.
After returning to the police station, Song Rui told Meng Zhong about Lin Nianci’s inexplicable return to youth and asked him to investigate whether there were any large-scale missing persons cases in Beijing and its surrounding areas.
Learning from Ma You’s experience, the police station takes missing persons cases very seriously. Previously, a missing person could only be reported after 24 hours, but now a missing person can be reported after 12 hours.
Ma You’s killing spree completely exposed the group of supernatural beings to the public eye. Public opinion could not be suppressed, so it could only be guided. Fortunately, many people had watched 《World of Extraordinary People》 and their ability to accept such supernatural things had increased. Apart from occasionally being suspicious, their lives did not change much.
Song Wennuan’s consulting firm suddenly became incredibly popular, simply because Yuan Zhongzhou and others had also been officially certified and gained public trust. With their assistance, the pressure on the police was greatly reduced.
He issued a notice to police in various regions to assist in the investigation, and within just one hour he received feedback, ultimately confirming that no large-scale missing persons cases had occurred in Beijing and the surrounding areas.
Song Rui immediately sent the information to Fan Jialuo, urging him to consider a different approach.
The Fan family’s old residence has a library, filled with ancient books on metaphysics. For the past few days, Fan Jialuo has been spending his time there, poring over materials, trying to find out why Song Enci was reincarnated as an infant and then grew up again as Lin Nianci.
No matter how innocent Lin Nianci appeared, or how flawless her memories seemed, he always firmly believed in his intuition. It was precisely this intuition that allowed him to navigate life and death to reach where he is today.
These few words, written so simply and directly, convey a meaning that achieving the desired outcome is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Leaving aside everything else, the very first five words are beyond the capabilities of ordinary people: “The convergence of universal energy“——how can someone without even a Tao heart gather the power of heaven and earth?
Fan Jialuo closed the ancient book and visited Abbot Changjing that very day. It is said that Song Enci died in that battle to protect the dragon, and Abbot Changjing was one of the participants in that battle. In order to protect the dragon vein of China from the Yin-Yang Masters sent by the Japanese invaders, the metaphysical society at that time spared no effort and mobilized every last one of their ranks.
He had assumed that the harsh treatment he had inflicted on Lin Nianci would surely result in Abbot Changjing refusing him entry, but to his surprise, the Abbot personally came out to greet him. Abbot Changjing not only described the battle in detail but also engaged him in a lively discussion about Buddhism! As he left Longyin Temple, Fan Jialuo glanced back at the smiling Abbot Changjing, sensing that the Abbot seemed to know something.
In the end, the battle to protect the dragons was a Pyrrhic victory for China. On this vast continent, only seven dragon veins survived, each scattered in a distant place. Fan Jialuo requested a week’s leave for Xu Yiyang and took him to tour the vicinity of the Dragon Vein. Upon their return, his expression was very solemn, and he locked himself in the basement for three days and three nights.
During these three days, no one knew what he had done. Only Xu Yiyang noticed that the black dragon carved in the basement seemed even more lifelike, with its dark eyes radiating divine light at all times, as if it could roar into the sky as soon as it opened its mouth.
Xu Yiyang was afraid of the black dragon, but he would run over to see it every day, and occasionally he would bring the skull and the Minion and stand far away to talk to it.
“What’s the matter?” Fan Jialuo went out into the courtyard to bask in the sun. He seemed to be increasingly fond of the warmth.
“My friend is planning an antique auction and would like to invite you to be the appraiser. You should be able to distinguish between genuine and fake antiques, right?” Meng Zhong wasn’t quite sure about this.
“I can. When and where is the auction?” Fan Jialuo agreed immediately. He always acted on his intuition, and at this moment, his intuition told him that he had to attend this auction.
Overjoyed, Meng Zhong immediately sent his friend’s phone number so he could contact him directly. Two days later, Fan Jialuo and Song Rui arrived at the Qingcheng Chunqiu Auction House, walking hand in hand and met the person in charge, Su Zhenrong, who was also Meng Zhong’s good friend.
Pointing to several glass cases displayed side by side, Su Zhenrong said, “This celadon carved bowl is from the Song Dynasty. The workmanship is exquisite. Look at the luster and the color, doesn’t it resemble a washed sky? This ivory seated Buddha is an antique from the Ming Dynasty. It is said to be a relic of a highly accomplished monk, and it has long been imbued with Buddhist essence, making it quite extraordinary. This bronze tortoise has an even more impressive history. Its exact year is impossible to verify, but experts say it existed at least before the Western Zhou Dynasty and was used by shamans for divination. The inscriptions carved on its back remain undeciphered to this day. And then there’s this gilded bronze pot with eight auspicious symbols……”
What Su Zhenrong said next, Fan Jialuo had no interest in listening. He just stood in front of the glass cabinet containing the bronze tortoise, not moving for a long time, his hands pressed against the left and right sides of the cabinet, concentrating on sensing.
Su Zhenrong’s voice gradually softened, and his tone turned anxious, “Teacher Fan, why are you staring at this bronze tortoise? Is there something wrong with it? That shouldn’t be the case. Our auction house has never handled these artifacts. They were all brought here by people from the Central Museum and locked in a cabinet. Their experts are currently in the front hall helping us appraise antiques. If there’s a problem, they should know.”
“Where are the experts from the Central Museum?” Fan Jialuo immediately asked.
“It’s in the calligraphy and painting exhibition hall up ahead. I’ll take you there.” Su Zhenrong wiped his sweat as he pressed on, “Is there something wrong with that bronze tortoise?”
Su Zhenrong’s heart skipped a beat, and he almost lost his footing. Among the treasures they had borrowed from the museum, the bronze tortoise was undoubtedly the most mysterious and precious. It had been listed as a national first-class protected cultural relic as soon as it was unearthed. If something were to go wrong, they probably wouldn’t be able to afford to lose all the antiques in their auction house.
Su Zhenrong grew increasingly anxious, and his pace quickened considerably. As soon as he entered the hall, he pointed at Fan Jialuo and hurriedly said, “Experts, this is my consultant, Teacher Fan. He wants to take a closer look at that Western Zhou bronze tortoise. Is that alright?”
The leading expert refused without hesitation, “No, that bronze tortoise is a national top-level protected cultural relic. No one can touch it without approval from higher authorities. Isn’t it enough for you to see it through the glass case?”
Fan Jialuo nodded to the experts and calmly said, “What if I said that the bronze tortoise is fake?”
One of the experts stated unequivocally, “The artifacts in our Central Museum cannot be fake. When we took it out this morning, each of us carefully examined it and found no problems. During the transportation process, it never left our sight or the cameras. Moreover, we restore the bronze tortoise every now and then, carefully weigh it, and record every minute change. Even if it has an extra millimeter of rust due to oxidation, we can detect it quickly. It cannot be fake!”
Regardless of their arguments, Fan Jialuo simply repeated his previous request, “May I open the glass case and take a look?”
“Absolutely not.” The leading expert already showed a look of disgust. Seeing Song Rui take out his phone to dial, he couldn’t help but sneer, “Using connections won’t work. I know you. You’re the son of the second branch of the Song family. Your background can’t shake the authority of the Central Museum.”
Fangaluo grasped Dr. Song’s wrist, shook his head slightly at him, and finally pointed to a painting titled 《Listening to the Zither Amidst the Sound of Pines》hanging on the wall saying, “Hang this painting at the very highest point.”
“Why?” Su Zhenrong stood still.
Every painting in this exhibition hall has its own fixed position. If one of them were moved arbitrarily, leaving an empty space on the wall, it would definitely look unsightly. This is the most important auction ever organized by Qingcheng Chunqiu Auction House, so naturally they wanted to make it as perfect as possible.
“Simply move it as instructed. Should this painting remain unscathed by the end of the auction, I shall never again speak of viewing the bronze tortoise.” After saying this, Fan Jialuo went to the auction hall, making no further mention of assisting with the antique appraisal. The experts’ skepticism and disdain were practically written all over their faces, there was no need for him to fawn over them.
Sure enough, after he left with Song Rui by the hand, several experts sneered, “What kind of monsters and demons dare to try and target the Central Museum? Do you think he can just look at a national-level protected cultural relic whenever he wants? President Su, why did you bring this kind of person here? Appraising cultural relics relies on professional knowledge, not some kind of supernatural intuition.”
“Yes, yes, I was worried you guys would be too busy, so I thought I’d find someone to help. How was I supposed to know he’d just glanced at it and said the bronze tortoise is fake?” Better to avoid trouble, Su Zhenrong had calmed down by now and certainly didn’t want Fan Jialuo examining the bronze tortoise on his turf. What if he caused trouble, and the auction house had to take responsibility?
“He said the bronze tortoise is fake after just one glance?” Several experts were indeed angered by his words and rebuked him sharply, “Who is this person? He can joke about a national-level protected cultural relic! Has his fame gotten too big lately and he’s become arrogant?”
“Who knows what he’s thinking. Most people like him are a bit eccentric.” Su Zhenrong tried his best to belittle Fan Jialuo, attempting to gloss over the matter. He now deeply regretted inviting him over, it had really caused too much trouble.
“Move it? Why move it? Just leave it right here! I’ve never heard of an antique being damaged while safely stored at an auction house before, do you take the security guards I’ve hired for dead weight?” Su Zhenrong pointed to the rows of security personnel standing at attention in the lobby, his expression one of utter disdain, then, plastering a smile back onto his face, he escorted the experts toward the appraisal room.
They had barely sat down when a staff member rushed in, panting, and shouted, “Director Su, something terrible has happened! The painting 《Listening to the Zither Amidst the Sound of Pines》 has been torn!”
Su Zhenrong: !!!
Several experts: !!!
QT- I’m Almost Died
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
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