Private Museum

The thunderous crash sent the entire estate into chaos. Mistaking it for an earthquake, people stampeded out of buildings seeking safety. Among them was a portly, big-eared middle-aged man—presumably Yang Tiansheng—who emerged from the main hall flanked by five bodyguards, breathing heavily but maintaining composure.

The steward accompanying Huo Xuan paled upon hearing his earpiece report. "Nonsense! What earthquake? Stay calm and protect the master!" Without another word to the guests, he sprinted back, leaving Professor Guo and the others exchanging bewildered glances before all eyes locked onto Huo Xuan.

Seeing his goal achieved, Huo Xuan shut off the rammer and waved the group back. Liu Ziguang and Liu Ling wore expressions of dawning realization—had he caused that?

Professor Guo, connecting the dots during their walk back, murmured, "Resonance?"

Huo Xuan grinned. The professor's sharp.

Yet Guo remained puzzled: How did he know the pillar's exact frequency? Coincidence?

Approaching the villa, they found Yang Tiansheng glowering at the damaged entrance. Liu Ziguang boomed jovially, "Tiansheng! If not for the 'earthquake,' would you still be hiding?"

Yang's face instantly morphed into a warm smile as he clasped Liu's hands. "Ziguang! When did you arrive? You should've notified me! No matter how busy, I'd have dropped everything!"

Liu, who'd clearly informed Yang beforehand, simply smiled. "No formalities among friends."

Yang then berated the steward: "Steel! How dare you neglect to announce Ziguang?"

The steward bowed deeply. "You were occupied, Master. I await punishment."

"Enough," Liu interceded. "No harm done."

After a few more theatrical scoldings, Yang eyed Huo Xuan and Professor Guo. "And these gentlemen?"

"Mr. Zhang and Professor Guo—auction house experts here to authenticate Ten Thousand Rivers and Mountains for the upcoming sale," Liu said smoothly.

A cold glint flickered in Yang's eyes before he laughed. "Ziguang! After all these years, you still distrust me? Worried I'd swap your painting?"

"Nonsense!" Liu chuckled. "They're here to expedite the auction process."

Yang dropped the subject with a smirk. "You could've just called. I'd have delivered it."

Their honeyed words and daggered smiles reminded Huo Xuan of the proverb "mouths of sugar, hearts of swords"—deepening his respect for Liu's political finesse.

Soon, Yang ushered them to another parlor where attendants unfurled the 30-foot scroll, its towering mountains and rushing rivers radiating majestic energy. Even without expertise, Huo Xuan sensed its authenticity.

Professor Guo examined it intently. "Genuine. Only Master Wu could achieve such depth and ink-wash mastery."

Liu beamed. "Tiansheng, I'm strapped for cash—hence auctioning this."

"You should've asked! Three to five billion is trivial!" Yang protested.

"Your business needs funds more," Liu said with faux sincerity.

Suddenly, Yang proposed: "Since you're appraisal experts, would you honor me by evaluating my collection?"

Professor Guo glanced at Huo Xuan, who nodded. "An educational privilege. Thank you."

Yang led them to his ultra-secure private museum

Outer layer: High-tech walls with cipher locks

Middle layer: Infrared grids triggering instant lockdowns

Inner layer: Ten hulking guards rotating shifts 24/7

After navigating the stringent security, Huo Xuan entered the 400-500 square meter treasure vault, divided into specialized sections—porcelain, jade, bronzes, and more.

The moment he stepped inside, his X-ray vision surged, bombarding him with a kaleidoscope of ancient and modern auras. He stood immersed in layers of cultural history, each artifact whispering its provenance.

Professor Guo's eyes widened as he gasped repeatedly:

"Ge Kiln porcelain—such craftsmanship is rare!"

"A Tang Bohu painting? Incredible!"

Even Liu Ziguang and Liu Ling were awed. This collection must be worth billions if liquidated.

Huo Xuan moved swiftly, his gaze instantly discerning authenticity—a skill even veteran connoisseurs could only approximate in their twilight years, let alone master with his supernatural precision.

Within thirty minutes, he'd scanned the entire museum: 50% genuine, 50% masterful forgeries designed to deceive.

Meanwhile, Professor Guo's group had scrutinized less than 10%, still meticulously analyzing each piece.

Noticing Huo Xuan's haste, Yang Tiansheng assumed he was just Professor Guo's clueless assistant. Smirking, he approached: "Young man, what do you think of my collection?"

Huo Xuan, absorbed in examining a bronze Guanyin statue, replied absently: "Not bad. Half are real."

Yang's face froze. "What did you say?"

A lifelong collector with a sharp eye himself, Yang had invited countless experts to appraise these items—all concluding roughly 50% authenticity, a ratio he prided himself on.

In today's reckless collecting scene, most amateurs are lucky if a few items per hundred are genuine. Countless fools have squandered fortunes on rooms full of fakes.

Ignoring Yang's reaction, Huo Xuan studied the Guanyin statue pensively. The bronze figure, draped in celestial robes and standing on a lotus leaf with crossed hands, exuded an ethereal grace.

With his X-ray Vision, he detected a faint Golden Light halo behind the statue—the very thing that had drawn his attention. Suddenly, a beam of Golden Light shot from his left eye, merging with the halo before retracting back into his pupil. A wave of warmth flooded his body, drawing a long, satisfied sigh from his lips.

Noticing Huo Xuan's trance, Yang coughed. "This is the Non-Dual form among Guanyin's thirty-three manifestations. Did you notice something?"

Huo Xuan snapped back to reality. That Golden Light was absorbed by my left eye—what does it mean?

Aloud, he said, "So it's the Non-Dual Guanyin."

Yang pressed, "Earlier, you claimed only half my collection is genuine?"

Huo Xuan recalled his offhand remark. If I say I saw it, he'll never believe me. "I randomly sampled a dozen items and found half authentic—thus extrapolated the ratio."

Yang reassessed Huo Xuan with newfound respect. "Ha! Seems my connoisseurship falls short, acquiring so many fakes."

"Your 50% is already exceptional," Huo Xuan said.

After over an hour in the museum, Yang invited them to stay for dinner, but Liu Ziguang declined, citing urgent matters. Before parting, Yang secured Huo Xuan's contact, insisting on future collaboration.

Huo Xuan understood—Yang now saw him as an expert to exploit. He played along, having spotted several counterfeits that were actually genuine treasures in disguise. Today wasn't the time to act, but he'd return for them—pieces rivaling the Xuande-era bronze censer in value.

Once outside, Liu Ziguang said, "Without you all, I might've gotten a forgery today."

"How so?" Huo Xuan asked.

Liu sneered. "Among those fleeing the 'earthquake,' I recognized two renowned painters—also masters of forgery. Their timing? Too convenient."

Professor Guo nodded. "I thought I glimpsed them. Now I'm certain."

Huo Xuan shook his head. "Yang Tiansheng truly has no bottom line."