Chapter 31

Mr. Li withdrew his hand, stroked his beard, and took another sip of tea before slowly saying, "If my feeling is correct, this calligraphy should have a hidden layer!"

"A hidden layer?" Zhang Tianyuan asked in surprise. He then remembered that when he first obtained the "Shangyangtai Post," it was already broken into several pieces. At that time, he was so focused on using the technique to repair it that he didn't pay attention to any hidden layer.

But that doesn't make sense. If there really was a hidden layer, it should have been visible when it was broken. If Zhang Tianyuan's eyes weren't blind, he wouldn't have missed it.

He then asked, "Mr. Li, it's not that I don't trust you, but when I first got this post, it was already broken into pieces. Later, I had an expert repair it. If there was a hidden layer, it would have been impossible to miss it."

Mr. Li shook his head and said, "Hidden layers can be either dead or alive. If it's an alive hidden layer, any damage would reveal it. But if it's a dead hidden layer, even if you tear the post into pieces, you won't find it. The only way is to scrape off the top layer of the calligraphy using a special method!"

"Scrape it off! Mr. Li, are you joking? Even if it's not worth much, it's still worth nearly 100,000. You want us to scrape it off just like that?" Xu Gang was the first to react, standing up and speaking.

"Yes, Mr. Li, the risk is too great. After all, this is Mr. Qi Gong's calligraphy. It would be a pity to destroy it," Mr. Dong also said.

Mr. Li smiled and said, "I'm just saying that there might be a hidden layer. Whether to scrape it off or not is up to you, Tianyuan. After all, you bought it."

"Why so much fuss? How about you sell it to me for 100,000, and I'll scrape it off," Jia Zhengjing interjected.

For him, this was a great opportunity to show off. After all, money has its advantages; he could care less about a 100,000 yuan item.

"No need for you to worry, Mr. Jia," Zhang Tianyuan suddenly smiled and said, "Scrape it off. This is my decision. If it's damaged, the experts don't need to take responsibility."

"Tianyuan, are you crazy? 100,000 yuan, 100,000 yuan! If your parents find out you're wasting money like this, they'll beat you to death," Xu Gang shouted in alarm.

Zhang Tianyuan smiled and said, "Gangzi, do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, but... forget it, do as you please. I trust you. If we lose money, we'll share the loss. After all, we only spent a few thousand to buy this thing, and I can afford the loss!" Xu Gang gritted his teeth and finally stopped opposing.

At this moment, Jia Zhengjing said sarcastically, "Zhang Tianyuan, think carefully. 100,000 yuan, a 100,000 yuan item. Even if you scrape off the hidden layer, what if there's nothing inside? Or if there is, it's just something trivial? Why not sell it to me? 100,000 yuan can't buy a loss or a deception!"

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Jia, but it's not necessary! As a collector, curiosity is the strongest. Although it might be disrespectful to destroy Mr. Qi Gong's calligraphy, if it's for the secret he left behind, I believe he wouldn't blame us," Zhang Tianyuan smiled at Jia Zhengjing.

Why was he so resolute?

Because he had already seen through the post using the technique and confirmed that there was something inside, though it was blurry and indistinct, it seemed to be a map. If his guess was correct, it might even be a treasure map.

Even if it turned out to be nothing, it was his decision. After all, in the world of collecting, there are both gains and losses, and he wouldn't be too concerned.

"Little friend Tianyuan, have you really decided?" Mr. Li asked, "If you have, I can have my disciple help you scrape off the calligraphy. One of my disciples is an expert in this field and is here at Baiyi Workshop today, sitting on the second floor."

"I've decided. Mr. Li, go ahead. If you don't trust me, we can sign a contract!" Zhang Tianyuan said.

"Haha, no need for that. I trust you! Even if you deny it later, it's just 100,000 yuan, which means nothing to me," Mr. Li laughed heartily.

"Then let's start," Zhang Tianyuan was eager to know what was inside the hidden layer, and he had already put the 100,000 yuan out of his mind. After all, he had just received four million yesterday, so 100,000 yuan wasn't much to him.

Mr. Li didn't hesitate and called his disciple from the second floor. Then, Mr. Murong arranged a private room, allowing only Mr. Li's disciple and Zhang Tianyuan to enter. After all, no one knew what was inside the hidden layer, and these experts knew the rules. If it was a treasure map, they would respect the rules and not look.

Scraping off the top layer of the calligraphy took over an hour, even though there weren't many characters. Otherwise, the work would have been even more tedious.

When the hidden layer appeared, Mr. Li's disciple had already turned away and left, leaving Zhang Tianyuan alone in the room.

It was indeed a map, more specifically, a treasure map. The treasure was located in Nandu City, where Zhang Tianyuan had once studied. It was a place he had visited and was very familiar with—a small Taoist temple on a mountain. The temple was not well-known, and the road leading to it was not well-maintained, making it difficult to reach. There were only three Taoists in the temple, and Zhang Tianyuan and his classmates had stayed there once, just for the peace and quiet. He never imagined that this would lead to such a connection.

Buddhism emphasizes karma, and Taoism also values good fortune and cause and effect. Perhaps the few days Zhang Tianyuan spent at the temple were the cause, and now obtaining this map was the effect.

Zhang Tianyuan didn't know what the map indicated, and there were no markings on it, but the place was marked with a red dot, indicating that it was not something trivial.

He carefully folded the map and returned to the original room, his face expressionless, showing no joy or sorrow. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

In fact, he was trying hard to suppress his excitement. He was planning to go to Yunnan next month, and visiting Nandu would be a convenient detour. He would definitely go to the temple to see what the map indicated.

If it was a treasure, he would be rich. If not, it would surely be an unfulfilled wish of Mr. Qi Gong. Helping him complete it would also be a way to accumulate good fortune.

"It's a map!" Zhang Tianyuan said without waiting for anyone to ask.

Hearing it was a map, the four experts lowered their heads in deep thought. Xu Gang looked disappointed and regretful, while Mu Ying seemed helpless. Liu Mengxun, however, looked pleased. It was true that archaeologists loved adventure, and the map had clearly piqued Liu Mengxun's curiosity.

The most annoying person was Jia Zhengjing, who laughed and pointed at Zhang Tianyuan, saying, "Hahaha, you fool, I told you it wasn't necessary to scrape it off. You could have sold it to me, and I would have done it. 100,000 yuan means nothing to me, but it's different for you. Look at your friend's pained expression, hahaha, it's hilarious!"

He was still laughing when Mr. Li suddenly slammed his cane on the table and shouted, "Quiet! You're being too noisy!"

Jia Zhengjing was startled and quickly shut up, but he was quite unhappy and secretly cursed Mr. Li for being meddlesome.

However, Mr. Li didn't have the mood to argue with him and looked at Zhang Tianyuan, saying, "Little friend Tianyuan, would you sell me the map for one million yuan?"