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Gu Jiuque inexplicably found the Western Wing before him somewhat familiar. He lowered his head and glanced at the notebook he had painstakingly filled with notes, only to discover in astonishment that the 3D structural diagram before him was precisely a composite version of the various building structures he had just sketched on paper.

Jade Celestial Pivot had actually taken the initiative to summarize and organize the results of his work, then rendered a 3D model right in front of him? That saved Gu Jiuque the trouble of building a computer model himself.

As Gu Jiuque thought this, another question arose: how could Jade Celestial Pivot use its abilities again?

Faced with Gu Jiuque's confusion, Jade Celestial Pivot remained silent. It did not say a word, leaving Gu Jiuque to figure out every function on his own.

With nothing else to do, Gu Jiuque simply sat on the roof and began reviewing every step he had taken since his rebirth.

First, he had used blood to bind it as his master, activating Jade Celestial Pivot's abilities to identify cultural relics and mount calligraphy and paintings. With Jade Celestial Pivot's help, he had practiced every step of restoring calligraphy and paintings ten thousand times. Then, Jade Celestial Pivot had warned him about the Western Wing catching fire. Afterward, it had proactively activated its X-ray vision and 3D structural diagram abilities, allowing Gu Jiuque to uncover Bai Yuesheng's scheme of using himself as bait. Then came today, when Jade Celestial Pivot suddenly malfunctioned—until he completed ten thousand surveys of the Western Wing—

A thought suddenly struck Gu Jiuque: could the use of Jade Celestial Pivot's abilities be related to the number of times he practiced?

Did he need to accumulate a certain number of practice sessions before he could use more advanced abilities?

Gu Jiuque asked Jade Celestial Pivot from the bottom of his heart, "Do you need charging too?"

Jade Celestial Pivot did not react at all.

But Gu Jiuque was energized, convinced that he had guessed right.

It seemed that if he wanted to keep using Jade Celestial Pivot's abilities, he would have to find more opportunities to restore cultural relics and practice diligently until he met Jade Celestial Pivot's requirement of repeating things ten thousand times at a time. Wanting to reap without sowing and freeload off Jade Celestial Pivot was absolutely impossible!

To verify his guess, Gu Jiuque did not even stop to rest. He climbed onto the main hall again and began surveying and recording the five intact rooms there—

Just as Gu Jiuque was immersed in exploring Jade Celestial Pivot's various abilities, the people sent by the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau to help arrived as well.

Gu Jiuque's gaze paused when he saw the few young people walking at the very back.

He actually recognized every one of them.

Chapter 10

In the original novel, the rise of Bai Yuesheng, that genius antique appraiser, had always been accompanied by the ruthless humiliation of countless cannon-fodder villains. As the beloved, universally adored male lead, Bai Yuesheng attracted the favor of innumerable powerful figures—and the frenzied jealousy of countless cannon-fodder antagonists.

Those who admired Bai Yuesheng were willing to do anything for him, while those who envied and hated him wished he were dead. As Bai Yuesheng climbed toward the pinnacle of his career, they would target him at every turn as though they had gone mad. Then Bai Yuesheng, wielding Jade Celestial Pivot's antique appraisal abilities, would ruthlessly slap them down, while the powerful figures who adored him would take equally ruthless revenge. In the end, their families would be destroyed, their futures ruined, and their fates utterly miserable.

For example, these young cultural relic restoration specialists before him were among the little cannon-fodder characters who, when Bai Yuesheng participated in the Antique Appraisal Tournament in his previous life, had constantly jumped out to question whether he understood the identification and dating of cultural relics at all—only to be relentlessly humiliated by the protagonist, who possessed Jade Celestial Pivot's abilities.

"Hello, classmate," one of them said with a smile after noticing Gu Jiuque's scrutiny. "We're interns from the Jingzhou City Museum. We came to help your family rebuild the Western Wing. I saw you sitting on the roof beam making notes just now. Do you know something about restoring ancient architecture too?"

Gu Jiuque smiled and was about to reply when Gu Eight Blades said, "He's Gu Jiuque, my grandson. You came at just the right time. Let Xiaoque lead you in surveying the ancestral residence."

Grandpa Gu was extremely pleased with Gu Jiuque's performance just now. To give his grandson more comprehensive training, he simply handed Gu Jiuque the task of overseeing the overall operation as well, having him direct the young restoration specialists sent by the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau in conducting a survey of the entire Gu Family Mansion.

As it happened, Gu Jiuque also wanted to take this opportunity to give the Gu Family Ancestral Residence a complete restoration and maintenance overhaul. He also wanted to see whether he could improve its fire prevention and anti-theft measures.

—The bloody lessons of having been burned three times across his two lives still haunted Gu Jiuque. This time, they had been lucky; only the Western Wing had burned down. But what if someone tried to set fire to the Gu family again next time?

Gu Jiuque, who had already died twice in fires, had no intention of dying a third time.

However, the young restoration specialists were dissatisfied with this arrangement. They exchanged looks, hesitated as though they wanted to speak, then all turned to look at the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau leader.

Professor Wen Qichang frowned and could not help saying, "Old Gu! Isn't this decision a little rash? I know Xiaoque is talented, and that you and Old Yue taught him personally. But he's still so young. Isn't it a bit too much to have a child like him lead the surveying work for the entire Gu Family Ancestral Residence?"

After saying that, Wen Qichang added, "I don't mean anything else by it. I'm just afraid it'll waste time. The kids won't learn anything, either."

At that, Gu Eight Blades smiled reservedly and assumed an inscrutable expression. "Whether he can do it or not, you'll know soon enough."

Gu Jiuque did not waste words either. He directed the young restoration specialists: those carrying equipment carried equipment, those carrying ladders carried ladders. Then he made several copies of the restoration plan he had prepared in advance and handed one to each person. "Follow the requirements and steps written here. Everyone, get moving first!"

The restoration specialists looked at one another while holding the plans. In the end, they still followed behind Gu Jiuque, though unwillingly.

Gu Jiuque had restored Gu Residence in his previous life as well. At that time, he had been the only one left in the Gu family, and he had been dragging along a sick, broken body. He could only handle every part of the repairs himself. Though he had stumbled through the process, it had also allowed Gu Jiuque to thoroughly master every technique and procedure involved in restoring the Gu Family Ancestral Residence.

More fortunately, thanks to advances in technology and craftsmanship, Gu Jiuque had not only absorbed the advanced experience of the next ten years while restoring Gu Residence, but had also combined it with the Gu family's inherited techniques, forging his own distinctive technical style. In this life, with Jade Celestial Pivot's abilities assisting him, Gu Jiuque—whose experience was already deeply honed—moved through the surveying process as naturally as a fish in water.