He looked at the third item.
It was a seal.
A seal carved from jade.
[Item name]: Mutton-Fat White Jade Seal [Item grade]: None [Item ability]: None [Item description]: Exquisite jade with a history of 1,083 years.
"What the heck!"
"Isn't this just an ordinary seal?"
"Did Dad get it wrong?"
Holding the seal, he asked outright, "Dad, is this Mutton-Fat White Jade Seal a divine artifact too?"
"Yes!"
Gu Sihai nodded.
"But..."
Gu Cheng wanted to say that the Mutton-Fat White Jade Seal was just an ordinary antique, but he had no idea how to explain it.
I can't exactly say I can see their attribute information, can I?
"Huh?"
Gu Cheng realized he seemed to have overlooked something.
He had an innate supernatural ability that let him see antiques' attributes directly.
But how did other people tell them apart?
Xie Yuchen had shown off his skill today, immediately recognizing that everything in his shop was an ordinary antique.
He had also recognized the Pixiu as a divine artifact.
How did his dad tell the difference?
With that thought, he asked outright.
Gu Sihai smiled. "I was just wondering how long it would take you to ask me that, kid."
"Looks like you finally thought of it."
Gu Cheng grinned. "Even if I didn't ask, wouldn't you have to tell me anyway, Dad?"
Gu Sihai rolled his eyes at him, then said, "People have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and perception."
"They're also called vision, hearing, taste, touch, and intuition!"
"Most people's five senses are unremarkable, but a small number have exceptionally keen senses. The legendary Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Listening Ear, for instance, were people whose sight and hearing had developed to their utmost limits."
"To identify divine artifacts, you need someone with an exceptionally keen fifth sense-intuition."
"There's no difference between divine artifacts and ordinary antiques in outward appearance."
"But because of their incredible, miraculous effects, divine artifacts possess a special magnetic field. People with keen intuition can sense that field and distinguish divine artifacts from ordinary objects."
Gu Cheng was a little dumbfounded.
By intuition?
Why does that sound so unreliable?
"You mean Xie Yuchen has an exceptionally keen fifth sense, and that's how he realized so quickly that everything in our shop was an ordinary antique?"
"Yes."
"Is it accurate? Could he make a mistake?"
"Of course. After all, it's ultimately just intuition, and intuition is something you can't clearly explain or define. Any environmental factor could affect it."
Gu Cheng nodded, then thought of another question.
"Then how do you find out a divine artifact's attributes? I mean, what it does?"
At that question...
Gu Sihai shook his head.
"No one can know that. Just determining whether a divine artifact is genuine is already extremely difficult. As for what it does, you can only study it slowly and experiment using all sorts of methods."
He pointed at the five divine artifacts in front of him and said, "I've studied these five things for years without figuring out how to use them. That should tell you just how difficult it is."
Hearing this, Gu Cheng was instantly overwhelmed with delight.
So my innate supernatural ability is actually that freaking amazing?!
Not only could he determine whether a divine artifact was genuine, but he could also see its attributes and effects at a glance.
"Studying divine artifacts requires vast knowledge and patience. You have to devise experiments based on their appearance, history, cultural background, unofficial accounts, legends, and all sorts of other aspects."
"Take this Guanyin statue, for example."
Gu Sihai pointed at her.
"There are countless legends about Guanyin in this world. She's also called Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Deliverer from Suffering and Distress. People shape her image according to their needs and expectations of her."
"This Guanyin statue doesn't have the usual appearance, holding a pure-water vase and a willow branch."
"Instead, she's holding a baby in her arms."
"She's very likely the Child-Giving Guanyin."
"But to this day, I still haven't worked out how to use her."
Gu Cheng looked at his dad in surprise.
He actually knows his stuff.
Looking at the Mutton-Fat White Jade Seal, he suddenly asked, "What if it isn't a divine artifact? Wouldn't all your experiments be a waste of effort?"
Gu Sihai sighed. "What you're describing is quite common too. Plenty of people study a divine artifact for decades, only to discover in the end that it's just an ordinary antique."
"In fact, studying divine artifacts is very much like studying collectible curios and antiques."
"Both require extensive knowledge, a discerning eye, and unwavering patience."
"Divine artifacts just demand more."
"Every divine artifact is like a puzzle waiting for us to solve. Although the process is arduous, when you finally solve the puzzle, the sense of accomplishment is immensely satisfying. It delights both body and mind!"
Gu Cheng watched his dad narrow his eyes, looking utterly content, as though savoring some memory.
A shudder ran through him.
That expression was far too sleazy.
Then he felt secretly pleased with himself.
The process of solving it is arduous?
Cracking the puzzle gives you an immense sense of accomplishment?
That's because you've never experienced an open-book exam.
If you could see the answer outright...
Wouldn't that feel even better?!
After some thought, he decided to give his dad a hand.
"Dad, I read an unofficial historical account about a lay Buddhist named Bian Yuezhi during the Liu Song Dynasty. He was fifty and had no children. Even after taking a concubine, she hadn't become pregnant for several years, so he prayed to the Bodhisattva for a child and vowed to recite the Guanyin Sutra a thousand times. From then on, he recited it every day. Just before he reached a thousand recitations, his concubine became pregnant, and soon afterward, she gave birth to a son."
"Why don't you give it a try?"
"Offer her incense and sincerely recite the sutra a full thousand times. Who knows? Your wish to have a second child might come true."
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