Hearing Ye Fan’s words, Old Master Jiang understood her intention.
A hint of determination flashed in his deep eyes. "Since that's the case, let's smash it. If this treasure is destined for our Jiang family, we will surely find clues. If not, continuing to guess is just wishful thinking. It's better to shatter it and be done with it, thus extinguishing any lingering thoughts of future generations."
Indeed, he was the helmsman of the Jiang family, having thought so much in such a short time. Even Ye Fan couldn't help but secretly admire him.
"Since that's the case, Zhi Tao, go fetch a glass basin, a large bottle of white vinegar, and a special hammer for antique appraisal."
Jiang Zhi Tao nodded and quickly went to prepare the items himself.
A few minutes later, Jiang Zhi Tao returned with the required items and placed them on the appraisal table.
Ye Fan, wearing white gloves, picked up the appraisal hammer and began to gently tap the porcelain vase.
The so-called appraisal hammer was cone-shaped, with a flat end and a pointed tip, used for tapping porcelain to determine if it had cracks.
Ye Fan tapped with great care each time, from the flat bottom all the way to the mouth of the vase, striking every part.
After more than ten minutes, she had tapped the entire vase.
Then, Ye Fan gently picked up the porcelain vase and placed it in the glass basin.
The glass basin was completely transparent, and through its rim, one could clearly see every subtle change in the porcelain vase.
After placing the vase upright, Ye Fan picked up the appraisal hammer again and began to rhythmically tap the edge of the basin.
"Dong, dong, dong..."
One tap after another, the sound was exceptionally crisp.
This action caused the three members of the Jiang family to frown, their faces filled with confusion.
"Grandfather, what is Brother Ye doing?"
When it came to crucial questions, the Old Master was the main pillar. Jiang Zhi Tao frowned and asked.
However, the Old Master squinted his eyes and fixedly gazed at Ye Fan, watching every movement with extreme seriousness.
After a long while, the Old Master slowly spoke, "It seems he is using the vibration from tapping the glass basin to stimulate the porcelain vase, creating resonance. This is to destroy the internal structure of the vase, and it requires precise control of force. I was fortunate enough to witness it once during the Republic of China era, and I was astonished by the skill. I never expected to see it again in my lifetime."
The Old Master's voice was trembling slightly.
Such divine craftsmanship had long been lost with the development of the antique industry, but he never expected to see it again through Ye Fan.
First, it was the finger-flick tuning, and now it was resonance shattering. Who exactly was this Ye Fan?
As they were talking, a crisp shattering sound was heard.
The porcelain vase broke with a "crash," and all the fragments were neat squares, falling into the glass basin.
Still wearing the white gloves, Ye Fan examined them with a serious expression, picking them up one by one, inspecting them, and finally selecting three shards of porcelain.
After pouring white vinegar, she slowly dripped it onto the porcelain shards. In the next moment, faint traces appeared on the previously smooth and white surface of the shards.
The traces became clearer and clearer, as if by magic.
This time, the three members of the Jiang family widened their eyes in shock, unable to believe what they were seeing for a moment.
"What... what is going on? There really is something wrong with these porcelain shards."
Jiang Bo exclaimed, as all these changes were completely beyond his imagination.
"Hush."
The Old Master reprimanded softly, afraid of disturbing Ye Fan.
More than ten minutes later, when the surface of the shards no longer changed, Ye Fan picked up a pair of tweezers from the side and gently scraped at the shards. Then, one fragment was removed.
The remaining two shards were treated the same way.
These fragments were as thin as cicada wings, yet they were very tough and almost transparent.
They bore faint scale-like marks, and the pattern was drawn on these fragments.
When the three shards were pieced together, the lines connected, forming the shape of a partial map.
Ye Fan slowly straightened up. "The material used for these fragments should be the legendary dragon skin, which is resistant to corrosion and very tough. However, dragon skin is no longer seen. The ancestors of the Jiang family were incredibly ingenious, using the characteristic of dragon skin to fuse with all things and attaching it to the inner wall of the porcelain vase. After prolonged attachment, the two were almost integrated. It could only be removed by diluting it with white vinegar. This method cannot be detected by modern technological means."
Glancing at Jiang Bo, Ye Fan removed her white gloves, sat on a chair behind her, and rested.
The actions just now, though seemingly simple, were actually extremely energy-consuming. Every step required absolute concentration, and even the slightest mistake would lead to complete failure.
If the dragon skin and the porcelain vase were to break simultaneously, it would be extremely difficult to retrieve it.
Old Master Jiang, Jiang Bo, and Jiang Zhi Tao stepped forward simultaneously, carefully examining the pieced-together partial map. Their eyes were burning with excitement, and their emotions grew more agitated.
The rumors that had circulated for decades were finally being realized in their hands today.
"This should be half of the entire map. The other half is in the other two ancient artifacts. In this case, obtaining the complete map can be achieved today."
Jiang Bo's voice trembled with excitement.
This was the treasure left by their ancestors. Once obtained, it would surely make the Jiang family even more glorious.
However, Ye Fan shook her head. "The other two artifacts are different from this porcelain vase. To obtain this map, further careful research is needed, as the way the map is hidden in different artifacts will vary, and the methods of obtaining it will also be different. If we act rashly, we will only damage the map and gain nothing in the end."
It wasn't that Ye Fan was shirking responsibility, but rather stating a fact.
The other two artifacts were a "Clear Sky Jade Exquisite Pagoda" and a handwritten scroll. Discovering where the dragon skin was hidden would not be something that could be accomplished in a day or two.
This required multiple experiments, and the difficulty coefficient was extremely high.
Old Master Jiang nodded heavily. "Young Ye is right. We cannot rush this matter. Besides, we have waited for decades, so a few more days won't matter. Young Ye has just retrieved this half of the map, and her energy has been greatly depleted. Tao'er, quickly order someone to prepare tonics and take Young Ye to rest. We will have a celebration for Young Ye tonight."
The Old Master's words set the tone for this matter. Ye Fan's help would be needed in the future, so it was crucial to build a good relationship with her.
Hearing the Old Master's words, Jiang Zhi Tao's face was filled with joy.
"Brother Ye, I'll take you to rest."
At this moment, Ye Fan was undoubtedly the most honored guest of the Jiang family. Merely being able to help the Jiang family find the treasure was enough to warrant the entire Jiang family treating her as a distinguished guest.
Leaving with Jiang Zhi Tao, only Old Master Jiang and Jiang Bo remained in the study.
"Father, how should we deal with this Ye Fan? If we detain him, won't it greatly benefit our Jiang family in the future?"
As he said this, a glint of excitement appeared in Jiang Bo's eyes...