Qian Guran occasionally came across the news at the time and immediately recalled a past event. Two years ago, there was a themed art exhibition showcasing traditional mysterious culture, with displayed artworks collected from institutions and individuals across the country.
It was a touring exhibition, visiting over a dozen cities in the Eastern Country, with its final stop being in Qi Yuan. At that time, a painting titled "Tan Xian's Walking Stick Painting" caught the attention of the Jianghu Magic Sect.
The Tan the Immortal depicted in the painting was originally named Tan Jun, the founder of the Alchemy Sect from a thousand years ago. According to the signature, the painter was a disciple of Tan Jun, and also an ancient founder of the Alchemy Sect.
Qian Guran also attended the exhibition, visiting the location in the Eastern Country Capital Pingjing to admire this thousand-year-old painting. There he encountered a sorcerer from the Alchemy Sect, jokingly asking if he intended to reclaim the founder's relic.
The other party replied that they had already contacted the collecting unit, but the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts claimed it was national property and a precious artifact, impossible to sell. They had simply sent someone to create a reproduction to take back as a memento and witness.
The dean of the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts, Zhang Yanfei, happened to be a sorcerer from the Micro Realm Sect, providing them a lot of conveniences.
Because of this matter, Qian Guran remembered the name Zhang Yanfei and also remembered the collecting unit, the library of the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts.
When speaking of artifacts, many people first think of museums and private collectors, but actually, many college libraries also possess a large number of artifacts, including ancient books, masterpieces, and documentary art pieces.
Later, while passing by Qi Yuan on some business, Qian Guran happened to see the exhibition again near his hotel and went in for another stroll. Upon seeing the "Tan Xian's Walking Stick Painting," he was dumbfounded.
It was clearly not the original painting he had seen in Pingjing; it had been replaced with a fake. He estimated it was most likely the work of those sorcerers from the Alchemy Sect, but such things could only be done, not spoken about.
Qian Guran complained while viewing the painting, saying that even if doing such a thing, the work should have been done beautifully, but their hands were too crude!
The aging technique was too clumsy; it seemed just wrapped up and soaked in some ginger yellow. Most importantly, the level of imitation was far too poor, wasn't it? Couldn't a painter be hired if an artist wasn't available? And if no painter was available, at least get someone better than just a draftsman!
Was the author someone who makes street propaganda posters, or an artist in some company's art department? Hanging such a fake here, are they afraid others won't notice it's fake?
Not just Qian Guran, at the time, several other exhibition-goers also murmured among themselves, considering this ancient painting neither a masterpiece nor the work of a renowned artist; overall, it was very abstract.
Qian Guran had already identified it as the work of the Alchemy Sect, so he saw through it without exposing it and didn't bother with affairs outside of his own. Two years later, upon suddenly coming across the news again, Qian Guran suddenly realized things weren't so simple, prompting him to inquire about the inside story.
The exposure of Dean Zhang was indeed because of that exhibition and that painting. When showcased in Qi Yuan, several on-site audience members pointed out that it was a clumsy modern replica, practically insulting viewers' appreciation skills!
The exhibition organizers promptly noticed the issue, discovering that the artwork had been switched, and soon reported it to the police, though the case was shrouded in mystery.
This was at an exhibition with strict security measures; there wasn't any opportunity during the daytime showings to tamper with it, and after closing at night, no one should have been able to access the exhibit, with the surveillance yielding no clues.
The organizers insisted that during the opening in Qi Yuan, the original was still authentic. According to recollections from interviewed eyewitnesses, they judged that it was swapped only on the last day before the exhibit ended.
This put the local security contractor in Qi Yuan responsible.
However, the contractor refused to accept this claim. There was no evidence showing any lapses in their security procedures, so they insisted that the artwork originally submitted was a fake.
Such exhibitions are invariably insured, and the insuring company also refused to accept this claim, likewise asserting the artwork was initially fake, or at least couldn't rule out this possibility, advising the police to investigate in this direction as well.
This investigation turned out troubling, revealing that multiple ancient paintings and masterpieces from the Nanhua Academy of Fine Arts Library had been swapped with fakes, thus bringing Dean Zhang to light.
Cracking a major case like this wouldn't be quick, which is why it took two years for the police to issue a public notification.
Dean Zhang protested his innocence, stating to the police that he indeed swapped "Tan Xian's Walking Stick Painting," but the fake spotted by a passerby wasn't his work; it was swapped again, a fake of a fake!
If said out loud, initially in Pingjing the painting Qian Guran saw was Zhang Yanfei's well-done forgery, unnoticed due to skillfulness, but was later swapped again... logically, this was the truth.
Zhang Yanfei's testimony went unaccepted, but whether it was accepted or not didn't affect his conviction by the judge. Many masterpieces swapped at his hand had not yet been recovered, including that "Tan Xian's Walking Stick Painting," which remained lost.
Qian Guran was also a firsthand witness of the case, inquiring into the inside story, yet a question he couldn't understand was how the exhibiting fake had been swapped again?
It was confirmed that the time occurred on Qi Yuan's last exhibition day, but based on the scene, it was inexplicable who and how it was achieved.
This was practically a mystical event! In the end, they could only conclude the reason was the originally sent exhibit was fake. So, the organizers, the contractors, and the insurance company were not liable, while the police cracked a major case.
Upon further reflection, Qian Guran also believed that such a clumsy fake replacement could not have been the work of the Alchemy Sect. An unknown string in his mind was plucked, recalling records related to the Hidden Moth in sect scriptures.
Thus, he continued his investigation, tracing clues of recent Hidden Moth appearances in Qi Yuan, including the Zhou Du incident from twenty years ago.
Through the Zhou Du incident, he naturally placed his focus on He Kao... It appeared fate had guided him; he was inspired to use the switcheroo plan precisely by that substitution incident.
He Kao was unaware of Qian Guran's rich experiences and inner activities; the Beast Claw Pendant he wore on his chest had been swapped a total of six times, completely unbeknownst to him.
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