Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 26 Tianji Academy

Located in the western suburbs of Beijing, at the foot of Tianji Mountain.

A magnificent palace is built against the mountain, its glazed tiles shining brightly in the sun; this is the location of the Tianji Academy.

At this moment, carriages and horses lined the mountain gate, with noble sons in brocade robes and martial arts figures exuding an air of refinement arriving in an endless stream.

Lin Chen only brought two people with him today—his fifth sister-in-law Wen Ruoxi, and the female official Qingluan disguised as a maid.

Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng secretly accompanied them, while the Bad Guys dispersed among the crowd.

"Eighth brother, this Tianji Academy... is indeed magnificent," Wen Ruoxi said softly, her eyes filled with undisguised shock.

Lin Chen looked up and saw eight gray-robed disciples standing at the mountain gate, their auras calm and steady, all of them being first-grade disciples.

Several faint, powerful auras could be seen lurking behind the door.

They are at least grandmasters, and there may even be great grandmasters in charge.

As expected of the head of "one academy, two halls, three temples, four gates, and five families," the Tianji Academy, which is in charge of intelligence throughout the world.

"Please show me your invitation." The gatekeeper's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Lin Chen handed over the gold-embossed invitation card—which Wen Ruoxi had "bought" from an outer steward of the Tianji Academy for three thousand taels of silver.

Even though the Tianji Academy is aloof, it still needs to eat.

The disciple, having verified the information, stepped aside to make way.

"Please. The Treasure Appraisal Ceremony is held in the Hall of Ten Thousand Treasures. Please proceed straight along this path."

The three of them stepped into the mountain gate.

The bluestone path winds its way upwards, flanked by ancient trees that reach for the sky, exuding a spiritual aura.

There was a team of disciples on duty every hundred steps, with strict discipline.

"This Heavenly Mystery Academy is even more heavily guarded than the Armory," Qingluan commented softly, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes.

Lin Chen nodded to himself.

The Tianji Academy has been able to control the world's intelligence for hundreds of years, which naturally means it has a solid foundation.

Today's journey requires proceeding with extreme caution.

The area in front of the Wanbao Hall was already bustling with people.

Dozens of sandalwood tables were set up in the square in front of the palace, each with one or more treasures covered with transparent glass.

A number of people had already gathered around the table, pointing and whispering.

"Gentlemen," a clear voice rang out, drowning out all the noise.

On the high platform in front of the hall, an old man in a green robe stood with his hands behind his back. His beard and hair were all white, and his face was slender and refined.

The moment he spoke, the entire square fell silent.

"I am Xuanjizi, an elder of the outer courtyard of the Heavenly Mystery Academy." The old man's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"There are three rules for today's treasure appraisal event:"

First, distinguish between true and false, regardless of ownership.

2. Each person is limited to identifying three items and must state the name, origin, and grade of the treasure.

Third, the final evaluation will be based on a comprehensive assessment of both the quantity and grade of the identification.

The winner will receive one "Heavenly Secret Token" and one low-grade Earth-rank "Mysterious Tortoise Shell".

As soon as he finished speaking, the square erupted in cheers.

Heavenly Decree! Mysterious Tortoise Armor!

The former can be exchanged for information or treasures from the Heavenly Secrets Institute, while the latter is a life-saving artifact—it is said to be able to withstand a full-force attack from a Grandmaster.

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Heavenly Secrets Academy has really gone all out; it seems this treasure appraisal event must have a deeper meaning.

"Let's begin," Xuanjizi said calmly. "The time limit is one hour."

The crowd immediately surged toward the tables.

Lin Chen, however, was in no hurry. He led Wen Ruoxi and Qingluan slowly, silently reciting in his heart:

"Activate the 'Treasure Knowledge' trial card."

This is one of the things he's been checking in these past few days.

"Ding! Skill activated, lasting for three hours."

In an instant, a vast amount of knowledge about treasures flooded his mind, and information about those treasures automatically appeared wherever his eyes fell.

【Crimson Flame Crystal】: A low-grade Xuan-level fire-attribute spirit stone, produced from a volcano in southern Xinjiang. It can be used for refining weapons or cultivating fire-attribute techniques. Genuine item.

[Cold Jade Sword]: A high-grade Yellow Rank weapon, forged from cold jade iron. The blade has flaws, reducing its power by 30%. It is a genuine but flawed item.

[Illusion Mask]: A mid-grade Xuan-level auxiliary treasure that can alter facial appearance and aura for six hours. Authentic.

……

Lin Chen understood.

The treasures displayed by the Heavenly Mystery Academy range from Yellow Rank to Black Rank, with genuine and fake items mixed together, truly testing one's discernment.

However, he didn't rush to make a move, but continued to observe.

In a corner of the square, several young men in fine clothes gathered together. They were Wang Sheng, Cui Ming, the third young master of the Cui family, and several other scions of prominent families.

"Brother Wang, look at that Lin boy, putting on airs," Cui Ming sneered. "What does a spoiled brat know about appraising treasures?"

Wang Sheng sneered: "Let him pretend. He'll embarrass himself later."

Their voices weren't loud, but Lin Chen could hear them clearly.

Wen Ruoxi heard it too and whispered, "Eighth Brother, they..."

"A clown jumping around, no need to pay him any mind," Lin Chen said calmly.

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out:

"Young Master Lin has quite the airs. Does he look down on these treasures, or... is he just pretending to know everything?"

The speaker was a young man in a blue robe, about twenty years old, holding a folding fan. He was Wang Yun, the son of the Minister of Rites—Li Yanran's "new lover".

The surrounding people's eyes immediately focused on them.

Lin Chen glanced at him and smiled:

"So it's Young Master Wang. What's wrong? Miss Li didn't come with you?"

Wang Yun's face darkened: "Lin Chen, stop talking nonsense!"

Today is a treasure appraisal event. If you're capable, show off your expertise; if not, go home and stop embarrassing yourself here!

These words were rather harsh, and a few soft laughs rang out from the surrounding crowd.

Wen Ruoxi angrily said, "Wang Yun, you..."

Lin Chen raised his hand to stop him and slowly walked to a table.

On the table was a small bronze tripod, with three legs and two handles, covered in rust.

"This one," Lin Chen said, "is the 'Three Yang Cauldron,' a mid-grade Xuan-level alchemy furnace, produced by the 'Alchemy King' Sun Si three hundred years ago. It's an authentic piece."

The Heavenly Secrets Institute steward standing by lit up his eyes:

"Young Master Lin has a discerning eye. This cauldron is indeed the Three Yang Cauldron, but how can you be so sure it's genuine?"

Lin Chen pointed to an inconspicuous pattern on the body of the cauldron:

"Dan Wang Sun Si had a habit of engraving the character 'Dan' as a mark in a hidden place on all his works. Look here—"

He gently wiped it with his finger, and the rust peeled off, revealing an ancient-looking character "丹" (Dan).

"Wow—" A gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd.

The steward nodded: "You've proven yourself. Young Master Lin may continue."

Lin Chen moved to the next table. This time it was a black mineral with silver veins on its surface.

"Star Iron, a high-grade Xuan-level refining material, originating from extraterrestrial meteorites. But this one is a fake," Lin Chen said.

"Genuine Star Iron has silver patterns that flow like a galaxy under light. This item has stiff patterns and is an artificial imitation."

The deacon examined it carefully, then took out a bronze mirror to reflect the sunlight, and nodded after a moment:

"Correct. It is indeed a counterfeit."

Both are correct.

Wang Yun's face turned ugly.

Lin Chen turned to him and said, "Young Master Wang, it's your turn. Let me see the discerning eye of the Minister of Rites' family?"

Wang Yun gritted his teeth and walked to a table.

On the table is a jade hairpin.

"This is a 'Jade Hairpin,' a low-grade Xuan-level jewelry piece, which has a calming effect. It's genuine," Wang Yun said, feigning composure.

The steward shook his head: "You're mistaken. This item is called 'Azure Jade Hairpin,' a high-grade Yellow Rank item, and it has no special effects."

Snickers broke out around them.

Wang Yun's face turned bright red. He then examined two more items, one wrong and one right, for a total of only one item correct.

Lin Chen stopped looking at him and walked towards the third treasure.