There was no water inside the teapot. Yet, the inner wall and the bottom of the teapot had a thick layer of patina. 

How could a clay item have rust and patina? Isn’t this a purple clay teapot? 

With this thought, I brought the teapot to my ear and gently knocked on it. I heard the clear sound created by a bronze item rather than the dull sound of a clay item. 

This teapot wasn’t made of purple clay. It was a bronze teapot that had a coating of purple clay. This made things more complicated. 

Clay teapots first appeared in the Ming Dynasty, so I needed to know if this teapot was dated before or after the Ming Dynasty. It was the key to find the original owner of the teapot. 

Lu Ming was a tea tycoon, so he must have studied teapots. I was certain that he knew this teapot was an antique. However, a few days ago, when I asked him if he had kept an antique in his house, he denied it. 

Is Lu Ming part of the problem? 

With that thought, I turned to see Lu Ming, who was lying on the floor. I was amazed to...