Back to 2005: Starting with Antique Restoration

Lin Quan was once a leading expert in antique restoration. But after a failed restoration caused irreversible damage to a national treasure, his reputation was ruined, and he fell into despair.

Reborn in 2006, he puts down roots in a museum's collections department and starts learning from scratch.

He preserves damaged paintings, restores ancient masterpieces, and studies two schools of art. He navigates the antique trade, distinguishing the genuine from the fake.

He witnesses the great archaeological discoveries soon to come and does everything he can to undo the lasting damage caused by his past restoration mistakes.

When the Five Oxen Painting, destined to be destroyed in a fire, is restored by his hands, and the shattered gold-and-silver-inlaid bronze rhinoceros vessel is repaired, the whole country is stunned.

Gold and jade may ring out, but brush and ink are silent. On each faded ancient painting, he carries on a cultural legacy spanning a thousand years.

The regrets of his past life must never be repeated in this one.