Did the stone tablet really contain a treasure?
The entire room froze in shock.
Then, all eyes widened, fixated on the stage.
From the shattered Seven Kills Tablet emerged a ring-handled knife adorned with dragon and sparrow carvings.
The blade, unsheathed, gleamed under the lights, its surface reflecting like a mirror.
The overwhelming killing aura emanated from this very knife.
One of Zhang’s lackeys said, “Young Master Zhang, there’s a treasure in the tablet, it’s a knife.”
“Do I look blind to you? Need you to point it out?” Zhang snapped, his face darkening.
He hadn’t expected Ye Qiu to actually uncover a treasure.
And it looked extraordinary.
Ye Qiu grasped the hilt, instantly feeling a chilling killing aura seep into his palm, trying to pierce his skin.
He silently channeled his inner energy, blocking it out.
Then, he examined it closely.
The knife measured three feet nine inches, its design ornate and commanding. The mirror-like blade radiated a cold, foreboding aura, evoking the desolation of late autumn, steeped in murderous intent.
Ye Qiu flicked a finger against the blade.
“Clang—”
A sound like a tiger’s roar.
What a knife!
His eyes lit up, sensing it might be a divine weapon.
Just then, his gaze caught the spine of the blade.
A long string of ancient seal script was etched there.
As Ye Qiu prepared to decipher it, several old men rushed onto the stage.
“Young man, can we take a look at that knife?”
The old men gazed at him eagerly.
“No.”
Their faces turned awkward.
“This knife’s sharp, I’m worried it might hurt you, so I’ll hold it for you to see,” Ye Qiu explained.
His real concern was the intense killing aura—if it seeped into these old men, they’d be done for.
“Alright, thank you.”
The old men pulled out reading glasses and magnifying glasses, hunching over to inspect the blade.
Soon, their attention locked onto the inscription.
“Old Chu, you’re an expert in ancient scripts, what does it say?”
Urged by the others, a white-bearded old man studied it closely.
Thirty seconds later.
“Ah—”
He let out a startled cry.
“What’s wrong, Old Chu?” someone asked.
His lips trembled with excitement. “Do you know what the inscription says?”
“What?”
“It reads: ‘Ancient weapon of renown, Wu and Chu’s Zhanlu, Great Xia’s Dragon Sparrow, famed in the divine capital, it can reach afar, it can soothe the near, like wind bending grass, its might subdues the nine regions, treasured through generations.’”
Instantly, the other old men were struck with awe.
“Good heavens, this is the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow!”
“What, the legendary Great Xia Dragon Sparrow?”
“How did it end up in the Seven Kills Tablet?”
Old Chu said, “I don’t know why it’s in the tablet, but I’m certain this is the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow.”
Hiss—
A collective gasp rose from the crowd below.
Zhang sneered, “Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, what’s that? Worth much?”
His lackeys shook their heads.
“Can’t you look it up, idiots?” Zhang barked.
They scrambled for their phones, searching.
“Young Master Zhang, I found it, the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow is a knife.”
Smack!
Zhang slapped the lackey’s forehead. “You think I’m blind? I can see it’s a knife!”
“I’m asking about its history!”
“Is it valuable?”
The lackey dug deeper. “Young Master Zhang, got it.”
“Spit it out.”
“The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, an ancient knife, forged by King Helian Bobo of the Xia state during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.”
“Legend says it’s exquisitely crafted, with a large ring at the base shaped like a coiled dragon, its head resembling a bird.”
“Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei wrote in his ‘Commentary on the Waterways Classic’: ‘He also forged five weapons, sharp and refined, tempered a hundred times into a dragon-sparrow ring, named Great Xia Dragon Sparrow. Its spine bears the inscription: Ancient weapon of renown, Wu and Chu’s Zhanlu, Great Xia Dragon Sparrow.’”
“Su Shi wrote in a poem: ‘The treasure knife’s case is gone, only the dragon-sparrow ring remains…’”
“Enough, enough,” Zhang cut him off impatiently. “Skip the fluff, just tell me if it’s worth money!”
“Uh… I couldn’t find that.”
“Me neither.”
“Young Master Zhang, ask Old Chu, he’s a collector, he’d know its value.”
“Useless bunch, can’t even find basic info, trash!”
Zhang cursed them, then shouted to the white-bearded man on stage, “Old Chu, is the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow valuable?”
Valuable?
The word hushed the bustling hall in an instant.
Not just Old Chu, but everyone turned to Zhang, eyes locked on him.
Was this guy a complete fool to ask something so dumb?
Unaware of their thoughts, Zhang ran a hand through his hair, striking what he thought was a cool pose. “Why’s everyone staring at me?”
“Never seen someone this handsome? Hahaha…”
“Old Chu, you haven’t answered, is it valuable?”
Old Chu’s mouth twitched. If not for Zhang’s status, he’d have slapped him and snapped, Ignorant fool!
“It’s valuable,” Old Chu said flatly.
Zhang’s face fell slightly. “How much?”
How much?
Everyone shot Zhang another look, as if he were an idiot.
Old Chu didn’t answer directly, instead asking, “Young Master Zhang, you know the Sword of King Goujian of Yue, right?”
Zhang nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen it in a museum.”
“Then you know its value?”
“It’s a national treasure, priceless.”
Old Chu nodded. “I can’t pin an exact price on the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, but its value isn’t less than the Sword of King Goujian.”
What!
Zhang was floored.
The other old men on stage chimed in, “Old Chu’s right, it’s one of the ten legendary knives, worth a fortune.”
“A rarity like this can only be called a peerless treasure.”
“If you must put a price on it, it’s at least four or five hundred million, maybe more.”
Peerless treasure!
Four or five hundred million!
Zhang’s face turned stormy.
He’d never imagined Ye Qiu would not only find a treasure but a peerless one at that.
Then Ye Qiu’s voice rang out:
“Young Master Zhang, remember our bet? Eat the tablet!”
