Chapter 001: The Mysterious Sword

Wang Jingyao merely glanced at it and immediately scoffed, saying: "Even the replicas from the late Qing Dynasty are being used to fool people. At most, this is worth a thousand yuan. Boss, bring out something genuine for us to see."

Wang Jingyao examined the knife with great affection, and suddenly noticed that both sides of the blade were engraved with a few small characters. Upon careful inspection, he discovered that the front side contained a total of sixteen characters:

"Boss, do you have any good items?" Wang Jingyao asked as he arrived in front of an antique shop that looked quite decent.

As soon as he closed the window and turned around, he was immediately taken aback; the captain had vanished. The boss scratched his head, unsure of what had happened, as there was no place in this room, nor any books or maps, that could allow a guest to escape.

He glanced down the blade and discovered two characters at the very bottom: "Bo Cheng." It seems that this is the name of the original owner of this treasured sword

Wang Jingyao casually took the Tang knife from his boss's hand and forcefully drew the blade out.

This damned weather changes without warning, please wait a moment while I close the window. The boss said as he walked to the window, and just as he closed it, the room suddenly brightened for a moment before returning to calm.

On a certain day in a certain month of 2007, in an inland city of China

Good knife!" Wang Jingyao shouted loudly, and this knife instantly captivated his soul

Upon entering the inner chamber, the boss opened a cabinet and carefully retrieved a long box from within. After cautiously opening it, a Tang sword was revealed inside.

Wang Jingyao became interested, although he only had a few hundred yuan with him, which was definitely not enough to buy genuine goods. However, the boss's mysterious demeanor piqued his curiosity greatly. Wang Jingyao feigned indifference and said, "No matter what it is, you have to show it to me first before we can discuss the price, right"

... ...

"A hundred battles, a hundred victories, only I, China!" Wang Jingyao seemed to be in a trance, repeatedly reciting these words: "Whose knife is this wwwhetushucomcom, that possesses such a grand momentum!"

The boss discerned the lieutenant's intention and, with a forced smile, said: "Regardless of how many years this knife has been around, please take it out and have a look."

The boss, seeing the business thriving, was so pleased that he had not yet spoken. Suddenly, a series of thunderclaps echoed from the sky, followed by a flurry of lightning, as if it were about to burst into the room.

"Yes, yes, what you say is reasonable. Please come in," the boss nodded and bowed as he let the captain into the inner room

The sword is named Iron Blood, showcasing my determination; a hundred battles, a hundred victories, only I am China

Boss, I want this knife! Wang Jingyao said without considering how much money he had on him. The moment he saw this knife, he fell deeply in love with it, and he decided to obtain this treasured blade at any cost

The seasoned boss, accustomed to the storms of life, smiled and said to the captain: "You are an expert; I cannot deceive you. To be honest, who would want to put genuine goods on the counter? However, you have come at just the right time today, as I happened to acquire something good yesterday, though the price might frighten you."

The plump boss, lying on a bamboo chair, hurriedly stood up, his face beaming with a smile as he took a Qingci bowl: "Look, this is a genuine Hongzhou kiln Qingci bowl. I'm not just boasting; you won't find a second bowl of such quality anywhere else in all of China."

A captain from a special forces unit in China, having just been released from confinement, the young officer Wang Jingyao, at the age of only twenty-two, was wandering aimlessly in the largest antique market in the city during his break. He had no particular purpose for being there; he was simply passing the time out of boredom

As soon as the sword was drawn from its sheath, the chilling aura emanating from the blade made Wang Jingyao sneeze. He looked on in astonishment; the blade shimmered with a faint blue light, its flickering radiance seemingly eager to narrate a legendary tale

Wang Jingyao shook his head; although the scabbard of this Tang knife was exquisitely crafted, it appeared to have a relatively short history and could not be considered a valuable antique

He has always had a fondness for ancient Chinese history, and he also conducts research on Chinese antiques. The boss's tricks cannot deceive him.