As we were about to gather around for a closer look, Xu Zhiwu abruptly called out, urging everyone back into the vehicle quickly, cautioning against drawing too much attention.

Geng Wei’s vehicle was parked not far from the lake. Once the group was inside, Zaxi was the most agitated, clutching the object that seemed neither entirely iron nor entirely gold. He opened his mouth several times, so overwhelmed with excitement that no words would come out. Xu Zhiwu took the string of pearls from Geng Wei’s hand, counted them carefully, and his eyes widened in shock. “It truly is a Chaozhu (court necklace)! And all one hundred and eight beads are Dongzhu!”

Dongzhu?! Weren’t those reserved only for the Emperor? I leaned in for a better look. Aside from the four large beads made of jade, ruby, and sapphire that served as the Fotou (Buddha heads), every other bead was crystal clear, perfectly round, and uniform in size. (Note: The Chaozhu was an ornament worn by the Emperor on significant occasions. Its stringing format and beads were strictly regulated, comprising 108 beads. Every 27 beads, four larger beads of differing color and material, known as Fotou, were interspersed. A Chaozhu strung with Dongzhu was considered the ultimate treasure among pearls. These were freshwater pearls harvested from mussel shells in the Heilongjiang river basin. Compared to ordinary pearls, they were celebrated for their crystalline clarity, perfect roundness, and large size, signifying regal majesty, and had been an essential tribute item for Chinese dynasties since ancient times.) Even this item alone was priceless; if there were other treasures—the thought made my heart pound—I couldn’t tell if this was a blessing or a curse.

Xu Zhiwu’s face was initially alight with joy, but in mere seconds, his expression turned grave. He handed the Chaozhu back to Geng Wei, signaling with his eyes to me and Old Li to hold our peace and refrain from comment for the moment.

Upon receiving the string of pearls, Geng Wei repeatedly asked Xu Zhiwu if it was indeed an imperial accessory. Once Xu Zhiwu affirmed it, Geng Wei clutched it tightly, as if afraid someone might snatch it. Even when Tang Minghao tried to get a closer look, Geng Wei merely flashed it near his face for a second before quickly pulling his hand back.

Zaxi, uninterested in the Chaozhu, remained absorbed by the piece of metal, examining it so intently he seemed desperate to press his face against it and merge himself into the material. Xu Zhiwu tried several times to engage him but couldn’t find an opening. Finally, Zaxi looked up, having seen enough, though clearly still wanting more. Xu Zhiwu quickly asked, “Zaxi, may I take a look at what you’re holding?” Zaxi, unlike Geng Wei, didn’t seem fearful of sharing; he respectfully offered the item to Xu Zhiwu with both hands.

Xu Zhiwu studied it for a long time, a look of confusion settling on his face. “This… I don’t know what this is yet. You all should take a look.” He then passed it to me.

When I took it, it felt surprisingly heavy in my hands. Its golden luster was bright but not harsh. Engraved and painted upon it seemed to be a depiction of a grand assembly—innumerable dense figures appeared to be constantly moving. At a slightly elevated position, a figure wearing a crown looked down upon the crowd with high spirits, a smile playing on his lips, raising his left hand in greeting to the masses while his right hand grasped an object—it was somewhat blurred and indistinct. The artisan who carved it was peculiar; the clothing and features of everyone else were rendered sketchily and vaguely, except for the crown, which was carved with striking clarity.

The crown looked strangely familiar, resembling the one Zhuoma Yangjin had worn, but when I asked Old Li, he flatly denied it, stating they bore no resemblance. I wasn't certain myself, and his assertion made it look less and less like the one I remembered the more I stared.

Geng Wei kept a tight grip on the Chaozhu and showed no interest in the metal plaque, so Tang Minghao returned it to Zaxi after his inspection.

Xu Zhiwu whispered to me that the Chaozhu did not appear fake. He estimated that even adding up the net worth of everyone present, we couldn't afford even a few of its beads. I understood the immense value of a Chaozhu made of Dongzhu, but such a precious object falling into my hands made me instantly uneasy, unsure how to handle it. Moreover, my intuition screamed that we were being watched. If people were willing to start a fire over a single corpse, they would surely commit arson and murder without a second thought upon seeing such an incomparably valuable string of pearls.

Everyone could see Geng Wei’s intense “fondness” for the Chaozhu, Zaxi included, though Zaxi certainly wouldn't hand it over willingly. Therefore, Zaxi addressed Geng Wei politely but firmly. “Geng Wei, compared to the jewels hidden deep underwater, what you hold is child’s play. Besides, we agreed before: whatever you find on the first dive is mine. I urgently need a large sum of money, and I need it now… So, give me the *Chaozhu.” He looked steadily at Geng Wei and slowly extended his hand.

Geng Wei, still lost in his adoration of the pearls, snapped back to attention, startled by Zaxi reaching out. He looked at Zaxi with confusion, but then noticed everyone else looking at the Chaozhu in his hand and immediately understood. He let out two dry chuckles, glanced around at us, chuckled twice more, but made no move to release the pearls.

Zaxi repeated his request. Geng Wei’s face suddenly flushed deep red. He slowly lowered his gaze to the Chaozhu in his hand, straining to use his left hand to inch the necklace out of his right grip, bead by bead. I genuinely feared that one wrong move would snap the string, scattering the large and small beads all over the vehicle.

Fortunately, my worry was excessive. The Chaozhu did not break. Geng Wei slowly drew the beads out one by one, and Zaxi waited patiently, showing no impatience. Midway through the transfer, Geng Wei suddenly looked up. “What about that object (the metal piece—what do you plan to do with it)?” Zaxi smiled. “I’ll use that to get money too. I’m in dire straits and need a large sum immediately.”

Geng Wei’s expression darkened. He stopped pulling and turned his face away, handing the entire string of pearls directly to Zaxi with both hands. Zaxi accepted them. “Thank you for your trouble.” He then added, “Yanzi will guide you to the lake bottom. From now on, I will not touch anything you find.”

I remained silent. To claim I wasn't tempted by such a priceless treasure would be a lie. However, the real question was: why would a pie suddenly fall from the sky just for me? Especially when it came from a complete stranger who suddenly appeared, offering to share wealth with us, when we had absolutely no prior connection to him. This made me deeply uneasy.

Consequently, Old Li, Xu Zhiwu, and I all kept quiet. Geng Wei, however, peppered Zaxi with detailed questions, which mostly revolved around confirming that there were at least equal amounts of gold and jewels awaiting us underwater. Zaxi’s answers were very clear: there certainly were. But the retrieval process would have to be the same as this time—Yanzi would guide the way, and we would go find them, as their people lacked such strong swimming abilities. Everything he said sounded plausible and well-founded, and despite my misgivings, I couldn’t help feeling a reckless surge of excitement. That was real, tangible silver... even picking up a few scraps would amount to a significant sum.

Zaxi, reluctant to go back alone with Yanzi, insisted that Geng Wei drive him home first. Not wanting to linger, Old Li, Xu Zhiwu, and I returned to Tang Minghao’s place.

Not long after, Geng Wei returned, his face a mask of envy and regret over giving the Chaozhu to Zaxi. He lamented that he should have ambushed him on the road and forcibly taken it.

Xu Zhiwu scoffed. “A nice thought, but don’t forget they have powerful backing. Perhaps while you were plotting against him, they had already planned their trap, waiting for you to fall right into it.”

Geng Wei’s face cycled through red and white, and he mumbled sheepishly, “How could that be… I don’t think they are that sort of people.”

Seeing his discomfort, I quickly tried to ease the tension. “Maybe Zaxi won't be able to hold onto that treasure. Don't forget they have Ma Danniang as a bitter enemy.”

Old Li chimed in agreement, “That’s right, that’s right.”

Having been around the block many times, Xu Zhiwu recognized Geng Wei’s awkwardness and quickly changed the subject, asking him, “Yanzi has such exceptional swimming skills, how did she manage to follow you down to the lake bottom? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

Geng Wei visibly relaxed now that the issue of conspiracy was dropped, letting out a sigh of relief. “No, she didn’t follow me to the bottom—didn’t Zaxi say their people aren’t good swimmers? They rely on me.”

“Then how did she guide you?” I asked, curious.

“She only dove halfway down and pointed to a spot, telling me to keep descending until I hit the bottom. Then I was supposed to grab whatever I saw quickly without disturbing the bodies.” Mentioning the corpses made Geng Wei shudder. “I searched around the feet of those bodies for ages before I found this string of pearls and that piece of gold. Think about how difficult it was for me, right beneath all those countless bodies…”

Having seen the piles of submerged corpses, leaning forward and backward, I knew he wasn't exaggerating, and a chill ran down my spine. Geng Wei continued, “Several times, when I looked up, all I could see were feet coated in white silt right above me. Can you imagine…”

Everyone’s expression shifted to one of fear mixed with disgust. Before Geng Wei could say more, Tang Minghao cut in with a sorrowful voice, “Uncle Geng, please stop. The moment you mention it, I think of my elder cousin.”

Geng Wei quickly fell silent.

Xu Zhiwu pondered for a moment, then asked, “When you found those jewels, did you check if they looked recently placed there?” Geng Wei scoffed. “Are you kidding? If something was newly submerged, could it escape the eyes of a 'water ghost' like me? They were all covered in moss; it took me ages to spot them. If I hadn’t had sharp eyes…”

I secretly smiled twice; Geng Wei was becoming increasingly self-aggrandizing. Still, this whole affair needed careful consideration. What if the Chaozhu was fake? Although Xu Zhiwu thought it looked real, without expert authentication, who could know for sure? And what about that metal piece? It kept nagging at me, that carving.

“Did you look closely at what was carved on that metal block?” I asked Xu Zhiwu.

Xu Zhiwu replied, “I was just about to bring that up too. I find the figures carved on it very strange, as if I’ve seen them somewhere before. But the closer I look, the more utterly unfamiliar they seem. Also, when I first saw it, its bright gold color made me think it was pure gold, but holding it, the texture didn't feel like gold… Calling it an iron block doesn't seem right either… I’ve truly never encountered metal with this kind of texture!”