In the midst of their lighthearted banter, it was clear to all that Wang Guan’s stance on parting with the Jiao Pearl was unyielding. Qiao Yu and Su Yu were visibly disappointed, yet felt they could not press the matter further.

The subsequent events require little detailing. Su Yu, having grasped the core purpose of their gathering, promptly excused herself and departed, displaying no undue emotion, which secretly relieved Gao Zhuang.

Naturally, Gao Zhuang remained somewhat anxious, knowing the location of the shipwreck and the possibility of the Su family sending people to stake a claim. Determining who would ultimately acquire the wreck was far from certain.

“Rest assured, there is a matter of first come, first served.”

Sensing Gao Zhuang’s worry, Yu Feibai offered a faint smile. “The sea is hardly the Su family’s private domain. If they insist on interfering now that we are salvaging the wreck, they are deliberately picking a fight with us. While it’s true that a local tyrant might intimidate outsiders, even the most powerful local must grant some face to a formidable stranger. After all, burning bridges benefits no one.”

Though unaware of Yu Feibai’s true background, his evident confidence instilled a measure of reassurance in Gao Zhuang.

Following this minor interlude, everyone resumed admiring the marvelous Jiao Pearl. As the pleasant viewing concluded, evening arrived swiftly. In summary, the day’s yield was polarized: appearing rich on the surface, yet amounting to nothing concrete in reality.

Since their primary objective was the shipwreck, the Jiao Pearl was merely an unexpected bonus. However, after a full day of searching, they had only recovered fragmented pieces of porcelain, with no sign of the main wreck, naturally leading to some dejection.

“This is entirely normal.” Master Jiang, being relatively calm, pointed to some shattered ceramic pieces. “To have this much on the first day already exceeds my expectations. Searching for a shipwreck isn't easy; sometimes, we go ten days or even half a month without any solid leads.”

Hearing Master Jiang’s words, the others gained patience. After dinner, they took in the night view, chatted, and retired for the night. The night passed uneventfully, and upon waking, a new day had dawned.

However, having hogged the spotlight the day before, Wang Guan enjoyed a quiet morning, sitting on the deck with Bei Ye to watch the activity, electing not to enter the sea himself. Without his guidance, the divers’ haul was even smaller; forget any treasure, they barely retrieved many shards of porcelain.

Under these circumstances, disappointment settled over the group, and Master Jiang’s expression grew grave. He placed a large red ‘X’ on a specific direction on a navigational chart and made a decision: “Tomorrow, we change direction…”

Master Jiang’s judgment proved correct. After another day, having shifted their salvage efforts, not only did the porcelain shards increase, but some perfectly preserved plates and bowls floated to the surface.

“Don’t celebrate too soon.”

Master Jiang dashed their excitement with a splash of cold water. “Pay attention to the eras of these ceramics.”

“What do you mean?”

Many were perplexed, unable to grasp the implication of Master Jiang’s words. Examining the pile of shards, they saw nothing particularly remarkable beyond their shattered state.

Just as Wang Guan seemed to be piecing something together and preparing to speak, Yu Feibai cut in first: “Mixed!”

“The artifacts are messy, quite heterogeneous,” Yu Feibai mused, stroking his chin. “Items from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties are all present. This defies logic. Goods loaded onto a single merchant vessel should belong to one specific era; they shouldn't be mingled across dynasties.”

“Exactly, that’s what I was getting at,” Master Jiang agreed. “Such disordered fragments, spanning multiple dynasties, point to only one conclusion.”

“Which conclusion?” Wang Guan didn't mind playing the straight man.

“Either there are several shipwrecks from different eras nearby, or the items were swept up and scattered across the vicinity by an earthquake or tsunami,” Master Jiang stated flatly. “Which possibility do you find more likely?”

The group exchanged uneasy glances, their excitement instantly evaporating. If there were multiple wrecks, given their size, they should have seen some trace of wreckage after two or three days of searching.

Unfortunately, the opposite was true; not only were there no remnants, but not even a shadow of debris was found.

A quick comparison made the more probable scenario obvious. The most disheartened among them was Gao Zhuang, the bitter taste of plummeting from hope to despair was palpable.

“Of course, this is all mere speculation,”

Master Jiang shifted his tone. “Since the physical evidence recovered is too scant, further verification is necessary. We’ll call it a day, and tomorrow we will expand the search perimeter.”

This definitive statement ended the discussion, and everyone dispersed. The next morning, as the divers prepared to enter the water, a crewman rushed out with an urgent report: “Master Jiang, the meteorological department predicts high winds and rough seas in the vicinity. We need to prepare for precaution immediately.”

“What?” Master Jiang frowned, considering the information for a moment before waving his hand decisively. “Notify everyone to prepare for return; we will seek shelter at the nearest port.”

No one objected to this decision; the tender ship and the yacht could hardly withstand the onslaught of a major storm. Safety first—they certainly didn’t want to validate the ancient saying about men dying for wealth and birds for food.

However, the storm arrived faster than anticipated. En route back, everyone could clearly feel the increasing violence of the sea, the massive swells causing the yacht to pitch and roll unevenly. Gazing toward the horizon, the sky was dark and ominous, and the frantic flight of seabirds all signaled the imminent arrival of a tempest.

“Increase speed…” the crew shouted, remaining surprisingly calm, betraying little panic.

Wang Guan, examining the satellite map and comparing their approximate coordinates and distance, suggested, “If things get too bad, we can seek temporary refuge at the Su family island.”

It was a practical suggestion, and no one had a reason to object. Upon receiving the instruction, the crew immediately adjusted course toward the Su family island. The timing was impeccable—almost to the minute—as the tender ship and yacht entered the harbor just as the long-brewing storm finally broke.

Suddenly, the sky was choked with dense clouds, punctuated by flashes of lightning and torrential rain. On the sea, waves roared, throwing up layers of colossal crests; waves ten meters high crashed down, a fate that would surely have splintered any ordinary wooden ship and drowned its occupants.

Fortunately, the dock at the Su family island was ingeniously designed; the small islets on either side acted as natural barriers, deflecting the majority of the wind and waves, ensuring the safety of the moored vessels.

Meanwhile, the group, umbrellas held against the downpour, made their way up to the villa on the hill. After all, seeking refuge from a storm on someone else’s territory demanded a courtesy visit and expression of gratitude to the hosts.

Unlike the crowded scene during the birthday banquet a few days prior, the villa appeared remarkably quiet now. The Su family disciples, including Su Wenyi, had returned to Shanghai to oversee affairs.

In the vast residence, aside from a few servants, only Elder Su remained. Thus, the Old Master welcomed the group with great warmth. Naturally, he also showed immense interest in the Jiao Pearl. Wang Guan responded with a helpless smile, inevitably presenting the pearl for Elder Su’s admiration.

“What a treasure…” Elder Su’s eyes shone with wonder as he observed the Jiao Pearl. However, he seemed to understand Wang Guan’s mindset and made no mention of purchasing it. Returning the courtesy, the Old Master served them his finest tea and arranged a sumptuous lunch.

By the time lunch concluded, the sky had cleared, revealing a breathtaking rainbow arcing across the sea. Soon after, the group took their leave of Elder Su. He asked no probing questions, merely escorting them to the edge of the villa, smiling and inviting them to visit again.

With their farewells concluded, everyone returned to the ships and resumed their journey.

Soon, the tender ship and the yacht left the harbor and proceeded back towards the salvage zone. Since the sea air was fresh, no one remained confined inside the cabins; instead, they gathered on deck for casual conversation.

In contrast to the relaxed mood of the others, Gao Zhuang felt a degree of pressure. Seeing this, Wang Guan quickly offered comfort. “Brother Gao, don’t be discouraged. This is just the beginning; slow progress is quite normal…”

“I know,” Gao Zhuang shook his head slightly. “I was just thinking, tomorrow is Xiao Wen and Ah Jie’s wedding. Regardless of whether we find anything later, I plan to return. I’ll come back after the ceremony.”

Wang Guan was well aware of this; Yu Jie and Gao Wen had watched the initial salvaging for a while on the first day and then returned, spending the subsequent days preparing for the wedding. Tomorrow, they would finally tie the knot, and Wang Guan was genuinely happy for them, having already prepared a gift in secret. However, Wang Guan had no intention of revealing this yet. After offering a few more words of encouragement to Gao Zhuang, his gaze drifted aside to observe the seascape.

After a few glances, Wang Guan’s focus sharpened. The storm had arrived violently, but after it passed, the sea had calmed, and the blue water seemed even clearer, making anything floating on the surface stand out.

At first, Wang Guan assumed it was just debris and paid it little mind. But then, a gentle wave lifted the object slightly, allowing Wang Guan a clearer view: it looked like a plank of wood.

“A plank of wood?”

It must be said that Wang Guan’s current state was quite... alert. Upon identifying the object as potentially wooden, he immediately scrutinized it carefully. Alas, the object sank again, making further observation difficult.

Having started, he wouldn't stop now. Wang Guan hesitated for no reason, immediately activating his power to focus his senses, peering straight through the seawater. He instantly confirmed it was indeed a wooden plank. Furthermore, this plank was unusual; it radiated a faint aura of treasure light.

Seeing this, Wang Guan no longer delayed. He stood up immediately and called out, “Qinghua, have someone stop the yacht… Feibai, bring the fishing net over; I need to retrieve something.”

“Retrieve what?” The others were baffled.

“A clue, a clue to the shipwreck,” Wang Guan stated with absolute certainty, a relaxed and cheerful smile spreading across his face. Truly, one searches high and low for something, only to find it without effort when least expected.

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