"Gong Bu…"

At that moment, hearing Wang Guan utter those few words, Pi Qiushi and the others froze instantly, then burst into overwhelming joy.

Gong Bu, this sword, might not possess the renown of Chengying, Yuchang, Fengjiang Moye, Chixiao, or Zhanhu, yet it was unequivocally an ancient famed blade, and one of considerable reputation, for it originated from the hand of the grandmaster swordsmith Ouyezhi.

This sword was recorded in the Yuejue Shu and Yuejue Waizhuan detailing famous swords: Ouyezhi and Gan Jiang mined Cishan, gathered its stream water, and used the iron ore to forge three iron swords: the first named Longyuan, the second Tai'a, and the third Gong Bu. We shall not dwell on Longyuan and Tai'a, which rank among the Ten Great Ancient Chinese Swords, but the Gong Bu sword is seldom mentioned.

Of course, being seldom mentioned does not imply the Gong Bu sword was not formidable. Legend holds that after the Qin annihilated Chu, the treasured swords possessed by the State of Chu became spoils of war for Qin Shi Huang, and among them, naturally, was the Gong Bu.

Perhaps finding the Gong Bu sword pleasing to the eye, Qin Shi Huang directly chose Gong Bu as his personal sidearm. Thus, the fearsome reputation of the Gong Bu blade was passed down. After all, when Qin Shi Huang wielded Gong Bu, he truly could command the world and dominate the mountains and rivers; it was undeniably potent.

“Wang Guan, are you listening?”

Just as Wang Guan was immersed in boundless ecstasy, Elder Qian’s voice came through the phone: “How did the Gong Bu sword end up in your hands? Can you confirm it’s genuine?”

Wang Guan slowly snapped back to reality and quickly replied, “Elder Qian, the item should be real. I discovered this sword inside a wooden statue. The long sword was bent when placed, but it instantly straightened the moment I took it out…”

“Then the possibility of it being genuine is very high.”

As Wang Guan elaborated, Elder Qian's voice showed palpable excitement: “You must take excellent care of it. Once you conclude your business, return immediately so I can examine it.”

“Understood,” Wang Guan nodded. “I’ll bring it back in a couple of days.”

“Send over a few photos in the meantime to satisfy my craving a bit,” Elder Qian said with a laugh, then proceeded to question Wang Guan extensively about the Gong Bu sword’s grain patterns and details before reluctantly ending the call.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan gracefully complied. He asked Pi Qiushi to carefully hold the sword, then took two or three dozen photographs from different angles, transmitting them to Elder Qian one by one.

While Wang Guan was busy with his phone, Pi Qiushi was not idle. He gently brushed his fingers across the sword’s spine, his expression one of deep admiration, then lightly flicked the blade, producing a crisp ringing sound that was remarkably pleasant to the ear.

“Brother Pi, don’t hog the treasure sword all to yourself; let us admire it too,” Sha Qingfeng urged, gaining immediate approval from Old Meng. The two men flanked Pi Qiushi on either side, conveying a strong sense that they would seize it if he refused.

Of course, neither dared to actually grab it. After all, they had frequently heard legends about ancient Chinese famous swords being sharp enough to slice through hair or cut metal like mud. If they were accidentally nicked during a tussle, their fingers might just snap off.

This was absolutely not an exaggeration. Examining it closely, both men could clearly sense the sheer sharpness emanating from the blade, a light full of distinct peril.

They were past the age for reckless gambles and certainly weren't going to test their own fingers against it out of stubbornness.

“No rush, let me run a quick verification first…”

Pi Qiushi kept a firm grip on the hilt and then turned to ask, “Brother Wang, I plan to test the sharpness of the Gong Bu sword by drawing it across some newspaper a couple of times. That should be fine, right?”

“Go ahead, but be careful not to hurt yourself,” Wang Guan readily agreed. Having prior experience—or rather, given his history with the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber and the Dragon Scale Dagger—he understood the immense temptation powerful edged weapons presented to people.

Every man, young or old, harbored a secret Wuxia dream. Although age brought the understanding that this dream was impractical, holding a real longsword naturally stirred up that sense of yearning and aspiration.

Pi Qiushi was no exception; he had become somewhat eager just holding the treasured sword. Now that he had Wang Guan’s permission, he no longer hesitated and began searching for a target to test the blade upon. The evening paper resting on the nightstand was the first victim. Placed flat on the table, one stroke of the sword by Pi Qiushi cleaved it silently into two halves.

Witnessing this, the others offered a round of gasps and praise. After each of them had taken a turn testing the sword, they felt unsatisfied, but there was nothing else in the hotel room they could safely damage, so they reluctantly gave up, turning instead to admire the blade’s damascus patterns. Only late into the night did the three men reluctantly return the treasured sword to Wang Guan before dispersing.

Old Meng and Sha Qingfeng headed home, while Wang Guan and Pi Qiushi retired for the night.

The night passed quietly. The next morning, Wang Guan and Pi Qiushi rose sequentially and ate breakfast together at the hotel restaurant. After filling their stomachs, Wang Guan considered calling Bei Ye, wondering if they were awake yet… However, before he could pull out his phone, his own ringtone sounded.

“Is this telepathy?” Wang Guan chuckled lightly, assuming it was Bei Ye calling, but upon pulling out his phone and checking the caller ID, he found it was an unfamiliar number.

“Wrong number, perhaps?” Wang Guan hesitated slightly. Seeing the phone still ringing, he simply answered it. As the connection stabilized, a familiar voice came through: “Big Brother, something terrible has happened…”

“Uh?” Wang Guan paused, his mind taking a few turns before he recognized the caller’s identity, then immediately frowned, “Young Master Cai, what’s wrong so early in the morning?”

“I’ve been set up again,” Cai Peng’s voice was filled with extreme irritation and urgency. “It must be that fellow surnamed Hu causing trouble.”

“What?” Wang Guan sounded confused. “How were you set up?”

“That Xiansheng Xin has bolted.”

Cai Peng fumed, “I woke up early this morning, and having nothing better to do, I called him to bring over the weapon for me to see. To my surprise, the phone was unreachable. I felt something was off, so I immediately rushed to his house, only to find the front door locked. Then, I inquired with his neighbors and learned that his entire family had fled the country overnight for a vacation…”

Upon hearing this, Wang Guan immediately agreed with Cai Peng’s assessment—he had indeed been sabotaged.

“Even without concrete proof, I am one hundred percent certain that this is absolutely the work of that Hu fellow interfering behind the scenes,” Cai Peng said angrily, grinding his teeth. “There is no ill-will between me and him…”

Wang Guan was inclined to agree. As the local authority and the young master of a prominent family, only Young Master Hu had the capacity and the motive to engineer such a situation against Cai Peng.

While he understood the context, Wang Guan remained outwardly calm, remarking casually, “Whether this feud ends or not is a future matter. Your current situation is quite dire; why do you have time to call me instead of searching for the weapon?”

“I don’t know how to look for it,” Cai Peng admitted frankly, speaking cautiously. “So, I have to trouble Big Brother for assistance again.”

“Why should I help you?” Wang Guan sounded curious. “We aren’t that familiar with each other…”

“Familiar, of course we are. Once is an introduction, twice builds familiarity; you are my Big Brother.”

It seemed that in his desperation to settle this score, Cai Peng had thrown all pretense aside, abandoning the arrogance of a young master and lowering himself to the utmost degree.

“I cannot claim the title of your Big Brother, nor can I presume to accept it.”

At this point, Wang Guan chuckled lightly, feeling a strange sense of fate connecting him with Cai Peng. The first time they met, he had obtained the Seven-Colored Pearl from him; the second time, because of Cai Peng, he had acquired the Gong Bu sword. Since it was merely a small favor, helping him out one more time was inconsequential.

With that thought, Wang Guan said casually, “Fortunately, you are sharp enough to discover you were set up early and wise enough to call me for help… So, you don't need to look for any other weapon; just come over directly.”

Wang Guan gave the hotel address and, ignoring whatever reaction Cai Peng might have, promptly hung up the phone. If Cai Peng truly trusted him, Wang Guan certainly wouldn't disappoint. If his words were merely lip service and he actually distrusted Wang Guan, then he would have to bear the consequences himself.

However, Wang Guan underestimated the depth of Cai Peng’s helplessness. At that moment, Cai Peng had no room for other thoughts; hearing Wang Guan’s summons was like grasping a lifeline, and he rushed over immediately without a second thought.

Twenty minutes later, Cai Peng appeared before Wang Guan, panting, his face etched with anxious expectation.

“Did you have to be in such a hurry?”

Wang Guan found it somewhat amusing. He poured a glass of water and handed it over. “Sit down first, drink some water, and catch your breath.”

Cai Peng sat down, grabbed the glass, and gulped down the water in one go. Then, wiping his mouth, he immediately stood up, urging, “Big Brother, where are we going now?”

“Where are we going?” Wang Guan was puzzled.

“To find the weapon!” Cai Peng said urgently. “There are only two or three hours until noon; if we don’t go now, it’ll be too late!”

“Oh.”

Wang Guan suddenly understood and then smiled. “There’s no need to rush that. Since I asked you to come, I naturally have a plan. You should rest a bit longer, catch your breath, and wipe the sweat off your brow.”

“That’s right,”

At this moment, Pi Qiushi, standing nearby, also smiled faintly. “If Brother Wang is willing to help you, then winning is a certainty for you; it would be hard to lose.”

“Really?”

Cai Peng was naturally somewhat skeptical, as he was currently frantic and in no mood for joking.

“Why would I lie to you?” Wang Guan glanced at him. “Relax, I’m not going to conspire with that Hu fellow to set you up.”

“Of course, I know you wouldn’t. Besides, that fellow surnamed Hu is incredibly petty. When you lent me money in Macau, he must have hated you then,” Cai Peng asserted confidently. “Especially after we met yesterday, he’s even more convinced we’re working together, and he might even be plotting how to deal with you right now.”

“Is it really that dramatic?” Wang Guan was naturally skeptical.

“I am absolutely not exaggerating; that man’s capacity for pettiness is smaller than the eye of a needle…”

Cai Peng launched into a description that Wang Guan couldn’t be sure wasn’t embellished. In Cai Peng’s eyes, Young Master Hu was narrow-minded, despicable, rotten to the core, a total degenerate.

Regarding this, Wang Guan remained noncommittal. He was certain that even if Young Master Hu wasn't a good person, he couldn't be quite so vile. Unquestionably, Cai Peng was unfairly smearing his rival’s reputation. (To be continued)