PS: Second update for today. Desperately need Monthly Votes—please support us! ◎◎ "Song Grain Ancient Sword!" At that moment, prompted by Yu Feibai, Wang Guan finally realized. He lightly traced the grain on the blade, and sure enough, it resembled the texture of pine wood, possessing a distinct pattern.

Moreover, the edge of this Song Grain Ancient Sword was extraordinarily tough and sharp, the cutting edge subtly incorporating the function of serrations, ensuring its killing power would certainly be astonishing.

After lightly weighing the Song Grain Sword, Wang Guan commented approvingly, "Not bad. Decent."

"What do you mean, 'decent' and 'not bad'?"

Yu Feibai bristled upon hearing this, instantly showing disdain. "This is clearly an unparalleled peerless sword, alright? I bet you’re just jealous and refuse to admit it…" "Fine, whatever you say is what it is."

Wang Guan chuckled, deciding not to mention the Gongbu Sword to avoid dampening Yu Feibai's confidence. He then continued his inquiry: "If this was Wang Zhi’s personal weapon, then you must have found Wang Zhi’s treasure hoard, right?"

"If the so-called treasure hoard turns out to be just this one Song Grain Ancient Sword, would you turn hostile?" Yu Feibai asked seriously.

"No."

Wang Guan shook his head immediately, stating the truth: "I’d just suspect you swallowed the rest of the hoard yourself."

"Hmph!" Yu Feibai snorted. "That's judging a gentleman by the measure of a petty man. Am I that kind of person… Actually, I really wish I were that kind of person."

Amidst his lament, Yu Feibai broke into a dazzling smile: "It wasn't a waste of my time after all. Nearly two months of hard work paid off. The moment I dug up the treasure, I almost wanted to skip town and emigrate to America directly."

"What does that imply…" Wang Guan’s face lit up with joy: "The hoard is exceptionally rich?" "Not just rich, it's practically…" Yu Feibai grew somewhat agitated, gesturing with his hands: "So much, so much! It’s not just gold and silver treasures; there are tons of weaponry too. If this were ancient times, we could easily raise an armed force of over a thousand men using those weapons."

"That's not surprising."

At the same time.

Old Qian smiled gently: "According to historical records, Wang Zhi engaged in smuggling activities, traveling between China and Japan. He even settled in Hirado, Japan, flying the flag of the Prince of Hui, commanding at least three thousand men under him. For a force of that size to prepare an arsenal of weapons for backup would be quite normal."

"Yes, completely normal."

Yu Feibai was beaming, then sighed again with regret. "What a pity, what a massive shame. Hundreds of years have passed, and those weapons haven’t been maintained; most of them have rusted through. Only some of the more valuable weapons, including this Song Grain Ancient Sword, survived intact because they were properly stored in sealed chests."

"Forget about the weapons and such," Wang Guan waved his hand. "Let’s talk about the gold and silver treasures."

"Oh?"

Yu Feibai immediately looked surprised. "When did you turn into such a money-grubber?" "Nonsense." Wang Guan rolled his eyes. "When you’ve spent hundreds of millions and experienced what it’s like to have your bank account completely cleaned out, you’ll become a money-grubber too."

"I'd love to experience that feeling, provided you hand me a few hundred million first," Yu Feibai grumbled. In his opinion, this was clearly naked showing off.

"Well…" Wang Guan blinked, then suddenly laughed. "Didn't you say there were mountains of gold and silver treasures? There should be hundreds of millions worth, right?"

"Hmm?" Just then.

Yu Feibai stroked his chin, pondering. "I haven't done a precise tally, so it's hard to say for sure."

"That’s simple enough. Where did you put everything? I’ll go tally it up."

Wang Guan clenched his fists, eager. Just as he said, he was terrified of being poor now; a massive fortune in gold and silver flowing in naturally put him in high spirits.

"The Tianjin Docks!" Yu Feibai said casually. "The stuff is quite varied, and I couldn't move it all at once. I just left it on the ship for now."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go take a look right now!"

As he spoke, Wang Guan rallied his friends, and under Yu Feibai's guidance, the group headed in force to the Tianjin Docks. They boarded a colossal cargo ship, where the treasure was stowed in the vast hold.

Entering the hold, all the lights were switched on, allowing everyone a clear view. The space was piled high with over twenty large chests. Wang Guan stepped closer; each large chest was sealed shut with iron nails. Touching them, one could feel how heavy they were, making one wonder how much material was packed inside.

At the same time, Yu Feibai brought over tools, saying enthusiastically, "Come over here, everyone! I’ll show you something good." With that, Yu Feibai pried open one of the large chests. The moment the lid was thrown open, a faint reddish luster immediately spilled out, catching everyone’s eye.

"What is it?" Everyone crowded around to see.

"Red Coral."

At first glance, Wang Guan was also somewhat surprised. "And it's a coral tree, no less."

"How beautiful," others couldn't help but exclaim.

It must be known that Red Coral is the highest in status and most expensive among all corals, currently dominating the coral market. After all, vibrant red coral holds a special significance for Chinese people who generally favor the color red, symbolizing good fortune, auspiciousness, and prosperity. A coral tree, especially, is no ordinary item.

It is recalled that during the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin, Shi Chong and Wang Kai competed in extravagant displays of wealth. Emperor Wu was Wang Kai's nephew and often supported him. On one occasion, he gifted Wang Kai a coral tree over two chi tall, with long, flowing branches. Historical records noted it as a rare treasure in the world, potentially worth several times more than pearls and jade. This is understandable; produced from the sea, ancient people held a kind of ignorant dread for the ocean. Therefore, anything produced from the sea, like coral, would certainly be regarded as a rare gem.

And not just in ancient times; even today, a coral tree commands a high price. Take the specimen before them: it stands over a meter tall, its deep red color intensely vivid, and its spreading branches are as magnificent as a peacock displaying its tail feathers. The specimen is flawless in appearance. Such an item would undoubtedly be worth over a million.

"What a fine piece," at this moment, a calculating glint crossed Pi Qiushi’s eyes. "Take it to Master Banshan for consecration, then sell it as a Feng Shui tree; the price could easily double."

"Brother Pi is indeed experienced," Yu Feibai said with a grin. "Make a note of that. We'll do it that way."

Of course, the large chests contained more than just red coral trees; there were also many miscellaneous items—mostly trinkets inlaid with gold or silver. They were exquisitely crafted and quite valuable. However, what truly brightened their eyes and captivated their minds were the chests filled entirely with gold and silver. The dazzling yellow and gleaming silver hues provoked an uncontrollable urge to gather the wealth into their arms. After all, scientific research has proven that due to conditioning reflexes developed over millennia, humans involuntarily experience accelerated heartbeats upon seeing these two substances—an irresistible impulse.

Action is better than hesitation. Wang Guan slightly extended his hand and picked up a lump of gold to examine it. The gold ingot was in the irregular shape of a Yuanbao, and there was also a clear mold imprint: a small character, 'Wang' (). This was not surprising; undoubtedly, all this gold and silver had been privately cast by the owner of the Wufeng ship, Wang Zhi. However, in the minds of ancient people, being a pirate was not an honorable profession. Thus, he habitually concealed his true name, publicly claiming his surname as Wang to avoid implicating his kin and elders. Stamping the character 'Wang' on the gold and silver ingots was therefore entirely logical. Moreover, since he styled himself the 'Prince of Hui,' the stamped 'Wang' might even carry that specific meaning.

Nevertheless, for everyone present, inscriptions and markings were minor details. Real gold and pure silver were the ultimate currency.

"It seems the ancients understood that gold and silver were the hard currency long ago," Yu Feibai remarked with a laugh. "That's why out of the twenty-seven large chests, twenty were filled with gold and silver ingots."

"What's in the rest?" Wang Guan asked curiously. "Pearls and jade jewelry?" "More or less," Yu Feibai nodded. "And I brought back some weapons that were also well-preserved."

"Oh, right. There’s something you absolutely wouldn’t expect," Yu Feibai beamed happily at this moment. "Wang Zhi’s treasure hoard actually contained quite a few paintings and calligraphy works."

"Really?" Wang Guan became interested immediately. "Where are they? Are there any works by famous masters?" "I didn't examine them closely, but there were indeed a few pieces by well-known figures," Yu Feibai replied with a smile. "However, they were famous at that time; they might not be household names now."

"I understand that," Wang Guan nodded in comprehension. After all, if Wang Zhi wished to feign refinement, he would have collected the poems, calligraphy, and paintings of the renowned literati of his era. But someone famous then might not be famous now. The environment of each age differs, and the resulting appraisals can be diametrically opposed. Take Cai Jing, for example: when he was at the height of his power, people flocked to request his calligraphy. But once he fell from grace and was denounced as a traitor, all his literary works were burned, so very few genuine pieces survived. Of course, this involved political factors, but there was also the element of great waves washing away the sand. Some things were excellent at the time, but after a while, people suddenly realized they weren't as good as imagined, and they were naturally phased out. Thus, people are fickle, and aesthetic values change with the times.

Nonetheless, it couldn't be denied that since Wang Zhi was mainly active during the Jiajing era, the art he collected would certainly date from that period or before it. Regardless, anything that has survived until now is undeniably an antique. Even the works of an obscure, unknown scholar would not be worth too little.

At Wang Guan's urging, Yu Feibai pried open another large chest. Inside the spacious container, the area was indeed packed with scrolls of varying lengths, which appeared to be well-preserved, showing no signs of rot or insect damage. At that moment, Wang Guan casually picked up a shorter scroll, quickly untied the cord, and unrolled it to examine it closely.

"Xun Tian Li!" Everyone leaned in to look and saw only those three large characters on the paper. Wang Guan looked slightly surprised, then fixed his gaze on the signature, which read: Dexing Guo Chen (). After a moment of thought, Wang Guan finally realized: "So it's him."

"Who is he?" Tang Qinghua asked blankly. "Is he very famous?" "Feibi Guo Panhu!" Wang Guan chuckled lightly. "He participated in the calligrapher selection exam during the Zhengde reign and placed first, earning nationwide acclaim. By the Jiajing period, he was already a nationally renowned master calligrapher, famous for the 'three perfections' of poetry, calligraphy, and painting. In those days, his fame was indeed very, very great…"