"I knew it," Yu Feibai seemed relieved, clapping his chest and sighing, "A treasure legend passed down for hundreds of years, how could you possibly find it just like that."

"Heh heh."

Wang Guan smiled, offering no real defense.

Seeing Wang Guan’s strange demeanor, Yu Feibai became more perplexed, half-believing, half-doubting. "Don't keep me in suspense, just tell me the truth. How did you get these things?"

"I told you, you just didn't believe me," Wang Guan’s tone was level. "Anyway, with over a hundred Xi Wang Shang Gong large coins right in front of you, what do you think I should do with them?"

"What to do with them..."

Yu Feibai frowned, considering seriously. After a moment, he hesitated slightly. "That depends on your intentions. Are you planning to keep them for yourself, or sell them?"

"I'll keep a few for my collection, give a few to you, and reserve some for Uncle De and Elder Qian as well," Wang Guan chuckled. "The rest, we'll sell."

"That’s what worries me," Yu Feibai murmured. "Don't you think that having so many Xi Wang Shang Gong coins released will cause them to become practically worthless due to oversupply?"

"That's true," Wang Guan nodded, lost in thought.

At the same time, he carefully sorted the coins, discovering thirty-one were gold, sixty-nine were silver, and ninety-three were bronze, totaling one hundred ninety-three large coins.

"Have you considered the consequences of over a hundred Xi Wang Shang Gong large coins flooding the market?" Yu Feibai gave a wry smile. "I fear that overnight, you will drag Xi Wang Shang Gong down from its status as a supreme rarity in numismatics."

"Mmm, not only would its status as one of the top fifty rarities be gone, but its price would probably plummet by several tens of times," Wang Guan agreed, well aware of basic economics and the laws of value.

"It's not just that," Yu Feibai shook his head, whispering low. "The most likely outcome is that the antique collecting circle will unite and unanimously declare everything you have to be forgeries."

"What?" Wang Guan startled, seemingly grasping the implication, a hint of doubt creeping in. "It shouldn't be that serious, right?"

"What do you think?" Yu Feibai gave a scornful laugh, his voice indifferent. "Are there not enough messy affairs in this circle? Never mind the past—to reap exorbitant profits, they resorted to every trick: cheating, trickery, swindling, and theft. It's better now, the country prohibits such things, and if you are deceived, you can seek justice through legal means."

"However, after so many years of development, they have finally managed to perfect the market and establish a relatively stable order."

Yu Feibai smiled faintly. "Now that coin collecting is so red-hot, with a continuous upward trend, how could those people possibly stand by and watch you destroy such a fine situation, letting decades of their hard work go down the drain?"

"So you're saying I've become what they call a disruptive element, a reckless upstart who breaks the rules?" Wang Guan gave a bitter smile.

"That's exactly it," Yu Feibai whispered. "Think about it. Over the years, the state has excavated countless artifacts, both openly and secretly. Yet, these artifacts have not caused a direct economic loss in the antique market. That alone suggests there must be some unspoken factors at play."

"Excavated artifacts are not allowed to circulate on the market..."

In an instant, Wang Guan was struck dumb. Because he suddenly understood. This fear—the fear of this very scenario—is why excavated artifacts are prohibited from circulating in the market.

"You get it now, don't you?"

Yu Feibai smiled. "In this land, the prosperity of every industry relies on the support and promotion of the nation. After all, only when the market prospers do figures like tax revenues and indices look good."

Wang Guan nodded, feeling a touch of surprise. "I never expected you to see through the subtleties of these matters so clearly. You truly make one look at you with new respect."

"Can't be helped, I was born this clever," Yu Feibai said smugly.

"Pfft, as if I didn't know," Wang Guan scoffed. "You wouldn't see things like this without some real-world experience. I bet either Uncle De or Elder Qian told you."

"Knowing that, why bother praising me?" Yu Feibai retorted ungraciously. "These coins will rot in your hands if you're not careful. You need to properly figure out what to do."

Wang Guan pondered for a moment, then looked up. "What about you? Do you have any good ideas to share for my reference?"

"Of course, I have ideas, and I can guarantee they will maximize your profits,"

Yu Feibai’s eyes gleamed, his voice taking on a mysterious tone. "First, your Xi Wang Shang Gong large coins are genuine. Second, only the two of us know about this. Third, the country has several thousand cities, and every city has an antique market. Fourth, transportation is advanced now; one can fly back and forth across several provinces in a single day. Fifth, we can hire people to disperse and visit various cities..."

"Stop!"

Wang Guan’s brow furrowed after just a few sentences, and he glanced sideways. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I've laid it out so clearly, don't you understand yet?"

Yu Feibai stated bluntly. "Before the rumors spread, take these hundred-plus extremely rare large coins and sell them in dozens of different cities across several provinces. Based on current market rates, just the thirty-one gold Xi Wang Shang Gong rarities are worth over sixty-two million. Add in the silver and bronze coins, and this haul will definitely put your net worth over a hundred million."

"A good idea," Wang Guan slowly nodded.

"You agree?" Yu Feibai blinked, his voice strangely pitched.

"That’s right. How could I disagree with such a brilliant idea?"

Wang Guan smiled, turning the tables to tempt him. "So, I've decided. I'll entrust this matter to you to handle. Don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly after success. Didn't you say these things are worth over a hundred million? I'll let you keep ninety percent, and you only need to give me ten million."

Yu Feibai froze, then suddenly looked distressed. "Can't you tell I was joking?"

"Whether you were joking or not, you know clearly in your heart," Wang Guan drawled lazily.

"Fine, I admit, your offer made me a little tempted," Yu Feibai sighed. "But I also know that if I actually agreed, the old man would surely break my legs and throw me out of the house."

"It's fine," Wang Guan consoled him. "If you make this score, you’ll have at least ninety million in assets. Never mind a broken leg, even if your hands are broken, you can still afford people to take care of you."

"Hmph, money won't help then. I might end up in jail for fraud or disrupting economic order, clang."

After a moment of self-pity, Yu Feibai waved his hand. "Alright, enough joking. Actually, I do have a real method. You might have heard the story that often circulates in the antique world: a person possessing two identical treasures smashes one, and the remaining one instantly becomes a priceless rarity, worth a fortune."

Wang Guan frowned. "Are you suggesting I pick out a few and melt down the rest?"

"That would be the best outcome,"

Yu Feibai chuckled. "But if you can't bear to part with them, you don't need to resort to such an extreme measure. After all, nobody knows you have this many coins. You can sell one or two, and the rest you simply have to keep in your private collection."

"I'll think about that," Wang Guan said after a moment’s pause. He stuffed the coins back into his backpack, pulled out just the token, and handed it to Yu Feibai. "Help me check if this Hu Wei Token is a marker of identity for Zhang Xianzhong’s subordinates."

"No problem."

Yu Feibai nodded, glancing at the scattered gold and silver pieces, unable to resist saying, "Wang Guan, grave robbing is illegal, you know."

"What are you talking about?"

Wang Guan was both amused and exasperated. "I'm not that morally bankrupt."

"Then tell me, how did you obtain these things?" Yu Feibai questioned skeptically. "Don't tell me you found them while cleaning out an old house. The coins and the token both have fresh mud residue—that's the mark of a recent excavation."

"Alright, I'll tell you the truth to stop your wild guessing." Wang Guan beckoned. "Didn't you say you brought all my luggage from the hotel? Go grab those books; the story I need to tell is inside them."

"In the books? Are you going to tell me a story?"

Yu Feibai looked confused, quickly walking to the cabinet and retrieving Wang Guan's suitcase.

"It really is a bit like a story, full of twists and turns. You might not believe it when you hear it," Wang Guan laughed, quickly opening the suitcase and taking out a few key volumes.

"Biography of Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong the Great Western King..." Yu Feibai frowned, perplexed. "Are you preparing to lecture me on the chaotic wars of the late Ming dynasty and the struggle for the Central Plains?"

"I don't have time for that nonsense."

Wang Guan smiled, taking out a yellowed piece of paper tucked between the pages and handing it to Yu Feibai. "Look at this. What does it make you think of?"

Yu Feibai was quick on the uptake. After just a couple of glances at the paper, he gasped in astonishment. "It’s a treasure map!"

Studying it intensely for a moment, Yu Feibai pressed on with surprise, "How did you find this? Are those coins, the token, and the scattered gold and silver really a treasure trove?"

"They're all brought back, what else could they be?"

Wang Guan chuckled. "This whole affair started when I went to visit Uncle De's friend..."

Afterward, Wang Guan recounted the entire sequence of events in detail. Naturally, he omitted any mention of his special abilities.

Finally, Wang Guan sighed pensively. "To tell the truth, I was able to locate that buried site smoothly largely thanks to Elder Song. If that old man hadn't discovered the treasure map hidden within the Seven-Star Sword, studied and deciphered most of the secrets, and even pointed out the exact final location for me, I wouldn't have found the place so easily."

"You lucky devil..."

At this point, Yu Feibai was stunned, unsure whether to envy, be jealous of, or simply become numb to Wang Guan’s string of good fortune. Everything the other man had spent his life researching ended up paving the way for him. If Elder Song were aware, he might just climb out of his coffin...

"Be that as it may,"

Wang Guan smiled, pointing to the rectangular iron box resting in the cabinet. "I believe the person who drew this treasure map and left these clues originally intended for someone to find the contents of this box." ..................... Thank you to book friends "Maryane, Yue Wu Wei Yu, Xiao－a, Xue Se Long Shao, daicymm" for their tips. Please collect and recommend, thank you all for your support. C