Chapter 539: Chapter 354: Greed

Kyoto, Japan, in a secluded Japanese-style courtyard.

Yamamoto Ichiro was kneeling on the tatami, his expression a mix of excitement and a hint of unease.

He glanced at the two long wooden boxes beside him, and his thoughts drifted back to a few hours ago.

In the morning, following Qi Yun’s instructions, he went to check on the old house in Chiba Prefecture, only to find that the wooden structure had already collapsed.

Moreover, the collapse was uniform; the beams, pillars, and the second-floor structure were all tilted and smashed onto the open ground on the north side, exposing the interior of the original first floor.

Yamamoto Ichiro was about to call Qi Yun to report the situation when he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. Under the cracked floor of the storage room beneath his feet, there seemed to be a special compartment.

Curious, he leaned closer to take a look and discovered that it was actually a secret compartment!

The compartment was quite large, measuring 1.5 meters in length and about fifty to sixty centimeters wide. The surface of the underground wooden panel was coated with a layer of moisture-resistant tung oil, but perhaps due to the passing of time, it had long since decayed.

Yamamoto Ichiro looked around to ensure no one was watching. Then, using his hands, he peeled away the rotten cover to reveal a layer of dark red velvet, with two long wooden boxes neatly placed on top.

The surface of these wooden boxes was covered in a thick layer of dust, suggesting they had been hidden underground for quite a while.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Yamamoto Ichiro hesitated for a moment before deciding to lift one of the wooden boxes out.

He brushed off the dust and attempted to open the latch.

At this point, he was still guessing if it contained old paintings or other collectibles.

Back in those days, a lot of treasures were taken from Huaxia to Japan, so much so that they couldn’t be counted by individual pieces; ships were needed to carry them.

As the wooden box slowly opened, a long sword lay quietly inside, its golden scabbard covered in a thin layer of dust, revealing intricate and exquisite carvings.

The hilt was inlaid with rubies and diamonds, appearing to be incredibly valuable.

“Is it a sword?” Yamamoto Ichiro was momentarily stunned. He reached for the end of the scabbard and gently pulled it out.

“Swoosh!”

Accompanied by a crisp sound, it seemed as though a cold, piercing flash of light flickered briefly!

The silver blade slipped out of the scabbard, the sunlight casting a dazzling reflection on its surface.

On the sword’s body, the patterns of nine true dragons unfurled, an artistic masterpiece!

Even the tiny dragon scales were clearly visible, lifelike, as if ready to spring to life.

Yamamoto Ichiro opened his mouth wide, and the reflection on the sword mirrored the shock on his face.

In Japan, many people believe in the samurai spirit and are fond of cold weapons, so many notable families display a rack of weapons in their homes, featuring various precious swords, not limited to Japanese katana but also including swords from Huaxia.

Being a lawyer, Yamamoto Ichiro had seen a lot, as many of his clients were wealthy individuals.

Yet even so, he had never seen a treasure sword like the one before him.

“This… this is definitely not an ordinary piece!”

Not only was he fluent in Chinese, but he was also well-versed in Huaxia culture, knowing that dragon motifs were typically reserved for the emperor.

Yamamoto Ichiro’s heart pounded; he swallowed hard and immediately took out his phone to search for information…

Minutes later, he found an image online, describing Emperor Qianlong’s personal treasure sword — the Nine Dragon Treasure Sword.

Comparing the sword in his hand with the image on his phone, he realized they were identical!

“Nine… Nine Dragon Treasure Sword!” Yamamoto Ichiro’s Adam’s apple rolled as he involuntarily swallowed.

Originally, he was just curious about what was inside the wooden box, but now… a frightening desire seemed to grow within him.

Its name was greed…

The shock in Yamamoto Ichiro’s eyes was gradually being replaced by greed.

“Swoosh!”

Sheathing the long sword, he set down the Nine Dragon Treasure Sword and turned his eyes to the other wooden box beside it.

The astonishment from the Nine Dragon Treasure Sword had yet to fade, and he dared not imagine what more precious item might lie in this wooden box.

He took a deep breath and carefully unclasped the latch of the wooden box.

It was indeed another sword!

Before his eyes lay a long sword of a full blue-green color, the scabbard seemingly carved from a single piece of ancient bronze, with a simple mark engraved just at the opening and tail.

The oxidized copper rust indicated that this sword had existed for countless ages…

“A bronze sword?”

Yamamoto Ichiro was taken aback; compared to the grandeur of the Nine Dragon Treasure Sword, this sword appeared exceptionally unadorned.

Yet being hidden together with the Nine Dragon Treasure Sword unequivocally told him that this sword was far from simple.

He gripped the hilt, feeling its chill to the bone, even heavier than the Nine Dragon Treasure Sword.

“Swoosh~~”

With a somewhat dull sound of friction, the bronze sword slowly slid out of its scabbard.

The blue-gray blade was dim and unremarkable, with a groove running from the hilt to the tip, and though the edge did not seem sharp, it exuded a formidable aura.

The overall feeling conveyed was just four words, naturally exquisite!

Near the hilt was engraved two ancient seal characters — Tai’e!

Yamamoto Ichiro stared at those characters for a long time, his pupils suddenly contracting.

“Tai’e Sword!”

The legendary Tai’e Sword, ranked third among Huaxia’s top ten famous swords!

And now it was in his possession…

He felt as though his breath might stop; his mind could hold only one thought, fortune!

“Mr. Yamamoto, I heard you have something good to sell to me.”

A rich voice pulled Yamamoto Ichiro’s thoughts back to the present. He snapped back to reality, turning to see a man dressed in a black kimono walking in.

“Yes, Mr. Hatoyama!” Yamamoto Ichiro promptly stood up and bowed, bending low enough to nearly touch his knees.

This Hatoyama Yuchi was the buyer he had found, the spokesperson for the Hatoyama Clan in the Kyoto area.

Normally, Yamamoto Ichiro wouldn’t have the qualifications to step into this place, and it was only through an introduction from a lawyer colleague through Mr. Hatoyama that he had the fortune to meet him.

After Hatoyama Yuchi sat down, he nodded, indicating for him to take a seat.

“The items?” Hatoyama Yuchi’s deep, throaty voice cut straight to the point.

Yamamoto Ichiro dared not delay. He quickly crawled on his knees to place the two wooden boxes on the table, pushing them in front of Hatoyama Yuchi: “Please, take a look, Mr. Hatoyama.”

Hatoyama Yuchi did not immediately reach for them but instead swept his sharp eyes over the boxes, pausing for two seconds.

“What’s inside these?”

“They are two very precious Huaxia treasure swords!” Yamamoto Ichiro swallowed nervously, instinctively wiping the sweat from his hands on his pant legs, “One of them is a personal treasure sword of the Qing Dynasty Emperor!”

“And the other, is the Tai’e Sword, one of Huaxia’s top ten famous swords!”

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