C9 Qin Army

Thinking of leaving now? Too late for that. You're staying put!" Elder Qi finally shifted his gaze, his cold stare piercing through the middle-aged man in the raincoat, his eyes fierce, his presence commanding.

He abruptly rose to his feet, blocking the man's way out.

"Elder Qi..." Gu Qianqian began, only to bite her tongue. In the world of collectors, there was an unspoken rule: if you bought a counterfeit in an antique deal, you bore the consequences.

Even though Elder Qi had revealed the man's item as a fake, there wasn't much he could do about it. Gu Qianqian's own shop wasn't exactly free of such forgeries.

Hee Ming attempted to intervene, but Elder Qi dismissed him with a wave of his hand, declaring, "This isn't about the fake anymore; it's about his identity. I suspect he's posing as a member of the Qin Army."

"A fake Qin Army?" Gu Qianqian gasped, falling silent. She cast a sympathetic glance at the man in the raincoat.

Though his face was obscured, beads of sweat on his forehead were evident to Gu Qianqian and the others. His body was rigid, trembling ever so slightly.

He was clearly nervous, terrified.

"What's the Qin Army?" Tantrum interjected, his curiosity piqued by the repeated mentions.

Gu Qianqian paused, then elucidated, "The Qin Army is the moniker for China's largest syndicate of gold-digging captains, a formidable organization comprised of elite Tomb Robbers. Aside from the part-time grave-diggers and farmers, half of the country's Tomb Robbers are affiliated with them. The Qin Army's specialty is procuring rare antiques for the world's most esteemed collectors. They're known for their professionalism, efficiency, and stringent management. The government has made several attempts to dismantle them, all in vain."

Perhaps because Tantrum had saved her from a million-yuan loss, Gu Qianqian's demeanor toward him had softened considerably.

"Such an organization exists?" Tantrum expressed his astonishment, his interest clearly piqued.

Gu Qianqian went on, "The Qin Army is meticulously managed. Beyond the top Tomb Robbers, they also boast premier appraisal experts. It's rare for the Qin Army to deal in fakes, which is why they enjoy such a sterling reputation among collectors. Typically, any antique sold by the Qin Army is immediately deemed authentic. However, some have exploited the Qin Army's name for profit, peddling counterfeits. And the Qin Army is unforgiving with impostors, dealing with them harshly."

Worried that Tantrum might still be confused, Gu Qianqian elaborated, "If you apprehend an imposter and turn them over to the Qin Army, you'll earn an auction ticket, granting you access to their prestigious annual auction. This event features the auctioning of the world's most valuable antiques, attracting wealthy collectors who are willing to pay millions just for the entrance ticket."

"So, he could trade it for a ticket that's worth millions?" Tantrum asked, pointing at the man in the raincoat, his voice tinged with astonishment.

"That's one way to put it," Gu Qianqian confirmed with a nod.

"Out of my way!" In that instant, the man in the raincoat bellowed furiously, swinging the wooden box at Elder Qi's head in a desperate attempt to break free from his hold and flee the antique shop.

"Elder Qi, watch out!" Gu Qianqian cried out, though she wasn't overly concerned. She was aware of Elder Qi's training in Ancient Martial Arts and his considerable strength; he was her covert protector.

But Elder Qi's eyes widened in alarm at that moment. He had correctly identified the man as a Qin Army impersonator, but he had grossly underestimated his combat prowess.

As the man swung the wooden box, it sliced through the air, creating a whooshing sound, and his sleeves snapped with a sharp, crackling noise.

This was the hallmark of Ancient Martial Arts.

Only an Ancient Martial Artist who had mastered Dark Strength could produce such a crisp sound with a mere flick of the wrist!

The man in the raincoat was a master of Dark Strength.

Elder Qi, once a master of Dark Strength himself, had seen his abilities wane with age and his physical condition decline, reducing his strength to the Clear Strength level.

Now, enveloped by the man's powerful aura, Elder Qi was thrust into peril.

Bang!

With no other option, Elder Qi frantically blocked the wooden box with his arm, feeling a surge of force invade his body. As the box shattered, he let out a stifled groan, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he stumbled backward.

The assailant in the straw raincoat didn't cease his attack. Discarding the shattered wooden box, he gripped the Ancient Bronze Sword and made a swift, deadly lunge for Elder Qi's neck, intent on claiming his life.

Elder Qi's eyes bulged in terror, desperately trying to dodge, but his body's sluggish response betrayed him. He couldn't fully evade the strike, and it seemed he was moments away from being slain by the raincoat-clad man.

"What a malevolent soul."

That's when Tantrum sprang into action.

Maybe it was his youth that made the raincoat man underestimate him; he hadn't bothered to guard against Tantrum. But as Tantrum burst forward, shielding Elder Qi, the attacker was caught off guard.

In that moment of shock, Tantrum extended his arm and fiercely grabbed the man's wrist.

With a twist and a push, he unleashed a burst of power!

The man in the straw raincoat screamed in agony, his grip on the Bronze Sword failing as he collapsed to his knees, seemingly drained of all strength.

Elder Qi and Gu Qianqian watched in astonishment and awe as Tantrum deftly overpowered the man.

"You'll regret this! My brothers won't let you get away with it!" the man hissed at Tantrum, eyes seething with rage as he issued his threat.

"First, you'll have to contend with the Qin Army," Elder Qi retorted, securing the man with rope.

Meanwhile, Tantrum bent down to retrieve the Bronze Sword from the ground, murmuring to himself, "I'm just amazed that this Ancient Bronze Sword is worth a million. I never claimed it was a fake. What's everyone up to..."

Tantrum's keen senses detected a thick layer of indecipherable yellow runes on the sword. While not as intricate as those on the small cauldron or the Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear, they were nonetheless exceedingly uncommon.

The issue lay in the fact that this was a reforged broken sword.

The Ancient Bronze Sword had once been shattered into four pieces and was masterfully recast by a skilled blacksmith. The signs of reforging were nearly imperceptible without close inspection.

Elder Qi had intended to challenge his disciple, entrusting Hee Ming with the initial appraisal, which is why the sword's true nature had escaped notice at first. But with Tantrum's enhanced perception, the flaw was easily spotted. Upon his prompting, Elder Qi took another look and, at last, the problem was revealed.

Tantrum might not have been well-versed in the value of antiques, but he understood that there was a world of difference between the worth of a well-preserved piece and one that was damaged.

In the world of collectors, there was a saying: "A flawed porcelain piece is worthless." This adage spoke volumes about the catastrophic impact that imperfections could have on the value of antiques.

With this in mind, Tantrum was convinced that the shattered Ancient Bronze Sword couldn't possibly be worth a million. It was this conviction that compelled him to intervene and halt the transaction.

Yet, this very Ancient Bronze Sword was an authentic level 3 artifact. Should Tantrum harness it for his practice of Relic Arts, or even consecrate it as his inaugural Relic, it held the potential to be incredibly beneficial.