"The trap itself is fine, but you getting cut by the blade is a serious issue. What was supposed to be on top of the trap wasn't a blade, but something like an axe, designed to deliver a fatal blow to wild beasts."
"However, the trap was tampered with. Someone deliberately replaced the axe with this blade. Furthermore, the carvings on this blade are ancient; it's a bronze treasure blade from the Western Zhou Dynasty."
After Li Yang cleaned the blade, its intricate patterns became clearly visible.
Qian Long and Murong Xue were astonished!
The origin of this blade was that significant?
Who would use such a priceless treasure blade in a trap deep in the mountains?
Not only could Qian Long not fathom it, but Murong Xue also found it deeply perplexing, feeling it was impossible.
Murong Xue collected herself and looked at Li Yang, asking, "Li Yang, could you be mistaken? Is the origin of this blade truly that significant?"
"Indeed. I've been exposed to antiques since childhood. I wouldn't misidentify something like this. This blade is indeed an antique from the Western Zhou Dynasty, but it's not as simple as you might think," Li Yang said with a profound tone.
"What do you mean? Does this blade hold some secret?" Murong Xue continued to inquire.
"This blade is also known as the 'Kai Huang Dao' (Pioneer Blade). It was a treasure blade used by the royal family during the Western Zhou Dynasty for celestial sacrifices. Before the sacrificial ceremony began, this blade was used to sever the arms of seventy-seven boys and seventy-seven girls."
"Only when the blood overflowed into the sacrificial pool could the ceremony commence. This blade, stained with blood, contained an endless supply of yin energy and resentment. Therefore, in later generations, people utilized the yin energy and resentment within this blade to establish numerous schools of dark arts and cultivate forbidden practices."
"The corpses we saw tonight were a result of these dark arts, and I suspect it's directly related to this treasure blade," Li Yang stated frankly.
"What? Is this blade the evidence left behind by those murderers?" Murong Xue asked in surprise.
"Precisely. Moreover, my guess is that the trap was not set for our people, but for those foreigners."
"As it turned out, the foreigners didn't fall for it. Instead, Qian Long was struck by the blade. If I had arrived even a moment later, the killer would likely have appeared, killed Qian Long, and taken the blade."
Li Yang explained to them, a sense of dread creeping into his heart.
The eye he had seen at the time was most likely the killer. They must have sensed the opponent's strength and lacked the courage to seize the blade.
"I see. These murderers are truly insidious. Not only did they use dark arts on those deceased individuals, but they also set such a deep trap," Murong Xue said, a cold glint in her eyes.
She wished she could apprehend those wicked individuals immediately and capture them all.
Li Yang smiled calmly and looked at her, saying, "There's no need to worry. This blade is now in my possession. In fact, we've profited from this. This blade can be used for cultivating dark arts, but also for righteous practices."
"I plan to take it back and utilize it properly. It might even be of great help to me."
"Master, you must thank me properly. If I hadn't sacrificed a leg, you wouldn't have obtained this treasure," Qian Long quickly said to Li Yang.
"You? If you hadn't run, I might not have gotten this blade. However, your desertion and failure to perform at a crucial moment were also grave mistakes. This time, consider it a wash, and I won't hold it against you," Li Yang said, glancing at him.
Normally, he would have argued with Li Yang for credit, but today he knew he had made a mistake and didn't dare to say more.
In reality, Li Yang had a more important reason for secretly taking the blade: to lure the murderers to come looking for it.
Such a precious item, they must have obtained it through incredibly arduous efforts. Naturally, they wouldn't just lose the treasure blade so easily.
Li Yang hadn't told them about this to avoid causing them undue worry or forcing them to interfere, which could ultimately alert the enemy.
After dealing with matters concerning the vehicle, Li Yang had the security team drive everyone back to Jiang City.
Qian Long was also sent to the dormitory to rest. Although his injuries had stabilized, it would still take some time for him to fully recover.
Li Yang, however, did not rush back. Upon arriving in Jiang City, he parted ways with Murong Xue and quietly went directly to a hotel to find Zhao Long and Zhao Hu.
When Li Yang arrived at the hotel, the lights in their room were on, indicating they were all present.
Li Yang went upstairs directly and knocked on their door. After a moment, Zhao Long's voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Li Yang," Li Yang replied casually.
"Brother Li Yang?"
As soon as Zhao Long heard Li Yang's voice, he immediately got up and rushed to open the door.
Seeing Li Yang, his face showed great relief. He clapped Li Yang on the shoulder and said, "Brother Li Yang, our mission is complete. Those foreigners are dead on the mountain. We killed them ourselves."
"You killed them? Are you sure?"
Li Yang's brows furrowed. He took out the blade from his person and handed it to him, asking, "Do you know anything about this blade?"
"What kind of blade is this?"
Zhao Long indeed didn't know!
To speak more conveniently, he immediately invited Li Yang into the room and patiently asked, "Brother Li Yang, what's going on? Where did you get this blade?"
"Didn't you say you killed those foreigners? This was left behind by the true killer who murdered those foreigners. Don't you recognize it?" Li Yang asked with a smile.
"What? How is that possible?"
Zhao Long looked astonished. He turned back to Li Yang and chuckled, "Brother Li Yang, don't joke with me. Weren't you afraid of the dark tonight? How could you have gone to the mountain? This blade must have come from somewhere else, right?"
"To be frank, I told you I was afraid of the dark during the day because I had other matters to attend to. Tonight, I found the whereabouts of the treasure map, which I learned directly from the leader of Sakura Country, Ku Teng."
"However, after completing my task, I received news of trouble in the mountains, so I went to the mountains again. I personally witnessed the state of those foreigners' deaths. They all died from dark arts. How did you kill them?"
Li Yang's explanation left Zhao Long and Zhao Hu stunned once more!
Zhao Long scratched the back of his head and said to Li Yang, "That shouldn't be right. At that time, we saw them go in, immediately threw white smoke, and then sealed the cave. They were bound to die in there."
"Could it be that besides us, someone else entered the mountain?"
"Are you sure you sealed the cave?" Li Yang asked very seriously.