Chapter 144: 144.Chapter 142 After the 'Mysterious' Disappears, the Capital Is Stirred

144. Chapter 142 After the 'Mysterious' Disappears, the Capital Is Stirred

"Sword?"

"Any intimidating aura?"

"What are you talking about!"

"Your imagination is too rich; this ancient sword is just an ordinary artifact—what special quality could scare off a black bear, even guns wouldn't work!"

Everyone looked at the sword case with varied expressions, feeling baffled; although the sword had just fallen off, it seemed far-fetched that it scared away the black bear.

The assistant, however, firmly said: "Really, it's definitely because of the sword! I was close by, and I vaguely felt that when the sword was drawn, an indescribable aura spread out, intimidating the black bear, which allowed us to escape."

Everyone remained skeptical, examined the sword case for a long time, and found nothing suspicious—even the assistant was doubtful. Finally, since it was an artifact and couldn't be handled freely, they gave up the investigation.

"How uncommon—does the punt‑poling old man also carry a sword?"

It turned out to be written in bird‑seal script!

And on that very day, good news arrived.

Professor Song, holding a magnifying glass, examined the ancient sword back and forth, and soon discovered a line of tiny characters where the hilt meets the blade.

But after everyone's research, based on the sword's casting technique and its form, it was confirmed to be from the Warring States period without a doubt.

Earlier they speculated that the mist in the video was likely some kind of chemical substance, such as smoke grenades, used to block the camera.

However, just after midnight, the picture suddenly became somewhat blurry!

After taking another careful look around, the assistant froze, staring at the empty glass display case, his face turning as ugly as possible.

Unless there is still a Spring and Autumn–Warring States ancient tomb here, because the two overlap, the presence of bronze artifacts would not be strange.

He also didn't want to make a big fuss, as spreading it would harm the research center's reputation, but that person seemed unwilling to back down unless forced.

Who would give a Sharp Instrument to an accomplished monk?

Moreover, the institute's security system is highly advanced; everyone entering the research center must scan their fingerprint and undergo iris recognition, making it impossible for ordinary people to get inside.

Later, the archaeology center's staff examined a large amount of data and even contacted the netizen who originally posted that viewpoint, learning his true identity.

"Tap-tap-tap—"

He turned out to be a young man named 'Qi Xueqing', majoring in historical research with good grades, and a disciple of a renowned master; his teacher is no ordinary figure, having achieved considerable standing in the field.

With the sound of the sword scabbard rubbing, everyone instinctively held their breath, eyes fixed on Professor Song's movements.

"Just who stole the thing, dragging us all into bad luck?"

"Who would dare steal an artifact? It's unthinkable—no outsiders have come in lately, so it must be an insider, utterly embarrassing the research center!"

"An archaeologist actually stole an artifact! It's a huge joke—if it gets out, people will laugh their heads off and question the authority of the capital's archaeology center!"

During the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period, swords were not used for combat; they were more often decorative items or symbols of status, even akin to ornaments.

"It isn't even a name."

"How is that possible!"

The origin of the ancient sword seems to have become a mystery.

It feels quite heavy in hand; the overall shape is ancient and elegant, the blade's spine runs parallel to the two edges, the tip is sharp and tapered, the thickness forms an inverted‑concave shape, and the round shaft has two hoops.

But if Zhi Dun didn't cherish it, why would he bring this bronze ancient sword with him into nirvana, especially since it dates from the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period—surely nobody placed it there after his death?

Originally thought to be just an ordinary bronze ancient sword, but digging deeper uncovered a related idiom allusion.

It was as if a thousand‑year‑old ink‑wash scroll slowly unfurled before everyone.

Only at night did the day's busy work finally end, with staff trickling away.

Everyone searched the institute, but found no trace of the bronze ancient sword—not even the security guards were spared from questioning.

The research center's staff debated endlessly: one was a monk from a thousand years ago, the other an ancient sword even older than that monk.

"Do you remember what happened when we faced off against the black bear? This sword is too eerie—I now somewhat believe what Xiao Li said back then."

"It's really too strange—Wei Jin and the Spring and Autumn–Warring States are a millennium apart; where did this sword come from, and how did Master Zhi Dun obtain it?"

At that moment everyone heard it and nodded in agreement.

The room was silent, with no change; the bronze ancient sword sat nicely in its glass display case, and were it not for the time shifting in the lower‑right corner, everyone would have thought the scene was frozen.

But now, just as the assistant said, the inside is completely empty.

But two days later there were still no clues; given how much Zhi Dun treasured this sword, one would expect some record, yet searching through histories and texts reveals no mention of him possessing such a bronze ancient sword, which is utterly baffling.

The assistant came running over, holding a stack of materials, saying, 'After investigation, the Jing River really does exist, and this river has quite a background.'

The original owner of this sword can be set aside for now; the key is how Zhi Dun obtained this ancient sword that spans a thousand years.

Assistant Li stammered, 'I don't know what happened either; when I went to fetch the item as you instructed, I found the bronze ancient sword missing from the cabinet.'

Everyone whispered among themselves for a moment, but no one stepped forward.

The security guards yielded no useful information, and Professor Song's expression turned grim.

"So the question arises: in that idiom story, it never says whether the old man managed to fish out the sword, and how did it end up in Master Zhi Dun's hands?"

The moment his words landed, the whole hall fell into a brief silence.

The assistant also chimed in, sighing, 'Yeah, who would have thought that our familiar idiom story actually has another version, completely overturning our previous understanding?'

As for the source of that strange sound, the police temporarily couldn't explain its cause, but they suspected it might be a tool used for theft.

"It's like something from the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period!"

Logically, the two should have nothing to do with each other—yet Professor Song and his team happened to encounter them, and this millennium‑old mystery has almost kept everyone awake at night.

Although the sword bears the inscription 'Jing River One Old Man Eh,' and the tale of 'carving a boat to seek a sword' also took place on the Jing River, these are merely conjectures of the archaeology center, with no solid proof as yet.

"The research center is covered with surveillance—trying to pull a fast one is utterly impossible."

"The research center has existed for so long without ever experiencing this—yet someone actually committed insider theft!"

Professor Song, unconvinced, rewound the surveillance footage, slowed it down, and watched it carefully from start to finish, yet still found nothing.

At the very least we need to clarify the sword's origin, or whether it possesses some mysterious quality that would make Zhi Dun look at it differently.

Professor Song! We have a new clue.

The Wei Jin period sword has a guard much wider than the sheath tip, forming a rectangle or inverted trapezoid; the hilt sides protrude more, edges sharp, presenting a flat long w and m shape; the handle's middle contracts sharply, thick at the rear and thin at the front.

The key is that the surveillance footage hasn't been captured; could it really be a ghost encounter? The ancient sword can't just disappear on its own.

If it were a thief, they wouldn't have taken only this one item; the other relics are still here.

He took a deep breath: "You also know the stakes of this matter; it's a serious criminal act! I'll give that person another chance to voluntarily hand over the item; I can consider leniency, even not report it. Don't let one wrong turn ruin your life."

That's not right either; you said it's an idiom story, but we don't know what happened afterward—maybe it was already fished out, just never recorded.

Really sorry, Professor Song; we checked earlier and there are no signs of large beasts around here—this black bear must have come from another mountain.

Facing the police's apology, Professor Song said it's no problem; such things can't be predicted by humans.

Could he still be a boatman?

While they were on the road, they happened to encounter the black bear entering the mountains, but all that remained was a fleeting shadow; not knowing whether it was full or what, the police suddenly had a bad premonition.

Wearing gloves, they took the ancient sword out of the box and carefully drew the scabbard, their movements gentle, as if handling a priceless treasure.

So they were unaware of the earlier uproar, but after hearing the assistant's detailed explanation, they finally understood the circumstances.

If Professor Song weren't so serious, they would almost have thought the research centre staff were joking with them.

The video also shows no signs of editing or synthesis; there is no possibility of human interference. The police also retrieved other angles and floor surveillance, yet found no trace of anyone.

I heard they didn't; Professor Song's team brought back a bronze ancient sword from the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period while excavating Eastern Jin ruins.

In other words, how the thief got into the cultural relics storage room is completely a mystery.

But the sword before us, despite the passage of so much time, still shows a sharp, thin blade.

Professor Song, lost in thought, said that according to the historical situation of the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period, a second Jing River should not appear.

"Could it have been stolen?!"

"Hum—"

"Sounds like the cry of something?"

Carried by the eminent monk Zhi Dun at all times, not even set aside during his meditation until death, showing how highly this object was regarded.

After going around in circles we're back to square one; even if we understood the sword's origin, we still couldn't explain why it ended up in Zhi Dun's hands.

Everyone's expression changed at once: "What do you mean, 'disappeared'?"

"No, why does it sound like a muffled conversation?"

If there were still doubts about the sword's earlier provenance, it might be a later imitation.

"You're getting more and more mystical; this is clearly a theft, creating this commotion just to confuse us and spread doubt."

Unless that person has supernatural means to destroy the surveillance, their identity will soon be revealed.

Professor Song instinctively widened his eyes and couldn't help asking: "Did you hear any noise?"

"What did Xiao Li say?"

Upon hearing that, everyone suddenly understood, yet felt even stranger.

And within this legend, there is actually a veil of historical mist.

After the capital police received the report, they quickly dispatched specialists to handle the case.

The footage sped up until the early morning; not a person, not even a ghostly shadow, appeared in the monitor.

Assistant Li said: "How could there be mist? Everything was fine before."

"That's not right!"

But as the footage progressed, the surveillance video never showed any suspicious person approaching this room.

Professor Song and the others received the police's feedback, feeling worried, but anxiety was useless.

Because everyone has been busy lately, they all voluntarily started work earlier.

Professor Song exclaimed in surprise: "Could the owner of this sword be that boat‑pulling old man?"

"What's wrong, Xiao Li?"

"It's terrible, Professor Song—the bronze ancient sword is missing!"

Zhi Dun's remains were also cleaned and enshrined by specialists.

The Wei Jin period and the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period differ by a thousand years!

The head of the Security Department replied: "It looks like there's mist on the camera's exterior?"

The time and place match up; maybe this really is the pendant sword that fell into the river in the idiom story.

"How strange! No wonder Zhi Dun clung to it before death—could it be that Master Zhi Dun took the sword?"

The air was silent as everyone stared at the ancient sword before them, lost in thought.

Even if someone had entered, it would only have been Professor Song and his team, with empty hands and nothing to carry, making it impossible to remove the bronze ancient sword.

But what matters is that it is now closely linked to Master Zhi Dun; there must be an unknown history behind it, making it intriguing.

No matter what, we must recover the stolen bronze ancient sword, after all it concerns Master Zhi Dun's historical secrets!

The room still holds other relics, none missing; even Zhi Dun's remains are intact.

Professor Song seemed to think of something, his gaze falling on the sword's box.

Professor Song gathered all the research centre staff together, scanned their faces, and his expression grew grim.

The Jing River has changed over a thousand years; it should now be called the An River.

The mist lasted only a few minutes, but once it cleared, the spot where the bronze ancient sword had been was empty!

It just vanished into thin air!

Everyone was instantly shocked, faces filled with disbelief.

Strangely, no footprints were collected at the scene, and the glass case bore no fingerprints.

The ancient temple yielded many relics; whether restoring or studying them, it's a fairly large project.

It sounds a bit like the metallic clang of clashing swords?

Even back when the ancient temple ruins were discovered, Professor Song had wanted to uncover the secret inside the ancient sword, but conditions and equipment were limited then, so he could only suppress his urge.

Originally, they thought the surveillance would reveal the thief's true form, but they didn't expect the appearance of this strange mist, leaving everyone even more helpless.

Faced with the students' questions, the creases between Professor Song's eyebrows could almost pinch a mosquito to death; he sighed and said, "This is hard to say."

Therefore, on such swords, the owner's name is usually engraved to display their identity.

"So the Jing River mentioned in this story is the Jing River engraved on the sword's body?"

Being able to engrave such a sentence means that, whether the punt‑poling old man is the sword's owner or not, he definitely has countless ties to this sword.

Looking at these characters now only confirms it: this is undoubtedly a Warring States period artifact!

Although some parts have become blurred from water erosion, after restoration we finally managed to decipher the content of this line of small characters.

But when the police rushed over, they found the research center's personnel unharmed, with no casualties, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He recalled the earlier feeling of being watched, but still shook his head—it's just a weapon; how could it have eyes?

Perhaps it really was just an illusion.

Around 4 or 5 p. m., everyone gathered and began work busier than when they were at the riverbed ruins, almost like a spinning top that never stops.

That noon, after returning to the research center in the capital, Professor Song and the others first got a good night's sleep.

The person saying this felt their throat extremely dry and hoarse, unable to utter the following sentence because the answer was simply too absurd.

Bird seal script is a type of seal script where the strokes are replaced by bird shapes; it is not only uniquely decorative but also carries deep symbolic meaning.

It was late at night; unknown when the fog began, it gradually enveloped the artifact storage room.

"Xiao Li said, 'This sword has an aura of menace!'"

The assistant ran out in a panic and literally bumped into Professor Song, who was discussing with several institute members the matter of the bronze ancient sword and the 'Marking the Boat to Seek the Sword' legend.

Just thinking about it feels like this gift is outrageous.

"They ran away?"

"I feel this doesn't look like a Wei-Jin period sword; instead it looks like."

"Professor Song, are you all alright?!"

If it were a thief, taking just this one item seems implausible—there are countless things more valuable than this ancient sword!

Professor Song's face darkened a bit, and he said, "Very well, if that's the case, then we can only check the surveillance—don't blame me for not showing mercy later."

Every night someone still comes on patrol; theoretically, theft should be rare, and since the institute's founding, nothing like this has ever happened.

"Professor Song's team is busy investigating; we don't know what the final result will be, but this period of history obviously has great potential for excavation!"

【Jing River, one old man!】

After the black bear incident, even the civil police dared not be careless, dispatching police to be stationed here to protect the remaining archaeological staff, lest such things happen again.

Whether this bronze ancient sword is the sidearm from the 'Marking the Boat to Seek the Sword' story cannot be ascertained, but according to current clues, the two are inseparably linked.

Looking at the restored characters, everyone was somewhat baffled; according to archaeological consensus, engraving characters on Warring States swords is normal—indeed, even King Goujian's Sword of Yue bears the inscription 'King Goujian of Yue, self-made for sword use'.

The people at the archaeological center debated endlessly, with many doubts surfacing in their minds.

But in a casual glance out of the corner of their eye, they always felt as if something was missing.

Since there were no clues from Zhi Dun's side, everyone had no choice but to focus their attention on the ancient sword.

Although the box had previously fallen and the sword's scabbard came off, at that time they had just endured the black bear crisis and nobody had the mood to examine what the ancient sword actually looked like.

Song An and the others shook their heads, and upon seeing the police they finally felt a bit safer.

"Crack—"

Just then, hurried footsteps came from nearby—it was the police who had rushed over after receiving the call.

Moreover, later records never mention that Zhi Dun liked bronze ware, so none of this makes any sense.

"Where did the bronze ancient sword go?!"

Soon the surveillance footage was retrieved, but by this time still no one came forward.

The assistant was the first to reach the artifact storage room, because they needed to fetch materials for Professor Song.

"Good thing there were no casualties; we plan to bring some artifacts back to the capital first, and entrust the rest of the matters here to you."

"While Professor Song is still willing to give a chance, whoever stole it, come forward quickly—don't make things too ugly."

"From the Spring and Autumn period tomb we excavated earlier, we unearthed quite a few bronze implements like these; swords are few among them, but most are similar—hurry, take another close look."

"Last night there was nothing abnormal—I checked everything, and all equipment was running normally."

As for why they didn't take anything else but only the bronze ancient sword, perhaps because its provenance is special and it's tied to a historical anecdote, they thought there was profit to be made, so they decided to take the risk?

Although this logic is rather stiff, it's currently the only possibility.

But the fog obstructs the view, making it impossible to see clearly.

"But these are all just our guesses; why this sword ended up in Master Zhi Dun's hands and why it was so highly regarded remain unclear, requiring further investigation."

Now that he has arrived at the capital's archaeological research center, his first task is to study the ancient sword.

"What?! There's actually such a marvelous affair?!"

Unless it was brought in by internal staff, but Professor Song checked the entry/exit log and found no recent visits by outsiders.

Late at night.

After extensive data and research, it can be proven that the former name of the An River was the Jing River, located at the border of the Chu state; this place is also the origin of the 'Marking the Boat to Seek the Sword' anecdote.

However, after air sampling and testing, all indicators showed normal; logically, such gas emissions should always leave residues, yet the results were surprising.

"I never expected there to be such intricacies in here."

After hearing this winding tale, Professor Song couldn't help but feel moved.

Recently, due to the ancient sword's theft, the research center has been shrouded in a gloom, making everyone anxious; several versions have even been derived, but they only dare to whisper them in private, never speaking them openly.

Professor Song, however, showed a doubtful expression, saying, "Historical tall tale?"

This ancient sword was still in the possession of the high monk Zhi Dun, and even at the time of his passing into nirvana it was kept by his side.

The empty corridor echoed with the footsteps of patrol personnel; seeing no suspicious persons around, he also checked the equipment, which showed everything was functioning properly, and only then did he feel relieved to leave.

Everyone found it increasingly strange; previously many weapons from the Wei-Jin period had been unearthed, yet this ancient sword in their hands was completely different.

Huh?

Could it be that the original owner of this sword was an old man?

Professor Song furrowed his brows, "What's going on?"

For a moment, the police were baffled, obtaining no useful information; this perfect locked-room theft could be described as seamless.

But the name for this "ancient sword" has also become "weird sword" and "evil sword," because many people feel the sword is sinister.

Could it have been accidentally placed somewhere else?

But for now, Professor Song has put all of these aside, his gaze fixed on that ancient sword.

The sky gradually showed a fish-belly white hue; at seven in the morning, the archaeological center began to hear the sound of footsteps coming and going.

The police looked at each other, some puzzled, "What's going on again?"

These small characters resemble bird claw marks, looking quite ethereal.

The black sword blade appeared in their view, carrying a sense of antiquity and heft; as the scabbard was drawn away, it gradually became clearer.

Actually, this bronze ancient sword isn't particularly important; many bronze artifacts have been unearthed, some older than it. Without special historical significance, it wouldn't rank as a rare treasure—being classified as a first-class cultural relic would already be good.

Just as everyone was puzzled, a faint humming came from the mist.

Especially Assistant Li, after the day of the theft he's been a bit absent-minded, constantly recalling involuntarily the scene of his confrontation with the black bear that day; he once had mental issues and went to the hospital for check-ups multiple times.

No wonder Professor Song is so angry.

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart.

Originally we didn't want to alarm the police, since insider theft is also a disgrace, but now we have no choice, as the surveillance footage shows no suspects.

Professor Song's chest heaved; it was clear he was furious. If this got out, it would be a blot on the record, and the reputation of the Capital Research Center would be ruined!

Professor Song then led the others, bringing most of the unearthed artifacts back to the capital.

Now, aside from knowing it dates to the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period, the only clue is that line of small characters.

For a moment, the police didn't know what to say; as long as no one was hurt, that was fine.

However, although many artifacts were unearthed from the ancient temple, none were from other periods, so the possibility of overlap can practically be ruled out.

The black sword blade was like a ghost; such wonders are rare in the archaeological community, shrouding the entire archaeological center in doubt.

Thus, at that time most weapons were made of iron, while bronze weapons were scarce.

Finally, the research center unanimously decided to report the case, handing it over to professionals to solve, hoping to find useful leads.

And why is it so cherished?

Countless doubts swirled in the hearts of Professor Song and the others, but with no leads for now, they could only continue sorting the artifacts, hoping to gain some information.

Although Professor Song and his team also engage in historical research, research comes in many forms with different focuses; moreover, Professor Song is older and doesn't use the internet much.

Everyone had their own opinion, opinions varied, and clearly each person felt something different; yet Professor Song's heart was stirred, and he involuntarily recalled the strange incident that occurred when he once confronted a black bear by the riverbank.

Professor Song was astonished; looking at the documents handed over by the assistant, his expression instantly became extremely complex.

The civil police nodded, "That's natural."

Inside the research center, there was no one left; the staff had all gone to rest, some heading home, some staying in the dormitories.

How does it sound like self-mockery?

Professor Song An pondered for a moment, then explained, "If translated, I think it should be 'The old man who punts a boat on the Jing River.'"

These artifacts are relatively important; they are all Wei-Jin period items related to Buddhism, and they hold great research value for the history and development of Buddhism at that time.

Especially the black bear that Professor Song mentioned kneeling and then slipping away—this makes it even more unbelievable.

Everyone rushed over; the bronze ancient sword had originally been placed in a glass case with anti-theft measures.

As time passed, the mist slowly dissipated, and along with it disappeared that Warring States ancient sword……

One who devotes oneself to studying Buddhism would not pay attention to these; if someone were to give a gift, it would be suited to their taste—sutras, Buddha statues, and the like.

Professor Song also consulted Teacher Qi Xueqing for a while; after receiving some answers, his doubts were completely gone.

Using the motif of a flying bird entering script expresses the ancient Chinese esteemed way of being human; the message of migratory birds guarding winter and coming with spring—'trust' is the meaning of the bird seal script.

But what does the inscription on this sword mean? Not avoiding a name taboo, but rather resembling self-mockery?

What does this mean?

During the Wei-Jin Northern and Southern Dynasties, the steel‑casting method was invented, allowing hard yet flexible steel to be widely produced; weapons made this way were tough and sharp, and ironware is more durable than bronzeware and sharp.

Other staff also nodded in agreement, "This is an enclosed space; for fog to suddenly arise is too strange."

It's fine, it's fine; that black bear ran off on its own.

Sudden fog is really eerie—think about it, the other rooms are normal, only this room had an incident; could it be because of the ancient sword?

"Professor Song, did you happen to see that widely circulated historical mystery story online? It's the tale of 'carving a boat to seek a sword'; later, net‑savvy history enthusiasts investigated and found that the protagonist of the anecdote was actually a punting‑boat old man……

If there were a thief, it could only mean one thing: the thief came from within their own ranks.

Given Professor Song's deep knowledge of history, how could he not see it? He filled in what he hadn't finished saying.

It must be that strange mist just now; perhaps the thief created it to deliberately confuse our vision.

One night passed.

After a brief explanation, the police were completely baffled; logically, if the black bear had taken the initiative to attack, it would surely not give up easily.

What, then, is the reason that caused the high monk to regard the ancient sword differently, and what secret lies therein?

Unable to help it, he again thought of the strange black bear and the assistant's words, making Professor Song all the more eager.

It seems it never belonged to this spacetime, and now it is being erased from spacetime.

That ancient sword sat on the rack; at this moment it actually trembled slightly, emitting a faint hum, the mist instantly rippled—like the long river of time sending out ripples—gradually swallowing the sword blade.

Now we can finally see clearly.

And because there are no new clues, the case has fallen into a stalemate for the time being.

For a moment, everyone's doubts not only didn't lessen, but grew significantly.

Whether in shape or material, it does not match the style of the time, and compared to other unearthed artifacts, there is nothing similar.

"Old Man of the Jing River".

And as Professor Song An and others worked day and night, this news quickly spread throughout the Kyoto Archaeological Center.

"Professor Song, is this bronze ancient sword really the sword from inside the 'Marking the Boat to Find the Sword' story?"

They actually discovered a bronze sword from the Spring and Autumn Warring States period among the historical relics of the Eastern Jin!

"The bronze ancient sword has disappeared!"

Professor Song An's face, which had originally been excited and thrilled, was replaced by doubt and surprise.

Professor Song seemed to think of something, and had people pull up surveillance from other places, but all the other footage was normal; only the room where the bronze ancient sword was kept was covered in thick fog, making its contents unclear and somewhat eerie.

But as a sword, being made of cast bronze, it was extremely rare and precious during the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, and ordinary people obviously had no right to own one.

The moment his words landed, others couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Moreover, a few key characters of the old boat-puller were inscribed on the sword's body, and thinking further about the related story of 'Marking the Boat to Find the Sword'...

Although there are flaws on the sword's body, they are precious traces left by the passage of time.

Anyone who could enter and leave that room was summoned by the police for questioning, but from the interrogation records, it seems nobody had any suspicion.

The surveillance was projected onto the big screen, and everyone stared intently, wanting to see just who this daring person was.

This statement is actually not hard to explain and points strongly in a certain direction, so even before this, some people had already been assigned to specifically investigate the origin of the ancient sword.

When Zhi Dun built the temple, wasn't anything discovered?

Although such a situation is relatively rare, it does exist in the archaeological community.

"Could it be a later imitation?"

But everyone's faces were ashen, like they had just survived a disaster, not looking like they were lying, and moreover, so many people present had seen it.

An impossible conjecture arose in everyone's mind.

In the image, a layer of hazy white mist filled the whole room; at first it was just a thin vapor, then it quickly grew thick, until finally even the camera was covered, completely obscuring the scene.

"We cannot rule out this possibility, but during the Wei-Jin period, people favored objects from the Western Jin and Three Kingdoms eras; the Spring and Autumn period is about a thousand years apart from the Eastern Jin, so imitations are still relatively rare."

However, the Archaeological Center did not halt its research because of the sword's theft; its disappearance actually added a great deal of mystery to the matter.

It even makes one wonder whether it truly possesses something extraordinary, for Master Zhi Dun to have kept it by his side even at the moment of his sitting in meditation and entering nirvana.

In order to clarify the relationship between the bronze ancient sword and Zhi Dun, the Kyoto Archaeological Center decided to start the investigation from the source!

And according to earlier speculation, the bronze ancient sword is related to the idiom 'Marking the Boat to Find the Sword,' so they can use this as a starting point.

"Book the tickets, we set off for Wu Du tomorrow!"