Chapter 114

Chapter 114

The mountains clustered together, winding and undulating. Between the treacherous peaks, lush forests painted a verdant backdrop against the clear blue sky, as the blazing sun hung overhead like a ball of fire.

It was approaching sunset when a modest mountain villa came into view, nestled among the peaks and forests. Bathed in the magnificent glow of twilight, it presented an almost picturesque scene.

The four of them got out of the car and gazed at the villa before them, taking note of the fence surrounding it. Xue Hao took one look and his previous doubts melted away, a broad smile spreading across his face. “We’re in luck! This villa’s structure is similar to one my father bought a few years ago. That house was said to be over a century old and cost at least eight figures. Just based on the price of this place, whoever lives here wouldn’t need to scam us out of our modest sum. At least this trip wasn’t wasted!”

His excitement was understandable, given their previous fruitless excursions. They had visited several supposed antique collectors, only to encounter either con artists with fake goods or fools who had been duped themselves. The few genuine antiques they did come across didn’t meet their requirements.

This time, they wouldn’t have traveled so far if not for the forum user’s fervent assurances that he was introducing them to a genuine antique collector with a substantial collection, backed by the official certification of the Extraordinary Forum.

The rough, winding mountain road had taken its toll on them. Now, the sight of this villa was like a sumptuous feast laid out before their eyes, instantly dispelling the fatigue of their long journey and replacing it with eager anticipation.

The others couldn’t help but smile as well, though their previous disappointments tempered their excitement with caution. “We can’t be too sure. Judging by this villa, the owner is likely a genuine antique collector, but what we’re looking for isn’t just any ordinary antique.”

“That’s true. We’re after extraordinary items.”

As they conversed, a figure emerged from behind the villa’s iron gate and approached them.

Drawing near, the person overheard their conversation and chimed in, “If you’re looking for ordinary antiques, I’m not sure if my collection will meet your expectations. But if you’re seeking extraordinary items, you’ve come to the right place. What I’m offering for trade are indeed extraordinary artifacts.”

All eyes immediately turned to the speaker.

Before them stood a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. She wore a yellow floral maxi dress and a wide-brimmed straw hat adorned with floral trim. Her figure was slender and graceful, with flowing hair like dark clouds. Her oval face, possessing a classical beauty, was as fair as jade. She exuded an air of scholarly refinement rarely seen in modern society.

Noticing their collective gaze, she arched her delicate eyebrows and offered a gentle smile. “Hello, I’m ‘Guanghan Moon’ from the forum, with whom you arranged this transaction. My real name is An Xiaoxi.”

“It’s you!” The group was taken aback. Ji Nian directly asked, “Weren’t you supposed to introduce us to an antique collector? How did it become your own collection?”

More importantly...

“And if you’re certain these are extraordinary items, why are you willing to sell them to us? Don’t you want to keep them for yourself?”

Faced with their near-accusatory doubts, An Xiaoxi remained unperturbed. She smiled at Ji Nian and explained, “Because the true owner of these items isn’t me, but my grandfather. As his granddaughter, it’s only natural for me to act as an intermediary, isn’t it?”

“As for why we’re not keeping them for ourselves...” Her brow furrowed slightly as she sighed, “Extraordinary items aren’t to everyone’s liking. For some, they’re more of a burden.”

Her smile returned as she continued, “But don’t worry. My reluctance to keep these items stems from my own aversion to trouble, not because the items themselves are particularly harmful or bizarre. In your hands, they might prove to be quite beneficial.”

The others’ suspicions dissipated, and their gazes toward her took on a hint of understanding, tinged with curiosity. “It seems these extraordinary items of yours aren’t so easily dealt with.”

An Xiaoxi smiled wryly and turned to lead them inside. “Ah well, follow me. You’ll understand when you see them.”

....

Extraordinary items refer to objects that are supernatural and peculiar, defying common sense, beyond ordinary cognition, and incomprehensible to the average person.

The appearance of the first extraordinary item could be traced back to just over a month ago.

In the northern Yidun Kingdom of the Yao Country, a statue suddenly descended from the sky, landing in the center of the most magnificent Skias Square in the capital.

Everyone in Skias Square who laid eyes on it found themselves instantly captivated.

They gazed at the statue for a long time.

— The statue of the nameless, faceless god was the first extraordinary item to appear on the Blue Star since the revival of spiritual energy.

Many countries’ supernatural organizations, upon learning of this, immediately recorded it in secret files. They prepared numerous potentially effective countermeasures in case the statue suddenly appeared again.

Naturally, the mysterious supernatural being who had effortlessly resolved the incident drew countless eyes. Official agencies from various countries exhausted all means to investigate, yet they never discovered any leads.

After that, new extraordinary items began to appear successively.

Compared to the bizarre, heaven-descending statue, the power of the subsequently appearing items decreased by several levels. Most could be traced back to their origins, often being ordinary objects that had suddenly undergone strange changes.

For instance: a piano that played itself in the empty night; ancient poetry fragments from a thousand years ago suddenly gaining new characters, automatically completing the original sentences; antique vases in a museum that always rearranged themselves from tallest to shortest overnight despite being deliberately mixed up; an old painting that instilled inexplicable fear in those who gazed at it for too long...

It was as if the revival of spiritual energy not only gave humans the possibility of supernatural powers but also imbued these inanimate objects with a spirit of their own.

— These objects were collectively termed “extraordinary items.” Among the currently discovered extraordinary items, antiques were particularly prevalent.

Since most extraordinary items lacked destructive power, and because they were mostly owned assets before becoming extraordinary, the Yao Country government did not take forceful measures. Instead, they purchased them from their owners through voluntary transactions. Only when destructive extraordinary items appeared would the Special Case Investigation Team arrive to forcibly contain them. As for private transactions among civilians, they couldn’t interfere much.

Other countries had varying attitudes. Some, like Yao Country, only forcibly contained destructive and ownerless extraordinary items, while others indiscriminately contained all discovered extraordinary items regardless of their nature.

Since the revival of spiritual energy, people who learned of the existence of supernatural powers in this world had already fallen into a pursuit of various antiques and ancient texts. Countless individuals collected antiques and classics, trying to uncover the secrets buried in the depths of history and gain supernatural encounters. The era when the Lord of the Heavenly Capital was born, for instance, had been studied countless times by historians.

The emergence of extraordinary items made this pursuit even more fervent.

— Even if they couldn’t discover supernatural encounters from antiques and classics, what if the antiques they found were extraordinary items themselves?

The small group formed by Xue Hao and his three companions was among the many pursuing antiques and classics. The Ji siblings were his schoolmates who had experienced wonders in the sword realm and become martial arts practitioners. Shi Cheng was a martial arts enthusiast they met on the forum who had become obsessed with sword practice since martial arts cultivation methods emerged, nearly working himself to death and ending up in the hospital.

However, compared to his fervent obsession, his martial arts talent was lacking, and he had yet to truly embark on the path of cultivation. This made Xue Hao, who was also inept at martial arts, feel a sense of kinship.

Of course, the reason Xue Hao brought him into the group wasn’t just this kinship. Shi Cheng was incredibly knowledgeable about ancient lore and skilled at identifying antiques.

— Apparently, during his chuunibyou phase, he had frequented antique markets daily, fantasizing about discovering some magical power from rings or jade pendants. After being scammed numerous times, his experience grew rich.

After the revival of spiritual energy, when martial arts became widespread in Yao Country, Shi Cheng immediately acquired a sword through underground channels. He fantasized about the day he could split mountains and fill seas with a single sword strike, but cruel reality shattered his dreams. He had to seek other possibilities to step onto the path of the supernatural, such as extraordinary items with special powers.

In short, Xue Hao had the money, the Ji siblings provided the muscle, and Shi Cheng brought rich knowledge and experience, ultimately forming this team.

Although their previous searches for extraordinary items had been unsuccessful, this time, An Xiaoxi’s attitude gave them hope.

They followed An Xiaoxi to the villa’s collection room.

As the combination lock turned, the door to the collection room slowly opened.

Hum...

The first sound to reach their ears was a long, resonant sword hum.

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