Chapter Ninety-Eight: At a Single Command, the Search for the Book Begins!

I was startled and quickly looked around, only to realize that the underground chamber was far larger than I had imagined. The walls were covered with murals carved from ancient jade, faintly exuding an air of age-old mystery. Yet my gaze was soon drawn to the black rifles.

Seeing my tense expression, Pan Ximi gave a faint smile. “Gang Leader Wang, there is no need to worry. These are only for defense. After all, our Ancient Jade Gang’s heirlooms are hidden here, and we must make sure they remain safe.”

I nodded. Though I felt a little more at ease, I still remained on guard. Behind me, Chen Laobao said in a low voice, “Gang Leader, be careful. This man is no simple character.”

Pan Ximi walked to a heavy iron door, entered a password, and the door slowly swung open.

Beyond it was a vast warehouse, packed with all kinds of ancient jade that gleamed with a captivating radiance.

Seeing those jades, my pulse quickened.

“Gang Leader Wang, these are the Ancient Jade Gang’s heirlooms,” Pan Ximi said. “So long as we work together, these jades will become the capital with which we restore the gang to its former glory.”

In truth, ever since I had seen rough stones at Red Sister’s place, my emotions had not been stirred all that much when I saw raw jade stones afterward.

Even so, what lay before me today was still astonishing: most of these ancient jade stones were raw roughs.

I was stunned.

Drawing a deep breath, I forced my emotions to settle and studied the ancient jades carefully.

Raw stone materials generally fall into three types: blind roughs, windowed roughs, and cut-open roughs.

In this room, all three were present, though the greatest number were blind roughs, the kind usually referred to as rough stones.

“Where did you get so many ancient jades?” I asked.

Pan Ximi smiled indifferently, a trace of cunning flashing in his eyes. “Gang Leader Wang, these jades did not come easily. They are the inheritance our Ancient Jade Gang has carried for years. As I have told you, this is the foundation we have saved for the gang’s revival!”

My brows knit slightly, and my doubts only deepened.

Though these ancient jades were indeed precious, judging by their quality, many of them had clearly been passed down for over a hundred years.

Such a vast collection, and yet it had supposedly been stored away only for the sake of future revival?

Had the Ancient Jade Gang’s leader at the time already anticipated the gang’s destruction?

Chen Laobao gave a soft cough behind me, reminding me not to trust Pan Ximi too easily.

“Gang Leader Wang... the world rises and falls; who can say for certain? Since you are already the leader of the Ancient Jade Gang, there are some things you ought to know!”

“The existence of this warehouse is due to a war!”

“A war? What war?”

Pan Ximi fell silent for a moment, a complicated look flickering through his eyes.

Then he said slowly, “It was a war that took place in the early years of the last century. Back then, the elders of the Ancient Jade Gang spared no cost to hide these heirlooms here and protect them. That war was not only about seizing territory, but also about safeguarding the wealth and honor left to us by our ancestors.”

“Sadly, in the end, we lost. Many of our people fled overseas and struggled just to survive.”

“Our Pan family remained close to the gang leader at the time, and so we preserved the clues to this place. Over the years, the jade and jadeite market has risen and fallen again and again, but the Five Immortals Jade never resurfaced!”

“Only when the Jade-Faced Fox jadeite was discovered this time did we realize that the one capable of inheriting the Ancient Jade Gang had returned!”

I frowned, my doubts growing even stronger.

“But after all these years, why have you never used these ancient jades? Were you simply waiting for the right moment?”

Pan Ximi nodded, his tone resolute. “Exactly. We have been waiting for a leader who could bring the Ancient Jade Gang back to glory. Gang Leader Wang, your appearance is the long-awaited turning point for us. These jades are not only wealth; they are the hope of our gang.”

I turned back to Chen Laobao. “You never told me any of this!”

Chen Laobao gave a bitter smile and said, “In the Ancient Jade Gang, our Chen family may hold a much lower position than the Pan family here. So it is only natural that there are things we do not know.”

Seeing my brows still locked together, Pan Ximi went on, “Gang Leader Wang, you may not know this, but the Ancient Jade Gang’s legacy is not limited to these jades. There is also a long-lost jade carving technique. Only by mastering it can we truly restore the gang’s former splendor.”

“And only someone who can comprehend Blood-Eyed Jade Appraisal is qualified to use that jade carving technique!”

I was shaken. I had not expected the Ancient Jade Gang to possess such profound foundations.

Seeing that I was wavering, Pan Ximi pressed his advantage. “Gang Leader Wang, the inheritance of these skills requires a true leader to guide it. And the jade carving manual I mentioned is hidden here right now!”

I took a deep breath and tried to steady my thoughts.

Pan Ximi’s words had stirred a trace of hope in my heart, but they had also brought even more suspicion.

“Pan Ximi, where is this Exquisite Jade Ring you spoke of?” I looked him straight in the eye, wanting to catch even the slightest hint in his expression.

Pan Ximi’s face twitched slightly. He looked at me in confusion. “You... how do you know that the manual is called the Exquisite Jade Ring?”

I gave a cold laugh, already having made up my mind. “Do you think I would come to see you without any preparation? I have long heard rumors about the Ancient Jade Gang’s inheritance. As for this so-called Exquisite Jade Ring, I might as well tell you—I saw its clues from Blood-Eyed Jade Appraisal.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Pan Ximi’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Since Gang Leader Wang already knows, I need not hide it any longer. Yes, the Exquisite Jade Ring is indeed stored in this room. As for exactly where it is, I do not know. But most likely, it should be among these stones.”

“However...” He glanced at me, and the huge, protruding eyes in that mouse-like pointed face rolled once. “Before that, you must still pass a test... only then will you be qualified to look for the book!”

“The test is simple. If you can find the book without opening any of these rough stones, then it will all be yours.”

“I will acknowledge you as the gang leader, and your journey as the leader of the Ancient Jade Gang will begin. All of these assets belong to the Ancient Jade Gang, and you may use them as you wish.”

“Fine. I accept this test,” I answered firmly, sweeping my eyes over the mountains of rough stones.

To be honest, since that last gamble on jade, I felt my eyesight had improved yet again.

These rough stones before me were not likely to conceal a book; even if one were hidden among them, I was confident I could find it quickly.

Chen Laobao watched silently from the side, a trace of worry in his eyes, but he did not interrupt me.

“Then, Gang Leader Wang, shall we begin once I give the word?”