Chapter 137: A Difficult Merchant

  Lu Fei had focused earlier on determining whether the knife carried any malevolent energy. He hadn't considered it might be a replica. 

  It wasn't until Xu Sixian mentioned buying it on Culture Street—a hub for counterfeit goods near Antique Street—that the thought crossed his mind. 

  "A replica?" 

  Liang Ge blinked in surprise, quickly snatching the knife from Lu Fei and comparing it to the photos. 

  "The imperfections on the blade are different, and the color of the leather wrapping on the hilt doesn't match," Lu Fei pointed out. 

  "Great! It's a fake!" Liang Ge exclaimed with relief. 

  "A replica wouldn't have been used in executions and wouldn't carry the resentment of prisoners, so it couldn't be a cursed object," Lu Fei explained. 

  "Exactly! I knew it had to fit the conditions. The real knife must still be with the vendor who sold this fake," Liang Ge said, his earlier slump replaced by renewed energy. "We need to find that vendor!" 

  The group felt reinvigorated—except for one person. 

  "What are you saying? A replica?" 

  Xu Sixian asked, alarmed. 

  "My apologies, Mr. Xu, but your knife appears to be a replica," Lu Fei said, reigning in his smile. "Culture Street is notorious for counterfeit goods. But look on the bright side—a real knife like this could bring misfortune. Owning a fake might actually be a blessing." 

  "Are you sure?" 

  "If you don't believe me, compare it yourself." 

  Lu Fei pushed the laptop toward Xu. 

  Xu scrutinized the photos and the knife, his expression growing more complicated. 

  Bad news: he'd purchased an unlucky knife. 

  Good news: it was a fake. 

  He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 

  "Those vendors are outrageous!" 

  "Lu Fei, let's not waste time. We need to find that vendor now," Liang Ge said, springing to his feet. "Mr. Xu, could you lead the way?" 

  "Of course! I was planning to confront him anyway. You can be my witnesses in case he tries to deny it!" 

  Xu gritted his teeth. 

  With a shared purpose, the group hailed a taxi and headed straight for Culture Street. 

  "It's this shop, *Zhenbao Zhai*." 

  Xu Sixian, clutching his briefcase, marched toward a store with hurried steps. 

  "*Zhenbao Zhai*?" 

  Lu Fei and Tiger exchanged a glance. 

  The shop had a counterpart on Antique Street, owned by the same person. 

  "No wonder! That owner, Ma Laosan, is a scoundrel! He sold me a fake coin last time and almost got me into serious trouble," Tiger growled. 

  "Perfect timing—we can settle old and new scores together," he added, cracking his knuckles. 

  "Let's go!" 

  The four of them stormed into the shop. 

  "Welcome, gentlemen! What can I help you find? I've got plenty of quality items—feel free to browse," Ma Laosan greeted them warmly, his shrewd eyes gleaming. 

  "Quality items? More like fake goods!" Tiger sneered. "Ma Laosan, you're quite the scammer, aren't you?" 

  Ma froze for a moment, his sharp eyes scanning Tiger. "Oh, it's you, Tiger! You know, words can't be thrown around lightly. I've been running this business for years—don't go ruining my reputation!" 

  "Reputation? Don't make me laugh," Tiger retorted. "You sold me a fake coin last time, and now you've sold this fake knife to Mr. Xu. Explain yourself!" 

  Xu slammed his briefcase onto the table, glaring at Ma. 

  "Ma, this knife you sold me is a replica!" 

  "A replica?" Ma's small eyes darted between the group, his expression momentarily surprised. Stroking his mustache, he said calmly, "Mr. Xu, do you have proof that the knife I sold you is fake?" 

  "Proof?" Xu faltered, unsure how to respond. 

  Tiger opened Liang Ge's laptop, displaying the photo of the genuine flaying knife. 

  "This is all the proof you need! The knife you sold doesn't match the one in this photo!" 

  Ma glanced at the screen, his brow twitching. A flash of recognition crossed his face, but he quickly recovered. 

  "What's this supposed to be?" he asked, feigning ignorance. 

  "It's a flaying knife, and you didn't even know that before selling it?" Tiger shot back. 

  "Exactly, because I didn't sell a flaying knife. What I sold was a general's dagger," Ma replied smoothly. "Mr. Xu, I never claimed the knife was a flaying knife, did I?" 

  "This… You…" Xu stammered. "But the two knives look identical! Your 'general's dagger' story is a lie!" 

  "Similar appearance doesn't mean it's the same knife," Ma countered with a sly grin. "Besides, any concerns should have been raised at the time of purchase. Our deal is long over. How do I know the knife you're showing me is even the one I sold you?" 

  "You—" Xu was at a loss for words. 

  "Ma Laosan, you've got some nerve! Scamming people and then acting all high and mighty! Do you even realize that the real knife is a cursed object?" Tiger growled, his fists clenched. 

  "Listen, Tiger, I've been in this business a long time—I'm not so easily intimidated," Ma said coolly, crossing his arms. "If you leave now, I'll let this go. But if you keep pushing, I'll call the police and accuse you of extortion!" 

  "You—" Tiger sputtered, his anger boiling over. 

  Lu Fei stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Tiger's shoulder. 

  "Mr. Ma, perhaps we've misunderstood. It's clear these are two different knives. But do you happen to have the one in this photo? We're interested in buying it." 

  "No," Ma said flatly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at Lu Fei. 

  "Mr. Ma, this knife isn't just any artifact. You remember the flaying murders on Antique Street seven years ago, don't you?" Lu Fei pressed. 

  "Seven years is a long time," Ma replied dismissively. 

  Liang Ge pulled out several gruesome crime scene photos and spread them across the table. 

  "These are the fates of the knife's previous owners. Every seven years, someone dies. Do you want to end up like them?" 

  Ma's gaze flickered to the photos, his brows furrowing briefly. But he shook his head. 

  "I don't have the knife you're looking for." 

  "I've traced every buyer of that knife, and the records lead directly to you," Liang Ge said, producing a stack of documents. "These are the transaction records. Are you still going to deny it?" 

  "Documents? Anyone can forge those. Who are you supposed to be?" Ma retorted, steadfast in his denial. 

  Admitting he had the knife would mean admitting to selling counterfeits, which he wouldn't do. 

  "Mr. Ma, we're trying to save your life here," Lu Fei said, his tone firm. 

  Liang Ge sighed, realizing further questioning was pointless. He left his contact information and signaled for the group to leave. 

  "He's not going to admit it. We'll need another approach."