Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 40 Assassination! Your map of Yan is way too short!

"You think you can take my meticulously crafted lion head plaque for five taels of silver? You might as well just rob it!"

Even when he heard Wang Cheng utter the words "fake goods," Zhou Sanpao couldn't help but jump up and down on the spot.

In order to create this first fake since he was ordained and to make a good start, he spent dozens of taels of silver just to find old boards from those who salvaged the site.

Another layer of carefully refined precious lacquer was applied to the lion's eyes, making them appear, from a certain angle, truly radiant and unlike any ordinary object.

This kid managed to get a 99% discount after just one bargaining session?

You mean cut it off from the sole of your foot?

Wang Cheng thought to himself, 'Look at what you're saying, how can robbing be as quick as picking up the assets of you counterfeiters?' But aloud he earnestly corrected the other party's misunderstanding:
"No, you misheard me. What I just said was, give me five taels of silver."

'Fake' friend!

The last four words were emphasized.

"I'll give you money to deal with counterfeit goods? Are you some kind of 'prostitute' from the Water Class?!"

The latter's brain went blank on the spot, and it took him a while to understand what Wang Cheng meant.

Although it was a question, it was asked with absolute certainty, confirming that he had accidentally run into his nemesis and had suffered a setback before even getting started.

It's just unclear how much this court official actually saw, and whether it's worth admitting defeat and backing down.

Under normal circumstances, a fake artist is not afraid of being exposed and confronted afterward.

Because that's called "making a hole".

The counterfeiting industry also has its taboos and ten rules:
"No authentication, no instruction, no debate, no guarantee of authenticity, no outstanding payments, no returns, no backing out, no questions asked about origin, no questions asked about purchase price, no fake reviews (selling genuine products at low prices)."

Lack of experience, misjudgment, or overly realistic counterfeit techniques often lead to purchasing fakes at high prices, a common "tuition fee" phenomenon among collectors.

Just like the "bargain hunting" that allows you to take advantage of others, once the deal is done, the party who loses out can only accept their bad luck.

It's not right to be overjoyed when you can't find a bargain, but then get angry and embarrassed when you're caught out.

But if you're caught red-handed, you'll be in big trouble!
Similar to gamblers, those who don't get caught are called gambling gods, while those who get caught are accused of cheating; also similar to the neighbor next door, those who don't get caught are called Casanovas, while those who get caught are called adulterers.
Whether you're a gambler, an old man, or a fake, it's not surprising that if you encounter a ruthless person, you might have a limb chopped off and your livelihood completely ruined.

In addition, there are taboos surrounding officials who are "fake" because the consequences of being exposed on the spot for their lack of skill are more serious, and could even be tragic.

Seeing the hesitation on his face, Wang Cheng knew that the man thought he was being tricked but wanted to keep his job, so he added fuel to the fire without hesitation.

"Tung oil, lacquer, turpentine, litharge powder, and the eye fluid of 100,000 rare anchovies."

This time, Zhou Sanpao unhesitatingly pulled out five taels of silver from his pocket, presented it to Wang Cheng with both hands, and his eyes became clear:
"It was my fault for speaking too loudly just now. Please accept this five taels of silver."

It's no wonder he knelt down so quickly; it's because what Wang Cheng just revealed was the very lacquer formula he had painstakingly crafted that was indistinguishable from the real thing!

Why not just take action directly?

A fake is a conman, not a robber. Robbery is too low-level a skill.

Moreover, this young man is truly unassuming; the position of "Chao Feng Lang" in the Water Class has always been quite high.

If you go to someone else's territory to commit fraud, and you don't act respectably, they'll probably have to help you maintain your dignity.

If they really fight, he's afraid he'll not only lose his composure, but he might even have his limbs broken.

"Haha, easy to say, easy to say."

Wang Cheng, beaming with satisfaction at achieving his goal, casually accepted the five taels of silver. He then had Zhang Wen, who was following him, pick up the lion-headed board and gather all the counterfeit goods from the stall.

[The fake] Zhou Sanpao then abandoned his stall and turned to leave.

Watching the other person slink away, Zhang Wen asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Hey, isn't this lion-shaped board fake?"
Why are we taking this thing back with us?

Overjoyed, Wang Cheng reached out and touched the single horn on the lion's head plaque:
"Who told you this is fake?"
This item is indeed counterfeit, but it can't be said to be entirely fake. Rather, it's a counterfeit made from genuine parts, and the forger simply didn't recognize its value.

"Go back and put it in Zhang Fushun's shop, and prepare offerings of three kinds of sacrificial animals. I'll show you what it's like."

Zhang Wen, with his quick wit and a "lucky fate," matured rapidly after meeting Wang Cheng, a benefactor. He immediately understood after being reminded:

"You mean he wants to sell us counterfeit goods disguised as genuine ones, but in reality, this thing is genuine?"

In the end, not only did I fail to deceive anyone, but I also ended up being deceived by you?

Wang Cheng glared at him:
"How can you call it fraud when it comes to the 'Chaofenglang' business? This is market regulation, don't you understand?"

I took pity on him and didn't expose this imposter on the spot. Instead, I taught him a lesson, helped him improve his skills, and he should thank me!

Sure enough, just as the forger was about to leave the antique street, he turned back, cupped his hands in gratitude, and said:
"Thanks, bro!"

Wang Cheng also warmly returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, his face beaming with a bright smile.

Regardless of what abilities this lion-shaped board will reveal after the three sacrificial animals, he is destined to make a fortune.

"I gained the town's prized lion statue and received gratitude from others. Today was truly a fulfilling day. Great!"

Just as they were about to call Zhang Wen back to the [Zhang Fushun] ship to test the power of this talisman, a man wearing a straw hat suddenly rushed out of a nearby shop, bumped into Zhang Wen's shoulder as he was carrying a pile of things and had difficulty moving, and then hurried away without stopping.

"Hey!"

Zhang Wen turned around to call him back and apologize, but found that the other man had already disappeared into another street.

Looking back, Wang Cheng had already picked up a crystal-clear white jade plaque from the ground.

It was obviously left behind by that person.

Even without using the "Four Seas Coins," relying solely on the eye he had honed during his time at Fenglinzhai, Wang Cheng could estimate that this "Peaceful Token" could be sold for around two hundred taels of silver.

This is a huge sum of money for both ordinary people and officials.

Wang Cheng had no intention of taking advantage of the situation, so he picked up the "Nothing Happened" sign to return it, but only caught a fleeting glimpse of a retreating figure.

"Hey boatman, we're really lucky today."

"I just got a bargain, and now I've gotten a good piece of jade for free. Since everyone's already gone, I can just keep it; no one will care."

Hearing Zhang Wen's obvious suggestion, which is the instinctive reaction of most people in this situation, Wang Cheng did not readily accept it.

Instead, I suddenly became wary:
"I haven't been dealing with corpses lately, exchanging them for money from [Sihai Tongbao]."

"Encountering it once is lucky, but twice in one day? Does this incredible fortune do justice to my meager 'three taels and one mace' worth of wealth?"

His eyes shone with a clear light, and the white hair fell onto the "Nothing to Do" plaque.

However, he had to admit that his skill in the art of court attendant was entirely worthy of his status as a junior apprentice.

I can't see anything!
I casually switched to the "Rare Goods" option and finally saw a talisman in the center of the "Nothing to Worry About" card, composed of the characters "Rain," "Gradual," and "Ear."

[Rare item: A plaque with the curse "Greed for wealth causes all diseases and madness" cast by an official of the Lu Ban lineage, turning good fortune into misfortune.]

Normally, however, they would not show any abnormality.

If anyone below the rank of official wears this amulet, they will fall seriously ill within three days of going to sea and their feet leaving the ground, and there will be no cure.

Even if most mid- to high-ranking officials came, they wouldn't be able to find any problems.

Wang Cheng felt a chill run down his spine.

Just like the "Taishan Thousand-Jin Anchor" that once imprisoned him on the king's ship, it was another form of witchcraft.

Moreover, the disguise was far more sophisticated than the previous fake lion plaques. If it weren't for the help of the [Four Seas Coin], it would have been completely flawless.

"The Lu Ban method divides the professions into three categories: bricklayers, stonemasons, and carpenters. Above these three are the 'Master Craftsmen' who are proficient in machinery. The one who committed this dirty trick should be a 'stonemason'."

If I didn't have the Four Seas Coin and greedily kept this peace token worth two hundred taels of silver, no one could save me if I fell ill on the ship.

Even if I had a senior official as my mentor, it would be the same.

He had even foreseen and avoided his master's involvement, so it was immediately clear who wanted to assassinate him.

"However, isn't your map of Yan too short?"

Is the curse of greed causing all kinds of illnesses and madness? If I just toss something aside and then try to pick it up out of greed, it will kill me.

Is this a test for prospective officials?

However, it must be admitted that this method is simple, direct, and very effective.

Prince Wang Cheng has potential enemies all over the world, but the only ones who would assassinate Wang Fugui, this "new face," are likely to be the group of gentry-affiliated ship captains.

He had a strong intuition that the person behind the scenes was neither Xie He nor any of the other ship captains. The smiling face of Pu Shouying, one of the eight great ship captains known as "Divine Eye," inexplicably appeared in his mind!
A dog that bites doesn't bark, but when it bites, the bite goes deep into the bone.

Wang Cheng, holding the "Nothing to worry about" plaque, told Zhang Wenxian to take the lion-head board back to the boat to prepare offerings for the sacrifice, while he pondered a solution as he walked.

"The gentry faction doesn't dare to make a move openly, but they've already started to take action in secret. How should we deal with this?"

I looked up and saw the Baoshan Beacon Tower right in front of me.

As the year draws to a close, the incense offerings to the various spirits and local deities become increasingly abundant. The people of Yuegang are wealthy, and there are sacrificial activities every day. Even the small temple atop the beacon tower is filled with smoke.

On a sudden inspiration, Wang Cheng followed the other worshippers into the small temple.

After offering incense and prayers, he casually tossed the "Nothing Happened" plaque into the donation box in front of the Tianfei Niangniang Temple.

In the mind's vision, it was as if an ice cube had fallen into a pot of boiling oil, and the incense of the Heavenly Princess suddenly turned into raging flames, instantly engulfing it completely.

Stab it!

The sound of pork hitting the red-hot iron plate rang out.

"what--!"

What followed was a piercing scream.

Please, everyone, keep reading and vote! This is the third round of recommendations, Tuesday is a crucial day, I'm begging for your support, orz
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(End of this chapter)