Chapter 257: Completely Useless
Xiao Ye spoke calmly, "I'm looking for the Patriarch of the Yin Family. Tell him my name is Xiao Ye, and I'm here to collect the Golden Saber."
"Yes! I'll go right away!"
The Patriarch had previously ordered that if anyone came to collect the Golden Saber and claimed their surname was Xiao, they must be allowed inside.
Xiao Ye was a celebrity now, so those who were reluctant to return the Golden Sabers had all given up on any funny ideas.
However, an impostor had shown up a while ago; otherwise, Xiao Ye would have been let in by now.
The bodyguard immediately went in to report.
"Patriarch, someone just arrived claiming to be Xiao Ye. He says he's here to collect the Golden Saber."
Yin Changqing stood up, about to say he would go greet the guest personally, but his wife beside him had already spoken up in displeasure. "How many people came? What kind of entourage does he have?"
The bodyguard answered truthfully, "Just one person. And I don't think he drove. When I opened the gate, a taxi was just driving away."
To appear more down-to-earth, the Yin Family didn't live in a villa district but had built their own manor.
But because it was so remote, taxis rarely came this way.
Madam Yin sneered, "I'm sure he's another fake. A real member of the Xiao Family would never take a taxi, and he doesn't even have a single bodyguard!"
Yin Changqing sat back down. "You're right. Go and get rid of him."
"Yes, sir!" The bodyguard left quickly.
He returned to the gate and looked coldly at Xiao Ye. "Impostor, get the hell out of here!"
"If you dare show your face here again, I'll beat you to a pulp! You have a death wish, trying to trick the Yin Family!"
SLAM!
The main gate slammed shut!
'Impostor?'
Xiao Ye's brow furrowed, but he chose to knock again.
The bodyguard opened the gate and, without another word, threw a punch!
Xiao Ye caught it easily and, to the bodyguard's utter disbelief, threw him several steps back.
"Since you insist on stopping me, I'll have to let myself in."
"Quick, stop him!"
「Three minutes later.」
Xiao Ye was inside the house.
On the sofa, Madam Yin, who had been enjoying a manicure from a maid, shot up in fright, her eyes wide. "Who are you! Who let you in!"
"Guards!"
The noise startled Yin Changqing upstairs. "What's wrong?"
"Dear, a stranger got in! He's definitely up to no good!"
The better the Yin Family's reputation, the better their business would do.
But taking this path inevitably meant many people were unhappy with them.
Many competitors wanted to slander them, using an endless variety of schemes.
Having experienced so much, they trusted no one, let alone an uninvited guest!
Yin Changqing was about to speak, but when he saw Xiao Ye's imposing presence and recognized his face, his expression changed drastically.
He hurried over to Xiao Ye, a sycophantic smile plastered on his face.
"Mr. Xiao... Mr. Xiao!"
"I can't believe it's really you!"
"I am so sorry for the offense. It's just that an impostor came by earlier, otherwise I would have come to greet you immediately!"
Madam Yin couldn't believe it. He was real!
She was about to speak, but then she remembered her earlier rudeness. She quickly lowered her head, hoping Xiao Ye wouldn't notice her.
As the saying goes, one who acts in ignorance shouldn't be blamed.
Since their mistake wasn't a major one, there was no need to hold it against them.
Xiao Ye sat on the sofa, and Yin Changqing immediately had someone bring out the family's finest tea.
"Mr. Xiao, are you here this time to collect the Golden Saber?"
Xiao Ye nodded. "But I heard there's a problem with your Golden Saber."
The moment Yin Changqing heard this, his expression changed. He said through gritted teeth, "Our Yin Family's Golden Saber has been switched!"
"Mr. Xiao, you must believe us! This wasn't an inside job by the Yin Family; it was genuinely swapped by someone else!"
Xiao Ye could see Yin Changqing wasn't lying. There was only panic in his eyes, no deceit.
"Take me to see the Golden Saber."
"Yes!"
Yin Changqing led the way, taking Xiao Ye to the ancestral hall in the rear courtyard.
The Yin Family was a typical powerful southern clan. Not only did they have many rules, but their ancestral hall was also incredibly luxurious, even more so than the house they lived in.
Xiao Ye glanced around. The feng shui here was indeed excellent. It was a perfect place for an ancestral hall, one that would allow the ancestors to offer their blessings and their souls to rest in peace.
Yin Changqing carefully opened the door to the ancestral hall, not daring to make a sound.
Upon entering, the scent of burning incense filled the air. It wasn't unpleasant, a clear sign of its high quality.
Rows of ancestral tablets were displayed, arranged according to position, contribution, and status.
Only male family members could have their tablets enshrined here. Females were not permitted unless they had made tremendous contributions to the family—one of the outdated customs of the old clans.
Yin Changqing carefully moved past the tablets to a side door. After opening it, he revealed a small Buddhist shrine.
It was a private shrine. Many of the great families of the past liked to have these, burning incense and praying to Buddha in their spare time.
The Royal Family, in particular, was fond of this practice.
The Xiao Family also had a small shrine once, but it had lain dormant for many years.
The Buddha statue in the shrine was covered with a red cloth.
And displayed before it was none other than the Golden Saber!
Beneath the Golden Saber were various offerings.
Judging from the ash in the incense burner, offerings were made very diligently. No wonder they discovered the Golden Saber had been switched so quickly.
"Mr. Xiao, this is our Yin Family's Golden Saber!"
"I swear on all the ancestors of the Yin Family that I absolutely did not switch it."
Xiao Ye didn't say a word. He walked forward and picked up the Golden Saber.
In terms of luster, there was nothing wrong with this Golden Saber. It was the same size, and even the patterns on it were very similar. But upon closer inspection, he could tell they were just random scribbles.
They couldn't even compare to the fate-patterns on the original Golden Saber.
'It seems the person who forged this Golden Saber has seen the real one with their own eyes!'
'And they must have observed it for a long time. It's even possible they made this copy while looking right at the original!'
"How did you discover the Golden Saber had been switched?"
"This Golden Saber is indeed very similar to the original. Even its appearance is identical, and the weight is the same."
"But—I come here to pay my respects every one to three days at most. I've been looking at the patterns on this Golden Saber for over twenty years."
"I could copy them from memory. If my drawing skills weren't so bad, I could definitely draw a perfect replica!"
"So when I came in last time, I could tell at a glance that something was wrong with this Golden Saber. The patterns are definitely not from the real one!"
Xiao Ye nodded. "You're right. This isn't the real Golden Saber, and the patterns are wrong."
The Golden Saber was a treasured blade forged entirely from gold. The blade itself wasn't special; what was special were the patterns carved on it.
Therefore, this Golden Saber was completely useless.
Xiao Ye put the saber down. "Do you know who switched it?"
"I have someone in mind, but I have no evidence that it was her!"