A Shanghai man was sentenced to death Tuesday after a dispute over ownership of a virtual sword in an online game led to a real-life slaying.

Shanghai Number 2 Intermediate People’s Court gave online gamer Qiu

Chengwei the death sentence with a two-year reprieve after he slew another player, Zhu Caoyuan, last October, according to a report published Wednesday in the official newspaper China Daily.

The pair had argued over ownership of a virtual sword that Qiu and another player had won in the online game “Legend of Mir III.” Qiu loaned the item to Zhu, but Zhu then sold it for 7,200 renminbi (around US$870). When Qiu tried to involve the police in recovering the item or the money, he was told that such virtual items are not protected by Chinese property laws. After Zhu refused to return the item or pay compensation, Qiu went to his home and stabbed him in the heart, according to the report.