“...To overcomplicate the simple, and to imagine the complex as terrifying—this is the common affliction of the clever. The designer of the mechanism exploited this very mindset of the intelligent, setting up a labyrinthine array that often leaves one utterly bewildered.” At this moment, Elder Hou sighed with emotion: “The complexity lies not in the mechanism, but in the human heart.” “The principle is sound,” Elder Qian admitted with a wry smile.

“It’s like a master craftsman’s secret technique. Once revealed, it’s probably worthless, but when unknown, it’s priceless.” “Exactly, exactly…” Yu Feibai nodded repeatedly.

“For an expert like you, Elder Hou, deciphering the mechanism must be simple. But for the rest of us, we’re still completely lost.

We implore you to illuminate the path.” The others nodded in agreement, Fang Mingsheng looking especially expectant. “I know the trick to cracking it, but for the exact method, I’ll need your help with some research,” Elder Hou smiled, not keeping them in suspense.

He explained directly: “The key is still that game of chess. You must check who won or lost this particular endgame, or where the very first move should be placed, and how the second move resolves the situation…” “Ah!” Upon hearing this, a shock went through everyone, instantly bringing a feeling of sudden clarity, like the sun breaking through the clouds.

“Elder Qian, what chess game was this again?” Yu Feibai reacted quickly, immediately pulling out his large-screen phone to search online, and soon found detailed and comprehensive information. “This is an endgame.

Generally, whoever moves first wins. Black moves first, then White.

The first move is…” Fearing Elder Hou’s eyesight might be poor, Yu Feibai read the information aloud. “Mhm, that will suffice.” Elder Hou nodded gently, then retrieved two thin needles.

Under the eager gaze of the crowd, he first gently inserted the two needles into the corresponding holes at their designated positions. However, he did not push them all the way to the bottom immediately, leaving them suspended slightly.

In that very instant, Elder Hou held his breath, focusing intently. His left hand inserted the needle to the bottom of its hole.

Just as the mechanism activated, his right hand followed, swiftly and steadily plunging its needle down. “Kacha!” Suddenly, the two needles acted like divine stabilizers, locking the mechanism box in place.

Then, the center of the miniature chessboard cracked open and slowly slid away to the left and right. At that moment, everyone saw clearly: a keyhole the size of a soybean was revealed.

“We did it.” Seeing this, Yu Feibai cheered out loud with excitement, while the others beamed with joy. At the same time, there was a note of awe; an expert’s touch was indeed extraordinary.

The lock mechanism that Elder Zeng had studied for two years without a clue was handled by Elder Hou without any apparent difficulty, solved instantly. “Don’t celebrate too soon.” Elder Hou permitted himself a slight smile, but remained composed.

“The final hurdle. It’s not particularly difficult, nor is it especially easy.

This likely requires a special key to open. Without the key, it will be troublesome.” “Uh…” A bucket of cold water had been poured on them, effectively dampening most of their elation.

There was no doubt this was an ancient mechanism box; the fact that it had survived was rare enough. The key was surely lost, and figuring out how to open the lock had now become the problem.

“It’s fine.” Just then, Yu Feibai suddenly laughed. “If it were a modern padlock, then perhaps.

But for ancient locks, Wang Guan is quite skilled. Let him try.” “Wang Guan?” The others paused momentarily, all turning to look at Wang Guan.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Wang Guan mumbled, somewhat embarrassed, reluctant to admit he was an expert lock-picker. This was primarily because, in this day and age, those who could pick locks were either seasoned locksmiths or inheritors of the art of the ‘nimble hand.’ “What nonsense am I speaking?” Yu Feibai frowned.

“I’ve seen you do it several times. You open these locks effortlessly—just a piece of wire does the trick.” “That was luck, just a coincidence…” Wang Guan argued back.

“That’s enough,” Elder Qian waved a hand, smiling gently. “Wang Guan, you give it a try.

If you can’t, we’ll find someone else to help.” “Right! This shouldn’t be hard for you at all,” Yu Feibai said enthusiastically.

“I really want to know what’s hidden inside this mechanism box.” It wasn’t just Yu Feibai; Wang Guan was also intensely curious. Since Elder Qian had given the word, he ceased refusing.

He picked up the mechanism box and lowered his head to examine it. Of course, cheating a little was necessary.

Wang Guan secretly activated his special ability, and wisps of energy immediately enveloped the box, making the entire object transparent to him, exposing all its secrets. With the aid of this perception, Wang Guan understood the box's internal structure.

It was indeed exquisitely intricate. Filaments as fine as strands of hair, made of metal, permeated the box’s interior, guided by a delicate central pivot, enabling incredible transformations.

The more he observed, the more Wang Guan marveled at the ingenuity of the ancients and felt a deep sense of regret. Such consummate craftsmanship was held only by a small minority and never disseminated widely, inevitably destined to vanish in the river of history.

Fortunately, Wang Guan did not forget the main task. Calming his mind, he refocused his attention on the box’s interior.

“Hm?” At that moment, Wang Guan paused, a bit lost in thought. “What is it?” Simultaneously, Yu Feibai leaned closer, urging him on.

“Don’t just stare! Staring won’t reveal anything new.

Even with your sharp eyes, can you really see the internal structure through that tiny keyhole?” “Oh!” Prompted by Yu Feibai, Wang Guan snapped back to awareness. A thoughtful look crossed his eyes, and then, taking the advice readily, he picked up a long needle and gently probed the keyhole.

Slightly distracted, Wang Guan acted purely on instinct, forgetting to put on a show. He merely fiddled with the needle inside the keyhole a few times, and instantly the crowd heard a kacha, and the box lid sprang open naturally.

The others hadn’t even prepared themselves mentally when the box suddenly opened, leaving everyone somewhat shocked and bewildered. After a pause, Yu Feibai was the first to react, clapping Wang Guan on the shoulder with unrestrained joy.

“Haha! I knew you could do it…” As he spoke, Yu Feibai almost snatched the mechanism box away, flipping the lid fully open.

He peered inside, his face a mixture of delight and surprise. “There really is something hidden inside.” “What is it?” Elder Qian and Elder Hou remained composed and did not rush, but Fang Mingsheng couldn't sit still and quickly leaned in for a closer look.

Upon closer inspection, the space inside the box was not very large—only about the size of a matchbox. However, considering the complexity of the box’s mechanisms, limited internal space was understandable.

Most importantly, within that matchbox-sized space, there was indeed a neatly folded object placed there. “It looks like a piece of cloth?” Yu Feibai said hesitantly, reaching out to touch it, then carefully pulling it out.

By this time, everyone could see clearly that the object was indeed a piece of fabric. As Yu Feibai pulled, the cloth unfolded, revealing some lines drawn in strokes.

“There’s something peculiar about this cloth; it seems to have something drawn on it. Is it a treasure map?” Yu Feibai reacted quickly.

Seeing the situation, he immediately set the box aside, then carefully smoothed out the cloth, laying it flat on the table so everyone could examine it. The crowd looked, feeling quite surprised.

Because what was drawn on the cloth was neither a landscape, a portrait, nor a depiction of flowers and birds, much less the treasure map Yu Feibai had hypothesized. It was a set of precise measurements and rules—something akin to a modern architectural blueprint.

“What is this?” Yu Feibai scrutinized it, completely perplexed. “A design drawing from an ancient imperial court?” “A court…” At that moment, Elder Hou exclaimed in shock: “A layout map for the mechanisms of an underground palace!” “What?” Everyone was astonished and immediately looked at Elder Hou.

He took out a magnifying glass, carefully studying the graphics on the cloth, finally reaching a conclusion: “That’s right, this is the design blueprint for an underground palace. It not only marks the orientation of the main tomb and satellite tombs but also meticulously records the traps and mechanisms…” “No way,” Yu Feibai was extremely surprised.

“What kind of underground palace even has a design blueprint?” “I don’t know which underground palace, but judging by the specifications, it’s at least on the level of a prince or noble,” Elder Hou explained softly while continuing his study. “As for design drawings, they are indeed rare under normal circumstances.

This is because some people, to prevent information about the underground palace from leaking, would have the artisans executed as human sacrifices immediately after construction was finished.” “Hmph, I’ve heard of that,” Yu Feibai nodded repeatedly. “Especially with imperial mausoleums—over several hundred years, many tombs were built, so the artisans were killed off generation after generation.

But what strikes me as strange is why the officials responsible for supervising the construction of the imperial tombs always got away unscathed?” “Because they were only responsible for supervision; they weren't the ones installing the mechanisms and hidden weapons inside the tomb,” Elder Hou smiled slightly, a wave of emotion washing over him. “Do you know why ancient mechanical arts gradually disappeared?

It was due to the rampant slaughter by emperors and powerful lords. Those skilled in this craft were either killed, or they dared not reveal their identity, let alone pass the techniques on to their descendants, lest they invite calamity.” The kings and nobles of successive generations, wishing to prevent grave robbers from disturbing their burial sites, naturally set up various defensive mechanisms in their tombs to try and stop intruders.

Then, fearing the mechanism masters might leak secrets, they would certainly kill them off. Killing them down generation after generation, it was a wonder that the art of mechanisms managed to survive at all.

“Barbaric, ignorant, foolish…” Understanding this logic, Yu Feibai couldn't help but curse, sighing with regret. Of course, the target of his curses was the ancient royalty and aristocracy—it was because of them that an absolute skill was lost, deserving of condemnation.

“Stop cursing,” Elder Qian said thoughtfully. “In other words, that mechanism master must have realized his death was inevitable, so he hid the underground palace design map inside this mechanism box, hoping future generations might avenge him by desecrating the tomb?” “That’s certainly a possibility,” Elder Hou mused.

“If it were me, knowing I was going to die, I would definitely leave behind a contingency measure…”