"Panlong Lamp? What is that?"

Hearing this, everyone immediately followed the direction Elder Hou pointed. In the corner of the room stood a lamp. The lamp pillar was at least two meters tall, topped with a lamp housing, and underneath was a coiling dragon.

This dragon was incredibly lifelike, especially the scales on its body—thin metal plates that, under the glare of the incandescent bulb, reflected pinpricks of light, lending it a certain delicate quality.

"Is there anything special about this lamp?"

At this moment, Yu Feibai asked curiously, "Since Elder Hou specifically introduced it, it shouldn't be ordinary, right?"

"Whether it's ordinary or not, you'll soon find out," Elder Hou smiled, gesturing, "Little Qin, light the Panlong Lamp and let them see something."

"Got it!" Little Qin grinned, nodded immediately, walked over, moved the Panlong Lamp to a clearer spot, fetched a tall stool, stepped onto it, and lit the lamp housing.

Click.

In that instant, Elder Hou casually switched off the room's incandescent light. The room plunged into darkness, leaving only a flickering spark of flame in the Panlong Lamp's reservoir.

"Elder Hou..."

Wang Guan and the others were naturally startled and were about to ask for an explanation. Just then, starlight suddenly began to flicker in the room. They quickly squinted to look closer. They saw that after the light was ignited, the scales of the coiled dragon seemed to move, the shimmering light resembling clusters of stars twinkling across the room, creating a dazzling spectacle.

"How is this happening?"

For a moment, everyone was overwhelmed, feeling dizzy and mesmerized. After a long pause, Yu Feibai suddenly scratched his head, musing, "I feel like I’ve seen this phenomenon somewhere before."

"It’s normal that you have,"

Elder Hou chuckled at this point. "This Panlong Lamp is actually a variation of the revolving lantern. There's a mechanism in the lamp housing. Once the light is lit, the heat generated by the flame creates an air current that causes the axle to turn. And since the dragon scales are polished, thin metal pieces, they form a brilliant effect, like fireworks, under the firelight."

"So it’s just a revolving lantern," Yu Feibai said with a touch of disappointment in his tone.

This was the nature of mechanism artistry; before it's exposed, it seems mysterious and supernatural, but once the principle is understood, it seems rather commonplace. Simply put, what is called 'miraculous' is largely a psychological effect.

"Actually, 'revolving lantern' isn't a very elegant term,"

At the same time, Elder Hou lectured with a hint of complaint. "Lamps of this form were called Pan Chi Lamps during the Qin and Han dynasties, Xian Yin Candles or Zhuan Lu Lamps in the Tang Dynasty, and Ma Qi Lamps or Zou Ma Lamps in the Song Dynasty, a name that has been used ever since. The name is too common; Pan Chi Lamp or Zhuan Lu Lamp sounds much more refined and pleasing."

As he spoke, Elder Hou casually switched the electric lights back on, providing ample illumination. The dazzling effect of the Panlong Lamp immediately diminished by more than half, no longer commanding such attention.

"Elder Hou,"

Just then, Yu Feibai chuckled slyly, "I think I just spotted something extraordinary."

"Saw what?"

Not only Elder Hou was perplexed, but the others were also quite puzzled.

"I saw this..."

At this moment, Yu Feibai walked over to the corner where a curtain hung down, perfectly obscuring an object. Approaching it, he didn't rashly pull the curtain aside. Instead, he turned back and asked, "Elder Hou, may I take a look at this item?"

"Sharp eyes, kid."

Elder Hou suddenly understood. He smiled and asked, "How did you spot that thing?"

"It wasn't hidden tightly enough; a 'horse's hoof' showed,"

Yu Feibai gestured, and everyone quickly looked down. They saw that the curtain did not reach the floor; there was still a distance of two or three inches from the ground, revealing a flash of golden color.

"When the Panlong Lamp turned just now, there was a reflection that shot right into my eye," Yu Feibai laughed. "At first, I thought it was glass, but when the lights came on, I realized it was metal—it looked like gold."

"It's not gold, just coated with a layer of gold powder," Elder Hou pondered, walked over directly, and gently drew the curtain back, then smiled, "You can look, but you absolutely must not mention this outside..."

By then, Wang Guan and the others could barely hear what Elder Hou was saying. Their eyes were fixed on the object, and they instantly felt a sense of stunned awe, completely captivated.

After a long, long moment, Wang Guan finally managed to collect himself slightly and couldn't help but sigh, "What an opulent chest."

"Not just opulent, it’s practically a treasure!"

Fang Mingsheng’s eyes glittered with light, reflecting entirely off the object.

"...Elder Hou, how could you leave something like this lying around so carelessly? It’s completely inappropriate. Why don't you just let me take it home..." The only one who could make such a request shamelessly was Yu Feibai, the money-grubber.

It wasn't entirely the fault of the three for losing their composure. The chest Wang Guan spoke of was not made of ordinary material; it was a treasure coffer, over a meter tall, entirely coated in gold powder and inlaid with pearls, agate, fine jade, turquoise, and other gems. Under the light, the entire large chest shimmered with gold, and the various jewels emitted strange lights—it was enough to incite criminal thoughts.

"Heh heh, very nice, is it?"

At this moment, Elder Hou and Little Qin and the others all wore expressions of perfect composure. After all, the item had been there for several years, and those who needed to see it already had. Moreover, due to constant study, the novelty had completely worn off, and they were tired of it.

It was much like ancient emperors; sitting on mountains of gold and silver, accustomed to wealth and treasures, they naturally became numb. Even sleeping in the imperial treasury, they probably wouldn't feel much excitement.

"What is this thing?"

Amidst his astonishment, Yu Feibai couldn't help but step forward and touch it. He could immediately determine that the jewels inlaid on the coffer were genuine articles, not imitations made of resin or glass.

Elder Hou smiled then and said softly, "The Jinkui!"

"What?"

Everyone was startled and surprised, bordering on stupefaction. After a pause, Yu Feibai had to confirm again, "Elder Hou, what did you just say that was? I didn't quite catch... Jinkui? As in, what we are thinking of?" Elder Hou smiled. "The Jinkui from the Oath of the Golden Coffer."

"No way, is it real or not?"

For a moment, everyone was stunned. They quickly looked closer and suddenly realized that the item was indeed shaped like a cabinet, though its form was rather square, which is why everyone mistook it for a chest.

"As for whether it's real or fake..."

At the same time, Elder Hou shook his head. "We are still studying it; we haven't reached a definitive conclusion yet."

"Oh, so you’re just bluffing us," Yu Feibai expressed his disappointment clearly. "If that’s the case, how can you be sure this is that Jinkui?"

"Well..." Elder Hou smiled and said casually, "When the superiors handed it over for us to study, they said this object was the Jinkui, so we can only parrot their words."

"Study?"

Wang Guan wisely refrained from asking which department the 'superiors' belonged to, only asking curiously, "Does this Jinkui also have mechanisms?"

"Of course, it does."

At this moment, Elder Hou frowned and sighed. "Not only does it have mechanisms, but the mechanisms are extremely complex. We've been studying it for over a year, and we still haven't made any progress."

"Huh?"

Yu Feibai was surprised. "Is this lock mechanism complicated? Is it the most formidable Nine Palaces Bagua Lock?"

"It's not so complicated as to be impossible, but saying it's simple would require a great deal of effort."

As he spoke, Elder Hou called over Little Qin and a few others. They carefully lifted the Jinkui to the center of the room, allowing Wang Guan and the others a better view. "...Where is the mechanism?" Yu Feibai looked around thoughtfully. "Is there some trick with the inlaid gems?"

"Not bad,"

Elder Hou chuckled lightly. "Making progress. You made an accurate judgment on the first look."

"Haha, my game is back today," Yu Feibai beamed, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "I was the one who found the entrance when we came in, so cracking the Jinkui's mechanism—well, the first layer of the mechanism—shouldn't be difficult at all."

Wang Guan was used to Yu Feibai claiming credit for others' achievements, so he clasped his hands and said, "Saying it is useless. Why don't you open the Jinkui then? We're watching."

"What's the rush? Didn't you see I’m studying it?" Yu Feibai replied casually, then seriously reached out to touch the various colored gems on the Jinkui. He hadn't held out much hope initially, but while randomly touching things, he inadvertently brushed against a smooth pearl. Immediately, he heard a kacha sound, and the tightly sealed door of the Jinkui suddenly cracked open, leaving it ajar.

"Uh..."

Yu Feibai clearly froze for a moment, then quickly reacted, beaming with joy and boasting triumphantly, "See? It opened! I truly am a genius..."

Seeing this, Wang Guan naturally felt a surge of surprise and muttered under his breath, "A blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse."

"Hmph, I know you're jealous; I won't stoop to your level,"

Yu Feibai was proud, but he wasn't carried away. He knew in his heart that if he could open this small mechanism by sheer chance, Elder Hou and the others could certainly do it with ease. Since Elder Hou and the others claimed they hadn't figured it out yet, it proved that the Jinkui's mechanisms were definitely not limited to just one layer.

Considering the complexity of the Qiankun Five Elements Lock, even the conceited Yu Feibai had to honestly admit that while you could get lucky occasionally with matters testing intelligence, you couldn't rely on it repeatedly.

Wang Guan understood this principle as well, so he dampened the mood: "You only opened the door. There seems to be another layer inside..."

Yu Feibai casually pulled the cabinet door open and realized Wang Guan was right. Behind the door was a layer of metal plate that looked incredibly dense and sturdy, firmly blocking any easy access to the Jinkui's secrets.

Of course, the metal plate wasn't the main point; the focus was the extremely complex lock dial located in the center of the plate.

"Wait, isn't that..."

The moment they saw the lock dial, Wang Guan and Yu Feibai gasped and instinctively turned to look at Fang Mingsheng. This dial's structure was strikingly similar to the anti-theft door on the hidden chamber in Fang Mingsheng's Chaozhou villa.