During the New Year, I haven't been home at all, so I plan to take a few days off for the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, since I want to maintain my perfect attendance record, I need to stockpile chapters to avoid any breaks in updates. This means that starting tomorrow, I will only be releasing two chapters a day until the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, at which point I will resume three chapters. I hope everyone can be understanding and continue to support me with your votes. Thank you very much.

At this moment, Yu Feibai’s fingers traced the patterns of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, hesitating for a long time. After a brief pause, he turned back expectantly and asked, "Which one should I choose?"

"You're the one who needs to figure out which one is most suitable for you, Brother Yu. It seems you want us to make the decision for you!" Wang Guan immediately retorted, sounding displeased. He had no intention of getting involved in this; it was clearly a matter of personal choice.

Elder Hou, on the other hand, was kinder, offering a gentle reminder with a smile, "According to the theory of the Five Virtues cycle, the Song Dynasty belonged to the Fire element, so it might be the Vermilion Bird."

"Oh, that makes sense," Yu Feibai exclaimed upon hearing this, instantly selecting the Vermilion Bird. He then became overwhelmingly grateful, "Elder Hou truly has foresight..."

As he spoke, he shot a glare at Wang Guan, curling his lip, "Unlike some people who clearly don't know but refuse to admit it."

While muttering, Yu Feibai’s finger moved to the final Yin-Yang option. Without a second thought, he tapped the sun icon, explaining, "Ever since Xia Jie compared himself to the sun, what emperor hasn't believed the same? Even if they don't say it aloud, they must think it in their hearts, so this has to be correct."

After tapping the sun icon, Yu Feibai looked hopefully at the Jīn Kuì (Golden Casket), expecting to hear the click of the mechanism. Unfortunately, the casket remained stubbornly silent, showing no sign of responding for a long time.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the faint smiles spreading across the faces of the others, Yu Feibai became flustered and angry. He stood up abruptly, mumbling with vexation, "That bastard Emperor Taizong of Song, setting up such a password for no reason. Everyone knows his 'Covenant of the Golden Casket' is a fabrication, why be so afraid of others peeking? Don't you all laugh either! If I can't do it, you all try!"

"I never claimed we could do it. On the contrary, you were full of confidence, looking like it was a sure thing, even discussing the reward terms with Elder Hou," Wang Guan chuckled. "Now you know the consequence of aiming too high."

"It’s mainly because I’m not in the right state of mind right now," Yu Feibai insisted, unwilling to back down, still arguing stubbornly, "Otherwise, I could solve it in minutes. Same as before, you try if you think you can..."

Hearing this, Wang Guan felt a flicker of interest. It wasn't that he wanted to steal the spotlight, but rather he genuinely wanted to know if the rumored Covenant of the Golden Casket was truly hidden inside. Even if the edict was forged by Emperor Taizong, it would still hold immense research value.

After all, official histories only mentioned the anecdote of the Covenant of the Golden Casket; the actual contents of the imperial decree have always been shrouded in secrecy, never having circulated. This situation alone was enough to suggest something fishy. If everything were above board, why the need for such concealment, daring not to show the document to others?

Of course, without concrete evidence, all of this remained speculation. History is like that—filled with layers of mist, further obscured by countless revisions over time. No one can be entirely certain that the history they know is the absolute truth. Consequently, when it comes to history, it generally exists in a state where official records cannot be fully trusted, and unofficial accounts are unreliable.

Yet, it is precisely this uncertainty that brings greater enjoyment to those who study history.

"Fine, I'll do it. Just keep your eyes wide open and watch how I break it," Wang Guan declared, adopting an equally confident air. He quietly crouched beside the Jīn Kuì and began his journey toward godhood (or perhaps, trickery).

"Tch, I'm watching, waiting to see you fail," Yu Feibai scoffed.

As he spoke, Yu Feibai suddenly froze, looking inexplicably puzzled at Wang Guan’s posture. "Why are you closing your eyes out of the blue?"

"Quiet! Don't interrupt me. I'm listening for the sound."

At that moment, Wang Guan’s eyes were indeed tightly shut, his ear held subtly close to the lock mechanism of the Jīn Kuì. This pose looked incredibly familiar to everyone present.

Instantly, Yu Feibai burst into laughter, roaring, "Are you acting in a movie? You really think you're some master international thief, pulling out that stunt! You're even more unreliable than me."

Elder Hou and the others also chuckled. Though they maintained some reserve, it was clear they held no real hope for Wang Guan’s actions. After all, cinematic techniques were fictional; in real life, no thief could be skilled enough to decipher a combination lock just by listening—it was pure fantasy.

However, even though they thought it impossible, no one tried to stop him. They treated it as entertainment.

But the world is vast and full of wonders. More importantly, there are those rare individuals in this world who can achieve tasks deemed impossible by ordinary people, turning the rotten into the miraculous.

Wang Guan was one such person. He ignored their laughter, focusing intently on cracking the lock. While he appeared to be listening intently, he was actually cheating by using his latent ability. Even with his eyes closed, he could see everything with perfect clarity.

To be honest, Wang Guan didn't even need to unlock it; he could simply use his clairvoyance to see what was inside the Jīn Kuì. But considering the matter was quite important to Elder Hou as well, and it was just a small favor, he didn't mind lending a hand.

Of course, it wasn't entirely baseless. If one listened carefully, it was truly possible to hear the faint sounds of the internal mechanism shifting within the casket. But these sounds were incredibly subtle; hearing them made little practical difference. Even if there were differences, Wang Guan couldn't perceive them audibly, but he could see them extremely clearly: "Earthly Branches, Heavenly Stems, Nine Palaces, Bagua, Seven Stars, Heavenly Dipper, Five Elements, Four Symbols, Yin and Yang."

Seeing Wang Guan’s deep concentration, the others stopped mocking him and slowly quieted down, watching as he selected the characters and symbols one by one, then rotated the dial so that these chosen symbols aligned in a straight line.

Intermittently, after about three to five minutes,

"Click!"

Just as everyone was growing impatient and about to advise Wang Guan to stop wasting his effort, a sound of a spring releasing echoed out, clear and pleasing to the ear.

Then, under the astonished, disbelieving gaze of everyone present, Wang Guan opened his eyes, rubbed his slightly stiff neck, stood up, and casually pulled open the inner door of the Jīn Kuì, revealing several compartments inside.

At this moment, no one paid attention to what items were placed on the shelves inside the casket. Every face was frozen in a look of shock, as if they had seen a ghost, utterly unable to believe their eyes.

"...Holy cow!"

Yu Feibai’s mouth fell wide open. After a long moment, he managed to close it, but his astonishment remained. "Wang Guan, you're too incredible! How did you know how to do that? Forget appraisals, you should switch careers and become an international master thief. Better yet, don't even go out yourself—just post online saying you can crack safes, and people will bring the valuables right to your door."

The others nodded in agreement. Fang Mingsheng, in particular, blinked thoughtfully, realizing for the first time that this type of combination lock might not be entirely secure, deciding he needed to install a fingerprint scanner as an extra layer of protection when he got home.

"Luck, sheer luck," Wang Guan said modestly, immediately shifting the topic. "Quick, everyone look, there seem to be quite a few things in the Jīn Kuì."

Hearing this, the attention of the group indeed shifted. They all looked into the casket and saw that Wang Guan was right—several items were indeed placed within its internal shelving units.

"Nobody move," Elder Hou said seriously, raising his hand to signal. "Xiao Qin, go out and inform the others about this, and also notify Director Pan. Tell him to hurry over here..."

"Oh."

Xiao Qin snapped out of his daze and quickly ran out.

A short while later, the others, having received the news, crowded in, curious and excited by the sight of the opened Jīn Kuì. However, no one dared to touch anything; they simply stayed put, observing as required by their roles. This was partly due to Elder Hou's presence, but also because the institute itself was a highly disciplined unit. They were accustomed to such constraints and naturally refrained from acting rashly.

A few minutes later, another group rushed over.

"Scatter, scatter, everyone move along," someone taking charge of order announced. Under his direction, unnecessary personnel retreated. However, Elder Hou, Xiao Qin, and the trio of Wang Guan, Yu Feibai, and Fang Mingsheng all remained.

"Brother Hou," an elderly man approached. It was the same person they had met near the courtyard entrance when they first arrived at the institute. He glanced at the Jīn Kuì and smiled with pleasant surprise. "It's really open! It opened much sooner than expected."

"This was an accident..." Elder Hou gestured toward Wang Guan with a hint of wonder, "Thanks to this young man, it was his... accidental stumble, perhaps, that managed to open the casket." Even now, Elder Hou was still wondering if Wang Guan genuinely possessed the skill to discern combinations by sound, or if it was simply the pure, lucky chance he claimed.

"Oh," the elderly man said, glancing at Wang Guan. Regardless of whether it was an accident or skill, he was certainly surprised. But the main business was at hand, and he had no time to investigate the process. He dropped his smile and asked sternly, "After the Jīn Kuì was opened, did anyone touch the contents inside?"

"No," Elder Hou replied just as seriously. "When the casket opened, only the few of us were present, and we can vouch for each other. Furthermore, we have cameras as proof..."

"There are cameras?" Wang Guan and Yu Feibai couldn't help but look up, spotting several surveillance cameras on the ceiling. High technology indeed; no wonder the crowd that rushed in earlier had been so orderly.

"Very good," the elderly man said, his smile returning. He then waved his hand. "Apply the seals."

Instantly, several people emerged, taking sealing tape and affixing it over the opened mouth of the Jīn Kuì. Note that the seals were applied while the casket was open, securing the opening, and everyone present had to sign the tape. After the signatures, someone carefully lifted the casket onto a specially prepared container. Another layer of sealing tape was applied before the container was taken away by designated personnel.

"What is this?" Watching the container depart, Yu Feibai couldn't help but grumble quietly, "We were the ones who opened the casket, and now they won't even let us look? This is clearly crossing the bridge and tearing it down, slaughtering the donkey after the grinding is done..."

"Keep your voice down," Wang Guan whispered. "Curiosity killed the cat; it’s better not to ask about things you shouldn’t know."

"I wasn't asking," Yu Feibai retorted, then raised his voice again. "Right now, I only care about the reward. Elder Hou, since we opened the Jīn Kuì, shouldn't the reward be delivered? Forget the cash; those two are big shots, they don't lack money..."

Elder Hou understood the implicit meaning: the ten thousand Yuan reward wasn't the point. He asked with interest, "Then what reward do you desire?"