The statement, while seemingly cautious, revealed Wang Guan's cunning nature perfectly. If he truly disagreed with Yu Feibai's suggestion, he should have tried to dissuade him; instead, everything he did now seemed calculated to egg him on.

"Relax, I know my limits," Yu Feibai replied, flashing a rather "sinister" smile at the opportune moment. "Just don't undermine me later; leave everything else to me."

"Got it," Wang Guan chuckled, then suddenly adopted an expression of genuine shock, opening his palm. "Uh, I seem to have taken something I shouldn't have."

"What?"

Everyone followed his gaze and froze. In Wang Guan's palm rested a small, model-like sword—one of Dage's stolen artifacts from the tomb raid. Wang Guan had been admiring it when the police stormed in to make arrests, and the ensuing chaos made him completely forget he was still holding the evidence until they had already left.

"Wang Guan, you're amazing."

Understanding dawned on Yu Feibai, who couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up, teasing playfully, "Your knack for opportunistic theft is truly admirable."

"Nonsense," Wang Guan retorted, annoyed. "I absolutely did not do it on purpose."

"That's precisely why we're so impressed," Yu Feibai laughed slyly. "Think about it—walking out openly in front of everyone while concealing that item. Most people couldn't pull that off."

"Scram," Wang Guan rolled his eyes. "You guys saw it? Why didn't anyone remind me?"

"Honestly, we didn't notice," Tang Qinghua chimed in with a smile from the side. "The thing is tiny, and you were holding it, mostly obscuring it from view. Besides, who stares at someone's hand unless they have to?"

"Alas, a moment of carelessness has gotten me into trouble," Wang Guan sighed, shaking his head. "Let's turn back."

"What's the rush?" Yu Feibai dismissed the concern. "Just call Officer Yang and explain the situation. This little trinket isn't worth anything; nobody's going to make a fuss. Just hand it back when they bring over the written statement."

It had to be admitted that Yu Feibai made a valid point. More importantly, the camp was already in sight, and doubling back would only waste time. Wang Guan adopted his advice, tucking the item casually into his pocket.

Before long, the vehicle arrived smoothly at the camp.

Wang Guan observed closely and noticed that the camp guards seemed even stricter than the day before. However, they wouldn't need to worry about passing inspections, as Professor Wen and the others were already waiting outside the perimeter.

"No doubt about it; they definitely need something from you," Yu Feibai whispered before stepping out of the car. "Courtesy demands a favor in return; we can't miss this opportunity."

"Wang Guan, you're back."

At that moment, Professor Wen greeted them with a warm smile. "How did it go? Everything smooth?"

"Smooth, incredibly smooth," Yu Feibai replied, getting out with a beaming smile. "So smooth it's almost unbelievable... By the way, how about you? Was your trip successful? Have you figured out the situation inside the underground palace yet?"

"Ah..."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Professor Wen's eyes before he chuckled. "Let's discuss it inside. You must be tired. Come to the tent for some tea to moisten your throats."

"Right, everyone, let's go have some tea," Yu Feibai called back, which served as a subtle hint. Sure enough, after navigating the checkpoints and settling into the tent, Wang Guan and the others sat sipping tea, everyone maintaining a tight-lipped silence.

Being seasoned veterans, Professor Wen immediately understood the situation and recognized their deliberate display of displeasure.

He felt utterly helpless about it. He didn't believe he had made a mistake by preventing them from entering the palace the day before; in reality, it was a protective measure. After all, the palace was riddled with traps and hidden mechanisms, which were tricky to disarm even with the blueprints in hand.

Most crucially, Professor Wen anticipated that the underground palace likely held many precious artifacts. Wang Guan and the others lacked experience, and if they accidentally damaged any irreplaceable items, it would be a loss for both parties.

Of course, depending on their perspective, they would naturally have different thoughts. Professor Wen at least understood that Wang Guan and his group might not appreciate his intentions—or perhaps refused to understand them—which is why they were still angry.

Nevertheless, despite his frustration, he had to address the matter. With that in mind, Professor Wen immediately signaled Elder Hou, indicating he should take the lead. Living up to expectations, Elder Hou stepped forward, aiming to smooth things over while smiling slyly. "Feibai, the underground palace has been mapped out. Don't you want to go inside and see for yourselves?"

It must be acknowledged that in different circumstances, Elder Hou's invitation would have held significant appeal, perhaps hitting Yu Feibai's exact weak spot and making him eagerly agree, forgetting his prior annoyance.

But at this moment, the tactic failed. Yu Feibai simply pouted. "What's there to see in an underground palace? Is it going to outshine the splendor of the Forbidden City in Beijing? Dark, gloomy, and cramped—just thinking about it is tedious..."

So melodramatic, so utterly affected. This time, not only Elder Hou offered a wry smile, but Wang Guan and the others couldn't help but shake their heads. How overly dramatic one had to be to utter such disingenuous words.

"Wang Guan, you..." Seeing Yu Feibai feigning indifference, Elder Hou bypassed him and spoke directly to Wang Guan.

"Wang Guan is busy; talk to me if you have something," Yu Feibai interjected before Elder Hou could finish. "Elder Hou, get straight to the point. Don't beat around the bush. Just tell us: is there some mechanism in the palace you still can't figure out?"

"Ah..." Elder Hou paused, then smiled. "Nothing of the sort. Even if there were, young Qin and the others aren't here for recreation; they can certainly handle it."

"They can handle it, certainly, but it's just a matter of time—sooner or later," Yu Feibai said triumphantly. "But I doubt you can truly endure any delays at a crucial juncture..."

It had to be conceded that Yu Feibai was absolutely correct. After witnessing Wang Guan's stunning lock-picking performance, no one would foolishly wait around. Being stopped right when an arrow was nocked was the most tantalizing and maddening experience.

"Fine, let's say you're right," Professor Wen conceded after a moment of quiet resignation. "What exactly do you want?"

"We don't want much," Yu Feibai replied, a victorious smile spreading across his face. "We don't intend to make things difficult for you. It's just that we are extremely curious about the contents of the palace, not just visiting the structure itself. We also want to view the various artifacts. This small favor shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

"Viewing the artifacts?"

Elder Hou and Professor Wen exchanged a look, their expressions growing distinctly strange.

"What? This is the simplest request, and you won't even grant that?" Yu Feibai immediately voiced his dissatisfaction. "I know that after you explore and discover artifacts, you're accustomed to sealing everything up for later cataloging and study. We just want to observe closely while you are inventorying them, to gain some insight. We aren't planning on stealing. If you refuse even this, it shows a severe lack of sincerity."

"Feibai, it's not that we don't want to agree; it's that we have nothing to show you," Elder Hou said with a helpless, wry smile. "To tell you the truth, the underground palace is empty..."

"What? Empty?"

For a moment, everyone was stunned, followed by a surge of doubt.

"Are you serious?" Yu Feibai naturally disbelieved. "People shouldn't be so stingy. Even if you fabricated an excuse, it should at least be plausible! An entire massive underground palace with absolutely nothing inside? Who would believe that?"

"There are a few things, yes, but they aren't the precious artifacts you're imagining," Professor Wen sighed. "They are merely fragments of dismantled mechanisms and hidden weapons. In a way, these items could be considered relics, but they certainly differ from the treasures everyone pictured. You have no idea—we entered the palace last night, full of excitement, expecting to uncover many artifacts of great research value. But seeing the reality inside was like a bucket of icy water dumped from the sky, extinguishing all our burning enthusiasm..."

"No way," Yu Feibai exclaimed, sensing they weren't lying. "Don't tell me you secretly moved all the gold and valuables out?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Elder Hou glared, genuinely annoyed. "The palace is empty; we are even more disappointed than you are."

Yu Feibai chuckled sheepishly, realizing his remark had gone too far, and was about to apologize when a sudden thought struck him. "Wait a minute. If the palace is truly empty, why did you call Wang Guan here?"

"...It wouldn't be entirely accurate to say we found nothing at all," Professor Wen explained. "After a full night's effort, we meticulously explored every corner of the palace and discovered a mural on one of the walls."

"A mural?"

Immediately, everyone focused their attention. "What kind of mural?"

It was common knowledge that tombs contained murals. These usually depicted the tomb owner's life or perhaps mystical patterns symbolizing hopes for ascension and eternal bliss after death. Regardless, tomb murals from different eras reflected the styles of their times and held immense research value.

"Upon discovering this mural, we were naturally excited, thinking we had found a breakthrough," Elder Hou said, sighing as he continued. "However, after studying it, we realized something peculiar about the painting. Ling Xi mentioned previously that Wang Guan possesses exceptionally high appreciation standards for calligraphy and painting, so we hoped you could take a look."

"Ah, so it's about looking at a painting," the others realized with sudden clarity. It seemed Elder Hou and Professor Wen had indeed been denying anything related to mechanisms because it was genuinely about the artwork.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Yu Feibai instantly stood up, urging them on. "Let's hurry and see what mysteries that painting holds."

"Now you're blaming us," Elder Hou chuckled. "If you hadn't wasted time arguing earlier, everyone would have seen the mural already."

"Alright, alright, it was my fault. Let's go," Yu Feibai apologized without the slightest integrity, then took the lead, sprinting toward the massive pit. Unsurprisingly, he was stopped by someone near the edge of the opening...