Professor Wen’s insistence on taking charge of the matter was as obvious as Sima Zhao’s intentions—a truth known to all.

“Doesn’t this count as losing the east field but gaining the mulberry field?”

At this moment, Yu Feibai sighed, “Professor Wen didn’t find anything in the underground palace, but they unearthed many precious artifacts from the nearby large tomb. That’s quite a gain. Old Hou didn't do badly either; at least that mechanical door alone will keep you busy studying for ages.”

“So, it means we’re the tragic ones. Not only did we get no sleep, but after running around for a day and a night, we gained nothing. Truly, the ways of heaven are unfair.”

Yu Feibai feigned a lament that left the others speechless with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

“We only came to watch the excitement; what benefits do we need?” Wang Guan shook his head. “In the beginning, the goal was just to help Old Hou decipher the mechanisms. Then, when the underground palace appeared, your expectations soared. Now you feel disappointed because your psychological baseline has dropped. You can’t blame anyone else.”

“Besides, you said it yourself: losing the east field but gaining the mulberry field.”

After a pause, Wang Guan chuckled, “The palace was empty, but seeing the Mingguang Armor and the turquoise-glazed Tang Sancai horses—aren’t you satisfied yet?”

“A person’s heart is never satisfied—like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. How could I be easily content?” Yu Feibai pouted. “Unless you give me the Mingguang Armor, then I’d have nothing more to say.”

“A nice little scheme you’ve cooked up, but it’s destined to fail,” Wang Guan laughed. “You must realize the Mingguang Armor is not only contraband but also an unearthed cultural relic. You can’t buy it, let alone expect someone to gift it to you.”

“That’s why I think our domestic laws are inadequate.”

Yu Feibai sighed. “If doing good deeds yields no reward, who is willing to do them often? Some people always assume good deeds shouldn't require compensation. When those who are helped try to offer rewards, they are turned down, perceived as an insult. But these people fail to understand that their self-aggrandizing behavior was severely criticized by Confucius during the Spring and Autumn Warring States period…”

“It’s just a small matter; is there a need to escalate it to such a high level?”

Wang Guan smiled helplessly. “Aren’t you usually the one who hates it when others lecture you with grand principles? Why are you using them to lecture others now?”

“The key is whether the grand principle benefits me,” Yu Feibai admitted with brutal honesty, a frankness that rendered everyone speechless.

“Enough chatter, let’s go.”

Wang Guan shook his head lightly and, upon reaching the exit of the underground palace, suddenly expressed surprise: “Where is the mechanical door? Where did it go?”

At this moment, Yu Feibai and the others also noticed that the mechanical door at the exit had been dismantled and moved somewhere unknown. However, when they entered earlier, their focus hadn't been on the doorway, so they had overlooked this detail.

“It’s been moved outside.”

Under everyone’s gaze, Old Hou explained with a light chuckle, “This type of item is not suitable for public display; it needs separate safekeeping.”

“Oh.”

Everyone understood instantly, realizing that not just the mechanical door, but likely all the other mechanical devices, would soon be packed up and taken away by Old Hou. This confirmed what Yu Feibai had said: Old Hou was the one who gained the most from this whole affair.

Or rather, the greatest beneficiary was Old Hou’s Mechanical Research Institute. He only provided two maps; the excavation was led by Professor Wen, and the mechanism decryption was handled by Wang Guan…

In short, regardless of what expectations everyone had for the underground palace and how disappointed they ended up, at least Old Hou felt the trip was worthwhile. After all, the mechanical gate alone was enough for him to return home loaded with riches.

With their mixed emotions, they returned to the tents. Since their spirits were low, Yu Feibai declared, “Professor Wen, Old Hou, if there’s nothing else, we’ll be taking our leave. We still have time to visit the antique market. Having come all the way to Luoyang, we can’t leave empty-handed.”

“That’s fine too.”

Professor Wen was preparing to visit the police station to check on developments and readily agreed: “It’s been a huge trouble for you all, but don’t rush off. I’m treating you all to dinner tonight to thank you for your help.”

“No need to be so polite…”

“You shouldn’t refuse. It’s settled then. I’ll call you tonight regarding the time and place.”

After this round of pleasantries, Wang Guan and the others agreed to Professor Wen’s invitation out of courtesy, set the time and place, and then left the camp. Their car sped through the city.

“Luoyang has quite a few antique markets…” Yu Feibai mused, “Which one is better? Or should we just go to the Tianzi Jia Liu Antique City again?”

“You decide… Thanks!” Wang Guan said casually, accepting a drink handed to him by Fang Mingsheng.

Wang Guan immediately sensed that Fang Mingsheng seemed to have something to say, so he smiled knowingly. “Boss Fang often travels to Luoyang to hunt for treasures. Do you have any good recommendations?”

“…There’s the Yu Shen Culture and Expo City in Luoyang’s Old Town. It has more shops and is much livelier,” Fang Mingsheng hesitated slightly before smilingly suggesting, “It’s in a bustling area, very popular.”

“Then that’s where we’ll go,” Yu Feibai decided instantly.

Just then, Wang Guan’s phone rang again; it was Old Hou. This struck Wang Guan as strange, and he picked up.

“Old Hou? What is it now?”

Since the underground palace issue was settled, was this a call to say goodbye?

While Wang Guan was speculating, Old Hou’s voice came through the phone: “Wang Guan, where are you now? You should be free, right? If you have nothing else on, come over to my place. Better come alone…”

As he spoke, Old Hou gave an address and immediately ended the call.

“What does that mean?”

Wang Guan was utterly puzzled, yet he had a vague feeling that Old Hou seeking him out might not be simple.

“What’s up?”

Yu Feibai asked curiously, “Why is Old Hou looking for you?”

“I don’t know, maybe some final instructions,” Wang Guan shook his head. “He asked me to come alone.”

“What? He wants you to go alone?”

In an instant, everyone exchanged bewildered glances, then began contemplating.

“Maybe he wants to give you a gift to thank you for your loyal help? Or perhaps he found an unusual mechanism in the palace and wants you to look at it again?”

Yu Feibai speculated, and the others nodded in agreement, thinking it was a distinct possibility.

“Whatever it is, we’ll know when I go,” Wang Guan smiled. “You guys go treasure hunting yourselves, and be careful not to pick up a fake.”

“Get lost, stop cursing us,” Yu Feibai scoffed. Wang Guan stopped the car on the way, hailed a separate taxi, and followed the address Old Hou provided to the side of the national highway outside the city.

The highway wasn't exactly remote; traffic was constantly flowing past, but the most conspicuous sight was a large truck parked near the roadside for some unknown reason.

Of course, since the truck was parked on the shoulder and wasn’t blocking the road, passersby merely glanced with curiosity before continuing their journey.

However, after Wang Guan got out of the taxi, he took one brief look around and headed straight toward the large truck. Even before he got close, Old Hou’s smiling face appeared from inside the truck bed, beckoning him to hurry up.

“Old Hou, are you heading back already?”

Wang Guan climbed into the truck bed and found the space quite large, filled with numerous items, including the metal mechanical door from the underground palace. Undoubtedly, Old Hou was packing these things up to take back to Hanzhong for research.

“Not that fast. I have to attend tonight’s banquet first, and I’ll fly back tomorrow morning,” Old Hou chuckled lightly. “But before that, I have one loose end that needs tidying up, and it requires your expertise.”

“What is it?” Wang Guan looked over and was instantly stunned. “This is…”

Old Hou produced a box—a golden treasure chest. It was cubical, about twenty cubic units in volume, inlaid with precious gemstones across its surface, looking incredibly opulent and exuding an aura of grandeur.

“Actually, we lied,” Old Hou whispered with a soft smile. “The palace was indeed empty, but beneath the murals, we discovered the existence of a secret compartment. There was a movable stone slab, and hidden beneath that slab was this item.”

Wang Guan blinked, then quickly understood. “…The item has a mechanism.”

“No mechanism, but it has a lock,” Old Hou replied with a slight chuckle. “Compared to deciphering mechanisms, opening a lock should be easy for someone with your abilities, right?”

“As long as it’s not a combination lock,” Wang Guan hesitated, reaching out to take the golden treasure chest. The moment it was in his hands, he could feel its substantial weight and a faint, almost imperceptible sound, letting him know something was definitely inside.

“Wang Guan,” Old Hou’s voice held a touch of excitement. “Whether your theories from earlier hold true depends on whether what’s in this chest provides evidence concerning that matter.”

“Mmm.”

A flicker of brilliance crossed Wang Guan’s eyes, and a surge of excitement followed.

If the contents were letters or handwritten notes, they might not rewrite history, but they could certainly fill in historical gaps, piercing through the layers of mist to allow them to reconstruct the truth.

Of course, it was all speculation. To confirm whether the speculation was correct, the treasure chest needed to be opened.

With this thought, Wang Guan immediately composed himself and carefully examined the chest. On its front, there was a very distinct keyhole. It appeared to be an internal lock, the keyhole long and flat, suggesting a special key would be needed to open it.

“How is it?” Old Hou asked anxiously. “Is this lock easy to open?”

“Hard to say; I need to examine it closely,” Wang Guan murmured, instinctively reaching into his pocket, intending to pull out a random key to insert into the lock and gauge the situation.

But as he patted his pocket, instead of his keys, Wang Guan pulled out something small and exquisite.

Seeing the object, Wang Guan intended to slip it back into his pocket, but after comparing its width and length with the keyhole, a sudden impulse struck him. Acting almost involuntarily, he inserted the item into the lock.

Click!

In an instant, the object fit perfectly into the keyhole, leaving no gap whatsoever…

“How do you have the key?” Old Hou was astonished and utterly surprised by the sight.