Wang Guan exclaimed in surprise, "Three wrong codes, and it explodes?"

"Not quite that dramatic."

Fang Mingsheng shook his head, his expression turning serious. "Three wrong attempts, and the dial locks automatically. It won't reset for at least twenty-four hours."

At this, Wang Guan couldn't help but shake his head, silently mourning for Mr. Hill for a few minutes. Such a setting was truly torturous. Only three chances to input the wrong code per day—how long would one have to guess if they forgot it? He certainly wasn't counting on it in his lifetime, perhaps not even his great-great-grandson would live to see the day they guessed correctly.

So, Mr. Hill had truly been thoroughly screwed over by his son this time. But then again, being done in by one's own son was a remarkably common affair. Looking across the world, only the one who could truly trick the old man was the genuine article.

"However, I have faith in your abilities."

Fang Mingsheng encouraged him at this moment. "You'll definitely succeed on the first try."

As he spoke, before Wang Guan could react, Fang Mingsheng physically pushed him forward to study the dial and decipher the code. Seeing this, Mr. Hill looked surprised and spoke a few critical words, seemingly questioning Wang Guan's competence. Fang Mingsheng immediately offered a vigorous defense, listing Wang Guan's "heroic achievements" in a torrent of words.

Wang Guan didn't understand any of this, unsure if Fang Mingsheng was exaggerating, but Mr. Hill's initial suspicion softened to something between belief and doubt. After all, being a shrewd man, Mr. Hill knew Fang Mingsheng wouldn't recommend someone so readily without some measure of confidence...

While Fang Mingsheng was boasting, Wang Guan pretended to lean down to inspect the dial lock. After a couple of glances, he casually asked, "By the way, what was the original code?"

Although this step wasn't strictly necessary for Wang Guan, asking for the previous code was purely redundant. However, one shouldn't be too conspicuous; when appropriate, one must show a little modesty. Moreover, the original code might still be useful, as he knew many people liked to incorporate parts of their old codes when setting new ones.

Knowing the original code might offer a "clue," making the decryption much simpler.

This was a very "professional" question. Hearing Fang Mingsheng's translation, the suspicion in Mr. Hill's eyes faded slightly. He paused, then pulled a book from a nearby shelf, flipped to the flyleaf, and pointed to a line of ornate English script, indicating it.

"Ah..."

At first glance, Fang Mingsheng was deeply moved and couldn't help but gasp aloud.

"What is it?"

Everyone was intensely curious, not understanding why Fang Mingsheng had suddenly lost his composure.

Of course, Fang Mingsheng recovered quickly, offering a casual excuse. He claimed he hadn't expected Mr. Hill to hide the code within a book, and then smoothly inquired if the new code might also be tucked away in a book on the shelf.

To this, Mr. Hill shook his head in distress, implying if it were recorded, he wouldn't be this troubled now.

Fang Mingsheng sighed with regret, offered a few words of comfort, then immediately took the book and handed it over, his voice deep as he said, "Wang Guan, this is the original code. Look at it carefully..."

Fang Mingsheng stressed the final few words heavily. The others noticed nothing unusual—Mr. Hill and Prince Abdul, of course, understood nothing. As for Mr. Anderson, even as a China expert, he lacked the nuance to grasp the hidden emotional weight in the language, thus missing the subtle difference.

"Oh!"

Wang Guan understood, feeling a certain confusion, but as he lowered his head to see the text on the flyleaf, he instantly grasped the situation, finally understanding why Fang Mingsheng had gasped so dramatically.

Because this line of English was identical to the Old English script on the parchment found in the code cylinder.

"Strange,"

Wang Guan frowned slightly and murmured, "Boss Fang, what do you think?"

"What can I think?" Fang Mingsheng shook his head slightly. "I'm just stunned, what else is there to think? We'll discuss this later; focus on cracking the code first, don't keep them waiting."

"Alright, we'll talk later,"

Wang Guan nodded lightly and looked back down at the English in the book, suddenly pausing. "It seems a bit off. There are too many letters in this line of English; they can't all be the code, can they?"

As he spoke, an idea sparked in Wang Guan's mind, and he immediately lowered his voice. "Go ask clearly which letters constitute the password, and then pretend to be curious by asking about the specific meaning of these English words."

"Good idea." Hearing this, Fang Mingsheng realized it was a perfect opportunity and immediately turned back to inquire. While Mr. Hill explained, he didn't forget to translate for Wang Guan.

"The first letter of each word is the key to unlocking it."

"As for the origin of this text, it involves a legend passed down through their family."

"The general meaning of this passage is this: In a wide, grazing grassland, there was a sacred lake. The lake's waters flowed through a forest, where there were the Lord's blessings, and the Lord's glory was eternal."

At this point, Fang Mingsheng's expression grew strange. "Mr. Hill's ancestors established the castle nearby based on this legend. That is why the family is so prosperous now—it is the Lord's blessing..."

It was no wonder Fang Mingsheng looked displeased. He had always assumed the parchment in the code cylinder belonged to some treasure's secret cipher. He hadn't expected that while it was indeed a cipher, it was merely their family's inherited legend. Furthermore, the legend might even be intentionally fabricated; whether the legend came before the castle or the castle before the legend was a muddled account.

Legends like this in China are known as prophecies (chengyu). Such mysterious-sounding portents gained great traction starting from the Shang and Zhou dynasties and remain popular to this day.

Of course, Chinese prophecies usually pertain to politics—like 'He who destroys Qin is Hu' during the Qin Dynasty, or 'Though Chu has but three families left, the destroyer of Qin must be Chu,' and 'When the Great Chu rises, Chen Sheng shall be king.' Put plainly, they were methods to control public opinion and boost collective confidence.

The Hill family legend clearly served a similar purpose. It was intended to convey that their domain was blessed by the Lord, making their prosperity and flourishing a matter of course.

This shows that mysticism is a prevalent phenomenon, whether in the East or the West. The Hill family's legend was clearly an imitation of Biblical methods. However, where the Bible spoke of the promised land of God, Mr. Hill's ancestors dared not openly declare such a thing; they could only claim the land was blessed.

To the eyes of the intelligent, such tactics were a joke.

But knowing the truth, no one was tactless enough to expose it. On the contrary, they offered appropriate praise, expressing admiration for the foresight of Mr. Hill's ancestors.

Having learned the truth, Fang Mingsheng's frustration was immense, but as a businessman, he quickly adjusted his mindset. A shattered fantasy was trivial; there were other hopes remaining.

Unspoken, Fang Mingsheng’s hope lay with Prince Abdul, but he also needed Mr. Hill’s connections, so he was extremely eager for Wang Guan to open the dial lock quickly.

Thinking of this, Fang Mingsheng couldn't help but urge, "Wang Guan, forget the legends. Just focus on opening the lock."

"Got it,"

Wang Guan nodded, responding casually, "These things can't be rushed..."

As he spoke, Wang Guan began to cheat, activating his special ability without delay. In that instant, the energy signature of his power silently permeated the interior of the dial mechanism. But instead of observing the mechanical structure, he peered straight through the vault door and saw a vast underground space within.

It seemed Fang Mingsheng was right; this was indeed an underground treasury. The expansive area was like a medium-sized museum, displaying numerous precious artifacts. Each item radiated a dazzling, captivating divine light. If Wang Guan hadn't experienced such sights so often, he might have been completely mesmerized.

Even so, Wang Guan couldn't help but sigh with emotion. It truly lived up to its reputation as a nearly thousand-year-old prominent family; the breadth and variety of the collection were enough to incite envy and resentment.

Examining closer, Wang Guan also spotted many Chinese porcelains, calligraphy and paintings, and gem artifacts, including national treasures that stirred his heart. The sheer quantity made his spirit waver...

However, this was within an acceptable range. Compared to the Chinese relics housed in the British Museum, the collection in Mr. Hill's vault was only a small fraction; most items were Western treasures.

"If only I could bring them back home," Wang Guan thought, but he immediately suppressed the idea. A person must know their limits. He had a rough idea of the value of the Chinese artifacts inside. Even if Mr. Hill agreed to sell them all, Wang Guan would have to bankrupt himself and still couldn't afford them.

The truth was, money was always in short supply when one needed it most, and Wang Guan felt helpless.

"Huh!"

Just as Wang Guan was sighing, his gaze swept over something inadvertently, and he suddenly caught sight of a brilliant purple-gold radiance, blazing like the sun, shooting upward. In that instant, this splendid purple-gold light possessed an aura of supreme dominance, completely overwhelming the light from neighboring treasures.

"This..."

Wang Guan was instantly filled with mingled joy and shock, just preparing to look closer. However, in the eyes of others, he had been staring blankly for some time. Fang Mingsheng grew anxious and could finally resist no longer, patting his shoulder. "Wang Guan, still studying? You don't need to be this cautious. You can test it out first. After all, you have three chances; you can afford one or two mistakes..."

"No need to rush,"

Prompted by Fang Mingsheng's reminder, Wang Guan knew this wasn't the time to be distracted. He cleared his mind and focused on studying the dial. In reality, for him, no matter how complex the lock, as long as it operated mechanically, it was essentially defenseless.

After observing for a moment, Wang Guan had a clear idea. He also found it slightly strange, vaguely feeling that this password seemed somewhat familiar. After pondering for a moment, his gaze fell upon the book inscribed with lines of Old English, and he suddenly realized...