Chapter Forty: The Strange Lock’s Unusual Solution, a Startling Journey Unfolds

I grabbed He Yunsheng’s hand.

"Lend me your hand for a moment!" He looked completely bewildered, likely wondering what new scheme I, the money-grubber, was cooking up.

I chuckled but offered no explanation, immediately jamming his slender finger toward the keyhole.

"Ow!" He Yunsheng yelped, pulling his hand back in pain. "Sister Wan'er, what are you doing? The keyhole is so small, how could my finger possibly..."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You fool! Who told you to actually stick it in there?" I picked up the finger he’d just grazed on the lock, squeezed out a drop of blood, and let it fall onto the keyhole.

Don't ask me why I knew to use blood—it’s a woman’s intuition, get it? Besides, isn’t that how it always goes in the storybooks?

The drop of blood landed on the lock and, to my surprise, slowly seeped inside. I held my breath, waiting for a miracle. Yet, nothing earth-shattering happened; the lock remained a lock, and the box remained a box.

"Ugh..." I rubbed my hands together awkwardly. "It seems that cliché didn't work."

He Yunsheng was torn between laughter and frustration. "Sister Wan'er, what kind of mystery are you playing at? This lock clearly looks complex; how could a drop of blood open it?"

I pouted. "Then what do you suggest? We can't return empty-handed! This is a treasure I worked so hard to find!" As I spoke, I began to study the lock again. Its construction was indeed peculiar, engraved with bizarre symbols that felt increasingly familiar the more I looked at them.

Wait! I suddenly remembered the murals I had seen earlier in the secret chamber; they seemed to have similar symbols!

I hurriedly dragged He Yunsheng back to the chamber to carefully compare the symbols on the wall with those on the lock. Sure enough, several of them matched perfectly.

I pointed at the mural excitedly. "Look! I told you there was a secret hidden in these walls!" I pressed the symbols on the lock in the exact order they appeared on the mural.

*Click.* The lock opened!

I eagerly threw open the lid, but the box was completely empty!

"What?!" He Yunsheng and I exclaimed in unison. I couldn't believe my eyes—the box was actually empty! I had gone through so much trouble to open it, only to find nothing inside.

"How can this be?" I slumped to the floor in frustration. "Did we look in the wrong place?"

He Yunsheng patted my shoulder comfortingly. "Don't lose heart, Sister Wan'er. Perhaps the treasure is hidden somewhere else."

I sighed and was just about to give up when I felt something beneath my foot. I looked down and noticed a loose brick. I bent over and pried it away to reveal a hidden compartment underneath! I reached inside and felt a cold, metallic object. I pulled it out to find it was a key.

Clutching the key, I returned to the box. I inserted it into the keyhole and gave it a gentle turn...

*Click.* The box opened again. This time, it wasn't empty; inside lay a piece of parchment. I carefully unfolded it and read a line of small script: "The secret of the treasure lies in..."

Before I could finish reading, I felt a chilling presence behind me.

"Who’s there?!" I spun around to see a mysterious old man standing by the door. His eyes were deep and piercing, as if he could see through everything. My heart tightened, but I tried to remain calm.

"Who are you?" the old man asked slowly, his voice laced with authority.

"We are..." I started, but He Yunsheng quickly cut in, "Honored elder, we are merely lowly servants from the palace, with no intention of disturbing your peace."

The old man’s gaze lingered on us for a moment before he suddenly laughed, a sound that carried a hint of eeriness.

"Lowly servants? Hmph, if you were truly ordinary, you wouldn't be here." He walked slowly toward us. I instinctively stepped back, but He Yunsheng gripped my hand tightly, giving me silent courage.

"Very well, I shall provide you with some guidance." The old man slowly pulled a yellowed piece of paper from his sleeve. "This is a fragment of the treasure map. If you can collect all the pieces, perhaps you will find what you seek."

I took the paper and realized the symbols on it matched the previous fragments perfectly. This sudden stroke of luck left us pleasantly stunned. I quickly pieced the new fragment together with the others. A complete map began to take shape, revealing a new clue that pointed toward the palace library.

"The secret to the treasure is in the library!" I told He Yunsheng excitedly.

"Let’s go! Don't let this lead slip away." He Yunsheng squeezed my hand, his eyes shining with determination.

On the way to the library, He Yunsheng held my hand tightly. His grip was warm and firm, making me feel secure. He promised that no matter what difficulties we encountered, he would stay by my side to search for the treasure. I looked at him, my heart filled with gratitude and happiness.

Before long, we arrived at the library. It was deathly silent, the air thick with a mysterious atmosphere. We pushed the door open cautiously, and a faint beam of light filtered through the crack, illuminating the path ahead.

"Something seems to be hidden here..." I whispered, filled with both anticipation and tension.

The moment we stepped inside, the door suddenly slammed shut behind us, and a cold, mocking laugh echoed in the darkness.