With unyielding regret, Liu Yuan finally fell, breathing his last.
This scene shocked Ye Fan, who frowned.
The eldest young master of the Liu family, the once arrogant Liu Yuan, was dead just like that?
It all seemed like a fantastical tale.
"Young Master Ye, I apologize for my previous offenses. Please forgive me."
Liu Cheng bowed respectfully again, lowering his head to speak.
Ye Fan gave a helpless smile, "Miss Liu truly has grand methods. With such maneuvering, even I can only admire from afar."
Sighing continuously, Ye Fan gained a deeper understanding of Liu Piaoxu.
He had always thought he was helping her, but he never expected this woman to be so formidable.
Hearing Ye Fan's emotionally charged words, Liu Cheng quickly explained, "Young Master Ye misunderstands. While the eldest young lady is cautious, it is out of necessity in the Liu family environment. However, regarding you, the eldest young lady holds nothing but sincere loyalty."
The fact that Liu Cheng, a person of such pride, spoke with such humility clearly showed their high regard for Ye Fan.
Ye Fan soon put his mind at ease. Regardless of anything else, they had at least thwarted Liu Yuan's scheme.
"The situation here, I presume, is not merely this? Miss Liu's significant arrangements must also be aimed at that treasure, correct?"
Through this incident, Ye Fan's understanding of Liu Piaoxu deepened further. This woman's depth of scheming was unprecedented.
Liu Cheng smiled confidently, adopting a profound demeanor.
"Young Master Ye speaks correctly. In truth, the eldest young lady has known about this treasure for a long time and investigated it secretly for ages. She even delved into the Liu family's secret archives. However, she lacked a suitable helper and thus dared not act rashly. Upon learning of Young Master Ye's arrival, the eldest young lady was overjoyed and immediately dispatched me to assist, and incidentally, to eliminate Liu Yuan, thereby removing a root of trouble for the future unification of the Liu family."
The matter having reached this point, Liu Cheng no longer needed to conceal anything and explained the entire sequence of events in detail to Ye Fan.
"Truly a brilliant plan, achieving two goals with one move. I only wonder if I am also part of Miss Liu's calculations?"
Ye Fan stared directly at Liu Cheng, his gaze filled with amusement.
Liu Cheng paused slightly but merely smiled, not taking the bait.
Seeing this, Ye Fan did not dwell on it further and instead asked gravely, "Then where exactly is the treasure hidden?"
Given Liu Piaoxu's arrangements, she must know the treasure's location.
Indeed, Liu Cheng nodded, "Follow me."
He then led Ye Fan and Shen Bao briskly towards a distant point.
Just a few miles later, a palace came into Ye Fan's sight.
This palace was grand and magnificent, even more so than those seen previously.
"The treasure is hidden within this palace, but I've tried several times and couldn't open the main gate. Even climbing over the wall and entering, I couldn't retrieve the treasures inside. Moreover, I searched inside several times and found no trace of the treasure."
Liu Cheng stood before the gate and said to Ye Fan.
His expression carried a hint of dejection, and his eyes were tinged with disappointment.
Ye Fan slightly faltered, "Since that is the case, how can you be certain that the treasure is here?"
Having searched several times without finding any trace, how could he be sure the treasure was hidden here?
However, Liu Cheng's expression was firm, "The eldest young lady personally came here to investigate and determined the treasure to be right here. However, finding it requires further study. To be candid, with my intellect, I cannot find it, so I can only entrust this task to Young Master Ye."
It wasn't that Liu Cheng wished to humble himself, but rather that the puzzle was too complex for him to even begin.
Furthermore, he was not adept at such matters.
However, he had immense confidence in Ye Fan. Ye Fan's previous discovery of the altar key in the dilapidated palace had served as a test.
The facts proved that Ye Fan was an expert in this regard.
Frowning, Ye Fan's expression turned serious. Although Liu Cheng's flattery was a sign of his regard, finding the treasure within such a massive palace was no easy feat. Moreover, the very entrance was a problem, let alone finding the treasure.
But since Liu Piaoxu was certain the treasure was here, and they had already arrived, it would be truly unsatisfactory not to investigate further.
After some thought, Ye Fan stated solemnly, "Let's open the main gate first."
Walking slowly to the gate, Ye Fan observed that it was meticulously crafted, with no discernible seam between the two doors.
"Truly a magnificent undertaking. In that era, to construct such a precise gate was an act of divine craftsmanship."
Such intricacy was something even modern master artisans might struggle to replicate.
"Are there any locking stones behind the door?"
Ye Fan looked at the grand gate and asked softly.
Liu Cheng helplessly shook his head.
"After climbing over the wall, I examined this gate. There was nothing behind it, not even a bolt. So, I am also curious how this gate is designed to be so sturdy."
No bolt, no locking stones, yet it was incredibly secure.
Ye Fan frowned and pondered, "It must be locked by a mechanism."
Based on the altar they had found earlier, Ye Fan could confirm that skilled craftsmen had been involved in building this treasure repository, and their methods were highly sophisticated, not easily deciphered by ordinary petty thieves.
Even with his extensive knowledge, cracking it would be extremely difficult.
Focusing his gaze, Ye Fan found nothing.
Although his Divine Eye could see through ancient artifacts, this stone gate was too thick to penetrate.
"If there's a mechanism, there must be a button to activate it outside. Otherwise, how would the palace builders get in?"
Seeing Ye Fan lost in thought, Shen Bao suddenly spoke.
Ye Fan sighed, "For now, we can only rely on luck to search. I hope this mechanism isn't too hidden, otherwise, finding it would be as difficult as reaching the heavens."
The three began to search meticulously outside the stone gate. But as Ye Fan had said, without any clues, finding the activation mechanism was too difficult.
After a full hour of searching, they found nothing.
"Damn it, could the activation device be hidden underground?"
Shen Bao became annoyed and kicked the stone gate forcefully.
*Bang~*
A loud noise immediately ensued.
Looking helplessly at Shen Bao, Ye Fan sighed, having expected this outcome.
Ancient people were not foolish; on the contrary, they were smarter than modern people.
To prevent intrusion, they would undoubtedly devise every possible means of defense.
But at that moment, a crisp sound suddenly came from inside the stone gate.
*Click~*
It sounded as if something was operating on its own.
Though the sound was not very loud, the three, being so close, heard it clearly.
"What's happening? Could the mechanism have been activated?"
Ye Fan frowned, utterly bewildered.
Shen Bao was equally surprised. Could his kick to the stone gate have accidentally triggered the activation device?
He couldn't help but step forward again, lifting his foot towards the same spot, and kicked it forcefully once more.
But this time, it was destined to disappoint them; the stone gate remained silent.
"What is going on?"
Shen Bao frowned, completely baffled.
In contrast, Ye Fan slowly stepped forward, crouched down, and began tapping the stone gate repeatedly with his hand.