While the conversation on this side was awkward, Yan Tinghao, who had transformed into a truly bewildered deer the moment he entered the warehouse, had turned over all the boxes piled in the corner. He picked up a peculiar and strangely shaped object and examined it for a long time.
"Strange, what is this thing?"
Lin Qingge's peripheral vision happened to catch a glimpse of it, and she froze on the spot.
"This, this..."
Hua Jinrong, who had just calmed down, took out a brand-new folding fan from his sleeve and swayed it.
"I didn't expect Master Long's collection to be so extensive, even having firearms from foreign lands. However, although these firearms have great destructive power, the sound they produce is relatively loud, and they are extremely difficult to hit the target, hence they have always been criticized by martial artists."
Unlike the firearms of the Yuan Dynasty in his previous life, these firearms, perhaps due to being made in foreign lands, already bore the rudimentary form of later guns. Although it was difficult to hit distant targets with these firearms lacking sights, that was for ordinary people. For someone like Lin Qingge, who was accustomed to handling guns in her previous life, to boast a little, she could hit the target with her eyes closed!
Yan Tinghao, who was studying the firearm, saw his master looking at him with an intense and excited gaze, as if seeing a long-lost relative, and then walking towards him with firm steps. For some reason, Yan Tinghao, whose heart rate suddenly quickened, nervously swallowed.
However, in the next moment, his master, abandoning his usual composure, lunged towards the object in his hand?!
"My darling, I've missed you so much!"
Lin Qingge grabbed the firearm and pushed aside the obstructive Yan Tinghao. She then plunged into the boxes at her feet and searched for a long time, actually finding two boxes of matching ammunition. As if she had found a treasure, she happily held the firearm and gestured with it a couple of times. Then, she stood on tiptoe and patted Yan Tinghao, who stood stupidly by like a tree stump, heavily on the shoulder, "Good, good, I'll have Xiaocao give you extra chicken legs when we get back!"
Because the warehouse was piled with too much stuff, she had only briefly glanced at the items placed in the open the last time she came. She hadn't expected that these inconspicuous wooden boxes would contain such a pleasant surprise! To ensure she didn't miss any potentially useful treasures, Lin Qingge rummaged through all the boxes in the warehouse. However, apart from a golden silk soft armor that was impossibly small, there was nothing that made her eyes light up. According to Hua Jinrong, this golden silk soft armor was also made by a master and was said to be impenetrable to blades and spears. Originally, it was a set of mother and child pieces, but for Long Xiaotian, who had no children, this small golden silk soft armor was clearly somewhat redundant. To prevent such a treasure from being covered in dust in the pitch-dark warehouse, Lin Qingge immediately had Lin Zimo put on the golden silk soft armor. Although it was slightly large, it was suitable for the little one, who was growing rapidly.
In addition to Lin Qingge and her family of three, Murong Bai chose the oldest ginseng, Ling Han chose a thin thread similarly forged from profound iron, Yan Tinghao chose a dagger, Lu Mingxuan chose a set of dice and a dice cup, Ye Shengxiao chose a pair of boots with hidden weapons, and Hua Jinrong, as expected, chose a folding fan.
As they were leaving, Yan Tinghao habitually scratched his head and said, "Master, aren't you going to empty all the treasures in this treasury?"
"You dense fool, don't you understand 'leaving a little room when doing things, so you can meet again in the future'? Moreover, your master has said many things. If every word were to be followed, your master would have long since been lying on her back, with the coffin lid closed!"
"Shouldn't you be the richest person in Great Xia?"
"Hmph, if your master really stole from the imperial tomb and the national treasury, even if she wasn't torn apart by five horses, she would definitely not have a good end."
Yan Tinghao lowered his head in shame upon hearing this, "It is my own narrow-mindedness. I always thought Master was robbing the rich to help the poor, but I never expected Master to have such a broad vision for the world!"
Lin Qingge, utterly speechless, rolled her eyes towards the sky and ignored the simpleton. She turned and walked to Hua Jinrong, who was admiring his new folding fan, and instructed, "Master Hua, please estimate the value of these items later and pay the money to Master Long."
"Master..."
"Stop calling me 'Master' so much, hurry up and get it done. I've kept that Lian Cheng'yi by my side for a whole month, so charging you for these few items is already a bargain for you!"
Although he had his suspicions, Hua Jinrong, who hadn't expected the person in front of him to actually be trading with Lian Cheng'yi for this reason, chuckled and said, "Master, allow your student to finish speaking. Your student means to say that your achievements cannot be measured by these few mundane items. Let alone these few harmless trinkets, even the precious East Sea Pearl, which is as valuable as tribute, is worth it."
"Alright, prepare two more night-blooming pearls for Madam to use for lighting at night."
"Well... it's not impossible."
Hua Jinrong, who couldn't show off anymore, responded, fearing that his mouth would blurt out more expensive items, and changed the subject, "Master, are you really going to hand over that fragment of the treasure map to Lian Cheng'yi?"
"Of course! Sincerity is the foundation of self-cultivation. However, if that fragment of the treasure map is accidentally stolen by a thief, I can do nothing about it. After all, it's a treasure that even the number one thief in the world covets, so it's not surprising if it gets lost, is it?"
"Your student understands. Your student will now release the news that the treasure map fragment you possess has been stolen by the number one thief in the world."
"Remember to avoid General Lian Shao, and also inform the northeastern camp."
"Yes~"
The group returned to the別院 to rest for a day and then bid farewell to Master Long Xiaotian. Yongning and Xu Siyun, who had gone to explore outside the mountain villa after the martial arts convention, also returned at this time. It had to be said that the courage of these two girls was truly great, to sneak out secretly behind everyone's backs. Lin Qingge, being busy with the investigation, hadn't noticed at all. Although she heard from her wife that someone had been following the two of them, she still sternly criticized and educated them. After learning that only one of the four most handsome men of Wolong remained, Yongning, after less than a quarter of an hour of sadness, excitedly shared their local experiences with everyone.
Meanwhile, Lian Cheng'yi, who had been tricked by Lin Qingge, dismissed the soldiers back to the northeastern camp and set off alone with Lin Qingge's group. After several days of arduous travel, Lin Qingge and the others finally returned to Fengtian Prefecture yamen. After their excursion, counting the days, only three days remained until the ninth day of the ninth month. However, before the scaffold for the execution platform in Caishikou was even finished, the news of the Emperor's death arrived.