After a hearty meal, Sun Shijie looked apologetically at Sun Zhong and said, "This time, come down the mountain with me. You're at that age now, and seeing the world outside wouldn't make our journey through life a wasted one."

Sun Zhong hesitated and wrote on paper, "Have the foreign devils been driven away?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment before realizing that Sun Zhong's understanding of the outside world was still stuck in the war-torn era.

"They've been driven away, long gone, and we won't be invaded again," Xiao Feng replied.

"That's good, that's good." Sun Zhong nodded while writing.

After finishing the last character, Sun Zhong headed towards the bamboo house and gestured for everyone to follow.

The furnishings inside the bamboo house were simple, with no tables or chairs, only a bamboo bed.

On the bed was spread animal skin and a sheepskin blanket, and on the wall hung a horn bow and a quiver made of animal hide.

Xiao Feng walked over, touched the bow, then put his finger before his eyes, seeing traces of dust. Clearly, this bow hadn't been used in a long time.

Sun Zhong went to the corner of the wall, moved aside a bamboo bucket, and began to dig down with a shovel.

Of course, the shovel was also made of bamboo, but it was not much slower than an iron one in digging.

After digging for about ten minutes, a pit the size of a water jar, about ten centimeters deep, appeared on the ground in the corner.

"Clang!"

The sound of striking metal emerged. Sun Zhong pushed the shovel and dirt aside and then lay down to clear the surface mud from the metal with his hands.

At that moment, only then did Xiao Feng and the others see that what was buried underground was a whole sheet of iron, with something resembling a door ring in the middle.

Sun Zhong panted heavily. After catching his breath, he extended his hand to grab the ring and turned it clockwise three times before pulling it outwards.

"Clang!"

The iron panel did not open, only the ring was pulled out by a segment.

Sun Zhong wasn't surprised at all, gripping the ring, he turned it counterclockwise two times and pulled it upwards.

"Clang!"

The sound settled as the ring was pulled out another segment.

Sun Zhong pressed the ring downwards and then pulled it up again.

"Click!"

The iron panel was lifted, revealing a few steps leading downward.

Being nearby, Xiao Feng immediately felt a musty and damp smell rushing up at him; he quickly held his breath and stepped back two steps.

Sun Zhong got up from the ground and walked outside to get a sheepskin scroll and a brush.

However, after just two steps out, Su Yuzhuo had already brought what he needed to him.

Sun Zhong was momentarily stunned, nodded his thanks, took the items, placed them on the bamboo bed, and dipped in ink to write: "Below is the treasure left by the ancestors, and the master has instructed that the door below should be opened by the young master himself."

Sun Shijie took a deep breath, patted Sun Zhong on the shoulder, as if wanting to say something but ultimately couldn't get it out.

People often say, if apologies were useful, would we need police?

But at this moment, it's the same with gratitude.

No matter how eloquent Sun Shijie spoke, with a tongue of flowers, making everyone weep bitter tears, it could never take back the price paid by Sun Zhong.

Xiao Feng signaled Lu Yao to open the window, waiting for half an hour until the musty smell from below wasn't so overwhelming before instructing Meng Lang and Wu Yu to go down first.

Although it was unlikely that Sun Shijie's ancestors had set traps here, given the various pitfalls encountered before, it was best to remain cautious and not wreck the ship at this crucial stage.

The stairs leading down weren't long, about five meters or so.

Greeting them was a set of enormous stone doors, identical to the ones they saw when entering the underground chamber.

However, these doors were obviously more meticulously sealed than the ones at the entrance of the chamber, with the seams thoroughly blocked, presumably treated for moisture prevention to ensure the contents would not mold or rot.

Sun Shijie looked towards Sun Zhong, and after nodding to each other, he took out the key used to open the chamber door earlier and inserted it into the lock, giving it a turn.

"Click... clack clack clack clack clack!"

The sound of the mechanism activating was heard as the door on the right slowly opened, but still only to a width sufficient for one person to pass through.

Xiao Feng suddenly realized, previously he had thought Sun Shijie's family was too trusting, leaving the family treasures accumulated over generations to a Scholar's Assistant for safekeeping.

But now it was clear, that wasn't the case at all.

The key was in Sun Shijie's possession, even if Sun Zhong wanted to seize this wealth, it was impossible.

It's like a eunuch visiting a brothel, no matter how tempted, it's having the heart but no power!

As for using explosives or other violent means to break the door, Xiao Feng had every reason to believe, based on the Sun Family's style, should anyone ever attempt such, this treasury would likely be sealed shut for good.

Rather destroy it than let outsiders have it!

"Let's go." Sun Shijie took several deep breaths and stepped through the door.

"You two stay here. If you dare to go in, it means death!" Xiao Feng threatened coldly.

Meng Lang and Wu Yu nodded repeatedly, indicating they wouldn't step in.

Just as Lin Zhiyan was about to walk through the door, she suddenly paused, looking at the unopened door on the left, then knocked on it with her knuckles and said, "This seems to be solid iron inside."

Xiao Feng stepped over to take a look, realizing that the gigantic door had a palm-thick segment which indeed had a different color in the middle, like a chocolate sandwich cookie, suggesting hidden mechanisms inside.

"Let's not concern ourselves with that now; let's go in first," Xiao Feng dismissed Lin Zhiyan's urge to continue investigating.

After all, apart from archaeologists or people without the key, few would be so interested in studying a door.

In such a moment, it's better not to invite trouble; if they accidentally trigger a mechanism, it would be a real catastrophe.

Lin Zhiyan nodded and stepped inside.

Xiao Feng and the others followed step by step.

And then... everyone who entered experienced the full meaning of awe!

Jade Ruyi, Jadeite Cabbage, pearls, agate, gold ingots, and other treasures of immeasurable value were piled together like money meant nothing, forming a mound as tall as a person.

"This... if everything were auctioned off, wouldn't it be worth tens of billions?" Zhao Guo'an's eyes were fixed, the sight of so much gold and silver treasures was truly blinding!

Xiao Feng couldn't help but suspect, did Sun Shijie's ancestors commit treason, then emptied the national treasury?

However, Xiao Feng's composure was truly unmatched by ordinary people.

He tugged lightly on Lin Zhiyan's sleeve beside him, whispering so softly, "Do you remember what I told you before?"

Lin Zhiyan awoke from the shock, dazed for a moment before recalling what Xiao Feng referred to.

Xiao Feng had previously privately told her that if she saw something good, as long as no one noticed, she should take as much as she could, making this trip worthwhile.

Yet, little did anyone, including Xiao Feng and even Sun Shijie himself, anticipate.

That shock... was far from over. It's merely the beginning!

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