The place where Marquis Kang kept his treasures was a separate courtyard with guards outside, and the main gate had several large locks on it.

Very well protected.

After the door was opened, they entered.

Marquis Kang casually selected one room, and when he opened the door—brilliant golden light!

The entire room was filled with all kinds of treasures.

Although before coming, Jingrong had already imagined that this fellow must have quite a few treasures, what he didn’t expect was that not only were there quite a few treasures, but there were an absurd number of them. In the enormous room, the walls were full of treasures, and this was just one room—the smallest room.

Jingrong roughly looked around. Some he could name, some he couldn’t.

In short, all kinds of strange and peculiar things.

Everything was there!

Marquis Kang took down a purple-red large ram’s horn from a shelf.

“This is the only purple-red ram’s horn that the Western Regions paid as tribute back then. It was taken directly from the ram’s head without any damage at all. Feel it—the patterns on it are very clear, but when you touch it with your palm, it’s very comfortable.”

As he spoke, he passed the ram’s horn over, insisting that Jingrong touch it.

Jingrong had no choice but to touch it, though just barely.

“How is it?”

“Very good.” He lied.

Marquis Kang was very happy. He carefully put the ram’s horn back, then took down a square stone from above.

He held it up in his hand and asked, “Guess what this is?”

“This prince doesn’t know.”

“It’s a stone.”

Pffft—

It really was a stone!

Jingrong barely held back his laughter, wanting to hear what he would say.

Marquis Kang said, “This thing—I bought it back from a merchant passing through Jingzhou. This stone was naturally formed. You might find it strange, right? But it’s true. Look at this luster, this surface—it was formed over several thousand years. It has tremendous collection value.”

“Mm, indeed quite good.”

“Of course.” He smiled. “Do you want to hold it?”

“This…”

Not giving him a chance to refuse, Marquis Kang forcibly stuffed the stone into his hand.

Jingrong was originally quite unwilling, but when the stone landed in his hand, he was shocked.

Because this stone was actually… very light.

So light it seemed to have no weight at all.

Jingrong was dumbfounded. It seemed Marquis Kang’s treasures were really quite remarkable!

“How can this be?” he asked.

Marquis Kang said proudly, “At the time, I paid a high price to buy it back precisely because of this quality. Isn’t it very magical?”

Jingrong nodded. This time it was genuine.

Thus, Marquis Kang pulled him around the room, introducing him to many treasures.

Things unheard of, things unseen!

Jingrong also felt like he’d been given a lesson, learning a great deal and seeing much.

Finally—

Marquis Kang asked, “Would you like to see that piece of golden thread armor again?”

Eh!

That golden thread armor wasn’t something everyone could see. One piece had been buried with the late Emperor, and this piece of Marquis Kang’s had originally been placed in a box and kept in the imperial ancestral hall. Almost no one had seen it—even Emperor Qizhen had only seen it once.

To be able to see it would be a tremendous honor.

Yet today, for some reason, Marquis Kang was being so generous. Not only had he shown him many treasures, he’d even let him touch quite a few. Now he was even actively offering to bring out the golden thread armor to show him.

So much so that Jingrong wanted to ask, Marquis Kang, what’s wrong with you?

But—

He still nodded and said frankly, “To see it once in this lifetime would be worth it.”

Thus, Marquis Kang pulled him to a secret chamber.

There were no lamps in the secret chamber.

So they went in carrying lamps.

Marquis Kang pressed something somewhere, and a certain place in the secret chamber opened, revealing a box from inside.

On that box were many locks!

So he opened them one by one.

When opening the last one, he said, “Blow out the lamp.”

Jingrong extinguished the lamp.

Everything around was pitch black.

After a moment, the box was opened, and a burst of golden light exploded forth.

The secret chamber, which had been pitch black just moments ago, suddenly became bright.

Bright enough to be somewhat blinding.

They said the golden thread armor was the hardest object in all the world, and could shine with brilliant light at night. It truly lived up to its reputation.

Jingrong was somewhat blinded by this strong light and couldn’t open his eyes. After a long while he adjusted, then looked into the box together with Marquis Kang.

Inside, lying flat and neat, was that piece of golden thread armor. Those golden, solid armor plates were embedded together piece by piece, connected in the middle with the softest yet strongest ice silk thread.

Whether in workmanship or appearance, it was like the work of supernatural craftsmen.

A masterpiece of Heaven.

However, no one knew the origin of the golden thread armor.

Not even Marquis Kang knew.

After finishing the viewing, Jingrong left the secret chamber, still not satisfied.

Marquis Kang grabbed him again to have tea.

On the other side, after Ji Yunshu returned to her room, the Marquis’s residence arrangements were very thorough. They had arranged clean clothes and bathing items for her.

She soaked in the bathtub and gradually fell asleep.

“Creak.”

The window suddenly opened.

Hearing the sound, she opened her eyes and quickly looked toward that window. The window that had been closed had somehow opened.

She had no choice but to get up, put on her clothes properly, walk to that window, and stick her head out to look outside, but there was nothing unusual.

Perhaps she was overthinking!

She reached out to close the window.

But—

The candle flame in the room went out. Everything around was pitch black. She used the moonlight shining in from outside to feel her way to the candlestick. Normally, under the candlesticks of wealthy households, they would place a fire-starting implement, but this one didn’t have one. She had no choice but to go out and call out a few times, but got no response.

Late at night, everyone had probably gone to rest?

But that couldn’t be possible!

No matter what, this was still the Marquis’s residence. It was impossible that there wouldn’t be a single maid keeping watch at night.

So she had no choice but to take that candlestick and look for someone. However, the Marquis’s residence was truly too large, and it was nighttime. After wandering around for a while, she actually got lost.

She arrived at the back courtyard and discovered an artificial mountain. Some of the originally standing artificial rocks had fallen to the ground, some had fallen into the adjacent lake, and some had smashed onto the ground into pieces.

She was very curious. Why had the Marquis’s residence artificial mountain collapsed without anyone coming to deal with it?

She went forward to examine the broken stones on the ground. They had indeed been shattered from falling.

Looking around the area, those artificial rocks were all anchored into the ground. So many pieces of stone, weighing thousands of pounds—without some special method, it would definitely require many people working together to push them over.

But if they were pushed over, why not clean it up?

She felt it was strange!

She continued walking.

After walking several circles, as if destined by fate, she arrived at the Marquis’s residence ancestral hall.

Inside the ancestral hall, only two lamps were lit, and many incense sticks were burning all around, with smoke curling upward.

The thick scent of incense and candles assailed her nostrils!