"Hahaha..." Sixth Master didn't even glance at Tong Meng. "Captain Hu, over there."
Following Sixth Master's gaze, Hu Jia saw a torch flickering on the riverbank, clearly forming an "8"! It seemed Luo Wenwu was safe.
Hu Jia understood that Sixth Master pointing to the riverbank was his way of hinting that it was time to hand over the box.
Hu Jia was not hesitant and directly handed the box to someone. The person carefully held the box and respectfully presented it to Sixth Master.
Hu Jia had expected Sixth Master to open the box away from them, but he never imagined Sixth Master would be so brazen, directly taking out a key.
However, the moment he saw the key, Hu Jia's pupils dilated slightly. He glanced at Tong Meng, saying nothing.
Huh?
Sixth Master fumbled with the key for a long time, but it wouldn't open the lock.
"Speak, what's going on?" Sixth Master was getting impatient.
"How should I know? Perhaps this key isn't for this lock," Hu Jia said.
Hearing this, Tong Meng flinched.
That's not right. She hadn't given Sixth Master the original key, but this one was made to match the original. How could it not open?
"Nonsense! This key has been hidden for almost ten years, how could it not open this box?" Sixth Master was furious. "You gave me a fake box, where is the real one?"
Hu Jia took a step back, feigning fear. "Master Liu, don't talk nonsense. I brought this box to save my brother. Do you think I'd bring a fake?"
Hu Jia chuckled inwardly. The original lock had been smashed long ago, and this lock was indeed not the original one, so the key naturally wouldn't open the replaced lock. Moreover, to cover their tracks, they had even used resin to block the keyhole.
However, when Hu Jia saw the key Sixth Master produced, he had a new idea.
That Tong Meng, with her sly ways, was perfect to drag down with him.
Perhaps sensing Hu Jia's ill intentions, Tong Meng instinctively tried to retreat.
"We found a brass key with red paint on it back then. I just didn't expect that by the time it reached Master Liu, even the red paint wouldn't dare to linger and had disappeared," Hu Jia said with a look of regret.
But his words were quite explicit.
It didn't matter what kind of lock it was; the problem was clearly with your key.
As expected, the moment Sixth Master heard this, he understood. He shot a glare at Tong Meng, startling her so much she almost fell.
"You're talking nonsense! It was clearly a brass key. Who would be so bored as to make a red key?" Tong Meng naturally didn't dare to admit she had tampered with it and immediately accused Hu Jia.
Hu Jia shrugged. "Who would be so bored? My father? My father was that bored."
Ugh...
Tong Meng was so enraged she turned to look at Sixth Master. Sixth Master slowly approached her.
Before she could even explain, Sixth Master grabbed her by the neck, choking her until her face turned red and she couldn't breathe.
Hu Jia watched Tong Meng struggle, feeling no sympathy for her. Crossing a tiger, this was the inevitable outcome.
Qiao Huali couldn't actually kill Tong Meng. Seeing her eyes rolling back, he exerted force and threw her more than a meter away.
Tong Meng coughed violently, greedily gasping for fresh air.
"Master Liu..." As soon as Tong Meng recovered slightly, she immediately knelt and kowtowed to Qiao Huali. "I was wrong. I was only worried about losing the key, so I had an extra one made. I didn't expect to give the wrong one when handing it over. But I swear, I truly swear, that duplicate key was made to match the original. If it can't open that brass lock, neither can the original."
Saying this, Tong Meng seemed to remember something and quickly pulled a red key from her pocket. "Sir, the key is right here. Take it and try. I dare not lie to you, it's exactly the same as the original key."
Qiao Huali took the key, gave Tong Meng a look, and went to try the lock again.
As expected, it still wouldn't open.
"Hu Jia, what do you have to say for yourself this time?" Sixth Master flipped through the keys in his hand. She believed Tong Meng hadn't lied to her this time.
"Is there anything strange about this? This lock has been buried underground for ten years. Although it's not exposed to the sun, the mud would have washed over it with the rain. The keyhole might have been completely clogged with silt," Hu Jia said, shrugging nonchalantly. "It seems this item has no fate with you, Master Liu. Shall we just give up?"
Qiao Huali knew Hu Jia was deliberately trying to provoke him. He spread his hands. "Get me a hammer."
As soon as Hu Jia heard this, he panicked. "What are you doing? What do you need a hammer for? Master Liu, I'm telling you, don't mess around. This is a relic left by my father. I haven't even dared to smash it, and you dare?"
"Smash it!" Qiao Huali couldn't be bothered to listen to Hu Jia's ranting.
"Master Liu, stop! You dare!" Hu Jia even tried to rush forward, but was blocked by a group of Liu's men. "Hey! Easy, you damn well better be gentle, don't break the lock for me."
Hu Jia was truly invested, portraying the role of a filial son protecting his deceased father's belongings with extreme realism. After all, the excuse he'd used to cooperate with Sixth Master was that he didn't want to smash the lock. If he didn't act convincingly now, wouldn't it reveal his deception?
With a clang, the brass lock sprang open.
Qiao Huali's eyes gleamed.
He was finally about to open this box. He didn't know what was inside, but he knew the box was very important.
"Your father refused to reveal the whereabouts of this box even at the cost of his life. Hahaha, I really want to see what treasure he hid," Sixth Master's hand trembled slightly. As the box was opened, his pupils dilated once more.
What is this?
A piece of paper.
Qiao Huali was stunned. He hadn't expected a piece of paper inside. Even if it were a letter, he would have been slightly better off, but it was just a slip of paper.
Qiao Huali quickly unfolded the note. It contained only a few words.
He glanced at it briefly, first with confusion, then with an expression of sudden realization.
"Heh, Li Zhenhui really didn't lie to me. It's really it, it's definitely it," Qiao Huali's expression wasn't one of ecstatic joy, but judging by his tone, he was satisfied with what was in the box.
Hu Jia, standing beside him, watched Sixth Master silently. Although his face showed no expression, his heart was in turmoil.
Qiao Huali's reaction was within his expectations, but what was unexpected was his mention of Li Zhenhui.
Li Zhenhui didn't lie to him?
Hu Jia was very confused. Because he knew what they had put in the box.
They had put a note with a string of numbers on it.
That was "47881."
Now it seemed that not only Sixth Master knew the meaning of this number, but Li Zhenhui also seemed to know what was in the box.
Could Li Zhenhui be involved in the death of Hu Shiqing?
Hu Jia couldn't believe it!
"Master Liu, according to our agreement, I also need to take a look at what's inside," Hu Jia said, putting on a show of curiosity even though he was the one who put it there.
Sixth Master smiled and casually placed the note over the nearby flames. "Some things are not meant to be seen. Seeing them leads to death."
Seeing Sixth Master burn the note, Hu Jia feigned urgency. "You're breaking your word."
Sixth Master ignored him and simply waved his hand. A group of men surrounded Hu Jia. "Alright, the matter of the box is over. Now let's talk about the treasure."
Treasure?
Hu Jia was confused.
This was the first time today he had heard of any treasure. What did he have to discuss with him about it?