Seemingly guessing Lin Qingge's thoughts, Leng Ningyue preempted her by throwing out two words:
"No."
"Madam, look at that Zhen什么塔. It looks incredibly difficult. Besides this official, no one else can open it, right, Wu Suowei?"
Summoned by name, Wu Suowei, under the piercing gaze of his wife that could cleave him in two, nodded tremulously:
"Replying to sir, this subordinate has indeed heard of the Zhenbaota's fame.
It is said that the Zhenbaota contains a peerless treasure that can command the world.
However, this subordinate has searched for years without finding any news of the Zhenbaota, thus I had always thought it to be a fabricated gimmick.
I never expected to have the honor of seeing the actual item today!
But regarding the mechanisms within the Zhenbaota, sir, you can forget about this subordinate; even if you were to drag my deceased father and grandfather out of their coffins, they might not be able to solve it."
Meanwhile, Lu Mingxuan hesitantly chimed in:
"Sir, speaking of the Zhenbaota, I seem to have heard of it from my master as well.
My master said that the mechanisms inside the Zhenbaota are exquisite, and with the slightest carelessness, one could be injured by the hidden weapons within, leading to instant death.
My master instructed me that if I were ever fortunate enough to see the Zhenbaota, I must never act rashly, nor attempt to break it.
Furthermore, my master also said that the appearance of the Zhenbaota is a sign of great calamity. At best, it means frequent wars and political turmoil; at worst..."
Trailing off at the end, Lu Mingxuan surreptitiously glanced at Lin Moyuan beside him, not daring to continue, but the implication was clear.
Upon hearing the descriptions from Wu Suowei and Lu Mingxuan, Lin Qingge found the plot eerily familiar.
As no one from Lin Qingge's side stepped forward to challenge, Liu Chenfei had to prompt them.
"Tenth Prince, have you chosen someone from your side?"
"Madam, won't you let this official try?"
Leng Ningyue's face remained stern, practically screaming "No."
At this moment, Lin Yan, who had been a quiet observer the entire time, stood up and spoke:
"Madam Lin, how about this: you accompany sir to the platform to break the Zhenbaota.
After all, the Hehuan Sanren just said that whoever can decipher the mechanisms within the Zhenbaota and retrieve the hidden item will win this formation.
His words focused on breaking the formation, but he didn't specify the number of people needed to do so. Therefore, if Madam Lin is worried about sir, she can accompany him."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."
Lin Qingge nodded profusely.
Knowing that once someone sets their mind on something, they would pursue it relentlessly, Leng Ningyue reluctantly sighed:
"Alright, if you absolutely must break this formation, you must let me accompany you."
"I knew you were the best, Madam!"
Lin Qingge beamed and pounced forward. Leng Ningyue, putting her arm around her waist, then leaped down with a 'swish,' her robes fluttering, and landed steadily on the platform.
"Whoosh—
Sir and Madam are truly a perfect match, envying us all~
Bai Er, your body hasn't recovered yet. Shall I embrace you like this and fly around later?
It's free of charge, no silver needed~"
"Get lost!"
"Tsk, no appreciation for romance~"
Meanwhile.
Lin Qingge, having arrived on the platform, didn't immediately attempt to break the Zhenbaota. Instead, she turned to look at Hehuan Sanren.
"Daoist Master, before we break the Zhenbaota, could you answer two questions for this official?"
"Lord Lin, if you are asking about the method of breaking it, this poor monk is unable to help."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingge let out a scoff as if she had heard a joke:
"If you knew the method to break it, you would have taken out the peerless treasure within and claimed it for yourself long ago. Why would you put it on display under the guise of breaking the formation?"
A flicker of shock crossed Hehuan Sanren's eyes as his thoughts were exposed, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Forgive this poor monk's dullness, but I do not understand Lord Lin's words, nor can I answer your two questions."
"It's alright if you don't want to answer. Coincidentally, this official has suddenly lost interest and no longer wishes to break the Zhenbaota."
Lin Qingge said this and turned to leave.
However, as she started to walk away, Hehuan Sanren became flustered.
"Hey, hey, hey, Lord Lin, if you step off this platform, you will be disqualified for forfeiture!"
"It doesn't matter. Even if we lose this round, we can find an excuse to delay for a day or two. After the crisis of the Jade Maiden Sect is resolved, let Madam take the final match, and this official will still win!"
"No, Lord Lin, you can't go!
Lord Lin, you really can't go!
Uh, Lord Lin, what do you want to ask? This poor monk will answer truthfully, alright?"
By the end, Hehuan Sanren, having been outmaneuvered, was close to tears.
Lin Qingge beckoned with her finger, calling Hehuan Sanren to her and Leng Ningyue. Avoiding everyone, including Liu Chenfei, she lowered her voice and asked:
"Where did you find this Zhenbaota? And how did you know this official had the ability to break it?"
"This...
To be perfectly frank, this Zhenbaota was given to this poor monk by the Prince. He said no one could break it, and this poor monk merely needed to bring it to the platform to win."
"You're lying!"
As soon as Lin Qingge finished speaking, Leng Ningyue's dagger was already at Hehuan Sanren's throat, pressing slightly.
Having already experienced her prowess and knowing that she wasn't just threatening him but truly intended to take his life, Hehuan Sanren immediately caved.
"Lord Lin, spare me, noble lady, spare me!
Actually, actually, it was a man in black who gave this item to this poor monk.
That man in black instructed this poor monk to present this item to King Wucheng. King Wucheng, knowing the item's origin, would definitely arrange for this poor monk to issue the challenge to win.
At that time, as long as Lord Lin saw this pagoda, you would definitely come out to accept the challenge.
And this poor monk only needed to quietly watch Lord Lin break the pagoda.
After the task was completed, this poor monk's future life of wealth and honor would be secured.
But if it wasn't accomplished, the lives of this poor monk and his family would be forfeit."
"Do you know who that man in black was?"
"Lord Lin, that man in black was masked. This poor monk never saw his face clearly from beginning to end, so how could I possibly know his name?"
Seeing that Hehuan Sanren's account did not seem false, Lin Qingge could only shift her attention back to the main task.
Leng Ningyue retracted her dagger and followed, asking with some confusion:
"Knowing that it was a deliberate setup, you still went to break the Zhenbaota?"
"Madam, it is precisely because of this that this official must break this pagoda."
Lin Qingge said with a wry smile and added:
"Madam, this official will explain in detail later."
With that, Lin Qingge walked directly to the table where the Zhenbaota was placed and leaned over to examine it closely.
Despite its small size, this Zhenbaota encompassed the five elements and eight trigrams, such as Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui. Any slight miscalculation would not only prevent it from being opened but also cost one's life.
Therefore, to break this thing, in addition to personal skill, a certain degree of knowledge was also required.
Coincidentally, she had seen an ancient text on mechanisms in her esteemed elder brother's study, and a mechanism described in that text bore a striking resemblance to this Zhenbaota.
Finally, Lin Qingge discovered that the pillar of the third level was unusual, representing the central Wuji Earth.
In plain terms, this was the eye of the formation.
After double-checking, Lin Qingge extended her finger to press the pillar.
As if it were a button, the pillar indeed moved. It retracted inward, and two 'creaking' sounds were heard.
Hm?
Lin Qingge's heart stirred. With her excellent hearing, she felt that the latter sound was slightly different from the preceding one.