Bai Xi stood in place, indifferently surveying the entire tomb chamber.
The reason the room was so bright wasn't due to everlasting lamps, but because numerous luminous pearls were embedded in the walls. If she wasn't mistaken, these were the "night-shining pearls" often mentioned in stories but never circulated in the antique market.
Nine of these pearls adorned the walls, each the size of a dragon's eye, with the largest being the size of a lychee.
Undoubtedly, if even a few of these pearls could be taken away, it would bring immense fortune.
However, the brilliance of this room wasn't solely from these pearls. Everything else in the tomb, besides these nine night-shining pearls, was crafted from gold, with decorations of various jewels and pearls, a dazzling and overwhelming sight.
If the wealth in this room could truly be unearthed, its value might shake the entire nation of China.
The sight before them had clearly driven Xue Yi and his companions into a frenzy.
He stepped forward, touching the gold, his eyes filled with greed.
Bai Xi, however, was more interested in the pure gold coffin placed in the very center of the resplendent room.
Bai Xi paid no mind to the sea of gold, instead walking step by step closer to the pure gold coffin. The sides of the coffin were adorned with auspicious cloud patterns, but its top surface bore three distinctly different paintings.
The first painting depicted seven dragons. These seven dragons, each of a different color and form, coiled around a single pearl. Their poses were varied, with bared fangs and claws. Though meant to be auspicious, they appeared exceptionally oppressive.
The second painting showed a young girl lying on a couch, with a pearl-like object suspended in mid-air.
The third painting depicted the girl standing on a high platform, calmly looking down at the people below, who were kneeling on the ground as if offering her respect and allegiance.
Han Rui stared at the coffin before him.
If the so-called Han family trial consisted of these earlier elements, then the treasure should be this treasure-filled tomb of gold.
Such a treasure was undoubtedly opulent, but... it was vastly different from what he had imagined, and he couldn't truly feel happy. More importantly... his father had died during a trial eleven years ago, yet there was no trace of him here.
He had been very careful along the way, and there were even bodies of other intruders. Yet, he couldn't find his father's body, nor any of his father's old clothes or backpack.
Seeing Han Rui lost in thought before the coffin, Bai Xi assumed he had recalled something and asked, "What is the meaning of this painting?"
Han Rui snapped back to attention, shaking his head with a bewildered expression.
Just then, Xuan Feng stepped forward directly and, holding the injured Xue Yi by his arm, brought him to Bai Xi. "Explain to the eldest miss what the paintings on this coffin mean."
Xue Yi, being manhandled, felt a surge of annoyance, but given his current subordinate position, he dared not show it.
He stepped forward and examined the paintings meticulously. "Well, the patterns drawn on coffins usually employ auspicious symbols to bring fortune to the deceased and their descendants. While this one has dragons, they are drawn rather small, not dominating the entire space. Furthermore, two of the three paintings feature this young girl. I remember visiting an ancient tomb three years ago, and that tomb..."
Bai Xi stated calmly, "If you can't get to the point, I can have Xuan Feng help you get rid of that troublesome tongue."
As she finished speaking, Xuan Feng raised his dagger once more.
Xue Yi clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes nervously darting at Xuan Feng. "Based on my dozen years of experience in feng shui and tomb identification, these paintings likely depict the tomb owner's life!"
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow slightly.
His life? That meant the tomb was very likely holding this young girl.
Han Rui asked with some confusion, "So, what do these dragons and pearls have to do with this girl?"
Xue Yi replied with a knowing air, "This is where your lack of understanding lies. Ancient people, to gain popular belief, always sought legitimacy. However, this so-called legitimacy often couldn't be obtained from birth or family background. Therefore, they had to find a more mystical way – by creating an illusion."
Han Rui: "Creating an illusion?"
Xue Yi said proudly, "Exactly. Look, these dragons and pearls were all symbols of auspiciousness in ancient times, deliberately used to highlight the girl's noble status. The general meaning of these paintings is that these seven dragons guarded this pearl, and this pearl transformed into the tomb's owner, this very girl, who was eventually worshipped and obeyed by all."
Han Rui frowned. "So, you mean the girl buried here was a very noble person in ancient times?"
Xue Yi nodded. "Likely so. Look at the burial artifacts here; each one is invaluable. If she wasn't a person of noble status, who would have commissioned such a luxurious tomb for her?"
Bai Xi looked at the paintings, but a sense of oppression lingered, though she couldn't pinpoint what felt wrong.
She observed the coffin and realized it was seamless, as if cast from a single mold, a golden box sealing someone inside.
Han Rui stared at the coffin for a long time before finally saying slowly, "Mr. Xue, could you open this coffin?"
If these mechanisms and dangerous creatures were the so-called Han family trial, and these gold and night-shining pearls were the supposed treasure, then his father had sacrificed himself for these external possessions. With him missing and his body unfound, how could Han Rui be reconciled?
The Han family was clearly different from ordinary people, giving rise to those with special abilities. They could create immense wealth themselves and even help more people. Yet, they used so many sinister burial items to guard this room filled with gold and silver. So many lives were exchanged for things that held no value to him; he couldn't accept it.
Perhaps there was something else within this coffin, the true secret treasures left by the Han family, treasures that could change the world and benefit humanity.
Xue Yi frowned upon hearing this. "Young Master Han Rui, you jest. It's best not to open this coffin unless absolutely necessary. The reason is that there is a corpse inside, and the corpse, in essence, is the core of a tomb. Therefore, it should contain the most valuable burial items, but there are also unforeseeable risks, making it not worthwhile."
His inner thoughts: This tomb was already strange and dangerous. Who knew what terrifying things lay within this coffin? Moreover, with the abundance of gold and jewels in the main chamber, these nine night-shining pearls alone could fetch a sky-high price. Now, they wanted to open the coffin – wasn't that insatiable greed, like a snake swallowing an elephant? Weren't they afraid of having the riches but not the life to enjoy them?
Han Rui, sensing Xue Yi's inner disparagement, merely stated indifferently, "Open it!"
He refused to believe that this place held nothing but these superficial possessions.