Power and wealth bring fragrance

In an instant, the air became deathly still.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the lockbox with its keyhole exposed, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.

How did this magic trick happen?

How did it open?

The locksmiths watching were the first to react, exchanging shocked whispers among themselves.

"Holy crap, it's open already?! How the hell did it open?!"

"I just blinked, and it opened? Did anyone even see how it opened?"

"Are all new recruits monsters these days? How can they even open a shop like this?"

As Wei Yuan listened to the words of shock, envy, jealousy and hatred coming from all directions, he felt as refreshed as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice-cold water on a sweltering summer day. All his anxiety and guilt vanished instantly, and he felt completely clear-headed.

Chu Xinrou was the first to react, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise, and her voice trembled slightly.

"How...how did you do that?"

Wei Yuan pursed his lips and spoke indifferently.

"I just said I could drive it, but you didn't believe me!"

"Do you believe me now?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xinrou blushed deeply, her delicate ears burning hot.

They were just mocking Wei Yuan for showing off, but he actually opened the lockbox, slapping them in the face repeatedly. What could she say?

After a brief moment of awkwardness, Chu Xinrou regained her composure and apologized to Wei Yuan in shame.

"I'm so sorry, young master, I was rude just now, I apologize!"

Chu Xinrou bowed slightly, and the sweetheart neckline of her cheongsam revealed a deep, fair, and full cleavage, which Wei Yuan happened to see.

Wei Yuan felt a sudden dryness in his mouth and quickly looked away.

Wang Sanyuan's face was burning with embarrassment.

"We were blind to your true worth and misjudged you. Please forgive us, young man."

"We still don't know your name, young man. Could you tell us how to open this lock box?"

These words changed Wei Yuan's impression of Wang Sanyuan considerably.

Although this guy has a bit of an air about him, he's still quite sensible and not the annoying type who stubbornly clings to his status and refuses to bow down.

As for telling them how to unlock it, it doesn't really matter.

They don't understand the structure of the lock box. Even if you tell them how to pick it, they still won't be able to open other lock boxes the next time they encounter them.

Wei Yuan pointed to the lockbox and said.

"The secret to unlocking this lock lies in the texture on the surface of the lock box."

"The seemingly inconspicuous patterns on the lock box are actually closely related to the lock mechanism. You need to rub your fingertips along the patterns to open the keyhole."

"Then, use other methods to open the lock mechanism, and the lock will open naturally."

Everyone suddenly realized what was going on, and Wang Sanyuan nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining.

"I see. So how do we open the lock box?"

Wei Yuan glanced at him sideways, a half-smile on his face.

Wang Sanyuan was confused, but then he noticed the strange looks from the others and realized what was going on. His face turned red instantly.

It was enough that Wei Yuan was willing to tell him the principle of lock picking. How to pick it was up to him, which involved his unique skills. Who would tell a stranger about such a skill that he used to make a living?

Besides, this lock box belongs to Chu Xinrou. Even if he were to tell her, it would be to Chu Xinrou, and what does it have to do with him?

Chu Xinrou coughed lightly and spoke up to help Wang Sanyuan out of the predicament.

"Thank you for making this trip, Mr. Locksmith. Please come to the front hall for some tea and rest. I will entertain you all later."

Wang Sanyuan, being an old and shrewd man, chuckled dryly and made light of the situation.

"I apologize for my abruptness. I won't disturb you any longer."

As he spoke, Wang Sanyuan glanced at the lockbox with lingering reluctance, then turned and walked out. The other locksmiths also tactfully followed him out.

After the area was cleared, Chu Xinrou looked at Wei Yuan expectantly.

"Now that there are no outsiders, please begin, young master."

Wei Yuan nodded, picked up the lockbox with both hands, and gently shook it from side to side.

Finding the keyhole is only the first step. This lock box has a built-in ball bearing mechanism. The ball bearing needs to roll along a fixed channel and eventually fall into the keyhole before the lock box can be truly opened.

Chu Xinrou held her breath, watching Wei Yuan operate the device without blinking.

"clatter."

With a crisp sound, a silver bead fell into the keyhole out of thin air, and Wei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's done!"

Wei Yuan placed the lockbox on the table, touched the round bead with his fingertip, and the lockbox immediately made a clicking sound as the lid slowly opened.

Chu Xinrou looked on expectantly, while Wei Yuan's eyes widened suddenly as if he had seen a ghost, staring at the opened lockbox.

"Click".

The lid was opened, revealing the entire interior of the lockbox.

A jade hairpin rests quietly in the groove in the very center, lined with dark-patterned velvet.

The jade hairpin is pure white with a slight warm yellow tint and has a thick, oily sheen.

Even to an outsider like Wei Yuan who knew nothing about such things, this was a top-quality treasure.

Chu Xinrou was an expert; her beautiful eyes swept over the jade hairpin inch by inch, her voice already bursting with joy.

"The color is warm like mutton fat jade, the texture is delicate and without blemishes, the luster is overflowing, and the patina is rich and mellow. This is a top-grade Hetian seed material mutton fat jade."

"This carving, with just a few strokes, appears perfectly natural; only a top-tier sculptor could achieve this!"

"This is... the imperial workshop's emblem, it's even for imperial use!"

Unable to contain herself any longer, Chu Xinrou picked up the jade hairpin and began to examine it closely.

This jade hairpin is of the highest quality in terms of material and craftsmanship, and it was used by the imperial court. If it were to be auctioned, it would fetch at least a million!

She only spent 100,000 yuan to collect this box, and in the blink of an eye, it has increased tenfold!

Just as Chu Xinrou's fingertips were about to touch the jade hairpin, Wei Yuan suddenly reached out and stopped her.

Chu Xinrou looked up in confusion, only to see Wei Yuan staring intently at the jade hairpin with a solemn expression.

The moment Wei Yuan saw the jade hairpin, the Di Ting tattoo on his chest began to heat up.

A rush of heat quickly entered my eyes, and after a slight stinging sensation, the jade hairpin looked different when I looked at it again.

Strands of something resembling red silk threads were wrapped around the jade hairpin, swaying like water plants, which was extremely eerie.

A series of messages appeared out of nowhere in Wei Yuan's mind.

"The Harmony Sha originates from the hairpin absorbing the yin energy of women. When a woman touches it, the evil energy enters her body, causing an imbalance of yin and yang, leading to infatuation and promiscuity."

Di Ting is an auspicious beast, naturally extremely sensitive to evil spirits. Upon sensing the malevolent aura on the jade hairpin, it immediately alerted Wei Yuan, allowing him to see the malevolent energy.

Just from the description, one can tell how powerful this malevolent energy is, so he naturally wanted to stop Chu Xinrou from touching it.

Chu Xinrou was unaware of the details and looked puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

Wei Yuan was just telling the truth.

"This jade hairpin is shrouded in malevolent energy. Touching it rashly would have extremely serious consequences if the malevolent energy were to enter the body. You must not touch it."

"?"

Chu Xinrou had thought there was something special about this lock box, but she never expected to receive such an unexpected answer, and she laughed out loud, feeling utterly ridiculous.

"What are you talking about? This is an antique, not a fantasy novel."

Chu Xinrou gave Wei Yuan a coquettish glare, then picked up the jade hairpin without waiting for his help.

Wei Yuan's pupils shrank instantly, and he saw the red evil energy wrapped around the jade hairpin disappear into Chu Rou's limbs and bones the moment it touched her fingertips.

"It's over!"