Chapter 402: Chapter 226: Gaining Treasure Again; The Divine Weapon Refining Technique

"Which ones don’t have gold and jewelry?" Cheng Zongyang, who was inspecting them slowly, called out.

"Sir, over here."

At that moment, a Soul Slave who had just opened a chest raised his hand in response.

Seeing this, Cheng Zongyang strode over.

When he reached the chest, he saw that it indeed contained no gold and silver. Instead, it was filled with other items—an assortment of bottles and jars. The mouths of the containers were sealed with what looked like beeswax, clearly for waterproofing.

Just then, another Soul Slave raised his hand and called out, "Sir, this one doesn’t have any either."

Cheng Zongyang walked over to it. Meanwhile, Luo Dingran instructed the other Soul Slaves, "Take inventory. See how much gold and silver there is. And move this chest over to the entrance."

"Yes, Steward." The Soul Slaves immediately complied.

Cheng Zongyang reached the second chest. Inside were several Jade Boxes, each one also completely sealed with a beeswax-like substance.

As the Soul Slaves moved the two chests to the side, Cheng Zongyang and Luo Dingran began to personally handle the contents. They took out the items one by one and moved them into the Preservation Warehouse.

This would ensure that once opened, the contents wouldn’t be damaged by exposure to the outside air or changes in temperature.

"Sir, you can handle things here. I’ll go inventory the gold and jewelry. I’ll also have Zhang Jinquan come over to appraise and deal with these Elixirs."

He knew what Cheng Zongyang was interested in, so he tasked Zhang Jinquan with handling the bottles and jars.

Cheng Zongyang nodded.

After Luo Dingran left, Cheng Zongyang ignored the Elixirs in the bottles and jars. Instead, he laid out the Jade Boxes on the floor one by one. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The Jade Boxes varied in size. There weren’t many of them—twenty-one in total.

Cheng Zongyang’s gaze fell on a Jade Box about thirty centimeters long and as thick as a thumb. The dimensions made him wonder.

He took out a dagger and sliced through the waterproof layer of beeswax. But when he opened the box, he found a book inside.

The book was perfectly preserved, without the slightest sign of damage or water infiltration. The protective measures had clearly worked well.

Cheng Zongyang took it out with a frown, but his eyes widened in surprise when he read the title.

Divine Weapon Refining Technique

’Is this the Huangfu Family’s Secret Technique for forging Divine Weapons?’

Curious, Cheng Zongyang opened it and began to read.

"Sir." Just then, Zhang Jinquan arrived.

Without looking up, Cheng Zongyang grunted in acknowledgment. "You handle these Elixirs. Let me know if you find anything special."

"Yes, sir." Zhang Jinquan immediately agreed. He didn’t take the items back to his workshop; instead, he began appraising them right there on the spot.

Having been sealed for so long, only in the Preservation Warehouse could their potency be guaranteed. Otherwise, like the previous Elixirs they had found, they would be mostly useless.

Cheng Zongyang focused on the book’s contents. He read the first few sections in detail before merely flipping through the rest.

The book was in pristine condition, clearly a handwritten copy. The contents were incredibly detailed, recording nearly every step of the Artifact Refining process. Material ratios, furnace temperatures, the number of strikes during forging—everything was meticulously documented.

One could say that any blacksmith skilled in forging could learn from this book. With the right materials and a few attempts, they could likely forge a Divine Weapon.

’The Huangfu Family’s Divine Weapon Forging Method, a secret technique countless factions have dreamed of, is now in my hands,’ Cheng Zongyang mused. He then recalled, ’Among the Soul Slaves, wasn’t there one with a talent for forging?’

He had checked the Talents of the one hundred Soul Slaves he had remolded later. There should be one.

’This Artifact Refining Technique can be taken to Cheng Family Village later on.’

Setting it aside, he continued to "unbox his blind boxes."

As he opened the Jade Boxes one by one, he found they mostly contained High Level Martial Arts Techniques and Martial Arts, as well as a number of Elixir Recipes.

He had little interest in the Cultivation Techniques, but he did look through the Martial Arts. They were mostly Saber Techniques and Swordsmanship, with a few techniques for hammers and staffs.

He handed the Elixir Recipes to Zhang Jinquan and continued his search.

Finally, in a palm-sized Jade Box, he found a Beast Hide Scroll. It was the only item made from beast hide among all the treasures.

Just as he was about to examine it, Luo Dingran’s voice came from outside.

"Sir!"

Cheng Zongyang looked up to see Luo Dingran walking in, his face flush with excitement, holding something in his hands.

"Sir, we found them!"

Cheng Zongyang froze and quickly stood up to get a better look. He saw that Luo Dingran was holding two stone slabs.

After examining the two stone slabs, he frowned. ’The characters are the same. Where on earth did the Huangfu Family get these?’

Luo Dingran, however, went to the third floor and brought down the other stone slab.

Cheng Zongyang was puzzled, but Luo Dingran placed the slab on the floor, took the other two from Cheng Zongyang’s hands, and tried to fit them together.

As it turned out, two of the three pieces fit together perfectly.

Now, Cheng Zongyang was truly shocked. He was also amazed at Luo Dingran’s sharp eye for detail.

He had never imagined the stone slabs could be pieced together. This also suggested that the Huangfu Family must have had some information regarding them.

"You found these in the gold and silver boxes?" Cheng Zongyang asked, looking at Luo Dingran.

The latter nodded. "They were right at the bottom. I’ve already had my men empty all the gold and silver to check. We don’t know if there are more yet."

Cheng Zongyang immediately headed outside with Luo Dingran.

As soon as they stepped out, they ran into a Soul Slave carrying several more stone slabs.

At this, both men grew excited. They quickly took the slabs and went back inside to continue assembling the puzzle.

In the end, a total of six pieces were fitted together to form a square stone slab, one meter on each side.

They still couldn’t understand the characters inscribed on it.

"Damn it! This is just stringing me along!" Cheng Zongyang cursed.

At that moment, Zhang Jinquan came over. He couldn’t understand the characters either, but commented, "Judging by the format, could it be some kind of Secret Technique, or perhaps a Martial Arts Technique?"

Hearing this, Cheng Zongyang and Luo Dingran fell silent. Their eyes met, a shared realization dawning on them. They spoke almost in unison:

"The Huangfu Family’s forging Secret Technique!"

"The Divine Weapon Refining Technique!"

Luo Dingran looked puzzled. Cheng Zongyang handed him the manual he had found.

Cheng Zongyang turned to Zhang Jinquan. "I have a task for you. Examine the body of that giant fish and see if there are any extra bones inside. I suspect that after the guard completed his mission and killed himself, he was eaten by that creature, and the Demon Beast Bone he was carrying was swallowed along with him!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jinquan cupped his hands. "Yes, sir."

He didn’t take the Elixirs or recipes with him, as he would have to come back to examine them later.

After flipping through a few pages, Luo Dingran’s face lit up with understanding:

"I never would have guessed... The Divine Weapon Forging Method, unique to the Huangfu Family and responsible for the world-renowned Divine Weapons that countless people covet, is this complex and profound. It’s on a completely different level from ordinary forging methods. Could the contents of this stone slab truly be the Artifact Refining Technique? Did the Huangfu Family translate these characters and obtain their forging skills this way?"

Cheng Zongyang nodded. "It’s possible. But for now, it’s just a guess."

He then looked over at the Beast Hide Scroll, picking it up again to examine it.

As it turned out, it was a letter. Seeing this, Luo Dingran came to his side, tilting his head to read along:

——

TO THE DESCENDANTS OF HUANGFU

There is little to say and time is short. I, the current Clan Leader, Huangfu Feiye, inform my descendants of the following:

The Huangfu Family has met with a great catastrophe and can no longer resist the schemes of the Royal Family and the Seven Clans. In this emergency, I have moved our family’s greatest treasures and a portion of our wealth, storing them in two separate locations. This is the foundation upon which the Huangfu Family will rise again.

Remember this: do not draw attention to yourselves until the family has grown strong. I hope you can one day restore the Huangfu bloodline.

The greatest treasure is the stone carving. It must be preserved at all costs, for it is the very foundation of our Huangfu lineage’s revival! A translation of the stone carving is hidden within a pillar of the ancestral hall on the Huangfu Family’s ancestral land.

Never forget the grudge of our clan’s annihilation!

——

The letter was brief, but Cheng Zongyang’s eyes blazed with excitement as he read it!

First, it confirmed there were only two treasure caches.

Second, the Huangfu Family had indeed translated the contents of the stone carving.

Third, he now knew where to find that translation.

And fourth, the stone carving was far more important than the Divine Weapon Refining Technique, which meant its contents were likely not the Artifact Refining technique, but something else entirely!

Cheng Zongyang then turned to Luo Dingran, his gaze burning as he asked:

"You said the Huangfu Family’s territory was once in Xiangyang and Linchuan. So where is their ancestral land?"