The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife-Chapter 449: The Treasure I Found Belongs to Me

Chong Jiu nearly bit down on his teeth in frustration, but remaining silent was impossible.

"There’s no need to provoke me now..." Chong Jiu muttered, clenching his jaw. "It’s good he’s dead, good that he’s dead!"

No wonder he was the youngest.

Yao Sheng had deliberately chosen him because he was young and impressionable, making him easier to control.

All these years, Chong Jiu had believed that Yao Sheng’s actions were all for the benefit of the nation and its people, that the so-called minor sacrifices were necessary for the greater good.

But he had been wrong.

Nanli interrupted his thoughts, "Does Yao Sheng have a treasure trove?"

Still reeling from his sadness and regret, Chong Jiu looked up sharply at her question, confused. "?"

"The hidden chamber before only held ancient books. He’s been the Grand Tutor for so many years; surely, he has some private stash of wealth, right?" Nanli teased, curling her finger, "He must have a treasure vault somewhere, don’t you think?"

The True Word Talisman Nanli had cast upon him was too powerful for Chong Jiu to resist, and despite his strong will, he was compelled to answer.

"He does. He once had a close relationship with Zhu Sheng, the Assistant Minister of War, so he hid his accumulated wealth in the underground vault of the Zhu residence."

Nanli’s eyes brightened, "I knew he had a treasure trove."

"A’Li, you’re so clever," Ye Siheng praised her, then immediately instructed Qingyang to gather a team to prepare for the treasure transfer from the Zhu residence.

Chong Jiu, still feeling bitter, decided to throw them a bone: "That vault doesn’t use a key but is instead guarded by a Qiankun Talisman Formation set by Yao Sheng himself. Without breaking the formation, you can’t enter the vault at all."

In other words, knowing the location of the treasure trove would be useless if they couldn’t access it.

The Qiankun Talisman Formation was something Yao Sheng had meticulously crafted.

But Nanli didn’t seem disappointed; instead, she raised an eyebrow, "Looks like there’s another challenge ahead."

She stood up, tidying her dress, and with an air of excitement, said to Ye Siheng, "Prince, shall we go together?"

Ye Siheng nodded, "Sure, and we can grab a bite to eat on the way."

Chong Jiu immediately tried to dampen their spirits, "This formation was something Yao Sheng spent three days and nights creating. You think you can break it in just a short while? You’re dreaming!"

Despite his disillusionment with Yao Sheng, Chong Jiu still acknowledged his former master’s capabilities.

After all, Nanli had spent a month removing the Defense Talisman from his body.

Ye Siheng glanced at him and then turned to Nanli, "Should we bring him along?"

Nanli replied, "No need. He might think we’re just showing off."

"A’Li is right," Ye Siheng agreed. "We should keep a low profile."

Chong Jiu, however, had his own thoughts. He still harbored a secret, though Nanli hadn’t pressed him on it yet.

If Nanli could truly break the Qiankun Talisman Formation in such a short time, perhaps she could also repair his eighth senior brother’s soul.

He wanted to witness it with his own eyes!

"Is the Ninth Princess worried about losing face?" Chong Jiu provoked.

Nanli’s expression remained indifferent, "You’re still trying to bait me?"

Chong Jiu, slightly embarrassed, had no choice but to say, "I only wish to witness the Ninth Princess’s skills; I have no other intentions."

Ye Siheng looked unconvinced.

Nanli narrowed her eyes, then suddenly smiled, "Chong Jiu, what are you trying to test?"

Chong Jiu’s face paled, and he pressed his lips together, unwilling to speak. But the power of the True Word Talisman forced him to continue.

"Yao Sheng... Yao Sheng painstakingly cultivated a Fake Golden Core, containing the essence of his years of power. I wanted... I wanted to use it as a bargaining chip to ask you to restore my eighth senior brother’s soul."

"Fake Golden Core?" Nanli wasn’t surprised. "Where is it?"

Chong Jiu couldn’t lie, "I gave it to Yuan Liang, hoping that after Yao Sheng’s possession, he could easily reclaim his Fake Golden Core."

Nanli’s expression became colorful.

"Yuan Liang was imprisoned long ago and died a few days later," she mused, rubbing her chin. "Who knows if the Fake Golden Core was buried with him in the mass graves or hidden somewhere in the Yuan family?"

Chong Jiu’s eyes widened in shock, "How could this happen...?"

In other words, the Fake Golden Core was now missing?

Nanli continued, "You said it’s a Fake Golden Core, so he didn’t cultivate it within his body, did he?"

Chong Jiu, knowing many of Yao Sheng’s secrets, nodded, "That’s right. He found a pearl with some spiritual energy and transferred his power into it bit by bit. After obtaining a new body, he planned to absorb the Fake Golden Core back into his body so he wouldn’t have to start his cultivation from scratch."

"Quite the thorough preparation," Nanli mused.

Her Spirit Pearl was a genuine core, powerful and capable of many feats in her previous life.

Yao Sheng’s Fake Golden Core, though artificial, contained his life’s worth of power. If it fell into the wrong hands, the consequences could be disastrous.

She glanced at Ye Siheng.

Ye Siheng understood immediately, "I’ll have the Supervisory Office search thoroughly and retrieve the Fake Golden Core as soon as possible."

Nanli nodded and then smiled, "Let’s go open that treasure vault first!"

Chong Jiu, disheartened by the loss of the Fake Golden Core, was deflated, his spirit dampened.

He muttered to himself, "It’s my fault... Yuan Liang was unreliable. Why did I give him the Fake Golden Core? I should have hidden it elsewhere..."

"The loss of the Fake Golden Core might be fate’s intervention," Nanli remarked as she removed the True Word Talisman and replaced it with another that sealed Chong Jiu’s powers. "You’re coming with us; you might actually be of some help."

Chong Jiu mumbled to himself: See, you don’t have much confidence either. That Qiankun Talisman Formation will take you at least three days to break!

But soon, he would find out just what kind of help he could offer.

Zhu Sheng, now in his fifties, was a moderately skilled official. He had never involved himself in court politics, so his position had always been stable.

But today, his residence was surrounded by the Black Armor Guards!

When Zhu Sheng saw Ye Siheng, he was furious. "What crime have I committed that the Ninth Prince would personally lead the Black Armor Guards to arrest me?"

"The truth is, I’m not sure what to charge you with yet," Ye Siheng responded coldly, his eyes slightly narrowed. "After all, you only provided a vault. Who knows if you helped Yao Sheng embezzle funds?"

Zhu Sheng remained composed, his expression unchanged, "What does the Ninth Prince mean? I’ve always had little contact with Yao Sheng!"

"Enough talking," Nanli interjected, rolling her eyes. She dragged Chong Jiu forward, "You lead the way."

When Zhu Sheng saw Chong Jiu, his composure faltered, and he blurted out, "Chong Jiu, how could you betray the Grand Tutor?"

Chong Jiu felt no guilt now. He stood tall and declared, "Lord Zhu, the Ninth Princess is seeking the treasure vault to fill the national treasury. I’m serving the country!"

Nanli, displeased by his words, corrected him, "Don’t mislead people. The treasure vault I find will naturally go into my private stash."

Chong Jiu, seeing her greedy demeanor, was even more convinced she couldn’t break the formation. He snorted, "Let’s see if you can open the vault first."