"Now that's what I call a true buddy!" Yun Qianyue finally felt satisfied with Rongjing's discretion; he really came through when it mattered.
Rongjing weighed the bracelet lightly in his hand and, with a flick of his wrist, sent it flying toward the indented spot on the roof beam. A crisp "crack" echoed as the bracelet hit the exact spot, then swiftly fell to the ground, right in their direction. Despite their diminished martial abilities, catching a bracelet was easy for them. However, Yun Qianyue didn't even attempt to catch it, letting it shatter upon the floor into eight pieces with a clearer sound than before.
"It's broken into so many pieces; restoring it would be impossible now," Rongjing remarked, seemingly regretful over the bracelet.
Yun Qianyue scoffed at him. Pretender! She stared at the indent for a moment but saw no movement and questioned aloud, "Hmm? Was I wrong?"
"Perhaps you targeted the wrong spot to unlock it. A pity about that bracelet," Rongjing nodded in agreement.
"Could it be that I truly have no fate with this gold?" Yun Qianyue sighed, feeling dejected. Known for her expertise with hidden mechanisms, she was out of ideas and waved it off. "Fine then, if I can't get it today, I'll just raid the imperial treasury once the emperor takes it."
"You really are relentless," Rongjing remarked, seemingly at a loss for words.
Yun Qianyue took a few steps toward where Qian Yan had tried to unlock the hidden door. But just then, she heard a loud, heavy sound behind her—like a door opening. She turned around and saw the Buddha statues slowly sinking into the floor. She lit up. "Ha! So the door is hidden in the ground! Brilliant design!"
"Heaven seems to favor you," Rongjing said with a smile.
"I wonder if the person who designed this is still alive? If they are, I'd love to have a drink with them," Yun Qianyue marveled as she watched the statues disappear one by one.
"They say it was created by a genius from the time of the Holy Ancestor, over a hundred years ago. If you want to drink with him, you'll have to wait until you meet him in the afterlife," Rongjing replied.
"That works too—let's make it a date in the afterlife," Yun Qianyue responded, now inspecting the sunken area beneath the statues. After a while, she murmured, "So the mechanism above only activated the hidden passage below these statues. By the look of it, there's likely a third door under the floor."
"Yes," Rongjing nodded.
"As long as we can hide these statues here, I can ensure Qian Yan won't be able to unlock it. Then these statues will be safe," Yun Qianyue said.
"Yes, as long as you can prevent Qian Yan from discovering this and breaking it open. Currently, there's no one better than him at deciphering such mechanisms," Rongjing agreed.
While they spoke, they heard Ye Tianqing's irritated voice outside. "Qian Yan, can't you unlock it?"
"My apologies, Your Highness; I am inadequate..." Qian Yan replied, his tone fearful.
"It seems you really don't value your head!" Ye Tianqing roared in anger. "Guards, take this—"
"Imperial Brother, if you kill him, there will be no one left who can break this mechanism. Master Qian is known as a rare talent of his generation. This pathway was created by an extraordinary figure from the Holy Ancestor's era. It's understandable if he struggles to open it," the Fourth Prince interjected.
"Amitabha, the Fourth Prince is right. Allow Master Qian to continue," Master Lingyin chimed in.
"If you kill him, this door will never open. Then, my sister and Lord Rongjing will truly be trapped here," Yun Muhan added.
"Fine, keep going!" Though impatient, Ye Tianqing relented.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Qian Yan's clothes were soaked with sweat as he wiped his forehead and resumed his work.
By this time, the twelve Buddha statues had completely sunk into the ground. Yun Qianyue looked down, pressed two points on the top of a statue, and watched as the floor transformed. Twelve heavy jade panels slid up from the ground, perfectly covering the statues. The jade panels blended seamlessly with the stone floor of the hall, leaving no trace of the statues. The hall now appeared empty, as though the statues had never existed. She turned to Rongjing, grinning. "Mission accomplished!"
Rongjing looked at her delighted expression and chuckled softly.
"Now we should walk around the floor a few dozen times to eliminate any traces of these statues. Otherwise, the dust patterns will give it away. And we've been here for so long, we can't have just sat still, right?" Yun Qianyue said to Rongjing, immediately starting to walk in circles around the hall.
"Good idea," Rongjing agreed, joining her in pacing the floor.
After about a dozen rounds, Yun Qianyue was exhausted. She stopped and said to Rongjing, "Alright, that should do it. Let's get out of here before we actually die of hunger—or exhaustion."
"Yes," Rongjing nodded.
"You go lean against the wall over there, and I'll activate the mechanism so Qian Yan can open it. We'll be out soon," Yun Qianyue said, pointing to a spot on the wall.
Rongjing walked to the indicated spot and sat down.
Yun Qianyue approached the wall and pressed two places, subtly shifting the mechanism so that Qian Yan wouldn't open it too quickly or realize she had tampered with it. Finished, she found a spot far from Rongjing, leaned against the wall, and sighed, "I'm completely drained..."
Rongjing's long lashes concealed his gaze, and he said nothing.
After about the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, they heard Qian Yan's delighted voice from outside. "Your Highness, I believe I've found the solution!"
"Then hurry up!" Ye Tianqing urged eagerly.
"Amitabha! May Lord Rongjing and Miss Yun be safe," Master Lingyin prayed.
"They will be!" Yun Muhan affirmed.
"What are you waiting for? Open it!" Ye Tianyu shouted.
A series of clicks echoed as two cracks appeared in the wall, and the stone door began to lift from the floor instead of moving sideways. Qian Yan exclaimed in admiration, "The key was beneath us all along! How ingenious!"
YOU ARE READING
The Dandy's Duchess
ChickLit"The Dandy's Duchess" tells the story of the youngest and most talented general of the National Security Bureau, who sacrifices his life for his country and finds his soul transported to another world, where he is reborn as Yun Qianyue, the only leg...
