With a faint click, a subtle mechanical sound echoed from beneath the ground.
It took a full minute before everything went quiet again.
【There are mechanisms down there!】
【If we just rush in, won’t we be shot full of holes?!】
The system trembled in fear.
“That’s right.”
Lü Rao confirmed inwardly.
How could the Lü family’s treasure be that easy to take?
According to the novel’s plot, Qiao Shuxin later obtained the Lü family treasure by chance—but at that time, several people had already died for it.
Unfortunately, the book was vague and never described the exact location or the process in detail.
【Master… are you scared? I’m a little scared…】
The little useless system was on the verge of tears.
Lü Rao comforted it in her mind.
“I’ll move around the tunnels casually, but when it comes to the treasure, I’ll definitely check for traps first. Grandpa and Dad taught me that.”
Even if they hadn’t taught her, that would still be her first instinct.
The Lü family’s first rule: never risk your life unnecessarily.
With that thought, Lü Rao directly lifted the tiger-pattern brick.
The system, at the critical moment, didn’t make a single sound—completely reliable when it mattered.
Lü Rao praised it in her heart and looked down.
Beneath was a pitch-black passage, about twenty meters deep, without even a ladder.
“This really was built specifically for me by Grandpa and Dad.”
Lü Rao took out a flashlight, stood at the entrance, and jumped down without hesitation.
A twenty-meter drop took less than a breath’s time.
She smoothly absorbed the impact and landed steadily.
The system held its breath—only screaming in her mind after she landed safely.
【So scary, so scary, wuuu—】
Lü Rao was already used to its cowardice and comforted it briefly before focusing on the scene in front of her.
Even for someone as experienced and knowledgeable as her, seeing the massive bronze gate wrapped in tree roots still made her heart tremble.
A familiar awe of something truly masterful.
Before her stood a towering ancient tree root formation nearly twenty meters high.
The roots twisted and intertwined like living dragons, spanning heaven and earth, surrounding a massive bronze gate of the same dark-green hue.
Intricate carvings covered the gate—every line seemed to hold hidden meaning, glowing faintly under the flashlight with an ancient, solemn aura.
“Did Grandpa kidnap a whole team of tomb builders to construct this?”
Lü Rao couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
Who would have thought that beneath both Lü Residence and Chaoyang Mansion lay something this massive?
She stepped forward.
Her fingers traced the carvings while she examined the bronze tiger talisman in her hand.
The talisman wasn’t much different from ancient military seals.
Except hers had no characters engraved—only various symbols of different sizes carved along the tiger’s back.
The base of the talisman had a mortise-and-tenon structure; only when two pieces were combined would it form a complete seal.
Lü Rao suddenly thought of her never-met unfortunate fiancé.
“Grandpa and Dad said the other half is at his family’s place…”
Her mind wandered.
If hers was the key to the treasure vault, then what about the other half?
Just as she was thinking, a click sounded.
Her finger had pressed on a recessed point.
The ground suddenly sank, revealing a palm-sized platform with a carved tiger slot inside.
At a glance, it perfectly matched the base of her tiger talisman.
Without hesitation, Lü Rao placed the talisman into the slot.
In an instant, it locked perfectly into place and sank deep into the mechanism.
A heavy, ancient sound echoed—like a giant machine awakening.
Clack… clack… clack…
The bronze gate began to move.
Lü Rao looked up.
Watching such a colossal structure shift right before her eyes was truly shocking.
Then she slipped inside.
Behind her, with a final click, the gate closed again.
If she had been even a fraction slower, she would’ve been crushed into meat paste.
“As expected of the Lü family.”
She had already grown calm about it.
The gate slowly sealed shut behind her. When she turned back, she saw the tiger talisman ejected from the slot and landing back in her hand.
She stored it into the spatial wooden house.
Then she looked forward—and froze again.
【Wow!】
【Waaahhh!】
【So many treasures!】
The system screamed in amazement like it had never seen the world before.
Even Lü Rao swallowed slightly.
“So now I understand why Grandpa and Dad sealed this place so tightly, like guarding against tomb raiders.”
Ahead lay a chamber of about five hundred square meters.
The main hall was accompanied by two side rooms.
All three spaces were packed with boxes, furniture, antiques, and treasures stacked densely like a mountain.
The overwhelming sense of wealth was almost suffocating.
She was honestly stunned.
She knew the Lü family had a treasure vault—but she didn’t know it was this much.
“When I was little, Grandpa and Dad said most of the family fortune had already been donated for the country’s salvation. I didn’t expect there would still be so much left.”
Thinking of how all of this would later fall into Qiao Shuxin’s hands in the original story, Lü Rao’s expression turned cold.
Especially since, in the novel, Qiao Shuxin later even gave away priceless antiques to foreigners in order to cooperate with certain people.
Lü Rao’s eyes were icy.
This time, not even a single hair would be left for her.
This was the Lü family’s fortune.
The foundation her grandparents and parents left for her.
No one was allowed to touch it.
She spread her hand—and everything within reach vanished into her spatial storage.
【Master, I’ll help you count! Leave it to me!】
【Gold bars: 1088 boxes, silver bricks: 450 boxes…】
The system continued excitedly.
【Paintings: 100 boxes, porcelain antiques: 500 large boxes…】
【Silk and leather goods: 565 boxes, ancient books: 338 boxes, jewelry: 518 boxes!】
【Weapons: 100 boxes, ammunition: 300 boxes…】
【Medicine and herbs: 100 boxes…】
【Land deeds: 3 boxes…】
【Plus incense, rare wood, foreign curios…】
【Master, we’re ridiculously rich! We can literally lie flat for life!】
“Not just lying flat.”
Lü Rao’s lips curved slightly.
“Practically able to do whatever you want.”
Except—
There were no ration tickets.
No daily necessities.
In this era, everything required coupons to buy.
Even something as simple as food or fabric had to be carefully rationed.
In Shanghai, girls would even fight in supply stores over a single dress or a wristwatch.
And once the Lü family was purged and sent down to the countryside, scarcity would be inevitable.