Just when everyone’s attention was focused on the giant snake, that old fox Yao Yuzhong had sneaked away unnoticed.

Qi Yun kept his face stern, without a word.

He cursed inwardly, thinking this old guy truly couldn’t sit still.

"Forget it, let’s not worry about him for now, let’s go ahead and take a look!" Qi Yun quickly made a decision.

After a brief rest, the group prepared to set off, and Brother Quan came over holding something the size of a cantaloupe, encased in a layer of emerald green liquid. As he approached, a foul stench hit their faces.

"Damn, is this that creature’s snake gall? This big?" An Zai peeked over and, hardly taking a breath, was choked by the smell and stepped back a couple of steps, "Damn, can you really eat this stuff?"

But Qin Sizhi’s eyes were glowing, not at all repulsed by the sticky liquid, as he took it with both hands.

"Jin Bao, quickly pack this up! This is genuinely good stuff!"

"Back in ancient times, a giant snake like this was called a young dragon. If it lived longer, its body might mutate, becoming something known as a jiao, and all its essence and energy is held in this snake gall. Brewing it into medicinal wine yields extraordinary effects!"

Jin Bao took out a jacket from his bag, quickly wrapping the snake gall carefully, and then tucked it into the bag.

"Mr. Qi, when your child grows up, just let me know, and I’ll personally bring you a jug of snake gall wine, highly beneficial." Qin Sizhi was beaming, clearly valuing this item immensely.

Qi Yun laughed, thinking this old man was speaking quite mysteriously, but Nuannuan wouldn’t come of age for over ten years—could this geezer even live that long?

"Boss, we’re ready to go."

"Hmm, let’s go."

The group stepped over the giant snake’s corpse and continued deeper into the cave.

Though they had just gone through a perilous ordeal, none of them relaxed their guard, all remaining vigilant.

Thankfully, nothing else cropped up, and within a few minutes, they encountered a natural stone chamber.

It wasn’t large, perhaps thirty or forty square meters, filled with wooden chests, the type used in rural areas for storing clothes.

Every chest was covered in a thick layer of dust, suggesting they had been undisturbed for many years.

The beam of the flashlight swept over, revealing faint carvings on the wooden chests, though they were obscured by dust, making the patterns unclear.

This should be the place.

Standing outside the stone chamber, Qi Yun signaled to Brother Quan, "Check to see if Yao Yuzhong has been here."

Responding, Brother Quan stepped into the chamber, circled the chests, and soon found several distinct footprints at the edge of the ground, along with two chest locks that had been pried open.

After thoroughly checking every corner of the chamber, and glancing into the two opened chests, he came out to report.

"He must have just left."

Qi Yun sneered inwardly, thinking, old bastard, don’t let me catch you.

"What’s inside the chests?"

"Gold."

"A lot of gold," Brother Quan added.

Qi Yun was not surprised. The Li Family had monopolized the lucrative trades here since the Ming Dynasty, later engaging in the despicable opium trade, amassing considerable wealth.

Besides, Li Run was a diehard hoarder; even when facing execution, he refused to relinquish this treasure.

"Open the chests; I’m looking for something like that stone you brought me last time."

Brother Quan paused, but didn’t ask further, returning to pry open each chest in the chamber.

Without Qi Yun’s command, the rest didn’t move, and despite knowing there was a lot of gold inside, none showed excessive greed, including Qin Sizhi and his disciples.

One by one, the chests were opened, and Qi Yun walked in, lifting the lids to reveal neatly cut, palm-sized gold bricks gleaming brightly in the flashlight’s beam.

Even Qi Yun took a deep breath.

What a hoard of gold.

These chests didn’t just hold gold; there were also silver ingots, jewelry, ancient silk, and so on—valuables that easily exceeded ten figures in worth.

Qi Yun even found a Luminous Pearl inside a brocade box, egg-sized.

This item was a rare treasure, favored by historic emperors. Legends say it was placed in coffins to prevent the body from decaying.

Empress Dowager Cixi’s tomb had one, which Sun Dianying dug out. Could it be the one in front of him now?

Qi Yun wasn’t interested in these valuables, continuing his search for his target.

Luckily, fortune smiled upon him, and soon he found what he was looking for in a small box.

A spherical object, the size of a ping-pong ball, with a jade-like texture, its surface a blend of pale yellow, brown, and black-gray patterns—identical to the one he had acquired previously.

Can Cong’s other eye!

"Whew~"

Qi Yun exhaled deeply, finally finding it.

He placed the stone back in its box and secured it in the innermost part of his backpack, planning to study it well back home, then turned his gaze to the treasure in the chamber, pondering how to handle it.

Taking it all was out of the question; it had taken five hundred porters to bring it here years ago.

After a brief ponder, he approached the group: "Take the gold from the chests, as much as you can carry—consider it your reward for this trip."

"But leave the other stuff alone; once we’re out, I’ll notify the National Cultural Heritage Administration to take over here."

The group was instantly delighted, and An Zai cheered, "Thanks, boss!" before rushing into the chamber.