Chapter 358: 365: How to Explain
At this point, Su Wenyue was actually not in a hurry, and she also didn’t quite trust Shangguan Wuyou and Ye Xinxin. She hadn’t even told Han Yu the secret, partly because she didn’t know how to explain it.
Ye Xinxin made such a request, and it was difficult for her to refuse, especially considering that the four of them had teamed up for the Lantern Riddle Contest. She had only played a role at the crucial moment; before that, it was all thanks to Shangguan Wuyou. The lamp they had won wasn’t just hers alone, Ye Xinxin and Shangguan Wuyou had their parts in it too.
Su Wenyue nodded her head but did not rush to open the box. Instead, she placed the box on the table and went into the inner room. When she came back, she was holding something in her hand.
Ye Xinxin was already growing impatient waiting, and seeing that Su Wenyue was not coming out, she reached out to open the small box on the table. Shangguan Wuyou and Han Yu did not stop her, so when Su Wenyue came out, she saw Ye Xinxin opening the box.
“Get back quickly!” Su Wenyue shouted urgently. Ye Xinxin didn’t have time to react, but Shangguan Wuyou, seeing the urgency in Su Wenyue’s manner, quickly pulled Ye Xinxin away. The several poisoned darts that shot out from the small box narrowly missed Ye Xinxin’s clothes, causing both Shangguan Wuyou and Ye Xinxin to break out in a cold sweat. If it weren’t for Su Wenyue’s timely warning, those darts, with their sinister and dark gleam, almost certainly would have found their mark in Ye Xinxin’s body. With such poison, they would have been dead before a doctor could be summoned.
Su Wenyue sighed in relief to see that Ye Xinxin had dodged in time. The reason she had not immediately opened the box was because she knew it had mechanisms inside. In her previous life, she had never seen this box, but she knew that the box had fallen into Sikong Ling’s hands. She had heard of someone losing their life trying to open it due to the hidden weapon inside. She went inside hoping to deactivate the mechanisms first, using techniques described in Luban’s secret skills, but she hadn’t expected Ye Xinxin to be so impatient to open it first. Fortunately, she came out in time, otherwise, Ye Xinxin might have been killed by the poisoned darts, which were particularly lethal upon drawing blood. The person who originally opened the box had died before anyone could reach him to offer aid.
“Those people harbored such deadly intent, hiding poisoned darts inside the box. It was nearly a fatal trap,” Ye Xinxin patted her chest, looking scared after the fact. Seeing the box now open, she didn’t dare to touch it anymore, afraid of what other mechanisms might lay in wait.
Han Yu also felt a touch of fear, realizing that his daughter-in-law had been carrying the box all this time. Had anything gone wrong, he didn’t even want to think of the consequences. However, seeing that his wife had given a warning to Ye Xinxin as if she knew something, Han Yu had many questions in his heart but it wasn’t appropriate to ask them in front of Shangguan Wuyou and Ye Xinxin.
Su Wenyue had initially intended to deactivate the mechanisms in the box. Now that the darts had been triggered, it saved her some trouble. She was about to reach for the item inside the box when Han Yu stopped her.
Although his wife seemed to know the details, the recent scare made Han Yu hesitant to take any risks.
“Husband, don’t worry, the hidden weapon inside the box has been triggered, there won’t be any more problems,” Su Wenyue reassured, understanding Han Yu’s concerns. Facing his doubtful eyes, even Shangguan Wuyou and his wife Ye Xinxin looked at her curiously.
“Sister Yue, how did you know?” Ye Xinxin, who could not hold back, asked outright.
Su Wenyue knew she had to give a reason and after a moment’s silence, she said, “Actually, I had heard of the Colorful exquisite lamp before, and it did mention this box. But at the time, I thought it was just nonsense and didn’t take it seriously. I was just being cautious earlier, but it turned out to be true.”
“Since it was just hearsay and not confirmed, you should have been more careful. What if there were more hidden weapons inside?” Han Yu knew that Su Wenyue was not telling the whole truth, but it wasn’t the time to ask more in front of Shangguan Wuyou and Ye Xinxin. For caution’s sake, he pulled Su Wenyue aside, carefully examined the box, and after testing it, took out the item inside.
Apart from Su Wenyue, who had seen the Colorful exquisite lamp before, the other three had only heard of it by name and had never laid eyes on it. They were eager to see The World’s Number One Lamp, curious about what the much-sought-after Colorful exquisite lamp really looked like. When they saw the drab and worn Flower Lantern on the table, which revealed no exceptional features, they felt nothing but disappointment and surprise.
However, neither Shangguan Wuyou nor Han Yu were superficial or lacking in discernment. A truly valuable object might not boast an impressive exterior. There must be a reason why the Colorful exquisite lamp had earned the reputation of The World’s Number One Lamp—it likely held some secret. Still, after the incident with the poisoned darts, they dared not touch the lantern carelessly. They could only stare intently, hoping to spot some clue to its mysteries.
But since they refrained from touching and exploring it, regardless of how intently they looked, it remained nothing more than a common, even shabby, Flower Lantern bearing the prestigious title of The World’s Number One Lamp. Considering its name—Colorful exquisite lamp—it should at least feature some colors, not look like this. Perhaps there had been a mistake.
As Shangguan Wuyou pondered this internally, Ye Xinxin already voiced the question: “This is the Colorful exquisite lamp? It doesn’t look the part at all. Could it be that the person who set up the contest deliberately spread false information to deceive us, or perhaps they wanted us to carry this reputation so that the whole world knows the Colorful exquisite lamp is with us, thereby freeing themselves from any involvement?”
It was a plausible scenario for any rational thinker, and even Shangguan Wuyou was starting to consider it. Only because Han Yu understood his daughter-in-law and saw her reaction to it, he might have thought the same.
Upon hearing Ye Xinxin’s words, Su Wenyue did not doubt them in the least. The Colorful exquisite lamp’s initial appearance was indeed just as it was now, and the compelling sensation in her was constant—she was sure this was the Colorful exquisite lamp.
“This Colorful exquisite lamp is genuine,” Su Wenyue said as she reached out to take the lamp. Seeing Han Yu was about to intervene, she gave him a reassuring look.
“Then be careful, and let go immediately if anything seems off,” Han Yu knew the situation wasn’t straightforward, but since his wife was confident, he assumed she knew something. Nonetheless, he remained tense at her side, ready to pull her away at a moment’s notice if necessary.
Su Wenyue held the Colorful exquisite lamp in her hands and fiddled with it somehow. Perhaps triggering a mechanism on the lamp, an astonishing and admirable scene unfolded.