Arthur entered the tunnel again. Although it was day already, it was pitch black inside.
He was just about to retrieve the luminous pearl when the darkness suddenly faded. Although it was still dark, it wasn't that discernible, and he could see the path ahead.
Surprised, he didn't speak for a long time.
"Heavenly Pavilion, what's happening? Why did the intensity of the darkness suddenly reduce?"
"Master, it is the Shadow Wolf. Do you remember, Master, I told you that Shadow Wolves can manipulate darkness?"
"Ahh... I remember now."
Arthur immediately looked at the beast below and smiled faintly.
'Who knew my first contracted beast would be such a catch?'
Patting its head a few times lovingly, he started walking.
Unlike the previous night when he didn't know where the path led him, this time, he did. So, his steps became bolder and faster. He covered the entire route in less than half the time he had taken last night.
Opening the fake wall again, he entered the room and looked around vigilantly. He didn't brush off the possibility that the dumb king would have stationed warriors to look for him everywhere, including the Jin Clan house. So, he was cautious and alert as he left the room.
From the host's memories, Arthur knew that Jin Yuchen had the habit of disguising himself whenever he went out. It was the only way he could walk on the streets without being mocked and riddled with insults.
Arthur's legs moved automatically, and he proceeded toward Jin Yuchen's chamber. At the same time, he kept a watch for any signs of danger.
Even the Heavenly Pavilion and the Shadow Wolf were on high alert as they walked around the Jin clan house.
On the way, Arthur saw blood splattered everywhere. However, there were no bodies in sight.
Once again, he was reminded of the host's father and brothers, whose mutilated bodies were now displayed as trophies outside the kingdom walls.
Gritting his teeth angrily, his steps became faster, and he almost sprinted towards Jin Yuchen's chamber. Every nerve in his body, every blood cell, was bursting with fury and vengeance.
Jin Yuchen's chamber was just as he remembered from the host's memories. Arthur started looking for the paraphernalia to disguise himself. He even changed out of his loose clothes and boots and stacked a few sets in the Heavenly Pavilion.
Once done with his disguise, he stared at himself in the mirror. Once he was sure no one would find out who he was, he looked for some money.
The spirit stones could buy him anything he wanted. But he still had to have some money just in case, and thankfully, Jin Yuchen was loaded. There were a lot of silver coins and notes, and he stored all of them in the Heavenly Pavilion.
When he didn't find anything useful, he left the chamber, only to stop suddenly when a thought struck him.
"Heavenly Pavilion, can you sense if there is anything with a spirit root around me?" he asked, his eyes narrowing curiously for a moment.
"Master, Master, I was just about to tell you about it. The Jin clan has quite a few objects with a spirit root, and none of them is bound by any contract."
Arthur smiled faintly, sharing the delight with the Heavenly Pavilion.
"Lead me to them then."
The Heavenly Pavilion started directing Arthur, and he began his treasure hunt.
From a spirit-bound sword to a furnace, from high-quality spirit herbs to a forbidden arts manual, he found of lot of things and stored all of them in the Heavenly Pavilion immediately, without binding them to him.
He even picked up all the money he found in the chambers. The more money, the better.
"Master, are you not going to bind them with a contract?" the Heavenly Pavilion asked, seeing the sudden pile of things in the space.
"I will, when it's just us. I don't want to waste time right now. I'll be in danger if someone decides to drop a surprise visit on the Jin clan," Arthur explained, deciding to be merciful for once.
"Is there anything else?" Arthur asked once he was done searching the chamber. He now had only two chambers left.
"Yes, I sense three spirit-rich things."
"Even more than what we have right now?" Arthur was surprised and delighted at the same time.
"Yes, Master. More than that," the Heavenly Pavilion acknowledged. "What we have right now cannot even compare to the three objects."
Arthur's interest was sparked, and he went in search of the first of the three objects.
From Jin Yuchen's memories, he recognized that it was his father's chamber.
Following the Heavenly Pavilion's direction, he reached an intricately designed wooden box. It was as long and wide as his arm. Strange patterns were carved on it, which Arthur could not understand.
He stared at it fixedly before he tried to open it. However, it had no locks or keyholes. It was sealed, and he stared at it for a long time.
"Master, I think it is a Veilwood Chest," the Heavenly Pavilion said after thinking for some time.
"Veilwood Chest? Now, what is that?" Arthur felt his mind spin. It was as if he were studying a foreign language. The more he uncovered, the more complex it became.
"Yes, Master. Despite its humble appearance, the Veilwood Chest is incredibly valuable and rare. It can conceal any item with a spirit root from all forms of detection."
"Ohh..." Arthur examined the box, finding it quite novel. "Then, how did you find out that there is something of use inside it?"
"I cannot comprehend the same, Master. I am not powerful enough to detect anything within the Veilwood Chest. I do not know how I was able to do it."
"Do you know what is inside it?" Arthur asked, lifting the box. Contrary to how it looked, it was quite light and easy to lift.
"No, Master. I can only sense that whatever is inside it has a powerful spirit root. But I do not know what it is."
Arthur hummed softly and examined it a few times.
"Do you know how to open the box?"
"That... Master...." the Heavenly Pavilion dithered. "I do not know. Every Veilwood Chest has a unique locking mechanism. Only the person who locked it would know it."
Arthur could only give up and tuck it away in the space.
"Is there anything else here?"
"No, Master."
Now, only one chamber remained, and it was Jin Yuchen's grandfather's.