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“Yu Jie, you…” Yu Shan hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should comfort Yu Jie.
How could Yu Jie not see what Yu Shan was thinking? She shook her head and said, “I’m fine. It’s been so many years, and I no longer care about things that shouldn’t matter. I’ve long moved past it.”
With that statement, Yu Jie revealed her thoughts, causing even more concern among Yu Shan and the others.
Back in the day, Yu Jie was willing to sacrifice everything for that person, even her own life.
She could forsake everything, even her life, but now, Yu Jie could utter such words, leaving everyone astonished.
“Yu Jie…”
“Let’s not dwell on this matter any longer,” Yu Jingchuan sensed that Yu Jie didn’t want to discuss it further. He glanced at Yu Shan and the others, signaling them not to say more.
Yu Shan and the others remained silent, their concern for Yu Jie evident.
Yu Jingchuan, recalling something he unintentionally discovered earlier, hesitated. He wasn’t sure whether he should inform Yu Jie.
“Yu Jie, there’s something I’m unsure about whether to tell you.”
“Master, just speak your mind. There’s no need for hesitation between us,” they had followed Yu Jingchuan for many years, and there were several instances where he had saved their lives. If the Master had something to say, he should just say it. There was no need for beating around the bush. It didn’t seem like something he would do.
“Take a look at what’s inside this box. After you’ve seen it, decide for yourself how to proceed. This is something I found while investigating the Yu family,” Yu Jingchuan handed a box to Yu Ji from the desk.
When Yu Jie saw the box, her eyes widened in astonishment and disbelief. How could this item be here, and in the hands of the Master no less?
“Why do you have this in your possession, Master?” Yu Jie’s question wasn’t one of suspicion towards Yu Jingchuan but rather genuine curiosity.
When their family faced trouble in the past, she had searched for this item for a long time without success.
Now, to find it in the hands of the Master, was truly baffling. How did this come to be?
“I came across this accidentally. I recall you mentioning a similar black box in your family, so I brought it here. Take a look and see if it matches the one from your family,” Yu Jingchuan explained briefly.
Yu Jie gazed at the black box in her hands, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over her.
She could now confirm that the black box indeed belonged to her family, but she never expected it to return to her hands in this manner.
Gently feeling the black box in her hands, Yu Jie’s face lit up with a faint smile, “Thank you, Master. This is indeed the black box from my family.”
As she opened the black box, her expression involuntarily furrowed upon seeing the contents inside.
Inside, there was a blood-stained letter.
Hastily taking out the letter and opening it, she read it carefully.
After finishing the letter, her face turned pale, and the letter slipped from her hand to the ground.
Yu Jie’s expression became bewildered and lost, unsure of what to do next.
Seeing Yu Jie in such a state, Yu Shan and the others grew concerned. Yu Shan gently shook her arm and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you alright?”
Yu Jie opened her mouth, wanting to say she was fine, but the words just wouldn’t come out.
Yu Qingfeng picked up the letter from the ground and read it. After finishing, his eyes reflected surprise followed by understanding.
No wonder Yu Jie reacted this way after reading it. Anyone who read this letter would likely react the same way, wouldn’t they?
The letter was from Yu Jie’s father, written hastily in a time of urgency, as if he had written it in a rush and placed it inside.
Perhaps he never expected Yu Jie to see these things over a decade later.
Yu Jingchuan, observing Yu Ji’s serious expression, asked, “What do you plan to do?”
What to do?
Yu Jie’s face held a bewildered expression. What could she do now? Everything between her and that person seemed to have changed, including herself.
With this new knowledge, her mind felt chaotic, unsure of what to do next.
“If you seek revenge, Yu Jie, we will aid you,” Yu Jingchuan offered.
Earlier, they were curious about what Yu Jie had seen to cause such a reaction, especially now that the Master had spoken these words.
Yu Jie took a deep breath, “I will seek revenge, or else all those in my family would have died in vain.”
Her only solace now was that she hadn’t followed that person when he left. If she had left with him, how could she face her ancestors when she learned of these events?
Yu Shan and the others were utterly baffled by the unfolding situation, looking from one to the other, asking, “Master, what are you guys talking about?”
“Take a look for yourselves.”
After Yu Shan and the others examined the contents, they were left dumbfounded. It turned out that the troubles in Yu Jie’s family were all orchestrated by that person. The reason for the annihilation of Yu Jie’s family was also linked to this small black box.
Examining the items inside the black box, Yu Shan frowned, “This black box doesn’t seem particularly special. Why did they need this thing?”
Using their family’s unique technique, Yu Jie opened a hidden compartment in the black box, revealing only a single piece of paper.
“They didn’t want the black box; they wanted this and what I have on me.” Yu Jie retrieved a red string from around her neck, on which hung a dainty and cute key. At a glance, it could easily be mistaken for a necklace.
Yu Shan looked curiously at the items in Yu Jie’s hand, “What is this? It looks like a key.”
Yu Jie gazed at the key in her hand and the paper beside it, a bitter smile on her face, “Indeed, it’s just a key.”
Perplexed, Yu Shan inquired about the key, “What is it used for?”
“This is the main culprit behind the annihilation of my family.”
Yu Shan instinctively spoke up, “Could it be a treasure map and key?”
As soon as Yu Shan finished speaking, he noticed everyone staring at him. He shrunk back a bit, chuckling nervously, “I… just said that randomly.”
Isn’t it only treasure maps and keys that attract others’ covetous eyes?
If Yu Jie’s family truly met their end because of this, then Yu Shan’s remark should be fitting.
Yu Jie nodded with a smile, a tinge of self-deprecation in her expression, “You’re not wrong. It’s not a treasure map and key exactly, but it’s similar in nature. The contents inside are not far off from a treasure.”
Yu Jingchuan looked at Yu Jie in astonishment. Their family didn’t seem like the type to possess treasure, so how did this suddenly surface? Moreover, Yu Jie had kept this hidden for over a decade.
“My father once said that these items could only be handed to the Emperor of Xuan empire, and no one else,” Yu Ji explained to Yu Jingchuan.
Yu Jingchuan’s expression turned pensive, “What exactly is inside this?”
Yu Jie’s revelation caught him off guard.
“Master, have you heard of the Art of Mechanisms?” Yu Jie asked.
Yu Jingchuan looked at Yu Jie in shock. The Art of Mechanisms?