Chapter 301: Secret Treasure

Yang Yixie controlled Ying Duo to climb onto a relatively low eave, observing the Chen Family main residence's layout from above, especially the zones where golden light points indicating "interactive" or "valuable" floated.

He didn't dare rashly plunge directly into the Core area, but started from the outskirts, slowly mapping like an open‑world exploration game, marking possible treasure chests and danger zones along the way.

In the distance, faint silhouettes of night patrol guards could be seen shuttling about, accompanied by occasional speech bubbles and footstep bubbles; Yang Yixie successfully anticipated and easily avoided them.

Unwittingly, his 【Stealth】 skill had already risen to 【Lv. 4】.

Yang Yixie's goal was clear: explore the map and locate any possible "high‑value items" or "hidden information."

An ancient noble residence like the Chen Family, which has just undergone upheaval, is precisely the time when "good stuff" is most likely to be found.

Ying Duo first reached toward an isolated courtyard near the east‑wing guestroom area, which seemed to be a storage shed for miscellaneous items.

Using a silencer‑equipped pistol, he shattered the old copper lock above, and Ying Duo slipped inside.

Inside, dust‑covered furniture was piled everywhere, with numerous miscellaneous items stacked on top, all coated in a thick layer of ash.

He quickly rummaged; his 【Recon】 skill automatically highlighted several items with colored backgrounds, but none appeared to be rare.

A green‑tinted brooch set with a dim gem, a half‑unrolled fragment recording a positional energy circuit (green), and a severely rusted yet uniquely structured dagger (blue).

The dagger, likely forged from some special material, was the most useful item there.

He stowed all these somewhat valuable trinkets into his backpack, then continued exploring other areas, with the exploration progress rising slowly but steadily.

【Chen Family Annex·East‑Wing Storage – Current Exploration: 21.3%】

During a pause in exploration, Yang Yixie glanced at the still‑active Team Channel interface in the screen's upper left.

Because Fang Zhiyan said this would notify him the moment ground resources were organized, a team was formed this time, and Yang Yixie didn't kick them out.

Lu Mu's and Bai Mu Yun's Blood Bar were slowly recovering, their status bars changed to the three characters "Sleeping…", while only Fang Zhiyan's lower‑right green dot remained lit, status showing 【Online】.

Yang Yixie thought for a moment, then tried sending a message in the Team Channel; this feature is especially handy for remotely harassing NPCs.

【Ying Duo: Do you have a map of the Chen Family main residence?】

Almost the instant the message went out, Fang Zhiyan's reply arrived, looking like a seasoned night‑owl.

【Fang Zhiyan: Our diligent Little Undead is still working overtime?】

【Fang Zhiyan: Map of the Chen Family main residence? Little Undead, are your expectations of the teacher a bit too high? The Dome spent a lot of effort to infiltrate Tianmian City, but unfortunately the "wall" here is thicker than we imagined.】

【Fang Zhiyan: The Slum does have many Dome informants, but the detailed layouts of those deep mansions in Tianmian City's upper district… unless we can turn a longtime housekeeper into a traitor, any info we get will be outdated or peripheral sketches.】

That teacher really isn't as useful as imagined.

Yang Yixie's eyes couldn't help flashing a hint of disdain, and Fang Zhiyan seemed to sense his "emotion," adding:

【Fang Zhiyan: However, we do have some private dealings with certain Tianmian City nobles who have special needs; the Chen Family was once among them.】

【Fang Zhiyan: Unfortunately, the news I just received indicates the Chen Family underwent a thorough purge today, and the few lines we had with them were packaged and sent to the Supervision Bureau.】

Fang Zhiyan also didn't expect the Chen Family's internal cleanup to come so quickly; within a single day the nails were all pulled clean—was it a contingency left by Chen Xiaoshuang for his brother?

Now communication between Tianmian City and the surface is difficult, and he cannot learn the reason.

Yang Yixie, while watching messages pop up in the Team Channel, let Ying Duo climb through a half‑open window into the room and casually opened a few pixelated models that looked like chests.

【Obtained: Rusted iron nails ×3】

The haul was meager.

【Ying Duo: What about that "Queen Bee"?】

【Fang Zhiyan: "Queen Bee"? Ha, after all, not all Mutation Department officials can run to Tianmian City; someone has to stay behind to watch the house. Once you return to the Dome, you should be able to meet her.】

【Fang Zhiyan: She should like you, but why did you suddenly think of asking about this?】

【Ying Duo: I'm looking for items in the Chen Family.】

Another room with nothing useful; Ying Duo was so idle that he even wanted to pack up the leftover snacks on the kitchen stove.

Anyway, the scanned data didn't show whether the items had spoiled; these things can usually be stored for a while, right?

Never mind; as long as they might be usable, pack everything and take it.

【Fang Zhiyan: Looking for stuff? Out late at night in someone else's house? Little Undead, your curiosity is always so… distinctive. Looking for what? Maybe the teacher can give you a hint.】

【Ying Duo: High‑quality items, or equipment or something.】

Yang Yixie didn't fully trust Fang Zhiyan, but the latter was the only senior NPC currently likely to know the inside story and was, for now, on the same side (at least with no conflicting interests).

Information exchange sometimes requires taking a risk.

Fang Zhiyan fell silent for a few seconds, then a new line of information arrived, this time sounding more serious.

【Fang Zhiyan: High‑quality items… you say that, it reminds me of a rumored artifact.】

Ying Duo's steps halted before a courtyard; after walking this far, the Chen Family's overall decor leaned heavily toward the antique style, making Yang Yixie wonder what game he was actually playing.

The interior was brightly lit, though the situation was unclear.

So Ying Duo didn't enter immediately, instead lingered outside, attentively waiting for Fang Zhiyan to tell him a story.

【Fang Zhiyan: It is said that an ancestor of the Chen Family was a Rune Master; he delved deeply into the study of life and soul, even touching certain taboos, and in his old age poured his heart into forging a secret treasure.】

【Fang Zhiyan: This secret treasure is not meant for combat or enhancement; its function is very special.】

Fang Zhiyan's description was measured, with a scholarly tone as if recounting a strange anecdote.

【Fang Zhiyan: It can, at the instant of bodily death, capture and stabilize the soul about to dissipate, preserving it within a specially made "container".】

【Fang Zhiyan: As long as the soul does not perish, one can, via a specific method, achieve "borrowing a corpse to return a soul", allowing consciousness to continue.】