System Notification:
Congratulations, Host.
You have obtained a Diamond-Level Rare Treasure!
System Notification:
Congratulations, Host.
You have obtained an Imperial-Level Rare Treasure!
The system's cold mechanical voice rang several times in succession.
Yet to Liu Hao, it sounded incredibly pleasant.
Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, he calmly carried the box out of the carriage.
Leaving only a carefree silhouette behind for the "wealth-delivering boy," Wei Zhongdao.
"This… this is impossible…"
"You actually took that treasure…!"
Wei Bi, who had been lying heavily injured on the ground, saw the box in Liu Hao's hands. His eyes widened in disbelief.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately fainted.
"You… you… give it back…"
Wei Zhongdao's voice trembled.
He looked completely stunned, as if his mind had gone blank. Even the final word he wanted to say would not come out.
As Liu Hao stepped down from the carriage, he casually patted Wei Zhongdao on the shoulder and chuckled.
"Brother Wei, if you're not an experienced driver, don't drive so fast."
"And this box looks quite elegant. My sister will surely like the specialties inside."
"Our misunderstanding is now resolved."
"Farewell."
And with that—
He left.
Before the Luoyang city patrol could arrive, Liu Hao quickly departed with Zhao Yu and the others.
Watching Liu Hao's group disappear into the distance, Wei Zhongdao collapsed onto the ground.
His heart felt utterly broken.
What Liu Hao had taken was no ordinary item.
It was the unparalleled treasure the Wei family had painstakingly prepared for the marriage proposal.
And there was more than one treasure inside the box.
In terms of value alone, it was worth at least tens of thousands of gold.
Even if everything else inside the carriage were combined, it might not equal its worth.
Among the items was an ancient zither called the Phoenix Zither.
Legend said it had been obtained from a distant immortal island across the sea.
There was nothing like it in the world.
Additionally, there was an incomparable set of rare jewelry known as Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix.
A treasure that could not be bought even with ten thousand pieces of gold.
Priceless.
"I'm furious!"
Wei Zhongdao clutched his chest in agony, stomping the ground like a madman.
The Phoenix Zither had originally been intended as a gift for Cai Yong.
He had planned to appeal to Cai Yong's tastes so the man would agree to marry his daughter into the Wei family.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix jewelry consisted of two items: a phoenix hairpin and a pair of phoenix earrings.
The phoenix hairpin had been prepared as a bribe for the Ten Eunuchs in exchange for an official position.
The phoenix earrings were meant to be given to Cai Yan as the engagement token.
But now—
Everything had been taken by Liu Hao.
Even for the wealthy Wei family, this loss was extremely painful.
Wei Zhongdao's heart ached terribly.
But he also valued his life very much.
He had remained silent earlier because Dian Wei had been standing just one step away.
Holding that heavy iron halberd, Dian Wei's tiger-like eyes had locked onto him.
Wei Zhongdao's mind had gone completely blank with fear.
He was terrified that if Dian Wei or Zhan Zhao became even slightly angered, they would simply kill him on the spot.
In that situation, how could he possibly dare to stop Liu Hao?
Compared to those treasures…
His life was clearly more important.
At this moment, Wei Zhongdao could only comfort himself with that thought.
"My lord, that pretty boy said these were treasures meant for a marriage proposal."
"There must be something valuable inside this box."
"Should we take it directly to the Cai residence for the gathering of great scholars?"
Zhan Zhao weighed the box in his hands thoughtfully.
Liu Hao gently rubbed Zhao Yu's small head and smiled.
"No rush."
"The gathering of scholars will not begin until the afternoon."
"Come on, Zhao Yu. Your brother will take you to eat something delicious."
With that, Liu Hao led Zhan Zhao and Zhao Yu toward the largest restaurant in Luoyang.
The moment they stepped through the entrance, the rich fragrance of food drifted toward them.
Zhao Yu swallowed unconsciously, her bright eyes darting around excitedly.
Even Liu Hao felt his appetite awaken.
During this trip, the talented cook from home had not accompanied him.
He suddenly found himself missing her cooking.
Liu Hao was also quite a foodie.
After days of traveling and rough meals, he naturally wanted to enjoy a proper feast at one of Luoyang's famous restaurants.
A waiter greeted them with a smile at the entrance.
But when he noticed Zhao Yu's tattered clothes, his smile immediately vanished.
He stepped forward to block their path and glanced at them sideways.
"Guests, this is Immortal Flavor Pavilion, the most prestigious restaurant in Luoyang."
"The cost here is not cheap."
"A single meal costs at least twelve taels of silver."
Zhao Yu shrank back slightly.
Being obedient and sensible, she tugged gently on Liu Hao's sleeve.
"Brother… maybe we should leave."
"Hmph. If you can't afford it, then don't come in!"
The waiter tossed a towel over his shoulder and muttered disdainfully.
His nose tilted upward in arrogance.
His pockmarked face practically spelled out the words "despise the poor and worship the rich."
"Looking for death?"
Dian Wei roared in anger and reached for his halberd.
"Can't afford it?"
A cold light flashed in Liu Hao's eyes.
He flicked his sleeve and tossed a silver ingot directly at the waiter's face.
Bang!
The silver ingot struck the ground.
The pockmarked waiter froze on the spot.
Liu Hao spoke calmly.
"If we can't afford it, then call your manager out."
A direct slap to the face.
An absolute humiliation.
The waiter's face turned pale instantly as cold sweat poured down.
"You blind fool! How dare you offend honored guests!"
"Get out and clean the stables!"
The plump restaurant manager had already been alerted by the commotion.
He rushed out immediately.
With one kick, he sent the snobbish waiter sprawling onto the ground.
Then he rubbed his hands together and approached with a wide smile.
His small eyes flashed with excitement as he quickly picked up the silver ingot from the floor and tucked it into his robe.
Money truly spoke louder than anything.
The fat manager bowed respectfully.
"My apologies, honored guest. I failed to provide proper service."
"Please, come upstairs to a private room."
Liu Hao snorted softly and led Zhao Yu upstairs.
Tears glimmered faintly in Zhao Yu's eyes.
Her small hand felt warm in Liu Hao's grasp.
She pressed herself tightly against him, as if he had already become her only support in this world.
Inside the private room.
Liu Hao could no longer wait.
He immediately opened the long wooden box.
A brilliant glow burst forth.
Inside lay several pearl-sized gems that sparkled brightly.
But even more eye-catching was the ancient zither resting within the box.
A phoenix was carved into its body, lifelike and majestic.
The strings emitted a faint metallic sheen.
The entire instrument seemed to possess a mysterious spiritual aura.
This zither was clearly no ordinary object.
No wonder Wei Zhongdao had hidden it so carefully at the deepest corner of the carriage.
Beside it lay a pair of phoenix-shaped earrings and a phoenix hairpin.
The earrings featured delicate tassels shaped like phoenix feathers, vivid and elegant.
The phoenix hairpin was even more luxurious.
The phoenix's eyes were set with dazzling natural diamonds that shone brilliantly.
Crafted with incredible detail, the phoenix looked almost alive—as if it might fly away at any moment.
Even in the modern world, jewelry of this level would be priceless.
At an auction, it would easily sell for hundreds of millions.
System Notification:
Phoenix Zither
Origin unknown.
Imperial-Level Treasure.
Effect:
Greatly enhances the user's comprehension of musical arts and significantly improves zither mastery.
Additional mysterious effects remain unknown.
System Notification:
Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix Earrings
Diamond-Level Treasure.
Effect:
Charm +1.
System Notification:
Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix Hairpin
Diamond-Level Treasure.
Effect:
Charm +1.
Reading the system's description, Liu Hao was astonished.
The wisdom of ancient craftsmen truly knew no bounds.
To create such miraculous treasures was simply incredible.