CHAPTER 320: CHAPTER 320 THE HIDDEN SECRET OF THE SHEN FAMILY (2)_1

Shuiyue Villa was located in an area of Beijing where land was worth its weight in gold. Such a courtyard-style villa was the epitome of luxury. Shen Cheng drove into the villa grounds, got out of his car, opened the main door to the house, and glanced at the familiar decorations. He turned on the lights, sat on the sofa, and stared at the enormous wedding portrait hanging on the wall.

Gazing at the affectionate couple in the photograph, his eyes turned distant. After Wanyou’s death, he had never set foot in this place again. This was his first time back. Everything remained unchanged. Save for the servants who cleaned it regularly, it was exactly as it had been when Wanyou was still alive.

The room was filled with a faint Magnolia Fragrance, Wanyou’s favorite. He just sits there, chain-smoking, Shangguan You thought, concealed from sight, a cold sneer touching her lips as she watched Shen Cheng on the sofa.

"Wanyou, do you hate me?" Shen Cheng’s tall figure rose. His large hand instinctively reached out, gently caressing Wanyou’s smiling face in the portrait as he murmured.

"You must hate me. Did you know? I actually find traces of you in Shangguan You. Heh, when I see her confident, spirited expression, I can’t help but mistake her for you."

"But she’s only sixteen. I’ve investigated everything about her. Heh, I originally thought she might be you, but the results of the investigation deeply disappointed me. She’s the Commander’s daughter, the Princess of the Shangguan Family. With such an illustrious background, she could never be you."

Mumbling, Shen Cheng leaned against the wall, recounting the events of the evening, even his quarrel with Wanqian. He was treating the Wanyou in the portrait as his confidante.

"Wanyou, I originally wanted to preserve you. That way, even if you hated me, you would always be by my side. But that damned Zhuge Ao! He destroyed you, made you vanish from this world forever! Rest assured, I won’t let that man go. I’ll make him wish he were dead."

Shen Cheng’s voice turned chilling, laced with murderous intent. He continued to touch the portrait, murmuring, "Wanyou." He called her name softly once more, his hands gently caressing the part of the photo where their hands were clasped. Shangguan You, who had been dozing off while listening, suddenly jolted. A secret chamber in this room! And the switch is where their hands are clasped in the portrait! Shangguan You’s brows shot up. She swiftly moved to follow. Just as she slipped inside, the secret chamber’s door closed again. Shen Cheng walked ahead, and Shangguan You followed, her brows deeply furrowed. I lived here for two years, and I never discovered this secret chamber?

It seems my previous self was a complete failure. Shen Cheng and Wanqian were having an affair right under my nose, and I knew nothing. I even let them poison me to death without suspecting a thing.

Upon entering the secret chamber, she found it was quite dark, though Shangguan You could make out dim, yellow wall sconces on either side. Shen Cheng was already heading downwards. Her brow furrowed deeply. Where is Shen Cheng going?

As she watched in confusion, Shen Cheng entered an underground elevator. He quickly pressed a button, and the elevator began a rapid descent. In the dimness of the subterranean passage, Shangguan You could clearly tell they were now about a hundred meters underground. Shen Cheng is truly resourceful to have built such a secret passage this deep. But where does it lead?

Shangguan You’s brows creased deeply as she stayed close behind Shen Cheng. Such a massive undertaking. It seems Shen Cheng must have secretly excavated all of this.

「Half an hour later.」

The elevator came to a stop. A slight smile touched Shen Cheng’s lips as he stepped out. Shangguan You’s eyebrows shot up again because she saw Shen Po. To think Shen Po was also involved in this!

"Shen Cheng, what took you so long?" Shen Po glanced at Shen Cheng and spoke indifferently. He was dressed in an old-fashioned Tang suit that fit his frame snugly.

"I was ambushed on my way here," Shen Cheng glared at him coldly. "It’s a wonder I made it at all. Why are you here again? Haven’t we already searched this place?"

"Tonight is the last time. Starting tomorrow, I will seal this passage completely. This tunnel must not be discovered by Master and the others, or both our lives will be in danger," Shen Po said, walking ahead. He led the way through a series of twists and turns in the underground passage until they finally arrived at an even larger subterranean chamber.

This subterranean chamber, situated a hundred meters beneath the surface, was a vast, sealed space, many times larger than the passages they had just traversed.

"Grandfather, why would the Shen Family Head build such a large underground chamber down here? Besides that Crystal Coffin, there’s nothing else at all," Shen Cheng said, puzzled, as he surveyed the pitch-dark, empty expanse of the subterranean level.

This was the secret chamber beneath Shen Mansion. Shen Yuan had discovered it unintentionally around the time of his death. Apart from the Crystal Coffin, it contained nothing else. Shen Cheng and Shen Po had secretly excavated the connecting tunnel behind Wanqian’s back, creating this secret passage to allow them to come and go as they pleased and to uncover the chamber’s secrets.

Yet, after more than a year, they had found nothing. Regardless of the methods they employed, they couldn’t discover any secrets or the reason for its existence.

"My father was a landowner, and one who loved to collect rare and precious treasures," Shen Po said calmly, gently tapping the ground with his hand and occasionally knocking on the walls. "Shen Mansion was rebuilt on its original foundations. Shen Yuan must have known about this place; otherwise, he wouldn’t have placed that particular vase in the main hall. If only Shen Yuan hadn’t died so suddenly, perhaps we wouldn’t be going through all this trouble. Moreover, with Zhuge Yang gone now, members of the Zhuge Family will soon be flocking here. Shen Mansion will be completely seized by them."

"Grandfather, are you saying that besides the Crystal Coffin, there’s something even more precious hidden here?" Shen Cheng’s actions froze, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Exactly," Shen Po affirmed. "So, our only chance is tonight. From tomorrow onwards, countless people will swarm Shen Mansion, and this secret chamber will inevitably be discovered by many. In the future, if you have no important reason to be downstairs at night, it would be best not to come down. If possible, you should even consider moving out."