No Lock Unconquered

Lockpicking demands several tenets: skill, tools, experience, and intuition. None can be truly absent.

Du Chen's movements were painstakingly slow. With a fine wire, he meticulously probed the rim of the tiny aperture, his caution born from the knowledge that this was, after all, a Sacred Artifact from the Aethelgard Continent. Who knew what anti-theft counter-mechanisms might lurk within? Should Du Chen inadvertently trigger a battle qi mechanism, a sudden surge of battle qi could erupt, sending him straight to his next reincarnation.

The trepidation of the unknown, coupled with an unshakeable confidence in his own expertise, made Du Chen feel as if he had returned to his past life as a master thief. The thrill of facing immense peril, leveraging his exquisite skill for vast rewards—the sensation was utterly exhilarating! It was even more satisfying than being forced into good deeds by the Precious Lotus Scripture!

After advancing a few millimeters, Du Chen found three wires obstructed, while one slid in without a hitch. “By Sigurd, our ancestor!” Du Chen erupted in ecstasy. This sensation was intimately familiar. One aperture opened, three sealed – could this be a Four-Key Elevation Lock?

A Four-Key Elevation Lock was structured much like a four-tiered vault. Unlocking the first layer merely revealed the path to the second, then the third, and finally the fourth. Furthermore, only by employing the absolute correct technique to open the first keyhole would the second keyhole manifest, and so forth!

“If that's the case, I must first rotate the lock body counter-clockwise, then use the key to twist the first tumblr clockwise, and finally, give it a gentle upward lift!”

*Click!*

Du Chen heard a crisp click echo from within the metal sphere. Immediately after, he could slide his wire into the second tiny aperture. “Heh! It really worked! So, the second layer must have a threaded rod. I need to grip it with three stiff wires, rotate it clockwise, then press down! Damn it, these wires are too thick, I'll have to file them down a bit…”

*Click, click, click!*

With three consecutive clicks, the remaining three locks were all sprung by Du Chen! Instantly, the metal sphere began a dramatic transformation. It first swelled several times its original size, then started to disassemble from the metallic fissures on its surface, only to rapidly reassemble into a completely different form. Du Chen's thief's eyes frantically absorbed every shift in the metal sphere, and he couldn't help but blurt out, “Holy hell, is this a Transformer?!”

In the blink of an eye, the metal sphere morphed into a small hammer, landing softly on the grass before Du Chen.

***

Just at that moment, within an estate in the Imperial Capital, Saint John City, a bruised and swollen Kaman was grumbling to the corpulent nobleman before him. “Father, lend me a few of the family's guardian Battle Gods! I need to settle scores with Francis!”

This portly noble was Kaman's father, Duke Widener, Minister of Rites for the Lanning Empire and a Scion of Aruman, the Storm Battle God. “Kaman, Francis is merely a useless wastrel who can't cultivate battle qi. Why let him rile you? Moreover, he is a Scion of Saint-Shine Battle God, and today's beating was to rescue someone. If you seek revenge for this, it is forbidden by the Holy Church's canon!”

“I don't care, this matter cannot just... Ow!”

Kaman cried out, clutching his chest, then frantically patted his pockets. His face immediately turned ashen. “Father, my Sacred Artifact, the Ramhorn Warhammer, is gone! And it's already been forcibly recognized by a new master!”

“What?!” Widener shot to his feet, slamming the table with a resounding thud. “Impossible! Your Ramhorn Warhammer is a Rank Three Sacred Artifact! To force it to acknowledge a new master would require a Rank Nine Battle God, and currently, only Godfather Ferdinand in the entire Empire is a Rank Nine Battle God!”

“But Father, my connection to the Sacred Artifact has been severed!” Kaman paced anxiously for several turns, blurting out, “It must be Francis! Today I only interacted with him... No, wait!” Kaman himself cleared Du Chen of suspicion. “Francis can't even cultivate battle qi! Even if he stole my Sacred Artifact, he couldn't possibly force it to acknowledge him! And not even the most powerful member of the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate, Anjace, has the ability to force a Rank Three Sacred Artifact to acknowledge a master!”

Widener furrowed his brow in thought. “You must have lost the Sacred Artifact, and then a Rank Nine Battle God found it! Go to the City Watch barracks immediately and have them search the entire city!”

“Alright, I'll go at once!” Kaman spun around, but then turned back. “Father, what about Francis? Are you just going to watch me get beaten and not seek revenge!?”

Widener smiled, his plump face seeming to exude the very essence of 'amiability brings prosperity.' Indeed, he looked every bit the shrewd merchant! “How could I? Kaman, my only son, you are a Scion of Aruman, the Storm Battle God. You absolutely cannot be bullied by an idiot! Francis, however, struck you to aid those wretched commoners. According to the Holy Church's canon, he committed no offense; in fact, he should be commended! Therefore, we cannot use that pretext to seek revenge against him.”

Kaman stared blankly at his father, awaiting further explanation. “Oh, my son, you're fifteen this year, aren't you? Heh heh, if memory serves, Francis is also fifteen...” Widener waved dismissively at his bewildered son. “Go quickly. Your father will grant you a perfectly legitimate opportunity to kill him!”

***

Back at Saint Sigurd Cain Estate, Du Chen let out a cheer and bent down to inspect the small hammer. It resembled an Earthly claw hammer, entirely golden, with a handle barely thirty centimeters long. One end of the head was cylindrical, while the other split into two halves that curved back towards the handle, giving the whole piece the appearance of a ram's head. “Tsk, tsk, not bad. It would be quite handy for cracking large safes!” Du Chen chuckled, gripping the handle, ready to pick up the hammer.

The hammer didn't budge. Du Chen paused, bewildered, then exerted more force, but still, he couldn't lift the hammer. Sacred Artifacts required battle qi to be wielded! Du Chen suddenly understood. “Damn it! Stolen goods I can't even use—it's infuriating!” Though deeply unwilling, Du Chen was helpless. Aside from the thirty-six lotus marks blossoming on his backside, he was utterly an ordinary human, utterly devoid of any so-called battle qi. The feeling gnawed at Du Chen, like a persistent foxtail growing in his heart—an unbearable itch he couldn't scratch! Still, it was fortunate. According to Steve, forcibly opening a Sacred Artifact already severed its connection with its original master. At least now, Du Chen didn't have to worry about being caught red-handed.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, night cloaked Saint John City. The pitch-black sky mirrored Du Chen's current gloomy mood, oppressive and frustrating! Lights flickered on within Saint Sigurd Cain Estate, illuminating the vast grounds as if it were day. It was time for supper.

Du Chen returned to his tower, crestfallen, to find Aliza squatting eagerly by the door, waiting for him. “Young Master, what about the roasted suckling calf you promised me?” Du Chen smiled, pushing his frustrations aside, and led Aliza into the tower. The first floor served as both Aliza's bedroom and the shared living space for the three inhabitants. It was sparsely furnished: Bluestone walls, only an extra-large wooden bed, and a set of rosewood table and chairs.

Old Foye was setting the tableware by the table. Du Chen chuckled, “Uncle Foye, can we have roasted suckling calf tonight? I promised Aliza!” Old Foye's expression was troubled. He cast a chiding glance at Aliza. “Child, why are you so thoughtless? Half of the Young Master's monthly allowance goes to feeding you, and you still want roasted suckling calf? It's only the thirteenth! Do you want the Young Master to eat black bread for the rest of the month?” “Oh!” Aliza nodded glumly. “Then I won't eat it!”

Du Chen was greatly surprised. Upon asking, he learned that the three sons of the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate each received a fixed monthly allowance. Old Foye didn't know how much Young Master Charlie received, but Steve hadn't kept it from him: the eldest Young Master's allowance was one gold coin, or a hundred silver coins. Yet Du Chen, the third Young Master, received only ten silver coins!

Du Chen then inquired about the grain and commodity prices in Saint John City. Using his unique sensitivity for wealth, he calculated that the purchasing power of these ten silver coins was roughly equivalent to over a thousand RMB in his past life. A thousand yuan for three people, one of whom was a two-meter-tall glutton. To say they lived hand-to-mouth might be an exaggeration, but their days were indeed tight.

Du Chen felt a surge of anger. Anjace was truly too much! Even if his son was foolish and couldn't cultivate battle qi, he was still his flesh and blood. How could he be so cruel and miserly!? Glancing at the plate of steak and bowl of pea soup on the table, Du Chen indignantly threw down his knife and fork. “Aliza, what your Young Master promises, he delivers! Tomorrow, I'll find a way to treat you to roasted suckling calf!”

“Young Master, you're not planning to borrow money from Young Master Steve, are you? That won't do! Young Master Steve usually needs to entertain young masters and ladies from other families; he's not flush with money either!” “No, I have my own methods!” Du Chen picked up his knife and fork with a sly smile, thinking to himself: *The rich folk of Saint John City had best not leave their homes tomorrow!* Old Foye continued to ramble, “Ah, Young Master Steve is good in every way, but he's too lavish when spending on noble young ladies. His monthly allowance, even with his Battle God stipend, isn't enough to cover his expenses, and he often borrows money!”

“Battle God stipend? Do Battle Gods actually get paid?” Du Chen asked, surprised. “Indeed! Young Master Steve is a Rank Three Yellow-Robed Fiend Warrior. He receives a fifteen-silver-coin stipend each month from the Holy Church of Battle Gods!” Du Chen playfully punched Aliza's chest. “How much is Aliza's monthly Battle God stipend? He's so strong, his stipend must be enough for roasted suckling calf, right?” Aliza reluctantly replied, “Young Master, I don't get a stipend. I'm a slave, and I can't cultivate battle qi!”