After carefully inspecting the object that resembled a cigarette filter, he discovered a small note sealed in wax within it.
However, due to the passage of time, the outer layer of wax had oxidized, making it appear similar in color to cigarette filters.
Wearing gloves and using special tools, Liang En cautiously removed the wax residue from the rolled-up note, then gently unfurled it.
Perhaps due to the sealing wax, the note was well-preserved, allowing the text on it to be quite legible, requiring no further processing to read.
The note was written in French. The slightly messy handwriting and the holes in the note indicated that it had been written under some urgent circumstances.
"Whoever reads this note, please hand over to the bearer the item I had previously stored there," Liang En read aloud these words, his face displaying a puzzled expression.
Because this sentence lacked a beginning and an end, solely examining the content of the note wouldn't reveal its intended message.
After a brief examination, Liang En noticed that the signet ring at the end of the note belonged to King Louis XVI of France. This indicated that the note was authored by Louis XVI himself.
However, it was evident that the intact wax seal proved that this order hadn't reached the intended recipient; it had been sealed within the wax all this time.
After scrutinizing the note repeatedly and realizing there was no further information, Liang En began using his phone to search for any relevant information he could think of. Soon, he stumbled upon some intriguing details.
According to online sources, the small town of Saint-Menoud, where they had stopped to rest and purchased the lock, was historically significant. It was also a crucial transportation hub, with a post station established by the French several centuries ago.
More importantly, on June 20-21, 1791, during King Louis XVI's attempted escape, he was discovered at this very post station in the town, leading to his subsequent arrest. This event became a pivotal moment in that era's history.
"If that's the case, then this note might very well be one of the directives issued by the imprisoned King Louis XVI to the outside world," Liang En speculated quickly after reading these online findings.
Though this hypothesis might not be factual, the coincidence of the discovery location lent it considerable credibility.
According to historical records, Queen Marie Antoinette had been gradually moving her clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics out of Paris in the month leading up to her escape, and some of these items fortunately survived to the present day.
Although the records only mentioned the queen's wealth being transferred, it was reasonable to assume that the king also would have moved a significant amount of belongings in preparation for his exile or a potential restoration of power.
At the very least, this note indicated that Louis XVI likely moved a substantial amount of items as well.
However, this note was likely accompanied by an associated directive when it was sent, so simply examining the note wouldn't reveal the full context.
"This is a perfect opportunity to test the new card," Liang En realized after a few seconds. He suddenly understood that this note was the ideal subject for testing the capabilities of his new card.
Since the note was quite focused in its message, using the card would probably lead him to the specific item or crucial clues related to this matter, rather than leading him astray to irrelevant targets.
After a simple analysis of pros and cons, Liang En firmly decided to use the card. After all, cards wouldn't procreate, and the note he had was likely to lead him to a king's treasure.
With his decision made, the bronze-colored card emitted a faint light. Unlike before, these lights didn't disperse but formed a globe made up of points of light.
On this globe, a point of light emerged, and the entire map could be expanded or shrunk by Liang En's own intention.
As he continued to enlarge the map, the location marked by the light point exceeded Liang En's expectations. Because this location wasn't in France, nor even on the European continent—it was in the capital of Ireland, Dublin.
"Why would the clue be there?" Liang En furrowed his brows. He believed that if the French king had indeed sent something ahead of time, it should have remained on the European continent, rather than on the Irish island with no apparent connection to France.
"However, that's fine. It's a good opportunity to visit home." After a final glance at the light point on the globe in his mind, Liang En began his preparations.
Initially, he had intended to invite Pierce along for the treasure hunt. Unfortunately, Pierce had recently taken up several highly profitable deals, leaving him unavailable for the time being.
Ireland, a land known as the Emerald Isle or the Isle of Gemstones. Consequently, the country's representative color was green. During St. Patrick's Day, many people would don green clothing and hats to celebrate.
Of course, even though Liang En's family had immigrated to this country over twenty years ago, they were content to don green outfits and join in the festivities during this holiday. However, wearing green hats was a firm no for them.
Perhaps due to ocean currents, Ireland enjoyed a climate akin to perpetual spring. It wasn't too cold during winters, and summers weren't excessively hot. Liang En found this climate preferable to that of his other-world homeland.
Similarly, due to this, animal husbandry flourished in Ireland. However, the flip side was that agriculture was somewhat lackluster, with potatoes, also known as spuds, forming a staple in the island's diet.
Thanks to a series of agreements between the UK and Ireland, crossing the border between the two countries was a straightforward affair for Liang En.
Consequently, at 4 o'clock the next afternoon, he appeared at the Dublin docks, dragging a large suitcase behind him.
The reason he had chosen to travel from London to Liverpool by train and then take a ship from Liverpool to Dublin instead of a direct flight was simple—he needed to bring along the bronze pot.
Clearly, the security measures at both train stations and docks weren't particularly stringent. Thus, although the large copper pot filled with tin and copper utensils in his suitcase attracted some attention, it was swiftly cleared through security.
These utensils had been found alongside the copper pot earlier. A significant portion had been consigned for sale in Pierce's shop, but Liang En had set aside some as gifts for his parents.
"Welcome to Ireland, dear foreign friend." Once he exited the dock area and got into a taxi, the driver swiftly spoke in heavily accented English.
It was normal for him to make such an assumption, given that with China's development, there were increasingly more international travelers. A young Chinese individual like Liang En, dragging a large suitcase, would naturally be identified as a traveler.
"Head to Baojian Town, near the airport." Liang En responded in the same accent, then looked at the surprised expression on the driver's face. "I grew up there, but I work in the UK now."