73: Chapter 73 The Treasury of Manjapayi

Standing on the hillside, Li Xin kept surveying the valley.

Quiet, peaceful—this was Li Xin's first impression.

The trees were lush, wildflowers bloomed in competition, bees and butterflies danced about, and a riverbed wound its way through the valley floor before disappearing into the distance. What a paradise on earth.

The Trowulan ruins were somewhere in this mountainous area. Collecting his thoughts, he silently chanted in his heart:

"System, Scan the surroundings."

[Scanning... Scan complete.]

[Approximately 200 meters below, there is a large underground space of about 2,000 square meters, where a large amount of gold has been discovered.]

[Suspected ancient national treasury / royal treasure vault.]

[The treasure vault is currently intact and undamaged.]

Li Xin's pupils shrank slightly.

He squatted down, gently pressing his hand onto the soil of the ground, stroking it tenderly with eyes full of affection, as if it were a lover he hadn't seen for many years.

Yet his heartbeat began to accelerate. He could clearly feel the rhythm of his heartbeat: thump... thump-thump... thump-thump-thump... becoming increasingly rapid.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain calm.

"System, precise Scan."

[Scanning... Please wait.]

Sometimes waiting is truly a torment. Just like this moment, although it was only a few seconds, it felt like a millennium; time was stretched infinitely. Finally:

[Ding... Scan complete. Confirmed: Majapahit Empire Treasury.]

Suddenly, an image of an underground palace appeared in his mind. Li Xin's eyes widened, his expression full of shock.

[· Majapahit Empire Treasury ·]

On the east side of the underground palace, there were 137 large wooden crates: inside were neatly arranged pure gold bricks, gold ingots, gold leaves, and royal gold artifacts. The total amount of gold was about 152.3 tons, valued at approximately 6.1 billion USD.

His hands trembled uncontrollably. He clenched his other hand into a fist, struggling to restrain his excited emotions.

The gold alone was worth over 6 billion USD. And what about the rest? His breathing couldn't help but become even more rapid; he could no longer suppress the turbulence in his heart.

In the very center of the underground palace, there was an independent stone platform, upon which were enshrined four major royal treasures—one-of-a-kind artifacts that could not be measured by money.

A sword — The National Keris Holy Sword

Pure gold hilt, inlaid with 13 rubies and 9 South Sea pearls. The blade was a wavy edge forged from meteoritic iron, a technique lost for a thousand years. This sword was a holy object passed down through generations of the Majapahit Empire royal family, symbolizing imperial power, and was only brought out during coronation ceremonies and sacrifices to the gods.

This is a priceless treasure. Similar items have never appeared on the auction market. If it were auctioned, the conservative valuation would be 800 million to 1 billion USD.

A crown — Majapahit Gold Crown

Also made of pure gold, weighing about 2.8 kilograms. The crown body is inlaid with 11 sapphires, 7 emeralds, and 5 cat's eye stones. At the top of the crown is a blooming golden lotus, with every petal detachable for use in different levels of sacrificial ceremonies.

Also a priceless treasure. Referencing auction records of European royal crowns, the conservative valuation is 500 million to 800 million USD.

A scepter — Golden Royal Scepter

The scepter shaft is pure gold, 1.2 meters long, weighing about 4.5 kilograms. The top is a statue of the god Vishnu, with four arms holding ritual implements; the craftsmanship is so exquisite that even the fingernails on each finger are clearly distinguishable. The shaft is covered in ancient Javanese inscriptions, recording the names of seven kings. The base is inlaid with an entire piece of ivory, carved with a divine serpent pattern.

Priceless treasure. Similar items have never appeared. Conservative valuation is 500 million to 700 million USD.

Two masks — Royal Sacrificial Gold Masks

One male, one female. Crafted from full-face gold sheets, about 2 millimeters thick, with precise facial proportions and solemn expressions. The back of the masks bears inscriptions recording the occasions for their use—the royal ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven, held once every century.

Referencing unearthed similar gold masks (such as the Mycenaean "Mask of Agamemnon"), each pair is valued at 100 million to 200 million USD.

Li Xin gulped hard, feeling his throat getting increasingly dry.

Any one of these items, if brought out, would cause the global archaeological community to explode.

And now, they were all his. Li Xin let out a sinister laugh.

On the west side of the underground palace, nineteen bronze and sandstone statues were enshrined, each being the main deity for royal sacrifices.

[Bronze Shiva Standing Statue · One piece]

1.1 meters tall, palace-cast, with a thick patina. Shiva has four arms, holding a trident, drum, prayer beads, and flame. The face is serene yet majestic, with a cat's eye stone inlaid as the third eye on the forehead. Intact and undamaged, it is the largest known bronze Shiva standing statue in Southeast Asia. Valued at about 100 million to 120 million USD.

[Four-armed Vishnu Bronze Seated Statue · One piece]

0.9 meters tall, the four arms hold a conch, discus, scepter, and lotus. The sitting posture is the "King's Pose," with both feet hanging down, and the base below is shaped like a Garuda. There are traces of gilding on the surface of the statue; it must have been the main royal deity. Valued at about 50 million to 80 million USD.

[Brahma and Kali Bronze Group Statues · One of each]

Brahma has four faces and four arms, Kali has eight arms holding ritual implements; they are enshrined as a pair, which is extremely rare. This is the only pair known to have been passed down intact in Southeast Asia. Valued at about 40 million to 60 million USD.

[Sandstone Guardian Statues · 15 pieces]

About 0.6–0.8 meters tall, originally from the palace altar. The statues include Ganesha, Durga, Katyayani, Skanda, etc., each with an independent lotus pedestal and halo.

Valued at about 3 million to 5 million USD each, totaling about 45 million to 75 million USD.

Nineteen statues, with a total valuation of about 235 million to 335 million USD.

On the south side of the underground palace, a large amount of jewelry was piled up.

Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, cat's eye stones, South Sea pearls, and various inlaid jewelry—necklaces, armlets, belts, earrings, rings, etc. About 1.8 tons.

The largest ruby is the size of a pigeon's egg, with top-tier "pigeon blood red" color. The largest sapphire is "cornflower blue," weighing about 80 carats. The largest South Sea pearl has a diameter of about 22 millimeters, round and flawless, glowing with a silvery-white luster.

Total valuation about 1.5 billion to 2 billion USD.

On the north side of the underground palace, 217 pieces of rare porcelain were piled up.

32 pieces of Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain: including large platters, large bowls, plum vases, jade pot spring vases, etc. Each piece is a masterpiece of Yuan blue and white; the blue color on the porcelain is rich and vibrant, the brushwork is exquisite, and the themes include scrolling lotus, cloud and dragon patterns, fish and algae patterns, and character stories. Conservative valuation: 900 million to 1.2 billion USD.

56 pieces of Ming Dynasty Longquan celadon: including celadon vases, celadon plates, and celadon censers. The glaze on the porcelain is lustrous, like ice and jade. One piece, the "Pale Green Glaze String Pattern Vase," is a top-tier item from the Longquan Kiln. Valued at about 200 million to 300 million USD.

29 pieces of Cizhou kiln white-ground black-flower porcelain: including plum vases, four-handled vases, and porcelain pillows; the patterns on the porcelain include flowers, figures, and landscapes. Valued at about 50 million to 100 million USD.

Local palace pottery figurines and ritual vessels: Pottery figurines, pottery censers, and pottery ritual vessels in the Trowulan style, totaling 100 pieces. Character figurines, animal-shaped figurines, and deity figurines with primitive styling; they are representative cultural relics of the Majapahit culture. Valued at about 120 million to 150 million USD.

Total porcelain valuation: about 1.27 billion to 1.75 billion USD.

In the northwest corner of the underground palace, there was an independent stone casket containing 83 volumes of ancient books.

《Nagarakretagama》 palm-leaf manuscript (unique copy): This is the greatest epic of the Majapahit Empire, recording the empire's territory, royal power, history, and religion. This is the only copy left in the world. Ancient Javanese script is carved onto the palm leaves, and it is now well-preserved, capable of lasting a thousand years without rotting.

These Memory of the World-level cultural relics are truly priceless treasures. Referencing auction records of similar manuscripts, the conservative valuation is 100 million to 200 million USD.

31 volumes of ancient Javanese epic manuscripts: including the religious epic 《Mahabharata》, the royal code 《Adat Law》, and the astrology book 《Javanese Astrology》; each volume is a unique copy. Valued at about 200 million to 300 million USD.

Copper plate inscriptions: Imperial edicts, enfeoffment records, tax records, and diplomatic documents engraved on copper plates. A total of 51 copper plates, the largest of which is 1.2 meters long, recording the alliance between the King and the Majapahit Kingdom and the Srivijaya Kingdom. Valued at about 100 million to 200 million USD.

Total valuation of ancient books: about 400 million to 700 million USD, equivalent to 2.8 billion to 5 billion RMB.

In the northeast corner of the underground palace, gifts offered by various countries were piled up.

Chinese silk, lacquerware, and bronze mirrors: The silk had carbonized, but the lacquerware and bronze mirrors were well-preserved. The lacquerware includes lacquer boxes, lacquer plates, and lacquer bowls with exquisite patterns. There are 12 bronze mirrors in total, two of which are Tang Dynasty sea-animal and grape pattern mirrors. Valued at about 200 million to 300 million RMB.

Ivory and rhinoceros horn carvings: Ivory carvings include Buddha statues, deity statues, seals, and chess pieces. Rhinoceros horn carvings include wine cups and ornaments. A total of 45 pieces. Valued at about 800 million to 1 billion RMB.

West Asian gold and silver ware: 18 pieces including Persian Sassanid-style silver plates, silver pots, and gold bowls. These were gifts presented by West Asian kingdoms to the Majapahit King. Valued at about 500 million to 800 million RMB.

Bronze ritual vessels offered by various Southeast Asian countries: Bronze ware from Champa, Siam, Khmer, Myanmar, etc., totaling 67 pieces. Including dings, pots, gu, and jue, with diverse styles; they are a microcosm of Southeast Asian bronze culture. Valued at about 800 million to 1.2 billion RMB.

Total valuation of tribute: about 2.1 billion to 3.3 billion RMB.

= = = Summary = = =

Gold: 152.3 tons, valued at about 6.1 billion USD.

Royal treasures: 4 pieces, valued at about 2 billion to 2.9 billion USD.

Hindu statues: 19 pieces, valued at about 235 million to 335 million USD.

Jewelry and jade: 1.8 tons, valued at about 1.5 billion to 2 billion USD.

Rare porcelain: 217 pieces, valued at about 1.27 billion to 1.75 billion USD.

Ancient books and classics: 83 volumes, valued at about 400 million to 700 million USD.

Foreign tribute: Several, valued at about 2.1 billion to 3.3 billion RMB (equivalent to about 300 million to 480 million USD).

[Total valuation] about 11.8 billion to 14.2 billion USD. Equivalent to about 80 billion to 97 billion RMB.

These royal treasures are one-of-a-kind cultural relics, and their actual value far exceeds the estimate. If they entered the top-tier private collection market, the total valuation could potentially exceed 120 billion RMB.

After reading all the introductions, Li Xin suddenly felt as if time had stalled; it was as if everything had been forcibly pressed with a pause button.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word. His throat tightened, his whole body went numb, and even his breathing trembled.

There was a buzzing in his ears; he couldn't hear the bird calls or the wind in the valley at all.

He just kept his head down, staring blankly at the soil beneath his feet.

One hundred and twenty billion.

It was right underneath here.

He didn't need to dig, he didn't need to drill, he didn't need to face those legendary traps and poisonous snakes.

He only needed to press his hand on the ground, it was that simple. Everything would be his.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and took another deep breath.

Once, again, and three more times.

His heart was still beating fast, but it was a little better than just now.

He couldn't help but laugh, laughing out loud. The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet valley.

He took a deep breath, squatted down again, and pressed his hand onto the soil on the ground.

"System, Extraction."

[Extracting...]

[Extraction complete.]

Everything was settled.

He stood up and patted the dust off his hands.

He laughed out loud again.

The laughter echoed in the valley, finally blown away by the wind.

He opened the system panel and glanced at the data.

[Cumulative refined gold: 153.0057 tons]

[Gold required for next upgrade: 100 tons]

[System upgrade conditions met!]

"Upgrade."

[Upgrading... Upgrade complete!]

[Gold Search and Refining System 2.0]

[Host: Li Xin]

[Current Level: 12]

[Detection Range: 18,990 meters]

[Cumulative refined gold: 53.0057 tons]

[Gold required for next upgrade: 200 tons]

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he turned to continue walking. He felt as if his whole person was floating.

No one would have thought that in an instant, the thousand-year-old treasury of the Majapahit Empire had become a thing of the past.

And Li Xin's next target would be even crazier.

An active gold mine, sealed off by the military and covering sixty square kilometers, was quietly lying in the deep mountains.

Tomorrow, he would openly and honestly, as a tourist, go for a "stroll."