"Nah, nah, nah..." The voice, though faint and ethereal, stood out like a heavenly melody amidst the murmurs and whispers.

  Nan Gong Huan opened her eyes again, searching for the location of the stairs.

  The voice seemed too distant, as if it wasn’t on the first floor. Nan Gong Huan decided to check the second floor.

  She took two steps but then paused, turning back to ask the elder, "May I go to the second floor to take a look?"

  "Of course, there are seven floors in total, and you can explore all of them," the elder waved his hand, and a staircase leading to the second floor immediately appeared before her. At the top of the stairs, an opening also formed.

  Layer by layer, the staircases materialized, forming a spiral staircase that wound up to the seventh floor. Standing at the bottom and looking up, Nan Gong Huan could see a mural at the very top, resembling a giant eye staring down at her.

  She felt as if it were watching her, as if no matter where she was in the Treasure Pavilion, it could see her.

  Although this place was very safe, Nan Gong Huan still felt a bit uneasy under its gaze.

  She shook her head, dismissing the strange feeling, and stepped onto the stairs to the second floor.

  Behind her, the elder who had been lying at the entrance finally sat up. He crossed his legs, still propping his chin with one hand, a glint of golden light flashing in his eyes.

  At the same time, a golden light also flickered in the giant eye of the mural on the seventh floor.

  The second floor wasn’t much different from the first, with only a wooden sign indicating it was the second level.

  The treasures on the second floor were equally diverse. Nan Gong Huan focused on the unique singing voice. The murmurs in her ears persisted, but the singing remained distant, still far away from her.

  After glancing around the second floor, Nan Gong Huan proceeded to the third floor.

  Perhaps because she was concentrating, the noise in her ears lessened, and the singing voice became slightly clearer, though it still felt distant.

  Nan Gong Huan frowned in confusion. Could the voice be on the top floor?

  With that thought, she continued upward, pausing briefly on each floor to gauge the distance of the voice.

  It was getting closer.

  Nan Gong Huan reached the seventh floor. The space here was much smaller than the first floor, less than a tenth of its size. The walls were still adorned with dazzling treasures.

  "Oh, is this the new girl? What are you looking for~"

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Even if she’s looking for someone, it won’t be you. She’s not interested in you."

  "A race with such powerful spiritual energy... I’ve seen it before with my former master. Ah, it’s been thousands of years."

  The number of spiritual artifacts here was fewer, so Nan Gong Huan could hear their conversations more clearly.

  "Who says she won’t choose me? She’s coming this way, hmph~ Little sister, are you here to play with me~"

  Nan Gong Huan approached a long fire-element staff. Its voice was sultry, tugging at her heartstrings.

  "Sister, have you heard anyone singing?" Nan Gong Huan wasn’t sure if the staff could hear her, but she decided to ask anyway.

  Because the singing she sensed was still distant, as if it wasn’t on the seventh floor either.

  At this point, an inexplicable determination arose in her heart. What she was looking for was that singing treasure, hidden somewhere unknown!

  The air suddenly fell silent, and all the voices disappeared. Nan Gong Huan blinked. Had she said something wrong?

  "She can actually hear us?" A shocked voice finally broke the silence.

  "Spiritual energy is a wonderful thing."

  "There is indeed someone here who sings. The melody is quite nice. But are you sure you don’t want to fight alongside me~"

  The fire-element staff’s voice was seductive, its tone so intimate that it felt as if warm breath was brushing against her cheek. Nan Gong Huan almost thought it was flirting with her!

  "I want to find it," Nan Gong Huan remained unmoved, her expression pure and innocent.

  A voice came from a large sword nearby, "Go to the left. There’s a secret room there. The keeper locked it away."

  "Although it sings beautifully, in the past, it was quite a madwoman~ Be careful it doesn’t tie you up and spank you a hundred times~"

  "..." Nan Gong Huan was even more curious. She wanted to know what kind of weapon could have such a temper.

  "Thank you for the reminder," Nan Gong Huan said, then headed toward the secret room.

  The secret room was indeed hard to find. But just a wall away, Nan Gong Huan felt the singing voice grow clearer.

  "Nah, nah, nah..." It seemed to know it had a devoted listener, and the melody became even more enchanting.

  Nan Gong Huan searched for a while before finding the mechanism to open the secret room on a painting on the wall.

  Just as she was about to turn the frame, the voice of the gatekeeper elder, Sima Jue, came from behind her, "Are you sure you want to open it?"

  Startled by the elder’s sudden voice, Nan Gong Huan’s hand froze in mid-air.

  "Can’t I open it?" Nan Gong Huan lowered her hand and turned around. Weren’t the treasures on each floor available for selection?

  "Do you know why it was locked in the secret room?" Elder Sima clasped his hands behind his back, his murky eyes filled with meaning.

  "Why?" The singing in Nan Gong Huan’s ears grew more distinct, as if the voice was singing right next to her.

  "It’s skilled at bewitching people," Elder Sima said slowly, his gaze shifting to the wall as if he could see the true form of the treasure hidden behind it.

  Without needing further explanation, Nan Gong Huan understood. The elder likely thought she had been bewitched.

  Although Nan Gong Huan didn’t feel bewitched at all—her mind was clear—she was simply searching for the deepest resonance in her consciousness.

  The singing in her ears suddenly stopped.

  Then, she heard a scolding voice, "Bewitch my foot! I wouldn’t even look at you, you old fart! Can’t handle me and blame it on bewitchment? I’ll sing your descendants to death for eighteen generations!"

  It really did have a temper... Nan Gong Huan broke into a cold sweat.

  But... even when it cursed, it sounded like a coquettish tease, its voice soft and melodious, as if born to sing.

  "You can still choose to leave now. I can select a suitable treasure for you," Elder Sima flicked his sleeve. Naturally, he couldn’t hear the voice, which was why he remained so calm.

  Nan Gong Huan refused to leave, turning her gaze back to the wall.

  The singing was gone, the scolding was gone, and the space behind the wall fell silent.

  Nan Gong Huan’s heart was in turmoil, as if two little people were fighting inside her.

  "Stay, follow the longing in your heart!"

  "Just leave. If it’s not singing, maybe you’ll never hear its voice again. Your fate ends here!"

  "You’ve searched for it for so long, giving up all the other treasures along the way. Can you bear to give up now?"

  ......