Leo summoned his Spiritual Power and made a swift motion with his right hand, conjuring a light golden shield in front of him.
Ten beams of black light struck the shield, only to dissipate into black sparks before vanishing entirely.
This sight left Rupert’s pale face filled with shock and disbelief once again.
Leo, not wanting to waste time, raised his right hand. Flames erupted from his palm, enveloping Rupert in a powerful and scorching aura.
Feeling death approaching, the terrified Rupert hastily said, “Wait!”
“What else do you want to say?” Leo asked with a cold smile.
“Can you spare my life? In exchange, I’ll tell you a secret,” Rupert pleaded, a hint of color returning to his pale face, perhaps due to the humiliation of a noble vampire begging a human for mercy.
Leo couldn’t help but mock Rupert’s plea. “Aren’t you vampires supposed to be the noblest beings? Why would you beg a lowly human?”
Rupert’s face reddened further, and his body trembled uncontrollably, nearly fainting from Leo’s words.
“Speak. What secret? If it’s valuable, I might consider sparing your life,” Leo said impatiently.
Suppressing his shame, Rupert said bitterly, “Have you heard of King Solomon’s treasure?”
Leo nodded.
King Solomon’s treasure was almost a public secret. It was said that three thousand years ago, King Solomon of the Kingdom of Judah was the wealthiest king in the West. He collected a hundred tons of gold from his vassal states and countless other treasures.
To safeguard his wealth, Solomon secretly hid all his gold and jewels in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.
After decades of accumulation, this wealth reached astronomical figures, collectively known as King Solomon’s treasure.
The treasure included not only gold and jewels but also several items far more precious: the Ark of the Covenant, the Word of God, and the Law of Moses.
The Word of God contained Jehovah’s thoughts and directives, possessing divine power blessed by God. It was more formidable than Jesus’ Holy Cross, the Holy Scarab, or the Crown of Thorns.
The Law of Moses was a code and doctrine given by Jehovah to King David, the holy founding king of the Tribes of Judah, to regulate their behavior and thoughts with significant religious importance.
The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred chest made of gold by skilled craftsmen under King David’s orders. It had powerful sealing abilities and was used to store the Word of God and the Law of Moses, also holding great religious significance.
Whoever obtained King Solomon’s treasure would not only become the richest person in the world but also the most sacred and powerful.
For over two thousand years since King Solomon’s treasure vanished due to war, the entire Western world had never ceased its frantic efforts to find it, with countless lives lost in the process.
Unfortunately, after Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II in 586 BC, King Solomon’s treasure disappeared like vapor. Despite numerous legends, it never resurfaced.
“Rupert, can you find King Solomon’s treasure?” Leo raised an eyebrow and asked.
Rupert shook his head. “No, I don’t know its exact location, but I have clues to find it.”
“Clues to find the treasure?” Leo frowned. “Do you think I will believe you?”
Rupert became anxious and quickly said, “I’m telling the truth. Please believe me.”
“Fine. Tell me what clues you have. If I find out you’re lying, you’ll die miserably,” Leo threatened.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Rupert said hurriedly, “It might be fate. The clues were discovered by my House Lessane by sheer accident.”
“In the vampire clan, House Lessane values knowledge inheritance the most, so we have a vast collection of books from around the world.”
“A few elders in our clan are tasked with studying various books in hopes that knowledge will help House Lessane thrive.”
“One day, an elder accidentally spilled a cup of virgin blood on an ancient Jewish book he was studying. The blood caused the text to disappear, revealing an ancient map.”
“The elder realized something significant had happened and devoted all his energy to research. He soon deciphered the map’s secret.”
As Rupert recounted this, Leo listened intently.
“The ancient map indicated the location of King Solomon’s treasure, uncovering a secret hidden for thousands of years.”
“Back then, before Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II, the Holy Temple was overseen by High Priest Eli.”
“This wise elder saw Jerusalem besieged for three years and on the brink of collapse. He made a tragic decision to transfer King Solomon’s treasure to preserve hope for the Tribes of Judah.”
“At that time, there was a massive secret passage beneath the Holy Temple leading outside Salem City. This is now known as Odin’s Passage, but back then only successive High Priests and kings knew this secret.”
“Since King Jehoiachin was weak and incompetent, Eli kept this plan from him. He secretly had his most loyal descendants and followers transport King Solomon’s treasure out through Odin’s Passage and hide it.”
“Later, when Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Jerusalem, he immediately ordered a search for King Solomon’s treasure but found nothing except an empty temple and Odin’s Passage.”
“Nebuchadnezzar II was furious at not finding the treasure. He not only carried out a brutal massacre but also completely destroyed Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, severely weakening the Tribes of Judah.”
“Even more despairingly, the surviving Tribes of Judah were enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar II and scattered throughout the Neo-Babylonian Empire.”
“The foundation for Judah’s revival was utterly destroyed. Though Eli and his loyal followers were in despair, they continued their efforts under religious fervor and swore to keep King Solomon’s treasure secret from their enemies.”