"If my sudden appearance has disturbed everyone's enjoyment, then I will be deeply sorry," the princess said, her tone so sincere that it defied description.

"It's alright, Your Highness, as long as we are fortunate enough to appreciate today's collection."

Xiao Cheng, under her murderous gaze, widened his smile, like a hunter waiting to reel in his prey into a trap.

The other dignitaries chimed in, "Yes, yes, Your Highness, now that the time has come, let's not delay and begin!"

"I can't wait! Your Highness, as long as I can feast my eyes on this sight, I am willing to offer you all my loyalty!"

The princess's smile froze on her face.

As Xiao Cheng expected, the dwarf's methods failed.

She simply cannot produce even one of her collection items right now.

"Please be patient, everyone. After all, we will only see the true masterpiece after waiting." The princess suppressed her emotions and raised her voice slightly to calm the restless crowd.

Her voice seemed to possess a strange magic, sounding incredibly alluring and compelling one to believe it.

Seeing that the powerful and influential people had truly been calmed down by her, Xiao Cheng smiled calmly and then spoke again.

"Is it a true masterpiece? If it's a collectible of that caliber, it must have completely surpassed our imagination, so what could it be?"

"Let me guess, is it the Little Mermaid, the ghost in the ink bottle, or... that thing hidden in the stone?"

Hearing her words, the princess's expression changed drastically. Completely disregarding her image, she screamed hysterically, "How could you know?! Stone, how could you know about the stone?! Who are you?! What are you?! How could you know…"

"I don't need to answer you, Your Highness." Xiao Cheng's smile widened and deepened, eventually becoming unrestrained. She turned to look at the gilded gate that was slowly being pushed open.

Fang He carried a tattered package covered in mud in one hand and walked into the banquet hall against the light.

"Sorry I'm a little late because of some unavoidable circumstances." He casually tossed the package on the ground, and the cloth instantly unraveled, revealing a stark white skeleton inside.

The princess's face turned deathly pale instantly.

“It seems we’ve come to the right place, Your Highness,” Xiao Cheng said in a light tone. “The real collectible is hidden beneath the stone.”