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There were five rows of storage shelves, filled with various gold and silver utensils inlaid with gemstones. Many wooden boxes were also placed on the shelves, and from the partially opened lids, one could see they were filled with gold and silver coins.

The styles of some of the coins indicated that they were not all from Westeros, but rather currencies from the cities of the Eastern Continent. Liu Yuan estimated that the value of these coins alone was no less than 200,000 gold dragons.

He suddenly felt that his own meager savings of 300 gold dragons were utterly insignificant. Not to mention the collectibles on the shelves, which included some exquisite armor and shields, and some weapons that appeared to be of exceptional quality.

However, the Earl did not linger in front of these storage shelves. After lighting the candles, he closed the large door and led him further inside, finally stopping in front of a statue. He fumbled, reaching his hand behind the statue. With a crisp 'click,' Liu Yuan could hear the sound of a mechanism being activated. Then, the wall beside the statue recessed inward, and Adrian pushed open the secret door.

He held up the oil lamp and said to Liu Yuan, "Galon, this is the greatest secret of our Settigar family! Today, I brought you here to tell you that you are also my son. I have never treated you as an outsider."

Inside was a downward passage. As they entered, it led to a secret chamber. The entire room was less than three meters high and about 30 square meters, roughly the size of a three-bedroom apartment in later generations. However, the floor of the secret chamber was neatly stacked with piles of gold bricks, estimated to be about fifteen hundred. On both sides were ten large oak boxes, filled with colorful gemstones. If these items were converted into gold dragons, they would be worth approximately eight million.

But what truly attracted Liu Yuan's attention were the dozens of weapons on the shelf at the far end. Liu Yuan held up the lamp and moved closer. These weapons all displayed a unique rippling pattern, and were all made of Valyrian steel. There was a two-handed greatsword, a hand-and-a-half sword, three single-handed swords, twelve daggers and short knives, a broad-bladed battle-axe, and, in particular, a rare suit of half-body armor.

Adrian gently stroked the armor and said to Liu Yuan, "It seems you have already guessed. That's right, these Valyrian steel weapons are the true foundation of our Settigar family. Our ancestor was once the captain of the guard at an overseas outpost of the Valyrian Freehold. Just before the Doom, he fled Essos with his family and the armory. In fact, the outside world's speculation is not wrong. Our Settigar family does indeed possess a Valyrian steel battle-axe, but they would never imagine that we have so many weapons."

Liu Yuan said, "I can understand that the family's strength does not match the wealth it possesses. If outsiders were to find out, Crab Island, isolated overseas, would not fare well. It could even be slaughtered by pirates." He understood now why the Settigar family was becoming increasingly low-key. It wasn't that the family's heirs were becoming less capable with each generation, but rather that they deeply understood the principle that possessing great wealth invites disaster, and they were trying to minimize their presence.

Adrian said with great satisfaction, "You are absolutely right. I was not mistaken about you. You truly possess wisdom beyond your age. Do you know the significance of me bringing you here today?"

Liu Yuan nodded and said, "I've guessed some of it. You are telling me this secret to provide the Settigar family with an opportunity to rise again if a catastrophe ever befalls the family in the future."

The Earl was very pleased, "Indeed, I have this idea. The family has had thin bloodlines for three generations in a row, and this generation has only you and Beko as male heirs. If something were to happen to me, the secrets here would be passed down. There is also another matter: you are about to go to the Citadel to study. Take this with you!" Saying that, he picked up a single-handed sword from the shelf and handed it to Liu Yuan. The sword's shape was somewhat similar to Bilbo's 'Sting,' slightly longer at about 60 centimeters.

Liu Yuan didn't expect the Earl to directly give him a Valyrian steel weapon, so he had to thank him, "Thank you, Father. Please rest assured, I will study diligently at the Citadel and will not disgrace the family's name."

Earl Adrian said, "When you leave, you only need to bring your personal luggage. Oldtown is the most prosperous city in Westeros. You can buy anything you need there directly. The family owns its own shops in the city. From then on, you can collect five gold dragons for living expenses there each month. In addition, I will give you 100 gold dragons as seed money. I heard from Welsh that conducting research at the Citadel is quite expensive. If you need anything, you can go directly to the shop. If that doesn't solve it, contact me."

In fact, the treatment Adrian gave Liu Yuan was already quite good, and he even promised to provide research funding and told him the family's greatest secret to win him over and strengthen his loyalty to the family.

However, Liu Yuan wasn't a real child. He knew very well that the Earl had concealed key steps from him. Before they came to the cellar, during what seemed like casual strolls, the Earl activated mechanisms in seven key locations before he could open the secret chamber behind the statue. He could understand that Earl Adrian, as a noble lord, would keep something back from his younger son, who might branch out in the future. This was very normal.

Liu Yuan also believed that his future achievements would definitely be more than just these. He didn't really care much about the seemingly amazing wealth in the vault. In the following days, Liu Yuan would consult with Maester Welsh every day to learn everything about the Citadel from him.

Maester Welsh was an orphan from the Reach who was taken to the Citadel as a servant when he was very young. He was eventually taken in as a student by an assistant maester, which led him to the path of a maester. He lived there for thirty years, and there were not many people who knew the Citadel better than he did. He told Liu Yuan about the situation there.

Maester Welsh spoke in great detail, and his eloquence was quite vivid. Liu Yuan could even create a map of Oldtown and the Citadel in his mind, as if he were there in person.

Time flew by quickly, and soon it was the day of departure. On this day, Liu Yuan packed his luggage early. His luggage consisted of only a small bundle and a weapon case.

The Earl's family all came to see him off. Beko was a little reluctant to see Liu Yuan leave. It was rare to have a brother, and he was leaving after only a few days. Lyanna was teary-eyed the whole time, as she liked this older brother very much. Adrian remained expressionless, while Lady Mia showed concern for him.

Liu Yuan bowed deeply to them and then boarded the ship with his luggage. Standing on the ship's rail, he saw many familiar people, such as the concerned Steward Balin, Ser Bandiel, the head kitchen maid Lya, Sister Yuna, and of course, old Park, who was hiding on the edge of the dock.

Liu Yuan waved to them vigorously and shouted loudly, "I will definitely come back. Take care of yourselves!～"