Empreinte de main en sang

Chapitre 32

"Use a rope to get outside." Qin Ge reacted quite quickly.

“Yes, that’s what I thought too. But when the door is closed, not a single ray of light can get in, let alone a rope. Besides, I just tried it, and the knob on the bedroom door isn’t very flexible. It takes some effort to turn it by hand, let alone pull it with a rope.”

"Copper bars!" Qin Ge blurted out.

“That’s right. Usually, copper strips are made of two layers. The bottom layer is nailed to the floor, and the top layer has grooves in which the surface part fits. But here, the copper strips weren’t nailed at all; they were just glued to the floor. I just found a knife and pried it off with a little force.”

"I understand." Qin Ge nodded repeatedly: "After the criminal killed the person, he first pried off the copper bar, then used a rope to tie to the knob inside, threaded it through the gap at the bottom to the outside, closed the door, and pulled the rope. This way, the door was locked from the inside. Then, he pulled out the rope and used glue to stick the copper bar to the ground."

“Glue is definitely not as strong as nails, but even if you police officers investigate the scene, who would think to pry open this copper strip?” Ma Nan paused for a moment, then continued, “Besides, Ba Ren told me that he hid a clue related to Chu Yan here, so the secret room is just part of the game for him. His purpose is to let me discover the clue, so whether the copper strip is glued firmly or not is even more irrelevant.”

Qin Ge thought for a moment and then asked another question: "If the rope is tied to the knob, can it be pulled out?"

"A double-stranded rope can be used."

Qin Ge slapped his forehead, as if blaming himself for not being able to understand such a simple question.

Now, he has one last question: what does the pattern under the copper strip mean?

"I once told you that the Chinese nation is a nation of flower totems. The main evidence for this argument comes from the floral painted pottery patterns in the Miaodigou type of the Yangshao culture. These patterns are based on roses and are supplemented by chrysanthemum flowers. What the Ba people have left us is actually the flame-shaped chrysanthemum pattern."

"What does it mean?" Qin Ge still didn't understand.

“They were all totems of the Fuxi clan. Later, the Ba people inherited this cultural tradition, especially the current Ba people, who use chrysanthemums as their tribal totem.” Ma Nan hesitated for a moment, then continued, “That’s why I was so nervous when I received a bunch of chrysanthemums that day.”

"That means this dark-colored thing is the totem pattern of the Ba people."

Ma Nan nodded silently.

"But what kind of clue is this? What exactly is the Executioner trying to tell you?" Qin Ge still couldn't figure it out. It was now confirmed that the Executioner was a member of the Ba tribe, but Qin Ge still habitually referred to his opponent as the Executioner.

Ma Nan shook his head. He understood the origin of the pattern as soon as he saw it, but like Qin Ge, he didn't understand what message the Ba people wanted to convey by leaving it behind.

"The detective told you that this clue is related to Chu Yan," Qin Ge said, frowning. "But I suspect that this clue was actually left to Chu Yan by Ba Rong, and it may be related to the treasure of the Ba tribe."

“How could the totem of the Ba people be related to their sacred objects? Besides, the Ba people couldn’t possibly not understand this pattern,” Ma Nan said hesitantly. “Could it be that the Ba people are trying to tell me that Chu Yan has already been taken to their ancestral lands?”

Qin Ge shook his head: "Chu Yan must still be in this city, otherwise, there's no point in them playing this game with you."

Ma Nan remained silent, his face expressionless, but his mind was racing. Various thoughts alternated, fluttering like butterflies, but none could settle. Ma Nan's head began to ache again; it was an old ailment. Years ago, Ba Rong, along with the Ba tribe's shaman, sealed away his memories. In an attempt to retrieve those lost memories, he tried to induce a near-death state, which had some effect, but left him with a chronic headache. Whenever he was tense or deeply engrossed in thinking, his head would throb.

Qin Ge noticed Ma Nan's unusual behavior, stepped forward to help him up, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Ma Nan shook his head, strode to the living room window, opened it, and let the wind in. The cold winter night air made him feel a little better. He took a long breath and exhaled the stale air from his chest.

Though not full, the moon was still bright and hung quietly in the sky. Around it, a few cold stars twinkled.

Ma Nan's gaze fell upon these stars, knowing that the light they emitted had actually traversed tens of thousands of light-years of space and time. Perhaps, back then, ancient humans were still in the age of gods, and the legendary gods were guiding humanity in different ways, embarking on the journey to civilization.

The starlight now is perhaps the same starlight it was then.

Suddenly, Ma Nan's gaze sharpened, and those starlight points straight into his heart.

He had heard the legend that people on earth would become stars in the sky when they died, and that gods were originally stars in the sky.

Ma Nan turned around, his weariness completely gone. Qin Ge looked at him with surprise, knowing that he must have deciphered the clues hidden behind the chrysanthemum totem.

“Starry Sky Platform!” Ma Nan uttered these three words heavily, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

The Starry Sky Observatory, also known as the Star Gazing Platform, is traditionally believed to have been built during the Eastern Han Dynasty by Zhang Heng, a renowned Chinese astronomer, for observing celestial phenomena. Zhang Heng was originally from Nanyang, Henan Province. He served as the chief clerk to Bao De, the governor of Nanyang. After Bao De left office, Zhang Heng also resigned and stayed in his hometown, spending three years studying philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy, accumulating considerable knowledge and gaining widespread fame. In the fifth year of the Yongchu era, he went to the capital and served as a court official and then as a vice-minister. From the second year of the Yuanchu era, he twice served as the Grand Astrologer, for a total of fourteen years.

Zhang Heng's most well-known achievements include the creation of the armillary sphere to demonstrate the "Hun Tian Theory"; the invention of the world's first water-powered astronomical instrument, the "Water-Powered Armillary Sphere," which was essentially an astronomical clock that could tell the time through its constant-speed rotation; and the invention of the world's first seismograph capable of determining the location of earthquakes. In addition, he also made significant achievements in astronomy, writing astronomical works such as "Ling Xian." His observation records of 2,500 stars and his calculation of "365 and a quarter degrees of the celestial sphere" are very close to those of modern astronomy.

Legend has it that when Zhang Heng served as Grand Astrologer, he ordered the construction of 28 constellation platforms across the country to observe the stars, each corresponding to one of the 28 constellations. Others say that these platforms were actually commissioned by Emperor An of Han to seek auspicious omens, and that Zhang Heng oversaw their construction throughout the country.

Most of these constellation platforms have since vanished into the annals of history, with only one remaining, located on the eastern coast of this city. And Ma Nan happens to know this.

Although Qin Ge had never been to Xingxiutai, he already knew that such a place existed.

"What does Xingxiu Terrace have to do with this chrysanthemum painting?" he asked, puzzled.

Ma Nan smiled wryly: "Xingxiutai has nothing to do with chrysanthemums, but it is related to flames."

The pattern left by the Ba people is called the Flame Chrysanthemum Pattern. The chrysanthemum is the totem of the Fuxi clan and also of the Ba people, but this pattern actually contains another, deeper meaning.

"Because our opponents were the Ba people, when I saw this pattern, I immediately assumed it was a Ba totem symbol, forgetting to consider why the Fuxi people originally used it as their totem."

"Not because of chrysanthemums?" Qin Ge asked, puzzled.

“Chrysanthemums are just one aspect.” Ma Nan led Qin Ge to the door, squatted down, and pointed to the outer edge of the graphic, saying, “Look at these chrysanthemum petals, don’t they look like burning flames?” He then pointed to the dot above, saying, “Doesn’t this look like a star enveloped in flames?”

Qin Ge examined it for a long time and felt that it was only somewhat similar, but since Ma Nan said so, there must be a deeper meaning. So he nodded.

“In traditional Chinese astronomy, there is a star that has received much attention. It is recorded in both oracle bone inscriptions and pre-Qin historical records. Its name is ‘Dahuo’ (Great Fire). This star was later identified as Antares, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions in traditional astronomy.” Ma Nan paused for a moment, then continued, “The star in this pattern is ‘Dahuo’.”

"Why?" Qin Ge blurted out.

Ma Nan hesitated for a moment: "The argumentation process is very complicated and very academic. You just need to know that the flames contain a star, which is very consistent with the meaning of the word 'Fuxi'. Moreover, according to legend, Fuxi is the star god of the constellation Antares."

"So, the clue hidden in this pattern is the Starry Sky Terrace on the East Sea?" Qin Ge was still a little puzzled.

“That’s right. I just happened to read an article that said this only remaining Star Platform corresponds to the Heart Constellation in the 28 constellations. So what we need to do now is to rush to the Star Platform immediately and see what we can find there.”

"Now? Isn't it a bit too early?" Qin Ge hesitated for a moment before saying.

“Our opponent is no ordinary person. He comes from one of the oldest tribes in the world, yet he is no stranger to modern civilization. He can even use the internet to play a murder game with us.” Qin Ge said seriously, “I think the Ba people must have expected that this mystery of the locked room would not stump us. So, if our analysis is correct, then he must have arranged some other programs for us at Xingxiutai. Perhaps, that is the beginning of another murder game.”

Qin Ge nodded silently, realizing the importance of time here.