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Chapitre 1

Tongming Ancient Jade

I. A secluded mountain village

My connection to the world of tomb raiding dates back to my childhood when I accidentally discovered a secret room in my second uncle's village. That year, I was in junior high school in the county. My parents were ordinary workers in a state-owned factory, always busy with work and household chores, so they rarely had time to attend to my studies. Over time, I became friends with several other boys of similar age in the neighborhood. We spent our days fighting crickets and catching snakes in the grassy slopes on the outskirts of the county town, completely neglecting our studies, and my grades plummeted.

Finally, one day, my homeroom teacher went to my father and told him everything about my situation. My father was furious and gave me a severe scolding, making me kneel in the yard for half a day and smashing all my cricket cages and cricket jars to pieces. But this wasn't a solution, because my parents were both very busy with work and didn't have time to supervise me. Plus, summer vacation was approaching, and if they didn't find someone to properly discipline me, I might become even more unruly and fall further behind in my studies.

That night, my father and mother thought it over and over, and finally decided to send me to my second great-uncle's remote little mountain village to settle down. Firstly, my second great-uncle could keep a close eye on me and supervise my studies, and secondly, it would allow me to be away from the naughty neighbors for a while so that they wouldn't disturb me while I did my homework or tutoring.

My second great-uncle is actually about the same age as my father, but according to the family genealogy, my father should call him Second Uncle. So naturally, I call him Second Great-Uncle. Second Great-Uncle was the only college graduate in their village. Because he couldn't find a job after graduation, he eventually returned to the village and became a rural teacher, becoming the leader of the children in a village with only about 20 kids.

After we finalized the arrangements, as soon as summer vacation began, my father took a leave of absence and took me on a 5-6 hour bus ride, followed by a half-day hike through the mountains, to my second great-uncle's house. My second great-uncle's village was a truly small mountain village, with only about 20 households and around 100 people. The village had no roads or electricity; it was nestled in a valley between two towering mountain peaks. Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, often shrouded in mist and clouds, it resembled a secluded paradise, a fairyland on earth.

Upon arriving at my second great-uncle's house, my father and great-uncle greeted each other and chatted about everyday matters before my father explained the purpose of our visit. After listening to my father's explanation, my great-uncle patted my head and promised with a smile that he would take good care of me. After lunch, my father had to leave in a hurry because he had things to do at the factory. Before leaving, he gave my great-uncle 50 yuan as living expenses. And so, I stayed in this remote little mountain village for the time being.

From then on, my second uncle would wake me up at dawn every day to do my homework, then I would read books to catch up on my lessons. In my spare time, I would wander around the village. At night, I would go to bed as soon as it got dark, and this cycle repeated itself. For the first few days, it was all new and exciting. Besides studying, I had free time to watch the adults in the village catch fish in the river and hunt in the mountains, so I didn't feel too bad. But as time went on, I became restless. Being watched every day, and not being able to fight crickets or play with grasshoppers, felt like being in prison.

It was truly a stroke of luck. Just when I was feeling incredibly bored, one day, the village suddenly notified my second uncle to go to a meeting in town. They said it was to discuss matters related to the construction of the village school for the new semester. Seeing that I had been behaving well these past few days, my second uncle greeted the adults in the Zhang family next door and asked them to look after me. After giving me a few instructions, he went out.

The moment my second great-uncle disappeared from my sight, I felt as relieved as Sun Wukong removing his golden headband. I jumped up from my chair where I was doing my homework, ran to my room, and pulled out my slingshot and cricket trap hidden under my pillow. Taking advantage of the Zhang family next door not paying attention, I quietly slipped out of the room and headed straight for the back of the village.

Because my second great-uncle's village wasn't very big, I had gotten quite familiar with the terrain after a few days. The village was located halfway up a mountain, with only a stone staircase leading down the mountain. Below the village was a small river with crystal-clear water year-round. After crossing the river at the ferry, there was a mountain path leading directly to the highway outside the mountains. My father and I came to my second great-uncle's house via this path.

Behind the village, there's a small path. After passing a pile of fallen rocks, it splits into two. The western path leads straight into the depths of a mountain valley, where towering trees obscure the sun year-round. My second uncle and the villagers say that it used to be a mass grave, eerie and terrifying, so few people venture there. The eastern path, however, leads directly to the mountaintop, a mountain trail used by the villagers to go up the mountain to gather firewood and hunt.

Perhaps it was the fearlessness of a newborn calf. What the villagers considered a gloomy and terrifying mass grave was a good place to me. Having spent so much time fighting crickets with my friends in the county town, I knew that to find the most formidable fighters, the "Ghost-Fearing" and "Earth King Kong," you had to go to the cemetery. These places were teeming with snakes and venomous insects. Ordinary crickets couldn't survive in such environments; they would soon become prey for these creatures. Only the "Ghost-Fearing" and "Earth King Kong," these kings of crickets, could contend with those snakes and venomous insects, even killing and driving them away.

Not long ago, one of Dunzi's "Earth King Kongs" killed a thumb-thick, red-headed centipede that everyone had caught from a grass nest, right in front of us. Dunzi's real name was Qi Dadun, one of my playmates in the neighborhood, two years older than me, and particularly bold and mischievous. From then on, this Earth King Kong became everyone's envied treasure, and they kept it hidden from us several times when we wanted to see it. At that time, I vowed to catch a big "Ghost-Fearing" cricket and compare it with his Earth King Kong. But I usually stayed in the county town, surrounded by city streets and alleys. Apart from a field and grassy slopes in the suburbs, there were no cemeteries to go to. So my wish had never been fulfilled. Now that I had this god-given opportunity, I was determined to seize it.

Not long after leaving the village, I arrived at the pile of fallen rocks. The mountain path split in two behind the pile, and without thinking, I headed straight for the western path. It should have been noon, the sun high in the sky. However, the path led deep into the valley, and the surrounding peaks blocked out most of the blue sky. Furthermore, the path was lined with ancient trees, towering giants with lush foliage, completely obscuring the remaining sky. Therefore, the surrounding light was dim, even somewhat eerie. Adding to this, gusts of mountain wind blew intermittently, creating a slightly unsettling atmosphere.

Further in, the path narrowed considerably, and the weeds grew increasingly dense, indicating that few people had ventured this far. I couldn't help but swallow hard, feeling a little uneasy. So I pulled out the slingshot I had been carrying in my pocket, loaded a suitably sized stone, held it tightly in my hand, and continued to grope my way forward.

After walking for about ten minutes, I suddenly felt that something was wrong with my surroundings. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the sounds of frogs croaking and birds chirping that had accompanied me throughout the walk had suddenly ceased, leaving only eerie silence. The silence was unsettling, almost unnatural. Only the occasional gust of mountain wind rustled through the branches and grass.

II. Ghost's Sorrow

Just as I was feeling flustered and hesitant about whether to continue, I suddenly heard a piercing sound coming from afar. "Chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp." I listened carefully and was immediately delighted, because I recognized the sound as the chirping of a cricket, and judging from the loud and deep quality of the sound, it must be a strong and powerful "Devil's Sorrow".

"Ghost-Fearer" is the name given by cricket enthusiasts to a type of cricket that is entirely black and shiny, with an enormous head, powerful mandibles, and lives in graveyards and cemeteries. This cricket is said to grow by feeding on the flesh of corpses in graves, hence its fierce and aggressive nature. It is said that a top-quality "Ghost-Fearer" can effortlessly kill a red centipede, and even small grass snakes dare not easily provoke it.

I put the slingshot in my pocket and took out my homemade cricket trap. Following the sound, I approached step by step. Strangely enough, this cricket seemed to be able to burrow underground. As soon as I got close, I could no longer hear its chirping, but at the same time, I could hear its leisurely chirping again about 10 meters ahead.

This is fucking weird, I refuse to believe I can't catch you. Maybe it's because such an opportunity is too rare, or maybe it's because I'm too eager to have a "ghost-fearing beast" that can rival Dunzi's "Earth King Kong". Although this "ghost-fearing beast" is a bit eerie and doesn't seem so easy to catch, I'm still determined to catch it and have no intention of giving up.

Unbeknownst to me, I followed it into the overgrown wilderness, where the grass was waist-high, for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Before me lay a scene of ruins, with small, mound-like hills appearing all around me. This was clearly the mass grave my second uncle and the villagers had spoken of. But at that moment, my attention was solely focused on this "ghost-fearing beast," and I had no time to consider my surroundings. Furthermore, as I drew closer to it, a secret joy welled up within me.

I crouched low and quietly parted the waist-high reeds. Finally, I saw the "Ghost's Bane" that I had been tracking for so long. I was truly astonished by what I saw. Good heavens, this guy was a behemoth among crickets. His entire body was the size of an egg. Besides his unusual size, his head wasn't the same jet-black shine as other "Ghost's Bane," but rather a peculiar golden-brown. And unlike other crickets, his head wasn't smooth; besides two long antennae, it was covered in protruding spines. His enormous head had two massive, black, gleaming mandibles like steel pincers opening and closing, exuding an aura of domineering arrogance.

Judging by its appearance, not only would ghosts be terrified, but even Buddha would weep upon encountering it. I was overjoyed; I had actually stumbled upon such a treasure! Such a king of crickets was not only unheard of, but utterly unheard of. If I caught it and placed it in front of that "Earth King Kong" of Dunzi, his precious King Kong would probably be terrified, let alone fight it.

Just as I was happily contemplating this, I saw the king of crickets hop onto a broken bluestone slab, half-buried in the ground and half-exposed on the surface. It spread its wings, licked its antennae, and then fell silent. It must have been tired and fallen asleep. Seeing my chance, I slowly moved my cricket net towards it. Although this cricket net, meant for catching ordinary crickets, seemed a bit too small compared to the king, I didn't have any other suitable tools at the moment, so I'd make do.

Seeing that the cricket trap was still a foot or two away from it, I was afraid it would suddenly wake up and jump away, so I pounced and covered it with the cricket trap. Watching it firmly trapped inside, I felt a surge of excitement. Afraid it would escape if I opened the trap, I held it down, hesitant to open it. But then, something strange happened. The exact same "chirp chirp chirp" sound came from beside me again, perfectly synchronized in rhythm and volume. I clearly saw it trapped under the cricket trap, so how did it escape to the side? Did it have a twin brother? I slowly moved the cricket trap away, and sure enough, it was empty underneath. I carefully examined the bluestone slab below; there wasn't a single crack. The cricket trap itself was perfectly intact. How did it get out? Could it really be a cricket spirit that had cultivated for a thousand years, possessing the ability to burrow underground and pass through walls?

I decided to stop thinking about it; even if it was a cricket spirit, I had to catch it. With that resolve, I got up and continued approaching. This time, it came to a broken wall. I looked down and realized it was in trouble. The wall was dilapidated, its age unknown, and due to long periods of neglect and weathering, it was completely crumbling. The blue bricks were riddled with holes and gaps. If it squeezed into those gaps, it would be a disaster. When bad luck strikes, even drinking cold water can cause problems; it seems like everything you fear will happen. Before I could even pounce again, sure enough, it spread its wings and calmly slipped into a crack to the side.

Damn it, trying to pull this on me? That's so unfair! Come out and fight me if you dare! This fuss has really ignited my stubbornness. You think hiding behind this wall will stop me? I'll tear this lousy wall down and drag you out today!

I got up and carefully examined the broken wall in front of me. Calling it a wall wasn't really an option; due to the passage of time, almost half of it had collapsed, leaving only a section about three or four meters wide and a little over a meter high. It swayed precariously in the mountain wind. It seemed that knocking it down wouldn't be a problem. While knocking it down wasn't the issue, there was a method to it. If I just kicked it down indiscriminately, the whole wall would collapse, no problem, but all that would be left was a pile of bricks and stones, burying the king of crickets, impossible to catch. So I first pushed aside the wall beside and above the gap, leaving only the bricks around the edge of the gap. Then I took out the slingshot I had brought with me and used the handle to pry the remaining bricks out one by one along the seams.

After removing the last two bricks, a bluestone slab was revealed underneath, and that familiar chirping sound came from beneath it. I thought to myself, this king of crickets is truly extraordinary. Most crickets are too frightened to make a sound at the slightest noise, but this one clearly heard me pushing the wall and digging bricks and still dared to chirp, openly defying me. This slab must be its last line of defense. Once I move it aside and catch you, let's see how long you can remain so arrogant.

Thinking this to myself, I didn't stop moving the stone slab, which was about the size of a canopy. Although it was heavy, it wasn't too difficult for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy like me. But the moment I moved the slab, I was quite surprised. I saw that a passage was revealed beneath the slab, leading down a series of stone steps. And the king of crickets was lying in the middle of this section of steps.

III. White Jade Seal

I couldn't help but gasp. How did I end up in this godforsaken place? How could a tunnel suddenly appear in this desolate wilderness? I bent down to take a look. There were about a dozen stone steps leading to a small, cramped chamber, roughly seventeen or eighteen square meters in size. It was sparsely furnished, except for two oil lamp-like objects on the left and right walls, and a small table in the center of the innermost part of the chamber. Candles were placed on either side of the table, as if it were being used for offerings.

Just as I was carefully observing the secret chamber, the king cricket, which had been perched on the middle of the stone steps, suddenly chirped and leaped onto the table inside. I'd been so distracted by the sudden appearance of the chamber that I'd completely forgotten about catching the king cricket. Coming to my senses, I considered going down, but a thought suddenly flashed through my mind. Like in some novels, could this mysterious secret passage or chamber have some kind of trap? If I went down rashly, I might lose my life. Thinking this, I pulled my leg back. But then I thought again, getting treasure always involves taking risks. Take Dunzi's "Earth King Kong," for example. Dunzi and his cousin had to wait all night in their grandmother's graveyard to catch it. His cousin even got bitten on the back of his hand by an unknown poisonous insect. It was swollen and red, and it took more than half a month to heal. Compared to this king cricket, the "Earth King Kong" was practically nothing. Thinking this through, I steeled myself and decided to take the plunge. I'd try throwing a stone down to test the waters first. So, I looked around, found a thick, withered tree branch, and poked it into the stone steps at the entrance of the passage. Nothing happened. Then I picked up a brick that had fallen from the wall earlier, and with a forceful throw, tossed it into the secret chamber. There was a loud thud as the stone hit the ground, and then everything returned to calm. Children aren't usually that complicated. Seeing that everything was normal, I wasn't so worried anymore. Holding the withered tree branch as a probe, I cautiously made my way down into the secret chamber, step by step.

Strangely enough, as soon as I entered the secret room, the two things on the left and right walls that looked like oil lamps suddenly lit up on their own, startling me. I went to the left one and examined it more closely. I found that they were indeed just two oil lamps, nothing special except that they lit themselves. But even so, I suddenly felt a strange sense of dread deep inside me, a feeling that something ominous was about to happen. So I quickly ran to the table in the middle of the secret room, wanting to catch the rare king of crickets and leave this eerie and terrifying place as soon as possible.

But when I got to the altar, I found that besides the candles, incense burner, and something wrapped in what looked like red cloth, the king cricket was nowhere to be seen. It had vanished in the blink of an eye. I quickly looked around, trying to find the precious cricket I was about to get, but there was nothing there. Suddenly, I was startled by something strange: besides my own shadow on the ground, I noticed a slender figure slowly approaching me from behind.

This startled me so much that I whirled around. Behind me, I saw a humanoid figure dressed in white, drifting towards me from the entrance of the passage I had just come down from. I call it humanoid because although it was dressed in white and seemed to have hands and feet, it had no head. At this sight, three words flashed through my mind—a headless ghost. Startled, I screamed "Mommy!" and instinctively backed away. This backstep caused me to crash into the altar behind me, where a candle and incense burner sat. Perhaps due to its age, the wood of the altar was somewhat rotten. With my sudden impact, the entire altar collapsed, falling to the ground. I, too, was knocked to the ground by the impact. Trying to get up, I found my legs had somehow become weak and powerless. A small child like me, I had never seen anything like this before, and I was utterly despondent. A series of eerie winds rushed towards him, and his mind went completely blank. He stood there dumbfounded, waiting for the headless ghost to take his life.

A few seconds later, I suddenly came to my senses. I noticed that the headless ghost, which had been advancing, had suddenly stopped and was now swaying back and forth, seemingly afraid to approach me. This calmed me down a little. The human instinct for survival is innate, and I thought, since it doesn't dare come closer, I'll get up and find a chance to escape. With that thought, I braced myself with my hands on the ground, trying to use their strength to stand up. Just as my hands touched the ground, my right hand touched something hard. And when the headless ghost saw me touch that hard thing, it suddenly let out a strange, chilling sound and retreated a short distance, as if it were terrified of what I had touched. At that moment, I suddenly realized that there must be something special about that hard thing in my hand.

So I picked it up and examined it closely. It was the same thing I'd seen earlier, wrapped in a red cloth and placed on the table. The red cloth was faded and the fabric had become flimsy. I touched it through the cloth; it seemed to contain a square object. Judging from its texture and weight, it felt like a stone or metal. Looking back at the headless ghost, it had vanished without a trace. Perhaps it had disappeared when I picked up the object to examine it closely. So I used both hands to unwrap the red cloth, revealing a white object about the size of a matchbox. By the light of the candle in the secret room, I examined it closely and realized it was a white jade seal. It had a cicada-like animal carved on it, and several strange characters engraved below.

Although I was just a child then, I knew that the seal in my hand was probably an antique, carved from white jade. Plus, it was this seal that had scared away the headless ghost, so I knew it must be something special, not an ordinary object. Otherwise, why would someone keep it in such a secluded place, and why would it be worshipped with incense and candles?

At first, I hesitated about leaving the white jade seal where it was in the secret chamber, but then I thought that if that headless, filthy thing was still guarding some hidden place outside, it would be safer to keep the seal with me. So, after making up my mind, I wrapped the seal in red cloth as it was before and stuffed it into my coat pocket. Then I dusted myself off and stood up.

After such a bizarre turn of events, my mind was in turmoil, and I couldn't calm down. Although the terrifying headless ghost had vanished without a trace, I still felt a lingering fear. This place was simply too eerie. Afraid of encountering something unclean again, I lost all interest in catching the cricket king and hurriedly ran out of the secret chamber with the white jade seal.

IV. The Mountain Patrol Taoist

Upon reaching the outside of the secret chamber, I discovered it was already dark. I hadn't realized so much time had passed without me noticing. When I followed the Cricket King into this mass grave, it was broad daylight, and my attention was entirely focused on the Cricket King, so I hadn't had time to carefully observe my surroundings and hadn't noticed anything amiss. But now, with nightfall and everything that had happened in the secret chamber still vivid in my mind, looking around at the scattered graves and the oppressive atmosphere, I felt a sudden surge of panic. Fearing that the evil spirit would attack again, I tightly gripped the white jade seal wrapped in red cloth in my pouch with my left hand, ready to use it against the headless demon at any moment.

Along the way, all around were desolate graves and hills of varying sizes, with flickering, eerie green will-o'-the-wisps drifting in the distance. Interspersed with the mournful hooting of owls, it felt as if we had truly entered the underworld.

Never in my life had I been in such a situation, never experienced such terror. I dared not cry, dared not shout, for fear of disturbing the wandering spirits and evil ghosts in the surrounding desolate graves. So I desperately covered my mouth with my right hand, the one not holding the seal. As a result, it was difficult to maintain my balance in this uneven, overgrown area, so I couldn't run fast. I ran alone, trembling. After running for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, I suddenly realized that I couldn't find the way I came. Because I had only followed the sound of the cricket king when I came, I hadn't paid any attention to the features along the way. Now that it was dark, I had no idea how I had gotten here. So I simply stopped. Instinctively, I crouched down and hid myself in the waist-high weeds, hoping not to be seen by those wandering ghosts.

As time ticked by, my anxiety grew. I worried about my second uncle and the others; wouldn't they be worried about me? If they told my dad I'd sneaked out to catch crickets instead of studying, I'd definitely get another beating. But as long as I could get out of this awful place, I'd accept any beating, even ten. It was hundreds of times better than staying here and losing my life. Gradually, my mind started racing. What should I do? I couldn't stay here all night, could I? What if that headless ghost went back and summoned even more ferocious monsters? Would this little white jade seal still be effective? Was I going to lose my life in this mass grave? A jumble of questions flooded my mind. The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became, the less I dared to think about it. But my mind seemed to have no will of its own; the more I tried to suppress the thoughts, the more chaotic and varied they became.

Just then, I saw a white shadow flash by in the distance, and it seemed as if a flash of fire also appeared. Could it be that the headless ghost in white robes really brought other fierce and evil spirits to find me? A chill ran through me, and I cried out, "It's over!" before everything went black and I lost consciousness.

I don't know how much time passed, but when I woke up, I vaguely found myself still in the same spot, only this time there was someone beside me. A person, a person of flesh and blood just like myself, not one of those monsters that steal souls and devour flesh. It was as if I had suddenly grabbed a lifeline while falling into the water; I felt incredibly excited and instantly perked up.

When I fully regained consciousness, by the light of the torch in his hand, I could see clearly that the person beside me was probably around fifty or sixty years old. He had a ruddy complexion and, despite his age, looked very energetic. Looking at his attire, he had a long beard, his hair was tied up in a bun, and he wore a gray-white Taoist robe, so he seemed to be a Taoist priest.

When he saw that I was awake, he smiled and asked me, "Child, it's so late. Why did you come here instead of staying at home? This place is full of thick forests and grass, and there are many insects and snakes. You must be careful. When I saw you faint, I thought you had been bitten by a poisonous snake, but after checking your whole body, there don't seem to be any bite marks."

So I recounted how I chased a strange cricket king into this mass grave, got lost, encountered a headless ghost, and finally fainted from fright at the sight of firelight. Perhaps fearing that he would take the jade seal if he knew about it, I deliberately omitted the details about the secret chamber.

The Taoist priest's expression turned serious upon hearing this. He told me that the insect I had always considered the king of crickets was not a cricket at all, but something called a "soul-summoning cricket." Legend has it that it can travel between the realms of the living and the dead, feeding on the residual yang energy of those who have recently died. Because it often leads people from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead, causing them to lose their lives, it is called a "soul-summoning cricket."

He also told me that this mass grave was once a village, but the entire village was brutally murdered in a sudden tragedy. Many were beheaded alive, so the place has accumulated a lot of yin energy over the years, resulting in many zombies and ghosts. They often attack people they see, taking their souls and eating their flesh to vent their resentment. The headless, white-clad object I just saw was a kind of floating corpse. These floating corpses are formed when the inside of a body is eaten away by snakes, insects, and rodents, leaving only the outer skin. Combined with the influence of specific geographical environments and climates, the skin gradually dries out. As the surrounding yin energy slowly seeps in, over time it becomes a zombie. Because these zombies are hollow inside, with only a layer of skin, they are very light and can float in the air using their own yin energy, hence the name "floating corpse." Because many conditions are required for the formation of such floating corpses, they are very rare, and there are very few records of them in accounts of zombies.

Hearing this, I secretly rejoiced, thankful that I had a benefactor in my life who helped me, and that my life was still spared. Then I asked him, "But what kind of monster was that last flash of light I saw?" The Taoist priest laughed heartily, raised the torch in his hand and waved it in front of my eyes, saying, "That flash of light was naturally it." Only then did I realize that the white shadow and flash of light I had seen at the end were actually the Taoist priest in front of me, and I couldn't help but laugh along with him. It's true what they say, people can be terrifying!

Afterwards, I followed the Taoist priest out of the mass grave, chatting with him as we walked. During our conversation, I learned that this priest was a Taoist from the Zhenyuan Temple on the mountain, his Taoist name being Xunshan. That night, he had just returned from a pilgrimage outside the mountain. As he passed the pile of fallen rocks and was preparing to ascend the eastern path back to his temple, he suddenly noticed dark clouds gathering in the western valley, the full moon dim and lifeless, as if haunted by ghosts. So he rushed over to investigate. He heard my scream as soon as he entered the mass grave, and then we met—it was fate, I suppose.

Before I knew it, we were back at the pile of fallen rocks. The Taoist priest pointed ahead and said that this was the path back to the village, a path that was used by many people year-round and should be safe. He suggested we say goodbye here. Then he took out a talisman with many strange symbols drawn in cinnabar, waved it around my body, and then lit it. Afterward, he took some of the ashes left from the burning talisman, smeared it on my head, closed his eyes, and chanted incantations. He then told me that encountering unclean things inevitably brings some ghostly energy, and that what he had done was to ward off evil and bring good fortune. He also told me that if anything unusual happened in the future, I should go to the Zhenyuan Temple on the mountain to find him. I thanked him repeatedly. Because I was worried that my second uncle in the village was getting impatient, I said goodbye to the Taoist priest and hurried along the path back to the village.

V. Purple Mouth and Iron Feet

Back in the village, my second uncle was already home. He had searched the entire village and surrounding areas, and was very worried about not finding me. Seeing me return, he was relieved and his heart finally settled. Seeing me covered in mud, looking like I'd crawled out of a ghost cave, he asked where I'd been. Of course, I didn't dare tell him the truth, and only said that I'd gone up the mountain with the village adults to hunt rabbits. He clearly didn't believe me, but he didn't press me further.

Perhaps because I felt guilty, I obediently stayed at my second uncle's house to study in the days that followed. My second uncle also didn't leave me to run errands outside the village again. Soon, summer vacation ended, and my father took me back to the county town. I bid farewell to this mysterious little mountain village.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye. Ever since I acquired that mysterious white jade seal, I've treasured it and carried it with me at all times. Not only because it once saved my life, but more importantly, I always felt that this little stone had some unusual origin. It was because of it that I developed an interest in ancient objects, and when I applied to university, I chose history and archaeology as my major.

However, upon graduation, I discovered that finding a job in my field was incredibly difficult. The cultural relics research institute required graduate degrees, not bachelor's degrees. The cultural relics management office, because my parents were ordinary workers with no connections, couldn't get anyone to speak on my behalf, and I was rejected there as well. In the end, I had no choice but to take a job unrelated to my major, but lacking the necessary knowledge and experience, I couldn't keep it up for long and had to return home. Suddenly, I was an unemployed person at home.

Later, I saw that there were many people involved in collecting antiques, and the antique business was quite good. I also had some professional experience in dealing in antiques. So I came to Hangzhou, the provincial capital, to collect antiques and funerary objects, buy and sell them, and make a living.

That day, as usual, I went to a funerary object dealer nicknamed "Niu San" to find some new items. As soon as I entered, I ran into someone—Dunzi. Since I was in high school and he joined the army, and later I got into a university in the west, we hadn't kept in touch much. Almost seven or eight years had passed since we last met. Dunzi was quite different from the Dunzi of yesteryear; he was dressed in a suit and tie, wore gold-rimmed sunglasses, and had a slightly protruding belly—he looked like a big boss. Although we had both changed somewhat, childhood friends who had grown up together could still recognize each other instantly.

Naturally, upon meeting, we had to catch up and have a good chat. So, after leaving "Niu San's" place, Dunzi drove his Lexus GS300 to a teahouse, found a private room, and we chatted over tea.

It turned out that Dunzi, like me, had always been mischievous and naughty since childhood, which caused him to fall behind in his studies. By high school, his academic performance was a complete mess. Seeing that his chances of getting into university were slim, his parents found an opportunity for him to join the army for training. After returning from his service, Dunzi found a job as a security guard at a pharmaceutical factory in the county town. Because it was a small county town, and he was just an ordinary factory security guard, he only earned about seven or eight hundred yuan a month. Dunzi wasn't satisfied with this situation. Remembering how he had seen people in Shaanxi, where they dealt in antiques and funerary objects, doing quite well, he pooled some capital and went back there to buy a few pieces and started his own antique business. Although he initially lost a lot of money due to a lack of experience and buying a few fakes, he eventually became more and more successful and made some money.

When he learned that I had an archaeology background and was struggling to find suitable work, he was overjoyed. He told me that his business was growing rapidly, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to manage alone. He explained that since he was a self-taught expert, he sometimes misjudged rare items, and therefore wanted to find a reliable and knowledgeable person to help manage his business. I was the perfect candidate. He added that if I worked with him, the business would be a partnership, and all profits could be split 50/50.

I understood what he meant and laughed, saying, "Dunzi, don't think that just because I have formal training, I'm a jack-of-all-trades, or that I can guarantee everything will be perfect. Appraising antiques and searching ancient royal tombs is a very profound field. It requires not only deep professional knowledge but also extensive practical experience. Even though I'm an undergraduate in archaeology, I've only grasped the most basic theoretical knowledge. I lack practical experience. In my current state, I'm just a novice in the antique industry." Dunzi laughed heartily, patted my shoulder, and said, "Brother, we're..." "What relationship? Do you think I don't know your background and character? I'm not asking you to work with me just because you're formally trained; more importantly, I know your character. I can see you're no ordinary person. You'll achieve great things someday. As long as we work together, I guarantee we'll make a good impression." "You're a businessman after all. When did you learn to say such nice things?" I took a sip of fragrant Longjing tea and said, "Don't flatter me. I'm currently free, and if I can help you out and get a job with you, Boss Qi, it'll save me from going hungry."

The two were chatting enthusiastically when Dunzi suddenly received a phone call, seemingly about something very important. He said to me, "Brother, let's stop our small talk for now. Since we agreed to work together, and I happen to have this urgent matter on my hands, could you give me some advice and suggestions?" "I wouldn't call it advice, just tell me what's on your mind, don't hold back," I replied. "Alright, I'll go get something now. Come find me here at 9 a.m. tomorrow, I'll show you something good." He handed me a business card and then hurriedly left.

The next day, I arrived at Dunzi's antique shop on time, where Dunzi was already waiting for me. Upon seeing me, he quickly pulled me into his office in the back and took out a cubic wooden box, about 60-70 centimeters in length, width, and height, from the safe. Inside the box was a porcelain vase. My first instinct, based on my professional eye, was that it should be a Song Dynasty porcelain vase, and judging from its shape and glaze, it seemed to be a piece from the Southern Song Dynasty official kiln. Of course, this was just my initial impression; further examination was needed to draw a conclusion.

I held the porcelain vase in my hand and weighed it; judging from the weight, it seemed fine. Upon closer inspection, the piece was exquisitely shaped, with strong, crisp lines, and a rich, lustrous pale blue glaze, like jade and ice. The glaze surface was covered with crackles; the bottom was iron-brown, while the upper part had a subtle purple hue, a typical "purple mouth and iron foot" pattern. Examining it more closely with a magnifying glass, I saw that the body of the vase was only about one-third the thickness of the glaze layer. Countless tiny, bead-like bubbles were clustered within the glaze, what experts call "gathered foam and clustered beads."

Song Dynasty porcelain is renowned for its five famous kilns, among which the Guan kiln is the most famous and highly prized in later generations. The Guan kiln primarily produced celadon, with moon-blue, powder blue, and dark green being the most popular glaze colors during the Daguan era. Guan porcelain has a relatively thick body, with a sky-blue glaze tinged with pink, and large crackles on the surface. This effect is due to the different expansion coefficients of the body and glaze after heating. The foot of the porcelain is unglazed, turning iron-black after firing, while the glaze is thin at the rim, slightly revealing the body, a characteristic often described as "purple mouth and iron foot." This is a typical feature of Northern Song Dynasty Guan kiln porcelain. The Palace Museum in Beijing and the National Palace Museum in Taipei, along with other imperial collections of Guan and Ge kiln porcelain from various dynasties, plus those scattered overseas, total only about 300 pieces. Even broken fragments of individual Guan and Ge kiln pieces are considered treasures, demonstrating the exceptional value of Song Dynasty Guan kiln porcelain. When Chiang Kai-shek hastily fled to Taiwan, he only took 65 pieces of Song Dynasty official kiln porcelain from the National Palace Museum. A large number of Ming and Qing Dynasty porcelains were left in Nanjing, which shows how valuable Song Dynasty official kiln porcelain was at the time.

The official kilns of the Song Dynasty have always been a dazzling pearl in the history of Chinese ceramics.

I examined the porcelain vase carefully and concluded that it was from the official kilns of the Song Dynasty. However, there was one thing that struck me as very strange: the vase, in terms of its shape, glaze, and crackle glaze, exhibited typical characteristics of Southern Song official kilns, leaving no room for doubt. In industry terms, it was a completely authentic piece. Dunzi has been in the field for so long; surely he could tell the difference himself, and he didn't need me to authenticate it again?

Just as I was having doubts, Dunzi seemed to read my mind and said with a smile, "Is it a Southern Song Dynasty official kiln octagonal vase with tubular handles?" "Do you need to ask me that? If you want to test me, don't use this." I replied with a smile. "Hehe, actually, I called you over not to have you help me identify the age of this object, but to have you take a look and then find out where this vase was found."

When I heard what Dunzi said, I seemed a little confused. Seeing my puzzled look, Dunzi knew I didn't understand what he meant, so he first asked me to sit down on the sofa and then started to explain the whole story from the beginning.

VI. Lieutenant General of the Excavation Division

It was a little over two months ago. Dunzi was in his office, as usual, looking at the latest antique auction listings. Suddenly, he received a phone call. It was from an old client of Dunzi's from Hong Kong, saying he needed Dunzi's help with something very important. Dunzi naturally agreed to do his best.

The next afternoon, the client returned from Hong Kong, bringing something with her to see Dunzi. Dunzi was astonished to find it was a Southern Song Dynasty official kiln octagonal vase with tubular handles. The client explained that she had bought it at an antique market in Hong Kong. She hadn't bought it because she particularly liked it or thought it had special collectible value; rather, the seller had described it as having been found in a small mountain village not far from the provincial capital, though the seller couldn't provide the village's name or exact location. This wasn't surprising, as antiques often change hands many times between discovery and their final owner. It's natural that those who weren't the original discoverers wouldn't know its provenance. However, the seller's description of the village's environment strongly suggested it was the place the client was desperately searching for. She hoped this Southern Song Dynasty official kiln octagonal vase would serve as a clue to lead her to that mysterious village, hiding a great secret.

So, after the customer bought the porcelain vase, she remembered that she had a friend named Dunzi in the provincial capital, and went to find him. She hoped to use Dunzi's connections in the provincial capital to find out which seller the octagonal vase had been resold from. This way, she could gradually trace back to the original discoverer of the vase and eventually learn the exact location of the mysterious mountain village.

After that, Dunzi inquired everywhere, but didn't find much. This time he met me and learned that I had also been in this place for a while, so he hoped that I could ask some of my friends for clues about the porcelain vase.

After listening to Dunzi's description of the terrain of the mountain village where the octagonal vase was discovered, I felt a sense of familiarity with the description, as if I had been there before, but I couldn't quite place it. So I promised Dunzi that I would go back and think about it, and that I would ask some friends who deal in antiques for information, promising to let Dunzi know as soon as I had any news.

Back home, I thought about it for a long time. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that this mountain village should be very familiar to me, but I just couldn't remember exactly where it was. Afterwards, I contacted several friends in my circle, but like Dunzi, I came up empty-handed. After a long day, it was already late, and I felt very tired. So I washed up early and went to bed, hoping to get some rest. However, for some reason, although I was exhausted, I couldn't fall asleep. After tossing and turning several times, I habitually took out my white jade seal, which had been with me for many years, and examined it closely.

I acquired this seal during the summer vacation of my junior high school years in my second great-uncle's village. It's carved from a single piece of white jade, about the size of a matchbox. The bottom of the seal is inscribed with the six characters "Seal of the General of the Tomb Raiders" in Han Dynasty seal script, and a cicada is carved above it. The entire jade seal is crystal clear and extremely lustrous. Due to its age, one corner has developed some small cracks, and the four sides are also somewhat pitted and damaged, with slight reddish-brown stains.

At the time, I was too young to understand what it was. But later, as my knowledge of history gradually accumulated, I learned that the "Faqiu Zhonglang" was a professional tomb-raiding army established by Cao Cao, the prime minister of the Wei Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, to supplement the army's funding. Their primary duty was to excavate and rob tombs. They even created official positions such as "Faqiu Zhonglang Jiang" and "Mojin Xiaowei." Presumably, this seal was the official seal of the "Faqiu Zhonglang."

Because cicadas undergo a molting process from larva to adult, they appear motionless and seemingly dead when they emerge from the pupa, as if reborn through reincarnation. Furthermore, cicadas feed solely on the dew from plants, seemingly detached from worldly concerns. Therefore, in ancient times, especially since the Han Dynasty, people have regarded cicadas as a symbol that can help the deceased reincarnate sooner. Many excavated ancient tombs contain various cicada-shaped objects beside the deceased's body. Some even have jade cicada-shaped handkerchiefs for the deceased to hold before burial, demonstrating the importance of cicadas to the dead. The "General of Tomb Raiders" was an official position specifically responsible for tomb raiding, frequently entering tombs and interacting with the spirits of the dead. Therefore, their official seals were carved in the shape of cicadas to help the spirits in the tombs reincarnate quickly and not haunt the tomb raiders.