sorcière

Chapitre 5

After leaving the valley along the mountain path we had come from, we returned to my second uncle's house. My second uncle was very happy to see that we had all returned safely. He hurriedly invited us to have tea and snacks, and then rushed to prepare lunch for us.

We sat lazily in the garden, sipping tea and continuing our discussion about the clues surrounding the two tomb-raiding seals. I picked up the two seals and examined them closely for a long time, but I couldn't see anything suspicious. I clearly saw these two seals emitting a pale blue light in the tomb, so why couldn't I see it at all now? Could the secret of the treasure map be related to this blue light? Perhaps only when these two seals emit blue light will the secret of the treasure map be revealed. But when will it emit blue light again? You know, I've carried these seals with me for seven or eight years, and I've only seen them glow once. If I have to wait another seven or eight years, or even longer, wouldn't that be terrible? I shared my thoughts with them, and Dunzi also thought it was possible.

Jenny expressed skepticism about my viewpoint. She believed the luminescence of the seals might not be related to time, but rather determined by certain conditions. Only when these conditions were met would the two tomb-hunting seals emit a blue glow. As for whether this blue light was related to the treasure map, she wasn't sure and would have to investigate further later. However, to be on the safe side, Jenny decided to return to Hong Kong and have professionals thoroughly examine the two seals with sophisticated instruments to determine their composition and why the substance suddenly emitted light.

After a short rest at my second great-uncle's house, Jenny and Dunzi hurriedly left. I, on the other hand, stayed at my second great-uncle's house because I didn't have anything to do at the moment and wanted to find time to visit the Taoist priest who had once saved my life.

The next morning, I followed the mountain path back to Zhenyuan Temple. This time, I finally met the patrolling Taoist priest. I had thought that after seven or eight years, he would be old and frail, not as good as he used to be, but to my surprise, he hadn't changed much. He was still energetic and spirited, showing no signs of the years.

He didn't recognize me at first, but when I told him about what happened back then, he remembered me. He was very surprised and quickly invited me into the bedroom to tell me about what happened back then.

He asked me softly, "Child, tell me honestly, what exactly happened that day? Besides catching the soul-summoning beetle and encountering a floating corpse, is there anything else you're hiding from me?" I thought to myself, after so many years, why would the Taoist priest bring this up again? Could there be something important that's related to this jade seal? In order to get more clues about the seal from the Taoist priest, I told him everything that had happened.

As I recounted my story, the Taoist priest's initial slight doubt gradually disappeared. After I finished, he smiled and nodded, saying, "I see. It seems my guess was correct." "What guess? Does this have anything to do with me?" I asked casually. The priest nodded and said, "Yes, I guessed that you might have taken the white jade seal." Hearing this, I was even more confused. How did the priest know about the white jade seal? And how did he know that I had taken it? Seeing my puzzled expression, the Taoist priest chuckled and said, "This is a long story. Don't worry, let me tell you slowly."

So he began to tell me about the origin of the Faqiu seal and the secrets hidden within it, which were largely the same as what Jenny had said. However, he later mentioned that during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, the craft of feng shui and tomb construction, passed down to two men named Li Quanbao and Zhang Linsheng, descendants of the "Faqiu Zhonglangjiang" (a high-ranking official in charge of tomb construction). Although not brothers, they were as close as siblings due to their family ties. Together, they inherited the craft from their ancestors and diligently studied it, gaining considerable experience. They also accumulated a wealth of practical experience while helping others build tombs. Eventually, they developed their feng shui and tomb construction techniques to a very high level of success, and their fame grew. Many high-ranking officials, nobles, and even imperial relatives sought them out to find auspicious dragon veins and build their tombs.

Once, Empress Dowager Cixi sent people to invite them to build her mausoleum. They knew that building a tomb for Empress Dowager Cixi was an extremely dangerous undertaking. Her tomb had high requirements, a large scale, and was technically difficult to construct. Accidents and injuries were easily possible during construction. Moreover, many emperors, to protect the secrecy of their tombs from theft, would often execute all those who built them after completion, burying them alive with the deceased emperor. Therefore, to escape this calamity, one quiet night, they fled with their wives, children, and elderly relatives to a remote mountain village, living in anonymity. This mountain village is the one where my second great-uncle now lives.

However, their peaceful life was short-lived. For some reason, their secret retreat in the mountain village was eventually leaked. Empress Dowager Cixi sent troops to their village to forcibly arrest them. At that time, Li Quanbao happened to be seriously ill and on the verge of death. Therefore, the soldiers had no choice but to take Zhang Linsheng back to the capital alone to report. Since Zhang Linsheng was there to build the Empress Dowager's mausoleum, he also took the manuscripts containing information on the layout of the burial site with him.

Because of his serious illness, Li Quanbao could no longer build a mausoleum. So he had a secret chamber built in his home and placed his tomb-hunting seal in the chamber, praying to his ancestors to bless him so that he could discover the secret on the seal as soon as possible, so that he could get rid of his illness, transcend the mortal world, and live forever.

However, his piety did not bring him ancestral blessings or the secret to immortality, but rather a catastrophic disaster. Because Empress Dowager Cixi feared the secret of her mausoleum would be revealed, she secretly ordered the execution of all the craftsmen and designers involved in its construction. Even their close relatives and friends who had frequent contact with the craftsmen were not spared.

Li Quanbao and his village were implicated by Zhang Linsheng and ordered to be executed. So, on a dark and windy night, a troop of fast horses arrived at the village. Before the villagers could even understand what was happening, everyone, regardless of age or gender, was dragged from their houses and massacred. Afterwards, the soldiers set the entire village ablaze, turning it into a sea of fire.

At that time, Li Quanbao's youngest son had gone into the mountains alone to collect bird eggs and was not in the village, so he escaped the calamity. When he returned to the village, he could hardly believe the sudden disaster and wept bitterly. The next day, as he was digging a hole with his bare hands to bury his loved ones, he encountered a wandering Taoist priest. After hearing what had happened, the priest was filled with compassion and decided to take the teenager as his disciple and raise him to adulthood.

After examining the terrain, the Taoist priest realized it resembled a giant python coiled around a pearl, a place prone to accumulating resentful spirits and breeding zombies and evil ghosts. Now, with so many innocent lives lost, it wouldn't be long before this place became a terrifying realm of spirits. Therefore, to suppress the yin energy in the valley, the priest decided to build a Taoist temple on a nearby mountain. He hoped the temple and the pure yang energy from the mountaintop would harmonize the heavy yin energy in the valley and help the souls of the dead find peace. He named the temple "Zhenyuan Temple." This child later became a highly accomplished Taoist master, the master of the patrolling Taoist priest, Master Yuxu.

25. Teaching Skills

The mountain-patrolling Taoist priest continued, explaining that although Master Yuxu had initially considered descending the mountain to search for the ancestral white jade seal, he was too young at the time, and his father had never revealed the exact location of the secret chamber where the seal was hidden. Therefore, he had to abandon the idea. Later, Master Yuxu simply cast aside all selfish thoughts and devoted himself to cultivating Taoism in the mountains, eventually becoming a highly accomplished master. On his deathbed, he revealed this long-hidden secret to his disciple, the mountain-patrolling Taoist priest. He told the priest that he had observed the celestial phenomena one night and predicted that the white jade seal would soon reappear, and its secrets would be revealed. He instructed the priest that if the priest were fortunate enough to meet the person who would bring the white jade seal back to light, he must do his utmost to help him complete this arduous task of unraveling the mystery of the jade seal.

The day after the Taoist priest unintentionally saved me, he went to the valley to gather herbs. While passing the mass grave, he stumbled upon the secret passage I had dug. He then remembered that his master's words were true. Thinking it over, he realized that when he had come to gather herbs a few days earlier, the secret passage hadn't been dug yet, and the place was usually eerie and rarely visited. However, shortly after meeting me, he discovered it had been dug, so he concluded that I was very likely the one who had opened the secret passage.

So he kept hoping to see me again to confirm his theory, but seven or eight years passed in a flash, and he still hadn't heard from me. Today he finally saw me again, and naturally he couldn't wait to know if what happened back then was as he thought.

After hearing the whole story, I finally gained a better understanding of my own tomb-raiding seal. When I asked about other things related to the white jade seal, the patrolling Taoist priest didn't know anything more. Then, he took out two ancient books from his robes, handed them to me, and said, "Child, these are what my master, the Jade Void Taoist priest, left me before he passed away. He instructed me to pass them on to the person who would bring the white jade seal back to light. To unlock the secrets of this white jade seal, you will inevitably have to go through countless hardships. These two books will definitely be of help to you in the future. Stay at the temple for a few days and study them carefully. If you have any questions, come and ask me. You may leave the mountain when you have made some progress."

I took the two yellowed ancient books and examined them carefully. One was titled "Five Planets Divination," and the other "Exorcism Techniques," both appearing to be classic works of Taoism.

Having thanked the Taoist priest for his guidance and help, I temporarily settled in the idyllic "Zhenyuan Temple" under his arrangement. Although both ancient books were written in classical Chinese, with extremely difficult and obscure vocabulary, my background in history and archaeology gave me a basic understanding of classical Chinese, allowing me to manage to comprehend about 70-80%. After about three to five days, under the Taoist priest's careful instruction, I had mastered about 50-60% of the skills in the two ancient books, "Five Planets Divination" and "Exorcism Techniques."

Late that night, I was observing the celestial phenomena according to the records in the "Five Planets Divination" on the cliff outside the Taoist temple when I suddenly noticed that the Earthly Fiend Star in the western sky had suddenly brightened, the balance of heaven and earth had reversed, and yin energy was soaring into the sky. At this moment, the patrolling Taoist priest appeared behind me without me noticing, looking at the sky and asking me, "What is unusual about the celestial phenomena tonight?" "The Earthly Fiend Star has suddenly appeared, the Azure Dragon has entered the abyss, and the White Tiger has returned to the mountain. Heaven and earth are out of harmony, yin and yang are out of balance, and yin energy is soaring into the sky below the mountain. I'm afraid there are ghosts and monsters haunting the valley," I replied. After listening, the patrolling Taoist priest smiled and nodded, saying, "It seems it's time to take you for a walk in the valley." After saying that, he led me down the mountain path with him.

It was half an hour later when we reached the foot of the mountain. We continued along the path towards the mass grave in the valley. The chilling mountain winds sent shivers down our spines and made our scalps tingle; our torches were reduced to half-lit flames. Apart from the rustling of the ancient trees and leaves in the wind, we could hear nothing else.

Using the flickering firelight, we groped our way forward through the overgrown wilderness. Fortunately, the patrolling Taoist priest was quite familiar with the area, so we didn't get lost. As we approached the mass grave, we noticed that the will-o'-the-wisps, emitting an eerie blue glow, seemed to be more numerous than usual. As soon as they sensed our intrusion, they seemed to have a preordained plan, surrounding us in a dense mass from all sides.

Seeing this, I sensed something was amiss. Just then, the patrolling Taoist priest grabbed my hand and whispered, "It seems these will-o'-the-wisps are the yin eyes of the demon that dominates this valley tonight. Quickly, use the 'Heart-Guarding Mantra' with me to protect your heart meridian and prevent them from stealing your soul." Upon hearing the 'Heart-Guarding Mantra,' I remembered it was a Taoist technique described in the book "Exorcism Techniques," so I silently recited the mantra in my mind. Strangely enough, as soon as I finished reciting it, the eerie blue will-o'-the-wisps scattered and flew away like catkins in a gentle breeze.

After walking for about three to five minutes, the Taoist priest stopped. I followed his gaze and looked ahead, where I saw faint white lights emanating from a dark, desolate graveyard. The source of the light was a huge burial mound, about two or three hundred meters away from us.

"What is that?" I asked, puzzled. "A Thousand-Year Earth Soul Spirit," the patrolling Taoist priest told me softly, his eyes fixed on the burial mound. "A Thousand-Year Earth Soul Spirit?" "That's right. This Thousand-Year Earth Soul Spirit is a kind of corpse monster formed from the resentment of three dead bodies merging into one." He continued, "Although this kind of corpse monster is quite ferocious, it should be able to be subdued using the spells taught in the 'Exorcism Technique.' Why don't you go up and give it a try?" I nodded, thinking that the Taoist priest had come to test my learning over the past few days. Since it was just a test, I shouldn't be in any danger, especially with the Taoist priest protecting me. With this thought, my initial anxiety eased a little. So I walked alone towards the burial mound emitting white light.

After walking only a hundred steps or so, I felt a violent tremor from the ground. Then, with a series of loud cracking sounds, the burial mound ahead gradually split in two. A thick plume of black smoke slowly drifted out from the crack. Knowing from the records in the "Exorcism Techniques" that the black smoke released by such thousand-year-old corpse monsters was likely highly poisonous, I held my breath and stopped.

I could have used the "Turtle Breathing Technique" taught in the "Exorcism Manual" to regulate my breathing, reducing it to its weakest point, thus temporarily holding my breath and avoiding inhaling the poisonous gas. However, this technique is a superior one, requiring a year or more of arduous practice to master. I had only been on the mountain for a few days, so while I knew of the technique, I hadn't yet mastered it. Therefore, I had no choice but to stand still and wait for the smoke to dissipate before daring to approach further.

Once the smoke had mostly dissipated, I could see, by the white light emanating from the grave mound, a tall, dark figure standing atop the cracked mound, like a black demon.

Twenty-six, the Thousand-Year Earth Soul Essence

Before I could get a good look, the ancient, dark, demonic spirit before me let out a strange cry. The surrounding ghostly flames vanished instantly. Hearing this heart-wrenching scream, my heart trembled. Thankfully, the "Heart-Guarding Technique" protected my heart, preventing it from stealing my soul and killing me.

Immediately afterward, the thousand-year-old earth spirit leaped up, flying out of the cracked grave mound and landing about two or three zhang away from me. Only then did I vaguely make out the appearance of the corpse monster before me. It was completely naked, with what appeared to be three heads and six arms on its shoulders. Except for the fierce killing intent emanating from its eyes, its entire body was lifeless, like a dried corpse. And a faint stench of decay, like that of dead fish and rotten shrimp, emanated from it.

If this had happened before, I would have been terrified out of my wits the first time I saw this monstrous creature. However, having experienced the battle with the Bronze-Armored Corpse King in the ancient tomb, and now possessing Taoist magic and protected by a patrolling Taoist priest, I am no longer afraid of this monster. I stand calmly before the thousand-year-old earth spirit, showing no fear whatsoever.

Perhaps my imposing stance momentarily intimidated the thousand-year-old earth spirit. It didn't attack again, but remained motionless like me, its six eyes flashing white light, watching my every move. After about three or four minutes, the thousand-year-old earth spirit could no longer contain itself. Its six slender arms began to stretch into the air, emitting a low "woo-woo" sound. Just as I was wondering why it wasn't coming to fight me, I suddenly felt dizzy and my ears were ringing. Instantly, the entire mass grave began to sway before my eyes. Then, I saw the soil on the surrounding mounds roll down one after another. First, ghostly hands emerged from the countless mounds, and then one by one, the corpse monsters crawled out from within them.

Instantly, my heart tightened. I hadn't expected this thousand-year-old earth spirit to have accomplices. Before, the Taoist priest and I could fight two against one, having a slight advantage in numbers. But now it had summoned the corpse monsters from underground, and their numbers were now hundreds, even thousands, outnumbering us two to one. We were at a huge disadvantage in terms of numbers. Even with our strongest magic, dealing with so many corpse monsters wouldn't be easy. I couldn't help but turn around to see the patrolling Taoist priest, to see his expression. But when I turned around, I realized that the patrolling Taoist priest was nowhere to be seen. Besides the corpse monsters and evil spirits that had just crawled out of the grave mounds, there was no sign of the Taoist priest anywhere.

At that moment, the thousand-year-old earth spirit let out a cry, and the corpse monsters, as if receiving a command, simultaneously lunged at me from all directions, baring their fangs and claws. The situation was urgent, and I didn't have time to think. I bit my right index finger, quickly wrote a talisman on my left palm according to the instructions in the "Exorcism Technique," and then struck the closest corpse monster with my palm.

Strangely enough, the corpse monster remained completely unharmed by my attacks, as if my spells had no effect on it. I panicked. I had always thought the techniques taught in the "Exorcism Manual" were incredibly effective, but it seemed they could be useless at times. Just as I was losing my composure, a voice suddenly sounded in my ear, "Don't panic. What you see before you is merely an illusion created by the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit. You just need to clear your mind and focus all your energy on dealing with the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit."

Upon hearing the voice, I recognized it as the patrolling Taoist priest's. It seemed he hadn't left but had been observing everything unfolding. This reassured me, and I no longer panicked, no matter how many more corpse monsters charged at me. I aimed at the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit ahead, flipped my left hand, and struck it with my palm. The Thousand-Year Earth Spirit, believing its bewitching spell had completely disoriented me, was caught off guard by my sudden attack and failed to dodge. My palm struck it squarely. As I withdrew my hand, I saw that the blood talisman on my left palm had left a bright red mark on the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit's body. At the same time, I heard the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit let out a painful wail. The sound was like the echoes of a ghost, chilling me to the bone, as if my blood had instantly frozen.

At that moment, the dizzying sensation I had felt vanished instantly, and the countless corpse monsters around me also disappeared without a trace. I thought to myself, thank goodness the patrolling Taoist priest was there to guide me, otherwise I would have really been fooled by this thousand-year-old earth spirit.

However, that thousand-year-old earth spirit was no ordinary corpse monster; the single crimson blood seal seemed insufficient to deliver a fatal blow. After its intense pain, it immediately regained its fighting spirit, brandishing its six long arms and lunging at me with its three gaping mouths open. The stench that followed nearly suffocated me. Seeing it charge, I deftly dodged to the side, circling to its left, and simultaneously struck it again on the left side with my left palm. After a mournful cry, another bright red seal appeared on the left side of the thousand-year-old earth spirit's body.

This talisman is actually called the "Three Primal Heaven-Opening Talisman," created by Zhang Tianshi of the Five Pecks of Rice sect. Generally, a corpse monster will die after being hit by just one of these talismans. To deal with the more powerful corpse kings and corpse demons, it is only necessary to hit them with three of these talismans in a row, which will turn them into ashes.

After being struck by the seal twice, the thousand-year-old earth spirit seemed to have begun to grasp its power and dared not attack rashly again. It quickly retreated to the side, roaring loudly while vigorously rubbing the seal on its body, trying to remove it. However, the seal seemed to be naturally formed, and no matter how it tried to remove it, it could not be removed; instead, the more it tried, the brighter and redder it became.

Finally, the thousand-year-old earth spirit had no choice but to give up. Ignoring the talismans on its body, it vented its fury on me. It opened its three large mouths, and three purplish-red tongues shot out. Because the distance between us was only a little over a meter, and because its tongues shot out so quickly, I didn't react in time. As a result, my hands and feet were bound by those three soft, slimy tongues, like those of a venomous snake.

The mucus on its tongue emitted a foul stench that made me want to vomit. The tongue coating felt like a rough file, leaving bloody marks on my skin. Even more terrifying was the fact that the mucus on its long tongue seemed to be poisoned by a thousand-year-old corpse poison; the marks on my skin, initially bright red, gradually turned dark red, and finally oozed blood as black as ink.

I felt myself being bound tighter and tighter, even breathing was becoming difficult. Coupled with the corpse poison, my strength was gradually fading, and I was on the verge of defeat. What to do? This thousand-year-old earth spirit had already been struck twice by the "Three Elements Heaven-Opening Talisman," only one more spell needed to send it back to its homeland. But now I was bound tightly, like a giant meatball; forget about attacking again, even escaping the thousand-year-old earth spirit's demonic maw would be difficult. I thought the patrolling Taoist priest beside me would surely come to my rescue, but after waiting for a long time, there was no movement. Just then, I saw the thousand-year-old earth spirit's six ghostly hands, like six sharp swords, swiftly stabbing towards my chest. Seeing that I was about to be pierced through the heart and die, I couldn't help but feel extremely anxious.

Just when my attack was about to crumble, I suddenly remembered another Taoist technique from the "Exorcism Manual"—the "Crimson Blood Universe Curse." I bit my tongue hard, and a rush of blood immediately filled my mouth. I silently recited the incantation, then spat a mouthful of blood onto the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit's tongue with a "pfft." Instantly, the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit's three sticky, long tongues seemed to be doused with gasoline, quickly bursting into flames. Now, the Thousand-Year Earth Spirit's six ghostly hands dared not attack rashly again, and the tongue that had been binding me was quickly burned away.

Seeing my opportunity, I swiftly dodged to its right, raised my left hand, and struck the thousand-year-old earth spirit's right ribs with a powerful blow. In that instant, I heard the thousand-year-old earth spirit let out a piercing scream. The sound was like the shattering of bells and chimes, like the mournful howl of a ghostly wolf; the sharp sound waves pierced through the empty wilderness and drilled into my eardrums. Suddenly, I felt as if my head had split open; the world spun, my vision went black, and a surge of blood rushed to my chest. I could no longer stand, and with a thud, I collapsed onto the overgrown grave mound.

27. Manuscript

In a hazy state, I felt myself in a vast, empty place, surrounded by darkness, seemingly boundless. Occasionally, I could hear mournful cries echoing from afar. Looking down, it seemed as if I were floating in mid-air, not on the ground. A chill ran down my spine—had I somehow entered the underworld? Just as I was gripped by panic, I suddenly heard a slow, deep voice from above: "Si...Nan..." It was calling my name. Instinctively, I looked up and saw a bright spot appear in the dark sky, gradually growing larger and brighter. The intense light blinded me. My body inexplicably began to slowly drift towards the source of the voice.

About half an incense stick's time later, I felt a sudden, violent shaking. I jolted open my eyes and found myself still lying in the overgrown graveyard. The Taoist priest was already beside me, shaking me vigorously while softly calling my name. Seeing that I was awake, the Taoist priest's expression softened slightly, and he asked softly, "You've finally woken up. Do you feel anything amiss?" I nodded and replied, "I'm fine. Did I just faint?" "No, you didn't faint. To be precise, you took a trip to the underworld." He said with a smile, "After being struck by your final 'Three Elements Heaven-Opening Talisman,' the thousand-year-old earth spirit emitted a 'Mysterious Sound of the Netherworld' at the moment of its death, which captured your soul. Fortunately, you had already used the 'Heart-Guarding Mantra' beforehand..." "I protected your heart meridian, and then I used the 'Soul Searching Technique' to summon your soul back in time, which prevented a major disaster. Now, the corpse poison in your body has been completely removed, so you should be fine." Hearing the patrolling Taoist priest say this, my heart tightened suddenly. I thought, "I really just walked through the gates of hell. I never imagined that this thousand-year-old earth spirit was so vicious, even wanting to die with me. Fortunately, the Taoist priest's magic power is so great that I was spared from death once again." So I knelt down and bowed to the patrolling Taoist priest, thanking him for saving my life again.

The Taoist priest smiled and helped me up, saying, "You've now mastered the basics of Five Star Divination and Exorcism. With continued diligent study, you're sure to achieve great things. What you lack now is practical experience; just be extra careful when dealing with various undead monsters and corpses." I nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Taoist priest." Afterward, I followed the patrolling Taoist priest back to Zhenyuan Temple.

The next day, I bid farewell to the Taoist priest and returned to Hangzhou. As soon as I got back to my lodgings, I received a call from Dunzi, saying that Jenny had made a new discovery and I needed to come over immediately. I quickly dropped off my luggage, changed my clothes, and rushed to Dunzi's antique shop. Upon entering, I saw three or four unfamiliar customers sitting in the reception room, while Dunzi was showing them gold and jade artifacts retrieved from Song Dynasty tombs, enthusiastically boasting about their extraordinary origins. Seeing me arrive, Dunzi instructed his secretary to continue attending to the customers, quietly telling them to set high prices, and then he and I went back to his manager's office.

After entering the office, Dunzi closed the door and said, "I just received a call from Jenny last night. She said there are new test results for the two jade seals, and the secret of the treasure map may have a new breakthrough. Their plane will arrive in Hangzhou this afternoon. I've already booked a hotel. We'll go to the airport together later and discuss the next steps." I was also very excited after hearing this.

It was around 7 PM when we arrived at our hotel room. Jenny took out two white jade seals and a stack of documents from the safe and said, “The two jade seals have been tested by an internationally recognized testing agency in the United States. Carbon-14 dating analysis confirms they are genuine artifacts from the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Spectroscopic analysis shows they are hydrous calcium magnesium silicate. They are microfibrous or massive mineral aggregates, primarily composed of tremolite and actinolite from the amphibole group of rock-forming minerals, containing trace amounts of other minerals. The chemical composition is Ca2(Mg,Fe2+)5(Si4O11)2(OH)2.” She paused slightly and added, “However, strangely, the outer surface of these two jade seals seems to have a very special layer of radioactive material, with its emission period varying periodically. According to experts, the luminescence you observed is very likely related to the emission period of this radioactive material on the surface of the two jade seals.”

Upon hearing that it was radioactive, Dunzi immediately tensed up and asked, "Miss Jenny, are you saying that these two little things are actually radioactive?" Jenny smiled and explained, "Don't be so nervous. The radiation intensity of this kind of radioactive source is usually very low and not enough to cause any harm to the human body." Dunzi was relieved after hearing her explanation.

I picked up the two tomb raiding seals, examined them carefully, and then asked, "You mean that when the radioactive material on the surface of the two jade seals simultaneously reaches its maximum period under certain conditions, the mutual diffraction of the radioactive waves strengthens the intensity of the radiation waves, thereby enhancing the magnetic field energy on the jade seals and causing them to emit a blue light?" Jenny nodded and said, "Theoretically speaking, that's the speculation the professionals gave me." After a short pause, Jenny continued, "However, they later conducted numerous calculations and tests but still couldn't find the conditions that would allow these two jade seals to simultaneously reach their maximum radioactive period."

Everyone fell silent after hearing this, seemingly sensing that things were becoming increasingly complicated. Their initial estimates appeared to have been too optimistic. And reality, however, did not unfold as smoothly as they had anticipated.

Seeing everyone's silence, Jenny took out another stack of materials, distributing a copy to each person, and explained, "These are the manuscripts of 'General of the Excavation of Tombs' left to me by my grandfather. You can study them carefully for a while and see if you can find any relevant clues." I looked closely at the materials in my hand; they were all enlarged photographs. Each one showed a slightly yellowed silk scroll. Some scrolls were covered with dense writing, while others had strange symbols and patterns drawn on them. In short, I couldn't make heads or tails of them at first glance.

When Dunzi saw the manuscripts, he felt they were like celestial script, completely incomprehensible. So he simply put the manuscripts on the table and said, "I'm absolutely good at running a business, but deciphering these cryptic texts is definitely not my forte. I think I'll have to trouble you, brother, to put in some extra effort." He then patted my shoulder and smiled. Ah Bao, who was standing nearby, also laughed and said, "Yes, I've seen these manuscripts with Miss many times, and I still can't understand them at all. It seems we really can't be of any help."

After listening to their conversation, Jenny didn't seem surprised at all. She looked at me and said, "I expected this outcome. It seems that this problem can only be solved by you and me working together." After saying that, she placed the two white jade seals in my hand and continued, "During this time, you should concentrate on carefully studying these manuscripts and jade seals. The others will be responsible for collecting other clues and information outside. If there are any suspicious points, we can discuss and solve them together."

I knew this wasn't an easy task, but among the four of us, I really couldn't find anyone more suitable than myself, since I do have a formal education in the field. So, without further hesitation, I accepted this arduous assignment.

28. The Mystery of Divine Light

Since retrieving the photographs of the Tomb Raider's manuscripts and the white jade seal from Jenny, I've secluded myself in my quarters to study them meticulously. I started with the manuscripts, translating and organizing all their contents, then comparing and contrasting the strange symbols and patterns on them. After two or three days of effort, I had roughly organized and translated about 70-80% of the content. Much of it consisted of ancient Yin-Yang techniques, astrology, and numerology, with some information on ancient tomb structures and mechanisms. However, the remaining 20-30% was utterly chaotic and incomprehensible. The sentences seemed completely unrelated, making it impossible to understand what they were saying.

After three to five days of agonizing thought, there was still no breakthrough. Jenny came two or three times to inquire about the progress and analyzed the manuscript with me, trying to deduce the profound meaning that might be hidden in it, but we didn't seem to come up with any correct conclusions.

That day, Jenny came to my place again to study the secrets of the jade seal and the manuscript with me. After a whole day of deduction and prediction, we still hadn't come to any conclusions. But by this time, both of us were feeling very tired from overworking our brains, so we simply made ourselves a cup of coffee and sat on the balcony to rest for a while.

It happened to be a full moon night, and the moon, just rising above the treetops, was incredibly beautiful. We admired the moonlight while chatting casually. Jenny smiled and asked me, "Do you think we can solve the mystery of this celestial book?" "You can't ask me that; you should ask God," I replied with a smile, taking a sip of my fragrant latte. Jenny laughed and said, "So you're that insecure?" "I used to be very confident, but ever since I encountered these celestial books, I can't think of any reason to be confident anymore," I replied with a wry smile.

Jenny didn't say anything more. Actually, I knew she was getting anxious because there hadn't been any progress for the past few days. But there really wasn't any other way. If this step couldn't be resolved, the next step couldn't proceed. Everyone understood this perfectly well, so it really was up to fate.

Jenny picked up an orange, cut it into four wedges, and handed me half. As I ate, I casually played with the two white jade seals. Suddenly, I noticed a slight change in the seals. Under the bright moonlight, I saw a faint blue glow emanating from the edges of the seals. However, this time the blue light was extremely weak; it was almost imperceptible without close inspection.

Suddenly, I felt as if I'd been electrocuted and jumped to my feet. Jenny seemed startled by my sudden movement as well, and immediately stood up, asking, "What's wrong?" "Look, it seems to be glowing again," I said, pointing with my left hand to the two tomb raiding seals I was holding in my right. Jenny was quite surprised and quickly came closer to examine them more closely.

Under the moonlight, the two seals emitted a faint, thin layer of blue light. Although it was very subtle, it could still be seen upon close inspection. Jenny and I were immediately thrilled and quickly called Dunzi and Abao to come over as well.

In less than fifteen minutes, all four of us had arrived. After the initial excitement, we began to ponder. The two white jade seals had emitted a blue light twice, once intensely and once faintly. Once in front of the bronze-armored corpse king in the tomb, and once in my own hand at my residence. But what did the conditions under which they emitted the light have in common? I had a vague feeling that since fate had allowed me to witness the white jade seals emitting light again, it meant that fate was on our side, and we were only one step away from the truth.

We started by comparing the date and time of this day with the date and time of our previous visit to the ancient tomb, but there seemed to be no common ground. We then examined many surrounding environmental factors, but still couldn't find a reasonable answer, and we were once again at a standstill.

Time passed quickly, and looking at his watch, it was already close to midnight. Dunzi stretched and said, "I'm really too sleepy. You guys continue the discussion, I'm going to my room to take a nap. Call me if there's any progress." After saying that, he picked up a segment of orange that Jenny had cut earlier and popped it into his mouth. While chewing, he squinted and said, "This orange wasn't good, it's too sour."

"Sour!" When I overheard Dunzi casually mention the word, a sudden flash of inspiration struck me. I slapped my forehead and exclaimed, "How come I didn't think of that?" The others perked up immediately. Dunzi, no longer wanting to sleep, eagerly asked, "What did you think of? Come on, tell me!" Seeing their anxious expressions, I deliberately kept them in suspense, calmly picking up another orange and cutting it with a knife. Seeing that I was deliberately teasing them, Dunzi snatched the orange from my hand, saying, "Hey, stop being so mysterious! If you like sour oranges, I'll bring you a whole box tomorrow so you can eat your fill!"

Seeing their anxious expressions, I couldn't bear to tease them any longer, so I said, "Although we've thought things through very thoroughly, there's one thing we haven't considered." "What is it?" Dunzi asked impatiently. "Sour," I said. "Sour?" "Yes, sour. When we encountered the bronze-armored corpse king in the Song Dynasty tomb, I noticed it carried a strong acidic substance, even its internal fluids were highly acidic. And when the bronze-armored corpse king approached the seals, they emitted a blue light. This time, it was while I was eating an orange and observing these two white jade seals that the acidic substance from the orange juice on my hands caused them to emit a blue light again." I explained calmly.

Everyone suddenly understood after I explained it. Jenny muttered to herself, "So, the key to making the radioactive materials on the two jade seals reach the same peak value is to place them in a certain acidic environment." I nodded in agreement.

I picked up the two white jade seals again and examined them closely. Perhaps because several hours had passed, the acidic substance that had adhered to the seals might have evaporated, as the two seals had returned to their normal state and no longer emitted any light. To confirm my deduction, I lightly dipped my finger in orange juice and smeared it on the two seals. After about ten seconds, we indeed saw a faint blue light emanating from the two white jade seals again, indistinct and ethereal.

29. Shadow of Divine Light

Everyone was overjoyed to see that my prediction had come true. Dunzi couldn't contain his excitement and stood on the balcony shouting. But then we heard someone downstairs open a window and yell, "Do you know what time it is? Can't a person get any sleep?!" We realized then that it was almost dawn, so we smiled at each other and hurried back to our rooms.

We agreed to meet again the next day to continue discussing and researching the clues about the treasure map on the two tomb raiding seals, and then everyone went back to rest. Because I had been racking my brains for the past few days trying to figure out the mystery of the white jade seal's glow, I felt much more relaxed once the problem was solved. As soon as I got into bed, I fell into a deep and sound sleep.

The following afternoon, we arrived at Dunzi's antique shop as previously agreed. Dunzi and Abao had already prepared various acidic solutions for our testing, as agreed beforehand.

I applied various acidic solutions, one by one, to the outer surface of the white jade seal using cotton balls. The seal exhibited varying degrees of luster under the catalysis of these solutions with different pH values. After testing, we determined that a weakly acidic solution had the best catalytic effect. Therefore, we decided to use it as material to observe the luminescence of the white jade seal and search for clues related to the treasure map.

To better observe the luminescence of the seals, we turned off all the lights in the room and drew all the curtains. The two white jade seals, stimulated by the acidic solution, once again emitted a faint blue glow. This time, the light was even brighter than the first time we saw it in the ancient tomb; it was a bluish-green, almost dazzling blue. However, apart from this, nothing else was visible on the surface of the seals.

We had initially thought that the light emanating from the white jade seal would reveal the treasure map hidden within. However, it seems that this isn't the case. Aside from the existing cicada-shaped carving and Han Dynasty seal script, there was nothing else on the white jade seal. Although the four of us strained our eyes and used magnifying glasses, we still found nothing, even as our eyes began to tire and ache.

"Could there be something wrong with our observation method?" Jenny began to doubt our initial idea. Hearing her question, I nodded and said, "Very likely. We had a preconceived notion that the white jade seal's glow would reveal the treasure map inside, but that's not actually the case." "If we don't use this method, what other ways do we have to observe it?" Dunzi asked, slightly annoyed. Abao just looked at me and then at Jenny with a puzzled expression, but didn't say a word.

Although we haven't seen what everyone hoped for, my intuition tells me that our research over the past few days is on the right track. The treasure map clues hidden in the seal must be closely related to the jade seal's luminous phenomenon. We just haven't yet figured out how these treasure map clues are presented through the jade seal's luminescence. If we can figure out this method, we can find the correct observation method and truly see the secret of the treasure map.

The human brain often experiences this feeling: something is right in front of you, yet your mind seems to suddenly freeze, making it impossible to understand what's happening. Something so close yet feels like an insurmountable chasm. This is exactly the situation we're experiencing right now. I'm repeatedly slapping my forehead and muttering to myself, "Where am I stuck? Where am I stuck?"