Великий божественный суд династии Цин

Глава 18

22. Returning to Hangzhou

The research progressed very slowly after that, which was different from what I had expected. I had been with Professor Cheng and his team for about twenty or thirty days. During that time, I received a call from Dunzi, saying that Jenny and Abao had recovered and been discharged from the hospital and hoped to see me as soon as possible to decipher the secrets of this ancient scroll. So, after much consideration, I finally decided to take the deciphered "Ghost Domain Inscription" information back to Hangzhou to try my luck and see if I could uncover even a corner of the scroll's mystery. Having made up my mind, I said goodbye to Professor Cheng and Hua Yang, asking them to notify me immediately if there were any major breakthroughs. Then I boarded the train back to Hangzhou.

Back in Hangzhou, Dunzi picked me up from the station and took me back to my place. Jenny and Abao had prepared a sumptuous dinner to welcome me home and celebrate their successful recovery and discharge from the hospital. During dinner, I recounted in detail what had happened at Professor Cheng's place. When I described my battle of wits with Yue Laosan and the others in the ancient tomb, Dunzi listened intently. Finally, I showed everyone the simple "Ghost Domain Inscriptions" and Chinese character comparison manual I had made. Seeing the manual, everyone seemed very happy and full of confidence in solving the mystery of the ancient scroll.

After dinner, we drew the curtains in the room, and then Jenny took out the ancient scroll she had been carefully keeping. We had examined it many times since we brought it back from the treasure cave of the Tomb Raider General in the Northeast. The scroll was pieced together from several pieces of unknown animal hide. When unfolded, it was about 1.5 meters long and 25 centimeters wide. The scroll itself was made of ivory, inlaid with gold, silver, and gemstones. Due to its age, both the ivory and the hide had yellowed and darkened, presenting a yellowish-brown color. The "Ghost Realm Inscriptions" on the scroll seemed to have been pre-drawn on the skin, and then the hide was scraped off to create the scroll, rather than being written on later. This way, even over a long period of time, the writing on the hide would not fade or blur due to the erosion of time.

On this fragment, all the "Ghost Realm Inscriptions" are only about the size of a fingernail, except for the first four characters, which are noticeably larger, about the size of a one-yuan coin. This is clearly the title of the fragment. Referring to a comparison manual of the "Ghost Realm Inscriptions" and Chinese characters, we had to translate each of the four "Ghost Realm Inscriptions" characters into Chinese characters. And so, the four characters "葬地玄经" (Zangdi Xuanjing) appeared before us.

"So the text in this fragment is called 'The Mysterious Scripture of Burial Grounds'," Dunzi said, looking at the scroll before him. "Could it be related to ordinary funeral practices?" Hearing this, I pondered for a moment and replied, "Life and death are two opposing yet interconnected concepts. They influence and connect with each other, and can even transform into one another. The process of going from birth to death and then from death to birth is perfectly natural. Immortality is linked to life, and funerals are linked to death. Since this fragment tells of a secret of immortality, it's not strange to start with death." Everyone agreed with my explanation and seemed quite pleased. This proved that the "Ghost Realm Inscriptions" and Chinese character comparison manual I had brought back was indeed very useful. So we continued to examine the "Ghost Realm Inscriptions" and Chinese character comparison manual.

However, during the subsequent translation process, my fears began to materialize. Because the number of "Ghost Realm Inscriptions" on this fragment was quite large, many characters appeared that weren't listed in the traditional Chinese character comparison manual. Since there were no comparable Chinese characters, we couldn't determine their exact meanings, which greatly hampered our translation and reading of the "Burial Ground Mystery Scripture." Therefore, I explained, "The 'Ghost Realm Inscriptions' we've deciphered this time are based on the corresponding characters recorded on that 'Inscribed Stone Tablet.' Because the stone tablet is limited in size and contains only a few characters, we've only deciphered a small portion of the 'Ghost Realm Inscriptions.' To decipher them all, we'll probably have to wait a while." "Wait a while? I'm so impatient! I really want to unlock this secret of the 'Burial Ground Mystery Scripture' as soon as possible!" Dunzi said. "Since getting involved in this, I haven't had a good night's sleep. My mind is constantly filled with thoughts..." "I've been dreaming about the secrets hidden in this tattered scroll, even in my sleep," Jenny said. "Yes, I understand how you feel. Actually, aren't we all like that? We all want to unravel this secret as soon as possible and clear up our doubts. But haste makes waste. We can only rely on searching for clues bit by bit, peeling back the layers to gradually unravel this secret. Right now, only a part of the 'Ghost Domain Inscription' has been deciphered. Whether we can unravel the rest depends firstly on our continued efforts, and secondly, perhaps on whether we have the right opportunity."

Jenny's words fell silent. We had no idea what would happen next. If, as Jenny said, we didn't encounter the so-called "fate," the secret of this incomplete scroll would remain unsolved, and all our previous efforts would be in vain. Therefore, everyone felt a sense of frustration and helplessness. This atmosphere of despair lingered until late at night when everyone dispersed.

Several days passed without any new news from Hua Yang and Professor Cheng, suggesting that progress there wasn't going smoothly either. Afterwards, Jenny, needing to handle some company matters, decided to temporarily return to Hong Kong with Ah Bao. Dunzi resumed his antique trading business as usual. Although he hadn't managed to retrieve many treasures from his expedition to the Tomb Raider's Lair due to the cave collapse, the few antiques he'd collected along the way, which he'd packed into his backpack, had brought him a considerable windfall. As for me, I couldn't shake the lingering thought about the "Burial Ground Mystery Scripture." Every time I saw this scroll, temporarily left behind by Jenny, I felt there was something we could do, but I didn't know where to begin.

Seeing that I was losing my appetite and had become very thin, Dunzi suggested taking me on a trip for a few days to clear my head and put this matter aside, so I wouldn't ruin my health because of it. I knew Dunzi was just as anxious as I was; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to see me every few days to ask about Professor Cheng and the others' progress. But since he meant well, and I really wanted to get away and relieve my anxiety, I agreed to his suggestion.

That day, Dunzi came to me with some information about tourist attractions, wanting me to tell him which scenic spots he wanted to visit so he could plan his itinerary. Looking at all these famous mountains and rivers, I felt no interest in traveling at all. But when I saw a tourist brochure about the Shuanglong Cave Scenic Area in Jinhua, Zhejiang, something suddenly came to mind. So I said to Dunzi, "It seems we've overlooked something." Hearing this, Dunzi sensed something was amiss and became quite excited, quickly asking, "What have we overlooked? Tell me, tell me quickly!" Seeing his anxious look, I found it amusing and replied with a smile, "Do you remember I told you that Li Shaojun discovered this 'inscribed stone tablet' in a cave in the Qinling Mountains? I think if we can find that mysterious cave, maybe we can find some clues inside?" Dunzi thought for a moment and then replied, "Although the chances of finding clues in that cave aren't very high, we don't have any other feasible methods right now, so we have to try our luck. After all, there's still a glimmer of hope." With their minds made up, the two saw a glimmer of hope—

23. Seeking Talismans and Discussing Ghosts

Afterwards, Dunzi called Jenny in Hong Kong to discuss our newly finalized plan. I called Professor Cheng, first inquiring about their recent research on the "Ghost Domain Inscriptions," and then asking him about information regarding the cave Li Shaojun had accidentally discovered, based on our current data. From this, I roughly determined that the cave was located in the central Qinling Mountains. In the following days, I carefully studied the region's geography, ecology, and customs. Although I had previously visited Taibai County in the Qinling Mountains, I had been forced there by Yue Laosan and his group, so I hadn't had time to thoroughly research the area's geography. This time, to better complete the search for the ancient cave, I decided to first gain a comprehensive understanding of the area's environment. Dunzi actively took charge of preparing the equipment needed for the expedition.

That day, I was at home engrossed in studying a map of the Qinling Mountains when Dunzi suddenly burst in, beaming. "Good news! Good news!" I asked, puzzled by his seemingly random words. "What good news?" I replied. "Did you crack those 'ghost domain inscriptions'?" Dunzi answered, "No, not really. We were planning a trip to Shaanxi, weren't we? Although you just came back from there a few days ago, it was a brief visit. And while I served in the army there a few years ago, I haven't been to the mountains much. Going back would be unfamiliar with the area, so finding the ancient caves on our own would definitely take a lot more effort."

Hearing what Dunzi said, I felt he was telling the truth, so I nodded in agreement. Dunzi continued, "A couple of days ago, I suddenly remembered a friend I knew from when I was in the army in Shaanxi. His hometown is in the central Qinling Mountains, so I managed to find his contact number. I finally got in touch with him this morning. When he heard we were going into the mountains to find a cave, he readily agreed to personally lead us in for the first time. With him guiding us, we'll avoid a lot of unnecessary detours." Hearing that Dunzi had found us a local guide was indeed good news, so I asked, "What does he do? Is he really familiar with that mountainous forest?" "Of course," Dunzi said proudly. "His ancestors were hunters in the mountains. After liberation, his father became a forest ranger. After his father passed away, he took over his father's position as a forest ranger. You could say that there's no one in their area who knows that forest better than him."

If that's what Dunzi said, then that person really is a good guide candidate. So I patted Dunzi on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Great job! I'll give you a big thumbs up for that. By the way, is the equipment for going into the mountains ready?" "Besides some imported professional equipment, Jenny said they'd be responsible for shipping it over. I've already asked a friend to prepare the rest, so don't worry. Oh, by the way, are you free tomorrow?" Dunzi asked me. "What's up?" "I'm thinking of going to Zhenyuan Temple again tomorrow to get some peace charms, so I can ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to everyone on the road." Dunzi said with a smile, "These things are really effective, but unfortunately, I spent too much time in the water when I escaped from the Faqiu Cave last time, and they melted." Hearing what Dunzi said, I thought that I hadn't been out for a while anyway, so it would be good to visit my second uncle's house as well. So I readily agreed.

The next day, Dunzi and I returned to Zhenyuan Temple. After we told the patrolling Taoist priest about our perilous journey to the treasure cave of the Tomb Raider General, even he was worried sick. But when Dunzi mentioned the two powerful "peace talismans," the patrolling Taoist priest smiled and said, "It seems this is truly fate. The 'peace talisman' in our temple is said to have been created by Zhang Tianshi of the Five Pecks of Rice sect. It's drawn on yellow cotton paper with white chicken feathers dipped in black dog blood, then folded in a special way. It's specifically used to ward off all kinds of evil spirits. Last time, you unintentionally obtained these two 'peace talismans,' which helped you escape danger on your journey to find the treasure cave. It seems this is also fate." The patrolling Taoist priest paused for a moment and then explained, "Actually, those so-called..." Ghosts and zombies are actually created from an extremely yin energy. If this yin energy doesn't find anything to attach itself to, and simply wanders around, it becomes what we call a ghost; if this yin energy attaches itself to a corpse and lingers for a long time, thus controlling the corpse's actions, it forms what we call a zombie. Therefore, once this yin energy is broken, these so-called ghosts and zombies naturally cease to exist. The 'peace talisman' you see is made by combining three extremely yang and yang elements, possessing the function of neutralizing and dispelling yin energy, and therefore is naturally the nemesis of those so-called ghosts and zombies.

Hearing the Taoist priest's explanation, I suddenly recalled a report I'd read before. It mentioned that some foreign scientists discovered through experiments that at the moment of sudden death, a certain energy within the body vanishes, and the person's weight decreases dramatically. The scientists explained that the disappearance of brainwaves leads to the loss of a certain bio-energy within the body, thus reducing the body's mass. These brainwaves, detached from the body, roam freely in space, becoming ionized waves. If these ionized brainwaves resonate with someone's brainwaves, the person's bio-energy field suddenly increases, potentially causing them to see strange phenomena not normally seen—phenomena known as ghosts. Furthermore, if these ionized brainwaves interfere with and control the actions of corpses with strong willpower and residual bio-energy after death, this phenomenon of the corpse becoming active again is what people commonly call a zombie. If we follow this theory, the yin energy the Taoist priest mentioned could very well be some kind of ionized brainwave existing in this vast universe. But what secrets are hidden in this "peace charm"? How can it break through these bio-electric waves? I couldn't figure it out for the time being.

As I was pondering this, I heard Dunzi say with a hint of regret, "It's a pity that those two talismans from last time dissolved completely after being soaked in water for too long when we escaped from the Chuqiu Baodong Cave." Dunzi then smiled and continued, "That's why I came all the way from Hangzhou this time, hoping to obtain a few more 'peace talismans' from your temple to carry with me for protection." The patrolling Taoist priest smiled and said, "That's no problem at all." He then took out several "peace talismans" from inside his outer garment and placed them in Dunzi's hand, saying, "I happen to have a few 'peace talismans' here, obtained during the ritual to worship the Three Pure Ones held at the temple the other day. You can take them and use them." Dunzi accepted the talismans and thanked him repeatedly. Afterwards, I asked the Taoist priest a few questions about the Five Elements Divination and Exorcism Techniques, and we talked until the sun was setting before bidding farewell to the patrolling Taoist priest and going down the mountain to stay temporarily at my second uncle's house.

Just as we returned to Hangzhou from our second uncle's small mountain village, Dunzi received a long-distance call from Hong Kong. It was Abao calling, saying he had already shipped some of the equipment for mountaineering to Hangzhou and that Dunzi should hurry and pick it up. He also mentioned that Jenny was currently in Hong Kong holding shareholder meetings at several of her multinational companies to finalize business plans, and that she and Abao would come over after the meetings, though it might take another two or three days. He asked Dunzi to arrange hotel accommodations for them.

After receiving the call, Dunzi and I were both very excited because we could set off again. However, amidst the excitement, we were still a little worried, wondering if this trip into the mountains would be as treacherous as the previous ones—

24. Xi'an Antique Trading Market

Time flies, and three days passed in the blink of an eye. When Dunzi and I saw Jenny again at the airport, I felt inexplicably excited. Jenny was wearing a pure white dress, paired with black sunglasses and a belt. Although her outfit was simple, her noble and charming aura was undeniable. Behind her, Abao, wearing a dark suit and black sunglasses, slowly walked from the airport exit, pushing a cart full of luggage.

As soon as Dunzi saw them, he waved and shouted, "Miss Jenny, Mr. Leopard, we're here!" Jenny and the others looked in our direction when they heard Dunzi's shout. When they saw Dunzi and me, their faces immediately lit up with happy smiles, and they walked straight towards us.

Dunzi and I quickly loaded their luggage into Dunzi's car. While loading, Dunzi chuckled and said, "Hehe, so much luggage! It seems Miss Jenny is planning to stay here for a while, isn't she?" "Yes," Jenny replied, glancing at me. "I've handed over the Hong Kong affairs to the relevant personnel, instructing them to contact me via the internet and phone to report on the company's operations." "This time I've brought better equipment," she continued, "and I'm ready to stay with everyone for a while, hoping to unravel the mystery that's been troubling us." As she spoke, Jenny removed her sunglasses, revealing her clear, bright eyes.

On the way back from the airport, I briefly discussed my thoughts with Jenny and Abao, telling them that this trip to the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi to find the cave that originally housed the "inscribed stone tablet" was just a last resort, and there was no guarantee of any major discoveries or breakthroughs. So, I told them to keep a calm mindset. If we ended up finding nothing, they shouldn't be too disappointed. As we talked, we arrived at the hotel that Dunzi had booked for Jenny and the others. It was around 8:30 PM. After settling them in at the hotel and letting them rest, Dunzi and I went back to our respective accommodations.

The next day, Dunzi retrieved all the equipment and supplies that Abao had shipped from Hong Kong. Upon opening the package, besides the various tools and equipment we had used before, there were several new items, including four sets of lightweight diving gear and four sets of infrared night vision devices. But strangely, apart from a few high-quality knives, we didn't see the crossbows, hunting rifles, and other weapons we had used before. "How can we manage without weapons?" Dunzi was puzzled and muttered, "I clearly explained to Ah Bao on the phone last time that I should get him some handy equipment, but now, let alone any decent guns or cannons, I haven't even seen those firewood sticks we used before." I looked at the large wooden crate containing the equipment and found that there wasn't a single crossbow inside. So I smiled and comforted Dunzi, saying, "Don't you know Ah Bao's personality? Don't you trust him? There are no weapons in this crate because customs might be checking them. He must have his own plans, so don't worry too much." Hearing this, Dunzi's furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he smiled and said, "That's true. The previous hunting rifles and crossbows were all obtained by Jenny from clients and friends in mainland China through her connections. If we brought them directly from Hong Kong, they would definitely have been confiscated at the airport."

Just then, Jenny and Ah Bao walked in. Seeing that the shipped items had arrived, they quickly came forward to inspect them. At this moment, Dunzi asked Ah Bao with a smile, "Ah Bao, why didn't you get a weapon or two this time? I didn't even see one of those crossbows from last time." Ah Bao replied with difficulty, "I prepared everything a long time ago, but I just couldn't bring it over. You know, it's illegal for individuals to own firearms here. Those guns last time were obtained by Jenny through her business connections with some old clients here. Unfortunately, some were lost, and some broke. This time, I really have no choice. I can only take it one step at a time and try to borrow some from the hunters there." Dunzi was very disappointed upon hearing this, but he had no other options at the moment.

Xi'an, formerly known as Chang'an, and also called Xidu, Xijing, Daxingcheng, Jingzhaocheng, and Fengyuancheng, is the city in Chinese history that served as the capital for the most dynasties and for the longest period. From the Western Zhou Dynasty, when slavery reached its zenith, to the Tang Dynasty, when feudal society reached its peak, twelve dynasties—Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Xin, Western Jin (Emperor Min), Former Zhao, Former Qin, Later Qin, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang—established their capitals here for over 1100 years. Our first stop on this trip was Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province. My first impression of Xi'an was the abundance of ancient historical sites on this ancient land, a feature that sparked my strong interest as an archaeology student. I really wanted to explore this ancient city thoroughly. However, due to our very important tasks at the moment, we had to postpone our visit.

Since Dunzi had served in the military near Xi'an before, he was quite familiar with the area. As soon as we got off the plane, Dunzi led us to a quiet hotel to stay in. He then said he would go out into the city to find some friends and get some clues, before hurriedly heading out. Jenny and I couldn't stay in the room any longer, so we went out to sample Xi'an's local snacks. After asking around, we finally arrived at the Muslim Quarter in Xi'an, which we heard was the heart of Xi'an's culinary scene. After finding a place to sit, I eagerly ordered roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), jiangshui mian (noodles in fermented bean curd soup), and some lamb skewers. These things were cheap but incredibly delicious. Jenny said it was somewhat similar to the dai pai dongs (open-air food stalls) in Hong Kong's night markets. In Hong Kong's night markets, you can find all sorts of delicious food—fish balls, rice noodles, barbecue, seafood—almost everything—not only delicious but also inexpensive.

After a satisfying meal, the three of us wandered aimlessly through the streets and stumbled upon a small market. Upon entering, we discovered it was an antique market. My interest was piqued, so I hurried inside to see what the prices were like. I thought to myself, Xi'an is the ancient capital of twelve dynasties, with a long history and numerous historical sites. The number of artifacts unearthed there is astonishing, so there must be a considerable number of antiques in private hands. However, the reality was quite different. To my eye, this market, like antique markets in other parts of China, displayed far more fakes than genuine items.

As the three of us were about to leave after strolling around the market, a man approached us. He was thin, with messy hair covered in dandruff, looking like he hadn't groomed it in a while. His eyes, already small, became slits when he smiled at us, revealing a mouthful of large, yellow teeth. He had a high, slightly hooked nose, and a few sparse whiskers around his mouth. He had a somewhat cunning look about him. He slowly moved closer to us and then softly asked, "What kind of items are you looking for, gentlemen? Would you like to take a look at mine? I guarantee you'll be satisfied." Hearing that he was an antique dealer, I ignored him and continued walking. Seeing that we weren't interested, the dealer pulled out a ceramic jar from his pocket, held it up to us, and said, "Friends, look, isn't this nice? Guaranteed to be authentic. If you like it, the price is negotiable."

25. Warring States Period Bronze Jue (wine vessel)

I glanced at it briefly and immediately recognized it as a contemporary fake. So I said, "If you want one of these imitation pottery jars, I can fill a whole cart for you. The price is negotiable. Do you want one?" I smiled at him. The vendor seemed a little embarrassed by my words, but he was, after all, an experienced businessman. Seeing that I had seen through his fake, he didn't show much panic. He hesitated for a moment, then said softly to us, "I really didn't recognize your talent! It turns out you're all experts. Judging from your accents, you're from the south, right?" I nodded and replied, "Yes." "To be honest," he continued, "there are more and more people collecting these days, but truly valuable genuine items are becoming increasingly rare. To maintain appearances, those of us in this business have to produce a few fakes to fool the laymen and make a living." He hesitated slightly, then looked at us and added, "But if you think you can't find a genuine piece here in Xi'an, you're mistaken." As he spoke, he carefully looked around, and only after confirming that there were no other people nearby did he pull out a porcelain snuff bottle from his person. I took it, glanced at it briefly, and then handed it back to him, saying, "You're a good actor, but is this snuff bottle really worth all this mystery? It's true that it's from the Republic of China era, but there are plenty of these kinds of things in circulation now, and they're not worth much. If you don't have anything genuine, don't bother us."

Upon hearing this, the antique dealer seemed a little surprised and said softly, "Friend, you really have a good eye. Well, if you're really looking for something good, I do have one. But I didn't dare bring it to this crowded market. If you're interested, could you come and take a look?" "What good stuff do you have?" Jenny asked curiously. The antique dealer looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to our conversation before covering his mouth with his hand and whispering, "A bronze jue (wine vessel). It's a bit damaged, but the condition is still quite good. I reckon it's from the Warring States period." After saying that, he looked around again and asked, "So, are you all interested in taking a look?" Hearing this, I hesitated. We hadn't planned on buying any antiques this time; we were just casually talking to him. I didn't expect him to take it so seriously and insist on taking us to see this Warring States bronze jue. Just as I was about to decline, Jenny said, "Is it far? We're in a hurry." "Not far at all," the vendor replied, "just turn that corner and walk two hundred meters to my house. I'll show you the way. It doesn't matter if you want it or not; business is business, but friendship matters. Consider it making friends. Just come with me and I guarantee it's an authentic item." Seeing a glimmer of hope, the vendor's words became even more enticing.

I checked the time and it was still early, so I figured Dunzi wouldn't be back so soon. Back at the hotel, we didn't have much to do, so we decided to go with the vendor to take a look. We hoped this would give us a better understanding of the antique market in Xi'an, and hopefully provide some insights for Dunzi when he and I do business in this area in Hangzhou.

The antique dealer, delighted that we had agreed to take a look, quickly stepped forward to lead the way, chatting with us as we walked. From our conversation, we learned his name was "Han Sanshun," and that his ancestors had been poor people from this Qin Chuan region for generations. Because of his striking yellow teeth, and being the third among his brothers with the character "three" in his name, everyone in the area called him "Yellow-Teeth San." He had been dealing in antiques and funerary objects for seven or eight years and had become quite well-known in Xi'an's collecting circles.

As we chatted, we soon arrived at a small courtyard. A corner of the courtyard was piled high with coal briquettes, cardboard boxes, broken benches, and other miscellaneous items, making the already cramped courtyard feel even more congested. Inside the courtyard stood a three-story building, with about seven or eight rooms on each floor, housing over twenty families. Huang Ya San led us to a room on the second floor, invited us to sit in the living room, and then went to the inner room to fetch his things. I glanced around the living room; it was filled with old furniture, arranged very simply. Many replica antiques were piled up both inside and outside, making the place look somewhat cluttered.

Less than two minutes later, Huang Ya San came out of the inner room with a grin, carrying a wooden box. I glanced at the box in his hands. It was about the size of an ordinary wine bottle box, and was a dark red color. I couldn't tell at first whether it was made of real mahogany, but the old color on the surface of the box indicated that it was quite old. As Huang Yasan placed the wooden box on the table, he said smugly, "I was initially reluctant to sell this item, since truly good things are rare these days. This Warring States bronze jue (wine vessel) would definitely be worth more if I kept it for a few more years. However, business hasn't been good lately, and my family urgently needs money. So, I had no choice but to sell it." Huang Yasan paused, then continued, "However, I wouldn't have sold this to a layman; I certainly wouldn't have gotten a high price. Today, seeing that you are all experts, I've decided to bring it out and see if this item is meant for you." With that, he carefully unscrewed the hidden bolt on the wooden box lid and slowly opened it.

I examined the wooden box closely and saw that the gaps around the inside were stuffed with wads of yellow cloth, revealing a dark brown bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel). I carefully took it out. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a three-legged jue with a black bird and cloud pattern. Due to long-term oxidation, the original bronze color of the jue was no longer visible, showing a dark brown base. There were also many greenish-white copper spots in the recessed areas of the jue's decoration. The overall appearance of the jue was indeed quite good, just as Huang Ya San had said, except for a noticeable chip on one of its legs. Judging from the shape and the lines of the patterns, it did not seem to be a later imitation. So I said, "This piece is indeed from the late Warring States period. Judging from its robust shape and the black bird pattern, I think it should be a court wine vessel of the Qin state. The Qin people were descendants of bird totems, a fact clearly recorded in history, so the Qin people liked to use black birds as decoration on many Qin artifacts."

As I examined the bronze jue (wine vessel) closely while discussing it with Jenny and the others, Huang Ya San remarked, "This friend is truly an expert. You must have heard about the artifacts unearthed from the Ancheng cellar in Hubei a while ago, right?" Hearing him suddenly mention Ancheng, I was astonished. I thought, is Huang Ya San some kind of deity who knows the purpose of our trip? Otherwise, why would he bring this up? Before I could speak, Jenny, equally puzzled, spoke up. She asked Huang Ya San, "Why did you bring this up? Did you get this from there?" "No, that's not it. The artifacts unearthed in Ancheng have all been collected by the state; they're all national treasures." Huang Ya San smiled and continued, "You should know that the reason those artifacts are so precious is because they have some strange inscriptions on them, right?" We nodded in agreement. Huang Ya San carefully took the bronze jue from my hand, then said with a proud expression, "But have you noticed? This kind of inscription is also on my thing." We were quite surprised to hear this. "Where? I don't see it!" I asked eagerly. Hearing this, Huang Ya San held the jue up to the light from the window and pointed inside, saying, "Look carefully, it's at the bottom of the belly." As soon as he finished speaking, Jenny and A Bao leaned over, and then Jenny murmured, "I can't believe it, it really is." She tugged at my arm, urging me to take a look. I leaned closer and saw two faint inscriptions at the bottom of the jue. They weren't very clear because of the patina, but the strokes and structure of the characters were indeed very similar to those "Ghost Domain Inscriptions." Furthermore, I remember one of the inscriptions, the "Ghost Domain Inscription," very clearly because it had appeared multiple times before on the "Inscribed Stone Tablet," Jenny's notebook, and the "Burial Ground Mystic Scripture." This discovery surprised us all greatly. We never expected to find something so precious here.

26. Cleverly Obtaining the "Oil Lamp"

Seeing our surprised expressions, Yellow Teeth Three revealed a smug look and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, what do you think? Name your price if you like it." Jenny, Ah Bao, and I were all stunned by this unexpected turn of events, and it wasn't until Yellow Teeth Three nudged me from the side and asked us for the third time whether we wanted this item that I suddenly realized this might be an important clue. So I quickly asked, "Where did you get this?" Huang Ya San immediately became alert upon hearing my sudden question and retorted, "You're not laymen, are you? The rule in this trade is not to inquire about the origin of things, you must know that, right?" Then, he added warily, "Are you from the cultural relics management office?" Seeing that Huang Ya San had indeed misunderstood us, I patiently smiled and said, "Brother Han, don't be nervous. We're just tourists from out of town, ordinary collectors. I'm asking about the origin of this item for no other purpose than to confirm its true identity so we can give you a price."

When Huang Ya San heard that we were planning to offer a price for the bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel), his wariness subsided. He asked us, "So, what price are you planning to offer?" I looked at Jenny, letting her decide. Jenny saw my look, understood what I meant, and held up one finger, saying, "Ten thousand yuan." "Ten thousand yuan? Are you kidding me? This isn't just any ordinary antique." Huang Ya San seemed a little angry at Jenny's words. So Jenny smiled and explained, "Ten thousand yuan isn't for buying your treasure, but to hear its history. If you can tell us the truth without hiding anything, we can pay you ten thousand yuan as a reward." After hearing Jenny's words, Huang Ya San seemed incredulous, looking at us doubtfully, remaining silent for a long time, as if still considering something. I sensed his predicament, so I smiled and said, "Brother Han, I swear to God, we're not from any cultural relics management office, much less police officers. We just want to know the origin of this item out of our own curiosity; we absolutely have no ill intentions towards you or your item." Then I pointed to Jenny and the others, saying, "I'm just an ordinary collector, and these two are tourists from Hong Kong. I can show you our identification if you don't believe me." I pulled out my ID card, and Jenny and the others took out their passports and visas. Finally, Jenny took out a checkbook, signed for 10,000 RMB, and handed it to Huang Ya San. Huang Ya San carefully examined the check, his furrowed brows relaxing into a broad smile. He offered me and Ah Bao a cigarette and said, "Since you're all interested, let me tell you about the origin of this bronze vessel."

He took a drag of his cigarette and said, “As you know, people like us who deal in antiques and funerary objects often have to travel to remote mountain villages to collect old things and then resell them to earn a little money. About three years ago, one winter, my business wasn’t doing well. I couldn’t sell a lot of goods, and I was tied up a lot of capital. With the New Year approaching, I was short of money. So I thought, since there’s not much business these days, I might as well go to various mountain villages and towns before the New Year. Maybe some families are short of money for the New Year and will sell some of their old things. If I can find a few good items, I can sell them and make some money. Once I made up my mind, I took all the money I had at home and started traveling all over the Qin Chuan region.”

Huang Yasan recounted with great relish: "That day, I had just come out of a mountain village near Wanggongling, intending to cross a mountain to try my luck at the next village, Heilongkou. But as soon as I reached the mountainside, a fierce northwest wind picked up, the temperature suddenly dropped, and the sky darkened; it looked like it was about to snow. I had never been to that area before, and I wasn't familiar with the mountain paths. With that northwest wind blowing so hard, I panicked and almost got lost. Just as I was getting anxious, I saw someone passing by in the distance, so I shouted loudly. It was an old man, about fifty or sixty years old, a villager from a nearby mountain village. Hearing that I was lost, he offered to go with me home to take shelter from the wind and snow until it stopped. I naturally..." I was extremely grateful, so I followed him back to a nearby mountain village. This village had no electricity at the time, and every household used oil lamps at night. When I arrived at the old man's house, I noticed that his oil lamp had a very strange shape. Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was actually an ancient bronze wine vessel. While the old man was getting something out of the house, I carefully examined the bronze vessel. Based on my honed eye over the past two years, I determined that it was from the Warring States period, and I was overjoyed. You see, such things aren't easily found. Although I really wanted to buy the bronze vessel immediately, I was afraid the old man would disagree if he knew the details, so I didn't directly ask to buy it. Instead, I tentatively started talking to the old man about it.

"We chatted about everyday things first, and then I asked him why he didn't buy a decent oil lamp, which might provide better light. The old man said that his family was too poor and he didn't have any spare money. After hearing this, I realized that the old man didn't actually know the true value of this bronze wine vessel. I was afraid that continuing the conversation would arouse his suspicion, so I stopped talking about the strange oil lamp and instead chatted about other topics. After the snow stopped, I said goodbye to the old man and followed the road he had pointed out to me to Heilongkou. Because I was thinking about this bronze wine vessel, I had no interest in buying anything else when I arrived at Heilongkou and went straight back to Xi'an."

"After returning to Xi'an, I immediately bought a beautiful oil lamp from a department store and went back to the old man's house. When I presented the new oil lamp to him as a token of my gratitude for his hospitality, he initially refused to accept it. After much persuasion, he finally agreed and even let me stay the night. That evening, I deliberately lit the new oil lamp, intending to sit and chat with the old man. As soon as I finished lighting the new lamp, I glanced at the bronze wine vessel next to it and said to the old man that his old oil lamp might fetch a few yuan at a scrap metal yard in the city. The old man was delighted to hear this and asked me to take it to the city to sell to the scrap metal yard. I readily agreed and even paid him ten yuan in advance, promising to refund or charge him based on the actual selling price. The old man agreed to this as well. Fearing that he might suddenly change his mind, I said goodbye to him early the next morning and returned to Xi'an. That's how I obtained the bronze wine vessel."

After listening to Huang Ya San's story, I thought to myself, "This Huang Ya San is really cunning. He had the heart to cheat that old man who was so poor." But I also knew that this kind of thing was very common in our antique trade. One party misjudged the object's value, while the other recognized its true worth and thus got a bargain. In trade jargon, Huang Ya San simply found a bargain, and a very good one at that.

However, at this moment, we didn't have much time to worry about who benefited, who suffered a great loss, or who was heartless or foolish. What we were truly concerned about was the old man Huang Ya San had mentioned, and the mountain village where he lived. So I asked, "Can you tell me the name of that old man's village?" Huang Ya San hesitated for a moment. I knew he had some concerns, so I said, "We just want to ask that old man how he got this bronze vessel. We promise not to tell him about you or the true identity of the bronze vessel." Hearing this, Huang Ya San nodded and said, "Alright then. I remember the old man saying that their village was called Weilongling, and his house was next to a big camphor tree at the entrance of the village."

27. The Search (Part 1)

When the three of us returned to the hotel, Dunzi was already lying in bed watching TV. Seeing us, he casually asked, "Where did you all go? You didn't even wait for me to come back before we went out together." "Wait for what? Aren't you familiar with Xi'an? You served in the army here for so many years, you should have seen all the fun places and eaten all the good food. What's new and exciting about this place for you?" I replied with a smile. "By the way, you said you wanted to go find some old acquaintances to get some clues, has that been any good yet?" "Ugh, don't even mention it. Three friends, one is in another city, two have changed addresses, we haven't even seen them. So far, we don't have a single clue." "Nothing." Dunzi replied disappointedly, frowning. "But I've already called Wang Baoshan and said we'll go to his house tomorrow to find him. He'll take us to various natural caves in the mountains to see if we can find the ancient cave where the 'inscribed stone tablet' was once hidden." I smiled after hearing Dunzi's words and said, "You didn't find any clues, but we found a very important one, didn't we, Jenny?" "Yes, items. We didn't just go out to play, you know." Jenny glanced at me and then smiled at Dunzi. Dunzi immediately perked up and stood up from the bed, saying, "Really? What clue? Oh, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly!"

Jenny, Ah Bao, and I exchanged a smile, and then I said, "Today we met an antique dealer at an antique market here. He had a Qin Dynasty bronze vessel with the 'Ghost Domain Inscription,' a bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel). According to the information we have so far, this kind of Qin Dynasty bronze vessel with the 'Ghost Domain Inscription' was originally in this ancient cave, and was later discovered by Li Shaojun and moved into his own tomb. During the archaeological excavation of Li Shaojun's tomb, we confirmed that the burial objects in the tomb were intact and had not been stolen. Therefore, I suspect that this bronze jue may very well have come from the ancient cave in the mountains where the 'inscribed stone tablet' was once hidden." After listening to me, Dunzi nodded and said, "That's right, that's right, that's very likely. So, did you ask the antique dealer where he got this bronze jue?" "Of course, he said he got it from a small mountain village called Weilongling. You should ask your friend how to get there first, and we should go there tomorrow." I thought for a moment and replied.

The next day, after Dunzi found out the exact location of the mountain village called Weilongling, we bought four tickets for a local minibus and bumped along the loess hills towards the remote village. Although the four of us chatted and laughed all the way, I knew that each of us was secretly hoping that this search would be fruitful.

Because Weilongling is a remote mountain village nestled in a valley within the Qinling Mountains, and currently there is no road connecting it to the village, transportation is extremely inconvenient. We could only take a local minibus to a small town near Weilongling, and then hike from there along the mountain path to Weilongling Village. Due to the rugged mountain path and the high altitude of the mountains, it took us most of the day to walk, until the sun was setting and birds were returning to their nests, before we could finally see a small mountain village with a dozen or so single-story houses scattered in the valley from afar.

Upon arriving at the village entrance, we indeed saw an ancient, sturdy camphor tree on the east side. Beneath the tree stood a dilapidated, simple farmhouse; according to Huang Yasan's description, this must be the old man's house. So we quickened our pace and walked over. Reaching the house, we found the door locked, as if the owner wasn't home. "What bad luck, it seems no one's home," Dunzi said disappointedly. I looked at the sky; it was already late, and there were no more vehicles to take us back. So I said, "This remote mountain village doesn't have any hotels or inns. It seems we'll have to find a farmhouse in the village to stay the night and then make further plans." Just then, a voice came from behind us, "Who are you looking for?" Hearing someone ask behind us, we immediately turned around. We saw an old man standing about five or six meters ahead. He had a medicine basket slung over his shoulder, a wood-chopping knife in his right hand, dark skin, and a face full of wrinkles. He looked to be about fifty or sixty years old, and was looking at us with a puzzled expression.

Seeing his appearance, Jenny probably already deduced that he was the old man Huang Ya San had mentioned, so she smiled and stepped forward to explain, "Old man, is this your house? We'd like to ask the owner of this house about something." The old man nodded and said, "Yes, what can we do for you?" "Well, we heard from others that your family has a special copper oil lamp, so we wanted to come and see it." Jenny replied with a smile, "Oh, by the way, we are tourists from out of town, and also collectors of various oil lamps. We heard from others about this special oil lamp and wanted to come and see it to broaden our horizons." After hearing Jenny's explanation, the old man's doubts gradually dissipated. As he unloaded the medicine basket from his shoulder, he said with a smile, "Whose child is talking nonsense? My house doesn't have any special oil lamp. It's just an old copper cup. Hehe, it's getting late, come in and sit down." As he spoke, the old man took out his key, opened the door, and invited us inside.

Upon entering the house, we found the furnishings extremely simple; besides a table and chairs, there was almost no other furniture in the hall. The old man gestured for us to sit down, then pulled up a stool and sat beside us. "What others are talking about is a copper cup that my family used to use as an oil lamp. There's nothing special about it," the old man chuckled, continuing, "and besides, I sold it to a scrap metal yard three years ago—yes, three years ago. You'll be disappointed if you want to see it."

Hearing the old man's words, I realized Huang Ya San's story was true, so I asked, "Oh, old man, can you tell us where this bronze cup came from? Was it passed down from your ancestors? Or..." "How could it be passed down from my ancestors? If it were something passed down from my ancestors, why would I sell it as scrap?" The old man smiled and said, "I picked up this broken bronze cup from the mountains a while ago." Hearing this, I was secretly pleased. I had initially thought that this thing was likely passed down from the old man's ancestors. If that were the case, then the old man probably didn't know the final origin of this bronze cup. But now that the old man said he picked it up in the mountains, the place where he found the bronze cup was very likely not far from the ancient cave we were looking for. So I asked eagerly, "Old man, do you remember where you picked up this bronze cup?" Hearing our persistent questioning, the old man seemed to sense something, hesitated slightly, and did not answer immediately. At this moment, I noticed the old man's expression, so I deliberately said, "This Qinling Mountains are sparsely populated, and few people travel around. How could an old bronze cup suddenly appear out of nowhere? Old man, you must be mistaken." "Mistaken?" The old man was indignant and said loudly, "Don't underestimate me just because I'm sixty-three years old. I'm in very good health. I go up and down mountains and rivers every day without any back or leg pain, and my memory is excellent. How could I be mistaken? However, it's hard to say exactly where it is. It's beside a mountain stream. If you're really interested, I can take you there to see it tomorrow." Unexpectedly, this old man was really not one to back down. Provoked by my words, he actually offered to take us there. This was exactly what we wanted. So I immediately replied, "Okay, then please show us the way, old man."

Afterwards, the old man saw that it was getting late and knew we hadn't found a place to stay, so he warmly invited us to stay at his home for the time being and prepared a fairly sumptuous dinner for us. During the meal, he also told us many strange stories from the mountains, which captivated all four of us.

28. The Search (Part Two)

Early the next morning, the old man carried his medicine basket up the mountain to gather herbs, and also led us to the spot where he had found the bronze vessel. Although the mountain path was difficult, everyone's spirits remained high. Following the old man over two high mountains, we arrived at a relatively secluded mountaintop. Below us lay a lush, densely wooded valley. Standing atop this mountain, we looked around and saw countless mountains surrounding us, with nine particularly tall peaks standing majestically in the distance to the west. Judging from the dense undergrowth and tangled branches along the path, this place seemed rarely visited. So I asked, "Old man, this place seems quite remote. Surely few people come here?" "Yes, not many people have come here," he replied after a pause. "That day I was picking herbs and stumbled upon this place." The old man pointed to a ravine below and said, "Later, I got thirsty and went down to that stream to drink. It was in that stream that I saw that old copper cup. It was mixed in with the pebbles, shimmering in the water from the sunlight, very conspicuous. I initially thought it was something valuable, so I reached into the stream and pulled it out. But it was just a broken copper cup, rather strangely shaped, covered in patina, and unusable for holding wine. I was going to just throw it back, but then I thought, my oil lamp at home just broke. I figured I could pour some oil into this cup, put in a wick, and use it as a lamp, so I brought it back."

After listening to the old man's explanation, I nodded to indicate that I understood. So we followed him down the mountain valley until we reached the side of the stream. We examined it closely. It was a very ordinary stream. The water was very clean and clear, about one or two meters wide. The stream meandered along the valley, extending beyond its edge, but its source was not yet visible. Judging from the direction it flowed, it probably originated from a high mountain to our west.

At this moment, Jenny quickly pulled out a compass and locator to determine our current location and recorded it in her notebook. Ah Bao, meanwhile, had somehow obtained a GPS device and was frantically inputting data into it. After the old man finished recounting the scene to us in detail, he noticed our writing and drawing and looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression. Afraid of arousing his suspicion, I quickly stepped forward and explained, "Oh, sir, we're surveyors. We found the scenery here particularly beautiful and the terrain quite unique, so we couldn't help but write down our location. If we have the chance to come back again, we'd like to bring a few other friends along." Hearing this, the old man's puzzled expression disappeared, and he smiled, narrowing his eyes, saying, "Hehe, that's true. You can't see such high mountains or drink such sweet water in your city."

We stayed there for about an hour. Then, because the old man needed to go up the mountain to collect herbs, he led us back the way we came, letting us return along the same path. When we said goodbye, Jenny gave the old man two thousand yuan as payment for our lodging and guidance, but he refused to accept it and went up the mountain alone. Actually, we gave him the money because we knew he had been swindled out of a precious Warring States period bronze wine vessel by Huang Ya San without his knowledge, suffering a considerable loss. We wanted to take this opportunity to help him recoup some of his losses. However, the old man wasn't greedy and didn't accept a single penny, which made us feel very embarrassed and deeply moved. The mountain people here are truly simple and kind.

On the way back, we were still very excited. Judging from the location the old man showed us where the Warring States period bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel) was discovered, it was very likely that the vessel was washed down the mountain by the stream. This suggests that the ancient cave containing the hidden stele, discovered by Li Shaojun of the Han Dynasty, is very likely located in the nearby mountains, especially the high mountain at the source of this stream. This greatly narrows down our search area, bringing us closer to success.

After returning to the old man's house, Jenny and I discussed it for a while and finally decided to secretly slip the two thousand yuan in cash under the door. Then we happily headed back towards the city.

We returned to our hotel in Xi'an city along the same route. After two days of hiking, the four of us were quite tired. So, after taking a hot shower, we all went to our rooms and slept soundly. That evening, Jenny knocked on my and Dunzi's door, inviting us to go out for a late-night snack. Dunzi volunteered to be our guide, taking us to several local eateries in Xi'an. This time, we went to a donkey meat restaurant on Dunzi's strong recommendation and tried braised donkey meat. I hadn't known what it was like until I tried it, and it was truly delicious! After our satisfying meal, we even asked the staff to pack some to take home and enjoy later.

Just as we were carrying the bags of donkey meat towards the shop door, a person suddenly darted out from behind me. Because they came from behind, I didn't dodge and ended up colliding with them. I was thrown forward and fell heavily to the ground, scattering the donkey meat all over the floor. The person, also blocked by me, fell to the side, spilling the pile of dark, murky things he was carrying.

"Are you blind?" Dunzi was furious when he saw me bumped into, and he started cursing, "Are you in such a hurry to be reincarnated or something? Can't you walk properly?" I looked up and saw that the man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, about my age, broad-shouldered and strong. He had two sword-like eyebrows that slanted towards his forehead, two large, bright eyes, a high nose, a square face, and regular, well-defined features, exuding a hint of heroism. The man wasn't angry at Dunzi's cursing; he forced a smile and apologized repeatedly. He said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Brother, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to, I just had something urgent to attend to." "Even if you're in a hurry, you can't walk without looking where you're going and bump into things everywhere," I muttered to him as I slowly stood up, rubbing my knee. "Luckily it was me who bumped into you. If you had bumped into an old person, you might have broken a bone or something, and then you'd be in trouble."

Seeing that we didn't seem to mind, the man repeatedly apologized and hurriedly picked up the dark objects from the ground. Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be donkey hooves, still stained with blood, likely cut from a slaughtered donkey. When he saw the pieces of braised donkey meat on the ground, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed and stood up with a smile, saying, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry for spilling your donkey meat. It's really unfortunate; I used all the money I brought to buy these black donkey hooves. How about this, if you have time, come find me at 'Gu Yun Xuan' at the end of the street, and I'll compensate you with braised donkey meat. By the way, my name is Tang Zhengyang." With that, he hurriedly ran out, carrying the pile of donkey hooves.

As we watched his departing figure, we were about to leave when Ah Bao suddenly picked something up from the ground in the corner and said, "Looks like he really is in a hurry. Look, he didn't even take his wallet. There's nothing inside except an old photo and an opened letter." "It's alright," Jenny replied with a smile after hearing Ah Bao's words, "He gave us his address, didn't he? We'll bring it to him after we're done with this."

Afterwards, we returned to the hotel. Dunzi called his old acquaintance who had promised to be our guide in the mountains again, explaining why we hadn't visited him as originally planned for the past two days, and agreeing to meet him first thing the next morning. Knowing that we wouldn't be getting comfortable beds for the next few days, everyone went to bed early for a good night's sleep to recharge for our mountain adventure.

29. The Mystery of the Disappearance of the Scientific Expedition Team

The next day, the weather was nice, mostly cloudy, perfect for an outing. Early in the morning, we boarded a local minibus heading towards the mountains, swaying and bumping along the way. This time, we were going to a remote town called Huangsha Town. Located in the central Qinling Mountains, it didn't seem too far from Weilongling, which we had visited on our previous trip to search for the Warring States bronze vessel.

The bus was crowded, making the interior very cramped and the air stuffy. All four of us felt uncomfortable. After more than three hours, the bus finally arrived at our destination, Huangsha Town. The old acquaintance Dunzi mentioned, a forest ranger, was named Wang Baoshan. Dunzi had met him a few years ago when he was serving in the army at a local outpost. Wang Baoshan was from Huangsha Town, and because of his forest duty, he often lived on the mountain. They both enjoyed playing chess, discussing history, and talking about current affairs. Since the outpost was in a remote area with few entertainment options, Dunzi would bring some military supplies to Wang Baoshan during his holidays to play chess and chat. Wang Baoshan would often hunt wild game for Dunzi to bring back to the outpost to improve their meals. Over time, they developed a deep friendship. After getting off the bus, Dunzi led us straight to Wang Baoshan's house.

Huangsha Town is a small town, surrounded by mountains, so transportation isn't very convenient. Dunzi told me that when he was in the army, the town only had a few thousand inhabitants, and the entire mountain town was very poor. But now the town has changed a lot; many new buildings and various small shops have appeared along the town's only main road. Therefore, the town now has a relatively bustling market street. Because it's located in the Qinling Mountains, there are many people selling mountain products and medicinal herbs on the street. However, since we had other business to attend to, we didn't linger and crossed the street to head towards Wang Baoshan's house.

Dunzi led us through several turns on a side street at the end of the street, and soon we arrived at the front door of a house. The house was a single-story dwelling, and it looked quite old and dilapidated. When we arrived, the door wasn't open. Dunzi remarked, "Strange, is he not home? They usually don't close the door when someone's home. Weren't we supposed to be waiting for us at home today?" He gently knocked, but there was no response. Just as we were about to go to the neighbor's house to inquire if Wang Baoshan had gone elsewhere, a shout suddenly came from behind us, "Dunzi, is that you?" Hearing the shout, we turned around with Dunzi. We saw a middle-aged man walking towards us from a distance. He looked to be in his forties, wearing a military-green coarse cloth shirt and beige trousers, carrying a bottle of liquor and several kilograms of meat from some unknown animal. He appeared very ordinary, not much different from the other residents of the town. When Dunzi saw him, he immediately laughed and said loudly, "Baoshan, why aren't you waiting at home? Where have you been?" "I heard you were coming, so I went to town to buy some wine and meat. We'll have a good drink together at noon, hehe." As he spoke, Wang Baoshan took out his key, opened the door, and warmly invited us to come in and sit down.

"Hey, where are my sister-in-law and Xiaobao?" Dunzi asked after entering the house. Wang Baoshan poured us tea and replied, "Things have been a bit turbulent in the mountains these past few days. I've been busy up there, so they went back to her parents' house for a while." Dunzi then chatted happily with him, completely forgetting that we were even there. Fortunately, this kind of casual conversation wasn't without its limits. After about half an hour, Dunzi finally remembered why we had come and asked, "Baoshan, do you know a place nearby called Weilongling?" Wang Baoshan replied, "Weilongling? I know. It's over the mountain to the east and then across a ravine. Why are you going there?" "Yes, we want to see a mountain stream over there," Dunzi answered, showing Wang Baoshan the location of the stream that Jenny and the others had recorded, along with a GPS map. Wang Baoshan nodded after looking at it and said, "No problem, I know this place, I can take you there anytime. Oh, by the way, didn't you say on the phone last time that you were going to find a cave in the mountains nearby? How come it's changed to looking for a mountain stream?" Dunzi smiled and said, "It's a bit complicated. How about this, I'll tell you on our way there. I'm a little hungry now, let's have a drink first." "Oh, right, it's time to cook. Oh dear, when the woman isn't home, you have to do everything yourself, haha. Dunzi, you sit with your friends for a while, I'll go make some side dishes. I specially bought roe deer meat at the street corner today, it's very fresh." With that, he went out of the main room to cook.

Although the house was old and simple, it was clean and tidy, indicating that Wang Baoshan's wife was quite capable and hardworking in managing the household. Not long after, Wang Baoshan brought in several dishes of food and wine. So, except for Jenny, who didn't like the local liquor, the rest of us men inevitably drank a lot. While we were happily eating and drinking, Dunzi casually asked, "Oh, by the way, you said things haven't been peaceful on the mountain lately. What's going on?" Hearing Dunzi's question, Wang Baoshan was taken aback at first, then thought for a moment before lowering his voice and saying, "I don't know what's going on, but lately, things seem to be unsettled in the mountains. Quite a few people have died." Hearing this, we all found it strange and quickly asked for the reason. So Wang Baoshan told us about a strange incident that had happened some time ago.

He said that about a month or two ago, a national geological expedition team came to their area to conduct scientific research in the heart of the Qinling Mountains. The team consisted of eleven people, including the expedition members and two local guides. According to the plan, they would transmit research data and images to their research institute every evening using satellite technology. For the first two days, everything went smoothly, but on the third day, the institute discovered that the transmitted data was malfunctioning. After video-calling the expedition members, they noticed that the members' expressions were abnormal, and the video signal suddenly disappeared during the call. Then, these people seemed to vanish into thin air, and no further information was transmitted. Upon receiving emergency orders from relevant departments, the local police, military, and forestry departments immediately formed a search and rescue team, dispatching a large number of military police and forestry personnel to conduct a thorough search of the mountainous area. However, after three days of arduous searching, they still found no clues, and even the use of helicopters proved useless. When the military police and troops began to withdraw from the mountains, some people started to speculate. They say that, according to legend, there is a forbidden area in these mountains, established by the First Emperor, inhabited by many terrifying demons and monsters. These expedition members were devoured by these monsters because they disobeyed the emperor's will and stepped into this hidden and desolate forbidden area. Although some time has passed, and the military and police who participated in the rescue and search have long since withdrawn, the remains or belongings of these expedition members have not been found. Therefore, the relevant higher authorities have ordered the local forestry department to strengthen daily patrols and continue searching the mountains, hoping to one day find some clues or the expedition members' belongings. Because of this, Wang Baoshan's daily patrol and forest protection work has become even busier recently.

After hearing Wang Baoshan's words, the four of us were quite surprised. While it's true that the Qinling Mountains are densely forested and teeming with wild animals, scientific expeditions are generally equipped with appropriate self-defense firearms when working in the field. Even if the entire team were attacked and killed by wild animals, surely so many surveying and measuring tools wouldn't have been eaten by them? How could they have suddenly disappeared so completely?