Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
At that moment, Cold Bench's eyes flickered, and they met mine. Instantly, a chilling wave surged into my eyes, causing me to shudder. I quickly took two steps forward to catch up with my junior brothers.
We formed a team, but there was a significant division within it. Third Granduncle Master's people gathered on the left side, while our group moved to the right, leaving a two-person-wide Chu River Han Border between us. Neither side was willing to cross over or even speak to the other.
This was my opportunity, so I asked my junior brother, "Where's the box? Did that man in black catch up?"
He glanced at Third Granduncle Master and noticed they were unresponsive, clearly unable to hear us. He lowered his voice and said, " Senior Brother, you won't believe this! That man in black—he's our master!" With that, he stole another glance back at Cold Bench.
A question that had been nagging at me was finally confirmed, but I was still taken aback. "Him? What does he want with the box?"
My junior brother replied, "He didn't steal the box; someone else did!"
"Ah?" I exclaimed, and immediately everyone turned to look at me, prompting me to quickly shut my mouth.
At that moment, Old Qiao stopped again and took out a map to examine it closely. He compared it with the surroundings while nodding repeatedly. Third Granduncle Master couldn't contain his curiosity and stepped across the Chu River Han Border to take a look. However, like me, he seemed only partially informed; his brow furrowed deeply as he remained silent and observed.
Old Qiao addressed everyone: "According to the map, the main tomb should be in this direction. However, the entrance might be hidden beneath a sand dune, a mound of earth, a grove of trees, or even a house. The map doesn't provide detailed information; it merely sketches an oval symbol."
Liuzai impatiently interjected, "What the hell does that mean? This forest is so vast; how are we supposed to find your entrance? Are we supposed to dig up the entire area?"
Old Qiao chuckled as he stroked his beard. "Now, now, Liuzai brother, don't be hasty! Let Old Man finish his thought. Although the map isn't very clear, we can use Fen Jin Ding Xue techniques to pinpoint the location of the main tomb. I may not be able to guarantee much else, but this is our Tu Fuzi's specialty!"
My junior brother deliberately raised his voice and shouted, "Old Qiao, stop wasting time with these bumpkins! Show them what you can do!"
Someone was cheering him on, and Old Qiao couldn't help but feel pleased. Chuckling, he took out his Qiankun Bag and revealed a pen entirely coated in gold. Its color was somewhat dull, suggesting it had seen better days. He removed the cap and inverted the pen, placing its nib on the Star Compass.
A Li couldn't contain his curiosity and stepped forward to ask, "What is this?"
Old Qiao, clearly proud, replied, "This is the 'Fen Jin Pen' passed down from my sect since the Qing Dynasty during the Qianlong era. Originally, it was contained within a Bamboo Brush Pen. Later, missionaries brought this hard Glass Shell pen to China, which allowed for long-term preservation. Master Cao transferred the inner workings into this pen. The so-called Fen Jin Ding Xue involves placing this Fen Jin Pen on the Baihui Point of the Star Compass. Then, using the mnemonic 'Sheng Si Long, True and False Cavities, Coarse Sand, Qu Zhi Shui, Pure Flaw Direction,' if there are any disturbances underground, the nib of the Fen Jin Pen will bleed a drop of blood known as the 'Golden Dragon's Tear Pearl,' indicating the presence of a Blood Corpse below."
Listening to him boast so animatedly, I couldn't help but interject, "How can you determine there's a Blood Corpse underground just by turning a pen? What do we need the Luoyang Shovel for then?"
I remembered seeing a Luoyang Shovel during my university days; it was vaguely used for digging, and I thought to bring it up now.
Old Qiao wasn't offended; in fact, he seemed delighted by the challenge and took the opportunity to boast further. "The Luoyang Shovel was invented only in the late 1920s as a Tomb Raiding tool—exactly a century after my sect's Master Cao invented this Fen Jin Pen."
Just as Old Qiao began his explanation, Liuzi interrupted with a teasing remark: "Oh! Such an impressive item—why haven't you shared it with your peers? Are you afraid they'll surpass you?"
I must mention that Old Qiao had an exceptionally good temperament. If I were in his shoes and someone interrupted my boasting like that, I would have lost my temper!
Old Qiao merely chuckled while stroking his beard and explained, "It's not for the reasons you think, Liuzi. To be honest, there are only twelve of these Fen Jin Pens left in the world. Master Cao destroyed all records of how to make the inner workings to prevent our unique technique from leaking out. Unfortunately, our later generations lack the skill—none can compare to Master Cao’s expertise. For nearly two hundred years, despite numerous attempts at passing it down through various hands, no one has been able to decipher how to create it. Even those who wish to carry on this craft cannot do so! To avoid unnecessary trouble, our sect later decreed that it could only be passed down within our ranks. So please keep this secret safe for Old Man!"
Hearing this from Old Qiao left me momentarily dazed; I wondered if he was truly an expert from the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum or just a genuine Mo Jin Xiao Wei.
Suddenly, I recalled his mysterious disappearance eight years ago—what had happened to him that caused such a transformation? Had he aged decades overnight?
As I pondered these thoughts, Old Qiao continued speaking: "The Luoyang Shovel is practical but inconvenient; if the main tomb is buried deep enough, one would need several extensions for it to be effective. In complex soil conditions, digging can be time-consuming and labor-intensive; if one isn't careful and damages any mechanisms below, it could ruin the entire tomb—which would be quite unfortunate! But our sect's Fen Jin Pen is different; it's clever and exquisite. Everyone should take a good look!"
Old Qiao stepped forward, moving like an actor from the old days, confidently dragging the Star Compass along. As he turned northward, the Fen Jin Pen suddenly trembled in his hand. Glancing at the compass, he chuckled, exuding confidence: “The pen tip points to Ren Gui, with the Five Elements indicating water. Within a hundred meters ahead, there must be a lake.”
Old Qiao's ability to impress was truly remarkable; it would be a shame if he didn’t join a theater troupe! The crowd watched in a mix of astonishment and skepticism as they followed Old Qiao northward for less than eighty meters. Sure enough, they discovered a basin with an area still filled with water.
The crowd couldn't help but marvel, looking at Old Qiao with newfound respect.
While basins were not uncommon, this one was peculiar. The walls were barren, devoid of any vegetation, exposing brown rocks that formed a large circular pit about fifteen meters in radius. The water in the center was pitch black, resembling spilled ink—dark and glossy enough to make one dizzy and almost feel like falling in.
Who would bury their own grave beneath such murky waters?
At that moment, A Li suddenly exclaimed, “Look! The pen tip is bleeding!”
Everyone turned to see that indeed, a bead of blood the size of a soybean had rolled out from the tip of the Fen Jin Pen, just as Old Qiao had predicted.
A Chen then remarked quietly, “Doesn’t that mean… there’s a Blood Corpse down there?”
A Li immediately asked, “What is a Blood Corpse?”
Comment 0 Comment Count