Ya She

Chapter 25 Bai Ze's Pen

The shopkeeper looked down quietly at the light brown papyrus scroll spread out on the counter, still faintly smelling the musty odor emanating from the ancient scroll. For someone who frequently dealt with antiques, this musty smell was nothing out of the ordinary, but this time, the lingering scent around him gave him a suffocating feeling, making it hard to breathe.

Two months had passed since he returned from Egypt, and he spent almost every day in this state of blank staring. The Book of the Dead, a legendary artifact said to be able to summon ancient spirits, was now placed before him, and the divination he had performed before going to Egypt resurfaced in his mind.

To chase a deer and compare it to a hunting animal, one must enter the forest. You are wise, but it is better to abandon the pursuit; going forward will bring regret.

Who is the deer? Who is the gentleman? Who will... whom will be sacrificed...?

"Tsk, boss, you can't keep going like this!" The golden scepter next to the Book of the Dead trembled slightly. With a mocking voice, a wisp of white smoke rose up and vaguely transformed into a human figure, which was the young Pharaoh, Ramses II.

Although the Pharaoh insisted that his soul power was strong and would not easily dissipate, the boss still sneaked into the Abu Simbel temples before leaving Egypt and obtained the golden scepter as the Pharaoh's usual residence. This action proved correct, but the Pharaoh has not appeared even once in over two months, presumably due to excessive depletion of his soul power.

The innkeeper put down his now-cold teacup, placed the kettle back on the red clay stove to reheat it, and ignored the eccentric Pharaoh. The Pharaoh, in turn, didn't seem to care. He had slept for a long time, only appearing today due to his spiritual power. However, every time he awoke, he saw the innkeeper staring blankly at the Book of the Dead, and naturally, he could guess what the innkeeper was thinking. Interest in the Book of the Dead, which could summon souls, meant he must want something. And having lived alone for over two thousand years, he must be longing for something.

For a fleeting moment, the Pharaoh felt a pang of jealousy. None of his followers had been able to faithfully follow him for over a thousand years. He glanced at the unfamiliar decor and strange furnishings of the Silent House and asked, seemingly casually, "Tell me, who do you wish to summon?"

The shopkeeper's hand trembled slightly as he held the official kiln tea canister, spilling some of the Tieguanyin tea he was pouring into the purple clay teapot onto the counter. He paused for a moment, swept up the remaining tea, but did not answer the Pharaoh's question.

Once again ignored, the Pharaoh frowned, floated closer to the boss, and waved to confirm that the boss was indeed wearing gilded earrings that could translate languages ​​and understand what he was saying.

“Actually, summoning ancient spirits isn’t so easy! Besides the artifacts they loved most in life, you also need a body that can resonate with the spirit, and most importantly…” The Pharaoh deliberately dragged out his words, only to be disappointed to find that the shopkeeper didn’t react at all, still calmly waiting for the water on the red clay stove to boil.

"Alright, the most important point is that this Book of the Dead already bears the mark of my scepter, meaning it can only summon my soul. Unless you can alter the mark on this papyrus scroll, this Book of the Dead is nothing but a piece of waste paper." The Pharaoh sighed, finally unable to resist revealing the secret. He knew that giving people unrealistic expectations was, in fact, the cruelest thing.

A suffocating silence followed, and after a long while, the kettle began to gurgle, and boiling steam rushed out of the spout.

The boss calmly picked up the kettle to brew tea, put the lid on, and then calmly inhaled the aroma of the tea.

The Pharaoh's soul flickered in the white steam, until finally he heard a long sigh and a relieved thank you.

"Huh? You're listening?" The Pharaoh pursed his lips in annoyance, but then asked curiously, "But what if there really is a chance? If all the conditions are met, what will you choose?"

The shopkeeper took a sip of tea, savoring the rich aroma spreading across his lips and teeth. He sighed softly, "This world is fair. If you want something, you have to exchange it for something of equal value." He paused, as if struggling to make a decision, or perhaps reaffirming his conviction, "If the price is something I can afford, I will consider it. If it's something I can't afford, I will give up."

The Pharaoh stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Neither the human nor the ghost noticed the strange appearance of the grotesque golden ghost mask hanging on the opposite wall, illuminated by the flickering lanterns of Changxin Palace. Behind the deep, dark eye sockets, a faint light flickered…

In a dimly lit, empty tomb, only an open coffin sat in the center, and an oil lamp burned faintly in the northeast corner. The little red bird stood on the edge of the coffin, dozing with its eyes closed, until a slender, pale hand emerged from the coffin, and a man wearing a golden demon mask slowly sat up, supporting himself on the edge of the coffin.

The man had long, silver-white hair. He removed the golden demon mask covering his face, revealing an incomparably handsome face. However, his complexion was somewhat pale, as if he hadn't been in the sun for a long time. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing bewitching crimson pupils. His entire demeanor instantly changed, and a sinister smile appeared on his thin lips.

The Crimson Dragon Robe and the Golden Mask were a set of burial objects. There were two sets of the Crimson Dragon Robe, and correspondingly, there were two Golden Masks. Only the patriarchs of the Ying clan in each generation knew this; even his elder brother, Emperor Fusu, was unaware that the two Golden Masks possessed the synesthetic ability to eavesdrop and spy. Huhai only learned of this after ascending the throne and gaining the power to open the treasures accumulated by the Ying clan over hundreds of years.

"His most beloved artifact in life? That should be the jade pendant that my elder brother always carried with him, which is the broken longevity lock in my hands now. I wonder if it will still work now that it's broken in two? As for the body that fits him..."

Hu Hai fiddled with the golden ghost mask in his hand, muttering to himself.

The doctor beside that person had already tried the Nine Dragon Cup, but for some reason, there was no reaction. And that Lu Zigang… last time at the Liubo Chess Manor, he uttered words almost identical to those his elder brother had said before his death. Could it really be a coincidence? Although that person knew Lu Zigang, their relationship wasn't deep. But perhaps it was all a smokescreen…

The little red bird awoke from its drowsy state and, upon opening its eyes, saw its master awake. It chirped happily twice, fluttered its wings, and flew to Hu Hai's shoulder. Hu Hai stroked the little red bird's feathers and said softly, "Minghong, do you think that Lu Zigang might be the reincarnation of my elder brother?"

The little red bird was thoroughly enjoying being stroked by its owner, its eyes half-closed as it chirped aimlessly. Hu Hai didn't expect the little creature to give him any answers. He scratched the bird's head and chuckled, "A pen that can modify anything... I actually have one here. Go, bring that pen."

With a chirp, the little red bird took up its mission, its fluttering sounds fading into the darkness of the tomb passage before soon returning. As it rushed into the tomb chamber, the air currents from its wings caused the oil lamp in the northeast corner to flicker, almost extinguishing it.

Hu Hai took the writing brush from the sharp beak of the little red bird, his smile gradually widening until he finally chuckled silently a few times.

"Is the world fair? Do you have to exchange something of equal value for something you want to get?"

"Then, I'm willing to give everything I have for it..."

"Brother... wait for me..."

Lu Zigang put on gloves, took a long camphor wood box from the sterile box, and then carefully took out the scroll from the basin and unfolded it.

This is "Scenery of Qiantang" painted by Tang Yin (Tang Bohu) of the Ming Dynasty. It is a silk scroll, but due to its circulation over the centuries, it has not been properly preserved, and many parts are damaged. Furthermore, the painting and seals have faded. Although it has undergone restoration by several experts, it still looks riddled with holes.

Lu Zigang examined the paintings for a long time, then shook his head regretfully. Most of Tang Yin's paintings are housed in the Shanghai Museum, the Palace Museum, and the Taipei Museum. Moreover, the Tang Yin scrolls exhibited in those museums are generally from the Qing Dynasty Palace Museum collection, meticulously preserved, and some even bear the appreciation seals of Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong, further increasing their value. This time, with the National Museum under construction, the director of the calligraphy and painting gallery used various connections to obtain a batch of scrolls from the Palace Museum. However, it's easy to imagine that what they received were mostly damaged pieces, hardly suitable for exhibition. In such cases, if displayed in an exhibition hall for more than a month, they would likely fade even more severely.

Is there really no way to fix this? Lu Zigang frowned. There were many similar paintings and calligraphy works, or rather, every museum had a large number of paintings and calligraphy works that could not be repaired. Unlike antiques such as bronzes, jades, or gold and silver artifacts that are not easily worn, paintings and calligraphy works are even more fragile than porcelain. Perhaps if you use too much force when you take them out, they will turn to ashes and disappear from this world completely.

Perhaps the owner of the Silent Shop has some way to prevent such a tragedy from happening?

The thought suddenly flashed through Lu Zigang's mind, but he immediately shook his head with a wry smile, denying it. He believed that the shop owner must have special methods, but it was impossible for him to use them on all antiques.

Just as God cannot save all his believers.

After calming himself down, Lu Zigang took this opportunity to examine the "Qiantang Scenery" painting again. The painting depicts a mountain path with horses galloping gracefully, a lone traveler sitting atop a thatched pavilion, and fishing boats drifting on the river. It also includes a self-inscribed seven-character quatrain by Tang Yin and his signature. Tang Yin, who called himself "the foremost talent of Jiangnan," later became the renowned Tang Bohu. He excelled in figure, landscape, and flower-and-bird painting, developing his own unique style. In this "Qiantang Scenery," the rocks and trees are modeled after Li Tang of the Southern Song Dynasty, with angular and delicate brushstrokes. The figures are naturally depicted, and the style is refined and elegant. It is likely an early work by Tang Yin, before his brushwork had reached its full potential.

Lu Zigang admired the painting for a long time, reluctant to part with it, but he knew that even if he looked at it with great interest, he couldn't repair the faded and damaged parts. Just as he was about to put the painting away again, he noticed something was wrong. There was someone else in his laboratory, which had been empty except for him. The person was dressed in white, and at first glance, he might have mistaken him for a lab coat worn by everyone in the lab. However, his white trench coat had a hood, and a closer look revealed the difference.

"How...did you get in?" Lu Zigang clenched his fist, then immediately relaxed it. He was utterly helpless against this silver-haired, red-eyed youth. He couldn't forget what happened that night at the Liubo Chess Manor; although it was just a nightmare, it felt almost like a nightmare come true. "There are cameras everywhere here..." Lu Zigang stopped speaking. It was pointless to talk about it now. The lab required fingerprint access; if even that couldn't stop this person, the cameras were probably just for show.

Ignoring Lu Zigang's guarded hostility, Hu Hai crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "You've been looking at this painting for so long, are you trying to restore it?"

Lu Zigang didn't think there was anything wrong with saying it. He nodded frankly and said, "That's right. It's a pity that this painting is too badly damaged. Even if it is remounted and repainted, it can't be repaired."

Hu Hai chuckled softly and said, "What if I told you I had a way to repair this painting?"

Lu Zigang frowned warily and asked, "What do you want?"

Hu Hai's alluring crimson eyes sparkled beneath his silvery-white eyelashes as he chuckled unexpectedly, "Does getting something mean you have to exchange it for something of equal value? It seems everyone knows this rule of equivalent exchange. Well, actually, I want that half of the blank stele back."

Lu Zigang was startled, recalling that the person who sold him the blank stele in the ghost market of Xi'an was wearing a white trench coat with a hood: "You sold me that half of the blank stele?"

Hu Hai shrugged and said, "I know it's against the rules to take back the antiques that were sold, but I only just found out that the wordless steles cannot be put back together. I thought you wouldn't be able to collect all the wordless steles!" He said it half true and half false. In fact, it was all a lie. He just needed an excuse to take Lu Zigang to the Silent Shop.

Seeing that Hu Hai was unwilling to say more, Lu Zigang knew that something was amiss. He recalled that when he pieced the two halves of the blank stele together, his soul had traveled back to the Tang Dynasty, possessing the bodies of several people Wu Zetian had personally killed. At first, he could only see but not speak, but when he possessed Xue Huaiyi's body, he could communicate with Wu Zetian across more than a thousand years of time. What if there were some further developments…?

With this wandering thought, Lu Zigang couldn't sit still any longer. Although he had traded the half of the blank stele for his favorite halberd, he couldn't very well cause trouble for the owner of the Silent Shop. He composed himself and decided to use this opportunity to see how this young master Hu would repair the tattered scroll of "Qiantang Scenery" in front of him, and deal with the rest later.

Hu Hai smiled slightly and took out a white-handled writing brush from his bosom. The handle was made of some unknown material, resembling ivory, but the color was not quite the same. It was even whiter than ivory, with a finer texture and a softer luster. There were no carvings on the handle, making it simple and elegant. The bristles of the brush were also white. At first glance, it looked like a new brush, but Lu Zigang felt that this writing brush was probably very old.

"The handle of this pen is made from the palm bone of the mythical beast Bai Ze, and the tip is made from Bai Ze's tail hair," Hu Hai said kindly as he walked over to answer Lu Zigang's questions.

"Bai Ze?" Lu Zigang was speechless, thinking Hu Hai was joking. He naturally knew about Bai Ze; it was a legendary divine beast from Kunlun Mountain, pure white, capable of human speech, understanding the feelings of all things, and rarely seen. Legend has it that when the Yellow Emperor toured the east, he encountered Bai Ze on the shores of the East Sea. Bai Ze was learned and knowledgeable, and at the Yellow Emperor's request, it created an illustrated guide to ghosts and gods, containing 11,520 kinds of beings. It was said that every part of Bai Ze was a treasure, possessing the healing power to bring the dead back to life. In short, it was an ancient legendary divine beast, and a rather powerful one at that. But even the most powerful is still just a legend!
Hu Hai looked at the pristine white brush in his hand, his expression unwavering. His pale eyelashes fluttered a few times as he calmly said, "It was precisely because Bai Ze was a treasure trove that it was caught in the crossfire of possessing such a treasure. That's why it quickly disappeared from the world, leaving only legends behind. It was said to know everything from astronomy to geography, and to be familiar with the past and the future. How could it not have foreseen its own tragic end?"

Lu Zigang sensed the loneliness hidden in his words and couldn't help but sigh, saying, "Perhaps it already knew..."

Hu Hai glanced at Lu Zigang with his crimson eyes, but did not continue the topic: "This pen is made from the palm bones and hair of the Bai Ze divine beast, and has the ability to alter or restore any calligraphy or painting."

"Huh?" Lu Zigang looked completely bewildered, utterly disbelieving.

Hu Hai smiled slightly and said with great reminiscence, "Back then, Zhao Gao used this very pen to alter my father's portrait. Otherwise, do you think those court officials and soldiers were all blind?"

Lu Zigang was taken aback, then thought to himself, this young master Hu must have been doing too much cosplay. It's one thing to call himself Hu Hai, but why is he also mentioning Zhao Gao and Qin Shi Huang? However, he was wise enough not to say it out loud, and just treated it as a joke.

Hu Hai didn't say anything more. He gestured for Lu Zigang to move aside, then picked up the unopened bottle of mineral water on the table, poured it into a glass, reached for the Bai Ze brush, dipped it in a little water, and before Lu Zigang could react, began to paint directly on the scroll.

Lu Zigang cried out in surprise, not expecting Hu Hai to act so quickly. The moment Bai Ze's brush touched the paper, Lu Zigang's heart nearly broke. Even a tattered Tang Yin scroll was worth a fortune! At auction, it would definitely fetch eight figures! How could he be so calm and collected?! He simply couldn't handle it!
Lu Zigang never knew he would one day transform into the Roaring Emperor. But when he came to his senses and tried to push away the reckless Young Master Hu, he glanced at the painting on the table out of the corner of his eye and froze as if someone had struck his pressure point.

He saw that the tattered scroll seemed to have come back to life. The manes of the horses in the painting were clearly visible, the Buddha statue moved without wind, the plants along the Qiantang River returned to their lush green, as if spring had returned to the earth, the missing characters in the seven-character quatrain also revealed all the characters, the blurred seal became clear, and even more miraculously, the yellowish silk cloth returned to its brand-new light yellow color.

Lu Zigang's eyes widened in disbelief.

Hu Hai, who was beside him, was intently painting. His handsome profile was as beautiful as an elf in a painting. His brushstrokes were fluid, and every gesture was full of ancient elegance. For a moment, it seemed as if one could see a noble young man in a tall hat and wide belt painting in a pavilion.

Lu Zigang blinked hard, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself still in his familiar laboratory, but in front of him was a brand new "Qiantang Landscape Painting".

It was indeed brand new, exactly like a freshly painted painting, even the ink wasn't completely dry. If it weren't for the fact that it had only been a blink of an eye, he would almost suspect that Hu Hai had replaced the ancient painting with a forgery…

Lu Zigang was about to lose it. Was this what restoration meant? It was practically the same as destroying the painting!

Seeing Lu Zigang's contorted expression, Hu Hai chuckled and said with amusement, "It's alright. I just used mineral water to paint. It will return to its original state after it dries. This is just to show you a preview. If you want to restore it to the era you want, that's possible, but the ink requirements will be much higher. Ideally, it would be Tinggui ink, but very few Tinggui inks have survived to this day. Later Huizhou inks would be barely acceptable. We can study it after we retrieve that half of the blank stele."

Lu Zigang gripped the table, feeling as if all his strength had been drained away.

That's not how you joke! You idiot!
Since the next day was the weekend, Lu Zigang and the others confirmed that the "Qiantang Landscape Painting" had indeed been restored to its original state. They carefully put it back into the sterile box, planned to go home to get their luggage, and then head straight to the airport with Hu Hai.

But Hu Hai shook his finger and said, "No need for that trouble."

Lu Zigang was puzzled, but before he could ask, he saw Hu Hai pull a yellow cloth from his pocket and hand him a corner, gesturing for him to grab it. Lu Zigang did as he was told, bewildered, but the moment his hand touched the cloth, he suddenly felt dizzy. This lasted only a second or two. When he regained his senses and opened his eyes again, he found himself no longer in the laboratory, but standing in a dimly lit alley. The surrounding buildings were distinctly Jiangnan style, and he could even hear people haggling in authentic Jiangzhe dialect on a nearby commercial street.

Lu Zigang opened his mouth, but said nothing. He found it too absurd; he immediately dismissed even his initial conjecture, finding it utterly illogical.

"We've arrived," Hu Hai announced naturally, shattering Lu Zigang's self-deception. Knowing Lu Zigang would definitely ask more questions, he simply put the cloth away and explained, "This is the yellow turban of Zhang Jiao, the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He did indeed possess some magical powers in founding the Way of Great Peace." Hu Hai paused, noticing Lu Zigang opening his mouth again, and felt somewhat dissatisfied. He felt he had explained clearly enough, even though it was only one sentence.

"Any other questions?" Hu Hai narrowed his crimson eyes, looking at Lu Zigang dangerously.

"I just realized I haven't clocked out yet..."

"..." Young Master Hu immediately turned around and left.

"Hmm...actually, after you get back that half of the blank stele, you could consider taking me back. That would save on travel expenses..." Lu Zigang wisely followed. As a struggling migrant worker in Beijing with a meager monthly salary, saving money is essential!
As soon as the two stepped out of the alley, Lu Zigang saw the Silent Shop across the street, just like the last time he had been there. The signboard was in small seal script, and the doors were antique and ornately carved. Hu Hai strode over and tried to push the carved doors with one hand, but instead of opening them easily as Lu Zigang had expected, they wouldn't budge.

Lu Zigang let out a soft "Huh?" and said, "Could it be closed? But it doesn't seem like it." Don't shops usually lock or lock their doors when they're closed? Lu Zigang knocked on the door, but received no response, so he went to the window to think...
Looking inside, he remembered that the window was clearly made of transparent glass, but now it was completely fogged up. It must be because of the cold winter weather that a layer of fog had covered everything, making it impossible to see anything. He could only see the dim glow of the Changxin Palace lantern flickering inside. Undeterred, he peered through the crack of the carved door, only to find that the door was tightly sealed, and he couldn't see anything at all.

Hu Hai, however, wasn't surprised at all; instead, he smiled. The absence of anyone was just what he wanted. He knew this carved door was strange; it was an inner door from the Qin Mausoleum that person had moved out. Only the owner could enter; no one else could push it open without the owner's permission. And since the owner was already dead inside the mausoleum, when the craftsmen closed the door, no one could enter anymore. He had ordered that person to be buried with him, but unexpectedly, the person had tasted the elixir of immortality and hadn't died; instead, he had crawled out of the tomb, thus breaking the door's seal. Now it was being used as a shop door; as long as that person wasn't there, no one could freely enter the Silent Shop—truly more effective than any security door.

However, he had a way.

There were still small puddles left from yesterday's rain on the ground. Hu Hai took out the Bai Ze brush from his pocket, bent down, dipped it in some rainwater, and drew a door on the carved gate. Then, under Lu Zigang's astonished gaze, he gently pushed it open, and the "door" creaked open.

Hu Hai walked in leisurely, then looked back at Lu Zigang, who was standing there like a wooden stake, and frowned, saying, "Aren't you coming in? It will lose its effect in a moment."

Lu Zigang knew Hu Hai's actions were suspicious. Going in without the boss clearly indicated ulterior motives, not just to retrieve the half of the blank stele. However, he couldn't let Hu Hai go in alone; following him would at least stop him. Lu Zigang glanced around furtively before slipping inside. Once inside, he realized how powerful Hu Hai's Bai Ze brush truly was—it could be used like Ma Liang's magic brush! If this brush drew a pistol, could it be used as a pistol? If he were threatened into becoming an accomplice, would he comply? Or would he comply? Or would he comply?
Lu Zigang hesitated. The carved door behind him, its painted marks dried, returned to its original state the instant it closed. Lu Zigang then clearly saw the furnishings of the Silent Shop; they were similar to his last visit, except for a few more antiques. The golden ghost mask on the wall was sinister and cold; a crystal-clear jade nine-dragon cup had appeared on the display shelf; and on the counter lay a tattered scroll and an exquisite golden scepter. Judging from the style, it was likely ancient Egyptian; the tattered scroll beside it must be the Book of the Dead made of papyrus.

Strange, when did the boss start collecting even foreign antiques?

Lu Zigang was puzzled when he saw Hu Hai glance seemingly casually at the painted terracotta warrior statue standing at the door, appearing somewhat wary. But finding nothing amiss, Hu Hai walked to the counter, grabbed the Book of the Dead and the golden scepter, and turned to walk into the inner room of the Silent Shop. Lu Zigang knew things were developing in an unexpected direction, and a sense of doubt arose in his heart. Logically, if Hu Hai wanted to do something, he could do it alone; why go to such lengths to involve him?
But now that things had developed this way, he couldn't back out no matter what, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow Hu Hai inside. As they circled...

After passing the jade screen, a clear and melodious chirping sound was heard, and a small blue bird flew out from the corridor, dragging its long tail feathers as it flew straight towards Hu Hai.

Lu Zigang was startled, but Hu Hai remained motionless. Just as the sharp beak of the little blue bird was about to pierce his eye socket, a bright fireball rose in front of Hu Hai, forcing the little blue bird to flap its wings, stop abruptly in mid-air, and retreat slightly. Although its movement was swift, its beautiful tail feathers were still slightly scorched by the fireball. The little blue bird's voice became much sharper, as if it were truly enraged.

The fireball suddenly contracted, transforming into a small crimson bird. It chirped defiantly and pounced on the blue bird. The two birds fought fiercely, their feathers flying wildly. Then, with a bang, both birds vanished simultaneously. Lu Zigang's pupils contracted. Had the two birds perished together? But besides the two colors of feathers, there were no bird corpses on the ground! Although he couldn't read caged animals, he knew these two birds were rare spiritual creatures; their deaths were truly devastating.

Hu Haiwei continued walking forward without turning around, but as if he knew what Lu Zigang was thinking, he said calmly, "They felt they couldn't perform well here, so they went to another place to fight."

Change locations? Could those two little birds teleport away instantly? Lu Zigang felt a little dizzy. However, with Ma Liang's magic paintbrush as an example, he felt his ability to adapt had become stronger. Just as he was about to take a step forward, he noticed a semi-transparent beauty slowly appearing beside Hu Hai, as if stopping him from moving forward. The woman was dressed in magnificent ancient costume, with flowing long sleeves, and her fair, jade-like skin was framed by a pair of deep and alluring eyes. She was light and graceful, as if floating in the air, and her silky hair, like brocade, seemed to have a life of its own, floating and swirling around her.

Lu Zigang rubbed his eyes. A female ghost in the Silent Shop? But upon closer inspection, he discovered that the woman in ancient costume was surrounded by...
Wisps of candle smoke rose, and not far behind her was a small room. Through a narrow crack, a red incense candle could be seen burning slowly, and the rising smoke formed the image of this exquisite woman in ancient costume.

Hu Hai didn't care much for the woman in ancient costume, but he felt uncomfortable being entangled like this, even though it wasn't a problem. So he pushed open the door and went inside.

The room was where incense and candles were placed. His white brush, still damp from the rain, easily drew a clear glass dome, which he then placed over the incense and candles. The candles couldn't escape, and the ancient-style beauty outside gradually faded and disappeared into the air. Inside the glass dome appeared a smaller version of the ancient-style beauty, pounding on the dome with both hands, her beautiful face filled with anger.

"Won't the incense and candles go out very quickly?" Lu Zigang felt sorry for them. Because the oxygen was cut off, the flames of the incense and candles shrank considerably the moment the glass dome was formed, making them look rather pitiful.

"Don't worry, the glass dome will disappear in a moment," Hu Hai explained calmly. He was very familiar with these mermaid candles; there were countless of them in the Qin Mausoleum. Unless someone personally lit one and blew it out, it would never go out. He glanced coldly at the ancient-style beauty trapped inside the glass dome, who, upon his glance, suddenly shrank back in fear in the corner of the dome, trembling.

Hu Hai didn't even glance at her again, turning and leaving. Lu Zigang, fearing the incense stick would go out, tried to remove the glass dome, but the dome vanished the moment he moved. However, the woman in ancient attire, despite her restraint, didn't chase after Hu Hai. Instead, she looked at Lu Zigang with fear and wariness, as if afraid he might do something to her.

Lu Zigang was extremely embarrassed, knowing he had been categorized as the bad guy. Unable to explain, he hastily offered an apology and chased after Hu Hai. However, when he reached the other side, he found the corridor of the Silent House pitch black, without a single light. He had only been able to see the beautiful woman with the candle smoke because of the light from the incense stick. Now, he could only follow the strange noises ahead. The Silent House was deep inside, and he wondered how many strange objects and mechanisms Hu Hai had solved along the way. When Lu Zigang saw a door at the end of the corridor open, revealing light, he strode towards it, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and stepped inside.

When he saw the scene inside, he was stunned. The room was as large as a classroom. The glowing light came from a dozen or so basketball-sized luminous pearls arranged around the walls. The blue bricks he stood on were different from the ordinary ones in the corridor outside; they were exquisitely carved, inlaid with gold leaf and various jade stones, so magnificent it was breathtaking. Looking towards the center of the room, the carvings and lacquer paintings were exquisite. On the lacquered table sat an imperial seal and a set of crowns.

Hu Hai had already walked to the lacquered table, lifted his white robe and sat down cross-legged, put down the golden scepter in his hand, and then spread out the Book of the Dead.

Illuminated by the luminous pearl, Lu Zigang saw that the jade seal was carved with five intertwined dragons, with a corner missing and repaired with gold. Hu Hai was currently holding the seal, and he could vaguely make out eight large characters in seal script at the bottom, seemingly reading "Received the Mandate of Heaven, May Your Life Be Long and Prosperous"? The shape of the characters and the carving style…could it be the legendary He Shi Bi jade? And the crown, the Tongtian crown, nine inches high, upright, slightly slanted at the top, with a straight iron beam at the bottom, and a mountain, a bamboo slip, and a narrative in front—this was clearly a Tongtian crown only the emperor could wear!
Regardless of the origin of the Heavenly Crown, the He Shi Bi jade is recorded in historical books! Could the He Shi Bi jade be real? Chen Zigang felt somewhat confused. Could the owner of the Silent Shop be so powerful as to possess the He Shi Bi jade, which had been lost for so long? Moreover, this room was clearly in the style of the Qin Dynasty. Chen Zigang began to think despairingly that perhaps everything here was an original Qin Dynasty antique, including every brick and tile.

At this moment, Lu Zigang was completely certain that Hu Hai hadn't come here for the half of the blank stele at all. With a sense of foreboding, he asked, "What exactly do you want?" Logically, a thief should leave immediately after getting what he wanted, but judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to be here to steal anything at all. Hu Hai didn't answer him, but instead quietly lowered his head and looked at the He Shi Bi in his hand, as if he was reminiscing about something or recalling something.

"To resurrect someone, I guess." A mocking voice suddenly rang out from the room, with an awkward accent, stumbling like a foreigner who had just learned Chinese.

Lu Zigang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a wisp of white smoke rising from the golden scepter, gradually forming the silhouette of a handsome young man in the air. His features were deep-set, and he was shirtless; judging from his attire, he was likely a powerful figure in ancient Egypt. Having been warned by the candle earlier, Lu Zigang showed no surprise when he saw this man. He quickly asked, "Resurrection? It's possible to resurrect the dead? How does one do that?"

The young Pharaoh had recently been pestered by a candle, asking how to resurrect someone. The two, separated by borders and lacking the boss's gilded earrings, couldn't communicate at all. However, through frequent contact, the clever Pharaoh had learned a tiny bit of Chinese—just a tiny bit, really—and couldn't squeeze out anything else. He spoke a string of ancient Egyptian, noticed Lu Zigang's blank expression, stopped speaking, and instead looked at him with pity.

This innocent youth is definitely a sacrifice brought by that red-eyed youth, and will be used as a body to be possessed by the dead spirit.

The young Pharaoh licked his lips, a hint of interest flashing in his amber eyes, and muttered to himself, "Oh! The boss is back too. This is going to be good!"

Lu Zigang said he heard it but didn't understand...

Hu Hai didn't understand either, but he already knew, yet he didn't react. Whether that person came or not at this point, the outcome wouldn't change.

The doctor had a few drinks tonight. Group buying is all the rage lately, cheap and affordable, so he jumped on the bandwagon and bought a barbecue set meal for two, naturally dragging the owner along. The food was alright, but the owner didn't drink a drop of the two large mugs of draft beer that came with it; he downed them all. Now, although he's somewhat sober except for the cold wind blowing through the door, the effects of the alcohol are still lingering. The owner then suggested going back to the restaurant for some tea to sober up.

The two walked and talked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of the Silent Shop. As usual, the owner wanted to push the door open and go in, but when his fingers touched the carved wooden door, he suddenly pulled back.

"What's wrong?" The doctor noticed the fleeting glint of sarcasm on the boss's face and grew increasingly uneasy. The boss smiled nonchalantly and said, "I just remembered I have something to do, so I won't invite you for tea tonight." With that, he pushed open the carved wooden door and went inside, showing no intention of inviting the doctor in, and then planned to close the door behind him.

The doctor, quick as a flash, braced himself against the wooden door and squeezed through the gap. Taking advantage of the alcohol, he shouted wildly, "No way! You said you'd treat me to tea, you can't go back on your word!" He could already feel a wet patch under his palm. It hadn't rained today, so why was the wooden door of the Silent Shop so wet?
The shopkeeper was clearly not expecting the doctor to suddenly become unreasonable, but he had already noticed that the counter was empty, and the Book of the Dead and the Golden Scepter that were placed there had disappeared. He had no time to worry about whether the doctor had followed him in, and hurriedly looked around to see if any other antiques were missing or damaged.

Seeing the doctor's displeasure, just as he was about to ask a question, a white figure rushed out from the inner room—it was a candle transformed from candle smoke. Her beautiful face was filled with terror as she repeatedly cried out, "He's here! He's here!"

"Him? Which 'him'?" The doctor was baffled, completely confused. The shop owner's expression hardened, and he turned to try and pull the doctor out of the shop. But the doctor grabbed his wrist and asked in a deep voice, "What happened? You know I can't leave you here at a time like this."

The shopkeeper deeply regretted not paying attention earlier and letting the doctor in; otherwise, with the carved wooden door in place, he wouldn't have been able to get in even if he wanted to. He could only make excuses, saying, "It was just a petty thief who broke in and stole a few things. I'll take care of it right away. You wait here for a moment."

The doctor frowned, not believing the boss's story. Just looking at Zhu's terrified face, he knew this petty thief must be someone of considerable importance. But he didn't want the boss to waste time on him, so he simply said, "Okay, then you go quickly, I'll take a nap first." With that, he loosened his tie, slumped into a nearby rosewood recliner, and closed his eyes to rest.

The shopkeeper, seeing that he seemed to be intoxicated, was somewhat suspicious, but due to the urgency of the situation, he had no time to pay attention to him and hurriedly followed Zhu into the inner room of the mute shop. After he left, the doctor opened his eyes and began to ponder what to do.

Judging from the situation, the thief hadn't left yet; it was perfect to catch him like a turtle in a jar! Most people would call the police immediately in this situation, right? But the doctor hesitated, pulling out his phone from his pocket. Based on his experience in the Silent Shop, calling the police was unwise and would only cause more trouble. Yet, he couldn't help but touch the cross around his neck—a pale blue jade Christ image, a gift from the owner a few days ago. He remembered this piece of pale blue jade was the same one Xiao Ji had received; the owner had said it didn't fit the Silent Shop's antique style, hence the gift. But the doctor found this strange; the owner never gave him things without a reason. If something happened, he could at least lend a hand, right? So, the doctor quietly stood up and went into the inner room.

Lu Zigang was very anxious. He subconsciously knew that Hu Hai was not doing anything good, but he didn't know what to do. Ignoring the Pharaoh who was babbling in ancient Egyptian beside him, he went straight to the lacquer table and asked worriedly, "Young Master Hu, what are you doing?"

"You've come at the perfect time. Let me borrow your Wu Dao for a moment." Hu Hai put down the He Shi Bi jade in his hand and directly took the Wu Dao from Lu Zigang's pocket.

Lu Zigang was startled. Ever since he obtained the Wu Dao (a type of halberd), he had always carried it with him, and his original purpose in coming here was to return the Wu Dao in exchange for the half of the blank stele. He just hadn't expected Hu Hai to be so rude as to take it without asking. Just as he was about to express his dissatisfaction tactfully, Lu Zigang was surprised to see Hu Hai expressionlessly cut his palm with the Wu Dao, and blood gushed out.

"You! A halberd cannot be used to draw blood! The boss specifically reminded me!" Lu Zigang stamped his feet in frustration, immediately snatched the halberd back from Hu Hai's hand, and carefully wiped it back and forth.

"There's no need for so much talk," Hu Hai said dismissively. He took out the Bai Ze brush, dipped it in the blood from his palm, and smeared it on the Book of the Dead. After a moment, the tattered Book of the Dead was restored to its original state, the writing on it as good as new. This scene amazed even the Pharaoh who was watching.

Hu Hai noticed a mark appearing in the upper right corner as the Book of the Dead was restored. He compared it to the golden scepter and found the emblem matched. He then used the Bai Ze brush again to advance the date of the Book of the Dead's restoration slightly, continuing until the scepter's mark completely disappeared. Afterward, he picked up the He Shi Bi jade, his palms stained with blood, and without hesitation, imprinted it onto the Book of the Dead.

Seeing the eight seal characters "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous" appear on the Book of the Dead, Hu Hai smiled with satisfaction. Then, as if he hesitated for a moment, he took out a silk handkerchief from his bosom.

Lu Zigang had been watching Hu Hai closely, but when he saw the silk handkerchief unfold and reveal a jade longevity lock broken in two, he was stunned as if he had been punched.

He clearly had never seen this longevity lock before, so why did it look so familiar? It was as if he could trace the intricate patterns on it in his mind...

Hu Hai naturally noticed his cover, and became even more certain. He immediately used the "Longevity Lock" side, which had the inscription "Long Life to a Hundred Years," to smear his own blood and, without further ado, imprinted it onto the Book of the Dead.

"What are you doing?"

Hu Hai looked in the direction of the sound and saw his boss walking towards him with barely concealed anger, proudly raising the Book of the Dead in his hand and saying, "What am I doing? You should know, right?"

The Pharaoh, standing nearby, quickly deflected the blame, saying, "I did nothing and said nothing! And look at me, there's no way I could stop him, is there? Tsk, he even made two items. He must have been afraid that he wouldn't be able to recall one, so he made two."

Seeing that there were indeed two imprints on the Book of the Dead, the shopkeeper harbored a glimmer of hope: "Can the Book of the Dead summon two souls at once? That shouldn't be possible, right?"

The Pharaoh spread his hands: "I haven't tried it either, and asking me won't help. But there are only a few of us here. I don't have a body, and your body isn't suitable. This person's body is also very strange. Only this young man in front of me is suitable. So even if we summon two souls, only one can awaken. The Book of the Dead has a certain range. Once we leave this room, everything will be fine." He had just wanted to warn the young man, but unfortunately, the man didn't have the boss's gilded earrings and couldn't understand what he was saying.

Upon hearing this, the boss wanted Lu Zigang to leave immediately, but when he reached out, he found that Lu Zigang's eyes were fixed on the longevity lock on the lacquer table, and he didn't react no matter how much he pulled.

Hu Hai ignored what they were saying, his crimson eyes fixed on the Book of the Dead in his hand, watching as the bloodstains on it slowly dried.

The shopkeeper was about to drag Lu Zigang away at all costs, but before he could exert any force, Lu Zigang's face turned pale and he fainted. The shopkeeper only managed to support his arm to prevent him from falling to the ground. At the same time, in the outer corridor, there was a sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

The shopkeeper inwardly cursed; the doctor must have been worried about him and had secretly followed him. He hurriedly laid Lu Zigang down on the ground, and sure enough, when he looked outside the room, he saw the doctor lying unconscious outside the door. The shopkeeper panicked and said, "Didn't you say everything would be fine once we left this room?"

The Pharaoh scratched his face sheepishly and said, "Minor mistakes should be within the acceptable range, right..."

Hu Hai was standing expectantly beside Lu Zigang when he saw the innkeeper carrying in another unconscious person, and he couldn't help but frown. Why were there two? But then he thought, it wouldn't be bad if his elder brother could just pick one later.

The innkeeper placed the doctor on the ground, but couldn't bear to see him sleep on the cold bricks, so he sat down cross-legged and let him rest his upper body on his lap. After settling him in temporarily, he raised his head, looked at Hu Hai with icy eyes, and said, word by word, "Leave the He Shi Bi here."

Hu Hai knew where the man's bottom line was. Although he had once been obsessed with the He Shi Bi jade, now he saw it as nothing more than an inanimate object. So he put the He Shi Bi jade back on the lacquer table. However, seeing that the man was still staring at the longevity lock he was holding in his other hand, he curled his lip and said, "I got this from my brother's coffin. You have no right to ask me for it."

The boss knew that the doctor had placed the broken longevity lock in the coffin in the Qinling Mausoleum. He hadn't stopped him then, and naturally had no grounds to ask for it back today. So he withdrew his gaze and said nothing more.

Seeing that his boss hadn't commented on his actions, Hu Hai remained uneasy. He knew this man well; the more silent he appeared, the more concerned he was, and today's events were unlikely to end well. A sinister smile crept across Hu Hai's thin lips as he said disdainfully, "Don't look at me like that. I just did what you wanted me to do. Don't you admit it?"

The boss paused as he removed the doctor's glasses, then began to tremble almost imperceptibly.

What does he want to do?
No, it's not like that.

He never dared to close Fusu's coffin or dress him in the red dragon robe that could preserve his body from decay. Although he hoped that one day Fusu would open his eyes again, he knew that it was just wishful thinking on his part.

The reason for following Fusu's reincarnation is that I don't want to see his soul suffer the pain of premature death in every reincarnation, and I don't want his relatives in every life to suffer the torment of separation from their loved ones.

He was just atoning for his sins, so why was he the only one who survived?

They had clearly agreed that the two of them would work together to create a prosperous Qin Dynasty and free the people from their wanderings... but he was still too insignificant, unable to even protect the person he wanted to protect.

More than two thousand years have passed, and he remains the same, without any progress, still unable to protect the people he is determined to protect.

The world is fair; if you want something, you have to exchange it for something of equal value… He never even considered trading the person in his arms for another…

Seeing his boss's hand clench into a fist, Hu Hai thought he had guessed his thoughts and smiled smugly. Just as he was about to say something more, he felt a groan from the person at his feet. He quickly bent down to help him up, letting his upper body lean against him. When he saw the man's eyes open, Hu Hai was overwhelmed with excitement. His thin lips moved slightly, wanting to call out "Brother Emperor," but then he suddenly became timid.

When Lu Zigang opened his eyes, he saw Hu Hai holding a broken longevity lock in his hand, looking bewildered, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

The Pharaoh, who was watching with great interest, floated over and, without caring whether the person could understand him or not, asked with a grin, "How is it? How does it feel? Is it very painful or uncomfortable?" He treated this person as an experimental subject.

Lu Zigang pressed his slightly aching temple, feeling a jumble of fragmented memories flooding his mind, which he couldn't quite make sense of. His head throbbed with pain. A fly-like voice buzzed in his ear, and he said impatiently, "Didn't I say I don't understand you? Why are you yelling at me? Right, what's wrong with me? I remember suddenly everything went black and I fainted? And there are so many things in my head... Xia Zhelan? Who is that...? No... this name seems very important to me..."

Hu Hai froze upon hearing this, pushed Lu Zigang away, and stared at him in disbelief.

Lu Zigang was completely oblivious, staring blankly at the longevity lock in his hand, his memories flashing through his mind like a movie.

The shopkeeper, upon hearing the name Lu Zigang mentioned, suddenly realized that the longevity lock used by Hu Hai had indeed summoned a soul, which happened to be Lu Zigang's past life. He immediately inquired with the Pharaoh.

"Huh? It's a reincarnation? Then the soul summoned back will directly merge into the current body, and it will just be an extra memory. This young man is really lucky!" The Pharaoh was surprised, but not envious. He was an independent individual. If he were to merge with another soul, he would no longer be the original him.

The boss, however, felt a glimmer of hope because of the Pharaoh's words. He looked down at the doctor in his arms and asked hopefully, "If... if..." The Pharaoh stared intently at the doctor in his arms, then shook his head and said, "This one won't do. His original soul was incomplete, and he is easily tempted by strange things. If this Book of the Dead is successfully summoned, his soul will definitely be squeezed out of this body, even if it is his past life."

"How about I destroy the Book of the Dead now?" The shopkeeper's face darkened, and with a wave of his hand, the Book of the Dead, which was placed on the lacquered table, flew into the shopkeeper's hand as if controlled by an invisible hand.

The Pharaoh shrugged indifferently and said, "I don't need it anymore anyway, so do with it as you please. However, I must warn you, the summoning has already been completed. If you destroy the Book of the Dead now, you might be able to save the person in your arms, but the summoned undead will immediately turn to ashes."

The boss's heart tightened, and his hand, which was about to tear up the Book of the Dead, froze on the spot.

"In other words, you can only choose one of the two people," the Pharaoh said bluntly.

"Chasing deer and hunting horses, one can only enter the forest. A wise man, faced with a predicament, would rather abandon his post and let the guest go." So... this is what it refers to?
Who is the deer?
Who is a gentleman?

Who wants to... abandon whom...

“Bi Zhi…?” A voice, seemingly coming from a distant time and space, suddenly rang out.

The boss's hand holding the Book of the Dead suddenly trembled, for it was his handwriting, given to him by that person.

He remembered that one day, the two were practicing calligraphy in the study and came across the Book of Songs. Because the other person's name was also taken from the Book of Songs, Zheng Feng, "There are hibiscus on the mountain, and lotus flowers on the side." He secretly envied him. Unexpectedly, the other person noticed this and said that because his name was Luo, he would give him the courtesy name Bizhi, which was taken from the Book of Songs, Xiao Ya, "Mandarin ducks fly together, Bizhi and Luozhi."

These two words haven't been uttered for a very, very long time.

The boss was in a daze, vaguely hearing someone chuckle in his ear: "Bi Zhi, why did you cut your hair?"

The boss blinked and looked down at the person lying on his lap, only to see a pair of deep eyes, unobstructed by glasses, yet as gentle and timeless as those from over two thousand years ago.

He said, "Bi Zhi, it's been a long time."

(End of this chapter)