Chapter 90

Chapter Ninety-One: Determination

Professor Chen and his team of assistants and students entered the desert to search for the Jingjue ruins; those who died in the Black Desert need not be mentioned, and those who barely survived with breath left were few; the most unfortunate was certainly Professor Chen, who suffered such a great shock that it caused his mental breakdown. It was a nightmare-like experience, and at that time Shirley Yang still did not know that she had such deep and entangled bonds with the black Zhegulama God Mountain.

After returning from the desert, Shirley Yang took Professor Chen to the United States for treatment; not long after, both of them developed red bruises shaped like eyeballs on their backs; moreover, Professor Chen's condition was more severe, and he contracted a rare iron deficiency, which all medical institutions were helpless against. Shirley Yang learned from the Revelation in Zhegulama God Mountain that she might be a descendant of the Zhegulama tribe, so she launched a series of in-depth investigations. The more she understood about past fate, the clearer it became that the affairs of the Bottomless Ghost Cave were far more complex than imagined, and current knowledge of the Bottomless Ghost Cave was not even the tip of the iceberg.

The most important thing Shirley Yang discovered was the strange-script dragon bone in the Tongtian Great Buddha Temple of Heishui City; the strange script on it could not be deciphered by anyone, and the only thing that could be confirmed was that many eyeball symbols were carved on the dragon bone. That special shape was immediately apparent, just like the jade eyeball unearthed in Xinjiang and the deep red mark growing on her back—all were exactly the same.

This strange-script dragon bone must contain important records about the Huyuan Pearl; if its contents could be deciphered, perhaps the Huyuan Pearl could be found; otherwise, Shirley Yang, Pangzi, and I would inevitably suffer the torment of blood congealing and turning yellow at the time of our deaths. And on the mentally broken Professor Chen, this malignant disease had already begun to spread; heaven only knows how long that old man can hold on.

Since returning from Shaanxi, I have been unable to rest or eat in peace, simply because I did not know what was growing on my back. Now, having received confirmation from Shirley Yang's mouth, it is indeed related to that damned Bottomless Ghost Cave, and my heart feels relieved instead. It is also not as terrifying as I previously imagined; life is but a fleeting season, and anyway, that strange disease will not manifest for many years, so by then I might as well emigrate to the United States for refuge. But what about Professor Chen? Are we just going to watch the old man die like that?

Sometimes one cannot help but believe that fate pulls from the shadows. Coincidentally, not long ago I learned in Gutian County that Professor Sun had once deciphered this kind of dragon bone heavenly book; the contents of the heavenly book were absolutely confidential, and Professor Sun would not utter a single word. Moreover, currently, the only person in the world who might temporarily hold the method to decipher the heavenly book is Professor Sun, because this research result has not yet been made public. I told Shirley Yang all these details in detail; although Professor Sun is unyielding and tight-lipped, he is after all a mortal, and if we press him hard, getting him to speak should not be a problem. But then what? Following the clues to rob graves, pulling out that eyeball-sized Huyuan Pearl? That is not as easy as flapping one's lips. Those mountain-moving Daoists searched for so many years and found nothing…… For us to go look would be to have not even a shred of hope, and besides, the dangers in ancient tombs are truly too many; we might end up sacrificing several lives, which would be a poor trade.

Seeing me lost in thought, Shirley Yang assumed I had reservations about finding the Huyuan Pearl, and asked me: "How is it? Are you afraid? I only want to wait until we have clues, then ask you to take me to the place; going into the tomb to rob graves, I alone would be enough……"

I interrupted her: "What? Looking down on people? That's ridiculous. You don't inquire, inquire—Old Hu I still have times when I'm afraid? That Vietnamese fellow, you know him? How is it? Don't just look at him being dark and thin like a scrawny chicken, but he's tough enough, he ran your Americans ragged, and yet it wasn't until I dealt with him. During the Vietnam Self-Defense Counterattack War, I was the vanguard standard-bearer of the main force; if it weren't for the Central Military Commission holding me back, I would have taken Hanoi. Forget it, anyway, if I tell you, you'll think I'm bragging; I'll prove with concrete actions that I'm not someone who clings to life and fears death; moreover, here we still have your and Professor Chen's affairs, I have no reason to stand by and do nothing." I finished speaking and pulled Shirley Yang to leave the park bench.

Shirley Yang asked where I wanted to go, and I told her: "We've been chatting here all afternoon, and now it's getting late; Pangzi and the others are still waiting for me at Panjiayuan. I'll go back and have him tidy up, and tomorrow we'll go to Shaanxi to find Professor Sun; whether he speaks or not, we must pry open his teeth, and then we'll do whatever needs to be done."

Shirley Yang sighed and said to me: "You're just too impulsive, thinking something makes it so; these things aren't that simple. You say Professor Sun won't speak—why? Is he afraid that leaking heavenly secrets will bring danger upon himself?"

I said to Shirley Yang: "Actually…… how should I explain this to you, this foreign lass? Some principles of conduct in Chinese society are hard to explain. Don't listen to Professor Sun trying to scare and bluff me—it's not that sinister; based on my experience in reading people and observing expressions, I judge that the old coffin-pot surnamed Sun must have been dealt with by his superiors."

Shirley Yang shook her head, not understanding: "What do you mean, 'dealt with'?"

These things are truly not easy to explain clearly to Shirley Yang; after thinking, I said to her: "Let me give you an example—for instance, in China there is a certain authority figure who says 1+1=3; later Professor Sun verifies and finds that 1+1 should equal 2, but because the one who first said 1+1=3 is an authority figure, even if he is wrong, no one is allowed to raise objections. Professor Sun may have discovered some subversive content in the dragon bone heavenly book that does not conform to current values or worldview, so the leadership issued a gag order, forbidding him from speaking to anyone. That is why he behaves so strangely now; I'd say half the time it's because his mother was suffocated, leaving him somewhat disillusioned and resentful of society."

My plan is to first find Professor Sun and get a clear answer; if the dragon bone heavenly book contains no clues about the Huyuan Pearl, then so be it; if it truly does, then most likely it is like the divination of the Zhegulama ancestors, ultimately pointing to a great tomb where it is buried. I have always harbored a grand ideal: to rely on my own abilities to rob a great tomb, make a fortune, and then wash my hands in a golden basin; otherwise, having this skill of the Golden Defined Cavity with no place to employ it would be to let it go to waste, a pity indeed.

Now is precisely a suitable opportunity. Saving others also saves oneself incidentally, and it also allows me to repay the favor I owe Shirley Yang. In fact, even if I did not owe her a favor, given our shared hardship, plus her saving my life, I could not refuse to help her and Professor Chen for these reasons.

When I find the Huyuan Pearl, I will not want it. That object is not a vulgar thing, not something mortals can bear. But this operation is not archaeology—it is truly and properly tomb-robbing. Now I have many places to spend money; if during the tomb-robbing process we encounter other burial goods, then Old Hu can just as well not be polite and take a couple of them, good or bad.

I made up my mind and said to Shirley Yang: "Let's first go find Pangzi and Da Jin Ya; these matters also cannot do without their help. By the way, let's treat you to a meal—how about the Beijing Hotel? And, do you have foreign exchange? First give me some to exchange; at that meal, RMB won't do."

When I brought Shirley Yang back to Panjiayuan, Pangzi and Da Jin Ya had just finished a big deal—one gun, Western-style—and sold five or six pieces with green heads and judging eyes. Business has been really good lately; if we keep going like this, in a few days we'll again be heading to Shaanxi to "dig up the ground."

I had Pangzi and Da Jin Ya tidy up, and we all went together to the Guoguo Hotel. At the banquet, I recounted Shirley Yang's affairs in full, saying I planned to go with her to find the Huyuan Pearl.

After Da Jin Ya understood, he said to me: "Old Hu, I'll say something I shouldn't: in my opinion, not going to look might still let us live a few more years. Our business in Panjiayuan is too booming now; it's not worth abandoning home and livelihood to go tomb-robbing—there might be zongzi in the ancient tomb."

Pangzi said to Da Jin Ya: "Old Jin, this tomb still needs to be robbed. We must retrieve a few items that can be stored at the bottom of the chest; only then will we have confidence when doing business, so those big customers won't look down on us. Rest assured, Old Jin, your body is weak, you can't withstand the hardship, and we won't let you go tomb-robbing. But you also don't need to worry about us; if there really are zongzi, I, representing the people, will execute it with a gun."

I also mimicked Deng's Sichuan accent when speaking to Da Jin Ya: "Yeah, Old Jin, don't fear breaking these jars and pots, don't bother calculating gains and losses of one city or one place; the reason we gave up this place today is precisely because we want to preserve it long-term."

After hearing this, Da Jin Ya bared his gleaming gold teeth and laughed, saying to us: "Alright, I'm convinced by the two of you—able to take up and put down, light in life and death, heavy in righteousness, truly a man of honor. In fact, it's not just me; now in Panjiayuan, whenever someone mentions you two, who doesn't give a thumbs-up? Everyone knows Panjiayuan has a famous habitual seller of fragrant oil goods, doesn't pay silver tax, allows entry but not exit, has come but no go—a tough guy."

Pangzi, while eating and rubbing his feet, listened to Da Jin Ya's praise, nodded repeatedly, then later felt something was off, and asked: "Old Jin, are you praising us or scolding us? I don't feel right hearing it."

Da Jin Ya hastily said to Pangzi: "Brother, I didn't mean it that way……"

Seeing Shirley Yang with her head down, silent, face full of sorrow, her appearance quite wan, I knew she was worried about Professor Chen's safety, felt that I, Pangzi, and Da Jin Ya gathered together couldn't discuss serious matters, just chatting and drifting off, so I hurriedly said to Pangzi and Da Jin Ya: "Alright, alright, we should also talk about some serious matters now. I'll assign our future tasks. I say this Comrade Wang Kai Xuan—this is a high-end hotel; please, when dining, pay attention to etiquette, don't pick your feet while eating, what kind of decorum is that?"

Pangzi carelessly said to me: "Rubbing feet feels good in the heart. Besides, my father back then liked to rub his feet while eating and smoking; this is a glorious tradition from the revolutionary era; now that reform and opening-up have arrived, we should even more carry it forward gloriously, letting the feet completely turn over and gain liberation."

I said to Pangzi: "You didn't notice there are still American friends present? Now this is a diplomatic occasion; I, damn it, really can't be bothered to manage you—you're just the kind of stuff that can't even get on the table."

Seeing me talk for half a day without getting to the point, Shirley Yang frowned slightly, kicked me under the table, and I then realized I had wandered off again; I hurriedly had Pangzi and Da Jin Ya quiet down, and then discussed with Shirley Yang in detail how we could truly find that genuine Huyuan Pearl.

Don't think Pangzi is usually stingy with nothing on his mind; when it comes to the business of searching for treasure and feeling out burial goods, he is now more energetic than I am. Of course, it's not his fault—he sees clearly that this is real money coming in; since we're going tomb-robbing, whether we find the Huyuan Pearl or not, the burial goods in the ancient tomb worth a fortune are indispensable, so now Pangzi is also getting serious.

Da Jin Ya is even more enthusiastic; although he doesn't need to go tomb-robbing himself, since he's involved, burial goods are indispensable for him too. I brought Da Jin Ya into the team because he has the widest network, on the black market his hands and eyes reach heaven, almost nothing he can't get; tomb-robbing requires equipment and supplies, which inevitably need him to procure.

The four of us discussed back and forth for most of the day, and finally decided that to find the Huyuan Pearl we must first start from this strange-script dragon bone inscribed with the heavenly book; take the rubbing to Shaanxi to find Professor Sun, dead or alive we must pry out what exactly is recorded in this strange-script dragon bone, then combine it with the information we already have; using this as a clue to continue tracking, once we have a definite target, we should begin action.

Going to Shaanxi Gutian, the sooner the better; Shirley Yang and I will go, departing tomorrow immediately, to investigate the strange-script dragon bone in the Tongtian Great Buddha Temple of Heishui City to the bottom. Since Pangzi has acrophobia and cannot fly, we will let Pangzi stay behind with Da Jin Ya to purchase various equipment.

Shirley Yang gave me the gold-seeking talisman left behind by Elder Chen of Dust; I was overjoyed; this time, when tomb-robbing, I finally have confidence in my heart; moreover, now three of us each have one authentic gold-seeking talisman, it seems heaven has destined us three to be of one mind and courage, to team up and go tomb-robbing.

Furthermore, Shirley Yang also brought all the equipment left by her maternal grandfather, a gold-seeking commandant, including the diamond umbrella, corpse-binding rope, yin-exploring claw, whirlwind shovel, dragon-seeking smoke, wind-and-cloud wrap, soft corpse fragrance, corpse-handling gloves, northern dark pearl, yin-yang mirror, ink marker, peachwood nail, black folding slip, waterproof fire shoes, etc., etc., and also the formulas for the gold-seeking commandants to manufacture various secret medicines.

These devices, crafted over hundreds of years by the gold-seeking commandants based on *experience and technology, are treasures among treasures to us; many I have only heard of, never seen in person. With these traditional artifacts, plus letting Pangzi and Da Jin Ya equip us with our usual gear—engineer's shovel, wolf-eye flashlight, tactical compass, paratrooper knife, dive watch, gas mask, waterproof matches, mountaineering helmet, headlamp, cold fire, signal flares, solid fuel, sleeping bag, filter kettle, binoculars, thermometer, barometer, first-aid box, various ropes and safety buckles…… it should be said that no matter where we go, we are basically sufficiently equipped. If the environment is special and requires special equipment, we can replenish as needed.

The engineer's shovel should preferably be the kind we originally used—World War II-era equipment of the German Mountain Division; if unavailable, the standard issue of the U. S. Army will also do.

The paratrooper knife should only be bought as Soviet-made; Russian-style ones we find easy to use, because various paratrooper knives differ in performance and appearance; for cutting things or close-quarters self-defense, we still find the paratrooper knife of the Soviet 106th Guards Airborne Division the easiest to use.

With these semi-tool, semi-weapon equipments, not needing firearms is no problem. However, past lessons teach us that our failures often stem from underestimating the enemy—tomb-robbing as a profession, experience matters far more than equipment—without sufficient experience and courage, even if armed to the teeth, we would still lose our lives. From the Wild Man Gully of Fengfengkou, to the Jingjue Maze City in the desert, to the tomb within a tomb in Longling, although the tomb in Wild Man Gully was merely that of a fallen general, the Jingjue Ancient City that time had an archaeological team following along, so it cannot count as tomb-robbing, Longling is an empty grave—but these three experiences of deep penetration into ancient tombs can be said to be extremely rare and valuable experience.

However, large ancient tombs are the end markers of lives of certain privileged classes in ancient times; to the ancients, they meant a great deal. Inside ancient tombs, besides bronze coffins and iron outer casings, there is often water storage and sand accumulation, everywhere are mechanisms, and furthermore there are countless unexpected dangers. Therefore, pre-preparation must be thorough, trying to consider every conceivable situation.

After discussion, everyone went their separate ways to rest; the next morning at dawn, we split up to act. I and Shirley Yang rushed together to Xi'an, then, with urgent hearts, took a vehicle to Gutian County where Professor Sun led the archaeological work team stationed, but we did not expect that in Gutian County another accident would occur—Professor Sun had already left the Gutian County reception center.

Professor Sun has long been stationed in Gutian, responsible for recovering unearthed cultural relics related to ancient scripts; if he is not in the county seat, he must have gone down to the countryside to work; thus finding him would be difficult; we did not expect that the first step of our pre-planned plan would go unsmoothly.

Just when I was at a loss what to do, I ran into an old acquaintance from the reception center cafeteria, Old Liu Tou, who told us that near the stone bridge shop in Gutian County, in a certain coffin shop, some astonishing things had been discovered; less than half a day later, this matter had spread throughout Gutian County. Professor Sun is now leading people to inspect the scene; you can go there to find him; as for what exactly is in that coffin shop, you will know at a glance.