Chapter 304: Han Mirror

Jing Zeyang instantly bristled.

Having lived this long, had it ever been anyone but him picking a fight with others?

To be picked on by someone else, it was truly fucking rare...

He immediately rolled up his sleeves and even lifted a foot, ready to start, when Tang Nan Yan let out a "Tsk."

Jing Zeyang squinted his eyes: "What the hell are you 'tsking' at?"

In the past, for just this sentence, Jing Zeyang would have received at least two slaps. But today, Tang Nan Yan acted out of character, merely glaring at him:

"Following Teacher Lin for so many days, you haven't improved a bit, and you still have the nerve to call yourself an Assistant?"

Pausing, Tang Nan Yan let out a "Heh," and said, "Brute!"

Jing Zeyang was stunned.

As if unable to believe it, he looked up at the sun: Is this a ghost?

Tang Nan Yan, a brute even more reckless than Zhang Fei, was actually calling him a brute?

Lin Sicheng almost couldn't hold it in.

He couldn't help but smile, while Tang Nan Yan tilted her chin at Jing Zeyang and reached her hand into her pocket. The meaning was: Watch me...

What is this for, pulling out an ID?

Jing Zeyang let out a "Pfft": I thought you had some high-level trick, but after all this time, you're still just using authority to pressure people?

Lin Sicheng looked at Tang Nan Yan and shook his head.

It was no wonder Jing Zeyang sneered; to be honest, this method really wasn't very good. This also showed that Tang Nan Yan's social experience was inferior to Jing Zeyang's.

Just like that time with the person using a boxing manual to stage a scam, the nature of that was much worse. But Jing Zeyang never mentioned who he was or who he knew from beginning to end; instead, he secretly gathered evidence and secretly called for backup.

Because Jing Zeyang knew very well: people who come to this place don't work alone; you can't hold your ground here solo, and once a scene starts, a whole gang can surround you in the blink of an eye.

Therefore, either don't do it, or do it cleanly and decisively.

And the reason he dared to make a scene was that he was certain he hadn't misjudged: this doll of the stall owner's definitely had a problem. It was better to just make a big scene and slowly hash it out once they got to the police station.

Once inside, how could the owner still stir up trouble?

But if you dare to flash your ID, the stall owner will dare to scream at the top of his lungs: The Police are forcing a sale, and they broke the item without paying. Given the current police-civilian relationship, do you guess the crowd will believe the stall owner or the police?

Even if you were in the right, you would become in the wrong.

Of course, the matter would definitely be resolved in the end, but it would be time-consuming and exhausting, and in the end, Tang Nan Yan would at least get a lecture, and if things went poorly, she might even get a disciplinary mark.

As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; if there is a better, simpler way, why not use it?

With these thoughts, Lin Sicheng stepped forward and blocked the middle.

"Boss, to speak with a clear conscience: no matter how you try to deny it, or where you try to shift the blame, today it is you who are in the wrong."

"The wax on the base was wiped by you, the hole in the navel was picked open by you, and the stench is coming from inside your item; no matter how you try to deny it, you can't pin it on us..."

Look, how about this: either you call the police, or let's stop making a fuss: you run your business, and we'll browse for our items."

"That's easy to say? My Guanyin, which I properly invited from the temple, how could it have Corpse Oil? How am I supposed to sell it in the future?" The stall owner's face was dark, "Call the police then, let's call the police! It's just right to let the police judge who is right!"

"Even if the police come, I will still say the same thing: this item of yours is not a divine statue at all, but an Evil Artifact... And in this world, there is no reason not to let people speak the truth,"

Lin Sicheng smiled and scanned the stall, "If I say that there aren't many real items on your stall, are you going to kill me?"

"Truth my ass!" The stall owner was furious, "Is that the same thing?"

It was indeed different: even if Lin Sicheng shouted with a megaphone that this stall was full of fakes, no one would believe him, because it was just empty talk with no proof.

But at this moment, everyone gathered around could smell that his doll stank enough to make one vomit. And as luck would have it, this pretty boy said the words "Corpse Oil"?

If it were "Blood Staining" or "Corpse Spot," that would be one thing; it would actually prove it was a real item dug out of a tomb. But now, it actually contained "fire-refined Corpse Oil"... wouldn't this thing become the Evil Artifact that this pretty boy spoke of?

If word got out, would the problem just be that this one porcelain doll couldn't be sold? Anyone who frequently visited here would walk around his stall, eight out of ten of them...

Lin Sicheng said unhurriedly: "Then what do you suggest?"

"Easy! Either you give me a reason, or you take the item away... it's not expensive, eighty-eight thousand!" The stall owner pointed at the porcelain doll and gestured, "Or let the police come, and we'll talk it out properly: how will you compensate me for my future losses?"

"Future losses?" Lin Sicheng was both angry and amused, "So you're not going to lose out no matter what, right?"

"Fine, don't say I'm bullying a young person!" The stall owner was full of confidence, "I keep my word: if there is any Corpse Oil in this doll of mine, you can pick whatever you want from this stall, free of charge!"

More than just Corpse Oil?

"Fine!" Lin Sicheng looked at the stall owner, "Don't blame me for not warning you: if I really say it, your business here in the future will probably be hard to do!"

Who the fuck was scared of that?

The stall owner sneered and nodded: "Go ahead and say it!"

Good words cannot persuade a ghost that is destined to die.

Lin Sicheng nodded and picked up the doll. Seeing that he was really going to explain, the nearby vendors all gathered around.

It's no exaggeration: in this place, there are at least eighty or ninety arguments every day; I say this is real, you say this is fake, and after arguing, many end up fighting; they were long past the point of wanting to watch.

There was no lack of people stirring up trouble or making bets here, and it wasn't uncommon for people to get angry and smash things on the spot. But something as rare as today? It was truly the first time they had seen it.

Corpse Oil, have you heard of it?

Of course, watching the show is one thing, but deep down, they still felt that this young man didn't have much chance of winning: Li Polan's (the stall owner's) stall didn't have many real items, but this doll was one of the few genuine pieces.

Although it wasn't as old as the Ming Dynasty, it was at least from around the mid-Qing Dynasty. The traces of being smoked by incense candles were so heavy that it must have been worshipped in a temple for no less than a year or two.

To say the smoke residue was heavy was reasonable, but to say it was Corpse Oil, no matter how they thought about it, it felt impossible.

A group of vendors discussed it heatedly, and more and more tourists gathered, and in no time at all, the small stall was surrounded tightly.

Jing Zeyang had a flash of inspiration, moved a little closer, and took pictures with his phone.

He was afraid the stall owner would go back on his word and deny it; secondly, in case they really started fighting, he could keep some evidence.

Xu Qin and Tang Nan Yan were a bit worried: as the old saying goes, every trade is like a mountain.

If it were Jade, with the professional ability Lin Sicheng showed during training, it would naturally be a piece of cake.

He also loved to research boxing manuals, so he probably knew a little about ancient books and Calligraphy and Painting. But this was porcelain, and a relatively niche divine statue at that?

Tang Nan Yan thought for a moment, looked at Jing Zeyang, and asked, "Jing Zeyang, do you want to find someone to help?"

Find who? Yan Wenjing?

Forget it, getting scammed once is enough: last time I asked him for help, I ended up owing a tiny favor, and as a result, Lin Sicheng had to do a ton of work, preparing courseware and conducting training.

Although it only took two days, if Lin Sicheng had used that time to come to Panjiayuan, how many treasures could he have picked up?

And that wasn't even the end of it: Tang Nan Yan's leader treated Lin Sicheng like a free quiz machine, asking questions non-stop. This is only because it's Lin Sicheng; if it were me, I would have lost my patience long ago...

While thinking to himself, Jing Zeyang shook his head: "If you want what's best for Cousin Lin, don't look for Brother Yan. He's thick-skinned; seeing that Cousin Lin is easy to talk to, he'll fleece a sheep until it's dead. You'd be better off calling 110 than looking for him..."

"If you feel bad for Cousin Lin and think this stall owner is too detestable, just notify the Police Station in this area and let them come handle it. You don't even need to give Section Chief Xu a heads-up; just let them handle it by the book: trust me, this son of a bitch's doll definitely has issues, otherwise Cousin Lin wouldn't have said that..."

Tang Nan Yan froze for a moment, the expression on her face extremely unnatural: "Nothing good ever comes out of a dog's mouth; do you even know how to talk?"

What do you mean "I feel bad for Cousin Lin"?

Jing Zeyang just said it off the cuff, regardless of gender, and since he was busy recording video, he couldn't be bothered to argue with her.

Tang Nan Yan wasn't very reassured, thought about it, took out her phone, and went to a corner.

Fang Jin opened his bag and took out a tool kit, but Lin Sicheng waved his hand.

He had already reached a conclusion about this item and didn't need any in-depth Artifact Research at all.

Lin Sicheng held the doll and lifted it forward: "Boss, have you ever heard of the Sangkhalok Kiln in Siam?"

The stall owner was stunned: "What kiln?"

"The Sangkhalok Kiln of the Sukhothai Dynasty in Siam. To put it simply: this is Thai Official Kiln porcelain from the late 18th to early 19th century, roughly the early Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty..."

"As for the Fetal Clay, Glaze Material, firing techniques, and the like, I won't even mention them; you wouldn't recognize them anyway..."

"No, it's not that he doesn't recognize them..." someone nearby chimed in, "Li Polan doesn't understand anything at all!"

"Hahaha..." the onlookers all burst into laughter.

Lin Sicheng also smiled and pointed at the Talisman markings on the doll, "It doesn't matter if you don't understand, let's look at it slowly..."

"First, look at the characters here... on the top of the head, 【symbol】, meaning Buddha Treasure. On the back: 【symbol】, meaning Respecting the Three Jewels... These two Talismans are Pali from the ancient India period, commonly used in Thai Buddhism as respectful verses and mantras... Now look at this..."

Lin Sicheng pointed at the letters on the doll's chest, back, limbs, and soles of the feet: "【symbol】, submit. 【symbol】, destroy. 【symbol】, die. 【symbol】, bind..."

"These are all Thai, which belongs to the Zhuang-Tai branch of the Zhuang-Dong language family; if you go to a university and find a minority student from Guangxi or Yunnan, they would all be able to recognize them. Or better yet, just find an ethnic translation agency, and I guarantee they will translate it clearly..."

The stall owner was stunned.

How would he know anything about Pali or Thai?

But when he first acquired the item, he had specifically asked an expert on Buddhist Cultural Relics to look at it, and the expert said the two words on the doll's head and back were Ancient Sanskrit.

The key was that the expert had also said the word on the head translated to "Buddha Treasure," and the word on the back translated to "Respecting the Three Jewels," exactly the same as what this young man said.

But if that were the case, wouldn't that just prove his item really was a treasure?

The stall owner glared: "See? Even you said this is a Buddha Treasure, so what the hell does it have to do with an Evil Artifact?"

"Don't be impatient, I haven't finished: even if it is a Buddha Treasure, you have to look at which sect or school of Buddhism it belongs to. Take Tibetan Buddhism, for example: they revere the Kapala as a supreme treasure; if I gave it to you, would you want it?"

Lin Sicheng held up the doll, "I'll be blunt, this is a Thai Guman Thong, known in Chinese as a Golden Boy or Buddha Boy. It has only one purpose: it is an Evil Artifact used for casting spells, similar to what we usually call voodoo dolls... If you don't believe me, read the mantras I just mentioned all together..."

The stall owner was suddenly stunned: bind, submit, destroy, die... put these words together, aren't they just mantras used to curse people?

But he still didn't believe it.

Although his intuition felt a bit off and he wanted this pretty boy to get lost immediately, deep down he still held a sliver of hope:

Although the expert didn't say what the remaining mantras were, he was very certain: this item had definitely been worshipped in a temple for over a hundred years, otherwise it couldn't have such a heavy smell of incense.

Since it was worshipped, had incense burned for it, and had been in a temple for over a hundred years, how could it be an Evil Artifact?

He said with a dark face: "Don't beat around the bush. I asked you to talk about the Corpse Oil, why are you talking about voodoo dolls?"

"If I don't explain clearly what this thing is, how can I explain the origin of the Corpse Oil in its belly?"

Lin Sicheng sighed, "This thing likely originated in the 16th century. At that time, there was a general in Siam who was said to be able to perform magic and had extremely high sorcery skills. One year, the king ordered him to conquer a neighboring country, and it just so happened that his concubine was a Princess of that small country."

"To prevent her country from being destroyed and her family from being wiped out, the concubine poisoned the general, but failed. The general hated her for betraying him, so he cut her open alive, took the fetus out of her belly, roasted it into a corpse-dried relic, then mixed her ashes with clay to fire into a porcelain Talisman, and finally wrapped the corpse-dried relic inside, sealed the opening with Corpse Oil, and wore it around his neck, meaning that mother and child would never be reincarnated for eternity..."

"From then on, the general was invincible in battle and succeeded in every attack, and the king bestowed upon him the title of Khun Phaen General, meaning a top-tier warrior, similar to the great generals of our country's ancient times. After the general died, this type of sorcery was passed down and became increasingly popular... Thailand and Southeast Asia call it Guman Thong, while Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland call it 'raising a ghost'..."

"Merchants and celebrities in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan believe in this the most, and many people in the mainland believe in it too, but even if you go to Thailand to request one, at most they just dig up some grave soil, wrap it with coffin nails, menstrual blood, and the like, and have a high monk perform a ritual to mold a Yin Amulet, seeking only wealth and fortune."

But an item like yours, made entirely of Corpse Oil, ashes, and a corpse-dried relic, is truly not just ordinarily evil. Aside from cursing, it has no other use.

You must find it strange that such an evil thing would be worshipped in a temple? That's because this isn't the mainland, where temples only worship statues of deities. In Thai temples, they worship everything, and the more evil it is, the more they like it, including corpses... Not only do they worship them, they use them for cultivation and even sell them... If you don't believe me, go ask someone!"

The stall owner's face turned green, and he subconsciously remembered the words the pretty boy had said earlier: Do you really want to know what this is? I'm afraid that if I tell you, you won't be able to sleep well for a year.

Because he really treated this thing as a treasure: he would take it to the street stall during the day and bring it home at night, worshipping it and burning incense for it every single day...

But how could that be?

He gritted his teeth and pointed at the doll: "Porcelain is fired; the high temperature of thousands of degrees in the Kiln Furnace would have burned away any corpse-dried relic or Corpse Oil long ago..."

"That's right, it was fired, but I didn't say the corpse-dried relic was sealed inside before it went into the kiln... Since you've consulted an expert, did the expert tell you that there is a type of statue in Buddhism called Zangcang? This item has been in your hands for quite a while, so you must know: the piece on the base can be removed at any time and put back on at any time..."

The stall owner was suddenly stunned: the expert did indeed know it was a Zangcang statue, and he himself knew it was a Zangcang statue.

But the statue was very light, and what was inside definitely wasn't gold, silver, or jewelry, so he hadn't paid any attention to it.

And no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, the smell of rotting meat couldn't lie.

"You must still be wondering: why was it fine when you brought it back, but as soon as you pried open the navel, it started leaking oil and emitting a foul odor? Because it was well-sealed before, basically a vacuum inside, and it had been sitting in a temple without being moved, so there was no chance for it to rot."

"But after you acquired it, you brought it out to the stall to be exposed to the sun every day... and the ground in summer reaches temperatures of fifty or sixty degrees; once the wax on the navel melts, wouldn't air and microorganisms get in?"

Lin Sicheng pointed at the doll, "If you still don't believe me, go get it tested: medicine is so advanced now, you don't need to smash it open to see if there's a corpse-dried relic inside; just take a bit of the leaked oil and have it analyzed to see if it's Corpse Oil, and it will be clear at a glance."

The stall owner's face turned ashen.

After being stunned for a long time, he gritted his teeth and pointed at the items on his stall: "I admit defeat, you pick!"

The onlookers were in an uproar: Li Polan is usually quite arrogant, why did he concede so easily today?

Just listening to this young man babbling here, whether it's true or not, shouldn't they check it first before saying anything?

Only a few people were thoughtful: this young man only said the porcelain was fired hundreds of years ago and admitted the item had been in a temple for over a hundred years, but he didn't say that the things inside were still the same ones placed there hundreds of years ago?

If it were truly an original piece from several hundred years ago, even if it had been filled with oil back then, there couldn't possibly be any left by now. Not to mention seeping out, whatever had seeped into the porcelain body would have long since dried out.

Unless, it was filled in recent years?

Nine times out of ten, Li Polan realized this point, which is why he didn't dare to argue and accepted his defeat on the spot.

If he had dared to argue even a little, the other party would have called the Police right there, and he would have at least had to explain clearly to the Police: where did the dried corpse and Corpse Oil inside come from?

What, from abroad? From abroad won't work either.

Thailand has banned this stuff for several years now; where did you find it, and through what channels was it smuggled in?

Fining him tens of thousands would be light; if things go poorly, he might have to go inside for a couple of days...

Lin Sicheng nodded: It's good to accept defeat.

The ancients said it well: If you repay injury with kindness, then with what do you repay kindness?

He does not have the habit of being a pushover; what is called losing means one must accept it.

He scanned left and right, then pointed to a Bronze Mirror on the stall: "Jing, didn't you always want to pick up an item? That Bronze Mirror there, the one with the dragon and tiger..."

Jing Zeyang's eyes lit up; he ran over excitedly, confirmed it, and scooped the Bronze Mirror into his hand.

The stall owner glanced at them and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

This pretty boy wasn't wrong; there weren't many real items on his stall, but this piece was one of them.

But not all real items are valuable: like this one, it's only worth a thousand or eight hundred.

Just consider it throwing a bun to chase away a dog...

As soon as Jing Zeyang stood up, he started packing his things. Anyone with a discerning eye could see: Li Polan wanted to go out and hide for a couple of days.

Lin Sicheng glanced at him, ignored him further, and took the wet wipe handed over by Fang Jin to wipe his hands.

Tang Nan Yan had a strange expression, looking at his face one moment and his hands the next.

She thought she was curious: such an ominous thing, yet he wasn't the least bit wary, holding it in his hand for so long?

Lin Sicheng smiled: "Antiques are antiques; nine out of ten come from tombs, there's nothing to be wary of!"

How could Tang Nan Yan care about that?

Although she is in the evidence department, whenever the lab gets busy, she gets called in to help. She cuts into corpses all the time, so how could she be wary of a piece of Cultural Relics?

What she was curious about was: the first time, just when Jing Zeyang handed the thing to him, Lin Sicheng only took one look and touched it, and his expression changed immediately.

This shows that at that moment, he already knew what this thing was.

But the problem is, the whole process was only two or three seconds?

The key is, this thing is not only a foreign antique, but it's also obscure to the point of being extremely obscure?

The more Tang Nan Yan thought about it, the stranger it felt: "Teacher Lin, you can also appraise porcelain, right?"

How should he say this?

He couldn't very well say, that is what I am best at?

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "At the current stage of our Center, our main research direction is porcelain?"

"Ah?"

Does that mean what he is best at is porcelain?

Tang Nan Yan was stunned and looked at Xu Qin, "But the Section Chief said you have been helping the Cultural Relics Research Institute with some rust-proofing research during this time?"

"Oh, that's just by the way!"

Tang Nan Yan was stunned again: "Then what about Jade?"

"Also by the way!"

Tang Nan Yan had a strange expression: "Then ancient books and national martial arts are also by the way?"

"More or less."

"No... you also know Ancient Sanskrit and Thai?"

Lin Sicheng smiled: "When I was free, I learned them by the way!"

Lin Sicheng spoke lightly, but Tang Nan Yan's eyes widened bit by bit: You have too many of these "by the way" things, don't you?

If it were a major language, that would be one thing. But Ancient Sanskrit, Thai...

She discovered that she had found another merit of Lin Sicheng: erudition.

And not just ordinary erudition.

Jing Zeyang followed behind, watching with great interest: he just likes to see this silly woman looking so inexperienced?

Of course, he would at most mock her in his heart; if he dared to say it out loud, he would have to be prepared to get beaten.

Fang Jin was already used to it and kept looking back from time to time. He thought to himself that the sun had risen from the west today: being pushed around like that, Jing Zeyang actually just let it go?

This didn't seem much like his personality.

Seeing what he was thinking, Jing Zeyang curled his lips and jutted his chin forward again.

Fang Jin didn't understand: what does that mean?

Jing Zeyang explained in a low voice: "It wasn't my turn to act today; that woman had already called the Police!"

Why does Tang Nan Yan love to meddle in other people's business?

To put it bluntly, it's like a dog catching mice; to put it nicely, it's four words: hating evil as one hates an enemy.

That thing had Corpse Oil inside, and it had even seeped out. If this woman didn't get to the bottom of where this Corpse Oil came from, she probably wouldn't even be able to sleep.

And there is also Xu Qin: since she wears that uniform, she must be responsible for this profession.

Fang Jin suddenly realized: no wonder there was a moment in the middle when Officer Tang was hiding in the corner making a phone call?

As these thoughts turned, watching Jing Zeyang toss the Bronze Mirror up and down, Fang Jin reminded him in a low voice: "Aren't you going to let Teacher Lin take a look?"

Lin Sicheng picked it out himself, which is practically the same as Lin Sicheng giving it to him; could it possibly be fake?

But it's good to take a look, at least to have an idea in mind so it doesn't get sold for cheap.

Secretly turning the thought over, he quickened his pace by two steps: "Cousin Lin, could you take a look?"

Lin Sicheng took a glance: "Han Dragon and Tiger Pattern Bronze Mirror..."

Jing Zeyang's eyes bulged: What is that, a Han Mirror?

(End of this chapter)