Chapter 186: Star Chart

As he spoke, Third Uncle pulled two crumpled photos from his worn-out bag and handed them to me.

I knew these photos must be of that alchemy furnace. These photos were probably given to him by that foreigner. The matter was quite complicated; without these photos, it probably couldn't be explained clearly. Now he was using them on me.

Taking them and looking again, I saw that the first photo showed a huge alchemy furnace displayed in a museum. When Third Uncle mentioned it, I hadn't known it was so big—almost as tall as a person. Smuggling such a thing out of the country was indeed an impossible task.

The second photo showed the bottom of the furnace. I saw a bronze base covered with patterns. At the center of the furnace bottom was cast a fist-sized sky-gazing bronze beast, its head raised to the sky, very majestic. In terms of craftsmanship, it was top-notch.

"This is the furnace after restoration in the museum. The second photo is the inside of the furnace," Third Uncle explained to me. "The mechanism at the bottom that Xie Lianhuan discovered is a very clever water inlet, used to add water into the furnace during alchemy. The furnace wall is hollow and contains water. By rotating the furnace lid to a certain position of the pattern on top, you can open the mechanism under the sky-gazing beast, and the water in the furnace wall will spray out from the beast's mouth. This way, during alchemy, you don't need to open the lid."

I nodded in wonder, but such ingenious mechanisms were actually not that special in China. Why was this mechanism said to be the key to deciphering the Warring States silk manuscript? Third Uncle said the issue wasn't the function of the mechanism, but its mode of operation. As he spoke, he took out a magnifying glass and told me to look carefully at the patterns on the furnace bottom.

The photo was small. I looked carefully and saw that on the furnace bottom, around the sky-gazing beast as the center, there were many tiny relief dots, numerous and dense. If you didn't look carefully, you'd mistake them for copper rust.

"What is this?" I still didn't understand, so I asked.

"It's understandable that you don't know. The relief on the furnace bottom is an ancient star chart."

"An ancient star chart?" I was taken aback. "That is, a map showing the positions of stars in the sky?"

Third Uncle nodded, then took out a photo of the pattern deciphered from the Warring States silk manuscript and showed it to me for comparison: "This is the most ingenious part of the mechanism. The furnace bottom is an ancient star chart. When the furnace lid is rotated to the correct angle, the curves on the lid pattern will align with six stars in the star chart on the bottom, and the mechanism can be opened."

Upon hearing this, I immediately thought of something, and then it dawned on me: "The two patterns can overlap. So the strange lines on the Warring States silk manuscript are actually an 'astrolabe'?"

Third Uncle nodded: "Exactly."

An astrolabe is a tool for stargazing. Since there are countless stars in the sky, and they move according to time and season, it is very difficult to pick out specific stars each time. Hence, the astrolabe was created. It generally consists of lines connecting stars based on their arrangement. As long as you align the Big Dipper on the astrolabe, you can rotate the astrolabe using the compass and seasonal markings, and those specific lines will align with the stars you are looking for.

I couldn't help slapping the table in admiration. Aiya, wasn't this obvious? Why hadn't I thought of it just now? It was also very logical. Stargazing had already become highly developed during the Warring States period. People of that era believed that the movements of celestial bodies represented the movements of all things on earth, and one could discern some heavenly secrets from them. These secrets often foretold changes of dynasty, major wars, and disasters, and generally could not be casually divulged. It made sense that Tie Miansheng would hide the star chart he observed within the silk manuscript.

The fact that this same star chart also appeared on the furnace might mean that this celestial phenomenon carried some special significance that attracted the attention of many people at the time. That was also very possible.

Third Uncle nodded: "You've improved, kid. Well said. After these things were shipped to the United States, Jude Kao also immediately discovered this secret. Just like you, he thought of stargazing."

This was a very exciting discovery—the first of its kind in the history of archaeology. Jude Kao became famous again. However, by this time he no longer cared. He was completely immersed in the archaeological process: What did the celestial pattern marked by the astrolabe mean? Given how tightly it was concealed, this celestial pattern clearly foretold something extraordinary that must not be known by others.

After overlapping the star chart and the astrolabe, he identified the specific six stars from the entire chart and synthesized a celestial pattern diagram. Then he consulted ancient texts to find out what this celestial pattern meant in stargazing.

However, ancient Chinese astrology shared its roots with feng shui. It was incredibly complex, even more profound than feng shui, and there were almost no systematic records. What heavenly secret the star chart hidden in the Warring States silk manuscript foretold was completely impossible to look up.

At that time, the only way to unlock this secret was still to seek out those so-called masters. But this time, none could be found in America. So Jude Kao again asked Xie Lianhuan to go search among the folk in China.

However, this time Xie Lianhuan could not complete the task. In that era, anyone who knew a bit of the I Ching or feng shui had been sent to labor camps. Those who escaped the net were trembling with fear and refused to speak a word. Inquiries had to be made in secret and were very inconvenient.

This search went on for two years without any results. Meanwhile, the other research in America also made no progress.

In utter desperation, Jude Kao had another sudden inspiration. His attention again focused on the Warring States silk manuscript. He speculated that since the manuscript contained this star chart, perhaps other sections of it might record the secret of the star chart.

So, on the one hand, he began to acquire Lu yellow silk in China; on the other hand, he set his sights on my grandfather, who had sold the Warring States silk manuscript years ago. According to his experience, tomb raiders never came away empty-handed. The silk manuscript couldn't have been just one scroll. If my grandfather had stolen it, he must have taken the entire set. The remaining part might still be in my grandfather's hands.

At that time, Xie Lianhuan and Jude Kao had already become very close. Heartless as he was, Xie Lianhuan helped Jude Kao approach my grandfather to fish for information. Unfortunately, my grandfather was tight-lipped and nothing could be got out of him. Helpless, Xie Lianhuan then came to ask Third Uncle. At that time, Third Uncle was interested in the records in Grandfather's notebook. After a few drinks, he talked too much and told the whole story of how Grandfather had stolen the Warring States silk manuscript as if it were just a tale.

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help saying: "Third Uncle, so that foreigner learned about the blood corpse tomb from you? You told him yourself?"

Third Uncle gave a bitter smile and shook his head: "I really had drunk too much at the time. After the alcohol wore off, I couldn't even remember telling him about it. Later, when that foreigner mentioned it to me, I recalled it. I regretted it like hell."

I smiled bitterly along with him. This was truly dramatic. But speaking of which, when Jude Kao chose Xie Lianhuan back then, he might have already known about the relationship between the Wu family and the Xie family and already had this plan in mind. The way this foreigner operated was so secretive that it was truly frightening.

After getting this information, Jude Kao planned to re-excavate the blood corpse tomb. Unfortunately, Xie Lianhuan was not a tomb raider, and Jude Kao couldn't find anyone else. At that time, Sino-American relations were beginning to thaw. He felt the situation would change, so he patiently waited for a while. Sure enough, he waited until an opportunity came. He then brought a group of archaeologists and eagerly returned to China to begin planning this operation. Thus, the events Third Uncle experienced earlier came about.

As for what happened next, you can guess. That night, after Third Uncle escaped from the tomb, Jude Kao entered the tomb the following afternoon. Needless to say, this matter ended in disaster. When they opened the hidden compartment under the coffin, the flying ■ king almost killed everyone in the tomb at that time.

Thanks to a quick-witted worker that Xie Lianhuan had brought along. It was he who, at the most dangerous moment, detonated the explosives and completely collapsed the inner chamber, allowing Jude Kao and Xie Lianhuan, who were in the outer chamber, to survive. Unfortunately, he and the others were all buried and died in the tomb.

The scene at that time was extremely terrifying. Jude Kao, who witnessed it firsthand, suffered a huge blow and almost went insane. His decades-long understanding of China completely crumbled. After returning to Changsha, he immediately went back to the United States, fell seriously ill, and almost went mad. Research on the Warring States silk manuscript was also immediately terminated.

However, we knew this was only temporary. A year later, the second age of marine archaeology arrived, and the wheel of fate began to spin faster and faster beneath the surface of the Xisha Islands.