After hearing Bi Zhengxiang's words, a chill ran down my spine as I looked at the Qin mirror in the brocade box.
I had seen many antiques, but I had rarely encountered such strange and bizarre ones.
The Youxian Pillow I saw last time had already opened my eyes, and this Qin mirror was even more peculiar.
"Old Master Bi, you say this mirror can absorb human essence and blood, and devour internal organs? Have you actually seen it?" I asked, feigning composure and raising an eyebrow.
Bi Zhengxiang seemed hesitant to speak. After a moment, he said, "I know you don't believe what I'm saying, but can you explain what happened to your friend's hand just now?"
I chuckled, "Perhaps there's some special mechanism on this mirror that we just haven't discovered."
This mirror was originally in my hands, and I was sure it had no special features.
When Fatty first took it, there was no abnormality. It was only when he accidentally dropped it that the mirror began to cause problems.
Could it be that the fall triggered some mechanism?
Thinking of this, I felt it was quite possible.
"Mechanism?" Bi Zhengxiang chuckled helplessly, "To set up a mechanism on an object of this size, let alone in the Qin Dynasty, it would be no simple feat even with current craftsmanship."
"You can't be sure. Many things from ancient times, aren't they things that people today can't recreate?"
As I spoke, I suddenly thought of someone and said, "I know a master who is proficient in mechanisms. If I could have him take a look, perhaps he could figure something out."
Bi Zhengxiang's expression was hesitant, and he stared at me for several seconds.
He clearly wanted to tell me something, but he held back.
From what I'd seen so far, his hesitant demeanor had appeared more than once.
"Old Master Bi, if you have something to say, please tell me," I said. "You called me here and showed me this mirror... it seems you really want me to know something?"
"Young Master Xiang, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but I don't know how to say it," Bi Zhengxiang sighed.
I smiled, "Old sir, your words are making me more confused. If there's anything you can tell me directly, I'll do my best to help. If I can't help, then I can't."
"Alright..." Bi Zhengxiang picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Let me think about how to phrase it..."
After about a minute or two, he began to speak to me.
"Actually, this Qin mirror was acquired by my ancestors from a Mòjīn xiàowèi (Tomb Raider). When my ancestors first obtained this mirror, they intended to sell it for a good price, but then something happened..."
He paused here. "After that incident, the mirror went missing, and my family suffered greatly, almost... alas..."
Although he didn't say what his ancestors did, from his tone, I had already guessed a few things.
In the antique trade, there was a type of person called a "puller," which is what we call an intermediary today. They liaise between buyers and sellers and receive commissions.
There are many such people now, like Fatty, who works as a broker.
In the past, being a broker wasn't something anyone could do. One needed extensive connections and a certain prestige in the local area.
Many sellers or buyers were unwilling to appear in person, and all transactions were handled by the brokers. The sellers received the payment, and the buyers received the items, all thanks to the brokers.
This seems simple, but in the past, it was far from it.
In the old days, the antique trade was rife with murder and robbery, double-crosses, and elaborate scams.
If there were any problems with a transaction, it was the broker who was held accountable.
Therefore, those who could work as brokers in the past were no ordinary people.
"What exactly happened back then?" I pressed.
Bi Zhengxiang said that after his ancestors acquired the Qin mirror, they cherished it immensely, holding it in their hands all day, and even sleeping with it.
But then, a strange thing happened. One morning, a maid went to wake the old master, and upon entering the room, she was stunned. The old master's internal organs had been scooped out.
This incident terrified everyone in the Bi manor. Bi Zhengxiang's grandfather, who was at the age of capping (coming of age), seeing his father die so miserably, was determined to uncover the truth.
Not only did they report it to the authorities, but they also spent a fortune hiring many people from the martial world to investigate the matter.
At that time, the Bi family was very influential in the area. After this incident, it caused a huge stir throughout the city, creating widespread panic.
However, no matter how they investigated, they couldn't find out who had murdered the old master Bi.
Just as Bi Zhengxiang's father was at his wit's end, an old Taoist priest arrived. This priest wore a cyan-grey robe and carried a two-foot-long wooden box.
As soon as he arrived at the Bi manor, he went to examine the old master's body. After his examination, his expression was grave, and he declared that it was the work of a demon.
Although Bi Zhengxiang's grandfather was startled to hear this, he was still unwilling to accept it. He said that even if it was a demon, it must pay for its crimes with blood, and he begged the old Taoist to subdue the demon.
To persuade the old Taoist to act, Bi Zhengxiang's grandfather offered his family's treasured Tianpeng Ruler as a reward.
The Tianpeng Ruler was a famous ritual implement in Taoism, and the one collected by the Bi family was of great significance, rumored to have been used by True Person Ziyang.
True Person Ziyang, whose real name was Deng Ziyang, was the founder of the Northern Emperor sect of Taoism. During the Kaiyuan era, he was even conferred the title of National Protector Celestial Master by Emperor Xuanzong.
Tempted by the Tianpeng Ruler, the old Taoist, after careful consideration, agreed.
It was at that time that the Bi family learned that the old master had been harmed by the Qin mirror.
Of course, this was according to the old Taoist, and its truth could no longer be verified.
Just as the old Taoist was preparing to set up an altar and perform a ritual, a strange phenomenon occurred in the sky. A patch of blood-red clouds enveloped the entire Bi manor, and that night, an unknown fire reduced the entire manor to ashes.
The old Taoist and the Qin mirror also disappeared without a trace, and the Bi family fell into hardship. Bi Zhengxiang's grandfather barely escaped with his life from the fire but lost an arm.
After this incident, rumors spread like wildfire, and the Bi family could no longer stay in the area, leaving their homeland.
After hearing Bi Zhengxiang's account, a thought crossed my mind. I wondered if it was a trap set by that old Taoist.
As if sensing my thoughts, Bi Zhengxiang said, "For many years after that, the Bi family continued to search for that Taoist priest. My father found the old Taoist's disciple, and from him, we learned that the old Taoist died in his temple less than a month after leaving our home..."
"Then, according to Old Master Bi, do you believe that all of this was caused by this Qin mirror?" I asked.
Bi Zhengxiang let out a sigh. "I don't know... I rarely come to Yanjing. This time, I happened to encounter this Qin mirror. My family has detailed records about this mirror. The moment I saw it, I knew it was the same Qin mirror my ancestors obtained back then!"