Since the situation was quite urgent, I didn't take the train but flew directly.
It was my first time on an airplane. During the security check, someone scanned me with a device, which felt very uncomfortable.
Moreover, when the plane took off, the feeling of weightlessness made me feel particularly unwell.
Although my feet were on the plane, my heart felt very unsettled.
After the plane landed, I got off without a moment's delay.
Outside the airport, I saw Bi Zhengxiang's bodyguard.
He was standing by a van and walked towards me when he saw me, saying, "Mr. Xiang."
I nodded. "Hello."
"May I ask if Mr. Xiang has eaten?"
"I ate on the plane. Let's go to Old Master Bi's place first," I said.
The bodyguard nodded and gestured for me to get into the car.
During the drive, I learned the bodyguard's name was Gai Hongkuang.
According to Gai Hongkuang, Fatty had been lurking around Bi Zhengxiang's house for some time, though no one knew what he was doing. Just yesterday, he suddenly rushed in, demanding to see Bi Zhengxiang and have him show him the Qin mirror.
Bi Zhengxiang hesitated for a moment but eventually brought out the Qin mirror. After looking at it for a while, Fatty went crazy, muttering, "Impossible... impossible..."
He then caused a huge scene at Bi Zhengxiang's house, demanding an explanation and smashing the Qin mirror on the spot.
Fortunately, the Qin mirror was a bronze artifact and was not damaged. However, Fatty's behavior puzzled Bi Zhengxiang.
To prevent Fatty from continuing his rampage, Bi Zhengxiang had him restrained and immediately called me.
After hearing his account, I began to ponder.
Fatty's stakeout near Bi Zhengxiang's house was likely at my request to keep an eye on him. But why did he suddenly storm into his house?
And why smash his belongings?
The more I thought about it, the more something felt off. Coupled with what Bi Zhengxiang had said on the phone, I felt the situation was increasingly strange.
An hour later, I arrived at the Bi residence and found Bi Zhengxiang sitting at a tea table, sipping tea. A brocade box was placed beside him.
I recognized the brocade box as the one used to store the Qin mirror.
Seeing me, he gestured for me to sit.
I sat down and asked, "Where is my friend?"
Bi Zhengxiang poured me a cup of tea. "Young friend Xiang, rest assured, I've already had a doctor administer a sedative to your friend. It will take some time for him to wake up. In the meantime, I hope we can have a good chat."
"A chat?" I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "What does Old Master Bi want to chat about with me?"
His gaze fell on the brocade box beside him. "Naturally, we'll chat about the Qin mirror."
I pursed my lips and picked up the teacup, taking a sip. I found it was authentic Da Hong Pao, with a very pleasant taste.
"Whatever Old Master Bi wants to say, please do," I said, putting down the teacup.
Bi Zhengxiang said, "Do you remember what I told you about my ancestors before?"
I nodded.
"To be frank, when I told you about it then, I omitted one detail," Bi Zhengxiang sighed. "It wasn't that I deliberately concealed it, but rather that the matter was insignificant."
"Oh?" I looked at him. "What was it?"
Bi Zhengxiang said with a wry smile, "Your friend's state is exactly the same as my ancestor's when he obtained the Qin mirror..."
I didn't quite understand.
He continued, "When my ancestor obtained the Qin mirror, he also went mad for a period of time."
I frowned. "Are you saying my friend has gone mad?"
Bi Zhengxiang shook his head. "I don't mean 'mad' in that sense."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Young friend Xiang, think about it. Under what circumstances would a person become enraged and flustered?"
I knew he was referring to Fatty's actions. After thinking carefully, I said, "He was stimulated?"
"What kind of stimulation do you think would cause a person to behave like that, Young friend Xiang?" Bi Zhengxiang asked.
What kind of stimulation would make a person lose control? That was a difficult question.
"There are too many possibilities," I said.
Bi Zhengxiang nodded. "Indeed, there are many possibilities that can stimulate a person... but as it stands, I think your friend must have encountered something incredible. In other words, something he couldn't accept."
"What is it?" I asked subconsciously.
Bi Zhengxiang gave a wry smile. "That's precisely what I want to know."
Given Fatty's personality, for him to become so flustered and create such a scene at Bi Zhengxiang's house, the matter must have been related to his life.
Think about it, Fatty knew Bi Zhengxiang was a major collector, and from their first encounter, it was clear that he had considerable influence and connections in YanJing.
To put it bluntly, offending him could easily lead to Fatty being unable to stay in YanJing with just a few words.
For Fatty to risk such consequences and come to trouble Bi Zhengxiang, it could only be because something made him feel his life was threatened, and he threw caution to the wind.
What could it be?
Could the Qin mirror have a curse?
I gave a bitter smile inwardly and quickly dismissed the idea as unrealistic.
The last time Fatty's hand was injured by the Qin mirror, I consulted Yang Hanxue when I returned to Guangling. According to him, there was only one possibility: the Qin mirror had a toxin we hadn't detected.
Fatty accidentally dropped the Qin mirror that day, releasing the toxin and causing his hand to be corroded.
I found this explanation quite plausible.
Although the Qin mirror was strange, the notion of it absorbing human essence or consuming internal organs seemed too exaggerated.
Moreover, regarding Bi Zhengxiang's story about his ancestor, it happened so long ago, and he hadn't witnessed it himself. The truth of the matter was still to be investigated.
Bi Zhengxiang spoke, "I believe that if we can figure out what happened to your friend, perhaps the mystery of my ancestor can also be solved."
Hearing this, I finally understood why he had kept Fatty there.
So that was his plan. I looked at him meaningfully, and he smiled slightly at me, "As long as Young friend Xiang helps me uncover the truth, you can pick anything you want from my collection."
I scanned the antique objects in the room, finally shifting my gaze to him. "Old Master Xiang, is that true?"
Bi Zhengxiang nodded.
"In that case, it's settled!"
I was delighted, thinking this was exactly the opportunity I needed.
I just hoped he wouldn't go back on his word.
As I was contemplating, Bi Zhengxiang's bodyguard, Gai Hongkuang, walked in. "Master Bi, that Fatty has woken up."
Hearing this, Fatty and I exchanged a look with Bi Zhengxiang. I said, "I'll go check on him first."
"Alright," Bi Zhengxiang nodded.
I stood up and followed Gai Hongkuang out of the room. We soon arrived at a side room in the courtyard. Before even entering, I could hear Fatty's pig-like screams.