Chapter 4 - The Last Letter (1/2)
Chapter 4: The Last Letter
Translator: Xie Ziwei
Zhang Meng touched the tiger talisman in silence. Usually, the tiger talisman was made of bronze or gold in the shape of a crouching tiger. Used as Commander’s Seal, it was split in two from the center, one for the general and the other for the emperor. In ancient China, the troops of a country would obey the order only if the two separate parts fit together correctly.
Strangely enough, this tiger talisman was made of jade. The crouching white tiger was so vivid that the pattern on its forehead was carved clearly. If it was zoomed up a hundred times, the white tiger was just like the real one. Judging from exquisite sculpture skills, Zhang Meng guessed that this jade talisman must be made in the Chinese Western Han Dynasty.
It was not until the Western Han Dynasty that the first gold and jade burial suit came to exist, which, in the shape of the real body, was used to wrap up corpse, covering every part of the body, even the fingers and the toes. This jade talisman was probably made in the same period of the jade burial suit, because the skill and technique of making this kind of jade suit was quite demanding in the same way of the jade talisman. Apart from that, the tomb that his father had robbed before he died was probably from the same period of time. However, he had never seen this kind of jade before.
Listening to Zhang Meng’s analysis, all the other three nodded in agreement. Although Zhang Meng did not say much about that, their eyes flashed with shock. He had a good eye on antiques, which was in no way inferior to that of several masters in Zhang Family.
At that time, Zhang Meng couldn’t wait to read that letter. “Zhang Meng, probably I will have been dead when you read this letter. Don’t be sad. Do you remember my words? Sadness is only for the coward. What you should do is to follow my clue and reveal the secret. You are a good son. But I am not a good father. I failed to take care of our family and you. I hope you don’t blame me.”
“I’m so tired after years of travelling and working. Death means a long holiday for me. Finally, I can close my eyes peacefully. Son, listen, you have to leave our family and find the answer. For me, this is redemption. Your uncles and I committed too many sins. It’s not fair to ask Zhang’s offspring to pay our debts. No! Never! I will never let Zhang’s reputation die with me! You must remove the curse of Three Yin Ghost Pulse.
“I thought that the truth was rightly before my eyes. I almost get close to it…”
“Unfortunately, it’s only my wishful thinking! The Demonic Shrine of Marquis Wu… It is the Demonic Shrine of Marquis Wu…”
This was the end of the letter. On the back of the letter was full of strange symbols or some codes through which the secret was hidden.
Zhang Meng read his father’s last letter for several times, shedding tears quietly. But he still didn’t understand what on earth his father wanted to tell him by such an obscure letter.
Other people like Zhao San listened and watched Zhang Meng in silence with mixed feelings, who had traveled through China doing antique business with four brothers of Zhang family as their favored partners in their early years. At that time, Zhang family business merged almost all the small antique retailers in bazaars located in old Beijing, which pushed Zhang family business at its zenith. For the death of Zhang Shaoye, the fourth brother of Zhang Family, they felt sad in the same way as Zhang Meng, because they had long treated each other like family.
As soon as they heard the name of the Demonic Shrine of Marquis Wu, their face instantly wore the expression of terror.
Zhao San couldn’t help snapping his pipe in half when he heard the horrifying name of that demonic shrine. The splintering sound of the pipe brought Zhang Meng back to life. Seeing Zhao San’s pale face and the unnatural facial expression of Cripple Chen and Sick Ghost, Zhang Meng guessed that there was something wrong with that.
The thought that “They must know something!” came to his mind immediately.
Suddenly, Zhang Meng realized something and questioned loudly, “Uncle! Tell me the secret about the whole thing!”
“Zhang Meng, forget it. This is no trivial matter. Let’s hurry to tell your elder uncle about that! If he wants to tell you, he will.”
Holding an umbrella, Zhang Meng rushed out through the blowing snow. At that time, Zhang Meng was eager to know what all this was about. Then Zhao San and the other two looked at each other and exchanged wry smiles, following close at his heels with a few plates of dumplings.