Professor Chen said, "Oh, you all know? Very well, I certainly wouldn't have guessed that Little Hu and Fatty… you possess such high ideological awareness. Then I won't beat around the bush; many of China's national treasures have been lost overseas. Back then, my old classmate Yang Xuanwei and I were deeply pained whenever we thought of this. After I recovered from my illness, I stayed in the States for a while. During that time, I connected with several scholars and overseas Chinese living there, some of whom were connoisseurs and experts in antique collection and appraisal. From them, I learned of a world-shattering event."

Professor Chen then recounted the whole story. There was an old legend that during Qin Shi Huang's southern tour, someone salvaged a floating corpse from the seaside. This male body belonged to an elder of unusual height and distinguished appearance, with a beard reaching past his chest, skin pale and fine, yet flesh as hard as iron. He was clad in the ceremonial robes of an ancient sovereign. It was unclear how long he had been floating, nor his origin or cause of death, yet his complexion remained lifelike, showing no signs of prolonged immersion in seawater. A gust of sea wind stirred the ancient corpse's beard and hair, making him seem as if alive.

Qin Shi Huang believed the corpse was the remains of a sea immortal and should be revered and worshipped in hopes of receiving the elixir of immortality from the immortal. However, others held the opposite view. Qin Shi Huang was always deeply superstitious about cultivation and alchemy, employing numerous fangshi (Daoist masters/alchemists). These fangshi believed the body was an ancient jiangshi (hopping vampire/zombie), a demonic entity that must have surfaced from the abyss of the South Sea. Seeing it was already an ill omen, how could they possibly worship it for medicine? They then explained when this event had occurred before, what kind of portent it symbolized, and what the proper course of action should be.

Making a living as a fangshi during the Qin Dynasty was not easy; ancient people were generally quite simple. Being even slightly articulate was considered a sign of rhetorical talent. The primary skill needed to advise the Emperor was the ability to spin yarns, making the dead seem alive. Qin Shi Huang was not easily swayed, but he couldn't resist these men speaking as if it were the absolute truth. Furthermore, he was deeply convinced by these esoteric matters and feared that a zombie emerging from the sea abyss signaled the downfall of the dynasty. Since they could not destroy it with fire or weapons, the only solution was to bury it deep underground. Thus, he commanded thirty thousand convicts to chisel through a desolate mountain to inter the corpse, casting a bronze beast to suppress the jiangshi and hold the mountain down. He then had the "Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror," one of the Eight Mirrors of Qin, embedded in the beast's head before sealing the mountain and returning.

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, it was widely believed that bronze mirrors could suppress jiangshi. This was because people, when facing a mirror, were meant to "rectify their appearance"—checking if their expression was solemn and serious, and if their hats and clothes were properly aligned. If anything was askew, they were to correct it immediately. Therefore, the bronze mirror represented "straightness" or "correctness," and one correction could suppress a hundred evils. Moreover, the mirror symbolized "Yang," the symbol of daylight, acting as a deterrent against "Yin."

After sweeping the six states to unify the realm, Qin Shi Huang had acquired many secret artifacts from them, including eight ancient bronze mirrors, among them the Law School Patriarch's Mirror and the Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror. Legend held that this mirror could reveal the internal skeletal structure and meridians of a person, making it a priceless treasure rarely seen in the world. Qin Shi Huang buried this Bone-Illuminating Mirror along with the ancient sea corpse in the mountain.

Shortly after Qin Shi Huang returned to Xianyang, he passed away. The location where the Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror was buried became an eternal mystery; no one knew its whereabouts again. Time passed, and it wasn't until the late Northern Song Dynasty that someone gathering herbs on a mountain suddenly saw five dragons fighting in the sky above a small hill. Eventually, all five dragons died, and their corpses fell from the heavens. However, where the dragons fell, there were no dead dragons, only a large fissure splitting the ground.

The herb gatherer, terrified, reported the incident to the nearby villagers. Crowds rushed to witness it. In the ditch, they saw a gigantic object writhing as if trying to emerge. Everyone was alarmed, thinking a mountain spirit was causing harm, so they set fire to the area. After the blaze, they recovered a massive bronze beast from the ditch—an ox head upon a tortoise shell, with horns on its head, a carapace for a body, seven tails, and countless skulls attached to the ends of those tails. It was an ugly sight, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Resting on the beast's head was a simple, ancient-looking bronze mirror. Someone presented it to the reigning Son of Heaven, Emperor Huizong of Song.

A well-informed minister advised Emperor Huizong, stating that the ancient mirror was an object from the pre-Qin era, precisely the Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror recorded in historical texts. This object was a tool used by the Qin Dynasty to suppress demons. After so long, the malevolent aura would be hard to dispel, and it was unsuitable to keep it within the palace walls; it should be returned to its original resting place and re-interred according to ritual. But Emperor Huizong cherished the mirror as a personal treasure and refused to part with it, keeping it close for admiration. Not long after, Jin soldiers on horseback swept south, destroying the Northern Song and capturing the two Song emperors. The Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror's whereabouts became unknown once more.

The event of Qin Shi Huang encountering the ancient corpse by the sea was, after all, mere folklore and might not be true. However, the Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror is clearly recorded in historical texts. Later scholars suspected that this mirror might not have been bronze at all, but a very special substance capable of seeing through the human body. If that were true, some histories of science would need rewriting, much like certain secret royal artifacts mentioned in the Book of Han, some of which might even be humanity's earliest discovered radioactive materials. Finding the physical object now could shock the entire world. Unfortunately, this item, like so many other Chinese ancient treasures, has vanished without a trace. Without the object itself, future generations can only be left to gaze wistfully at a few inked lines in ancient texts, sighing with regret and longing.

Later, during the invasion by the Eight-Nation Alliance, the "Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror" reappeared, though this time it was confiscated by the British from private hands. After several transfers, it ended up in India. Then, by the end of this year, a wealthy tycoon from Southeast Asia purchased it. Since it was smuggled out, it traveled by sea. However, while the ship was in international waters, it encountered a storm, deviated from its course, and sank to the bottom of the sea, taking the Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror with it.

Almost no one survived among the hundreds of passengers and crew. The storm raged for days, completely paralyzing communications. Maritime rescue operations were extremely difficult; the wreck location could not be found, only a general direction. That area of the sea bordered the unfathomably deep South China Sea, a jurisdiction neglected by all. Locals called that stretch "The Coral Spiral" due to its dense reefs.

By the time I heard this, I grasped eight or nine parts of the story. This was a major maritime disaster that had been reported recently. Since the Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror sank with the ship, couldn't they just hire a professional salvage team to retrieve it? I wondered why Professor Chen went through such a lengthy detour, speaking so earnestly, to ask us to do something.

Professor Chen stopped speaking there, perhaps waiting to see my reaction. But besides Shirley Yang, who listened intently, everyone else remained silent, creating an awkward atmosphere. I pretended to be indifferent and glanced at Fatty and Big Gold Tooth; they seemed completely unaffected, focusing only on eating and drinking. It was clear they had no interest in taking on any thankless task that offered no potential profit.

After all, our relationship with Professor Chen was extraordinary. If he hadn't approved of me initially, I wouldn't be where I am today, nor would I have met Shirley Yang. And Shirley Yang was like his own daughter. Therefore, regardless of Professor Chen's ultimate purpose in telling this story, we had to humor him and give the old man full respect.

I quickly said to the group, "Professor Chen truly lives up to his title; being with you is always an education. Today, you've given us another important history lesson. Back when I read the I Ching a few times, I thought I was quite learned. But after spending more time with you, I realize there is no end to learning. I feel like a tiny sesame seed before the massive watermelon that is history. Hearing your explanation today truly makes it a pity that the 'Cloud-Deep, Traceless' Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror is lost. Otherwise, putting it in a museum so the common people, our compatriots from Hong Kong and Macau, overseas Chinese, and foreign guests could all stand before it and stretch their limbs to be illuminated—that would have been quite the spectacle! But sinking into the sea isn't bad either. Let it illuminate some mermaids down there for a while. Ancient objects all have spirits; perhaps the tide will wash it back up one day."

As I spoke, I stepped on Fatty's foot under the table, signaling him to say something too. Fatty paused slightly when his instep was trod upon, instantly understanding my intention. He wiped his mouth and gave Professor Chen a thumbs-up: "Brilliant! Truly brilliant! When I dream at midnight, I often examine my soul and ask myself: Do correct ideas just drop from the sky? Of course not! For instance, if Old Man Chen hadn't thoroughly studied the Four Great Literary Volumes, could his words be so punctuated with classical references, so ear-splittingly resonant, so lingeringly melodious? This proves what? It proves the fruits of study! Therefore, we too must study more and read more in the future, reviewing the old to learn the new, retracing the Long March, and re-studying the Three Old Articles."

Big Gold Tooth seized the opportunity to chime in with his praises. Seeing this, Professor Chen nodded with a gratified smile: "I truly did not misjudge you, Eight-One and Little Fatty, and the second son of the Jin family. Although the Ten-Year Movement delayed your formal education, look at your eloquence—it’s no less than mine as a professor. More importantly, you possess not only the eloquence of a diplomat but also the courage and spirit of an explorer. That’s why I always say, true talents and extraordinary individuals are found among the common folk."

Hearing this, my initial suspicion was confirmed. As the saying goes, "A man who doesn't ask for help is tall on his own." Before we even knew what was required, such a grand compliment was bestowed upon us. To possess not only the eloquence of a diplomat but also the courage of an explorer—that hat was far too big! How enormous must the task be that requires such qualities? Still, I truly couldn't fathom what contribution we, a group of tomb raiders who specialize in searching mountains and digging up ancient graves, could possibly make to salvaging a shipwreck. We are utterly useless when it comes to maritime affairs.

Being led around in circles was frustrating, so I decided to state the matter plainly: "Professor, we are closer than relatives; I won't stand on ceremony with you. Say whatever is on your mind directly. The Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror has sunk into the South China Sea, and I am just as anxious as you are. But alas, we lack the skills. I only have a rudimentary grasp of Feng Shui, leaving me feeling powerless. Although I grew up on the coast of Fujian and have sailed before, I've never ventured into the deep ocean. That vast sea is beyond our capability, and salvaging one item from such a large vessel is never simple. Moreover, not even knowing the location of the wreck—isn't that like looking for a needle in the ocean? Even professional international salvage organizations probably couldn't solve this overnight. I heard a British diving company collaborated with the government to salvage gold from a shipwreck, and after nearly ten years, they've only just completed the preliminary work. Who knows when they'll finish retrieving it all. I suggest we just express our sorrow and regret from home."

Shirley Yang said to me, "Don't rush yet. Listen to what the Professor intends to say." Then she asked Professor Chen to continue. Fatty, myself, and the others reluctantly settled down to listen. Professor Chen said, "If the ship truly couldn't be found, I wouldn't be this anxious. Although the Coral Spiral region is vast, there is one clue that is crucial. If we use ancient secret Feng Shui techniques to search, there should be a starting point. After the disaster, one crew member survived. His lifeboat drifted for three days and two nights; all his comrades died. He was rescued by a fishing boat but passed away shortly after. Before he died, he revealed a vital piece of information: at the site of the wreck, there is ascending Yin fire burning beneath the seabed. This strange phenomenon of hidden, burning Yin fire in the sea—surely, in the ways of Feng Shui, this must hold some significant meaning?"