The art of the Mo-Jin Xiao-Wei (Grave Robbers) has always been rooted in the I Ching (Book of Changes), the first among the classics. Thus, I was stunned to see that the scattered pieces of blue-headed ancient jade recovered from the sea, when arranged according to Professor Chen’s sketch, could form a complete jade carving: a sea-monster figure engaged in “lighting the candle to divine with the turtle shell” (zhaozhu bu gui). Moreover, judging by the style of the zhaozhu bamen (eight gates of the candle illumination method), it seemed to be deducing trigrams from the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams—which might very well point toward the profound and inscrutable Sixteen-Character Celestial Trigrams as its ultimate objective. How could this not shake me to the core?

I quickly composed myself and returned with Professor Chen to the fishing hut. We took out the crate of blue-headed jade pieces, intending to examine closely which trigram was inscribed on the back of the jade turtle. To my bitter disappointment, however, the most crucial areas bearing the inscriptions were mostly corroded by the sea, covered in the residue of tiny marine organisms. The faint outlines visible on the edges were completely insufficient for any meaningful identification.

Seeing me staring blankly at the jade carving for so long, Professor Chen gently patted my shoulder. “Judging by the ornamentation and craftsmanship, this jade figure was likely used for sacrificial divination ceremonies during the Western Zhou dynasty. Yet, nothing of this form has ever surfaced in mainland China. It is almost certainly a relic from the sunken Kingdom of Hentian, introduced during the Zhou period—a priceless treasure! Where did you acquire it? And what could you discern from the trigrams?” Though he was a seasoned scholar, his expertise lay in the cultures of the ancient Western Regions, not in I Ching studies.

I shook my head. This jade carving was one of the "blue-heads" we had acquired unexpectedly. We had planned to transport it back to Beijing, polish it until it regained its vibrant luster, and sell it for a substantial price. Never did we imagine it concealed such a monumental secret. If what "Bai Wu" claimed was true—that sea beasts capable of swallowing ships died on the shore during tsunamis—and if this jade piece was recovered from a fishing boat swallowed by one of those beasts, then tracing its origins would become incredibly difficult.

Yet, Professor Chen and I both understood that during the Yin-Shang, Western Zhou, and even the Eastern Zhou Warring States periods, the ruling class made most crucial decisions based on divination results. They meticulously recorded every divination outcome and subsequent verification onto turtle shells and ox scapulae. In a way, tortoise shells and bronze inscriptions (zhong ding) were objects of equal importance. The so-called identification marks and decorative patterns on the jade carving could certainly confirm its age, because just as Oracle Bone Script and Bronze Inscriptions varied by era, so did their styles. By form, the Xia Dynasty used Bird Track Seal Script; the Shang Dynasty favored Insect and Fish tracks; and by the Western Zhou, the script uniformly became Large Seal Script of the Insect and Fish style. Although the script was later standardized under Qin unification, distinct differences persisted across dynasties: the Qin used Large and Small Seal scripts; the Han transitioned to Small Seal and Clerical script; the Three Kingdoms period used Clerical script; and the Jin dynasties through Song utilized Regular script, with the Tang dynasty incorporating Regular script, Clerical script, and incised inscriptions. Numerous clues pointed to the age of this jade carving.

Bronze inscriptions and celestial bones recorded the major events and hidden secrets of those times. That era was precisely when the development of Zhou I Ching divination flourished. If we could decipher the trigram shown by the sea monster’s candle illumination, we might uncover many long-lost secrets. The Hentian Clan was virtually the Eastern Atlantis; think of the secrets and treasures it must hold! We might even glimpse the mysteries of the Sixteen-Character Celestial Trigrams. Regrettably, this jade figure has lain submerged for millennia. Given our current conditions on the island, peeling away the surface corrosion caused by the sea is proving difficult, meaning we cannot yet uncover the truth hidden within this turtle-shell divination.

Professor Chen recalled that Inley Yang had mentioned I had been reading the I Ching almost daily. He was very encouraging, saying that once we returned to Beijing and I had restored the ancient jade, he would ask me to conduct further verification and research after the trigram patterns were revealed.

I thought to myself, these blue-heads were originally mine. How is it that, hearing his words, it sounds like once we get back to Beijing, I’ll have no say in the matter? Professor Chen certainly wasn't standing on ceremony; he was practically confiscating them! That was fine, but my study of Yi theory wasn't driven by any love for national heritage; my motives were far less pure. Zhang Yingchuan’s divine calculation based on the "Crossing the Great River" hexagram had truly convinced me. If I could also discern pivotal numbers, wouldn’t I win every battle, whether raiding tombs or running a business? More importantly, I sought to complete my understanding of the Sixteen-Character Secret Arts of Yin-Yang Feng Shui. Of course, I couldn't voice these intentions to Professor Chen. When he asked about my recent insights into Yi theory, I casually shared my current understanding, much of which I’d gleaned from Zhang Yingchuan.

Before, I understood Feng Shui but not the principles of Yin and Yang. In truth, the character Yi (Change) is the ultimate formula for Feng Shui. The path of Feng Shui strives for the unity of Heaven, Earth, and Man, essentially stating that Yin and Yang are both opposite and unified—this is what the I Ching expresses by deducing human affairs from the Way of Heaven. The Way of Heaven and the Way of Man form a single entity, and one should emulate Heaven and Earth while living.

Emulating Heaven allows one to be vigorous, active, and dynamic—Tian Xing Jian, Jun Zi Zi Qiang Bu Xi (As Heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection). Emulating Earth allows one to become broad-minded, inclusive, and eternally humble and compliant—Di Shi Kun, Jun Zi Yi Hou De Zai Wu (As the Earth's condition is receptive, a gentleman should support all things with broad virtue).

After discussing some I Ching theories with Professor Chen, our conversation deepened. Based on our recent experiences, the Pre-Heaven Sixteen Trigrams bore an inextricable link to the Jingjue Ghost Cave, the Dragon Bone Celestial Book, and the Phoenix Gallbladder. Since this jade figure likely originated from the Hentian Kingdom, could the trigrams inscribed upon it relate to the Sea Eye? Were the ancient underwater ruins of the Hentian Kingdom swept away by the Sea Eye? These were purely my subjective speculations; without witnessing it firsthand, no one could be certain.

Professor Chen reiterated his warning: “This trip out to sea is to search for the Qin Emperor’s Bone-Scrutinizing Mirror. Finding it would be best, but if you can’t, do not risk approaching the Sea Eye within the Coral Spiral. Ancient texts record that the Sea Eye is the Gui Xu (the place of submersion and return); once sucked in, there is no escape. No one knows what catastrophic disaster befell the Hentian people back then. If anything happens to you...”

I reassured him: “Please don’t worry about this matter. This time, our mission is salvage—to recover national treasures from shipwrecks, and incidentally, to collect some eggs for extra income. We are not a suicide squad deliberately seeking self-destruction. We absolutely will not attempt anything too reckless.” After a long conversation, dawn was nearly breaking. According to the original plan, we were setting sail in the morning, so I decided not to sleep at all. I woke up Fatty and the others, and we prepared everything for departure.

This day was an auspicious date for setting sail. Before leaving, we had to perform rites to the Sea God. Not only our Trident but all the other fishing boats were also heading out to sea for work. After days of repeated preparation and waiting, everyone was finally ready to embark, spirits high and excitement barely contained.

The seasoned egg-gatherer Ruan Hei offered us numerous advice on blending in before we left. The taboos observed by fishermen and egg-gatherers were just as strict and unique as those of tomb raiders. They strictly forbade words like fan (overturn), kou (capsize), or dao (invert). On the sea, if anyone dared utter such words, the boat captain had the right to throw that person overboard to feed the fish. If the vessel was a sailboat, the word fan (sail) invoked the curse of fan (overturn). Therefore, fishermen and egg-gatherers referred to sailboats as peng chuan (canopy boats) and always called a sail a peng; "raising the sail" was commonly referred to as "propping open the canopy" (cheng peng) or "opening the canopy" (kai peng).