It was only when Shirley Yang suddenly mentioned that the back of the "Qin King Bone-Revealing Mirror" must not reflect a person that I recalled Professor Chen specifically finding me in Beijing to caution me about this very thing. However, so much had happened since we set out to sea, and the boat captain Ruan Hei had just lost his life, that the warning slipped my mind; I was preoccupied with getting into the water as quickly as possible to retrieve the Qingtou from the sunken wreck. Only then did it strike me that this bronze mirror had been pressed down upon a corpse in the sea for over a thousand years, accumulating malevolent Shi Qi (corpse energy)—it was an ominous object.

Yet, the "Qin King Bone-Revealing Mirror" was simultaneously an unparalleled national treasure. From the Spring and Autumn period through the reigns of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, China possessed dozens of ancient mirrors steeped in legend and mystery. Among these, the eight mirrors of the Qin King were the most famous, all traceable back to the Warring States period. One of these eight was the "Three-Life Mirror," which purportedly allowed a person standing before it to see their previous and subsequent lives, as well as their current appearance—hence its name. Whether this mirror ever truly existed is something modern archaeologists cannot ascertain; perhaps it was like the "Legalist Ancient Mirror," merely an object with symbolic significance. In that era of the Hundred Schools of Thought, it was common to have various artifacts representing the doctrines of different schools and philosophers, but these are merely speculations by historians. That "Three-Life Mirror" was long destroyed in the fires of conflict among the warlords at the end of the Han Dynasty and no longer exists in the world.

The only one among the eight Qin King mirrors that could be mentioned in the same breath as the "Three-Life Mirror" was the "Bone-Revealing Mirror." Legend tells of an ancient mirror pool, both deep and gloomy, where an iridescent mist constantly shifted. The pool teemed with fish, and the local populace sustained themselves entirely by fishing its bounty, ensuring they never wanted for food or drink all year long. Then, one day, amidst a sudden storm of wind and thunder, a white rainbow descended into the pool. From that moment on, the fish vanished; not a single one remained. Those skilled in water pursuits were sent down to search for the fish, but no matter how many dove in, none returned, striking great terror into the fishermen. To uncover the source of the disaster, they exhausted every means to drain the pool, finally discovering at the bottom a colossal silver carp with jade-like scales, seemingly on the verge of transforming into a spirit. It had devoured every aquatic creature in the depths, large or small.

The fishermen killed the carp and, upon opening its belly, found a chaotic mass of rotted dead fish and human remains mixed together. While sorting through the bodies, someone accidentally unearthed an ancient mirror. The back of the mirror could reveal the entirety of the human body—the skeleton, the viscera, and the flow of blood and Mai (meridians)—all laid out clearly. Hailed as a supreme treasure, it was presented to the emperor. Later, after Qin conquered the six states, this Bone-Revealing Mirror was placed within the Qin Imperial Palace, recorded in historical annals as the "Qin King Bone-Revealing Mirror."

In ancient China, there was a deeply ingrained traditional belief: "Evil cannot overcome Righteousness." Previously, people often used a carpenter's ink line or ink pot to subdue zombies. This wasn't because the ink itself repelled evil, but because these tools were used by carpenters to establish benchmarks when crafting objects. The old saying goes, "The ink line is true and upright; it cannot be deceived regarding straightness or curve," which is the underlying principle. Precisely because the ink pot and line were instruments for establishing truth, balance, and straightness, they could ward off evil and suppress demons. The status of bronze mirrors in antiquity was also unique; they were used for correcting attire and appearance, and held the meaning that evil could not invade the righteous. Thus, when strange phenomena occurred anywhere, the emperor would often summon ancient mirrors to suppress the demons and stabilize evil, thereby preventing ominous signs that could lead to widespread chaos.

During his southern tour, Qin Shi Huang encountered a towering, imposing male corpse floating in the sea. Its flesh was as hard as iron, with long whiskers trailing in the water; it was believed to be an ancient Jiangshi (stiff corpse). Consequently, he commanded laborers to carve a mountain and build a tomb, interring the corpse and pressing it down with the Qin King Bone-Revealing Mirror. It was only after a thousand years, when the mountainside collapsed, that the ancient mirror was seen by sunlight again. Tales of the Bone-Revealing Mirror suppressing the corpse do not appear in official historical texts, yet the mirror itself is a genuine artifact. It passed through many hands before finally sinking with the Mary Celeste beneath the waters of Guixu. If it could be salvaged, it would be the only priceless treasure among the eight Qin King mirrors still perfectly preserved in the world.

We certainly cannot definitively assert the truth of the legend regarding the Bone-Revealing Mirror lying motionless on the face of the South Sea zombie for a millennium, but this ancient mirror seems genuinely burdened by some form of curse that invites unimaginable disaster. Almost everyone who obtained it met a terrible end. It is unclear whether this string of bad luck is connected to its thousand-year legend of corpse suppression.

I rapidly replayed in my mind, like a movie, all the legends Professor Chen had mentioned concerning the "Qin King Bone-Revealing Mirror." Regardless, since we had encountered the wreck this time, we had no choice but to do everything possible to retrieve the Qingtou from inside; otherwise, this ancient mirror would never see daylight again. This could be considered us returning a favor to the Professor. As for whether Old Man Chen will suffer misfortune by possessing the Qin King Bone-Revealing Mirror, that is not an issue for us to consider right now.

I relayed the critical details of these matters to Fatty and Gu Cai, ensuring everyone was mentally prepared for any unexpected incidents. Everyone had already donned their diving gear and strapped on their scuba tanks, ready to go. I looked at Shirley Yang and asked if we could begin. Shirley Yang nodded and addressed the members of our diving team: "Everyone, remember three things: First, the underwater environment is complex; do not rush forward recklessly. Second, stay close, move in a column, maintaining a half-meter to one-meter distance between each person. Third, prioritize safety; do not try to show off..."

I didn't immediately grasp that Shirley Yang was telling Fatty and me not to overexert ourselves, assuming she was concerned about Gu Cai instead. I patted Gu Cai’s head, reminding the Longhu (Dragon House) native: "Did you hear that? That was for you. Stop trying to be a lone hero. Just stick with Wang Fatty, act as his assistant carrying the underwater demolition tools. He will set an example for you to follow. Whatever he does, you do. If he jumps off a building, you jump too."

Gu Cai scratched his head, seemingly not fully grasping what everyone was saying, but nodded repeatedly, assuring everyone that he would follow the dive team and would absolutely not act independently. With that, everyone secured their masks and entered the water one by one. Shirley Yang, experienced in underwater reconnaissance, took the lead. I followed closely behind her, carrying the underwater searchlight. Behind me were Fatty, hauling hydraulic spreaders and other underwater demolition tools, and the newly added Gu Cai. Gu Cai was unaccustomed to carrying scuba tanks. Bare-chested, wearing only tight, half-length leather trousers, he needed neither a mask nor fins. He held a Longhu short knife in his mouth, a toolbox in his hand, and had a canister of shark repellent and an Damin air screw for breathing attached to his waist. With this minimal equipment, he could operate underwater for about one or two hours. Furthermore, even if he dove deep and returned to the surface, he would not require decompression; he moved through the deep like an underwater whale, immune to the bends.