Seeing Tian Guoqiang's state, Young Master Liu assumed he had spotted a Zongzi (Chinese mummy), so he quickly leaned over to look. Upon seeing it, he couldn't help but gasp himself, "Oh, my dear mother!"

There lay a corpse flat in the stone coffin, wearing a bizarre mask upon its face and clad in a robe of vermilion-yellow, embroidered with dragon motifs. These patterns complemented the robe, creating a powerful visual impact that sent an inexplicable chill down their spines. From this person’s waist hung a dull-red, circular-holed blood jade, emitting a hazy luster. Some sort of preservative must have been added to this body, preventing its decay over a thousand years. What stunned everyone most was that the corpse's skin remained surprisingly rosy, unlike the desiccated bodies they usually encountered.

Everyone knew that after death, bodily functions cease, causing the skin to gradually lose moisture and turn into a mummy. How, then, had this corpse retained its moisture? Even Zhang Enpu, who possessed considerable knowledge of ancient corpses, couldn't offer a definitive explanation. It seemed the wisdom of the ancients truly surpassed that of modern man in many respects.

However, their attention was not fixed on the mysterious corpse but rather on the hands it held: in both hands, it clutched a mirror. It looked less like a mirror and more like an exquisitely crafted bronze plaque. The three faces on the left side of the plaque wore faint smiles, while the three faces on the right were ferocious and chilling. Countless pulsating black particles, the very source of the malevolent energy (Li Qi), swirled around the edges of the mirror.

Zhang Enpu scrutinized it for a long time, then suddenly his body shook violently: "No wonder... no wonder, it is the Qin..."

"The Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror (Qin Wang Zhao Gu Jing)!"

Young Master Liu turned to Zhang Enpu in astonishment, his own face now clouded with mystery. "What... what is going on?"

Zhang Enpu took three deep breaths before explaining the entire history and significance of the mirror to Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang.

There was an old legend that when the First Emperor of Qin, Qin Shi Huang, was touring the south, he encountered fishermen dredging a floating corpse from the sea. This male corpse was an elder, unusually tall, possessing distinguished features, with a beard reaching past his chest, skin white and smooth, and flesh as firm as iron. He was dressed in the ceremonial robes of an ancient king. It was unclear how long he had been floating in the sea, nor his origin or cause of death, but he still appeared lifelike, showing no signs of prolonged soaking by seawater. A gust of sea breeze stirred his beard and whiskers, making him indistinguishable from the living.

Qin Shi Huang believed this ancient corpse to be the remains of a sea immortal and intended to offer sacrifices to seek the elixir of immortality. However, others held the opposing view. Qin Shi Huang was notoriously superstitious about seeking immortality and alchemy, and he employed many court alchemists (Fang Shi). These alchemists insisted this was an ancient Jiangshi (a form of reanimated corpse), transformed by an evil spirit, likely surfaced from the abyss of the South Sea. Merely seeing it was ominous, let alone worshipping it for medicine. They recounted previous appearances of such phenomena, the corresponding ominous portents, and the proper procedures for disposal.

Making a living as a Fang Shi during the Qin dynasty was not easy; people were generally straightforward, and even slight eloquence could earn one the reputation of being sharp-tongued. The primary skill for advising the Emperor was being able to talk—to make the dead seem alive. Qin Shi Huang was not naturally one to be easily swayed, but he couldn't resist these men speaking as if their words were gospel. Deeply believing in these esoteric matters himself, he feared that the emergence of a Jiangshi from the sea abyss signaled the doom of his dynasty. Since destruction by fire or axe was ruled out, the only recourse was subterranean entombment. Thus, he commanded thirty thousand convicts to excavate a barren mountain, inter the corpse, cast a bronze beast to crush the spirit beneath the mountain, and set the "Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror"—one of the eight Qin King's Mirrors—into the beast's head, finally sealing the mountain before departing.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, it was widely believed that bronze mirrors could suppress Jiangshi. This stemmed from the custom of using mirrors to "correct one's appearance" (zheng rong)—to check if one's expression was suitably solemn and if clothing and headwear were properly aligned. If anything was askew, it had to be set straight immediately. Therefore, the bronze mirror symbolized "rectification" (zheng), capable of suppressing a hundred evils with its order. Furthermore, the mirror represented "Yang," the symbol of daylight, possessing a power to deter "Yin."

After conquering the Six States to unify the realm, Qin Shi Huang had acquired numerous secret artifacts from those fallen kingdoms, including eight ancient mirrors, among them the Alchemist's Ancestor Bronze Mirror and the Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror. Legend held that this mirror could reveal the skeletal structure and meridians within a body, making it an invaluable treasure rarely seen in the world. Qin Shi Huang had this Bone-Illuminating Mirror interred along with the ancient sea corpse inside the mountain.

Shortly after Qin Shi Huang returned to Xianyang, he passed away. Where the Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror was buried became an eternal mystery; its whereabouts were lost to history. As time wore on, during the Ming Dynasty, someone collecting herbs on a mountain suddenly saw five dragons seemingly battling in the sky above a hill. Eventually, all five dragons perished, their bodies falling from the heavens. However, where the dragons fell, there were no carcasses, only a massive fissure splitting the ground.

The herb gatherer, panicked, informed nearby villagers. Crowds rushed to the scene and saw a huge object writhing within the chasm, attempting to emerge. Everyone was terrified, assuming a mountain spirit was causing mischief, so they set fire to the area. After the blaze, they retrieved a massive bronze construct from the fissure: a creature with an ox's head and a turtle's body, sporting ox horns on its head and a carapace covering its body, possessing seven tails, each ending in countless skulls—a truly hideous form, broad at the top and tapering sharply below. Perched atop the beast’s head was a bronze mirror of ancient design. Someone presented this object to the reigning Son of Heaven, Emperor Mingxi (Zhu Youjiao).

It is known that during his reign, Emperor Mingxi’s primary concern was not state affairs but carpentry and craftsmanship, which he therefore held in high regard. A well-informed minister advised the Emperor that this ancient mirror was an artifact from the pre-Qin era, precisely the Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror mentioned in historical texts. This object was a Qin-era device used to suppress demons; having aged, the residual demonic aura was difficult to dispel. It should be returned to its original resting place and reburied according to ritual propriety. But Emperor Mingxi cherished the mirror as a priceless treasure and refused to part with it, keeping it close for his enjoyment. Not long after, Emperor Mingxi Zhu Youjiao fell into water during an outing and died shortly thereafter from a subsequent illness. The Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror once again vanished.

The tale of Qin Shi Huang encountering the ancient corpse by the sea was, after all, apocryphal history and might not be true. Yet, the Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror is clearly documented in historical records. Later scholars speculated that this mirror might not have been bronze but a highly specialized material capable of seeing through human bone structure. If true, certain histories of technology would need rewriting. It was similar to certain secret imperial artifacts mentioned in the Book of Han, some of which might even represent humanity's earliest discovery of radioactive materials. Finding the actual object now could shock the entire world. Alas, like so many treasures of ancient China, its whereabouts are unknown. Without the physical object, later generations can only draw upon a few lines of ink in ancient texts, letting their imaginations soar, filled with poignant reflection, and ultimately left with regret and sighs.

After Zhang Enpu's lengthy explanation, Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang were filled with awe and about to ask more questions when Zhang Enpu cut them off.

"Wait! This is getting too complicated; I need to straighten out my thoughts." Zhang Enpu shook his head with a complex expression.

One, in search of the source of the Li Qi, everyone entered an underwater cavern, unexpectedly arriving in a cave dedicated to worshipping nether gods, subsequently viewing a massive scroll depicting the Eighteen Levels of Hell, and finally discovering a secret passage.

Two, in the secret passage, the four encountered a Human Skin Lantern (Ren Pi Deng Long), an object usually only found in ancient tombs. Combined with the inscription found near Li Lishan's remains, they inferred they had unintentionally entered the tomb of the Great Ming Emperor Zhu Youjiao.

Three, having escaped the pursuit of the Nether Lanterns, the four ascended eerie stone steps where they discovered the Mercury Child Corpses (Shui Yin Tong Shi).

Four, descending further, they reached the depths of the cave and found a pool of blood and a formation altar (Fa Zhen), within which rested a white jade sarcophagus (Bai Yu Guan Zun).

Five, the white jade sarcophagus shattered, and inside, they found a stone coffin bound by the Seven Ills Unending Lock (Qi Sha Wei Yang Suo).

Six, upon unlocking the Qi Sha Wei Yang Suo and opening the stone coffin, they discovered a magnificent corpse, and what stunned them further was that this corpse was holding a complete pair of Yin-Yang Ghost Faces (Yin Yang Gui Mian).

A series of questions immediately arose:

One, is the source of the Li Qi located directly beneath this coffin?

Two, what purpose do all these arrangements within the tomb, and the myriad mechanisms triggering the malevolent energy, serve?

Three, this ancient corpse in the tomb should be the true body of Emperor Mingxi Zhu Youjiao. Why was he not interred in the imperial necropolis but secretly buried here after massive construction? What do the images on the murals signify? And finally, why has Emperor Mingxi, who was clearly dead, revived? If that is the case, the answers Daoist Master Li Lishan knew were only a small part of the puzzle; the larger truth might still lie ahead.

After a pause, Zhang Enpu finally composed himself. He cautiously extended his hand toward the Qin King's Bone-Illuminating Mirror held by the ancient corpse, intending to remove it. At that precise moment, Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang clearly saw the mask on the corpse's face suddenly emit a sinister glow. The corpse’s eyes seemed to snap open in an instant, gazing coldly at the three of them through the mask.

Then, the mouth on the mask suddenly split open, spewing forth a cloud of black miasma, and a black sandalwood bead (Tan Zhu) shot out from the corpse's mouth.

It happened in a flash. Relying on his superior reflexes, Young Master Liu shoved Zhang Enpu aside and threw himself onto the ground.

With a dull thud, the powerfully propelled sandalwood bead slammed into the giant ox-hide drum suspended in mid-air. A strange resonance vibrated back and forth through the air, making their ears ring deafeningly.

When the black miasma completely dissipated, the three climbed up from the floor.

"Old Daoist, are you alright?" Young Master Liu asked.

Zhang Enpu brushed the dust off his clothes. "I'm fine, Young Master. Thank you!"

Young Master Liu thought to himself, Why thank me? If I didn't save you, how would we find a way out if something happened to you? Besides, he had staked his life here just to eliminate that damned Li Qi; there was no place to buy regret medicine.

"Look at his face!" Tian Guoqiang suddenly cried out in alarm.

The other two turned toward the stone coffin and saw the corpse undergoing a bizarre transformation. Its face began to melt and rot with a crackling sound. Suddenly, with a tearing sound, the corpse’s head split neatly into four pieces, like a cracked melon, and putrid fluid slowly oozed out. A vividly colored flower slowly began to emerge from inside its head.