The content Ming Shu was sharing concerned the Demon Kingdom of Tibet. I immediately focused my attention. I had seen the Nine-Story Pagoda before; it was a tomb tower constructed of rammed earth and square timber, a precursor to the Stupa burial style. I had never heard of any princess from the Demon Kingdom—perhaps Ming Shu’s intelligence was flawed, or perhaps it was just a figure like the "Ghost Mother." If we’re talking about the most ferocious zombies, nothing compares to the Corpse Kings of the deep mountains of Hunan and Jiangxi. Legend says they only appear once every hundred years, and each appearance brings considerable disaster. Could the Glacier Crystal Corpse be similar?

Ming Shu stated it was entirely different from the "Glacier Crystal Corpse" of the snowy mountains. That entity was an object of worship, an evil deity whose body was crystallized into ice and crystal from the inside out—unique in the entire world. That’s why they were willing to go to any lengths to acquire her. But how could such an ancient, malevolent thing be easily brought into a Yang dwelling? People in Hong Kong and Nanyang (Southeast Asia) are particularly superstitious about such matters. Many of the dried corpses Ming Shu traffics in come complete with their original coffins. For every one he handles, he places a scallion (cōng) inside the coffin, playing on the homophone for "repulsion" (chōng) to drive away Yin evil and bad luck.

Regarding the "Glacier Crystal Corpse," it was less an ancient corpse and more the idol of an evil god. That’s why they wanted to use the ancestral mirror of the Legalist School—such a divine object—to suppress it. Otherwise, even if they managed to excavate the body from the snowy mountains, they wouldn't dare transport it back. Tibet is such a mysterious place; many things there defy common sense. Who knows what curses might descend upon them? Since they didn't have the ancient mirror, they had to look for something else. Once they had a lead, Ming Shu planned to assemble a team to head into Tibet, following clues in the scriptures to unearth the "Glacier Crystal Corpse." This was too big a job for Ming Shu to leave to subordinates; he needed to supervise the excavation personally to ensure the ancient body wasn't damaged.

As for assembling the team for Tibet, there were no suitable candidates yet. Ming Shu hoped I would accompany them, adding that if they could secure the assistance of a few Mojin Xiaowei (Grave Robbers of the Golden Tomb), the chances of success would certainly increase.

I didn't agree immediately. I calculated silently: Ming Shu was putting up such a huge stake not just for an ancient mirror, but also to secure our help. Several questions arose in my mind. How did Ming Shu know we found an ancient mirror in Yunnan? He likely only knew that Fatty and I were tomb raiders, but he didn't know we were Mojin Xiaowei carrying the Mojin Talisman. Did Fatty let all this slip?

This line of questioning revealed that Ming Shu had never met Fatty or even spoken to him. Ming Shu explained that he was guided by a fortune-teller whose readings were truly divine. Initially, when Ming Shu heard rumors from Panjiayuan that an ancient mirror had been discovered in Yunnan, and after fruitless inquiries about its whereabouts, he sought out a blind diviner who claimed to be the reincarnation of Chen Tuan. He asked the man for guidance on who might have recently obtained the ancient mirror in the deep mountains of Yunnan. Without hesitation, the blind old man cast a hexagram, then wrote down an address, stating that one should seek a man named Wang Kaixuan, along with another named Hu Bayi. These two, he claimed, were the most skilled Mojin Xiaowei in the world today, possessing bravery that could stop ten thousand men, powers unfathomable to spirits and ghosts, the loyalty of Guan Yu, the ferocity of Zhang Fei, the courage of Zhao Yun, and the wisdom of Zhuge Liang. That ancient mirror must have been retrieved by them from Yunnan.

Ming Shu concluded that seeing us today verified the previous day’s divination. That old gentleman was truly a living immortal; the hidden opportunities he calculated were as clear as tortoise-shell divination, accurate to the last hair's breadth. He might not just be the reincarnation of Patriarch Chen Tuan, but perhaps even the embodiment of King Wen of Zhou.

Hearing this, Fatty and I managed to keep our faces straight, daring not to laugh. We thought that if this level of fortune-telling could be called "divination as clear as tortoise-shell," then both of us could claim to be King Wen of Zhou. However, the blind man had actually done us a favor this time by not causing trouble, only showering us with exaggerated praise. Since people were elevating us, Fatty and I immediately put on expressions of surprise and told Ming Shu how astonishing it was to encounter such an ethereal master! We claimed that we had never truly understood the meaning of "foreknowledge" and "prophetic accuracy" until today, having experienced it vividly. If we were ever fortunate enough to meet him and receive even a shred of guidance, it would benefit us immensely for the rest of our lives. But alas, being mere mortals, we likely wouldn't have such an opportunity.

Ming Shu said there might still be a chance. That old immortal was near Taoranting Park, charging a mere hundred yuan per reading. If one paid more, he could even be invited to one’s home for a feng shui consultation. However, the old gentleman had a peculiar habit: he wouldn't sit unless one provided a specific type of breast milk. My friend happened to have a car, and if we wished to invite him, Ming Shu could arrange for A'Dong to drive us.

I thanked Ming Shu for his kindness. Continuing the conversation would surely make me laugh and reveal our deception, so I quickly changed the subject, dropping the matter of the fortune-telling blind man. I told Ming Shu that retrieving the "Glacier Crystal Corpse" from the mausoleum of the Nine-Story Demon Tower in Tibet was a job I could theoretically accept. Furthermore, even without the ancestral mirror of the Legalist School, I could find something else to substitute for you. As for what that might be, I couldn't disclose it now. In short, everyone has their own way of doing things; we Mojin have our own methods. But currently, I have a more pressing matter to attend to. Until I have a result, I cannot commit. I will give you a definite answer in a few days.

Ming Shu clearly relied heavily on us, repeatedly urging us and offering to give us a deposit first. Fatty and I had long been coveting that Jade Phoenix that Yang Guifei supposedly held in her mouth to quench her thirst, so we asked if we could have that item first. We promised that once we were free, we would prioritize his business deal.

Ming Shu quickly put the Jade Phoenix away: "Don't rush, don't rush. After the job is done, all of this will be yours. But using this jade artifact as a deposit is truly inappropriate. I will give you something else instead." Saying this, he retrieved a ceramic jar from under a rosewood stand. The jar looked ancient; the glaze on the rim was worn away so that the blue and white pattern was invisible. Fatty and I immediately lost interest, thinking Ming Shu was a stingy old miser who wouldn't release his valuables until the profit was secured. We figured such junk could be bought by the cartload in Panjiayuan.

Ming Shu reached mysteriously into the jar and pulled out a small oil-paper package. The jar contained something wrapped tightly in about ten layers of oil paper. We had to scrape off the hardened wax applied to the exterior first, and then carefully peel back the layers of paper. When Fatty and I saw what was inside the wrappings, it turned out to be two dried, yellowed leaves.

I mimicked Ming Shu's tone: "Are you kidding me? Aren't these just dead leaves? We are dignified Mojin Xiaowei; what kind of grave goods haven't we seen!" As I spoke, I picked up one leaf to examine it. It seemed a bit harder than a regular leaf, but definitely not something valuable. After looking, I tossed it back and signaled to Fatty, saying angrily to Ming Shu, "If you're unwilling to part with the deposit, fine. But bringing out two leaves to mock us? Are you deliberately picking a fight with your mainland compatriots?" Fatty quickly moved to restrain me, telling Ming Shu, "That's just Master Hu's temper! He's had a rough life since childhood and can't stand seeing capitalists. If he really gets angry, no one can stop him. I advise you to quickly bring out the Jade Phoenix that Miss Yang likes to play with in her mouth, lest he tears down your house."

Ming Shu thought we were genuinely angry and, afraid of offending us, hastily explained: "Are you serious? Brother Hu, how could these be leaves! What kind of leaf looks like this! I bought this treasure from the pirates of Malacca while I was sailing in Nanyang. These are dragon scales, Dragon Scales!"

To prove his words, Ming Shu filled a teacup with clear water and picked up one of the yellowed, dry leaves, gently placing it in the cup. As soon as the so-called dragon scale touched the water, it instantly doubled in size, and its color shifted from yellow to green. It became crystal clear, looking like a piece of jade soaking in the teacup.

I had heard in Fujian before that dragon scales were very valuable; some places called them Runhai Stone, but I had never seen one personally. Legend had it that keeping one on a boat could ward off storms, and offering a few in drought-stricken areas could call for rain. Drinking it steeped in tea was said to cure asthma. Whether they were genuine dragon scales was hard to say; perhaps they were just the scales of some massive fish. While this item was nice, it wasn't rare—not as tangible as the Jade Phoenix. So, I feigned ignorance and said to Fatty, "How could this be a dragon scale? Uncle Jin, don't you think this looks like something we use for cooking… what is it called?"

Fatty replied, "Shrimp chips! They swell up when you soak them in water. A big bag costs one dollar. Our Little San loves eating them; these two pieces aren't enough to fill its gaps!"

Fatty and I pleaded and cajoled, but we ultimately couldn't trick Ming Shu out of the Jade Phoenix. Although this Runhai Stone was slightly inferior, it was better to take it than nothing. We decided to take the stone along with the ceramic jar. On the way back, Fatty asked me if these two pieces of Runhai Stone were worth tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. I told him they were decent, maybe eight thousand HKD for both combined, if we were lucky.

Fatty then asked if I was truly planning to act as a pawn for this old Hong Kong farmer and head to the Kunlun Mountains in Tibet after we sorted things out.

I said, "Don't call him an old Hong Kong farmer; the old man is quite wealthy. Money from Hong Kong farmers is still money; we shouldn't discriminate against capitalists. Their money is meant to be taken. Besides, he has clues regarding the mausoleum of the Demon Kingdom of Tibet. We can utilize each other, but we need to discuss the matter further when we return. Right now, we have something urgent to do: go to Taoranting Park to find the fortune-teller, Blind Chen. He knows the I Ching very well—the Zhou Yi encompasses everything, but its root is the 'Sixteen-Character Heavenly Hexagram'—I need to ask him about these matters before Shirley Yang returns and accuses me of wasting time on frivolous pursuits again."

So, Fatty and I headed straight for You'anmen. After a short inquiry, we found Blind Chen at a pavilion, casting fortunes for people. There were a few others resting and watching nearby. I saw Blind Chen feeling the bone structure of a middle-aged man who looked like a cadre. Blind Chen swayed his head and said authoritatively, "A face like a full moon is an extraordinary aspect; a nose like a hanging gourd indicates great potential; latent bones of a late bloomer, a body structure like a grand pillar. Within three years, you will certainly hold a high office. In my humble opinion, at least a ministerial position! If I am wrong, let me walk out and get hit by a utility pole!"

The middle-aged man was overjoyed, thanked the fortune-teller profusely, and paid him. Seeing that the blind man was free, I prepared to approach him, but then another person came forward to ask for a reading. This man was a Hong Kong businessman whose family kept having accidents, and he wanted to know if it was due to bad feng shui in his dwelling. The blind man calculated with his fingers and asked, "Do you keep a dog at home?" The guest replied, "Yes, a foreign dog, very well-behaved, and everyone in the family dotes on it."

The blind man asked for details about the dog’s appearance, then sighed, "Why harbor such a vengeful beast! This foreign dog has a deep-seated feud with you from a past life and will surely seek revenge soon. I cannot stand idly by. On the third day after you return home, pretend to go to sleep. Once the dog is asleep, create a dummy of yourself with your clothes and place it on the bed, then leave home for an extended trip. The next day, when the dog can't find you, it will surely die in a rage. Then, hang its corpse on an ancient tree in the deep mountains to decompose and vanish. Remember, do not bury it or burn it."